John, Count of Chalon


John, called the Old, was a French nobleman, the Count of Auxonne and Chalon-sur-Saône in his own right and regent in right of his son, Hugh III, Count of Burgundy. In contemporary documents, he was sometimes called "Count of Burgundy", as by King William of Germany in 1251.
He was the son of Stephen III of Auxonne and Beatrice, Countess of Châlon.
On June 5, 1237, he exchanged his inherited patrimony of Auxonne and Chalon with Hugh IV, Duke of Burgundy for the following territories: Salins, Belvoir, Vuillafans, Ornans, Montfaucon, Arlay, the castle of Clées in Vaud, Chaussin and Orgelet. He thus became one of the most powerful nobles in the county.
Although he gave charters to the towns in his territory, he also welcomed the Dominican friars as inquisitors.
The possession of Salins, with its salt production, gave John the fortune necessary to extend his territories. To protect the trade routes, he built the following fortresses: Le Pin, Montmahoux, Saint-Anne, Arguel and Nozeroy. He usually resided in Nozeroy.
To avoid the customs imposed by the Count of Pontarlier, he bought the forests in the region around Pontarlier and Jougne, which he logged, creating new roads. He founded the towns of Châtelblanc, Chaux-Neuve and Rochejean, the last of which contains his name.

Family

He had three wives and 16 children.
He married Mahaud of Burgundy, the daughter of Hugh III, Duke of Burgundy and Beatrice of Albon. She died March 26, 1242. They had the following children:
  • Elisabeth of Burgundy. In 1248, she married Henry I de Vergy.
  • Blanche de Chalon. In 1260, she married Guichard V de Beaujeu, and Béraud IX de Mercœur in 1268.
  • Hugh III, who became Count of Burgundy by his marriage to Adelaide I of Burgundy.
  • Margaret married Henry de Brienne.
He remarried to Isabeau of Courtenay, the daughter of Robert I of Courtenay. They had the following children:
  • John, seigneur de Rochefort. He became Count of Auxerre by his marriage to Alix de Bourgogne-Auxerre.
  • Stephen, Seigneur de Rouvres.
  • Peter Seigneur de Châtel-Belin, in 1268, he married Beatrice, the daughter of Amadeus IV of Savoy
Upon Isabeau's death September 22, 1257, he remarried to Laurette de Commercy, the daughter of Simon II, Seigneur de Commercy, and Matilda, Countess of Saarbrücken. They had the following children: