Matthew (Louvain) de Lovayne (abt. 1237 - bef. 1302)

Born about 1237 in Essex, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before 24 May 1302 before about age 65 in Eye Castle, Suffolk, England

Biography

Sir Matthew Louvain was a member of the aristocracy in England.

Military

Matthew campaigned intermittently 1258 - March 1300/1 in service of Henry III and Edward I of England against the French, Scots, and Welsh.

Marriage and Issue

Matthew probably had three wives. See the SGM post of Rosie Bevan in answer to a question from Tim Powys-Lybbe:^[1]

Powys-Lybbe: CP VIII, p. 180 note (f) effectively gives Eleanor de Lovaine's parents as Matthew de Lovaine and his first wife Helisant "a kinswoman of Henry III". Eleanor's mother cannot have been Maud Poyntz, second wife of Matthew Lovaine, as Maud had a daughter Alice who was her sole heir. Who was Helisant?

The fact that Eleanor de Lovaine was staying in Scotland with relations tends to suggest a royal connection - John de Baliol married Isabella grand-dau. of Hugh X of Lusignan and Isabella de Angouleme, Eleanor of Geneva, wife of Alexander Baliol was a kinswoman of Henry III and Hugh Baliol had married Agnes, dau of William de Valence. The timing of the abduction is interesting. What gain would William Douglas hope to make by marrying a kinswoman of the king? Or speculatively was it the Baliols he wanted a close connection with?

Thomas, son of Mathew Lovaine was born in 1291 as given in his proof of age [CIPM V 539]. Witnesses state that his mother, sister of Thomas de Blakenham (presumably of Blakenham, Suffolk), died immediately after his birth. So it would seem that Mathew Lovaine had at least one child by each of his known wives. As Maud Poyntz was his widow, the order would appear to be Helisant, NN de Blakenham, Maud Poyntz.

m. 1st by 31 May 1268 Helisant, a relative of Henry III;

• Eleanor. See SGM post of Peter Stewart.^[2]

m. 2nd, by 1291, the sister of Thomas de Blakenham.

• Sir Thomas de Louvain, Lord of Little Easton. b. 11 July 1291.^[3]

m. 3rd Maud Poyntz, Matthew's widow.

Matthew died before 24 May 1302.^[4] His heir was his son Thomas.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Bevan, SGM post 1 June 2004, https://groups.google.com/g/soc.genealogy.medieval/c/ppjLs-so2BI/m/8u6KK7E0SV4J in thread "William Douglas married Eleanor Ferrers?"
2. ↑ Peter Stewart, SGM post of Sep 8, 2006, https://groups.google.com/g/soc.genealogy.medieval/c/GiQpulF-RTk/m/SRI8Kb5Rk3EJ in thread "CP Correction: Helisant 'du Perche', wife of Matthew de Lovaine"
3. ↑ J E E S Sharp and A E Stamp, 'Inquisitions Post Mortem, Edward II, File 45', in Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem: Volume 5, Edward II (London, 1908), pp. 354-361. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/inquis-post-mortem/vol5/pp354-361 [accessed 10 February 2023].
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} J E E S Sharp and A E Stamp, 'Inquisitions Post Mortem, Edward I, File 105', in Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem: Volume 4, Edward I (London, 1913), pp. 54-67. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/inquis-post-mortem/vol4/pp54-67 [accessed 11 December 2020].

• Entry for Godefroi Louvain, Foundation of Medieval Genealogy