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Herbert II (884 - February 23, 943), Count of Vermandois and Count of Troyes, was the son of Herbert I of Vermandois.

Life

He inherited the domain of his father and in 907, added to it the Saint de Soissons abbey. His marriage with Hildebrand of France (also known as Liégarde) brought him the County of Meaux. Because Adela, the name given to the queen, since his mother was so well known. So it has been presumed that he had one spouse with two different common names. But, Hildebrandt was the dau. of Robert I/V and Aelis; and, Lieutgarde was the dau. of Robert I/V and Beatrice.

In 918, he was also named Count of Mézerais and of the Véxin. With his cousin Bernard, Count of Beauvais and Senlis, he constituted a powerful group in the west of France, to the north and east of Paris. In 923, he imprisoned King Charles III in Château-Thierry, then in Péronne.

In 922, the Archbishop of Rheims, Seulf, called on Herbert II to reduce some of his vassals who were in rebellion against him. On the death of Seulf, in 925, with the help of King Rudolph, he acquired for his second son Hugh (then five years old) the archbishopric of Rheims, which had a large inheritance in France and Germany. In 926, on the death of Count Roger of Laon, Herbert demanded this County for Eudes, his eldest son. He settled there, initially against the will of King Rudolph and constructed a fortress there. Rudolph yielded to pressure to free king Charles III, whom Herbert still held in prison. In 930, Herbert took the castle of Vitry-en-Perthois at the expense of Boso, the brother of King Rudolph. Rudolph united his army with the army of Hugh, marquis of Neustria, and in 931, they entered Rheims and defeated Hugh, the son of Herbert. Artaud became the new archbishop of Reims. Herbert II then lost, in three years, Vitry, Laon, Château-Thierry, and Soissons. The intervention of his ally, Henry the Fowler, allowed him to restore his domains (except Rheims and Laon) in exchange for his submission to King Rudolph.

Later Herbert allied with Hugh the Great and William Longsword, duke of Normandy against King Louis IV, who allocated the County of Laon to Roger II, the son of Roger I, in 941. Herbert and Hugh the Great took back Rheims and captured Artaud. Hugh, the son of Herbert, was restored as archbishop. Again the mediation of the German King Otto I in Visé, near Liège, in 942 allowed for the normalization of the situation.

Death and legacy

Herbert II died on 23 February 943 without having succeeded in building the principality of which he dreamed. His succession was reconciled by Hugh the Great, maternal uncle of his children. It took place in 946 and led to an equitable distribution between the sons of Herbert II: Herbert "the Elder", Robert, Albert (Adalbert), and Hugh (his other son Eudes died before 946). As for his girls, Adela was married to Arnulf I, count of Flanders, Luitgarde (widow of William Longsword) was married to Theobald I, count of Blois, the first lieutenant of Hugh. She brought to Theobald Provins and domains in the Mézerais.

Family

With Hildebrand of France, daughter of Robert I of France, he had the following children:

Adele of Vermandois (910-960), married 934 Count Arnulf I of Flanders, also a descendant of Charlemagne
Eudes of Vermandois, Count of Amiens and of Vienne, (912-946)
Adalbert I, Count of Vermandois (915-987), married Gerberge of Lorraine, also a descendant of Charlemagne
Robert of Vermandois, Count of Meaux and Châlons (ca. 918-968)
Herbert "the Elder", Count of Meaux and of Troyes (ca. 920-993)
Luitgarde of Vermandois (ca. 920-978), married 943 Theobald I of Blois
Hugh of Vermandois (died 962), Archbishop of Reims

But, Hildebrandt was the dau. of Robert I/V and Aelis; and, Lieutgarde was the dau. of Robert I/V and Beatrice. Which children belong to which, is to be determined.

Herbert — Hildebranda of France. Hildebranda (daughter of Robert, I of France and Aelis) was born 895; died 931. [Group Sheet]

1. Heribert, Comte d'Omois III was born 927; died Between 980 and 984.
2. Hugues, Comte de Reims was born 920; died 962.
3. Adele of Vermandois was born Abt 910; died 960.
4. Adalbert, I Count of Vermandois was born Abt 916; died 09 Sep 988.
5. Eudes, Comte d'Amiens was born 915; died Aft 946.
6. Robert of Vermandois was born Abt 920; died Abt 968.
7. Luitgarda de Vermandois

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Herbert I of Vermandois (c. 848/850 - 907), Count of Vermandois, lord of Senlis, of Péronne and of Saint Quentin, was the son of Pepin of Vermandois.

Marriage and issue

Many secondary works call his wife Bertha de Morvois. The main basis of the claim is Historia Walciodorensis Monasterii, an account of the founder of Waulsort monastery, Ybert de Ribemont (Eilbertus, Elbertus), which includes a fabricated genealogy. They are commonly assigned the following children although, again, contemporary testimony is wanting:

Herbert II of Vermandois[5] (c. 880-943)
Béatrice of Vermandois (c. 880-931), married King Robert I of France.
Cunigunde of Vermandois (d. 943)
Adele of Vermandois

Herbert — Bertha de Morvois. [Group Sheet]

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Pepin (born c. 815) was the first count of Vermandois, lord of Senlis, Péronne, and Saint Quentin. He was the son of King Bernard of Italy and Cunigunda.

Pepin first appears in 834 as a count to the north of the Seine and then appears as same again in 840. In that year, he supported Lothair I against Louis the Pious.

Pepin's wife is unknown, but has been recorded as Rothaide de Bobbio. His heir inherited much Nibelungid territory and so historian K. F. Werner hypothesised a marriage to a daughter of Theodoric Nibelung.

Their children were:

Bernard (c. 844 - after 893), count of Laon
Gerberge (born c. 854)
Pepin (c. 846-893), count of Senlis and lord of Valois (877-893)
Herbert I of Vermandois[2] (c. 850-907)
Beatrix (born c. 854)
Mathilde (born c. 857)
Adelaide (born c. 858)
Cunigunda

Notes:

Bernard (797, Vermandois, Picardy - 17 April 818, Milan, Lombardy) was the King of the Lombards from 810 to 818. He plotted against his uncle, Emperor Louis the Pious, when the latter's Ordinatio Imperii made Bernard a vassal of his cousin Lothair. When his plot was discovered, Louis had him blinded, a procedure which killed him.

Life

Bernard was the illegitimate son of King Pepin of Italy, the second legitimate son of the Emperor Charlemagne. In 810, Pepin died from an illness contracted at a siege of Venice; although Bernard was illegitimate, Charlemagne allowed him to inherit Italy. Bernard married Cunigunda of Laon in 813. They had one son, Pepin, Count of Vermandois.

Prior to 817, Bernard was a trusted agent of his grandfather, and of his uncle. His rights in Italy were respected, and he was used as an intermediary to manage events in his sphere of influence - for example, when in 815 Louis the Pious received reports that some Roman nobles had conspired to murder Pope Leo III, and that he had responded by butchering the ringleaders, Bernard was sent to investigate the matter.

A change came in 817, when Louis the Pious drew up an Ordinatio Imperii, detailing the future of the Frankish Empire. Under this, the bulk of the Frankish territory went to Louis' eldest son, Lothair; Bernard received no further territory, and although his Kingship of Italy was confirmed, he would be a vassal of Lothair. This was, it was later alleged, the work of the Empress, Ermengarde, who wished Bernard to be displaced in favour of her own sons. Resenting Louis' actions, Bernard began plotting with a group of magnates: Eggideo, Reginhard, and Reginhar, the last being the grandson of a Thuringian rebel against Charlemagne, Hardrad. Anshelm, Bishop of Milan and Theodulf, Bishop of Orléans, were also accused of being involved: there is no evidence either to support or contradict this in the case of Theodulf, whilst the case for Anshelm is murkier.

Bernard's main complaint was the notion of his being a vassal of Lothair. In practical terms, his actual position had not been altered at all by the terms of the decree, and he could safely have continued to rule under such a system. Nonetheless, "partly true" reports came to Louis the Pious that his nephew was planning to set up an 'unlawful' - i.e. independent - regime in Italy.

Louis the Pious reacted swiftly to the plot, marching south to Chalon. Bernard and his associates were taken by surprise; Bernard travelled to Chalon in an attempt to negotiate terms, but he and the ringleaders were forced to surrender to him. Louis had them taken to Aix-la-Chapelle, where they were tried and condemned to death. Louis 'mercifully' commuted their sentences to blinding, which would neutralize Bernard as a threat without actually killing him; however, the process of blinding (carried out by means of pressing a red-hot stiletto to the eyeballs) proved so traumatic that Bernard died in agony two days after the procedure was carried out. At the same time, Louis also had his half-brothers Drogo, Hugh and Theoderic tonsured and confined to monasteries, to prevent other Carolingian off-shoots challenging the main line. He also treated those guilty or suspected of conspiring with Bernard treated harshly: Theodulf of Orleans was imprisoned, and died soon afterwards; the lay conspirators were blinded, the clerics deposed and imprisoned; all lost lands and honours.

Legacy

His Kingdom of Italy was reabsorbed into the Frankish empire, and soon after bestowed upon Louis' eldest son Lothair. In 822, Louis made a display of public penance at Attigny, where he confessed before all the court to having sinfully slain his nephew; he also welcomed his half-brothers back into his favour. These actions possibly stemmed from guilt over his part in Bernard's death. It has been argued by some historians that his behaviour left him open to clerical domination, and reduced his prestige and respect amongst the Frankish nobility. Others, however, point out that Bernard's plot had been a serious threat to the stability of the kingdom, and the reaction no less a threat; Louis' display of penance, then, "was a well-judged gesture to restore harmony and re-establish his authority."

Bernard married Kunigunda Cunegonde 813. [Group Sheet]