Cancor was a Frankish

Franks

The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...

 count, possibly of Hesbaye

Hesbaye

Hesbaye or Haspengouw , is a region spanning the south of the Belgian province of Limburg, the east of the Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant, and the northwestern part of the province of Liège.The Limburgish portion contains the cities of Tongeren, Sint-Truiden, Bilzen and...

.

In 764 he founded Lorsch Abbey

Lorsch Abbey

The Abbey of Lorsch is a former Imperial Abbey in Lorsch, Germany, about 10 km east of Worms, one of the most renowned monasteries of the Carolingian Empire. Even in its ruined state, its remains are among the most important pre-Romanesque–Carolingian style buildings in Germany...

 together with his widowed mother Williswinda as a proprietary church

Proprietary church

During the Middle Ages, the proprietary church was a church, abbey or cloister built on private ground by a feudal lord, over which he retained proprietary interests, especially the right of what in English law is "advowson", that of nominating the ecclesiastic personnel...

 and monastery on their estate, Laurissa. They entrusted its government to Cancor's nephew Chrodegang

Chrodegang of Metz

Saint Chrodegang was the Frankish Bishop of Metz from 742 or 748 until his death.-Biography:He was born in the early eighth century at Hesbaye of a noble Frankish family that via his mother Landrada was related to the Robertians, and died at Metz, March 6, 766.He was educated at the court of...

, Archbishop of Metz, son of Cancor's sister Landrada. Chrodegang dedicated the church and monastery to Saint Peter and became its first abbot. The founders enriched the new abbey later by further donations.

In 766 Chrodegang resigned the office of abbot owing to his other important duties as Archbishop of Metz. He then sent his brother Gundeland, another nephew of Cancor, to Lorsch as his successor.

Cancor is probably related to the Robertians. His father's name may have been Rodbert. Robert

Robert of Hesbaye

Robert II, Rodbert or Chrodobert was a Frank, count of Worms and Rheingau and duke of Hesbaye around the year 800. His family is known as Robertians. His son was Robert III of Worms and his grandson was Robert the Strong. Robert of Hesbaye is the oldest known ancestor in the line of Robertians...

 and Ingram

Ingerman of Hesbaye

Ingerman, or Ingram was a Frank and count of Hesbaye. His family is known as Robertians. His family line is not entirely sure, but he was probably the son of a Frank named Rodbert. Robert of Hesbaye and Cancor, founder of the Lorsch Abbey were probably his brothers...

 of Hesbaye

Hesbaye

Hesbaye or Haspengouw , is a region spanning the south of the Belgian province of Limburg, the east of the Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant, and the northwestern part of the province of Liège.The Limburgish portion contains the cities of Tongeren, Sint-Truiden, Bilzen and...

 may have been his brothers, which implies that Ermengard

Ermengarde of Hesbaye

Ermengarde of Hesbaye was Queen of the Franks and Holy Roman Empress as the wife of Emperor Louis I. She was Frankish, the daughter of Ingeram, count of Hesbaye, and Hedwig of Bavaria...

, wife of emperor Louis the Pious

Louis the Pious

Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...

, was his niece. Therefore he may have been related to the Carolingian royal house.