The City – Rebellion Page: 1 / 194 René Jean-Paul Dewil The City of Ghent 1316-1337 Ghent in the fourteenth century Rebellion © René Dewil Number of words: 120480 March 2013 – July 2013 The City – Rebellion Page: 2 / 194 Copyright Clause Copyright © René Jean-Paul Dewil 2014 René Jean-Paul Dewil is identified as the sole author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be altered without the written permission of the author. The book may be copied in electronic or other forms for personal use only. It may not be printed, introduced in any retrieval system, electronic or otherwise, photocopied or otherwise recorded without the prior written permission of the author. The only system where the e-book may be retrieved from is the Internet website www.theartofpainting.be, which holds the only and original text acknowledged by the author. This publication remains under copyright. ‘The City - Rebellion’ is a work of fiction. Except for the names of the van Artevelde family, the names of the kings, popes, dukes and counts, the other names used and the characters of the novel are only the result of the imagination of the author. Any resemblance to persons existing or dead is purely coincidental. © René Dewil Number of words: 120480 March 2013 – July 2013 The City – Rebellion Page: 3 / 194 Table of Contents Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... 3 The Characters ............................................................................................................................ 5 Chapter 1. Zele. 1316 ............................................................................................................... 10 Juris Vresele ......................................................................................................................... 10 Flanders’ Struggle for Existence .......................................................................................... 15 Saint Liudger’s Abbey ......................................................................................................... 23 The Castelet .......................................................................................................................... 34 The wool economy of Ghent ................................................................................................ 52 Chapter 2. Violence and Love. From 1317 to 1328 ................................................................. 59 A wedding ............................................................................................................................ 59 The Counts of Flanders ........................................................................................................ 63 The Swan .............................................................................................................................. 68 Armistice .............................................................................................................................. 76 The Children of de Hert ....................................................................................................... 88 Near Axel ........................................................................................................................... 101 Tax Collection .................................................................................................................... 108 The Rebellion resumes ....................................................................................................... 109 Chapter 3. Cassel. 1328 .......................................................................................................... 113 The third Generation .......................................................................................................... 113 The Armies gather .............................................................................................................. 118 On the Road to Cassel ........................................................................................................ 119 The Fathers of Ghent .......................................................................................................... 124 The Battle ........................................................................................................................... 132 Chapter 4. Diplomacy. From end 1328 to 1337 ..................................................................... 159 After Cassel ........................................................................................................................ 159 King Philip and King Edward ............................................................................................ 162 Flanders’ neighbouring counties ........................................................................................ 164 A Weavers’ Revolt ............................................................................................................. 166 © René Dewil Number of words: 120480 March 2013 – July 2013 The City – Rebellion Page: 4 / 194 Childbirth ........................................................................................................................... 169 A Monk’s Tale ................................................................................................................... 172 A Proposal .......................................................................................................................... 178 The Failing Diplomacy ....................................................................................................... 183 James van Artevelde ........................................................................................................... 188 Author’s Notes ....................................................................................................................... 191 © René Dewil Number of words: 120480 March 2013 – July 2013 The City – Rebellion Page: 5 / 194 The Characters The Vresele family Juris Vresele (1260-1325) Mergriet Mutaert (1265-1340): wife of Juris Vresele. Gerolf Vresele (1285-1349): son of Juris, monk. Gillis Vresele (1293-1360): son of Juris. Avezoete Wulslager (1295-1349): wife of Gillis Vresele. Agneete Vresele (1300-1335): daughter of Juris, married 1320 to James van Artevelde. Heinric Vresele (1325-1390): son of Gillis, clerk. Marie Vresele (1312-1388): daughter of Gillis, married in 1332 to John de Smet. Evrard Vresele (1320-1387): son of Gillis, monk. Boudin Vresele (1316-1395): son of Gillis Vresele, trader Jehan Terhagen (1319-1390): adopted son of Gillis Vresele The de Smet family Wouter de Smet (1280-1348): smith. Lijsbetten Mutaert (1283-1349): wife of Wouter de Smet, cousin of Mergriet Mutaert. Veerle de Smet (1308-1349): daughter of Wouter, married in 1329 to William van Lake. John de Smet (1310-1395): goldsmith, son of Wouter, married to Marie Vresele in 1330. Heyla de Smet (1330-1385): daughter of John de Smet Wouter de Smet the Younger (1335-1382): son of John de Smet, goldsmith. Amelberga van Dorme (1336-1390): wife of Wouter de Smet the Younger, married 1357. The van Lake Family Raes van Lake the Elder (1280-1349): weaver Zwane Bentijn (1285-1349): wife of Raes van Lake the Elder, married 1304. Raes van Lake the Younger (1310-1349): son of Raes the Elder. Mechtild van Lens (1311-1349): wife of Raes van Lake the Younger, married 1330. William van Lake (1311-1370): weaver, draper, son of Raes the Elder. Veerle de Smet (1308-1349): wife of William van Lake, married in 1329. Alise van Lake (1331-1385): daughter of William, married 1350 to Clais de Hert. Avezoete van Lake (1332-1390): daughter of Raes the Younger, draper, married 1351 to Martin Denout. Boudin van Lake (1340-1382): weaver, son of Raes the Younger Agte Homberg (1344-1390): wife of Boudin van Lake, married 1362. © René Dewil Number of words: 120480 March 2013 – July 2013 The City – Rebellion Page: 6 / 194 The Denout family John Denout (1283-1349): fuller. Selie Scivaels (1284-1349): wife of John Denout. Pieter Denout (1303-1365): fuller, son of John. Kerstin de Hert (1309-1370): wife of Pieter Denout, married 1331. Martin Denout (1330-1382): fuller, son of Pieter, married to Avezoete van Lake 1351. Wivine Denout (1331-1391): daughter of Pieter Denout, twin of Quintine. Quintine Denout (1331-1370): daughter of Pieter Denout, twin of Wivine. The de Hert family Arnout de Hert (1279-1349): shipper Marie Scivaels (1280-1352): wife of Arnout de Hert, sister of Selie Scivaels John de Hert (1297-1361): shipper, son of Arnout de Hert Beatrise van Vaernewijc (1300-1366): wife of John de Hert, married 1325 Nete de Hert (1298-1370): daughter of Arnout de Hert Kerstin de Hert (1309-1370): daughter of Arnout de Hert, married 1331 to Pieter Denout Clais de Hert (1332-1382): son of John de Hert, married to Alise van Lake The van Artevelde family in this book William van Artevelde the Elder: broker of Ghent William van Artevelde the Younger: son of William the Elder, Water-Count of Flanders Francis van Artevelde : son of William the Elder, Castellan of Beveren James van Artevelde (1295-1345): son of William the Elder, captain of Ghent first marriage to ? (Agneete Vresele) second marriage to Catherine de Coster Catherine de Coster (1314-1388): second wife of James (Agneete Vresele) (1300-1335): first wife of James van Artevelde © René Dewil Number of words: 120480 March 2013 – July 2013 The City – Rebellion Page: 7 / 194 The feudal Lords Note: the dates