Noble Family, House of Flanders. Counts of Flanders and Counts of Boulogne

(Jody Gray) Introduction: The Merovingian dynasty is not one that follows a single bloodline, consequently, I only include it here for historical background.

http://fosterfamilyhistory.com/french-origins.pd -Origin of Frankish Foresters from 418 A.D. (all of men in this lineage are titled, King of the Franks, in Francia) Beginning with Pharamond, who ruled 418 - 430. He was the chieftain who first led his tribe of Salian Franks from Franconia in Germany, into that northern portion of Gaul known as Flanders. Merovec, ruled 430 - 458. He fought against and caused Attila the Hun to retreat. Merovec’s Germanic warriors settled the war-torn land they called Francia. Childeric , ruled 458 - 482; he continued to expand their new land, and to establish agriculture. His was a reign of settlement and consolidation of Francia. Clovis I, ruled 482 - 511. He united the Frankish tribes by his strong leadership, defeated the last Roman Governor of Gaul and expelled the Visigoths. Now the new Francia was truly the country of the Franks, the land of the Merovingians. A vital factor in his success was his and his people’s conversion to Christianity. It assured their support by the powerful Catholic hierarchy of Gaul and Rome, making the Franks more acceptable to the Romish population of Gaul. He married Clotilda, niece of King Gundobad of Burgundy. Later on, after a vicious fighting feud between his four sons, his final heir was Childebert I, he ruled 511 - 558. in Francia His was an uneasy rule, due to the enmity of his remaining brother, Clothaire, who constantly strove to overthrow him. Childeberte I appears to have died unwed and childless during his 29 year reign, since his brother took over from him at his suspicious death in 558. Clothaire I, ruled 558. Prior to his brief four-year reign, Clothaire had evidently married and came to the throne with four sons - Charibert, Gunthram, Sigibert and Chilperic I. After Clothaire’s short reign and early death, they divided his empire among them. Except for Gunthram, who died early, the other three each appear to have ruled consecutively as King after their father. Charibert, ruled 562 - 567. Charibert had only a four-year reign like his father. There is no information about his marital status or issue. At his death, his younger brother, Sigebert took over the throne. Sigebert, ruled 567 - 575; his reign was quite a troublesome one. He married Brunhilda, the daughter of the Visigoth King Athanagild. However, his remaining younger brother, Chilperic, then married Brunhilda’s sister, Galswintha. But no sooner had he done so; he grew tired of her. He had her murdered, and married her servant wench, Fredegund. The murder of her sister enraged Brunhilda so much that it caused a family feud lasting four decades. In turn, Fredegund became very dangerous and was accused of all sorts of mayhem within the family, until finally, she had King Sigibert assassinated in 575. After a short interregnum, Chilperic finally took the throne. Chilperic, ruled 576 - 584. Given his sister-in-law’s interference, Chilperic’s eight-year reign was hardly a happy one, during which Brunhilda, now an old woman, managed to get herself tortured and dragged to death tied by her hair behind a galloping horse. When Chilperic died in 584, Fredegung’s son, Clothaire II, finally became sole King of the Frankish Empire. Clothaire II, ruled 584 - 620. Clothaire inherited a kingdom that was torn apart by internecine strife and struggles for supremacy among nobility and royalty alike. Apart from this internal strife, there was a constant threat of war with other tribes looming over his reign. Dagobert I, ruled 620 - 637.  His reign was to be the culminating point of the Merovingian dynasty. Under Dagobert I, the Franks attained a position of great power and prominence among the European nations. However, despite his name and title being famed from the river Weser to Bohemia and across to the Pyranees, at home his authority was ill-respected. He discovered that he was the king in name only. His predecessors had virtually assigned their direct oversight of their kingdoms to their vassal Counts and Lords - to such a degree that these now almost overruled their own royal masters! The rights of the Counts were irrevocable and hereditary and they exercised them to the full over their respective territories, appointing judges and tribunals as they wished, without consulting the king… In addition to all this, for having killed the tyrant Phinart, King Dagobert I also invested Lyderic with the government and fiefdom of all Flanders, gave him the name of “Le Buc”, the title of Grand Forester and a coat of arms to match. In this manner the long dynasty of powerful Grand Counts of Flanders came into being. There were, of course, still another eleven Kings of Francia to follow Dagobert I in what were now to become nominal royal “figurehead” roles. However, Dagobert had at least created a single line of loyal Counts as the executive governors over the royal territories... it is to these powerful semi-regal Counts that the interest of modern Forsters and Foresters is now directed - From this point on the dynastic line changes from the Thuringian to the Carolingian dynasty [family of Frankish aristocrats and the dynasty that they established to rule western Europe].

Royal Foresters of Flanders: Lyderic de Buc, born 600 and died 692. In 621 he was appointed Grand Forester and Governor of Flanders by Dagobert I, King of the Franks. He married Dagobert’s sister, Richilda, Princess of Merovingia. Antoine, born c619. Bouchard, became the first Lord of Harlbec. Estorede, died 792. 2nd Lord of Harlbec; he became Prince of Lorraine. Lideric II, born c750 and died 835. He became Count of Flanders and Harlbec. Enguerrand,born c780 and died c851; Count of Flanders and Harlbec. Anacher, Great Forester, born 810 and died 864. (Thought to be Odoacer by some, but this cannot be verified.) Anacher’s wife bore him a son, Baldwin I; he was the Founder of the House of Flanders -information about him and his descendants (still part of the Carolingian dynasty), follows:

Coat of Arms after about 1200

House of Flanders, Estates: Flanders, Hainaut, Constantinople, Boulogne -Founder, Baldwin I, aka "Iron Arm". Final ruler, Margaret II Countess of Flanders. Dissolution 1280. Ethnicity: Flemish, French Cadet Branches: House of Boulogne and House of Hainaut. From 1051, the House of Flanders also reigned over the County of Hainaut, with Baldwin of Hainaut. In 1119, on the death of Baldwin VII, the House of Flanders ceased to rule in Flanders. But in 1191, the House of Flanders recovered the title of Count of Flanders with Baldwin VIII (Baldwin V of Hainaut). The dynasty established the Latin Empire of Constantinople during the 4th Crusade. It also ruled briefly the County of Namur (1188-1212). The House of Flanders became extinct in 1280 with the death of Margaret II. A cadet branch, the House of Boulogne, ruled over the County of Boulogne. Members of this house joined the 1st Crusade, established the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and produced its first kings. -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Flanders

Baldwin I, 1st Margrave of Flanders, aka Baldwin "Iron Arm".(837-877); son of Anacher, Great Forester de Flanders (810-864). [Margrave: the medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defense of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or of a kingdom.] At the time Baldwin first appears in the records he was already a count, presumably in the area of Flanders, but this is not known. Count Baldwin rose to prominence when he eloped with princess Judith, daughter of Charles the Bald, king of West Francia. Judith had previously been married to Ethelwulf and his son (from an earlier marriage) Ethelbald, kings of Wessex, but after the latter’s death in 860, she returned to France. Around the Christmas of 861, at the instigation of Baldwin and with her brother Louis’ consent, Judith escaped the custody into which she had been placed in the city of Senlis, Oise after her return from England. She fled north with Count Baldwin. Charles had given no permission for a marriage and tried to capture Baldwin, sending letters to Rorik of Dorestad and Bishop Hungar, forbidding them to shelter the fugitive. After Baldwin and Judith had evaded his attempts to capture them, Charles had his bishops excommunicate the couple. Judith and Baldwin responded by traveling to Rome to plead their case with Pope Nicholas I. Their plea was successful and Charles was forced to accept. The marriage took place on 12/13/862 in Auxerre. By 870, Baldwin had acquired the lay-abbacy of St. Peter in Ghent and is assumed to have also acquired the counties of Flanders and Waasland, or parts thereof by this time. Baldwin developed himself as a very faithful and stout supporter of Charles and played an important role in the continuing wars against the Vikings. He is named in 877 as one of those willing to support the emperor’s son, Louis the Stammerer. During his life, Baldwin expanded his territory into one of the major principalities of Western Francia. He died in 879 and was buried in the Abbey of St-Bertin, near Saint-Omer. His third son Raoul aka Rudulf was murdered in 896 after he was involved in an attack on Vermandois, he was captured by Count Herbert and killed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_I,_Margrave_of_Flanders

Baldwin II, 2nd Margrave of Flanders, nicknamed Calvus (the Bald) he ruled from 879 to 918. b. Ca 865 d. 9/10/918 (age 52-53). In 884 CE, Baldwin II married Elfthryth the daughter of Alfred the Great. The immediate goal of that Anglo-Flemish alliance was to help Baldwin control the lower Canche River valley. Refer also to House of Wessex - Elfthryth.

    The early years of Baldwin’s rule were marked by a series of devastating Viking raids into Flanders. By 833 CE, he was forced to move north to Pagus Flandransis, which became the territory most closely associated with the Counts of Flanders. Baldwin constructed a series of wooden fortifications at Saint-Omer, Bruges, Ghent, and Kortrjk, and seized lands that were abandoned by royal and ecclesiastical officials. Many of these same citadels later formed castellani's, which housed government, militia, and local courts.

    In 888 CE, the western Frankish king, Charles the Fat, was deposed, leaving several candidates vying to replace him. As grandson of Charles the Bald, Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia, Baldwin could have competed for the crown of West Francia. Instead, he and others tried to convince the East Frankish King, Arnulf, to take the West Frankish crown, but Arnulf declined. The Robertine Odo, Count of Paris, was eventually elected king. Odo and Baldwin’s relationship deteriorated when Odo failed to support Baldwin’s attempts to gain control of the Abbey of St. Bertin. Odo attacked Baldwin at Bruges but was unable to prevail. Baldwin continued his expansion to the south and gained control over Artois, including the important Abbey of St. Vaast.

    When the Abbey came under the jurisdiction of Archbishop Fulk of Reims in 900 CE, Baldwin had the archbishop assassinated. When his attempts to expand further into the upper Somme River valley were opposed by Herbert I, Count of Vermandois, Baldwin had the count assassinated as well. Baldwin died on 9/10/918 CE, at Blandijnberg (near Ghent) and was succeeded by his eldest son, Arnulf I of Flanders. His younger son, Adalulf, became the 1st Count of Boulogne.

    He is a direct patrilineal ancestor of Anne Boleyn, the 2nd wife of King Henry VIII and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. (Jody Gray): I did some research and found: Baldwin II, son of Anacher, Founder of the name - Great Forrester of France. And, this: Anacher, Great Forrester aka Foster of France ca 775-837… his parents Governor of Flanders (ca 800-837) of Denmark and of Flanders. And, this: Foster Family Origins… which covers his descendants and matches what I have with some added information. I’m adding these Web links to the end of this Blog Post… As far as the claim of him being  a direct patrilineal ancestor; I found some interesting new information about his likely origins but nothing of a direct patrilineal lineage to Anne Boleyn. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_II,_Margrave_of_Flanders

1. Arnulf I aka Arnold I "The Great" Count of Flanders (889-965) m: Adele de Vermandois          1a Baldwin III, Count of Flanders (938-962) m: Matilda of Saxony 1b Arnold II "The Young" of Flanders (961-987) m: Rosela of Italy          1c Baldwin IV "Fair Beard" Count of Flanders (978-1035) succeeded his father as Count in 987, but his mother Rosela was the regent until his majority. Married 1st, Ogive de Luxemberg, issue: Baldwin V. (1012-1067). Married 2nd, Eleanor of Normandy, issue: Judith (1033-1094) Counts of Flanders, lineage (864-1792 when annexed by France after the French Revolution): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counts_of_Flanders_family_tree          1d Baldwin V "The Pious" Count of Flanders (1012-1067) m: Adele of France, their daughter Matilda m: William, Duke of Normandy. Son Baldwin VI, Count of Flanders (d. 1070) married Richilde, Countess of Hainaut; son Arnulf III, left no issue. *Note (Jody Gray) Matilda and William are covered in the Blog Post: Woodhull Lineage in England and [1] Woodhull, Americans of Royal Descent

County of Boulogne coat of arms

Count of Boulogne

The Count of Boulogne is a historical title in the kingdom of France. The city of Boulogne-sur-Mer became the center of the county of Boulogne during the ninth century. Little is known of the early counts, but the first held the title during the 11th century. Eustace II of Boulogne accompanied William I of England (the Conqueror) during the Norman Conquest in 1066 and fought on his side at the Battle of Hastings. His son, Eustace III, was a major participant in the First Crusade with his younger brothers, Geoffrey and Baldwin (who later became king of Jerusalem). After Baldwin's death the throne was offered to Eustace, who was reluctant and declined; the throne was then offered to Geoffrey. Eustace I 1032-1049 Eustace II 1049-1087

County Boulogne

County Boulogne       2. Adelolf, Count of Boulogne (d. C. 933)

Adelolf Count of Boulogne (d. C. (933) Noble family, House of Flanders, Father, Baldwin II, Count of Flanders; Mother, Elfthryth of Wessex https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelolf,_Count_of_Boulogne Was a younger brother of Arnulf, Count of Flanders and was given the County of Boulogne by his father .

2a. Arnulf II, Count of Boulogne (d. C. 972)

Arnulf II, Count of Boulogne (d. C. 972) succeeded his father Adalolf as Count of Boulogne in 964 (after the death of his uncle Arnulf) and held it until his own death. He was the father of Arnulf III, Count of Boulogne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnulf_II,_Count_of_Boulogne

2b. Arnulf III of Boulogne (d. C. 990)

Noble Family, House of Flanders. Father, Arnulf II, Count of Boulogne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnulf_III,_Count_of_Boulogne Arnulf III b. ? d. Ca 990. Son of Arnulf II… succeeded his father as count of Boulogne from 972 to 110. On his death his lands were divided between his three sons one of which was Baldwin II who got Boulogne

2c. Baldwin II, Count of Boulogne (d. C. 1027)

Noble Family, House of Flanders. Father, Arnulf, Count of Boulogne. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldwin_II,_Count_of_Boulogne Baldwin II of Boulogne b.? D. c. 1027) was a son of Arnulf III, Count of Boulogne, whom he succeeded as count of Boulogne. Both Arnulf III and his father Arnulf II had freed themselves of Flemish rule during the minority of Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders. In 1022 both Baldwin and his son Eustace, along with the courts of Normandy, Valois, and Flanders, met with Robert II, King of France and formed an alliance against Odo II, Count of Blois who was challenging the king’s authority. But when Emperor Henry II died in July 1024 the alliance quickly fell apart as King Robert reconciled with count Odo II. In the wake of these changing alliances and for reasons that remain unclear, Baldwin was killed in battled c. 1027 warring with Enguerrand I, Count of Ponthieu, who then wed Baldwin’s widow.    Baldwin II m: Adelina of Holland daughter of Arnulf, Count of Holland and Lutgardis of Luxemburg. Son: Eustace I of Boulogne, who succeeded him.

2d. Eustace I , Count of Boulogne (d. C. 1049)

Eustace I, Count of Boulogne. Noble Family, House of Flanders. Father, Baldwin II, Count of Boulogne. Mother, Adelina of Holland. Eustace d. 1049. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustace_I,_Count_of_Boulogne Was a nobleman and founder of the Boulogne branch of the House of Flanders, from 1042-1049… he was also count of Lens which passed to his son Lambert at his death… Photo: Map, county Boulogne M: Matilda of Leuven, daughter of Lambert I, Count of Leuven and Gerberga of Lower Lorraine. Children: Eustace II of Boulogne; Godfrey, Bishop of Paris; Lambert II, Count of Lens; Gerberga.    Eustace is a direct patrilineal ancestor of Anne Boleyn, 2nd wife of King Henry VIII, and mother of Queen Elizabeth I. Notes: Matilda was a direct descendant of Charlemagne and in terms of rank descendants of Charlemagne were among the most prestigious brides. Noble families of the 11th and 12th centuries sought to trace their descent specifically into the Carolingian line.

2e. Eustace II, Count of Boulogne (d. C. 1087)

Noble Family, House of Flanders. B. abt 1020. D. 1087. Father, Eustace I of Boulogne and Matilda of Leuven. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustace_II,_Count_of_Boulogne was Count of Boulogne from 1049-1087. He fought on the Norman side at the Battle of Hastings, and afterwards received large grants of land in England. He is one of the few proven Companions of William the Conqueror. In the following year, probably because he was dissatisfied with his share of the spoil, he assisted the Kentishmen in an attempt to seize Dover Castle. The conspiracy failed, and Eustace was sentenced to forfeit his English fiefs. Subsequently he was reconciled to the Conqueror, who restored a portion of the confiscated lands. He d. Ca. 1087, and was succeeded by his son, Eustace III. Married 2nd (abt 1049), Ida of Lorraine, daughter of Godrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_of_Lorraine

2f. Lambert II, Count of Lens (d. C. 1054 *sons, Seirer and Walter

   (Adelaide was not their mother, evidently she was his 2nd wife)

Lambert II, Count of Lens (died 1054, killed at the battle Lille)... son of Eustace I, Count of Boulogne and of Maud de Leuven… he m: Adelaide of Normandy (sister of William the Conqueror) *she is not the mother of Seier and Walter… their child: Judith of Lens… https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambert_II,_Count_of_Lens Adelaide of Normandy, (c. 1030-bef 1090) daughter of Robert the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy. Domeday Book, 1086 she was shown as having numerous holdings in both Suffolk and Essex, one of the very few Norman noblewomen to have held lands in England as a tenant-in-chief https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelaide_of_Normandy

County Flanders

Elfthryth married Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders, was the daughter of Alfred the Great King of Wessex, refer to Blog Post: House of Wessex and it’s Kings. https://gray-piperfamily.blogspot.com/2016/04/house-of-wessex-and-its-kings.html

Resources for Baldwin II, Margrave of Flanders:

https://books.google.com/books?id=BE0WAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA45&lpg=PA45&dq=anacher+great+forester+of+denmark&source=bl&ots=xxbBUXLXk1&sig=9OcvSO2uMd3-3wDvut2VkqQlr9A&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjfrN-g46DMAhXFxIMKHZapAwQQ6AEIXzAP#v=onepage&q=anacher%20great%20forester%20of%20denmark&f=false -Son of Anacher, Founder of the name - Great Forrester of France

http://sallysfamilyplace.com/new/the-forster-family/ -Anacher, Great Forrester aka Foster of France ca 775-837… his parents Governor of Flanders (ca 800-837) of Denmark and of Flanders

http://fosterfamilyhistory.com/french-origins.pdf -Foster Family Origins… Enguerrand de Flanders; Anacher aka Odoacer, Great Forester de Flanders; Baldwin I, 1st Count of Flanders;  Baldwin II “The Bald” m: Aethelfrith of Wessex, daughter of Alfred the Great; Arnold I “The Great” m: Adele de Vermandois; Baldwin III de Flanders m: ? Matilda of Saxony; Baldwin IV “Fair Beard” m Ogive de Luexmburg, daughter of Richard II, Duke of Normandy; to Baldwin V “the Pious’ -father of Matilda Maud de Flanders…

http://famouskin.com/famous-kin-chart.php?name=4143+charlemagne&kin=7174+anne+boleyn -Charlemagne and Anne Boleyn: Charlemagne 22nd GGF to Anne Boleyn (this lineage is not directly patrilineal lineage to Anne Boleyn).

William of Normandy, 1st Norman King of England -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror William I. (c.1028-9/9/1087), usually known as William the Conqueror, sometimes, William the Bastard.  The first Norman King of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087. The descendant of Viking raiders, he had been Duke of Normandy since 1035... (1050s) provided him with a powerful ally in the neighboring county of Flanders. By the time of his marriage (Matilda of Flanders), William was able to arrange the appointments of his supporters as bishops and abbots in the  Norman church… by 1062 William was able to secure control of the neighboring county of Maine... William became a contender for the throne of England, then held by the childless Edward the Confessor, his first cousin once removed… William argued that Edward had previously promised the throne to him… He built a large fleet and invaded England in Sept 1066… defeating and killing Harold (another potential claimant of the throne) at the Battle of Hastings (10/14/1066). William was crowned king on Christmas Day 1066… His reign in England was marked by the construction of castles, the settling of a new Norman nobility on the land, and change in the composition of the English clergy. He did not try to integrate his various domains into one empire, but instead continued to administer each part separately. William’s lands were divided after his death: Normandy went to his eldest son, Robert, and his second surviving son, William, received England.

Other References:

The Expansion of the Power and Influence of the Counts of Boulogne under Eustace II. and Families, Friends, and Allies: Boulogne and Politics in Northern France and England, both by Heather J. Tanner.

*Other Sources. (Jody Gray) Since the House of Flanders represents the direct male lineage to 27th GGF Walter aka Seier the Fleming de Seton through the de Wahull of England to Richard Woodhull b. 1620 our Immigrant to America… the lineage changes to “maternal” with his granddaughter, Dorothy Woodhull who married William Helme… Elizabeth Helm married Selah Murray Stevens (whose lineage connects as does the de Wahull to William the Conqueror and the migration to England after the Battle of Hastings when the new King of England rewards his supporters with grants of land in England)... their daughter Maria married David Hendry; their daughter Mary married Gibson DeLong; their daughter Eliza married Hugh Piper; their daughter Lucile Piper married Robert Gray…

  I decided I needed to do further research...

*http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/FLANDERS,%20HAINAUT.htm#_Toc413913465 *Project Medieval Lands and Flanders. (Jody Gray) Baldwin’s Wikipedia states “At the time Baldwin first appears in the records he was already a count, presumably in the area of Flanders, but this is not known. Count Baldwin rose to prominence when he eloped with princess Judith, daughter of Charles the Bald, king of West Francia. Two sources for the “Project” are given, Vanderkindere and Annales Blandinienses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%C3%A9on_Vanderkindere Leon Vanderkindere (1842-1906) was a Belgian historian, academic and politician, born into a wealthy middle-class family. His father was a Liberal politician.

*Annales Blandinienses -available on Google Books…

aka Annals of Blandain: 11th-14th Century. Low Countries. Latin annals of the abbey of St. Peter in Ghent (modern Belgium) from the incarnation to 1292, written in phases over four centuries. Initially running to 1060, it was subsequently continued to 1292 by various hands, which also made several corrections and annotations to the original chronicle. A small number of further entries were added in the 14th century. The text commences as a regnal list of emperors, progressively incorporating more and more local ecclesiastical, political and natural events, focusing…

Important notations, It is probable that the title “count” was attributed to them retrospectively by the later sources in order to boost the standing of the comital family of Flanders. And, Stewart Baldwin, in his detailed analysis of all references to these individuals, has concluded that the ancestry is “legendary” and should be rejected as “an eleventh century invention”... Note, in the “Project” Baldwin is referred to as Baudouin.

*Project Medieval Lands and Flanders. -Flanders Counts - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy.

Introduction. The county of Flanders took its name from the Carolingian pagus flandrensis, located around Bruges, the countship was granted to Baudouin I aka Baldwin in 863 by Charles II, King of West Francia whose daughter he had abducted. Before this date, the senior governing figure in the area was apparently the “forestier”, in other words the “controller” of the forests, a post held successively by some of Baudouin’s supposed ancestors, although both their existence and, if they did exist, the extent of their authority is subject to debate. The possible ancestry of Baudouin I, Count of Flanders is set out in Chapter I.A below. None of the individuals named is referred to in surviving contemporary primary sources, although it is impossible to assess whether the later sources were based on earlier documentation which has since disappeared. Information relating to these individuals is incomplete and, in part, contradictory. The earlier generations of Count Baudouin’s alleged ancestors are referred to as counts at Harlabecce, presumably Harlebeke on the outskirts of Courtrai. It is assumed that, if they were historical people, they were minor lords whose jurisdiction was limited to a small area. It is probable that the title “count” was attributed to them retrospectively by the later sources in order to boost the standing of the comital family of Flanders. No reference to a pagus Harlabeccensis has been found: in particular it is not included among the Flemish pagi which are described by Vanderkindere. Stewart Baldwin, in his detailed analysis of all references to these individuals, has concluded that the ancestry is “legendary” and should be rejected as “an eleventh century invention”, although he acknowledges that there is still a chance that the entries in the Annales Blandinienses are based on genuine information. It is also interesting to observe that none of the names of these supposed early counts is found among the descendants of Count Baudouin, although this does not provide conclusive proof of the unreliability of the ancestry. Although the names and relationships of these individuals are referred to in a wide range of sources, the ancestry is shown in the present document in square brackets, indicating that the information should be treated with caution.

  Baudouin I, Count of Flanders, and his successors until 1128, are shown… Vanderkindere suggests that the original royal grant of territory to Count Baudouin I was limited to the doyennes of Bruges, Oudenburg and Aardenburg. The grant was subsequently expanded to include Ternois, the land of Waas and the lay abbacy of St Peter of Gent. Count Baudouin II expanded his territory into Courtrai, seized control of the counties of Boulogne and Ternois, and acquired the lay abbacy of St Bertin. Further territorial expansion was undertaken by Arnoul I, Count of Flanders, who also seized the abbacy of St Vaast. These abbacies of St Bertin (near St Omer), St Vaast (in Arras), and St Peter and St Bavo in Gent were founded during the period of gradual christianisation of Flanders and evolved into powerful local communities with extensive landholdings. This process of evolution was presumably facilitated by their relative remoteness from the headquarters of the French archbishopric of Reims, whose ecclesiastical jurisdiction including the county of Flanders. The four monasteries claimed immunity from secular control, but the counts of Flanders engineered their own appointment as lay abbots, acquired this control for themselves, and thereby consolidated their own position of power within the county.

  The territories of the early Flemish counts were referred to collectively as “Flanders” in contemporary documentation only from the early 1000s. The county of Flanders developed into an important buffer state between France and Germany, as shown by the numerous high-profile dynastic marriages arranged between the comital family and prominent French and German royal and noble families.

  Vanderkindere describes the approximate boundaries of the Carolingian pagi which eventually constituted the county of Flanders...The core territory of the county of Flanders remained under the suzerainty of the French kings. To improve their defense against the kings of Germany, the counts expanded their territory eastwards, into the area between the rivers Schelde and Dender, which included the important abbey of Bavo. This area was strongly fortified by the counts. In response, Emperor Otto II dug a canal, known as the “Ottogracht”, from Gent to the western Schelde, bringing the area of imperial jurisdiction nearer to the town of Gent. The emperor also claimed the land of Waas on the left back near the estuary.

  This area to the east of the original territory of the county of Flanders evolved into the “march” of Flanders, under imperial jurisdiction, although the precise process of this evolution is far from clear. Nicholas states that Emperor Otto II established marches on the right back of the river Schelde, from Valenciennes in the south to Antwerp in the north, to counter the perceived threat from France during the early part of the reign of Arnoul II, Count of Flanders. However, this represents a simplification of a complex situation. (an explanation of the four areas of “march” is given)...

  The fact of the county of Flanders being pulled in two directions was also reflected in its ecclesiastical development. No independent Flemish archbishopric was ever created, the county remaining within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the archbishopric of Reims. The area of the original county of Flanders lay within the bishoprics of Arras, Cambrai , Therouanne and Tournai. In imperial Flanders, ecclesiastical jurisdiction lay within the bishopric of Utrecht, under the archiepiscopal province of Koln.

  The bipartisan nature of Flanders can be traced to an even earlier period, especially in relation to the language division which persists in present-day Belgium and which is traceable to dual Gallic/Germanic settlement of the area from the 5th century. From the point of view of the Romans of Gaul, the territory represented the northernmost  outpost of their domain and settlement was sparse in consequence. From the German side, Salian Franks moved westwards into Flanders, settling in the valleys of the Leie and Schelde rivers. They were followed in the 6th century by Saxons and Frisians from the north. During these early centuries there appears to have been much overlapping settlements, which means that the language frontier must at the time have been far from settled…

  The county of Flanders passed through the female line into the family of the dukes of Lorraine in 1128… This family continued to rule Flanders until 1191 when the county passed by marriage to the senior branch of the family of the earliest Flemish counts who ruled as comtes de Hainaut. Another change of dynasty occurred in 1244 when Flanders passed to the Seigneurs de Dampierre who maintained power until 1405. By a series of dynastic marriages, control over Flanders passed to the Valois-Capet dukes of Burgundy, who also acquired control over most of the other counties and duchies in what is today referred to as the Benelux area. By another dynastic twist, all the Burgundian territories in the Low Countries passed to the Hadsburg family as a result of the marriage to Marie, daughter and heiress of the last Valois duke of Burgundy, to Archduke Maximilian in 1477.

Chapter I. Counts of Flanders (863-1191). Origins. Lideric -existence unknown, origin uncertain… 1. Enguerrand (760/80-825)... His wide birth date range is estimated by working backwards from the estimated birth date range of his supposed grandson Count Baudouin II… The later Enguerrand and his family are shown in the document Carolingian Nobility… a) Odacre (Audacer/Odoscer) (800/10-837). His birth date range is estimated on the basis of the estimated birth date range of his son… Odacre had one child. i) Baudouin (830/37-879). He was granted the “pagus Flandrensis” in 86, becoming known to later history as Baudouin I “der Gute/Ferreus/der Eisenarme” Count of Flanders...

B. Counts of Flanders. - I stopped here, as I’ve already covered the material.

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