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Ermesinde of Luxembourg, Countess of Namur

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Ermesinde of Luxembourg
Bornc. 1080
Died(1143-06-24)24 June 1143
Noble familyHouse of Ardenne–Luxembourg
Spouse(s)Albert of Moha
Godfrey I, Count of Namur
FatherConrad I, Count of Luxembourg
MotherClementia of Aquitaine

Ermesinde of Luxembourg (c. 1080 – 24 June 1143) was a German noblewoman.

Life

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She was a daughter of Count Conrad I of Luxembourg and his wife Clementia of Aquitaine.[1] After the death of her nephew Conrad II in 1136, there were no surviving males in the House of Ardennes-Verdun and she inherited the counties of Luxembourg and Longwy. However, she immediately abdicated in favour of her son Henry IV and never actually ruled.[2]

She is primarily known because she made a number of donations to churches and monasteries. Towards the end of her life, she retired to a monastery.

First marriage

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In 1096, Ermesinde married Albert of Moha (c. 1065 – 24 August 1098), Count of Dagsburg, Eguisheim, Metz and Moha, and vogt of Altorf.[3] This was his second marriage; he had earlier been married to Heilwig of Eguisheim. From his first marriage, he had a son named Hugh, who would later succeed him. Albert and Ermesinde had two daughters together:

  • Matilda (d. after 1157), married Count Folmar of Metz and Hombourg, who in 1135 founded the Abbey of Beaupré
  • Unknown daughter, married a Count Aiulf, who is only known from a deed of 1124, in which Ermesinde calls her grandson Eberhard "son of Count Aiulf".

Second marriage

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In 1109, Ermesinde remarried to Godfrey I, Count of Namur, the oldest son of Albert III, Count of Namur.[4] This was his second marriage, too; he had earlier been married to Sibylle of Porcien. He had two daughters from his first marriage; which ended in divorce in 1104, when Sibylle was pregnant from her lover Enguerrand I de Coucy.

Godfrey and Ermesinde had the following children together:

  • Albert (d. after 1125)
  • Henry, who was Count of Luxembourg as Henry IV and Count of Namur as Henry I[5]
  • Clemencia, married Duke Conrad I of Zähringen
  • Beatrix (c. 1115 – 1160), married Count Ithier, Count of Rethel of Rethel
  • Adelaide (1124 – end of July 1169), married Count Baldwin IV of Hainaut[6]

References

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  1. ^ Bulletin de la Commission royale d'histoire (in French). Librarie Kiessling et Cie. 1911.
  2. ^ Histoire de la Belgique, depuis son origine jusqu'en 1847 (in French). Pagnerre. 1847.
  3. ^ Kupper, Jean-Louis (1981). Liège et l'église impériale XIe - XIIe siècles (in French). Librairie Droz. ISBN 978-2-251-62286-6.
  4. ^ Jeantin (M.) (1853). Les marches de l'Ardenne et des Woëpvres, ou: L'arène à la naissance des grandes suzerainetés lotharingiennes (in French). L. Maison, libraire.
  5. ^ KG, Fritz Rudolf Künker GmbH & Co. Künker Auktion 121 - The De Wit Collection of Medieval Coins. Numismatischer Verlag Künker.
  6. ^ Gade, John Allyne (1951). Luxemburg in the Middle Ages. Brill Archive.
Ermesinde of Luxembourg
Born: c. 1080
Preceded by Countess of Luxembourg
1136-1136
Succeeded by