Adèle, dame de Marle

Ada is believed to have been Heiress of Coucy since upon her divorce from Aubry de Beaumont the control over Coucy passed to her second husband Enguerrand.

Medlands

Coucy is located in the commune of Coucy-le-Château-Affrique, in the present-day French département of Aisne, south-east of the town of Chauny and due west of Laon. It is likely that the domaine of Coucy was founded in the early 10th century, probably by Hérivée archbishop of Reims (in office from 900 to 922) although no primary source which confirms this speculation has so far been identified. During the first half of the 10th century, possession of Coucy was disputed between the archbishop and other regional comital families as demonstrated by the following extracts from Flodoard:

In 927, Raoul King of France, during the course of his disputes with "Heribertum comitem" [H%C3%A9ribert [II] Comte de Vermandois], returned to Burgundy at one point and left "Lauduni" [Laon] in the hands of "Rotgarii filiis cum uxore sua" ["Rotgarii filiis" identified as the sons of Roger [I] Comte de Laon] who destroyed "circa Codiacum, episcopii Remensis castrum" [Coucy][1134].

• In 930, "Heribertus" granted "Codiciacum" to "Ansellum Bosonis vasallum" who held "Victoriacum"[1135].
• In 950, "Tetbaldum comitem" [Thibaut [I] "le Tricheur" Comte de Blois] was granted "castri Codiaci" but was later expelled "a Codiciaco"[1136].
• In 958, "fideles Artoldi præsulis" [Artaud Archbishop of Reims] recaptured "castrum Codiciacum" from "Harduinus subiectus Tetbaldi", but in 964 that "Odelricus Remensis archiepiscopus" excommunicated "Tetbaldum…propter castrum Codiciacum"[1137], implying that Comte Thibaut [I] had retaken the castle.
• From these passages, we therefore learn that:
• Coucy was originally the fief of the archbishopric of Reims.
• it was presumably occupied in the mid-920s by Héribert [I] Comte de Vermandois, and attacked, but not captured, by Roger [II] Comte de Laon and his brother(s) on behalf of the French king.
• Comte Héribert appointed Anseau as his vicomte or châtelain at Coucy in 930.
• Thibaut [I] Comte de Blois held Coucy for a brief period in the 950s.
• Coucy was recaptured by the archbishop of Reims in 958, but attacked and maybe retaken by Comte Thibaut [I] in the early 960s.

Apart from the reference to Anseau in 930, no mention has been found of any seigneur or vicomte de Coucy until the late 1050s, when Aubry Seigneur de Coucy (see Part A) and Guillaume Vicomte de Coucy (see Part B) are named in the sources. It is unclear how jurisdiction over Coucy was split between the vicomte and the seigneur. No further reference to a vicomte de Coucy has been found after 1057. Some time in the 1080s, Aubry lost his seigneurie to Enguerrrand [I] Seigneur de Boves Comte d’Amiens (see the document NORTHERN FRANCE NOBILITY), the second husband of Ada de Marle who had been Aubry’s first wife. This transmission of Coucy suggests that the domaine may have been Ada’s dowry, possibly inherited from her mother about whom nothing is known apart from her name. After the descendants of Enguerrand [I] lost the county of Amiens, they retained Coucy which was one of their principle remaining territorial holdings (see Part C).

Two siblings: 1. AUBRY (-after 1088). According to Europäische Stammtafeln[1138], he was Aubry, son of Ives [I] Comte de Beaumont & his wife Emma ---. The primary source on which this is based has not yet been identified, and no indication has been found that it is correct. The names Aubry and Foulques are not otherwise present in the family of the Comtes de Beaumont-sur-Oise and no indication has been found that Aubry held any property or position in the county. Until further information comes to light, it is suggested that this supposed connection should be treated with caution. Seigneur de Coucy 1059/79. Elinand Bishop of Laon donations made by "Albricus de Cociaco castro…cum uxore sua Adela et matre eius Malthilde" by charter dated 3 Nov 1059[1139]. "…Albrici de Cociaco…" witnessed the charter dated 1065 under which Philippe I King of France confirmed the rights of the abbey of Saint-Médard de Soissons[1140]. Tardif quotes six charters dated between 1066 and 1079 in which "Albricus de Cociaco" is named[1141]. Philippe I King of France confirmed the foundation of the abbey of Saint-Jean des Vignes de Soissons by charter dated 1076, witnessed by “Tetbaldus comes et Stephanus filius eius, Willelmus Gomes, Hugo de Castro-Theodorici, Albricus de Cociaco, Eurardus miles, Gofridus miles, Wido de Castellonio”[1142]. The Vita Sancti Arnulfi Suessionensis Episcopi records that "vir nobilis, militiæ actibus implicitus…Guido" married "uxorem…Ermengardem" and records that "Albricus frater eius, Cotidiaci dominus" was captured and expelled "per consilium suæ coniugis Avelinæ"[1143]. It is difficult to date this event precisely, but presumably it took place after 1079 when Aubry is mentioned in French sources at Coucy for the last time. Later records indicate that Aubry settled in England, presumably after his expulsion from Coucy: Domesday Book records "the land of Aubrey de Coucy" in Hickleton and Cadeby in Yorkshire in 1086[1144]. "…Alberici de Cuceio…" witnessed the charter dated 1088 under which "Rotbertus…Normannorum dux, filius Willelmi…Anglorum regis" donated rights "in villa…Ardevun" {Ardevon} to Mont Saint-Michel[1145]. m firstly (divorced [1059]%29 as her first husband, ADA de Marle [Dame de Coucy], daughter of LETAUD de Marle & his wife Mathilde ---. The Genealogiæ Scriptoris Fusniacensis names "Letaldus de Marla…filiam nomine Adam" as mother of "Thomam de Marla"[1146]. The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names "filia…Letardi domni de Marla…Ada" as mother of "Thomam de Cocy"[1147]. "Albericus de Cociaco…cum Adela uxore sua et matre eius Mathilde" granted privileges to the monastery of Nogent-sous-Coucy by charter dated 1059[1148], although the primary source which confirms that she was the daughter of Letaud, as well as the same daughter who later married Enguerrand de Coucy, has not yet been identified. [Heiress of Coucy]: as Coucy passed from her first husband to her second husband, it is supposed that Ada was heiress of Coucy, although no primary source has yet been identified which confirms that this speculation is correct. She married secondly Enguerrand de Boves Comte d’Amiens, Seigneur de Coucy. m secondly AVELINE, daughter of ---. The Vita Sancti Arnulfi Suessionensis Episcopi records that "vir nobilis, militiæ actibus implicitus…Guido" married "uxorem…Ermengardem" and records that "Albricus frater eius, Cotidiaci dominus" was captured and expelled "per consilium suæ coniugis Avelinæ"[1149]. Aubry & his [first/second] wife had one child:

a) FOULQUES (-after [1092]). "…Fulcone filio Alberici" is recorded as present in the charter dated to [1092] under which "Dominus Adam et Philippus suus filius nec non et uxor Philippi" donated property "apud insulam in tuwi sua" to Saint-Martin-de-Pontoise[1150].

2. ERMENGARDE (-after 1076). The Vita Sancti Arnulfi Suessionensis Episcopi records that "vir nobilis, militiæ actibus implicitus…Guido" married "uxorem…Ermengardem" and records that "Albricus frater eius, Cotidiaci dominus" was captured and expelled "per consilium suæ coniugis Avelinæ"[1151]. m GUY Seigneur de Châtillon, son of --- (-after 1076).