The Counts of Brienne and the Military Orders in the Thirteenth Century 1

The origins of the Brienne family date back to the tenth century. Two centuries later the counts of Brienne were considered as ranking among the ‘old aristocracy’ of the county of Champagne alongside the counts of Bar-sur-Seine, Arcis, Dampierre, Traînel, Chappes and Plancy. ² The real founder of the family was Walter I (?1035–89). As the count of Brienne he took control of the county of Bar-sur-Seine through his marriage to Eustache, the daughter of Milo count of Tonnerre and Bar-sur-Seine. After his death in 1089 his heritage was divided between his two sons with the elder, Erard, taking over the county of Brienne and the younger, Milo, becoming count of Bar-sur-Seine. ³ There is no doubt that both Erard of Brienne and Milo of Bar-sur-Seine knew Hugh of Payns, the founder of the Templars, as even before 1118 their names had appeared together on charters issued by Count Hugh I of Champagne. ⁴ Starting with Erard I, members of the family participated in each of the crusades to the Holy Land. We know that Erard joined the ranks of the First Crusade in 1097 and that he returned from Palestine and died before 1125. ⁵ He was a benefactor of the Benedictines of Montier-en-Der and the Norbertines of Beaulieu. ⁶ Erard’s son Walter (II) was the founder of the Norbertine monastery of Basse-Fontaine in 1143. ⁷ In the second half of 2861147 he left France and took part in the Second Crusade. He returned in 1151 and died probably ten years later. ⁸ His eldest son Erard II (1161–89) was heir to the county of Brienne and took part in the Third Crusade along with his younger brother Andrew of Ramerupt. Both died fighting the Muslims in the Holy Land. ⁹ Erard, like his ancestors, favoured the Norbertine houses at Basse-Fontaine and Beaulieu, where his younger brother John was the prior. ¹⁰