Vilain and Vilain XIIII (pronounced Vilain-Quatorze , sometimes written with the more standard Roman numerals Vilain XIV) is a Belgian noble family. Their coat of arms is basically "Sable, on a chief argent a label of the field" (), a colour scheme that is present from the earliest Vilains in the 15th century, and is also seen in the Vilain XIIII arms, which have the "XIIII" added to it.
They were descendants of the important medieval family of Vilain in Ghent; the name "Vilain XIIII" probably comes from the coat of arms of Philippe de Liedekercke, chamberlain of emperor Charles V, who had 16 quarters in his coat, the fourteenth (bottom row, second from the left) of which was the coat of Vilain.
The three main branches of the family were the Princes of Issenghien (the De Gand, dite Vilain branch), the Counts of Aalst (the Vilain XIIII branch), and the Counts of Guines (originally also De Gand dite Vilain, later Vander Steene).
One branch lived at the Chateau of Leut (or Leuth) from 1822 until 1922, when the last of 7 daughters of Vicomte Charles Vilain XIIII died. The oldest mentions of "Villain XIIII" date back to the 16th century, but its origin is unknown. Politically, they were usually part of either the Catholic parties, or the Liberal parties. The first known generations were politicians (often bailiff or mayor) in Geraardsbergen and Aalst; the family also owned the county of Wetteren until 1796, and the city coat of arms still bears the XIIII of the family.
Origin of name
The family name is pronounced vilain quatorze, and written 'XIIII' and not, in the conventional style, 'XIV'. There are various theories as to why this is (according to Frans van Kalken). The intention was probably to distinguish two branches of the family – according to Piet Lenders, between a younger and an older branch of the Vilains. Van Kalken says that the 'XIIII' goes back to a certain Josse Vilain, a bastard son of Philippe Vilain, when his natural father gave him 14 acres of land. The suffix thus distinguished the illegitimate from the legitimate branch of the family.
Origins of family
Old sources claim an origin for the family going back to the time of Emperor Otto I. Whether there is any basis for this or whether this is a mystification is unclear. The origin and tree given there are as follows (always from father to son): Wichmannus, brother of Herimannus, both of the house of Saxe; Wichmann was created Count of Ghent in 949 by Otto I; he married Luitgarde, daughter of Arnulf I, Count of Flanders (she is said to have married Wichmann IV, count of Hamaland, so probably some confusion already exists here) Theodoric (ca 977), count of Ghent, married Hildegarde, daughter of Dirk III, Count of Holland Arnulf, Count of Ghent, married Lietgarde of Cleves Adelbert of Ghent, first of the Counts of Aalst Theodoric, Count of Ghent, circa 1018; married the daughter of the Count of Luzignan Lambert I, died 1053-1054; he is no longer listed as Count of Ghent but as Castellan of Ghent, as are his descendants Folcardus (died 1073), married Landrade, daughter of Balderic, Count of Leuven Lambert II, died 1088 Wennemar, Lord of Bornem, died 1138; married Gillette de Guines, daughter of Count Baldwin Arnold, Count of Guines (inherited the title via his mother) Siger of Ghent and Guines, Lord of Bornem Siger II the Good, Lord of Bornem, Sint-Jans-Steene and Houdain; regent of Flanders (together with Jean de Neele) ca. 1210, during the reign of Joan, Countess of Flanders; died ca. 1227; married Lady Beatrix of Houdain