Marie I, Countess of Auvergne


Marie I of Auvergne was suo jure Countess of Auvergne and Countess of Boulogne from 1424 to her death in 1437, having inherited the titles from her cousin Joan II, Countess of Auvergne. She was also styled Dame of Montgascon.
She was the wife of Bertrand IV de La Tour, and the mother of Bertrand V de La Tour who succeeded her as Count of Auvergne and Boulogne.

Life

Marie was born in France in September 1376, the only child of Godfroy of Auvergne, Seigneur de Montgascon, Seigneur de Roche-Savine, and his second wife Jeanne de Ventadour. Her mother died shortly after Marie's birth on 19 September 1376. Her father married thirdly Blanche de Bouteiller de Senlis, which produced two half-siblings, Antoine and Marguerite. Her father died in 1385, when Marie was nine years of age.
Sometime after 11 January 1389, Marie married Bertrand IV, Seigneur de La Tour, the son of Guy de La Tour and Marthe Rogier de Beaufort. Her husband Bertrand died in 1423, sometime after 23 September. She inherited her titles the following year.

Reign

She succeeded her cousin Joan II as Countess of Auvergne and Boulogne upon the latter's death in 1424, as Joan's marriages to John, Duke of Berry, and Georges de la Trémoille had been childless.
She ruled as countess until her own death, which occurred on 7 August 1437. Her only son, Bertrand succeeded her as count of Auvergne and Boulogne.

Issue

Marie and Bertrand had four children:
  • Bertrand V of La Tour, Seigneur de La Tour, Count of Auvergne and Boulogne, married in 1416 Jacquette du Peschin by whom he had six children. His descendants were known by the name of de La Tour d'Auvergne.
  • Jeanne de La Tour, married Beraud III, Count of Clermont by whom she had one daughter, Jeanne.
  • Isabelle de La Tour, married 12 September 1419 Louis Armand Chalancon, Viscount of Polignac by whom she had six children.
  • Louise de La Tour, married firstly Tristan de Clermont-Lodève; she married secondly Claude de Montagu, Seigneur de Couches et d'Espoisses. Both marriages were childless.