Peter of Courtenay, Lord of Conches

Who is Peter of Courtenay, Lord of Conches?

Peter of Courtenay was a French knight and a member of the Capetian House of Courtenay, a cadet line of the royal House of Capet. From 1239 until his death, he was the ruling Lord of Conches-en-Ouche and Mehun-sur-Yèvre.

He was the eldest of five sons of Robert of Courtenay († 1239), Lord of Champignelles, and his wife Matilda of Mehun. From his parents he inherited the castle of Conches and Mehun. On 25 August 1248, he sailed with his cousin, King Louis IX of France, from Aigues-Mortes to Egypt to fight the Seventh Crusade, during which he died.

Most historians think he died during the battle for the city of Al Mansurah on 8 February 1250. On that day, Count Robert I of Artois led a vanguard of Crusaders in a spontaneous attack on the city. The vanguard was caught in a trap set by the defending Mamluks and all attackers were killed. However, the chronicler Jean de Joinville maintains Peter of Courtenay died on an earlier date. After the conquest of the Egytion port city of Damietta in June 1249, a large part of the crusader army camped outside the city wall, until they were ready to march to Al Mansurah in the autumn.