User:Kansas Bear/Bernard VI d'Armagnac

Bernard VI, born around 1270 and d.1319 Count of Armagnac and de Fezensac (1285-1319), is the son of Gerald VI, Count of Armagnac, and Mathe de Béarn.

Service for King of France
Bernard VI served the kings of France during their wars. In 1302, he fought in Italy under the command of Charles of Valois. Subsequently, he participated in all the campaigns in Flanders by  Philippe le Bel and his son  Louis X ( in 1303, 1304, 1313 and 1315). He then served as head of large detachments of the royal army. He contributed particularly to the victory of Mons-en-Alarcon on August 18, 1304, with four hundred armed men and a thousand policemen on foot. This military activity was very expensive and impoverished Bernard VI and he was obliged to borrow 2500 gold florins for the funeral of his wife.

Conflict with House of Foix
After the death of Gaston VII, Viscount of Béarn, his grandfather, he maintained a long war against the Counts of Foix following the controversy over the will. The will favored the Count of Foix and Bernard refused its legitimacy. The conflict escalated into an undeclared war between the houses of Foix and Armagnac, which took place during almost all of the fourteenth century.

Marriages and Children
He first married Isabella d'Albret (c. 1275 † December 1, 1294), daughter of Bernard Ezy IV  Sire of Albret and Jeanne de Lusignan. Through this marriage, Bernard VI carried the title of lord of Albret between the years 1280 and 1294. In 1298, he married Cecilia Rodez (1278 † 1313), heiress of Henri II  Count of Rodez.

Children, all born of the second marriage were:
 * John I (1305 † 1373), Count of Armagnac, of Fezensac and Rodez.
 * Mathe († 1364), married in 1321 to Bernard Ezy V Sire d'Albret.
 * Isabella, Lady of Beras.

Bernard has an illegitimate son;
 * John, Bastard of Armagnac, called la Guerre (the War), participated in wars in Gascony. He was captured by the king's men, then released after promising to be faithful and loyal to the king. He left arms, embraced the ecclesiastical state, was Patriarch of Alexandria, then took the administration of the diocese of Rodez in 1376.