Notes:

Odo II (French: Eudes le Champenois) (983 - 15 November 1037), Count of Blois, Chartres, Châteaudun, Beauvais and Tours from 1004 and Count of Troyes (as Odo IV) and Meaux (as Odo I) from 1022,

Life

Odo II was the son of Odo I of Blois and Bertha of Burgundy. He was the first to unite Blois and Champagne under one authority although his career was spent in endless feudal warfare with his neighbors and suzerains, many of whose territories he tried to annex.

About 1003/4 he married Matilda, a daughter of Richard I of Normandy. After her death in 1005, and as she had no children, Richard II of Normandy demanded a return of her dowry: half the county of Dreux. Odo refused and the two warred over the matter. Finally, King Robert II, who had married Odo's mother, imposed his arbitration on the contestants in 1007, leaving Odo in possession of the castle Dreux while Richard II kept the remainder of the lands. Odo quickly married a second wife, Ermengarde, daughter of Robert I of Auvergne.

Defeated by Fulk 'Nerra,' Count of Anjou and Herbert I of Maine at the Battle of Pontlevoy in July 1016, he quickly tried to overrun the Touraine. After the death of his cousin Stephen I in 1119/20, without heirs he seized Troyes, Meaux and all of Champagne for himself without royal approval. From there he attacked Ebles, the archbishop of Reims, and Theodoric I, the duke of Lorraine. Due to an alliance between the king and the Emperor Henry II he was forced to relinquish the county of Rheims to the archbishop.

He was offered the crown of Italy by the Lombard barons, but the offer was quickly retracted in order not to upset relations with the king of France. In 1032, he invaded the Kingdom of Burgundy on the death of Rudolph III. He retreated in the face of a coalition of the Emperor Conrad II and the new king of France, Henry I. He died in combat near Bar-le-Duc during another attack on Lorraine.

Issue

By his second wife, Ermengarde of Auvergne, he had three children:

Theobald III, who inherited the county of Blois and most of his other possessions.
Stephen II, who inherited the counties of Meaux and Troyes in Champagne.
Bertha, who married first Alan III, Duke of Brittany, and second Hugh IV, Count of Maine

Odo — Ermengarde of Auvergne. [Group Sheet]

1. Theobald, III Count of Blois was born 1012; died 1089.

Notes:

Odo I (also spelled Eudes) (c. 950 - 12 March 996), Count of Blois, Chartres, Reims, Provins, Châteaudun, and Omois, was the son of Theobald I of Blois and Luitgard, daughter of Herbert II of Vermandois. He received the title of count palatine, which was traditional in his family, from King Lothair.

Like his relations, the counts of Vermandois, he remained faithful to the Carolingians against the Capetians. Following the war between his father and Odalric, Archbishop of Reims, over the castle of Coucy, he received the castle to hold it from the archbishop.

In the 970s, in the wars for control of Brittany, he subjugated the county of Rennes, Duke Conan I affirmed the rights of his family in the region. Around 977, his father died and he succeeded in his counties.

In 988, he assisted Charles of Lorraine in taking Laon. In 991, he abandoned the Lorrainers at Dreux and besieged Melun, belonging to Bouchard the Venerable, a vassal of Hugh Capet. Hugh, with Richard I of Normandy and Fulk Nerra, assembled against him and he had to lift his siege.

Near 995, he enterred into a war against Fulk, who was already at war with Conan of Brittany. Odo allied with his brother-in-law William IV of Aquitaine and Baldwin IV of Flanders. Even his old enemy, Richard of Normandy joined in the war on Fulk. In the winter of 995 - 996, they besieged Langeais, however Odo became ill and was taken to the monastery of Marmoutier at Tours where he died 12 March 996.

Family

He married (c. 983) Bertha of Burgundy, daughter of King Conrad of Burgundy and Matilda of France. Their children were:

Robert (died between 980 and 996)
Theobald II (c. 985-1004)
Odo II (c. 990-1037)
Thierry (died 996)
Agnes, married Viscount Guy of Thouars
Roger

Odo married Bertha of Burgundy Abt 983. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Bertha of Burgundy (952, 964 or 967 - 1010, 16 January 1016, or 1035) was the daughter of Conrad the Peaceful, King of Burgundy and his wife Matilda, daughter of Louis IV, King of France and Gerberga of Saxony. She was named for her father's mother, Bertha of Swabia.

She first married Odo I, Count of Blois in about 983. They had several children, including Odo II.

After the death of her husband in 996, Bertha's cousin Robert, co-King of France wished to marry her, in place of his repudiated first wife Rozala, who was many years his senior. The union was opposed by Robert's father, Hugh Capet, due to the close relation of husband and wife. However, the marriage went ahead after Hugh's death in October 996, which left Robert as sole king.

The closeness of Robert and Bertha by blood was such that Church authorities considered the marriage illegal. Accordingly, Pope Gregory V declared the pair excommunicate. This, and the lack of children (save one, who lived and died in 999), caused Robert to agree with Pope Silvester II to have the marriage annulled in 1000.

Robert went on to marry Constance of Arles. Bertha remained unmarried.

Notes:

Theobald I (913-978), called the Trickster (le Tricheur meaning cheater), was the first count of Blois, Chartres, and Châteaudun as well as count of Tours.

Life

Theobald I was the son of Theobald le Vieux of Blois, who from 908 on was viscomte of Tours. His wife, and the mother of Theobald was Richildis, a great-granddaughter of Rorgon I, Count of Maine. Theobald I was initially a vassal of Hugh the Great, Duke of France. Around 945, Louis IV was captured by Northmen and given over to Hugh the Great, who placed the king in Theobald's custody. After about a year in his vassal's custody king Louis negotiated his freedom by offering Hugh the city of Laon which Hugh then gave to Theobald. Theobald was the count of Tours from 942, was also count of Blois and in 960 count of Châteaudun and Chartres.

Theobald's sister had married Alan II of Nantes giving Theobald influence all the way to Rennes. However the death of Alan II left a void in Brittany and left it vulnerable to encroachment by either the Normans or the Angevins. Theobald made an alliance with Fulk II of Anjou which gave him control of Saumur a strategic citadel located between the Loire and Thouet rivers guarding the Angevin march. This included control of the monastery of Saint-Florent inside the walls of Saumur. In turn the recently widowed Fulk married Theobald's sister, the widow of Alan II of Nantes.

In 960, he began opposing Richard I of Normandy and entered into a long war with the Normans. In 961, he attacked Évreux. The Normans responded by attacking Dunois. In 962, he launched an assault on Rouen which failed. The Normans burned Chartres in response. He took control of the fortresses of Saint-Aignan in the Loir-et-Cher, Vierzon, and Anguillon in Berry. During the minority of Hugh Capet, he reinforced Chartres and Châteaudun. By his death, he had built a vast power on the Loire, dominating central France.

About 943-44, he married Luitgarde of Vermandois, widow of William I of Normandy. She was the daughter of Herbert II, Count of Vermandois and Hildebrand of France, daughter of king Robert I of France. Her half-brother was Hugh the Great Duke of France.

Family

He and his wife Luitgarde of Vermandois had four children:

Theobald (d. 962).
Hugh, Archbishop of Bourges (d. 985).
Odo (d. 995).
Emma (d. aft. 1003), married William IV of Aquitaine.

Theobald married Luitgarda de Vermandois Abt 943. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Luitgarda de Vermandois is the daughter of Heribert II, Comte de Vermandois and Liégarde de France. She married Guillaume I 'Longsword', 2nd Duc de Normandie, son of Rollo Ragnvaldsson, 1st Duc de Normandie and Poppa of Normandy de Valois, in 935. She married, secondly, Thibaud I, Comte de Blois in 943.

Other Events:

• Death: 19 Oct 993
• Name:

Notes:

He was the son of Rudolph II, Roi de Jurane Bourgogne. He married, secondly, Adelaide of Bellay. He married, firstly, Mathilde de France, daughter of Louis IV d'Outre-Mer, Roi de France and Gerberge von Sachsen, in 964.

Conrad, Roi de Jurane Bourgogne also went by the nick-name of Conrad 'the Pacific'. He gained the title of Roi Conrad de Jurane Bourgogne in 937.

Conrad the Peaceful (c. 925 - 19 October 993) was the king of Burgundy from 937 until his death. He was the son of King Rudolph II, the first king of a united Burgundy and Bertha of Swabia. Conrad is sometimes numbered Conrad I as king of Burgundy and as Conrad III of Provence, since he inherited Provence in 948.

His reign was peaceful (hence his byname) and he was popular with his subjects. The only war in which he got involved was a simultaneous invasion of Saracens and Magyars in which he played them off against each other. He then routed them in combat.

He married Matilda, daughter of Louis IV of France and Gerberga of Saxony. They had at least four children:

Bertha (967 - 16 January 1016), married Odo I, Count of Blois, and then Robert II of France
Matilda (born 969), possibly married Robert, Count of Geneva
Rudolph (971 - 6 September 1032)
Gerberga (born 965), married Herman II, Duke of Swabia

He was secondly married to Adelaide of Bellay. They were parents to at least one daughter:

Gisela (975 - 21 July 1006), married Henry II, Duke of Bavaria

Conrad married Matilda of France 964. Matilda (daughter of Louis, IV of France and Gerberga of Saxony) was born 943; died 27 Jan 991/92. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name:

Notes:

She was the daughter of Louis IV d'Outre-Mer, Roi de France and Gerberge von Sachsen.1 She married Conrad, Roi de Jurane Bourgogne, son of Rudolph II, Roi de Jurane Bourgogne, in 964.1

She was a wife of the King Conrad. A Carolingian, she was born to King Louis IV of France and his wife, Gerberga of Saxony.

Matilda married Conrad of Burgundy in 964. As her dowry, the young Queen brought her husband the city of Vienne, which her brother Lothar had ceded her.

Her children were:

Bertha of Burgundy (967 - 16 January 1016), married Robert II of France
Matilda of Burgundy (born 969), possibly married Robert, Count of Geneva
Rudolph III of Burgundy (971 - 6 September 1032)
Gerberga of Burgundy (born 965)

Matilda died on 27 January 992.

Theobald — Richildis. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Great-granddaughter of Rorgon I, Count of Maine.

Other Events:

• Name:

Notes:

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]

Other Events:

• Name:

Notes:

Robert I of France was married twice. Through his first wife, Aelis, he had two daughters. Each married powerful lay vassals of their father: Emma of France (894-935) to Rudolph, Duke of Burgundy, and Hildebranda (895-931) to Herbert II of Vermandois.

Notes:

Rudolph II (died July 11, 937) was king of Upper Burgundy (912-937), Lower Burgundy (Provence) (933-937), and Italy (effective, 922-926-claim abandoned 933). He was the son of Rudolph I, king of Upper Burgundy, and it is presumed that his mother was his father's known wife, Guilla of Provence. He married Bertha of Swabia.

Following his ascent to the throne in 912, Rudolph was asked by several Italian nobles to intervene in Italy on their behalf against Emperor Berengar in 922. Having entered Italy, he was crowned King of the Lombards at Pavia. In 923, he defeated Berengar at Piacenza; Berengar was murdered the following year, possibly at the instigation of Rudolph. The king then ruled Upper Burgundy and Italy together, residing alternately in both kingdoms.

However, in 926 the Italian nobility turned against him and requested that Hugh of Arles, the effective ruler of Provence (or Lower Burgundy), rule them instead. Rudolph returned to Upper Burgundy to protect himself, assuring Hugh's coronation as King of Italy in the process. The Italians then switched sides again, declaring that they wished for Rudolph to reclaim the throne. To prevent this, Hugh and Rudolph signed a treaty in 933, granting Rudolph rule of Lower Burgundy in exchange for his renunciation of all claims on the Italian throne. He married his daughter Adelaide to Hugh's son Lothair. The two Burgundian kingdoms unified, Rudolph ruled until his death in 937. He was succeeded by Conrad.

Rudolph married Bertha of Swabia 922. Bertha (daughter of Burchard, II Duke of Swabia and Regelinda) was born Abt 907; died 02 Jan 965/66. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Bertha of Swabia (c. 907 - after January 2, 966) was Queen consort of Burgundy. She was the daughter of Burchard II, Duke of Swabia and his wife Regelinda.

In 922, she was married to Rudolph II of Burgundy. Adelaide of Italy was their common daughter. Their son, Conrad succeeded Rudolph II as the King of Burgundy.

After Rudolph's death (937), Bertha married Hugh of Italy on December 12, 937. Hugo died in 947, and Bertha was married a third time.

Other Events:

• Name:

Notes:

Louis IV d'Outre-Mer, Roi de France was born circa 920. He was the son of Charles III, Roi de France and Eadgifu.2 He married Gerberge von Sachsen, daughter of Heinrich I von Sachsen, Holy Roman Emperor and Mathilda von Ringelheim, in 939. He gained the title of Roi Louis IV de France in 936.

Louis IV (10 September 920 - 30 September 954), called d'Outremer or Transmarinus (both meaning "from overseas"), reigned as King of Western Francia from 936 to 954. He was a member of the Carolingian dynasty, the son of Charles III and Eadgifu of England, a daughter of King Edward the Elder.

Early years across the sea

He was only two years old when his father was deposed by the nobles, who set up Robert I in his place. When he was only three years old, Robert died and was replaced by Rudolph, duke of Burgundy. Rudolph's ally, a Carolingian himself, Count Herbert II of Vermandois, took Charles captive by treachery and the young Louis's mother took the boy "over the sea" to the safety of England, hence his nickname.

Return to France

Charles died in 929, but Rudolph ruled on until 936, when Louis was summoned back to France unanimously by the nobles, especially Hugh the Great, who had probably organised his return to prevent Herbert II, or Rudolph's brother Hugh the Black, taking the throne. He was crowned king at Laon by Artald, archbishop of Rheims, on Sunday 19 June 936. The chronicler Flodoard records the events as follows:

Brittones a transmarinis regionibus, Alstani regis praesidio, revertentes terram suam repetunt. Hugo comes trans mare mittit pro accersiendo ad apicem regni suscipiendum Ludowico, Karoli filio, quem rex Alstanus avunculus ipsius, accepto prius jurejurando a Francorum legatis, in Franciam cum quibusdam episcopis et aliis fidelibus suis dirigit, cui Hugo et cetero Francorum proceres obviam profecti, mox navim egresso, in ipsis littoreis harenis apud Bononiam, sese committunt, ut erant utrinque depactum. Indeque ab ipsis Laudunum deductus ac regali benedictione didatus ungitur atque coronatur a domno Artoldo archiepiscopo, praesentibus regni principibus cum episcopis xx et amplius.

"The Bretons, returning from the lands across the sea with the support of King Athelstan, came back to their country. Duke Hugh sent across the sea to summon Louis, son of Charles, to be received as king, and King Athelstan, his uncle, first taking oaths from the legates of the Franks, sent him to the Frankish kingdom with some of his bishops, and other followers. Hugh and the other nobles of the Franks went to meet him and committed themselves to him[;] immediately he disembarked on the sands of Boulogne, as had been agreed on both sides. From there he was conducted by them to Laon, and, endowed with the royal benediction, he was anointed and crowned by the lord Archbishop Artold, in the presence of the chief men of his kingdom, with 20 bishops."

Effectively, his sovereignty was limited to the town of Laon and to some places in the north of France, Louis displayed a keenness beyond his years in obtaining the recognition of his authority by his feuding nobles. Nonetheless, his reign was filled with conflict; in particular with Hugh the Great, count of Paris.

Louis IV fell from his horse and died 10 September 954, at Rheims, in the Marne, and is interred there at Saint Rémi Basilica.

Marriage and children

In 939, Louis became involved in a struggle with the Emperor Otto the Great on the question of Lorraine, but then married Otto's sister Gerberga of Saxony (914 - 5 May 984). They were parents to eight children:

Lothair of France (941-986)
Matilda, b. about 943; married Conrad of Burgundy
Hildegarde b. about 944
Carloman b. about 945
Louis b. about 948
Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine (953-993)
Alberade b. before 953
Henri b. about 953

Louis married Gerberga of Saxony 939. Gerberga (daughter of Henry, I the Fowler and Matilda of Ringelheim) was born Abt 913; died 05 May 984, Rheims, Marne, Champagne-Ardenne, France. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Birth: Abt 919
• Name:

Notes:

Gerberga of Saxony (c. 913-5 May 984) was a daughter of Henry the Fowler, King of Germany, and Matilda of Ringelheim.

Marriages

She married first Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine. They had four children:

Alberade of Lorraine b. about 929. Married Renaud (originally as Ragenold), a Viking chieftain who became the Count of Roucy [1]
Henry, Duke of Lorraine b. about 932
Gerberge of Lorraine b. about 935. Married Adalbert I of Vermandois.
Wiltrude, b. about 937.

She married secondly Louis IV of France in 939. They were parents to eight children:

Lothair of France (941-986)
Matilda b. about 943; married Conrad of Burgundy
Hildegarde b. about 944
Carloman b. about 945
Louis b. about 948
Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine (953-993)
Alberade b. before 953
Henry b. about 953

Education and later life

Contemporary sources describe her as a highly educated, intelligent and forceful player in the political game of the time.

Louis IV died on 10 September 954. As a widow, Gerberga became a nun and served as the abbess of Notre Dame in Laon. She died in Reims, Champagne.