Udo was a 9th-century nobleman of East Francia, a son of Gebhard, Count of Lahngau, and older brother of Berengar I of Neustria

Berengar I of Neustria

Berengar I was a 9th-century nobleman of East Francia, a son of Gebhard, Count of Lahngau, and younger brother of Udo. He and his brother were created Margraves of Neustria by Charles the Bald in 861....

. He and his brother were afforded their position in the March of Neustria

March of Neustria

The marches of Neustria were creations of the Carolingian king of West Francia covering the ancient Merovingian kingdom of Neustria. Originally, there were two marches, one against the Bretons and one against the Norsemen created by Charles the Bald in 861. These two marches are often called the...

 both by kinship to Adalard the Seneschal

Adalard the Seneschal

Adalard, also known as Adalhard or Alard, and called the Seneschal, was a Frankish nobleman of the ninth century. He served as warden of the Norman march from 861 to 865....

 and the favour of Charles the Bald

Charles the Bald

Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...

.

With his brothers, Berengar and Waldo the Abbot, he took part in the 861 revolt of Carloman of Bavaria

Carloman of Bavaria

Carloman was the eldest son of Louis the German, king of East Francia , and Hemma, daughter of the count Welf...

, possible his cousin-in-law, against Louis the German

Louis the German

Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...

. The revolt was crushed and the three brothers fled with their relative Adalard to the court of the West Frankish king, Charles the Bald, who granted them wardship of the march against the Vikings while the march against the Bretons was granted to Robert the Strong

Robert the Strong

Robert IV the Strong , also known as Rutpert, was Margrave in Neustria. His family is named after him and called Robertians. He was first nominated by Charles the Bald missus dominicus in 853. Robert was the father of the kings Odo and Robert I of France. Robert was the great-grandfather of Hugh...

.

Charles' patronage of the family provoked the jealousy of the Rorgonids

Rorgonids

The Rorgonids were the first Mayennaise dynasty. Gosfrid of Maine was the first to hold power in the Norman March of Neustria....

, the most powerful family local to Neustria and then controlling the ducatus Cenomannicus (Maine

Maine

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

). In 865, they allied with Saloman of Brittany and attacked the brothers. Charles, to attain peace, took the march back and gave it to Gauzfrid

Gauzfrid of Neustria

Gauzfrid of Maine was both Count of Maine and Margrave of the Norman March from 865 until his death. He was a son of Rorgon of Maine by his wife Bichilde....

, a Rorgonid.

A charter of 879 mentions Udo and his brothers taking part in the foundation of the college of Gemünden

Gemünden

Gemünden may refer to several places in Germany:*Gemünden am Main, a town in Bavaria*Gemünden , a town in Hesse*Gemünden , a municipality in Hesse*Gemünden, Rhein-Hunsrück, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate...

. Evidently, the death of Louis the German in 876 had allowed them to return to the court of Carloman.

He left a son, Conrad, Duke of Thuringia

Conrad, Duke of Thuringia

Conrad , called the Old or the Elder, was the Duke of Thuringia from 892 until his death. He was the namesake of the Conradiner family and son of Udo of Neustria. His mother was a daughter of Conrad I of Logenahe . He was the count of the Oberlahngau , Hessengau , Gotzfeldgau , Wetterau , and...

, who was the founder of the Conradine dynasty and father of Conrad I of Germany

Conrad I of Germany

Conrad I , called the Younger, was Duke of Franconia from 906 and King of Germany from 911 to 918, the only king of the Conradine dynasty...

. A younger son, Rudolf

Rudolf I, Bishop of Würzburg

Rudolf I was the Bishop of Würzburg from 892 until his death. He was the youngest son of Udo of Neustria.In 892, he was appointed as bishop to replace Arno, who had been killed during a campaign against Great Moravia. At the same time, his brother Conrad the Elder became Margrave of Thuringia,...

, became Bishop of Würzburg.

Sources

• Guillotel, Hubert. "Une autre marche de Neustrie." in Christian Settipani
  Christian Settipani
  Christian Settipani is the Technical Director of an IT company in Paris and a genealogist and historian.He has a Master of Advanced Studies degree from the Paris-Sorbonne University and is currently preparing his doctoral thesis, while he often gives lectures to students undergraduates at the...
  
  and Katharine S. B. Keats-Rohan, Onomastique et Parenté dans l'Occident médiéval. 2000.