William was the fourth count of Toulouse. Like many other French noblemen, he donated money and land to religious institutions.

He is my 24th great-grandfather.

William was born before 1063¹ in Toulouse, but a more precise birth date is unavailable. He was the eldest son of Pons Guilliame of Toulouse and his second wife, Almodis de la Marche¹.

Titles

In 1060, he succeeded his father as Guilliame IV, Count of Toulouse¹.

Family

Before 1067, he married Mathilda¹, but her last name and family are unknown. The had one child, Pons¹, named after his paternal grandfather.

Before 1073, he married Emma de Mortain¹.

Together they had one daughter¹:

• Philippa, who married Duke William IX of Aquitaine.

William had one other son who is unnamed and only referred to as William’s son¹. Without a date of birth, it is impossible to tell if this son was Mathilda’s, or Emma’s.

Notable events

In 1061, William donated property to the Abbey of Moissac at the request of a nobleman by the name of Bernardo Gauzelini and his sons, Abbot Arnaldo and Gauzelino¹. He donated more property to the abbey on 14 March 1078¹.

In 1063 or 1064, his cousin Berthe, Countess of Rouergue died. She controlled the nearby counties of Agde, Béziers, Narbonne, Rouergue and Uzès, and with her death they reverted to Toulouse and therefore to his control¹.

In 1067, William and his wife Mathilda made a donation to the Hôpital Saint-Raymond¹. This is the first mention of his first wife.

In 1074, he witnessed a charter by Count Roger of Fuxensis and his wife where they donated property to Saint-Pons de Thomières. He witnessed another donation by Count Roger on 15 May 1079¹.

In a charter dated 16 June 1080, William confirmed donations by his ancestors to Saint-Pons de Thomières¹. This suggests there was some question about the original donation which led to the need for this declaration. On the same day, William and Emma donated more property themselves for the repose of the souls of his father and mother¹.

Death

He died in 1094 in battle in Huesca, Spain. This was one of the battles of the Reconquista.

Lineage

He is my 24th great-grandfather.

References

1. fmg.ac. (n.d.). TOULOUSE DUKES. [online] Available at: http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/TOULOUSE.htm [Accessed 8 Jul. 2024][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩][↩]