General Notes

The family of Courtenay is descended from Pharamond, who is commonly reputed to have been the founder of the French monarchy. Athon, his descendant, in the reign of king Robert assumed the surname of Courtenay from a town of that name in the Isle of France. Josceline, his son, had issue,

1.Milo or Miles.
2.Josceline, who engaged in the crusade of Godfrey de Boulogne his kinsman, and became count of Edessa. Agnes, his grand-daughter, married Almeric king of Jerusalem, and had issue
1.Baldwin the Fourth king of Jerusalem, and
2.Sibylla consort of Guy de Lusignan king of Jerusalem.

Reginald, son of Milo, had issue, during his residence in France,

1.Elizabeth, otherwise called Isabella, who married Peter, younger son of Louis the Gross king of France; in consequence of which marriage, her husband  assumed the surname of Courtenay.
1.Peter, their issue, was elected emperor of Constantinople in the year 1217, and was successively followed in that dignity by his two sons
1.Robert and
2.Baldwin.
2.Robert, second son of Peter and Elizabeth, resided in France, where his posterity arrived at considerable dignities; one of them being archbishop of  Rheims in the year 1300, and another chamberlain of the houshold to king Charles the sixth. They at various times made efforts to be acknowledged princes of the blood royal of France, but without success.

Reginald de Courtenay, father in law of Peter, personally attached himself to Eleanor, consort of Louis the Young, king of France, and heiress of Guienne and Poictou; and, upon the divorce of that monarch, was instrumental in effecting her subsequent marriage to Henry the second, king of England. Having come over into this island, he married Hawise, daughter and heiress of Robert d'Abrincis or d'Avranches, viscount of the county of Devon) baron of Oakhampton and lord of the castle of Exeter; in consequence of which marriage these dignities devolved upon Reginald. Robert, their issue, was deprived of the dignity of viscount and of the lordship of the castle of Exeter by king Henry the third. Hugh, fifth baron of Oakhampton, his great grandson, succeeded to the title of earl of the county of Devon in
the reign of king Edward the first, in consequence of the marriage of his great grandfather Robert with Mary, daughter of William de Redvers earl of the county of Devon.

Hugh, second earl of Devonshire, his son, married Margaret, granddaughter of king Edward the first; by which lady he had issue,

1.Hugh.
2.Edward, father of
1.Edward third earl of Devonshire, and of
2.Hugh.
3.William, who was elected in the year 1367 chancellor of the university of Oxford, and in the year 1369 lord bishop of Hereford. He was translated in the year      1375 to the see of London, and in the year 1381 to the archiepiscopal fee of Canterbury, and died 31 July 1396.
4.Philip.
5.Peter, who was lord chamberlain of the houshold to king Edward the third, governor of Calais and knight of the garter.

Hugh, son of Hugh son of Hugh second earl of Devonshire, married Matilda, daughter of Joan of Kent, and half sister to Edward the Black Prince.

Edward, third earl. of Devonshire, was earl marshal and joint lord high admiral of England in the reign of king Richard the second, and had issue,

1.Edward, commander in chief of the fleet in the reign of king Henry the fifth. He died in the year 1417.
2.Hugh, fourth earl of Devonshire, who succeeded his brother in the command of the fleet, and died 16 June 1422.

Thomas, fifth earl of Devonshire, son of Hugh, adhered to the house of Lancaster in the civil wars, and married Margaret, daughter of John Beaufort earl of Somerset, and grand-daughter of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster; by which lady he had issue,

1.Thomas, sixth duke of Devonshire, who was taken prisoner at the battle of Towton 29 March 1461, and beheaded.
2.Henry, seventh earl of Devonshire ; who was attainted of high treason for his adherence to the house of