The counts of Boulogne held a great English honour from the Conquest, centred on Essex with outliers in other shires.
Through Stephen's queen Matilda it came to the English crown and has since been handled as a royal escheat or as a bargaining counter with the counts. Queen Matilda gave two of its Essex manors, Cressing (1137) and Witham (1148), to the Templars, and with Stephen founded Coggeshall abbey on honour land. On 1 January 1200 the honour's status is not pinned: either in the hands of a royal keeper or restored to Count Renaud of Dammartin, who is about to change sides.
If restored, Renaud's turn to Philip makes it forfeit.
Who he is
- Title
- Keeper of the honour for the king, or the count of Boulogne
- Since
- Not pinned
- Confidence
- low
The English honour of the counts of Boulogne (manors mainly in Essex, with others in Kent, Hertfordshire and elsewhere) passed to King Stephen through his wife Matilda of Boulogne, then to their son William of Blois, and after his death in 1159 was kept by the crown for long periods. Count Renaud of Dammartin, count of Boulogne since 1190 by his marriage (1191) to Countess Ida, was an ally of Richard and John against Philip in 1197-99; whether the English honour had been restored to him by January 1200 is not pinned in the sources checked. In 1212 John granted him fiefs in England.
The GM should rule whether the honour is in royal keeping or Renaud's.
Overlord
King John
What it holds
- The Essex manors of the honour around Coggeshall and Kelvedon and elsewhere in the shire (the full list in 1200 is not attempted)
- Coggeshall, where King Stephen and Queen Matilda founded the Cistercian abbey on honour land in 1140
- Outlying fees in Kent, Hertfordshire and other shires
- Not Witham or Cressing, given by Queen Matilda to the Templars (see Templars and Hospitallers)
How it was acquired
The counts of Boulogne's since the Conquest; with the crown or its keepers for long periods since 1159.
Allies and rivals
Count Renaud of Boulogne, whose loyalties swing between John and Philip.
How things stand that morning
Not pinned (see research).
Wealth
Rich Essex manors. No figures.
Military
Knights' fees of the honour.
Threats
- Its fate follows Count Renaud's allegiance
Places of note
- Coggeshall abbey: Founded by Stephen and Matilda on honour land
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: We could not pin who held the honour in January 1200.
On the map: A representative block only; the honour's manors were scattered across Essex and other shires.
Primary sources for England
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 Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
- Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
- Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
- Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
- English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
- Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
- Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online
22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.