Maison Deman

From the Plantagenets to the villages of Brabant

From Eleanor of Aquitaine to Paula Wauthy

Almost eight centuries of family history, followed by descendants who still bear the names Lebon, Deman, Tagliafero and related names today.

Aquitaine · EnglandNamur · Hainaut · BrabantArticle dated 11 August 2026 · updated 2 September 2026
HHistorical people and events attested ARoute transmitted by the family tree ORecords still to be gathered FRecent family memory

The documentary behind this article

Aliénor d’Aquitaine, une rebelle au Moyen Âge

A French-language episode of Secrets d’Histoire about the Duchess of Aquitaine who became Queen of France and then of England.

Watch directly on YouTube

The video tells the story of a woman whose life seems to belong entirely to history books. Yet for Johnny Deman’s family, Eleanor of Aquitaine is not merely a distant queen: she appears in the ancestry transmitted by the family tree, on the maternal branch leading to Paula Wauthy and then to her children and descendants.

A woman at the heart of medieval Europe

Born around 1122 and deceased in 1204, Eleanor of Aquitaine inherited a vast duchy at a very young age. Her first marriage to Louis VII made her Queen of France. After that marriage was annulled, she married Henry Plantagenet, the future Henry II of England. She became Queen of England and mother of a powerful group of siblings, including Richard the Lionheart, John Lackland and Eleanor Plantagenet.

The documentary presents the politician, mother, prisoner and sovereign. The family tree extends that portrait with another question: how did a descendant of the Plantagenet house, over the centuries, join the families of Namur, De La Hamaide, Jacquet and Wauthy?

The route retained in the family tree

Here is a line of descent reproduced from the working family tree. In its medieval section, it relies on transmitted aristocratic genealogies and compilations preserved in the project. This does not mean that an original record for every generation is already held in the family file.

  1. Eleanor of Aquitaine c. 1122–1204
  2. Eleanor Plantagenet of England 1162–1214 · Queen of Castile
  3. Blanche of Castile 1188–1252 · Queen of France
  4. Robert I of Artois 1216–1250
  5. Robert II of Artois 1250–1302
  6. Philip of Artois 1269–1298
  7. Marie of Artois c. 1291–1364 · Countess of Namur
  8. William I of Namur 1324–1391 · known as the Rich
  9. John III of Namur died in 1429
  10. Jean de Namur, known as de Trivières natural son · died between 1502 and 1508
  11. Antoine de Namur Lord of Trivières
  12. Philippe de Namur knight and Lord of Trivières
  13. Marie II de Namur 1523–1603 · wife of Jacques/Jean II de La Hamaide
  14. Charles de La Hamaide c. 1543–1596
  1. Marie de Becquevort born in 1615 · wife of Jean Jacquet
  2. Marie Jacquet 1633–1702
  3. Armand Wauthi 1658–1694 · recorded as a definite son of Marie Jacquet in the family tree
  4. François Wauthiez, also known as Wathy 1692–1779
  5. François Joseph Wauthy 1730–1814
  6. Nicolas Joseph Wauthiez 1762–1820
  7. Armand Joseph Wauthy 1805–1885
  8. Hubert Joseph Wauthy 1844–1902
  9. Amand Joseph Wauthy 1887–1955
  10. Paula Wauthy 1919–2008

A name with changing spellings

In old documents, the surname appears in several forms: Wauthy, Wauthiez, Wauthi, Wathy, Wauty, Wautier and Waultier. Before spelling became fixed through civil administration, priests, notaries and registrars often wrote a name as they heard it. Places, dates, spouses and records must nevertheless be compared before concluding that these spellings refer to the same lineage.

Paula Wauthy, the bridge to the living family

Paula was born in Wagnelée on 31 January 1919 and died in Brye on 27 January 2008. After her husband Joseph Lebon died, she raised their six children alone.

From Paula onwards, the story gradually leaves medieval compilations and reaches the family’s direct memory. On 29 August 2026, Johnny confirmed that Arlette and Jean Tagliafero did have three children: Christine, Jean-Pierre and Patricia, correcting what he had said the previous day. No overall number of descendants is published here, since additions from online trees still need to be checked with the family.

Annie Lebon and Jean-Marie Deman

  • Their children are Carole, Johnny and Sandrine Deman.
  • Carole and Frédéric Carpeau have two children: Jonathan and Pauline Carpeau.
  • Carole and Christophe Miller have a daughter: Chloé Carpeau-Miller.
  • Carolane Carpeau bears the surname passed on by Frédéric Carpeau, but her biological father is Mario.
  • Jonathan Carpeau and Laurence Demoen are the parents of Ashley, Manon, Johanna and Nathan Carpeau.
  • Pauline Carpeau and Olivier Minne are the parents of Louis Minne, Charles Minne and Rachel Carpeau.
  • Sandrine Deman and Alain Hendrickx are the parents of Alan Hendrickx.

Arlette Lebon

Family confirmation dated 29 August 2026; records still to be referenced.

  • With her first husband Jean Tagliafero, Arlette had Christine, Jean-Pierre and Patricia Tagliafero.
  • Her second husband is Jean Swinnen.

Christian Lebon

Addition from David Lebon’s tree, to be confirmed with the family.

  • With Liliane Tutenel: Josée, David, Christophe, Michael and Nicholas Lebon.
  • With Murielle Delgrange: Mike Lebon.
  • Josée and Kris van Osselaer: Nicky van Osselaer.
  • Josée and Ronny Oprins: Stephanie Oprins.
  • David and Leentje Wijmeersch: Noah, Manon and Marie Josee Tom Lebon.
  • Christophe and Jasmijn Cockx: Fleur and Nathan Lebon.

Daniel Lebon

Family confirmation dated 2 September 2026; records still to be referenced.

  • Daniel Lebon is deceased, but the date remains to be established. He and Rita van Hal have five children: Pascal, Patrick, Daniël — known as Dany —, Frédéric and Dimitri Lebon.

André Lebon

Family confirmation dated 2 September 2026; records still to be referenced.

  • With Yvonne Léonard: Martine and Michel Lebon.
  • Martine and Pascal Verduyckt have two sons: Cédric and Gregory Verduyckt. The earlier presentation of Cédric as Martine’s partner was a generation error.
  • According to the same tree, Michel and Natalina are the parents of Lorenzo, Luca and Lara Lebon.

Martine Lebon

Paula’s daughter with this first name was born and died in 1955. No descendants are attributed to her. She must not be confused with Martine Lebon, daughter of André and Yvonne Léonard.

What this route truly tells us

Almost eight centuries separate Eleanor and Paula. The setting changes completely: the palaces of Aquitaine and royal courts, the County of Namur, lordships in Hainaut, the villages of Brabant, parish registers, coal mines and daily life in Wagnelée and Brye.

Genealogy is not a collection of titles. What links these worlds is a succession of women and men who passed on life, often without leaving a grand story behind them. Eleanor belongs to the history books; Paula belongs to living memory. One is filmed in castles and abbeys, while the other remains in photographs and in her children’s memories. Both have their place in the same family story, provided that every link is told honestly.

Sources and level of evidence

  • Secrets d’Histoire — Aliénor d’Aquitaine, une rebelle au Moyen Âge.
  • The family Geneanet tree ‘ancestors of Johnny DEMAN, Carole DEMAN and Sandrine DEMAN’, an export of which is preserved in the project.
  • David Lebon’s Geneanet tree, used as a supplementary compilation for contemporary branches not detailed in Johnny’s tree.
  • Master file — History of the Deman, Lebon and Wauthy families, Johnny Deman’s working document.
  • Historical working compilations on the Namur, De La Hamaide and De Becquevort branches, to be gradually compared with original records.
  • Family memory concerning Paula Wauthy and her contemporary descendants.