House of Harcourt

The House of Harcourt is a Norman family, and named after its seigneurie of Harcourt in Normandy. Its mottos were "Gesta verbis praeveniant" (Olonde branch), "Gesta verbis praevenient" (Beuvron branch), and "Le bon temps viendra ... de France" (English branch).

House of Harcourt
Noble House
Shield of the House of Harcourt – Gules, with two fesses or.
CountryNormandy Duchy of Normandy
England Kingdom of England
Titlesin France:
  • baron d'Harcourt
  • baron d'Elbeuf (1265)
  • comte d'Harcourt (1328)
  • comte d'Aumale
  • baron de Olonde
  • marquis de Beuvron (1528)
  • marquis de Thury
  • comte de Sézanne
  • comte de Lillebonne
  • duc d'Harcourt (1700) and peer of France (1709)
  • duc de Beuvron (1784)
  • marquis d'Olonde-Harcourt
  • marquis d'Harcourt (confirmed in 1814) and peer of France (1814), etc.

in England:

In 1280 they established the Collège d'Harcourt in Paris, now the Lycée Saint-Louis at 44 boulevard Saint-Michel.

Origins

When in 911, the Viking chief Rollo was given the territories that would make up Normandy through the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, he distributed domains to his main supporters among those who had accompanied him on his expeditions against the English and the Neustrians. Considerable lands (notably the seigneurie of Harcourt, near Brionne) were granted to Bernard the Dane as a reward for his exploits, and from him they descended upon the lords (seigneurs) of Harcourt.

French and English branches

The Harcourt family has been perpetuated up until the present day in a French branch and an English branch. The château d'Harcourt in Harcourt, Eure, Normandy, built around 1100, survives.

English branch
See also: Earl Harcourt and Viscount Harcourt

In the 11th century, Errand of Harcourt and his three brothers followed William the Conqueror, duke of Normandy, on the Norman invasion of England, and the brothers were installed with English lands. The English Harcourt branch entered the English peerage, as barons then viscounts then earls. At first the Harcourts had lands in Leicestershire, but in 1191 Robert de Harcourt of Bosworth inherited lands of his father-in-law at Stanton in Oxfordshire, which then became known as Stanton Harcourt.[1] The manor of Stanton Harcourt has remained in the Harcourt family to the present day, although from 1756 to 1948 their main residence was at Nuneham House, also in Oxfordshire. Simon Harcourt was created Baron Harcourt in 1711 and Viscount Harcourt in 1721. The third viscount was created Earl Harcourt in 1749, but all titles were extinguished with the death of marshal William Harcourt, 3rd Earl Harcourt, in 1830. His cousin Edward Vernon, Archbishop of York, thus inherited the majority of that branch's lands and titles and took the name and heraldic shield of the English Harcourt family by royal authorisation on 15 January 1831. This created the Vernon-Harcourt branch, descended from a Harcourt woman. The title Viscount Harcourt was created a second time in 1917 for Lewis Harcourt, but the title was again extinguished on the death of his son.

French branch

In France, Errand of Harcourt's brother, Robert I of Harcourt, sire of Harcourt, continued the Harcourt line in France. His descendants are sub-divided into several branches, with the two principal ones being the Olonde and Beuvron branches, which both descend to this day. The Harcourt family of France intermarried with other members of the French aristocracy, including the de Livet family.[2] The Beuvron branch includes several marshal of France and lieutenant Generals of the ancien régime royal armies. These include

In 1966, 126 English and French Harcourts celebrated the 1000-year anniversary of the House of Harcourt at the Château du Champ de Bataille, headed by the heads of the family, the Viscount Harcourt, the Marquess of Olonde, and by the duke of Harcourt, head of the Beuvron branch.

The first lords of Harcourt

The first seigneurs of Harcourt from the early 11th to 13th centuries:

  • Bernard the Dane, companion of Rollo, governor and regent of the duchy of Normandy until the death of William I, Duke of Normandy (942)
  • Torf
  • Turquetil (960–1020s), son of Torf and of Ertemberge of Briquebec. William the Conqueror's governor during his minority.
  • Anquetil of Harcourt, son of Turquetil and of Anceline of Montfort, was the first seigneur of Harcourt known under this title. In 1066, he accompanied William the Conqueror on his conquest of England, obtaining lands in England. His possessions stretched along both sides of the English Channel. He married Ève of Boissey.
  • Errand of Harcourt, seigneur of Harcourt, participated in the conquest of England on the side of William the Conqueror
  • Robert I of Harcourt, called le Fort (the Strong), brother of Errand, whom he succeeded. He too took part in the conquest of England, but returned to Normandy. He built the first château d'Harcourt, and married Colette of Argouges.
  • Guillaume of Harcourt, son of Robert I, he backed Henry I of England in his wars in Normandy. He married Hue of Amboise.
  • Robert II of Harcourt, called le Vaillant (the Valiant) or le Fort (the Strong), son of Guillaume. He accompanied his suzerain Richard I of England on the Third Crusade and was designated by John of England as his surety and hostage in 1200 in the peace concluded with Philip II Augustus. He also became seigneur of Elbeuf by his 1179 marriage to Jeanne of Meulan.
  • Richard, Baron of Harcourt, son of Robert II, in 1213 he married Jeanne de la Roche-Tesson, heiress of the vicomté of Saint-Sauveur
  • Jean I (born c. 1200), called le Preud'Homme, baron of Harcourt, vicomte of Saint-Sauveur. Around 1240 he married Alix of Beaumont (d. 1275)

The Harcourts and the Hundred Years' War

As with several Norman lords, several Harcourt possessions in England and France were placed in a difficult position during the wars between the Capetians and Plantagenets. In this context, the Harcourt family played a game all of its own, simultaneously independent of both the king of France and king of England. Geoffroy de Harcourt led King Edward III and the English Army into Normandy during the Crecy campaign as well as being involved in a reconnaissance mission that ended in a skirmish between Geoffroy de Harcourt and his elder brother, the Comte de Harcourt, at Rouen.[3][4] Geoffroy de Harcourt was also one of those who guarded Edward, the Black Prince at the Battle of Crécy.[5] Also, after Philip II's conquest of Normandy in 1204, the Harcourts habitually became the head of feudal movements against the king of France.

Notable members of the House of Harcourt

The Harcourts have a great reputation in England and France as:

Statesmen and governors

French and English marshals

Spanish
  • Rafael d´Harcourt Mediano Got

French and British ambassadors

Governors of French and British heirs to the throne

Generals

Resistance-workers

Churchmen
  • Philip de Harcourt (died 1163), bishop of Salisbury (1140), bishop of Bayeux (1142), and chancellor of England (1139–1140)
  • Raoul d'Harcourt (died 1307), canon of Paris (1305), counsellor of Philip IV of France, almoner of Charles, Count of Valois, founder of the collège d'Harcourt (Paris, now Lycée Saint-Louis)
  • Robert d'Harcourt (died 1315), bishop of Coutances (1291), counsellor of Philip III and Philip IV of France.
  • Guy d'Harcourt (died 1336), bishop of Lisieux (1303), founder of the collège de Lisieux (Paris)
  • Jean d'Harcourt (died 1452), bishop of Amiens (1418), of Tournai (1433), archbishop of Narbonne (1436), patriarch of Antioch (1447), bishop of Alexandria and of Orleans (1451)
  • Louis I d'Harcourt (1382–1422), vicomte de Châtellerault, archbishop of Rouen (1407)
  • Louis II d'Harcourt (1424–1479), bishop of Béziers (1451), archbishop of Narbonne (1451), bishop of Bayeux (1460), patriarch of Jerusalem (1460–79)
  • Louis-Abraham d'Harcourt (1694–1750), 3rd duke of Harcourt, chanoine de Notre-Dame de Paris, doyen de l'Eglise de Paris (1733), commander of the ordre du Saint-Esprit (1747)
  • Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt (1757–1847), bishop of Carlisle, then archbishop of York

Members of the Académie française

Scientists

Authors
  • Liceline d'Harcourt (c. 971–1035?), author of the Saga des Brionne
  • Agnes d'Harcourt (c. 1245–1291?)
  • Anne-Pierre d'Harcourt (1913–1981), author of The Real Enemy
  • Claire d'Harcourt, author of several books, such as Bébés du monde and L'art à la loupe
  • François-Henri of Harcourt (1726–1802)
  • Robert d'Harcourt (1881–1965), author of several works on German literature and culture, such as L'évangile de la force (1936), one of the first books to denounce the dangers of Nazism, as well as a book of war memoirs, Souvenirs de captivité et d'évasion.
  • David Stanton Milne Harcourt (1946–)
  • Guillaume d'Harcourt (1986-) theater actor

Notes
  1. Victoria County History of Oxfordshire: Stanton Harcourt
  2. Dictionnaire de la noblesse 1775, p. 72.
  3. Chisholm 1911, p. 398.
  4. Froissart, Jean (2015). "The Campaign of Crecy: How Sir Godfrey of Harcourt Fought with Them of Amiens before Paris". The Chronicles of Froissart. The Harvard Classics (1909–1914). Published online by bartleby.com.
  5. Hunt 1889, p. 91.
  6. "The treachery of a broken-hearted knight, in medieval Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte". Normandy Then and Now. 4 February 2017. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017.

References
  • Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Harcourt" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 12 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 938–939.
  • Dictionnaire de biographie française. 1989.
  • Dictionnaire de la noblesse, contenant les généalogies, l'histoire et la chronologie des familles nobles de France. Vve Duchesne. 1775. p. 72.
  • Hunt, William (1889). "Edward the Black Prince" . In Stephen, Leslie (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 17. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 91.
  • Lenoir, Dom (1907). Preuves généalogiques et historiques de la Maison d'Harcourt (in French).
  • Martin, Georges (1994). Histoire et Généalogie de la Maison d'Harcourt (in French).
  • Pezet, Romain Auguste Laurent (1854). Les barons de Creully, Bayeux, St.-Ange Duvant (in French).
  • Revue Art de Basse-Normandie n°78 (1979). La Famille d'Harcourt (in French).
  • Roque, Gilles-André de La (1662). Histoire généalogique de la maison de Harcourt (in French).
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