Jean II de Montmorency
Jean II de Montmorency, held the office of Grand Chamberlain of France. He was the eldest son of Jacques de Montmorency and Lady Philippine de Melun of Croisilles and Courrières, daughter of Hugues de Melun d'Epinoy.
Biography
On the death of his father in 1414, the ten year old Jean inherited the barony of Montmorency and several Lordships, including those of Écouen, Damville and Conflans. He was initially placed under the regency of his mother, Philippine, who died around 1419. In 1422, he married Jeanne de Fosseux, daughter of Jean de Fosseux and Anne de Preures. Jeanne had also inherited a number of lands, principally in Flanders.Jeanne de Fosseux's father was a favourite of Duke of Burgundy, John the Fearless. When Jeanne died in September 1431 she was buried at the Cordeliers de Senlis, and she left to her husband Jean her wealthy lands which were enclosed within the territory held by the house of Burgundy.
In 1443 Jean married for a second time, his new wife being Marguerite d'Orgemont, widow of the knight Guillaume Broullard and great-granddaughter of the French chancellor Pierre d'Orgemont, Lord of Chantilly.
Jean de Montmorency fought alongside King Louis XI against the self-proclaimed League of the Public Good, led by the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold. His two sons, Jean III and Louis de Montmorency-Fosseux, refused to join him and sided with Charles the Bold. Jean de Montmorency then decided to disinherit his two elder sons in favour of Guillaume, his third son, and the first son from his marriage to Marguerite d'Orgemont. The elder sons were officially disinherited on, the pronouncement held at the Château de la Chasse, situated in the centre of the forest of Montmorency.
As a result of this, his son Jean sought refuge at Nivelle, a territory that belonged to his mother Jeanne de Fosseux. Here he became the founder of the Montmorency-Nevele branch of the family. It was following this episode that the Jean III became known as Jean de Nivelle, a name that was used as a form of mockery by the French. He was mocked in popular songs of the time, and later gave rise to the expression "the more you call him, the more he runs away like Jean de Nivelle's dog".
Despite lawsuits and property transactions involving the branches of the Niville, de Fosseux and Montmorency families, the familial lands situated in France remained the property of the descendants of Jean II's son Guillaume de Montmorency.
Ancestry
Through the Montmorency's, Jean II de Montmorency was descended from the French king Louis VI.Marriages and descendants
On, Jean II married Jeanne de Fosseux, Lady of Fosseux, d'Hauteville, Nivelle et Wismes, daughter of Jean de Fosseux and Anne de Preure. They had the following children:- Jean de Montmorency-Nivelle and Wismes, known as Jean de Nivelle. Among his descendants was his great-grandson Philippe II de Montmorency, Count of Horn
- Louis de Montmorency-Fosseux and d'Hauteville. From him are descended the Dukes of Montmorency-Beaufort, and Montmorency-Bouteville, the Dukes of Piney-Luxembourg, the Dukes of Châtillon-Coligny, the Marquis de Royan and the Counts of Dukes of d'Olonne, the Lords of Tingry and the Lords of Robecque.
- Marguerite de Montmorency who married Nicolas d'Anglure on
- Guillaume de Montmorency, Chamberlain of France, and the father of the Constable of France, Anne de Montmorency.
- Philippe de Montmorency, Lady of Vitry-en-Brie, was married on to the Grand Master of France, Charles de Melun. On his death, Philippe married Guillaume Ier Gouffier, Lord of Boissy, on the. Her descendants stem from this marriage.