Ellie Wood Keith Genealogy

Geoffrey I of Anjou, Count of Anjou

Geoffrey I of Anjou, Count of Anjou[1]

Male 940 - 987  (~ 47 years)

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  • Name Geoffrey I of Anjou 
    Suffix Count of Anjou 
    Nickname Greymantle 
    Born c. 938/940 
    Gender Male 
    History Founder of England's Plantagenet dynasty 
    History Geoffrey was the eldest son of Fulk II, Count of Anjou and his first wife Gerberga.[2] He succeeded his father as Count of Anjou about 960,at the age of 20.[3] He married Adele of Meaux (934–982), daughter of Robert of Vermandois. On her mother's side she was a granddaughter of king Robert I of France and on her father's side a direct descendant of Charlemagne.[3] Through this marriage the Angevins joined the highest ranks of western French nobility.[3]

    Geoffrey started by making his power-base the citadel of Angers strategically placing his fideles in key areas surrounding the city to protect his territories.[4] The lands of the abbeys of Saint-Aubin and Saint-Serge in Angers provided the beneficium for his most faithful adherents.[4] On this subject which became this family's theme, Geoffrey advised both his sons, Fulk and Maurice: "No house is weak that has many friends. Therefore I admonish you to hold dear those fideles who have been friends."[5] Although one of the principal methods of Angevin expansion was by the creation of family connections Geoffrey exerted his control through various methods.[6] His father had controlled Nantes through his second marriage to the widowed countess and Geoffrey continued this by making Count Guerech accept him as overlord.[6] 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.[7] About 971 Geoffrey secured the see of Le Mans for his ally Bishop Seinfroy.[8] In 973 Geoffrey had married his daughter Ermengarde-Gerberga to Conan I of Rennes[9] but Conan began to oppose Geoffrey and in 982 the two met at the first battle of Conquereuil with Geoffrey defeating Conan.[10]

    Geoffrey had influence in Aquitaine by way of his sister Adelaide-Blanche's first marriage to the powerful baron Stephen, Count of Gevaudan and Forez, after whose death the lands were ruled by Adelaide.[11] His nephews Pons and Bertrand succeeded as counts there and his niece Adalmode married Adelbert, Count of Marche and Périgord. In 975 Geoffrey had his brother Guy appointed Count and Bishop of Le Puy.[11] 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 of Aquitaine.[10] But the marriage to a woman thirty years his senior failed as did Geoffrey's plans to control Aquitaine through his young son-in-law.[10] After the death of his first wife Adele, Geoffrey married secondly Adelaise de Châlon and for nearly a decade exerted control over the county of Châlons.[6] Through the marriage of his son, Fulk III, to Elisabeth the heiress of Vendôme Geoffrey brought that county into the Angevin sphere of influence.[12] Fortunately it was at this same time Geoffrey made his son Fulk Nerra his co-ruler since he died shortly thereafter while besieging the fortress of Marcon on 21 July 987.[13]

    Family[edit]
    He married Adele of Meaux (934–982), daughter of Robert of Vermandois and Adelais de Vergy. Their children were:

    Ermengarde-Gerberga of Anjou (b. 956),[3] married Conan I of Rennes.[9] She secondly married William II of Angoulême.[14]
    Fulk III of Anjou (970-1040), he succeeded his father as Count of Anjou.[15]
    Geoffrey of Anjou (971-977), died young.[16]
    He married, secondly, to Adelaise de Châlons[17] and had one child:

    Maurice of Anjou, Count of Châlons.[6]  [2
    Died 21 Jul 987 
    Buried Marcon Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I573  Ellie Wood Keith
    Last Modified 28 Mar 2018 

    Father Fulk II, 'The Good', Count of Anjou,   b. c 905,   d. 960  (Age ~ 54 years) 
    Relationship putative 
    Mother Gerberga, de Tours,   b. 915,   d. Bef 952  (Age 36 years) 
    Relationship putative 
    Family ID F321  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 Adele (Adelais de Vermandois) of Meaux, Countess of Chalon, Anjou,   b. Abt 950,   d. Abt 6 Mar 974  (Age ~ 24 years) 
    Children 
    +1. Ermengarde-Gerberga of Anjou, Countess of Rennes, Countess of Angouleme,   b. 958,   d. c 1024  (Age 66 years)
    Last Modified 19 May 2017 
    Family ID F306  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 2 Adelais de Vermandois,   b. Abt 950,   d. Abt 6 Mar, 974, Angers Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 24 years) 
    Last Modified 8 Jan 2018 
    Family ID F698  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 3 Adelais de Vermandois,   b. Abt 950,   d. Abt 6 Mar, 974, Angers Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 24 years) 
    Married Abt 965 
    Children 
    +1. Fulk III \"The Black\", Count of Anjou,   b. 970,   d. 21 Jun, 1040  (Age 70 years)
    Last Modified 29 Jan 2018 
    Family ID F844  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 4 Adelais de Vermandois,   b. Abt 950,   d. Abt 6 Mar, 974, Angers Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age ~ 24 years) 
    Married Abt 965 
    Children 
    +1. Foulques III, Comte d\'Anjou,   b. Abt 972,   d. 22 May, 1040  (Age ~ 68 years)
    Last Modified 30 Apr 2018 
    Family ID F2140  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Photos
    Anjou, France
    Anjou, France


  • Sources 
    1. [S64] Genealogics, Leo Van de Pas, http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00020193&tree=LEO.

    2. [S12] Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_I,_Count_of_Anjou.