Jeanne de Penthièvre (c. 1320–1384)
Jeanne de Penthièvre (c. 1320–1384)
French noblewoman and countess of Blois. Name variations: Jeanne de Penthièrre or Penthierre or Penthievre; Joan of Blois. Born around 1320; died in 1384 in France; daughter of Guy of Brittany andJeanne of Avaugour ; married Charles of Blois, 1337 (killed 1364).
Jeanne de Penthièvre was a French noblewoman who became the primary enemy of Jeanne de Montfort . Both women had legitimate claims to the duchy of Brittany, causing a longlasting feud between them. In 1337, Jeanne de Penthièvre married Charles of Blois, and together they fought against Jeanne de Montfort and her husband John III de Montfort for the right to the duchy of Brittany. During the war, English forces led by Jeanne de Montfort took Charles hostage, but his wife was not willing to give up the fight. Instead, Jeanne de Penthièvre became the commander of Charles' supporters, even leading troops into battle herself. When Charles was slain in 1364 at the battle of Auray, Jeanne de Penthièvre was forced to sign a treaty relinquishing her claims to Brittany. Little is known of her life after the war's conclusion in 1364.
Laura York , Riverside, California