Geoffrey II of Anjou
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey II, called Martel ("the Hammer"), was Count of Anjou from 1040 to 1060. He was the son of Fulk the Black
. He was bellicose and fought against the Duke of Aquitaine
, the Count of Blois, and the Duke of Normandy
. During his twenty-year reign he especially had to face the ambitions of the Bishop of Le Mans, Gervais de Château-du-Loir
, but he was able to maintain his authority over the County of Maine. Even before the death of his father in 1040, he had extended his power up to Saintonge
, where he founded the Abbey aux Dames. The first mention of this man in the Gesta Normannorum Ducum
' reads: "Geoffrey, count of the Angevins, nicknamed Martel, a treacherous man in every respect, frequently inflicted assaults and intolerable pressure on his neighbors."
"In alliance with King Henry I
of France
, Count Geoffrey laid siege to Tours
in the winter of 1042-3. After the battle of Nouy on 21 August 1044 Count Theobald I of Blois
-Chartres
(1039-89) was taken prisoner by [Count Geoffrey], to whom he surrendered Tours with Chinon
and Langeais
, excluding, however, the monastery of Marmoutier
." (ibid)
Henry and Geoffrey became estranged after this, and were not reconciled again until c. 1052, when their names appear together in a charter of August of that year. This is in conjunction with the rebellion of William of Talou
against the duke of Normandy, and Count Geoffrey's taking possession of the city of Mans (shortly after 26 March 1051).
Allied once again with King Henry, Count Geoffrey assaulted Normandy and seized the towns of Domfront
and Alençon
, evidently with the help of treachery within. Duke William laid siege to Domfront, which resisted his efforts to retake it throughout the winter of 1052. And it was at this point that Talou withdrew from the siege and started his rebellion. Duke William's subsequently rapid retaking of first Alençon and then Domfront drove Count Geoffrey back across the Norman border into Maine.
While Count Geoffrey was off-balance, Duke William laid siege to Talou's castle at Arques
. King Henry failed to relieve Arques, and Talou's rebellion had failed and he was exiled by late 1053. In late January, early February of 1054, Count Geoffrey and King Henry together invaded Normandy and marched down the Seine
toward Rouen
. The King had divided his army and sent the other wing through eastern Normandy under the command of his brother Eudes, supported by Count Reginald of Clermont, Count Ralph of Montdidier
, and Count Guy I of Ponthieu
. This army was defeated in a battle near Mortemer
. Upon learning of this reverse, King Henry insisted upon beating a hasty retreat out of Normandy, and perforce Count Geoffrey accompanied him.
For the next several years, the war was centered in the County of Maine, with Duke William on the offensive. But King Henry in 1057, "burning to avenge the insult inflicted on him by the duke, summoned Geoffrey, count of Anjou, to prepare a large army for another expedition into Normandy." (GND) This combined effort placed Duke William temporarily on the defensive. He retreated before the invaders as they moved deeper into Normandy. After pentrating to the Bessin, the Franco-Angevin army began to ford the River Dives
near the estuary which is tidal. After the king and Count Geoffrey had crossed over, the remainder of their army got stuck on the opposite bank by the incoming tide. Duke William launched a sudden attack and defeated them. King Henry and Count Geoffrey withdrew again from Normandy and never returned. Count Geoffrey continued to offer resistance in Maine against the Norman expansion until his death on 14 November 1060.
An unusual entry in the cartulary of Ronceray describes a dispute over a vineyard seized by Geoffrey Martel and granted to his "wives, or rather concubines, Agnes, Grécie, Adele, and Adelaide. The first wife, Agnes of Burgundy
, was the widow of William V of Aquitaine
; she and Geoffrey married in 1032, but had divorced by 1050. He then married Grécie of Langeais, but dismissed her to marry Adèle, the daughter of a "Count Odo", perhaps Odo II of Blois. Later he divorced Adèle, and took Grécie back as his wife. His last wife was a German woman named Adelaide.
Despite these marital escapades, Geoffrey died childless, after being made a monk in Saint-Nicolas d'Angers in 1060. He was succeeded by his nephew Geoffrey III of Anjou
.
Fulk III of Anjou
Fulk III , called Nerra after his death, was Count of Anjou from 21 July 987 to his death. He was the son of Geoffrey Greymantle and Adelaide of Vermandois....
. He was bellicose and fought against the Duke of Aquitaine
William VII of Aquitaine
William VII , called the Eagle or the Bold , was the duke of Aquitaine and count of Poitou between 1039 and his death, following his half-brother Odo.William was the third son of William V of Aquitaine, the eldest by his third wife, Agnes of Burgundy...
, the Count of Blois, and the Duke of Normandy
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. During his twenty-year reign he especially had to face the ambitions of the Bishop of Le Mans, Gervais de Château-du-Loir
Gervais de Château-du-Loir
Gervais de Château-du-Loir was a French nobleman, bishop, and a powerful figure of his time in Northern France. He was Bishop of Le Mans from 1036, and Archbishop of Reims from 1055....
, but he was able to maintain his authority over the County of Maine. Even before the death of his father in 1040, he had extended his power up to Saintonge
Saintonge
Saintonge is a small region on the Atlantic coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime, west and south of Charente in the administrative region of Poitou-Charentes....
, where he founded the Abbey aux Dames. The first mention of this man in the Gesta Normannorum Ducum
Gesta Normannorum Ducum
Gesta Normannorum Ducum is a chronicle originally created by the monk William of Jumièges just before 1060. In 1070 William I had William of Jumièges extend the work to detail his rights to the throne of England. In later times, Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni Gesta Normannorum Ducum (Deeds...
' reads: "Geoffrey, count of the Angevins, nicknamed Martel, a treacherous man in every respect, frequently inflicted assaults and intolerable pressure on his neighbors."
"In alliance with King Henry I
Henry I of France
Henry I was King of France from 1031 to his death. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Count Geoffrey laid siege to Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
in the winter of 1042-3. After the battle of Nouy on 21 August 1044 Count Theobald I of Blois
Blois
Blois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...
-Chartres
Chartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...
(1039-89) was taken prisoner by [Count Geoffrey], to whom he surrendered Tours with Chinon
Chinon
Chinon is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France well known for Château de Chinon.In the Middle Ages, Chinon developed especially during the reign of Henry II . The castle was rebuilt and extended, becoming one of his favorite residences...
and Langeais
Langeais
Langeais is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.-Sights:Langeais has a church of the 11th, 12th and 15th centuries, but is chiefly interesting for its large and historic château built soon after the middle of the 15th century by Jean Bourré, minister of Louis XI. Here the...
, excluding, however, the monastery of Marmoutier
Marmoutier
Marmoutier is a commune in the Bas-Rhin département in Alsace in north-eastern France. The origin of the place is the former Marmoutier Abbey, of which the abbey church still serves as the parish church. It is a commune in the Bas-Rhin département in Alsace in north-eastern France.-History:In 590 St...
." (ibid)
Henry and Geoffrey became estranged after this, and were not reconciled again until c. 1052, when their names appear together in a charter of August of that year. This is in conjunction with the rebellion of William of Talou
William of Talou
William of Talou was the son of duke Richard II of Normandy and Papia from Envermeu. His brother was Mauger, who became archbishop of Rouen in 1037...
against the duke of Normandy, and Count Geoffrey's taking possession of the city of Mans (shortly after 26 March 1051).
Allied once again with King Henry, Count Geoffrey assaulted Normandy and seized the towns of Domfront
Domfront
Domfront may refer to one of several communes in France:* Domfront, Oise* Domfront, Orne* Domfront-en-Champagne, Sarthe...
and Alençon
Alençon
Alençon is a commune in Normandy, France, capital of the Orne department. It is situated west of Paris. Alençon belongs to the intercommunality of Alençon .-History:...
, evidently with the help of treachery within. Duke William laid siege to Domfront, which resisted his efforts to retake it throughout the winter of 1052. And it was at this point that Talou withdrew from the siege and started his rebellion. Duke William's subsequently rapid retaking of first Alençon and then Domfront drove Count Geoffrey back across the Norman border into Maine.
While Count Geoffrey was off-balance, Duke William laid siege to Talou's castle at Arques
Arques
Arques may refer to the following places in France:* Arques, Aude, in the Aude département* Arques, Aveyron, in the Aveyron département* Arques, Pas-de-Calais, in the Pas-de-Calais département...
. King Henry failed to relieve Arques, and Talou's rebellion had failed and he was exiled by late 1053. In late January, early February of 1054, Count Geoffrey and King Henry together invaded Normandy and marched down the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
toward Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. The King had divided his army and sent the other wing through eastern Normandy under the command of his brother Eudes, supported by Count Reginald of Clermont, Count Ralph of Montdidier
Montdidier
Montdidier is the name of several communes in France:* Montdidier, in the Moselle département* Montdidier, in the Somme département...
, and Count Guy I of Ponthieu
Guy I of Ponthieu
Guy I of Ponthieu was born sometime in the mid to late 1020s. He was the son of Count Enguerrand II and the grandson of Hugh II.-Caught between William of Normandy and Henry I of France:...
. This army was defeated in a battle near Mortemer
Mortemer, Seine-Maritime
Mortemer is a commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:A small forestry and farming village situated in the valley of the river Eaulne in the Pays de Bray, some southeast of Dieppe at the junction of the D7, D36 and the D929 roads...
. Upon learning of this reverse, King Henry insisted upon beating a hasty retreat out of Normandy, and perforce Count Geoffrey accompanied him.
For the next several years, the war was centered in the County of Maine, with Duke William on the offensive. But King Henry in 1057, "burning to avenge the insult inflicted on him by the duke, summoned Geoffrey, count of Anjou, to prepare a large army for another expedition into Normandy." (GND) This combined effort placed Duke William temporarily on the defensive. He retreated before the invaders as they moved deeper into Normandy. After pentrating to the Bessin, the Franco-Angevin army began to ford the River Dives
Dives River
The Dives is a 105 km long river in the Pays d'Auge, Normandie, France. It flows into the English Channel in Cabourg.The source of the Dives is near Exmes, in the Orne department...
near the estuary which is tidal. After the king and Count Geoffrey had crossed over, the remainder of their army got stuck on the opposite bank by the incoming tide. Duke William launched a sudden attack and defeated them. King Henry and Count Geoffrey withdrew again from Normandy and never returned. Count Geoffrey continued to offer resistance in Maine against the Norman expansion until his death on 14 November 1060.
An unusual entry in the cartulary of Ronceray describes a dispute over a vineyard seized by Geoffrey Martel and granted to his "wives, or rather concubines, Agnes, Grécie, Adele, and Adelaide. The first wife, Agnes of Burgundy
Agnes of Burgundy, Duchess of Aquitaine
Agnes of Burgundy , Duchess of Aquitaine was a daughter of Otto-William, Count of Burgundy and Ermentrude of Roucy. She was a member of the House of Ivrea.-Life:...
, was the widow of William V of Aquitaine
William V of Aquitaine
William V , called the Great , was Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitou from 990 until his death. He was the son and successor of William IV by his wife Emma of Blois, daughter of Theobald I of Blois. He seems to have taken after his formidable mother, who ruled Aquitaine as regent until 1004...
; she and Geoffrey married in 1032, but had divorced by 1050. He then married Grécie of Langeais, but dismissed her to marry Adèle, the daughter of a "Count Odo", perhaps Odo II of Blois. Later he divorced Adèle, and took Grécie back as his wife. His last wife was a German woman named Adelaide.
Despite these marital escapades, Geoffrey died childless, after being made a monk in Saint-Nicolas d'Angers in 1060. He was succeeded by his nephew Geoffrey III of Anjou
Geoffrey III of Anjou
Geoffrey III of Anjou , called le Barbu , count of Anjou, was the eldest son of Ermengarde of Anjou, the daughter of Fulk III of Anjou, and of the count of Gâtinais....
.
Sources
- Duby, Georges. The Knight, the Lady, and the Priest: the making of modern marriage in medieval France, 1983.
- The Gesta Normannorum DucumGesta Normannorum DucumGesta Normannorum Ducum is a chronicle originally created by the monk William of Jumièges just before 1060. In 1070 William I had William of Jumièges extend the work to detail his rights to the throne of England. In later times, Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni Gesta Normannorum Ducum (Deeds...
(or GND) of William of JumiègesWilliam of JumiègesWilliam of Jumièges was a contemporary of the events of 1066, and one of our earliest writers on the subject of the Norman Conquest. He is himself a "shadowy figure", only known by his dedicatory letter to King William as a monk of Jumièges...
, Orderic VitalisOrderic VitalisOrderic Vitalis was an English chronicler of Norman ancestry who wrote one of the great contemporary chronicles of 11th and 12th century Normandy and Anglo-Norman England. The modern biographer of Henry I of England, C...
, and Robert of TorigniRobert of TorigniRobert of Torigni was a Norman monk and chronicler. He was born at Torigni-sur-Vire in central Normandy, at an unknown date. He entered the monastery of Le Bec in 1128 and became prior there about 1149. He was elected abbot of Mont-Saint-Michel in 1154, and served there until his death.Robert was...
, edited and translated by Elisabeth M. C. Van Houts, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1995.
- William the Conqueror, by David C. Douglas, University of California Press, Berkley and Los Angeles, 1964.