Renard II of Choiseul, also known as Raynard II of Choiseul or Renaud of Choiseul, was the son of Foulques II and Alix of Vignory. He held the title of lord of Choiseul in Champagne during the late 12th and early 13th centuries. The region is located in the current department of Haute-Marne.
He married Clémence of Faucogney as his first wife, the heiress of the lordship of Faucogney in the county of Burgundy, which they both ruled. He took part in the war of the succession of Champagne and supported the claims of his cousin Érard of Brienne against Countess Blanche of Navarre and her son, the future Thibaut IV. He then participated in the Fifth Crusade, where he likely fought during the siege of Damietta alongside another cousin, John of Brienne, the king of Jerusalem.
Upon returning to France, he entered into a prestigious marriage with Alix de Dreux, his second wife, who hailed from Capetian lineage and was the lady of Traves. In 1228, he joined forces with Count Thibaut IV of Champagne in a battle against a coalition led by a half-brother of the king who was dissatisfied with Queen Mother Blanche of Castille's regency.
As a vassal of the Bishop of Langres, he was generous with the clergy throughout his life. He sought to enhance the influence of his house while preserving independence from neighboring powers such as the counts of Burgundy, Champagne, and Bar. He died in 1239 and was laid to rest in the Abbey of Morimond. His eldest son, John I of Choiseul, assumed control of the lordship of Choiseul, while his youngest son, Robert of Choiseul, received the lordship of Traves as part of his wife's dowry.
Biography
Origins
Born around 1175, likely at the castle of Choiseul, Renard was the eldest son and the primary heir of Foulques II of Choiseul and Alix of Vignory. The houses of Choiseul (originating from the division of the county of Bassigny) and Vignory (originating from the division of the county of Bolenois) were prominent vassals of the Bishop of Langres.
Renard is first mentioned in a charter from 1176, where his father donated to the Abbey of Belfays, likely as a gesture of gratitude for the birth of his son. Renard is consistently mentioned alongside his father in various documents over the following decade, indicating his involvement in power matters and his apprenticeship.
Participation in the Third Crusade
Some 19th-century historians claim that Renard participated in the Third Crusade and fought at the siege of Acre. However, before embarking on the Holy Land, many Crusaders made donations to the clergy to seek divine favor during their journey. There is no charter from Renard confirming such donations or his participation in the crusade. The only document mentioning Renard's presence in Messina in 1190 is a forgery created for establishing the Hall of Crusades at the Palace of Versailles. In this document, Renard vouches for a loan taken out by twenty-one knights, including himself. Historian Gilles Poissonnier suggests that Renard was born in 1175 or 1176, making him around fifteen years old at the time of the supposed crusade.
First marriage and inheritance of the Lordship of Faucogney Before 1192, at the age of about 16, he married Clémence of Faucogney, the daughter of Aymon II of Faucogney, the lord of Faucogney,The Faucogney family owned the rights to the fairs of Bar-sur-Aube, which may explain the close relationship between these two families. who had died after 1174. The lordship of Faucogney was then held by his eldest son, Aymon, who died around 1205 without marrying or having children, thus passing the family estate to his sister, Clémence,Clémence of Faucogney had a sister named Béatrice, who is married to Hugues de Rougemont. Béatrice was the heiress of Clémence if Clémence had no children. and subsequently to her husband.
Renard and Clémence jointly managed the lands of Faucogney, dividing their time between Choiseul and Faucogney until 1207 when Renard's mother, Alix of Vignory, died. This event prompted him to establish his presence in Bassigny. However, around 1217, Clémence de Faucogney died without an heir, leading Renard to relinquish control of the lordship of Faucogney to his wife's family. The title then passed to Aymon III of Faucogney, the son of Béatrice of Faucogney, Clémence's sister, and Hugues of Rougemeont.
Inheritance of the Lordship of Choiseul Shortly before 1198, Renard inherited the lordship of Choiseul upon his father Foulques' death. He initially shared management of the estate with his mother Alix of Vignory, who had usufruct over the property, possibly as part of her dower. By 1203, Renard was the sole ruler of his domains, even though his mother was still alive. It is possible that she had relinquished her dower rights in favor of her eldest son.
Renard then sought to consolidate the power of his house and preserve his autonomy. He was the first in his lineage to employ personal scribes from the start of his rule, enabling him to break free from episcopal oversight while remaining a vassal of the Bishop of Langres.
As the lord of Choiseul, he was responsible for providing dowries for his sisters and arranging marriages to form alliances with other noble houses. Helvide, the eldest, married Simon of Beaujeu, while the youngest, Ide, married Pierre of Mereville. It is likely that the youngest sister, Alix, either became a nun or died at a young age.
Vassalage to the Counts of Champagne, Burgundy, and Bar
Renard was already a vassal of the Count of Burgundy for Faucogney and his holdings in Bourbonne. However, Choiseul was an independent fief that only paid homage to the Bishop of Langres, despite being a target of interest for its neighbors, the counties of Bar and Champagne.
In 1210, Renard declared himself a vassal of the Countess of Champagne, Blanche of Navarre, in two charters. It was the first time he acknowledged his vassalage for rents he owned on the fairs of Bar-sur-Aube and Provins. Although it did not greatly affect Renard, it helped fulfill the expansionist ambitions of the Champenois and provided him with protection against other rivals.
In 1214, he was one of the knight bannerets who gathered under the banner of the Count of Champagne in response to the call of the King of France, Philip Augustus. He likely took part in the Battle of Bouvines, although there is no documented evidence of his presence.
However, Renard always maintained good relations with his other neighbor, the Count of Bar, especially since the latter's wife was the sister of his second wife. In 1209, he became the guardian of the land of Apremont in the absence of its legitimate owner, who had gone on a crusade. In November 1214, upon the death of Count of Bar Theobald I, Renard stood surety for the new count Henri of Bar to his suzerain, the Duke of Lorraine Theobald I. These two acts demonstrate the importance of the Lord of Choiseul vis-à-vis his neighbors. In 1224, he also declared himself a vassal of the Count of Bar, his brother-in-law, for Colombey and his possessions in Vrécourt.
War of the Succession of Champagne
During the war of the succession of Champagne, he sided with his cousin Érard of Brienne and his wife Philippa of Champagne against Countess Blanche of Navarre and her son Theobald.
In 1217, Pope Honorius III urged Érard of Brienne and his supporters, including Renard, to reconcile with Blanche of Navarre or face excommunication. The peace agreement lasted from February 24 to April 22. However, hostilities resumed, leading Pope Honorius III to excommunicate Érard of Brienne and his allies, including Renard.
In June 1218, Blanche of Navarre and the Duke of Burgundy, Odo III, marched to attack the city of Nancy because the Duke of Lorraine was a strong supporter of Érard of Brienne. They successively attacked the castles of Châteauvillain, Clefmont, and Joinville, with Renard likely participating in these battles. In July 1218, as Érard's supporters dwindled, the remaining members gathered in his castle of Faucogney. Renard then stood surety for Érard of Brienne to observe the truce imposed on him.
Participation in the Fifth Crusade
In 1218, he participated in the Fifth Crusade and likely took part in the siege of Damietta under the command of his cousin, the King of Jerusalem, John of Brienne.
A charter from 1219 mentions Renard's presence in Damietta, but historians Henri of Faget of Casteljau and Gilles Poissonnier do not refer to Renard's participation in this crusade in their studies on the Choiseul family. Hence, it is plausible that Renard did not travel to the Holy Land.
Before his departure, his reputation did not seem tarnished by his participation in the war of the succession of Champagne. He was at the court of the Bishop of Verdun, where he witnessed the lord of Cons acquiring property. Later, he was at the court of the Count of Bar, where he acted as surety with the Count of Vaudémont for an agreement between the Count of Chiny and Guillaume and Richard of Chauvency.
Second marriage and struggle for obtaining Salins Around 1220, at the age of about 45 and as a widower, Renard married Alix of Dreux, the widow of Gaucher IV of Mâcon (lord of Salins) and the daughter of Robert II of Dreux, Count of Dreux, and Yolande of Coucy. This marriage was significant for the house of Choiseul as Alix of Dreux was a descendant of King Louis VI of the Franks, making her of Capetian origin. Alix of Dreux's dowry included the castle of Bracon in Franche-Comté and likely rights over the land of Salins. Renard pledged his castle of Choiseul and half of his land as part of this dowry. The efforts to reclaim his wife's property proved costly for Renard, leading him to borrow 250 pounds from Gilebert of Chaumont in 1223, a wealthy bourgeois, and offering the village of Chauffourt as collateral for the loan repayment.
In 1222, Renard welcomed his firstborn and heir, John. Before this, his only heir was his younger brother, Barthélemy of Choiseul, with whom he was involved in many of his endeavors. However, after Jean's birth, Barthélemy appeared to retreat to his lands in Vrécourt.
In 1225, Renard and his wife went to the castle of Bracon to claim their property. However, they were met with a cold reception and were unable to access their portion of the inheritance from Gaucher IV of Mâcon, who was Alix of Dreux's first husband. This was likely due to interference from Marguerite of Salins, the eldest daughter of Gaucher IV of Mâcon, and his first wife Mathilde of Bourbon. After spending several months at Bracon without any progress, they decided to sell their share of the inheritance to the Duchess of Burgundy and returned to Bassigny. The issue was finally resolved in 1237 when the Count of Chalon granted them the lordship of Traves, the lands of Scey-sur-Saône, and Frotey.
Raid with the Count of Champagne
In 1228, a league led by Philip, the king's half-brother, Hugh X of Lusignan, and the Duke of Brittany Pierre Mauclerc, dissatisfied with the regency of Blanche of Castille, considered abducting the 14-year-old King Louis IX. However, Count of Champagne Theobald, loyal to Queen Mother Blanche of Castille, raised an army of 300 horsemen, including Renard, to defend the young king.
Pierre Mauclerc is Renard's brother-in-law, indicating that Renard decided to stay faithful to the Count of Champagne and the King of the Franks by fighting against his wife's brother.
Testament and death
In February 1239, sensing his death, he drafted his will. He first donated to the Morimond Abbey, followed by another donation to the Abbey of Belfays in March. He likely died shortly after at around the age of 65 and was laid to rest alongside his ancestors in the Morimond Abbey.