History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 74

Baldwin III of Alost died in 1127 AD from the effects of a head wound received during
the struggles for the Flemish comital succession. He left no legitimate male heirs, and
the heritage, which should have passed to his daughter, Beatrice, was annexed by
the family’s black sheep, Ivan, who succeeded him as Lord of Alost.
The seizure of Beatrice’s patrimony caused a feud between other members of the
family and their senior branch, the Counts of Guines, which was to last for many years
and lead to Ivan’s murder. Ivan’s only son, Thierry (sometimes called Dirk), who
married the daughter of the Count of Hainaut, brought some sort of natural retribution
to the situation by dying in 1166 AD without heirs.
The county, its revenues and its titles were withdrawn into the treasury of the Counts
of Flanders. However, the arms of the comté, a black shield with a silver chief (a
broad band running along the top) were taken by a cadet branch of the house who
had been castellans of Ghent and Advocates of the abbey church of St. Peter at
Ghent since the 9th century.

The Norman Conquest
Ralf de Limesi was born in Alost about 1040 AD. He had a small Norman manor in
Limesi, on the north side of the Seine valley. He was the Chamberlain, to the Flemish
Court. Ralph de Limesi left a son, Alan, in Warwickshire and heirs of unknown name
in Limesi.
Ralph de Limesi (or Ralph de Ghent or Ralph de Lindsay) came to England with
William the Conqueror in 1066 AD. He received Domesday estates in Somerset,
Devonshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire (his most important
holdings), Nottinghamshire, Essex , Norfolk and Bedingfield, Suffolk as tenant in chief.
Ralph’s coat of arms was gules, an eagle displayed or.
Ralph de Limesi and his wife, Hawisa, founded Hertford Priory and they were
generous benefactors to the Priory thereafter. Ralph died in mid-1090’s in the
monastery of St Albans.
Alan de Limesi built a church dedicated to St Andrew at Collyweston in
Northamptonshire.
Aleonora de Limesi, Ralph’s great-granddaughter and heiress married Sir David de
Lindsay of Crawford a distant relation. Her sister, Basilia de Limesi, married the
Flemish knight, Sir Hugh de Odingsels.
Gilbert de Ghent (de Lindsay), son of Ralph, Lord of Alost, married Alice de Montfort
sur Risle, a distant relative.
Amaury de Valenciennes, Count of Valenciennes, was in conflict with the Count of
Flanders during the first decade of the 11th century. Amaury de Valenciennes fled to
France where he became the first Amaury de Montfort. Valenciennes was seized by
Flanders during the conflict. This effectively removed the comté from Hainaut control
and was a source of contention for some time.
Hainaut’s Countess Richelde married Baldwin of Mons (afterwards Baldwin VI of
Flanders) a few years before the Norman Conquest of England. This ended the
contention about Valenciennes between Hainaut and Flanders. The marriage of
Gilbert (cousin to the Count of Flanders) and Alice (descendant of Amaury de
Montfort) also had a healing diplomatic significance.

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