Counts · Held directly of the king · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Mâcon

The counts of Macon hold a county squeezed between the bishop of Macon, the abbeys of Cluny and Tournus, and the lords of Brancion, Beaujeu and Baugé.

Their branch also bears the title of Vienne across the Rhone in the Empire and holds lands in the Jura (the Salins inheritance through William's mother). Louis VII made the crown felt here in the 1160s and 1170s, taking Cluny and the Maconnais churches under his protection. William IV is brother-in-law to Theobald III of Champagne through his wife Scholastique.

Who he is

Name
William IV (Guillaume IV de Macon)
Title
Count of Macon, styled count of Vienne
Since
1184
Born
not pinned
Family
Son of Count Gerard I of Macon and Maurette of Salins (who dies in 1200). Married first Ponce of Beaujeu (identity doubtful, childless), then Scholastique of Champagne, daughter of Henry I of Champagne and Marie of France, so brother-in-law of Theobald III. Children of the second marriage: Gerard (II), William, Henry, Beatrice (birth dates not pinned).
Confidence
high

fr.wikipedia Guillaume IV de Macon

Overlord

Philip II for the county of Macon; the comital rights at Vienne lie in the Empire

What it holds

  • comital rights in Macon, beside the bishop
  • the Maconnais between the Grosne and the Saone
  • the title and some rights of the county of Vienne (imperial)
  • lands in the county of Burgundy from the Salins inheritance (detail not pinned)

How it was acquired

Inherited from Gerard I in 1184.

Allies and rivals

Brother-in-law of Theobald III. Rivals: the bishop of Macon over the city, Cluny over justice, the lords of Beaujeu to the south.

How things stand that morning

William IV holds the county of Macon of the king; his mother Maurette dies during 1200. Across the Saone lies the imperial Bresse (lords of Bage).

Wealth

Wine of the Maconnais, the Saone toll and bridge at Macon, rents. Detail not pinned.

Military

Comital castle at Macon; no figures.

Threats

  • the bishop and Cluny, both under royal protection, limit his justice

What the year holds

What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.

  1. during 1200Death of his mother Maurette of Salins.Depends on: natural death Stopped by: nothing in play known

Places of note

  • Macon: city, bridge and comital seat

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: Genealogy well known; the county's extent and the count's rights against bishop and Cluny in 1200 are given in outline only.

On the map: The count's direct holdings were small; Cluny, Tournus and the bishop held much of the ground drawn here (see the Church map).

Primary sources for Held of the king

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 Andres, William of Andres (about 1220 to 1234). The chronicle and cartulary of a small abbey between Guines and Ardres, near the border of Flanders and Boulogne. Read online
  • Chronicle of Hainaut, Gislebert of Mons (about 1195 to 1196). Ends in 1195, so it has no 1200 entries, but it is the indispensable background for Flanders and Hainaut: the career of Count Baldwin V of Hainaut (VIII of Flanders), his union of the two counties, the settlement with Philip over Artois, the rights, castles, fiefs and vassals of Hainaut listed by a man who ran its chancery, and the youth of Baldwin IX, who held both counties in 1200. Read online
  • Chronicles of Saint-Martial of Limoges, Bernard Itier and other monks of Saint-Martial; Geoffrey of Vigeois for the earlier chronicle (Geoffrey's chronicle to 1184; Bernard Itier's notes about 1195 to 1225). Bernard Itier, librarian of Saint-Martial, kept dated notes through 1200 of what reached Limoges: Richard's death at Chalus in 1199, the viscounts of Limoges and the lords of the Limousin, John's passage through Aquitaine in 1200 and the affairs of Angouleme and the Lusignans, and the abbey's own elections and prices. Read online
  • The Great Chronicle of Tours, Anonymous (a canon of Saint-Martin of Tours) (about 1227). The Loire valley's view of the Angevin succession. Read online
  • Universal Chronicle of the Anonymous of Laon, Anonymous (an English-born canon of Laon) (about 1219). A Picard chronicle whose author had lived in England and keeps an eye on both kingdoms. Read online
  • Deeds of Philip Augustus, Rigord (about 1186 to 1206, in stages). The French court's own chronicle for the year, from the monk of Saint-Denis who called himself the king's chronographer. Read online
  • Deeds of Philip Augustus; The Philippide, William the Breton (Guillaume le Breton) (Gesta about 1214 to 1220; Philippide 1214 to 1224). William abridged Rigord for the years before 1207 and then continued him, so for 1200 the Gesta is a shortened Rigord with a few added touches: the Le Goulet settlement, Blanche's marriage, and the interdict. Read online
  • History of the Counts of Guines, Lambert of Ardres (about 1196 to 1203, unfinished). A house history of the counts of Guines and lords of Ardres, written while Count Baldwin II and his son Arnold were alive and finishing in 1203. Read online

4 more in the sources library for France and Iberia.

Sources and studies

  1. Guillaume IV de Macon (fr.wikipedia)

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.