Lord Courtenay Rainald DE COURTENAY

   Other names for Rainald were Reinald DE COURTENAY and Renaud Reginald DE COURTENAY.

  General Notes:

2nd son. Came to England with Queen Eleanor, wife of Henry II in 1154. Hereditary Sheriff of Devon in right of his 2nd wife. Governor of the Castle of Exeter. He was the Baron of Oakhampton. ! He was a crusader and went with King Louis VII (the Young) of France to the Holy Land in the Second Crusade in the year 1147 along with his daughter Elizabeth's husband Prince Louis (le Gros).He returned from the Holy Land, along with the Duke of Normandy and other Nobles, before the King did because they sided with Queen Eleanor in a difference that had arisen between the King and Queen (who was with him in the Holy Land). He was openly defiant of the King and was one of the most powerful men in France. King Lewis became divorced from Queen Eleanor, who was Duchess of Aquitain and Countess of Poictiers and Reginald de Courtenay was instrumental in making the match for her only two months later with Henry Plantagenet, the Duke of Normandy, who obtained the crown of England two years later (1154) as King Henry II. By that means he was in great favor with both the King and Queen. Reginald de Courtenay (along with his son William de Courtenay) went to England upon the King's promise to greatly promote him there. He left all his Estates to his daughter's husband, Prince Peter, and made him promise to take the Name and Arms of Courtenay. Soon after his arrival the King arranged the marriages of Reginald and William to his wards, the half sisters, Hawise, daughter of Robert de Abrincis and Matilda, daughter of Robert Fitz Ede. (This needs to be sorted out) !From "Old Devon Families" In the train of Queen Eleanor was Rainaud or Reginald, Lord of Courtenay and Montargis, and he was the immediate ancestor of the English line. He had proved himself useful to Henry, who, probably not unmindful of his services, bestowed upon him in marriage Hawise D'Aincourt, heiress of Robert Avranches, son of the youngest child of Baldwin de Brionys, a feudal lord to whom is usually attributed the building of Okehampton Castle. Hawise brought to her husband the Barony of Okehampton, and on his death his son, Robert, succeeded to this, and also to the hereditary rights in the shrievalty of the county, together with the Castle of Exeter. They had been in the hands of the King, but he was permitted to redeem them by rendering homage and making a payment of twelve hundred marks. His descendents are shown in the genealogical tables opposite pages 113,201, 238 and 265 in "The Genealogical History of the Noble and Illustrious Family of Courtenay" by Ezra Cleaveland.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Alt. Birth: Alt. Birth: Cortenay, Loiret, France.

• Alt. Death: Alt. Death, 27 Sep 1194.

Rainald married Hawise DE COUCY, daughter of Lord Of Okehampton William DE COUCY and Maud D'AVRANCHES. (Hawise DE COUCY was born about 1143 in Okehampton, Devonshire, England, died on 31 Jul 1209 and was buried in Ford Abbey, Devonshire, England.)

Rainald next married Hawise DU DONJON, daughter of Frederick DU DONJON and Unknown, about 1125. (Hawise DU DONJON was born about 1109 in Donjon, Allier, France.)