Thomas, Lord of Coucy

Thomas of Marle, Lord of Coucy and Boves, was born in 1073 to Enguerrand I of Boves, the Lord of Coucy and his wife Adele of Marle.

As the best-known of the Lords of Coucy, Thomas of Marle would become infamous for his aggressive and brutal tactics in war and his continued rebellion against the authority of Louis VI.

Some of the outlaws became notorious for their cruelty, the most notable being Thomas, Lord of Coucy, who was reputed to indulge in torture of his victims, including hanging men by their testicles, cutting out eyes, and chopping off feet.

Thomas of Marle, Lord of Coucy and Boves, was born in 1073 to Enguerrand I of Boves, the Lord of Coucy and his wife Adele of Marle.

Adèle's son Thomas de Marle hated his father and joined the enemies against his father.

After the famous summons to crusade by Pope Urban II in 1095, Thomas and his father Enguerrand rode out with members of their house to participate in the First Crusade as part of the army of Emicho.

The army included nobleman and knights such as the Drogo of Nesle, Hartmann I, Count of Dillingen-Kyburg, Thomas, Lord of Marle and La Fère and Count of Amien, and William the Carpenter, Viscount of Milun,.

* List of principal Crusaders

Thomas’ first born son, Enguerrand II, became the next Lord of Coucy and their remaining lands.

Unlike his father, the brigand-lord Thomas de Marle, Enguerrand II peacefully administered his lands, building a chapel in his castle (the chapel's foundations survive as some of the oldest remains in Coucy).

When Thomas returned home from the Crusades and he married his first wife Ida of Hainaut, the daughter of Baldwin II, Count of Hainaut, in 1102 at the age of 29.

As the first born heir, Thomas would have been educated in the affairs of nobility which would have included the skills and virtues of a knight.

Chivalry was nurtured in France and was used to influence and control the behavior of knights and nobility.

It was used as a sustaining ethos of warrior groups who were identified on one hand by their martial skill as horsemen and by a combination of pride in ancestry, status, and traditions of service.

After the famous summons to crusade by Pope Urban II in 1095, Thomas and his father Enguerrand rode out with members of their house to participate in the First Crusade as part of the army of Emicho.

After the famous summons to crusade by Pope Urban II in 1095, Thomas and his father Enguerrand rode out with members of their house to participate in the First Crusade as part of the army of Emicho.

After the famous summons to crusade by Pope Urban II in 1095, Thomas and his father Enguerrand rode out with members of their house to participate in the First Crusade as part of the army of Emicho.

Moving quickly, the men of Coucy shredded their cloaks trimmed with squirrel fur (vair) into six pieces to use as banners for recognition and managed to defeat their attackers.

The sources are unclear on whether it was Thomas or Enguerrand who created the makeshift banners but this event was commemorated permanently in their coat-of-arms which shows "barry of six, vair and gules".

The sources are unclear on whether it was Thomas or Enguerrand who created the makeshift banners but this event was commemorated permanently in their coat-of-arms which shows "barry of six, vair and gules".

The sources are unclear on whether it was Thomas or Enguerrand who created the makeshift banners but this event was commemorated permanently in their coat-of-arms which shows "barry of six, vair and gules".

According to Suger, Enguerrand was an honorable man and made more effort than anyone to drive Thomas from his castle ‘because of his seditious tyranny.’ With Enguerrand's support, several barons attempted to enclose Thomas into his castle with a palisade and starve him into submission.

Abbot Suger of St. Denis' chronicles of the reign of Louis VI "the Fat" recorded his king constantly marching across his kingdom to bring his unruly lords and barons to heel.

Abbot Suger of St. Denis' chronicles of the reign of Louis VI "the Fat" recorded his king constantly marching across his kingdom to bring his unruly lords and barons to heel.

Abbot Suger of St. Denis' chronicles of the reign of Louis VI "the Fat" recorded his king constantly marching across his kingdom to bring his unruly lords and barons to heel.

While Louis VI had been busy waging war against his enemies in England and his nobility within his kingdom, Thomas of Marle took advantage of the distraction and began waging war in the lands of Laon, Rheims, and Amiens, devouring them "like a raging wolf."

While Louis VI had been busy waging war against his enemies in England and his nobility within his kingdom, Thomas of Marle took advantage of the distraction and began waging war in the lands of Laon, Rheims, and Amiens, devouring them "like a raging wolf."

While Louis VI had been busy waging war against his enemies in England and his nobility within his kingdom, Thomas of Marle took advantage of the distraction and began waging war in the lands of Laon, Rheims, and Amiens, devouring them "like a raging wolf."

Although he supported the Catholic Church, Enguerrand I and the previous lords of Coucy were known to participate in a number of local wars in order to gain land and resources.