The count's own Barrois: the castle and town of Bar on the Ornain, the abbey town of Saint-Mihiel on the Meuse where the counts are advocates and are buried, the old family castle of Mousson with its bridge-town of Pont-a-Mousson on the Moselle, and the castles of Briey and Stenay that Theobald held before he became count, with Gondrecourt and Longwy.
It is a road-and-river county, set between Champagne, the Verdun and Metz bishoprics and the duchy of Lorraine.
Who he is
- Name
- Theobald I (Thiebaut Ier)
- Title
- Count of Bar
- Since
- 1190
- Born
- about 1158
- Family
- See the realm record. Heir of Bar: Henry (II), born 1190.
- Confidence
- high
en.wikipedia and fr.wikipedia on Theobald I
Overlord
The emperor for the county; some fiefs of the bishops of Metz and Verdun and of the count of Champagne (not pinned in detail).
What it holds
- Bar: castle and town on the Ornain
- Saint-Mihiel: advocacy of the abbey and the town
- Mousson castle and Pont-a-Mousson, the Moselle bridge
- Briey castle (Theobald's own holding before 1190)
- Stenay castle on the Meuse (likewise)
- Gondrecourt castle
- Longwy
- Ligny on the Ornain (not pinned for 1200)
How it was acquired
Inherited (1190); Briey and Stenay given to him early by his family.
Allies and rivals
Allies: Philip of Swabia; his son-in-law Ferry II of Lorraine; his cousin Theobald III of Champagne. Rivals: the duke of Lorraine; the bishops of Verdun and Metz; Philip of Namur and Baldwin IX until Dinant.
How things stand that morning
Theobald holds the Barrois listed. Across the borders: Champagne (Saint-Dizier, Joinville) to the west, the bishop of Verdun north of Saint-Mihiel, the bishop of Toul and the duke's Gondreville and Preny to the east, Lorraine's Bitche-Sierck branch and Luxembourg (his own, by marriage) to the north-east.
Wealth
Tolls on the Meuse, Moselle and Ornain; the Pont-a-Mousson bridge; Barrois wine and grain; abbey advocacy dues at Saint-Mihiel. No figures.
Military
Castles of Bar, Mousson, Briey, Stenay, Gondrecourt, Longwy; a crusader (Acre, 1190) and the man who besieged Namur in 1199. No numbers.
Threats
- Lorraine on the Moselle.
- The bishops' claims over Saint-Mihiel and Verdun advocacies.
Places of note
- Castle of Bar: Seat
- Castle of Mousson: Old family castle over Pont-a-Mousson
- Castle of Stenay: Meuse castle
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Briey and Stenay are attested as his early holdings; the other castles follow standard histories of the Barrois, not each pinned to 1200. His daughter Agnes, Ferry II's wife, is later styled lady of Amance, Longwy and Stenay: whether Longwy and Stenay had already gone to her as dowry by 1200 is not pinned.
On the map: Castellanies drawn as small clusters; the Barrois between them belonged to lesser lords and churches who mostly answered to the count.
Primary sources for Bar
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Alberic of Trois-Fontaines, Alberic of Trois-Fontaines (about 1227 to 1241, at the Cistercian abbey of Trois-Fontaines in Champagne). The widest net of any Latin chronicle for 1200, compiled from dozens of sources, many now lost. Read online
- Deeds of the archbishops of Trier, continuations (continuations written in the 13th century). The Trier house history for Archbishop John I (1190 to 1212), who held the Moselle between the two kings. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.