Gottfried III. (Perche)

Gottfried III. († 1202 in Soissons ) was a count of Le Perche . He was a son of Count Rotrou IV († 1191) and Mathilde von Blois.

Gottfried had been married to Mathilde (Richenza) von Sachsen, a daughter of Duke Henry the Lion , since 1189 . The bride was a niece of Richard the Lionheart , which should lead Gottfried closer to the Plantagenets. Mathilde was endowed with English goods as a dowry.

Gottfried took part in the Third Crusade , in the course of which his father died. After his return he supported Prince Johann Ohneland in his revolt against Richard the Lionheart imprisoned in Germany, whereby he regained the castles of Moulins-la-Marche and Bonsmoulins , which his father had lost in 1194 . After Richard was released from captivity, Gottfried lost all English possessions and was captured by Richard. But already in the autumn of 1195 he received property and freedom back. Through the Treaty of Le Goulet (1200), Gottfried von Johann Ohneland confirmed his ownership.

Gottfried took the cross together with his younger brother, Stephan , for the Fourth Crusade . But he died before the train started.

With Mathilde he had two sons:

• Thomas (around 1193; † 1217), Count of Perche
• Theobald († around 1211), deacon of Tours Cathedral

His widow was shortly after his death at the behest of King Philip II with the Sire Enguerrand III. de Coucy married.

Individual proof

1. ↑ Gesta Regis Henrici secundis et Gesta Regis Ricardi Benedicti abbatis. Ed .: William Stubbs, in: Rolls Series 49 (1867), Vol. 2, p. 73.

Web link

• The Counts of Le Perche (French)

predecessor	Office	successor
Rotrou IV.	Count of Le Perche 1191–1202	Thomas