Gilbert of Mons

Gilbert of Mons, a cleric, was sole author of Chronicon Hanoniense. He was born between 1140 and 1150, more likely closer to the latter date.He was a chaplain by 1169, becoming court chaplain to Count Baldwin V of Hainaut in 1175, his second notary from 1180 to 1184, and first notary probably in 1184, when he composed a charter for the emperor's favour to the count of Hainaut concerning the march of Namur. He took the office of chancellor of Hainaut for the period 1178/80 to 1195 (the year of Baldwin V's death), and chancellor of Namur from 1192 to 1195. Gilbert himself does not hesitate to inform the reader of his own accomplishments and status within the court of Hainaut. He tells us of his ecclesiastical benefices, many of which were bestowed on him through the favour of Baldwin V: specifically, he was provost of Saint-Germain in Mons (1188– 1224), provost (1190–1223) and guardian (1192–5) of Saint-Aubain in Namur, guardian and vice-provost of Sainte-Waudru in Mons (1190/5), guardian of Saint-Pierre-au-Château in Namur (before 1195–8), secular abbot of Notre-Dame in Namur (1198), provost of Saint-Quentin in Mauberge (1204), provost of Sainte-Waudru (1212), and held prebends at the churches of Soignies and Condé. He even goes so far as to call himself the ‘protégé’ of Count Baldwin V.

We have no information about Gilbert's family background. There is a tantalising bit of evidence in his chronicle which invites speculation of noble lineage. When attending Count Baldwin V at an Imperial court, he acted as a judge along with a number of named nobles. It is significant that Gilbert identifies himself only as provost of Mons in this list, suggesting that his position as judge did not result from his capacity as chancellor. As it seems rather odd that a mere provost is included as a judge along with a number of distinguished nobles, his inclusion implies that he himself may have been considered a member of the nobility. As it was common for natural sons of noblemen to be placed in the Church, it is possible that Gilbert was an illegitimate child of noble blood. If this were the case, it is likely that he descends from only minor nobility as he fails to make any boast of his family.