Geoffrey I Comte d'Anjou Anjou

Abt 938 - 987  (~ 49 years)

 Set As Default Person

• Name	Geoffrey I Comte d'Anjou Anjou  [1]
  Born	Abt 938	Anjou, France
  Gender	Male
  Name	Geoffrey I Count of Anjou
  Reference Number	8090
  Died	21 Jul 987	Anjou, France
  Person ID	I8090	FelsingFam
  Last Modified	16 Feb 2024

  
  

  Family	Adelais d'Anjou Vermandois,   b. 950, France ,   d. Aft 18 Oct 984, Anjou, France  (Age > 34 years)
  Children	+ 1. Ermengarde de Bretagne Anjou,   b. Abt 965, Anjou Province, France  [natural]
  Last Modified	16 Feb 2024
  Family ID	F2402	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Anjou-20 BIOGRAPHY FROM GENEALOGICS.ORG: Geoffrey was born about 950, the son of Foulques II 'the Good', comte d'Anjou, and Gerberge de Tours. The _Chronicle of the Counts of Anjou_ describes him as 'stout-hearted and strong and most successful in battle' and tells of his single-handed victory against Ethelulf the Dane, a Goliath-like figure. He was known as Greygown after a witness to the contest picked him out at the French court by the colour of his robes. He was count of Anjou from 958 to 987, succeeding his father. He allied with the county of Nantes against the county of Rennes, and allied with Hugues Capet, fearing an invasion by the count of Blois. He was one of the men responsible for bringing Hugues to the throne of France. About 965 he married Adelais de Vermandois, daughter of Robert de Vermandois, comte de Meaux et Troyes and Adelheid/Wera de Bourgogne. Geoffrey and Adelais had a daughter Ermengarde, also known as Gerberge, who would have progeny with both her husbands Conon I 'le Tort', duc de Bretagne, and Guillaume IV Taillefer, comte d'Angoulême, and two sons of whom Geoffrey died young and his heir Foulques III 'Nera' who would have progeny. By an unnamed second wife Geoffrey also had a son Maurice who is not recorded with progeny. Geoffrey started by making his power-base the citadel of Angers strategically placing his _fideles_ (close followers) in key areas surrounding the city to protect his territories. The lands of the abbeys of Saint-Aubin and Saint-Serge in Angers provided the _beneficium_ (landed estates granted in feudal tenure) for his most faithful adherents. On this subject, which became the family's theme, Geoffrey advised both his sons Foulques and Maurice: 'No house is weak that has many friends. Therefore I admonish you to hold dear those _fideles_ who have been friends.' Although one of the principal methods of Angevin expansion was by the creation of family connections. Geoffrey exerted his control through various methods. His father had controlled Nantes through his second marriage to Adelaide, the widow of Alain II, duke of Brittany, and Geoffrey continued this by making Alain's illegitimate son Guisle, comte de Nantes, accept him as overlord. With an eye towards Maine, Geoffrey took advantage of the rift that developed between the counts of Maine and the viscounts and bishops of Le Mans. About 971 Geoffroy secured the see of Le Mans for his ally Bishop Seinfroy. In 973 Geoffrey had married his daughter Ermengarde-Gerberge to Conon I 'le Tort', duc de Bretagne, but Conon began to oppose Geoffrey and in 982 the two met at the first battle of Conquereuil with Geoffrey defeating Conon. Geoffrey had influence in Aquitaine through his sister Adelaide dite Blanche d'Anjou's first marriage to the powerful baron Etienne I de Brioude, count of Gévaudan and Forez, and after his death the lands were ruled by Adelaide-Blanche. His nephews Pons and Bertrande succeeded as counts there and his niece Almodis married Boso II, comte de La Marche et Périgord. In 975 Geoffrey had his brother Guy appointed count and bishop of Le Puy. In 982 Geoffrey married his now widowed sister Adelaide-Blanche to the fifteen-year-old Louis V of France, the two being crowned king and queen in Aquitaine. But the marriage to a woman thirty years Louis' senior failed as did Geoffrey's plans to control Aquitaine through his son-in-law. Through his first wife Adelais, Geoffrey for nearly a decade exerted control over the county of Châlons. Through the marriage of his son Foulques III to Elisabeth, the heiress of Vendôme, Geoffrey brought that county into the Angevin sphere of influence. Fortunately at this same time Geoffrey made his son Foulques his co-ruler since he died shortly thereafter on 21 July 987 while besieging the fortress of Marcon.

  
  

• Sources

  [S807] Genealogics.org.