Gaultier de Couches – 1095
J.-Louis
Bazin, in his « Histoire des Evêques de Chalon » tells us of an interesting twist
in History; It was during the times of Pierre l'Ermite and Pope Urbain Il:
" At
the time of the bishop Gaultier de Couches, Christian Europe was rising to the deliverance
of the Holy Sepulcher to release the Holy Land from Muselman domination.
All along his route, Pierre l'Ermite was
stimulating the enthousiasm of the people with his stories of the misfortunes of
Christians in the Orient, and in 1095, Pope Urbain Il himself came to preach a crusade to
Clermont Ferand. The county of Chalon then belonged to Guy de Thiers and Geoffroy de
Donzy. The latter took the cross in 1096; before leaving, he sold his part of the county,
which was the portion of the domain he had obtained from the estate of Hugues II, to his
uncle Savaric de Donzy dit de Vergy, who, also wanting to tale part in the Crusade, but
not having the necessary funds for such a long expedition, mortgaged his half to the
bishop Gaultier de Couches. The price of the mortgage was 200 ounces of fine and pure
gold, each ounce valued at 40 « sols » in current money, « and most of
the payment was made with the gold plate taken from the said church of
Chalon
». The limits of the land acquired by the bishop of Chalon were «
furent
dès la croix plantées entre le village de Sainct-Marcel, jusque au port de Lus, suyvant
le cours d'une petite rivière, dicte au titre latin Talieta (la Thalie). Dès le pont de
Deroupt jusques au pont de Champforgeul (Saint-Marcel et Lux, communes du canton sud et de
l'arrondissement de Chalon-sur-Saône ; Droux, hameau de Lux ; Champforgeuil, commune du
canton Nord et de l'arrondissement de Chalon-sur-Saône, Saône et Loire), et selon que
tout le finage duditlieu s'estend, jusques à la forest dicte Vesvre des Chanoines, en
retournant aux croix sus mentionnées »
; The houses of the soldiers, small castle of Chalon, the sergeants in Savaric and
seizures, just and unjust, made by the said sergeants on the goods of Saint-Marcel, were
excepted. Savaric
de Donzy dit de Vergy also mortgaged to Gaultier de Couches all taxes and customs he had
in Saint-Désert as well as in Jambles, but he retained the revenue he had from the Law at
Saint-Désert, so that the canons of Saint-Vincent and their subjects need not suffer. In
the presence of Jocerand de Brancion, bishop of Langres, of Foulques de Réon and of
Hugues de Bayacensi, Savaric swore to maintain a true peace with the Church of Chalon ;
His wife was represented by a knight named Albert to swear on her behalf. Savaric de Donzy
dit de Vergy not having
repaid the money loaned by Gaultier de Couches, the mortgaged land remained the
property of the bishop and the bishop then took the name of Count of Chalon ".