105782906 Guillaume II DE GENÈVE ¹

  General Notes:

GUILLAUME [II] de Genève, son of GUILLAUME [I] Comte de Genève & his second wife Béatrix de Faucigny (-25 Nov 1252). "Dominus Willelmus Gebenensis…frater Humberti comitis Gebenensis" issued letters of protection to Chamonix by charter dated 13 Mar 1205, naming "pater eius Willelmus comes Gebennensis bone memorie"[115]. Comte de Genève. The previously quoted document shows that Guillaume did not share power with his brother as count immediately after the death of their father. "Humbertus et Willelmus fratres et comites Gebenn." granted the prior of Saint-Victor the right to fortify the monastery by charter dated 1220[116]. "Willelmus comes Gebennensis" swore homage to the archbishop of Tarantasia for the valley of Hauteluce, with the consent of "dominus Amedeus…Maurianensis episcopus frater noster", by charter dated 30 Jul 1220[117]. "G. comes Gebenn." donated property to the bishopric of Geneva by charter dated 6 Jul 1223, witnessed by "uxoris sue"[118]. Avoué of Chamonix. "Willelmus comes Gebenn." obtained a loan from the monastery of Saint-Victor by charter dated 16 Feb 1228 which names "Rodulfum filium meum…et dominam comitissam" among the guarantors[119]. "Willelmus…comes Gebenn." recognised a loan from the monastery of Saint-Victor, confirmed by "A. comitissa…Rodulfus filius comitis", by charter dated 13 Jan 1231, witnessed by "eiusdem uxor Alaysia comitissa"[120]. "Vullielmus comes Gebenn., Ales uxor nostra et Rodulphus filius noster" granted compensation to the bishopric of Geneva for the wrongs which they had committed by charter dated Feb 1236[121]. "Vullielmi comitis et Rodulphi eius filii" consented to the sale of property to the bishopric of Geneva by charter dated 1245[122]. "Petrus de Sabaudia" and "Guillelmus comes Geben., Rodulphus et Henricus filii dicti comitis" appointed "D. Ph…Lugdunen. ecclesie Electum" [Philippe de Savoie] to arbitrate disputes between them, by charter dated 10 Jun 1250[123]. "Villelmus comes Gebennensis" confirmed the foundation of the Chartreuse monastery of Pomiers by "Villelmo patre meo", with the consent of "Alesia comitissa uxor mea et Rodulphus filius noster primogenitus cum filiis nostris…Amedeo…episcopi Diensi, Aymone cantore Gebennensi, Henrico, Roberto canonico Viennensi, Villelmo, Guigone", for the soul of "Humberti fratris nostri quondam comitis Gebennensis", by charter dated 1252[124]. The testament of "Willelmus comes Gebenn.", dated 9 Nov 1252, names "primogenitum nostrum Rodulfum" as his heir, makes bequests to "filio nostro Amedeo…Dien. Ep", and is witnessed by "…A. comitissa Geben….Artaudus de Rossellon…"[125].

[m firstly --- de Forez, daughter of GUY [III] Comte de Forez [Albon] & his second wife Adelasia ---. This possible first marriage of Comte Guillaume [II] is speculative, but it provides the best explanation for the different primary source documents which indicate family relationships between the Roussillon family and the Forez and Genève families. Dealing firstly with the relationship between the Roussillon/Forez relationship, this is indicated by the documents which are quoted below under this person's possible daughter "M---", wife of Artaud [IV] Seigneur de Roussillon. Assuming for the moment that the relationship was through the wife of Artaud [IV], it is reasonable to suppose that it was through an otherwise unrecorded younger daughter of Guy [III] Comte de Forez, based on the following logic. Firstly, it is not known with certainty whether the Roussillon/Forez connection was through the father or mother of Guillaume de Roussillon (the son of Artaud [IV] and his wife). However, the charter dated Nov 1262, quoted below, suggests that the relationship was through his mother: if Artaud [IV] himself had been the relative of the Forez family, it seems that the Nov 1262 document would have been unnecessary as Artaud could automatically have transferred his rights to his oldest son by testament. Artaud's presence in the document does not necessarily indicate that he held the rights in his own name: they could have been rights held through his wife. If that is correct, presumably "M---" was still alive in Nov 1262. If she had been dead, her rights would already have vested in her children, so her husband's presence in the document would have been unnecessary (unless he was acting in the name of any children who were still minors). Secondly, the order of beneficiaries in the Jun 1270 testament of Renaud Comte de Forez is presumably significant in determining the nature of the connection with the Roussillon family. The document provides for bequests, in order, to "consanguineo meo domino Ano domino d'Oliergue…Guillelmo de Rossilione consanguineo meo". The former is identified as Agnon [VI] Seigneur d'Olliergues, the senior male representative of the descendants of the oldest daughter of Guy [III] Comte de Forez who married Guillaume de Baffie (see the document AUVERGNE for the Baffie and Olliergues families). It is likely therefore that "Guillelmo de Rossilione consanguineo meo" was in some way junior to Agnon [VI] in his rights to the Forez inheritance. The marriage of Artaud [IV] Seigneur de Roussillon is dated to [before 1238], which suggests that his wife is unlikely to have been born much later than [1223]. If that date is correct, the chronology of the Olliergues family suggests that it is improbable that she was an otherwise unrecorded younger sister of Agnon [VI]'s mother. There appear to be two possibilities: either Artaud's wife was the daughter of an otherwise unrecorded younger daughter of Guy [III] Comte de Forez, or she was the granddaughter of a younger sibling of Comte Guy [III]. The former is the most likely possibility: all the other beneficiaries under the Jun 1270 testament of Renaud Comte de Forez were descendants of his grandfather, and it seems unlikely that Comte Renaud would have considered it necessary to provide in his testament for another family representative who was descended from his great-grandfather. In conclusion, until further information comes to light, if the relationship between the Roussillon and Forez families was through Artaud [IV] de Roussillon's wife, it is likely that she was the daughter of an otherwise unrecorded younger daughter of Guy [III] Comte de Forez. Turning to the Roussillon/Genève family connection, this is suggested by an undated charter under which "Amédée de Genève Evesque de Die" (identified as the son of Comte Guillaume [II]) is called "oncle d'Amédée de Roussillon" (who was a younger son of Artaud [IV] Seigneur de Roussillon)[126]. The testament of "Thomas de Sabaudia primogenitus…domini Thomæ de Sabaudia comitis", dated 14 May 1282, which names "consanguineum meum R. patrem dominum Aymarum archiepiscopum Lugdunensem" (the latter identified as another younger son of Artaud [IV] Seigneur de Roussillon) also indicates a connection as the relationship with the Savoie family was presumably through the comtes de Genéve[127]. Vachez, in an article dealing with the Roussillon family, approaches a conclusion when he states that Artaud [IV]'s wife was "Marie de Genève, fille de Guillaume Comte de Genève et de Marie ou Alix de la Tour"[128]. However, his explanation is contradictory and confusing. He asserts firstly that the marriage of Artaud [IV] with "Marie" was childless (nullifying completely his explanation for the relationship which is stated in the undated charter) and secondly that Artaud's children were born from a supposed second marriage with "Artaude de Forez, fille de Guy IV comte de Forez", presumably in an attempt to explain the presence of Guillaume de Roussillon in the Jun 1270 testament of Renaud Comte de Forez. The major problem with identifying Guillaume [II] Comte de Genève as the father of "M---" is the number of children attributed to Comte Guillaume and his wife which makes it difficult to explain why "M---" and her descendants should have been singled out in relation to the Forez inheritance. However, this difficulty would be resolved if the daughter of Guy [III] Comte de Forez was the first wife of Comte Guillaume, and the mother of a single daughter, her husband marrying again after she died.]

Source: fmg.ac

  Birth Notes:

Cité en 1205

  Death Notes:

Source: fmg.ac

Guillaume married 105782907 Xxx DE FOREZ, daughter of 211565814 Guy III DE FOREZ and 211565815 Alix DE XXX, before 1210. (105782907 Xxx DE FOREZ was born before 1195 and died before 1215.)

Guillaume next married Alix DE XXX before 1215. (Alix DE XXX was born before 1195 and died after 5 Oct 1256.)