John VIII, Count of Vendôme

John VIII
Spouse(s)	Isabelle de Beauvau
Noble family	House of Bourbon
Father	Louis, Count of Vendôme
Mother	Jeanne de Laval
Born	1425
Died	6 January 1478(1478-01-06) Lavardin

John VIII (1425 - 6 January 1477) was Count of Vendôme from 1466 until his death. A member of the House of Bourbon, he was the son and successor of Louis, Count of Vendôme. As a courtier of King Charles VII of France, he fought the English in Normandy and Guyenne. He attached himself to King Louis XI, but was not in royal favor. He withdrew to the Château of Lavardin and completed its construction.

In 1454, he married Isabelle de Beauvau, daughter of Louis de Beauvau, Seneschal of Anjou and Marguerite de Chambley. They had eight children:

• Jeanne, married Louis, Count of Grandpré
• Catherine, married Gilbert de Chabannes
• Jeanne, married at first John II, Duke of Bourbon and later John III, Count of Auvergne
• Renée, Abbess of Fontevraud
• François, Count of Vendôme (1470–1495)
• Louis, Prince of La Roche-sur-Yon
• Charlotte, married Engelbert, Count of Nevers
• Isabelle, Abbess of la Trinité de Caen

Jean also had two illegitimate sons:

• Louis, Bishop of Avranches
• Jacques, Governor of Valois and the Vendomois (1455 - 1524) was the father of Catherine de Bourbon, paternal grandmother of Gabrielle d'Estrées, mistress of Henry IV of France.

Ancestors

Family of John VIII, Count of Vendôme

16. Louis I, Duke of Bourbon               8. James I, Count of La Marche                       17. Mary of Avesnes               4. John I, Count of La Marche                             18. Hugues de Châtillon               9. Jeanne of Châtillon                       19. Jeanne d'Argies               2. Louis, Count of Vendôme                                   20. Bouchard VI, Count of Vendôme               10. John VI of Vendôme                       21. Alix of Brittany               5. Catherine of Vendôme                             22. Jean II de Ponthieu, Comte d'Aumale               11. Jeanne of Ponthieu                       23. Catherine d'Artois               1. Jean VIII de Bourbon, Count of Vendôme                                         24. fr:Raoul VIII de Montfort               12. fr:Raoul IX de Montfort                       25. Isabeau de Lohéac               6. Guy XIII de Laval                             26. Jean de Kergorlay               13. Jeanne de Kergorlay                       27. Marie de Léon               3. Jeanne de Laval                                   28. fr:Guy X de Laval               14. fr:Guy XII de Laval                       29. Béatrix of Brittany               7. Anne de Laval                             30. fr:Jean de Laval-Châtillon               15. Jeanne de Laval-Tinténiac                       31. Isabeau de Tinténiac

Patrilineal descent

Patrilineal descent

Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations - which means that if Count John were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be Robertian, as all his male-line ancestors have been of that house. Jean was a member of the House of Bourbon, a branch of the Capetian dynasty and of the Robertians. Jean's patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. It follows the Kings of France and the Counts of Paris and Worms. This line can be traced back more than 1,200 years from Robert of Hesbaye to the present day, through Kings of France & Navarre, Spain and Two-Sicilies, Dukes of Parma and Grand-Dukes of Luxembourg, Princes of Orléans and Emperors of Brazil. It is one of the oldest in Europe. Robert II of Worms and Rheingau (Robert of Hesbaye), 770 - 807 Robert III of Worms and Rheingau, 808 - 834 Robert IV the Strong, 820 - 866 Robert I of France, 866 - 923 Hugh the Great, 895 - 956 Hugh Capet, 941 - 996 Robert II of France, 972 - 1031 Henry I of France, 1008–1060 Philip I of France, 1053–1108 Louis VI of France, 1081–1137 Louis VII of France, 1120–1180 Philip II of France, 1165–1223 Louis VIII of France, 1187–1226 Louis IX of France, 1215–1270 Robert, Count of Clermont, 1256–1317 Louis I, Duke of Bourbon, 1279–1342 James I, Count of La Marche, 1319–1362 John I, Count of La Marche, 1344–1393 Louis, Count of Vendôme, 1376–1446 John II, Count of Vendôme, 1428–1478

References

• Bingham, Denis, The Marriages of the Bourbons, Vol.1, Chapman and Hall Limited:London, 1890.
• http://genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00002115&tree=LEO

John VIII, Count of Vendôme House of Bourbon Born: 1426 Died: 6 January 1477
Preceded by Louis	Count of Vendôme 1446–1477	Succeeded by François