Joscelin of Louvain
Flemish noble
About Joscelin of Louvain
Lived 1121 – 1180 (aged 58–59).
Joscelin of Louvain, also spelled Jocelin de Louvain and Jocelyn of Leuven, (1121/36–1180) was a nobleman from the Duchy of Brabant who settled in England after his half-sister Adeliza of Louvain married King Henry I. There Joscelin married an English heiress, and through his son, the House of Percy—as the Earls and later the Dukes of Northumberland—became the most powerful family in Northern England.
Origins He was a son of Godfrey I, Count of Louvain by an unnamed mistress
Petworth
Joscelin was granted the manor of Petworth, in Sussex, by his half-sister Adeliza of Louvain, the widow of King Henry I of England. His descendants were seated at Petworth House for many centuries.
Though they originally intended Petworth to be their southern home, the Earls of Northumberland were confined to Sussex by Elizabeth I in the late 16th century, when she grew suspicious of Percy allegiance to her rival, Mary, Queen of Scots. Petworth then became their permanent home. and Alice de Clare, descendant of Richard I of Normandy.
Upon his marriage, he adopted the Percy surname. By his wife he had at least seven children:
Henry de Percy (d.1190/98), eldest son, who predeceased his mother and married Isabel de Brus, daughter of Adam II de Brus (d.1196), grandson of Robert de Brus, 1st Lord of Annandale. He was survived by a son William III de Percy (1197–1245), who inherited from his uncle Richard de Percy (d.1244) his grandmother's moiety of the barony of Topcliffe. His descendants were later created Earls of Northumberland. Richard de Percy (d.1244), younger son, who inherited from his mother her moiety of the barony of Topcliffe. He himself died without issue when his heir was his brother's son William III de Percy (1197–1245), who thus regained the whole of the Percy barony of Topcliffe, having inherited the other moiety from his great-aunt Maud de Percy (d.1204), sister of Agnes. He was a Magna Carta surety. Joscelin Radulph, went to France Eleanor married William Pantulf Maud (Matilda) (born c. 1164) married John D’Eiville Lucy Nun at Stixwould.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Joscelin of Louvain's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Joscelin of Louvain's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Joscelin of Louvain?
Flemish noble
When was Joscelin of Louvain born?
Joscelin of Louvain was born in 1121 in Leuven.
When did Joscelin of Louvain die?
Joscelin of Louvain died in 1180 in Petworth.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Joscelin of Louvain
· DBpedia: Joscelin of Louvain
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Joscelin of Louvain. https://biography.guide/joscelin-of-louvain/
MLA: "Joscelin of Louvain." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/joscelin-of-louvain/.
Chicago: "Joscelin of Louvain." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/joscelin-of-louvain/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:24 UTC