Eustace I, Count of Boulogne

Eustace I, of Boulogne, was a Frankish nobleman and Count of Boulogne. He held the county of Boulogne from 1042 until his death.

 Career 

He was the oldest son of Count Baldwin II of Boulogne and Adelina of Holland.W.H. Turton, The Plantagenet Ancestry (Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore, 1968), p. 105 Eustace became count in 1042.Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln|Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band III Teilband 4 (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1989), Tafel 621 Eustace I was also the count of Lens.Heather J. Tanner, Family, Friends and Allies; Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England c. 879-1160 (Brill, 2004), p. 61

During the minority of Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders, Eustace's grandfather, Arnulf III, Count of Boulogne, broke free of control by the count of Flanders.Heather J. Tanner, The Expansion of the Power and Influence of the Counts of Boulogne under Eustace II', Anglo-Norman Studies XIV: Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1991, Ed. Marjorie Chibnall (The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, UK, 1992), p. 251 Both Eustace's father and Eustace himself remained independent. In 995, having reached his majority, Baldwin IV of Flanders tried to take back several of the independently held castles. He also expanded the Flemish borders. This had caused considerable enmity between Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders and Eustace's father. When Baldwin IV's son Baldwin V succeeded him in 1035 Eustace I and Baldwin V of Flanders cooperated on several ventures including several charters. Eustace also signed charters of Baldwin V which limited the powers of the advocates.Heather J. Tanner, Family, Friends and Allies; Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England c. 879-1160 (Brill, 2004),p. 83

Eustace I was allied to the house of Normandy. This was through the marriage of his son Eustace II to Goda, niece of Richard II.Heather J. Tanner, Family, Friends and Allies; Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England c. 879-1160 (Brill, 2004),p. 113 Under Eustace I the counts of Boulogne rose to great prominence in Northern France.John Carl Andressohn, The Ancestry and Life of Godfrey of Bouillon (Indiana University Press, 1947), p. 9 He was apparently a patron of Samer Abbey near Calais and he is said to have been buried there.Heather J. Tanner, Family, Friends and Allies; Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England c. 879-1160 (Brill, 2004),p. 118 In 1028 Eustace I confirmed the foundation of a college of canons at his castle at Lens  Eustace I died in 1049.

 Family 

Eustace I was married to Matilda of Leuven. She was the daughter of Lambert I, Count of Leuven. Together they had:

 Eustace II of Boulogne.
 Godfrey, Bishop of Paris (1061–1095).
 Lambert II, Count of Lens.George Edward Cokayne, The Complete Peerage of England Scotland Ireland Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant Extinct or Dormant, Vol. I, ed.  Vicary Gibbs (The St. Catherine Press, Ltd., London, 1910), p. 352 n. (a)
 Gerberga, married Frederick, Duke of Lower Lorraine.

Notes

References

Category:1049 deaths
Category:Year of birth unknown