We hebben blijkbaar de galg overleefd
- 22 mrt
- 8 minuten om te lezen
“You are not here by accident.”
Wat niet doodt, maakt je sterker.
Soms zit geschiedenis niet in boeken, maar gewoon… in je bloed,'blijkbaar'.
Toen ik wat dieper dook in mijn moederslijn, (mama die er al jaren over spreekt terwijl ze ziek is) botste ik op een naam die meteen bleef hangen:Isabeau de Châtillon.Geboren rond 1290–1295, in de regio Saint‑Pol‑sur‑Ternoise, in het noorden van Frankrijk.
En ja:👉 zij is mijn 22ste grootmoeder.
Even laten bezinken.Tweeëntwintig generaties.Lange ketens van vrouwen die leefden, liefhadden, kinderen kregen, door oorlogen, ziektes, honger en ja… ook politieke intriges en machtsstrijd gingen.
En toch zijn we hier. Blijkbaar hebben we het overleefd. Zelfs de galg. De Franse revolutie.
Van Châtillon tot vandaag
Isabeau de Châtillon leefde in een tijd waarin afstamming geen detail was, maar een lot. Via haar lopen de lijnen naar enkele grote adellijke huizen:
het Huis de Châtillon
het Huis de Coucy
het Huis Dreux / Bretagne
en zelfs Plantagenêt ( oud Engels Koningshuis)
Echte mensen, met macht én risico’s. Met eer én valstrikken.
Wat mij raakt:dit is geen “rechte mannelijke heldenlijn”, maar een stille vrouwelijke doorgave - generatie na generatie.
De ketting van oma's en opa's...
Van Isabeau tot vandaag loopt een ononderbroken reeks vrouwen (en mannen) die elk op hun manier het leven hebben doorgegeven:
Isabeau de Châtillon→ Hélène de Coucy→ Henriette de Beaumetz→ Jean de Dampierre→ Pierre de Dampierre→ Huchon de Dampierre→ Jacqueline de Dampierre→ Christophe de Gomer→ Charles de Gomer→ Jeanne du Castel de la Ruyelle→ Jeanne Valentine du Castel de la Ruyelle→ Jean Delannoy→ Nicolas Delannoy→ Marie Delannoy→ Nicolas Michel Dautricourt→ Michel Joseph Dautricourt→ Joseph Jean Dautricourt→ Sylvie Marie Dautricourt→ Clémence Van den Abeele→ Marie Mathilde Thiers→ Julia Thiers→ Celina Catherina Foulon→ Andrea Maria Celina Wybo→ Veva Irene Jean Korneel Alen→ en ik
Als je dat zo ziet, voel je bijna letterlijk hoe lang en kwetsbaar zo’n ketting is. Eén schakel minder… en je bestaat niet.
Wat niet doodt, maakt je sterker
Ik zeg dat met een knipoog, maar ook met respect. Want deze mensen leefden in tijden waar fouten letterlijk dodelijk konden zijn. En toch ging het leven verder.
Misschien zit daar wel iets in dat vandaag nog altijd voelbaar is: weerbaarheid, volhouden, blijven staan… zelfs als het moeilijk wordt.
Dit is geen vraag naar titels of erkenning. Het is geschiedenis dat je door je bloed meedraagt.
Het is gewoon zeggen:
Geschiedenis leeft.
Soms fluistert ze.
En af en toe zegt ze gewoon:
“Je bent hier niet toevallig.”
Apparently, we survived the gallows
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Sometimes history isn’t found in books, but simply… in your blood. Apparently.
When I started digging a little deeper into my maternal line— something my mother has been talking about for years while she has been ill —I came across a name that immediately stayed with me:Isabeau de Châtillon,born around 1290–1295, in the region of Saint‑Pol‑sur‑Ternoise, in northern France.
And yes: she is my 22nd great‑grandmother.
Let that sink in for a moment.Twenty‑two generations.Long chains of women who lived, loved, had children,who endured wars, disease, hunger,and yes… also political intrigue and power struggles.
And yet, here we are.Apparently, we survived.Even the gallows.Even the French Revolution.
From Châtillon to today
Isabeau de Châtillon lived in a time when lineage was not just a detail, but a destiny.Through her run the lines of several great noble houses:
the House of Châtillon
the House of Coucy
the House of Dreux / Brittany
and even the Plantagenets (the old English royal dynasty)
Real people, with power and risk.With honour and traps.
What touches me most is this:this is not a “straight male heroic line,”but a quiet female transmission, passed on generation after generation.
The chain of grandparents
From Isabeau to today runs an unbroken chain of women (and men),each of whom, in their own way, passed life forward:
Isabeau de Châtillon→ Hélène de Coucy→ Henriette de Beaumetz→ Jean de Dampierre→ Pierre de Dampierre→ Huchon de Dampierre→ Jacqueline de Dampierre→ Christophe de Gomer→ Charles de Gomer→ Jeanne du Castel de la Ruyelle→ Jeanne Valentine du Castel de la Ruyelle→ Jean Delannoy→ Nicolas Delannoy→ Marie Delannoy→ Nicolas Michel Dautricourt→ Michel Joseph Dautricourt→ Joseph Jean Dautricourt→ Sylvie Marie Dautricourt→ Clémence Van den Abeele→ Marie Mathilde Thiers→ Julia Thiers→ Celina Catherina Foulon→ Andrea Maria Celina Wybo→ Veva Irene Jean Korneel Alen→ and me
When you look at it like this,you can almost physically feel how long and fragile such a chain is.One missing link… and you do not exist.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
I say this with a wink, but also with deep respect.Because these people lived in times when mistakes could be literally fatal.And still, life went on.
Perhaps something of that is still felt today:resilience, perseverance,standing your ground… even when things are hard.
This is not about titles or recognition.It is about the history you carry in your blood.
It is simply saying:
History is alive.Sometimes it whispers.And sometimes it simply says:
“You are not here by accident.”
0) You – Sabine Van Oppens (myself)Born in 1976, in Antwerp – lives in Brasschaat, Belgium.
1) Veva Irene Jean Korneel Alen (your mother) Born in 1950, in Kortrijk – lives in Basel - Kruibeke, Belgium. You mainly wish to portray her in a loving and appreciative way for the page intended for your mother.
2) Andrea Maria Celina Wybo (your grandmother)1920–2005, Heule → Dilbeek, Belgium. Born just after the First World War, she came of age during the Second World War. A generation shaped by rebuilding and silence. A long life, marked by scarcity and a strong sense of duty.
3) Celina Catherina Foulon (your mother’s grandmother – your great‑grandmother)1877–1941, Gullegem → Heule, Belgium.At least 13 children. She lived through the First World War and died during the Second World War. The image is one of bearing, caring, persevering. We noted that this kind of life often leaves behind silence.
4) Julia Thiers (mother of Celina Foulon)1847–1910, Deerlijk → Heule, Belgium.A blended family (half‑brothers and half‑sisters). She became a mother in difficult times and died before the First World War. The burdens she carried are reflected in the next generation.
5) Marie Mathilde Thiers (mother of Julia)±1850, Wortegem‑Petegem – † 10‑07‑1884, Lille, France.She died far too young (about 34), and in France. This forms a break in the line: young children and little support at the time. This explains later remarriages and family dispersal.
6) Sylvie Marie Dautricourt (mother of Clémence Van den Abeele)1826–1906, Diksmuide → Bruges, Belgium.A stable link. A long life for her generation. She connects the Dautricourt branch to Van den Abeele. Here, the family line is clear and calm.
7) Barbe Virginie Dautricourt (née Troost)1788–1866, Diksmuide, Belgium.Both her birth and death took place in Diksmuide. Wife of Joseph Jean Dautricourt. A typical 19th‑century family; we suggested consulting the marriage record later for additional details.
8) Joseph Jean Dautricourt1778–1851, Diksmuide → Diksmuide, Belgium.Son of Michel Joseph Dautricourt and Isabella Theresia Rabaut; husband of Barbe Virginie (Troost). A generation of stability: birth, family life and death all in Diksmuide.(Father of Sylvie Marie.)
9) Michel Joseph Dautricourt09‑07‑1735, Comines‑Warneton → 01‑06‑1805, Diksmuide, Belgium.Son of Nicolas Michel and Marie Antoinette (Philippe); husband of Isabella Theresia Rabaut. He moved the family from the border region to West Flanders, forming a bridge between the Ancien Régime and the French period.
10) Nicolas Michel DautricourtBorn circa 1670–1730 (estimate).Son of Albert Dautricourt and Marie Delannoy; husband of Marie Antoinette (Philippe) Dautricourt. A key link: through him, the Delannoy line enters the Dautricourt family.(Father of Michel Joseph.)
11) Marie Antoinette Dautricourt (alias Philippe)Born circa 1670–1730 (estimate).Partner of Nicolas Michel Dautricourt; mother of Michel Joseph. The alias “Philippe” is provisionally retained (name variant/alias in parish records).
12) Marie DelannoyBorn before 1730 (estimate), French Flanders.Daughter of Nicolas Delannoy and Françoise Delannoy; wife of Albert Dautricourt. A transitional figure: through her, Delannoy blood is passed into the Dautricourt line.
13) Nicolas Delannoy01‑12‑1624, Quesnoy‑sur‑Deûle (Nord, FR) → 10‑10‑1693, Houthem (Comines, BE).Son of Jean Delannoy and Simone Deleval; husband of Françoise Delannoy. Cross‑border movement from France to Belgium; father of Marie Delannoy.
14) Jean DelannoyCirca 1590, Linselles (Nord, FR) – † Quesnoy‑sur‑Deûle (Nord, FR).Son of Piat Jehan Delannoy and Jeanne Valentine du Castel; husband of Simone Deleval. A junction point where the du Castel line enters the Delannoy family.
15) Jeanne Valentine du Castel de la Ruyelle21‑01‑1555, Tourcoing (Nord, FR) → circa 1623, Linselles (Nord, FR).Daughter of Piat Jehan du Castel and Jeanne (de Gomer); wife of Piat Jehan Delannoy. Mother of Jean Delannoy; the passage from du Castel to Delannoy.
16) Jeanne du Castel de la Ruyelle (Jeanne de Gomer)Circa 1520, region of Tourcoing/Linselles (France).Daughter of Charles de Gomer and Jeanne de La Tramerie; wife of Piat Jehan du Castel de la Ruyelle. Combination of family name and title (de Gomer ↔ du Castel), while remaining within the same family.
17) Charles de GomerBorn circa 1490–1514 (estimate) – living after 17‑07‑1571.Son of Christophe de Gomer and Isabeau Caignet; husband of Jeanne de La Tramerie. Father of Jeanne (de Gomer/du Castel). Noble continuity through fiefs and alliances.
18) Christophe de GomerCirca 1480 → circa 1540, French Flanders.Son of Charles de Gomer and Jacqueline de Dampierre; husband of Isabeau Caignet. Father of Charles; through his mother, Dampierre blood enters the de Gomer line.
19) Jacqueline de DampierreCirca 1415–1475 (estimate).Daughter of Huchon (Hugues) de Dampierre; wife of Charles de Gomer. Mother of Christophe; transmission of Dampierre blood to de Gomer.
20) Huchon (Hugues) de DampierreBorn circa 1403–1455 (estimate).Son of Pierre de Dampierre and Marie Daulle; father of Jacqueline. A central figure of the mid‑15th century; feudal ties and succession.
21) Pierre de Dampierre Circa 1390, Northern France.Son of Jean de Dampierre and Asseline Raoul; husband of Marie Daulle. Father of Huchon; classic noble transmission.
22) Jean de Dampierre Circa 1358, Northern France.Son of Wallérand de Dompierre and Henriette de Beaumetz; husband of Asseline Raoul. Father of Pierre; junction point Beaumetz → Dampierre.
23) Henriette de Beaumetz 1343 → circa 1400, Artois / Northern France.Daughter of Jehan de Beaumetz and Hélène de Coucy; wife of Wallérand de Dompierre. Mother of Jean de Dampierre; the Coucy/Châtillon line passes through her.
24) Hélène de CoucyCirca 1300–1334, Northern France.Daughter of Guillaume de Coucy and Isabeau de Châtillon; wife of Jehan de Beaumetz. Mother of Henriette; Coucy unites with Beaumetz.
25) Isabeau (Isabelle) de ChâtillonCirca 1295 → circa 1360, France.Wife of Guillaume de Coucy; mother of Hélène. The summit of high French nobility in your lineage.
26) Guillaume de Coucy 1286, Guînes (Pas‑de‑Calais, FR) → 1335.Son of Enguerrand V de Guînes and Christiana de Lindsay; husband of Isabeau de Châtillon. Father of Hélène; the Coucy–Châtillon union.
27) Christiana de Lindsay, Lady de CoucyCirca 1265, Lamberton (Berwickshire, Scotland) → 18‑12‑1333, Lamberton. Daughter of William de Lindsay, Lord of Lamberton, and Ada de Balliol; wife of Enguerrand V de Guînes. Mother of Guillaume de Coucy; Scottish–French connection.
28) Ada de Balliol (Baliol) 1245, Barnard Castle (Gainford, Durham, England) → after 20‑11‑1285. Daughter of John de Balliol, 5th Baron of Bywell, and Dervorgilla of Galloway; sister of John de Balliol, King of Scots; wife of William de Lindsay, Lord of Lamberton. Royal Anglo‑Scottish origin, transmitted through Lindsay → Coucy → Châtillon.
If this is true she was one off my many grandmothers!
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