The city of Guines lies in northern France, seven miles south of the port-city Calais, on the Strait of Dover. Guines' origin is uncertain, but during the germanic invasions, Guines was under control of Burgundy, Flanders, and the Franks. In 915 a Norman pirate, Siegfried Herr von Guines, took control of the areas surrounding the city. He turned those lands into Guines County, ruling from the city of Guines as the first Count of Guines. In 928, to defend against attackers, Siegfried built Guines Castle (château d'Guines). The stronghold was surrounded by a motte, which was inturn surrounded by huge hedges, followed by a double ditch. Siegfried and his successors made Guines a military power of considerable importance and strategic importance to the defense of Calais.
In 1097, after four successors of Siegfried (Ardolf, Rudolf, Eustrache, and Baudouin I), Manasses became Count of Guines. Manasses created the abbey of the order of Holy Benoit, placed under the patronage of St. Leonard. The county of Guines also contained six other churches: St. Bertin, St. Rock, St. Medard, St. Leonard, St. Blase, and St. Quentin.
In about 1130 Manasses' granddauhter, Beatrice, married Aubrey de Vere. In 1139, when Manasses died, Aubrey swore loyalty to the Count of Flanders and became the Count of Guines. Soon after he became Count, King Stephen of England granted Aubrey the seaport of Fokestone in southeastern England. Now Aubrey owned over 1200 acres of land in France, England, and other Counties. Then, in 1141, Aubrey succeeded his father as Chamberlain of England. Four years later Aubrey divorced his wife "because Beatrice was suffering of gravel and was afraid to perform her wifely duties." Aubrey went to England, never returning to Guines and Beatrice became the Countess of Guines, later succeeded by Arnoul I.
In 1169 Baudouin II became Count of Guines. To secure defense of the city, he enlarged an old castle of Siegfried and enclosed the city of Guines in a rock wall. Despite his efforts, Guines suffered terribly from wars with Philip II of France and the Count of Flanders, as well as invasions from the Count of Boulogne. In 1214 Arnoul II, Baudouin's successor, became vassal to Philip II of France when he was defeated at the Battle of Bouvines. Arnoul II was succeeded by Baudouin III who, in 1244, was succeeded by Arnoul III. On July 12, 1253 Arnoul III was taken prisoner by Louis IX of France at the battle of Walkeren. He was succeeded by Baudouin IV, who in 1285 was forced to sell Guines to Philip III of France.
In 1293 Baudouin IV was succeeded by Raoul Brienne, son of John Brienne and Jeanne de Guines, grandaughter of Arnoul III. In 1349, during the Hundred Years' War, Raoul Brienne was captured by the English. During that year he was freed from English captivity in exchange for Guines county. This ended the rule of French Counts in Guines and began English rule. In 1351 Guines Castle was delivered by treason to the the English. Nine years later, with the treaty of Abondonna Bretigny, Guines castle, city, and county officially became English domains.
In June 7, 1520 on the Field of the Cloth of Gold in Guines, a magnificently staged meeting of Francis I of France and Henry VIII of England occured. It was decided that Henry VIII would build the Crystal Palace. It was a palace filled with luxurious apartments and tapistries of green and white, colors of the Tudor family. The palace was visited by lords from all over Europe and was always filled with artists, jokers, and musicians. Besides this, nothing of real significance was discussed. At the end, it was decided that neither king should have more extravagence in their departure than the other. So, each king had their own artillary sound the departure of the other king.
In 1558, during a war between England and France, Mary I of England lost the possession of Calais, along with Guines. Calais and Guines were the last of the French lands taken by England in the Hundred Years' War. This ended English rule in Guines and France regained its territory that it gave up two-hundred years earlier. Under French rule, the county of Guines was disbanded and the city became part of the region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, where it has remained to this day. Guines is today valuable in the production of wool, cloth, lace, and embroideries.
