Count Of Tonnerre

The county of Tonnerre (Latin ''pagus Tornodorensis'') was east of

Auxerre Auxerre ( , , Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Auchoirre'') is the capital (Prefectures in France, prefecture) of the Yonne Departments of France, department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Par ...

and south of

Troyes Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...

, centred on the town of Tonnerre in the

Yonne Yonne (, in Burgundian: ''Ghienne'') is a department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in France. It is named after the river Yonne, which flows through it, in the country's north-central part. One of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté's eight con ...

region of France. It was set up in the 8th century as a

fiefdom A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

of the

bishops of Langres The Diocese of Langres (Latin: ''Dioecesis Lingonensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Langres'') is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church comprising the ''département'' of Haute-Marne in France. The diocese is now a suffragan in ecclesiasti ...

, and first became centred on Tonnerre in the 9th century. Through marriage the family also gained the

county of Bar-sur-Seine The county of Bar-sur-Seine was a compact lordship in France during the Middle Ages. Its seat, Bar-sur-Seine, lies on a Gallo-Roman site, but is only attested from the ninth century. It became of strategic importance in the twelfth century, as an ...

, although the Tonnerre family then became extinct two generations later, with Bar-sur-Seine passing to the

counts of Brienne Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

and the county of Tonnerre passing to the dukes of

Nevers Nevers ( , ; , later ''Nevirnum'' and ''Nebirnum'') is a city and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Nièvre Departments of France, department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in central France. It was the pr ...

and

. After that Tonnerre, Nevers and Auxerre came back together at the division of 1273, but they soon became Tonnerre and Auxerre again, and remained so until

John IV of Chalon John IV of Chalon-Arlay or John of Chalon (-15 April 1503) was a prince of Orange and lord of Arlay. He played an important role in the Mad War, a series of conflicts in which aristocrats sought to resist the expansion and centralisation of power ...

sold Auxerre to the king of France in 1370 and restricted himself to Tonnerre. His grandson

Louis II of Chalon Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also * ...

got into a dispute with

John the Fearless John I (; ; 28 May 1371 – 10 September 1419) was a scion of the French royal family who ruled the Burgundian State from 1404 until his assassination in 1419. He played a key role in French national affairs during the early 15th century, part ...

due to the kidnapping of Jeanne de Perellos, a lady of the Burgundian court, and opposed him politically - he thus had Tonnerre confiscated from him in 1414.

Philip the Good Philip III the Good (; ; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) ruled as Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death in 1467. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonged. During his reign, ...

handed the county to

Arthur de Richemont Arthur III (), more commonly known as Arthur de Richemont (24 August 139326 December 1458), was briefly Duke of Brittany from 1457 until his death. He is noted primarily, however, for his role as a leading military commander during the Hundred ...

, who later became

constable of France The Constable of France (, from Latin for 'count of the stables') was lieutenant to the King of France, the first of the original five Great Officers of the Crown (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and chancellor) and the commander-in ...

(known as Constable of Richemont) and duke of Brittany (1457–1458) to its brother-in-law. However, it was returned to the previous Tonnerre family by the Treaty of Arras but the last male member of that family had died in the meantime and it passed to a sister of the last count by his marriage with Olivier de Husson. {{DEFAULTSORT:Tonnerre, County of Tonnerre Territories of the Valois dukes of Burgundy