Pons, Count of Toulouse

Who was Pons, Count of Toulouse?

Pons William was the Count of Toulouse from 1037. He was the eldest son and successor of William III Taillefer and Emma of Provence. He thus inherited the title marchio Provincæ. He is known to have owned many allods and he relied on Roman, Salic, and Gothic law.

Already in 1030, he possessed a lot of power in the Albigeois. In 1037, he gave many allodial churches and castles, including one half of that of Porta Spina, in the Albigeois, Nimois, and Provence as a bridal gift to his wife Majore.

In 1038, he split the purchase of the Diocese of Albi with the Trencavel family. In 1040, he donated property in Diens to Cluny. In 1047, he first appears as count palatine in a charter donating Moissac to Cluny.

Pons married first wife, Majore, in 1022. She died in 1044. In 1045, he married, Almodis de La Marche, former wife of Hugh V of Lusignan, but he too repudiated her in 1053. His only child by Majore, Pons the Younger, did not inherit his county and march. His eldest sons by Almodis, William IV and Raymond IV, originally just count of Saint-Gilles, succeeded him in turn. His son Hugh became abbot of Saint-Gilles. He had one daughter, Almodis, who married the Count of Melgueil.