Sprota

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37318

— William I of Normandy. William (son of Rollo of Normandy and Poppa of Bayeux) was born 893; died 17 Dec 942. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Richard the fearless
• Reference Number: 37279

Notes:

Richard I of Normandy (born 28 August 933, in Fécamp Normandy, France died 20 November 996, in Fécamp) was the duke of Normandy from 942 to 996; he is considered the first to have held that title. He was called Richard the Fearless (French, Sans Peur).

Birth:

He was born to William I of Normandy, ruler of Normandy, and Sprota. He was 10 years old when his father died on 17 December 942. His mother was a Breton concubine captured in war and bound to William by a Danish marriage. After William died, Sprota became the wife of Esperleng, a wealthy miller; Rodulf of Ivry was their son and Richard's half-brother.

Life:

When his father died, Louis IV of France seized Normandy and split the lands, giving lands in lower Normandy to Hugh the Great. Louis kept Richard in confinement at Lâon, but he escaped with the assistance of Osmond de Centville, Bernard de Senlis (who had been a companion of Rollo of Normandy), Ivo de Bellèsme, and Bernard the Dane (ancestor of families of Harcourt and Beaumont).

In 946, Richard agreed to "commend" himself to Hugh, Count of Paris. He then allied himself with the Norman and Viking leaders, drove Louis out of Rouen, and took back Normandy by 947. The rest of his reign was mainly peaceful, apart from conflict with Theobald I, Count of Blois marked by the restoration of Church lands and monasteries.
Richard cemented his alliance with Hugh by marrying his daughter Emma. When Hugh died, Richard became vassal to his son Hugh Capet who became king in 987. Although married to Emma, they produced no offspring. His children were from his relationship with Gonnor, a woman of Danish origin who gave him an heir, Richard.

He quarrelled with Ethelred II of England regarding Danish invasions of England because Normandy had been buying up much of the stolen booty.

Richard was bilingual, having been well educated at Bayeux. He was more partial to his Danish subjects than to the Franks. During his reign, Normandy became completely Gallicized and Christianized. He introduced the feudal system and Normandy became one of the most thoroughly feudalized states on the continent. He carried out a major reorganization of the Norman military system, based on heavy cavalry.

Marriages:

His first marriage (960) was to Emma, daughter of Hugh "The Great" of France, and Hedwiga de Sachsen. (She is not to be confused with Emma of France.) They were betrothed when both were very young. She died 19 Mar 968, with no issue.

According to Robert of Torigni, not long after Emma's death, Duke Richard went out hunting and stopped at the house of a local forester. He became enamoured of the forester's wife, Seinfreda, but she being a virtuous woman, suggested he court her unmarried sister, Gunnor, instead. Gunnor became his mistress, and her family rose to prominence. Her brother, Herefast de Crepon, may have been involved in a controversial heresy trial. Gunnor was, like Richard, of Norse descent, being a Dane by blood. Richard finally married her to legitimize their children:

Richard II "the Good", Duke of Normandy (996), died 1026.
Robert, Archbishop of Rouen, Count of Evreux, died 1037.
Mauger, Earl of Corbeil, died after 1033
Robert Danus, died between 985 and 989
another son (On tapestry name looks like Lillam, Gillam, Willam)
Emma of Normandy (c.985-1052) wife of two kings of England.
Maud of Normandy, wife of Odo II of Blois, Count of Blois, Champagne and Chartres
Hawise of Normandy (b. ca. 978), d. 21 February 1034. m. Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany

Mistresses:

Richard was known to have had several other mistresses and produced children with many of them. Known children are:

Geoffrey, Count of Eu, (b. ca. 970)
William, Count of Eu (ca. 972-26 January 1057/58)[2] m. Leseline de Turqueville (d. 26 January 1057/58).
Beatrice of Normandy, Abbess of Montvilliers d.1034 m. Ebles of Turenne (d.1030 (divorced)
Robert
"Papia" m. Gilbert de St Valery (based on a claim his wife as a daughter of "Richard of Normandy" -- the only Richard who chronologically fits is Richard I. Name is not confirmed in any source. ref)

Possible other children:

Late chroniclers claimed that two of the De Hautevilles of Naples/Sicily were nephews of "Duke Richard". As the two were children of Tancred of Hauteville by different mothers, this would mean that both of Tancred's wives had been sisters of a Duke Richard, and by chronology, of Richard II, although this is not backed up by contemporary source. If true, Richard would have had at least two more illegitimate children:

Fressenda (ca. 995-ca. 1057)
Muriella

Death:

He died in Fecamp, France on 20 November 996 of natural causes.

Richard — (Unknown). [Group Sheet]

Richard — Gunnor De Crãepon. Gunnor was born Abt 936; died 1031. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 15768

— . Unknown [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Richard the Good
• Name: The Good
• Reference Number: 10507

Notes:

Richard II (born 23 August 970, in Normandy, France - 28 August 1026, in Normandy), called the Good (French: Le Bon), was the eldest son and heir of Richard I the Fearless and Gunnora.

Biography:

Richard succeeded his father as Duke of Normandy in 996 but the first five years of his reign were spent with Count Ralph of Ivry wielding power and putting down a peasant insurrection.

When he took power he strengthened his alliance with the Capetians by helping Robert II of France against the duchy of Burgundy. He formed a new alliance with Brittany by marrying his sister Hawise to Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany and by his own marriage to Geoffrey's sister, Judith.

He also repelled an English attack on the Cotentin Peninsula that was led by Ethelred II of England. He pursued a reform of the Norman monasteries.

Connections to England:

In 1013 AD, England was invaded by the Danes and Æthelred the Unready fled to his brother-in-law in Normandy. His marriage to Emma of Normandy, sister of Richard, had made them unpopular among the English.

Connections to Norway:

In 1015 AD, Olaf II of Norway was crowned king. Prior to this, Prince Olaf had been in England and on his way to unite Norway he wintered with Duke Richard II of Normandy. In 881 AD, this region had been conquered by the Norsemen. As Duke Richard was an ardent Christian, and the Normans had converted to Christianity, Prince Olaf was baptized in Rouen.

Marriages:

Richard attempted to improve relations with England through his sister Emma of Normandy's marriage to King Ethelred, but she was strongly disliked by the English. However, this connection later gave his grandson, William the Conqueror, part of his claim to the throne of England.

He married firstly (996) Judith (982-1017), daughter of Conan I of Brittany, by whom he had the following issue:

Richard (c. 1002/4), duke of Normandy
Alice (c. 1003/5), married Renaud I, Count of Burgundy
Robert (c. 1005/7), duke of Normandy
William (c. 1007/9), monk at Fécamp, d. 1025
Eleanor (c. 1011/3), married to Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders
Matilda (c. 1013/5), nun at Fecamp, d. 1033
Secondly he married Poppa of Envermeu, by whom he had the following issue:
Mauger (c. 1019), Archbishop of Rouen
William (c. 1020/5), count of Arques

Other marriages / children:

Traditionally, Richard had a third wife named Astrid (Estritha), daughter of Sweyn Forkbeard, King of England, Denmark, and Norway, and Sigrid the Haughty. This is extremely unlikely, however, given the political situation.

An illegitimate daughter of Richard I, sometimes called "Papia", is also at times given as a daughter of Richard II. Tancred of Hauteville's two wives Muriella and Fredensenda are likewise given as daughters of "Duke Richard of Normandy", referring to either Richard I or Richard II.

Richard married Judith of Brittany 996. Judith (daughter of Conan I of Rennes and Ermengarde of Anjou) was born 982; died 1017. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37303

Hawise — Geoffrey. (son of Conan I of Rennes and Ermengarde of Anjou) was born 980; died 20 Nov 1008. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37315

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37311

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• Reference Number: 37312

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37313

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• Reference Number: 37314

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37316

Maud — II Odo. II was born 983; died 15 Nov 1037. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Crispin
• Reference Number: 15760

— . Unknown [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Adelaide De Normandie
• Reference Number: 10505

Alice — Renaud I of Burgundy. Renaud (son of Otto-William of Burgundy and Ermentrude) was born 986; died 3 Sep 1057. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37145

Eleanor — Baldwin IV of Flanders. Baldwin (son of Arnulf II of Flanders and Rozala of Lombardy) was born 980; died 30 May 1035. [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Name: Robert the Magnificent, Robert the Devil
• Reference Number: 37277

Notes:

Robert the Magnificent (French: le Magnifique) (22 June 1000 - 3 July 1035), also called Robert the Devil (French: le Diable), was the Duke of Normandy from 1027 until his death. Owing to uncertainty over the numbering of the Dukes of Normandy he is usually called Robert I, but sometimes Robert II with his ancestor Rollo as Robert I. He was the son of Richard II of Normandy and Judith, daughter of Conan I of Rennes. He was the father of William the Conqueror.

When his father died, his elder brother Richard succeeded, whilst he became Count of Hiémois. When Richard died a year later, there were great suspicions that Robert had Richard murdered, hence his other nickname, "the Devil". He is sometimes identified with the legendary Robert the Devil.

Robert aided King Henry I of France against Henry's rebellious brother and mother, and for his help he was given the territory of the Vexin (1032). He also intervened in the affairs of Flanders, supported his cousin Edward the Confessor, who was then in exile at Robert's court, and sponsored monastic reform in Normandy.

By his mistress, Herleva of Falaise, he was father of the future William I of England (1028-1087). He also had an illegitimate daughter, but the only chronicler to explicitly address the issue, Robert of Torigny, contradicts himself, once indicating that she had a distinct mother from William, elsewhere stating that they shared the same mother. This daughter, Adelaide of Normandy (1030 - c. 1083), married three times: to Enguerrand II, Count of Ponthieu, Lambert II, Count of Lens, and Odo II of Champagne.

After making his illegitimate son William his heir, he set out on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. According to the Gesta Normannorum Ducum he travelled by way of Constantinople, reached Jerusalem, and died on the return journey at Nicaea on 2 July 1035. Some sources attribute his death to poison and date it to 1 or 3 July. His son William, aged about eight, succeeded him.

According to the historian William of Malmesbury, William sent a mission to Constantinople and Nicaea, charging it with bringing his father's body back to be buried in Normandy. Permission was granted, but, having travelled as far as Apulia (Italy) on the return journey, the envoys learned that William himself had meanwhile died. They then decided to re-inter Robert's body in Italy.

Robert — . Unknown [Group Sheet]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37306

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 37308

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 11834

Notes:

Richard III, duc de Normandie was related to Alix de Normandie; appears in the ES as an unnamed, illegitimate daughter of Richard III who married NN Vicomte de Bayeux.3
Richard III, duc de Normandie was son of RIchard II of Normandy by Judith.4 He married Papia de Envermeu; Mistress.5 Richard III, duc de Normandie was related to Judith de Normandie; possibly the only known daughter, and legitimate offspring, of Richard III.6,3 Richard III, duc de Normandie was born circa 997.1 He was the son of Richard II "le Bon", duc de Normandie and Judith de Bretagne.1,2 Richard III, duc de Normandie married N. N. , a mistress of Richard III of Normandy circa 1017.7 Duke of Normandy at France between 28 August 1026 and 1028.8 Richard III, duc de Normandie was three children, two illegitimate, one legitimate.3 He married Adelle de France, comtesse de Contenance, daughter of Robert II "le Pieux", roi des Francs and Constance de Provence dit d'Arles, in 1027; Her 1st.9,10,11,12,13 Richard III, duc de Normandie died on 6 August 1027. S.p. legit.14 He was the predecessor of Robert II "le Diable", duc de Normandie; Duke of Normandy.

http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cousin/html/p337.htm#i7110

Richard — . Unknown [Group Sheet]