Lodge's Peerage of Ireland, published in Dublin in 1789, provides a detailed account of the early history of the de Courcys, from their origins in Europe up until the time that Sir John de Courcy transferred their principal interests to Ireland in 1177. Lodge traces the de Courcys' origins back to Charlemagne, arguing that Balderic, the father of the first "de Courcy", Robert, was the son of Wigerius (or Wigman), who in turn was the great grandson of Louis IV.
The Irish genealogist Edward MacLysaght provides circumstantial evidence for this descent, but he is cautious. In his pedigree of the de Courcys, produced in the 1940s when he was Chief Herald of Ireland, MacLysaght writes:
"The parentage of Balderic has not been established. It has been contended (vide Lodge) that he was the son of Wigman, who, it is stated, was a son of Charles of Lorraine, grandson of King Louis IV.
"It appears from a report supplied by M Meurgey de Tupigny, of the Societe Francoise d'Heraldique et Sigillographie, that 'some genealogists have written' that Charles had a son named Wingman or Wigman. The question apparently does not permit of a decisive answer. For the affiliation of Balderic to Wigman a circumstantial case can be made as follows:
a) Balderic married a grand-daughter of Gilbert, Count of Brion, which may indicate that he was of gentle birth.
b) Balderic had a son named Wigerius or Wigman
"It is clear that in the present state of our information, it is not possible to record a definitive parentage for Balderic."
If Lodge is right that Balderic is descended from Louis IV, then the following line of descent from the Franco-Roman senator Ferreolus and his father and grandfather, both also Ferreolus, can be claimed:
1. Ferreolus (born c 390), husband of Syagria
2. Tonantius Ferreolus (prefect), 410 - 475, son of Syagria
3. Tonantius Ferreolus (senator), 440 - 517, son of prefect Ferreolus
4. Ferreolus, Senator of Narbonne, b. about 470, son of senator Ferreolus
5. Ansbertus, 520 - 590, son of Ferreolus
6. Arnoald, 560 - 611, son of Ansbertus
7. Saint Arnulf of Metz, 582 - 640, son of Arnoald
8. Ansegisel, 606 - 670, 2nd son of St Arnulf
9. Pepin of Herstal, 635 - 714, 1st son of Ansegisel – Duke of the Franks
10. Charles Martel, 686 - 741, 3rd son of Pepin of Herstal – Duke of the Franks
11. Pepin the Short, 714 - 768, 2nd son of Charles Martel – Duke of the Franks
12. Charlemagne, 744 - 814, 1st son of Pepin the Short – King of France, Emperor
13. Louis the Pious, 778 - 840, 4th son of Charlemagne – King of France
14. Charles the Bald, 823 - 877, 4th son of Louis the Pious – King of France
15. Louis II, the Stutterer, 844-879, 1st son of Charles the Bald – King of France
16. Charles III, the Simple, 879-929, 3rd son of Louis II – King of France
17. Louis IV, Transmarinus, 920-954, 1st son of Charles III – King of France
18. Charles, 945- , 2nd son of Louis IV – Duke of Loraine
19. Charles, 2nd son of Charles Duke of Loraine
20. Wigerius, son of Charles
21. Balderic, 1st son of Wigerius
Lodge's origins of the de Courcys
Lodge's Peerage of Ireland provides the following account of the early history of the de Courcys up until the advent of Sir John de Courcy:
"The noble family of COURCY, COURCI, CURCY, CURSEI, COURCEI, etc is allied to most of the Princes of Europe, deriving its descent in the male line from the house of Loraine, of the race of the Emperor Charlemagne, who died in the year 814, and in the female line from Rollo, William-Longuespee, and Richard, the three first Dukes of Normandy.
"Charlemagne, or Charles 1, surnamed the Great (son of Pipin the short, Duke of Brabant, who became king of France in 751, and died in 768) was born on 2 April, or according to some 28 January 742, and succeeded his father as King of France in 768; was made King of Italy in 774, and of Germany in 785, being then 58 years old. He obliged the Saxons and all other Heathens, whom he conquered to receive the Christian faith, and so made the grand revolution of Europe. He conquered Witekind the Great, the last King and first Duke of the Saxons; he subdued the Sclavonians and Hungarians; fortified Gallia Narbonensis, or South-France, against the invasions of the Saracens; made peace with Irene, Empress of Constantinople; and subdued most of the Italian and Spanish nations, became the greatest conqueror that had appeared for many ages. He entered into alliance with distant Kings, and particularly with Achaius King of Scotland; and marching triumphantly into Italy, assisted Pope Leo III against his rebels, who solemnly crowned him at Rome, Emperor of the West, on Christmas-Day in the year 800. But after a glorious reign over France of 46 years, over Italy of 40 years, over Germany of 29 years, and as Western Emperor 14 years, he was seized with a fever 1 January 814, and died on the 24th having issue by his first wife Hildegardis, whom he married in 768, and who died in 783, three sons and eight daughters, whereof
"Lewis, the third son, called Pius, succeeded him in Germany, France and Italy; who giving each of his sons the title and dignity of a King, they deposed him in 833; but the Peers of the empire relenting, he was restored the next year, when he pardoned his sons, and divided the empire among them, whereby it was much weakened, France having never since been a part of it. He married to his first wife Erminfardis, daughter of Ingram, Count of Hasbania in Saxony, and by her, who died in 818, had issue Latharius I, made by his father, King of Italy; Pipin, King of Aquitaine, who died before him, Ludovicus-Germanicus, King of Bavaria, and two daughters, Gisela, wife of Eberhard, Count of Burgundy; and Adelheid, wife to Robert, also Count of Burgundy. In 819 he took to his second wife Judith, the fair, daughter of Welphus, Count of Altorf in Suavia, and dying in the year 840, had issue by her, who deceased in 843, one son Charles, and one daughter Alpais, wife to Beggo, Count of Paris, by whom she was great-great-grand-mohter of Conrad I, made Emperor for his valour in 912, who died childless in 918: But in his time the great Duke of Saxony, Bavaria, Suabia, and Lorain, attempting to be independent, Conrad not able to prevent it, and fearing a revolt, advised the German Princes, on his death-bed, to prevent it, by electing Henry Auceps, Duke of Saxony, son of Duke Otto, to be Emperor of Germany, and thus began the Saxon Empire.
"Charles, the only son by the second wife, born in 823, was surnamed the Bald; was King of France in 840, Emperor in 875, and died 6 October 878. He married first in 842 Ermintrudis, daughter of Odo, Count of Orleans, and daughter of Bovinus, Count of Aldemir Walde in France, by whom he had an only surviving daughter, Judith, first married to Ethelwolf, King of England; secondly in 857, to her stepson, King Ethelbald; and thirdly in 862, to Baldwin I, Count of Flanders. By the first wife his issue were four sons, Lewis II, his successor; Lotharius, who died young; Charles, murdered in 866; and Carolamanus, who had his eyes put out in 871.
"Lewis II, called the Stutterer, King of France, born in 844, was chosen Emperor in 878, and died 10 April 879, aet 35, having by his first wife Ansgardis, two sons, Lewis III, and Carolomanus, both Kings of France, who died without issue; and by his second wife Adelhida, he had one son Charles III, and a daughter Gisela, wife to Rollo, first Duke of Normandy.
"Charles III, called the Simple, was born the year his father died; succeeded to the kingdom of France in 893, and died 7 October 929; having married first in 907 Frederunna, who died without issue in 918; and secondly, in that year Edgina, daughter of Edward, the elder, King of England, by whom he had Lewis IV, named Transmarinus, or De Outre-Mer, born in 920, King of France in 936, and died 15 October 954. In 939 he married Gerberga, daughter of Henry I, styled the Fowler, Emperor of Germany, who took Loraine from Charles the Simple in 921, widow of Gislebert, Duke of Loraine, and by her, who died in 984, had two sons, Lotharius, King of France, born in 940; and Charles, Duke of Loraine, born in 945, which Dutchy was confirmed to him in 987 by Emperor Otho II, his cousin-german, he having got Lower-Loraine from the Emperor Otto I in 963, whereby he lost his succession to France; for, King Lotharius, his elder brother, dying in 986, and leaving by Lotharius, King of Italy, a son Lewis V, called the Slothful, who died the year after without issue, by his wife Blanca, daughter of William, Duke of Aquitaine, and was the last King of France of the Carolinian race. Charles, his nephew, should in right, have succeeded him, but was excluded by Hugh Capet, chosen by the French, upon a dislike of Duke Charles’s living out of the kingdom, and espousing the German interests on all occasions, preferable to those of France.
"By his first wife Bona, daughter of Ricuinus, Duke in the Moselle, who was murdered in 945, he had Otho I, Duke of Loraine; and by his second Agnes of Vermandois, Troyes and Meaux (by his wife Edgina, daughter of Edward the elder, King of England, and widow of Charles the Simple, King of France, before-mentioned) he had two sons, Lewis, of Loraine, Count or Landgrave of Thuringia, now called Hesse, who continued the Line in Germany; and Charles (by some called Hugh) who was father of Wigerius, or Wigman, whose two sons Balderic and Wigerius went from Germany into Normandy, to serve Duke Richard II in his wars.
"Balderic, the elder son, styled by the Norman writers Teutonicus, the Germany, is honourably mentioned in their histories, as a stout and warlike commander. He married the niece of Gilbert, Earl of Brion in Normandy [1], and daughter of Richard de Clare [2], Earl of Clare, by whom he had seven daughters and six sons.
1) Nicholas, surnamed de Bacqueville, who by the niece of Gunnora, Dutchess of Normandy, had two sons, William Martell, Earl Warren in Normandy (who left that surname to his posterity) created Earl of Surry by the Conqueror; and Walter de St Martin, the father of Roger, surnamed de Mortimer, who attended the conqueror, subdued Edrich, Earl of Shrewsbury, did thereupon enjoy Wigmore-Castle, and was ancestor to the Mortimers, ancient Barons of England, and to the Earls of March and Ulster.
2) Fulke D’Alnou
3) Robert de Courcei, Ancestor to the Lord Kingsale.
4) Richard de Nova-Villa (Nevil) father of Gilbert, who attended the Norman Duke to England, in quality of his Admiral, and gave rise to the noble spreading family of Nevil.
5) Balderic de Beaugency; and
6) Wigerious, or Wigman of Apulia [3]
"Robert de Courcy (the third son, in the year 1026, was Lord Courcy in Normandy, in which he was succeeded by his son Richard, who accompanied William, Duke of Normandy, in his expedition, and was present at the decisive battle of Hastings, fought on Saturday 14 October 1066, and after the victorious Duke was settled on the throne, had his services recompensed with a great number of Lordships, among which was that of Stoke in the country of Somerset, called from its Lord, Stoke-Courcy, which he held per integram Baronium, with the Lordships of Newnham, Seckenden, and Foxcote in Oxfordshire. – Robert de Montgomery, Count of Belesme, Alenson, and Seez in Normandy, and the third Early of Arundel and Shrewsbury in England, being of a very cruel disposition, and a professed enemy to the families of Courcy and Grantmesnil, besieged the castle of Courcy in January 1091, but was forced to raise the siege at the end of three weeks, by this Richard, and Hugh de Grantmesnil, who resolutely defended the pace, being men, who, though quite grey with age, yielded to none either in extraction or courage, according to Ordericus Vitalis, the historian of those times.
"He is thrice mentioned by Sir William Dugdale [4], and departing this life in the year 1098 was succeeded by his son Robert, Lord of Courcy in Normandy, and Baron of Stoke-Courcy, Sewer, or Steward of the household to King Henry I, and to his daughter Maud the Empress; by the former of whom in 1133, 33 of his reign, he was made one of the great Barons at Westminster, and that year is witness with Stephen, Earl of Moreton (after King Stephen) and others of the nobility, to a confirmation charter of that King to the Prior and convent of St Bartholomew, London, and was the founder of the nunnery of Cannington in Somersetshire [5]. – He married Rohesia, one of the six daughters of the said Hugh de Grantmesnil, Lord of Hinckley in the county of Leicester, and Lord High Steward of England (who died 22 February 1098, by his wife Adelhyde, daughter of the Count de Beaumont in France, who died 11 July 1091, at Rheims, and was buried in her husband’s monastery of St Ebruf at Utica) and had issue five sons, of whom William, the eldest, was Baron of Stoke-Courcy, and Dapifer (Sewer) to King Henry I, he is mentioned by Dugdale in his Monasticon, as witness to several pious donations [6]; but dying without issue, was succeeded by his brother.
"Robert, Baron of Stoke-Courcy, who in the time of King Stephen was a principal commander at the battle of Northampton against the Scots; and married Avicia, one of the two daughters and coheirs to William de Meschines [7] Earl of Cambridge; by her had William, his successor, Lord of Stoke-Courcy, and Dapifer to King Henry II, who was one of the witnesses to that King’s charter of the lands privileges, he gave to the church of St Peter, Westminster [8]; and also one of those English noblemen, who testified the league of pacification between that King and William, King of Scots. – In 1166 (12 Henry II) upon the aid, levied for marrying the King’s eldest daughter Maud, to Henry (the Lion) Duke of Saxony, he certified the Knight’s fees of his barony, which his father and grandfather had held, to be 24 and three parts, de deteri Feoffamento, with four more and a fifth part, de novo; and those of the barony of William de Meschines, his mother’s father, to be seventeen; for the first of which he paid, two years after, 16l 10s, and for those de novo 2l 16s – 18 of Henry II he was Lord of Islip in the county of Oxford; founded the priory of Stoke-Courcy; and having married Julian, daughter of Richard D’Aquila [9], a Baron of England in the reign of Henry I, died in 1171, leaving two sons, Sir John de Courcy, Earl of Ulster; Jordan, who in 1197 was killed in Ulster by an Irish retainer, or servant; in revenge of whose death his brother slew many of the Irish; and a daughter, married to Sir Almericus Tristram, ancestor of the Earl of Howth."
[Please see the "Sir John de Courcy" section for the continuation of Lodge's history of the de Courcys and the "Barony of Kingsale" section for the continuation of the story after the death of Sir John.]
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[1] Ordericus Vitalis, p 479
[2] He was the son of Gilbert, Count of Eu and Brion, son of Count Godfrey, natural son of Richard I, the third duke of Normandy; and was first named Richard de Benefacta, or Benfield, from his residence at that place in the county of Northampton, on his first arrival in England; being after styled De Tonbridge, as estate, obtained from the Archbishop of Canterbury, in exchange for his castle in Brion in Normandy; and was lastly named De Clare, from that his chief possession in Suffolk; or which being created Earl, he gave rise to the illustrious family of Clare, Earls of Clare, Hertford, and Gloucester, which subsisted in the male line to 8 July 1314, 8 Edw II – His wife was Rohesia, sister to Walter Giffard, the second Earl of Buckingham, who died childless in 1164, and daughter to Walter, Count of Longueville in Normandy, created Earl of Bucks in 1102, who was the son of Osborne de Bolebec, by Aveline, sister to Cunnora, wife of Richard I, Duke of Normandy.
[3] Ordericus Vitalis, p 479, and Dugdale
[4] Mon Angl I 44, 49, and 263
[5] Idem, I 582, 684, 760. II 387, 920
[6] Mon Angl I 643, 681, 577, 437, 106, 783
[7] He was created Earl of Cambridge in 1139; his wife was Cicely, daughter of William de Rumeli, Lord of Skipton; and he was younger son of Ranulph de Meschines, Earl of Carlisle, Lord of Cumberland and Westmoreland, by Maud his wife, eldest sister and heir (after her nephew’s death to Hugh D’Abrincis, surnamed Lupus, the great Earl of Chester, son of Richard, surnamed Goz, Viscount Auvranche in Normandy, by his wife Margaret, half sister to William the Conqueror.
[8] Idem, I 522
[9] He was the son of Gilbert D’Aquila, lord of the honour of Pevensy in Sussex; and his wife Juliana, daughter of Geoffrey, Count of Mortaigne and Perche, by his wife Beatrix, daughter of Hildwin de Roucy, Count de Roucy, by Adela, daughter of Eblo I, Count de Roucy, by Beatrix, daughter of Raynerious V, Count of Hainault, by Hedewige, daughter of Hugh Capet, King of France: which Eblo, Count de Roucy, derived his descent, both in the male and female line, from Charles the Simple, King of France, by his Queen Edgina, daughter of Edward, King of England before mentioned, son of Alfred the Great, first absolute monarch of England.
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