Biography of Geoffrey "Martel" II Count Anjou 1006-1060

Paternal Family Tree: Ingelger

Geoffrey "Martel" II Count Anjou was born to [his father] Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou and [his mother] Hildegarde Sundgau Countess Anjou.

On 21st July 987 [his grandfather] Geoffrey "Greygown" Ingelger 1st Count Anjou (age 48) died. His son [his father] Fulk (age 17) succeeded III Count Anjou.

In December 1005 [his father] Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou (age 35) and [his mother] Hildegarde Sundgau Countess Anjou were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou. He the son of [his grandfather] Geoffrey "Greygown" Ingelger 1st Count Anjou and [his grandmother] Adele Vermandois Countess Anjou.

In or before 1023 William "Great" V Duke Aquitaine (age 53) and [his future wife] Agnes Ivrea Duchess Aquitaine were married. She by marriage Duchess Aquitaine. She the daughter of Otto William Ivrea I Count Burgundy (age 62) and Ermentrude Countess Burgundy. He the son of William "Proud Arm" IV Duke Aquitaine and Emma Blois Duchess Aquitaine.

In 1032 Geoffrey "Martel" II Count Anjou and Agnes Ivrea Duchess Aquitaine were married. She the daughter of Otto William Ivrea I Count Burgundy and Ermentrude Countess Burgundy. He the son of Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou (age 62) and Hildegarde Sundgau Countess Anjou.

Around 1035 [his brother-in-law] Geoffrey "Ferréol" Anjou 2nd Count Gâtinais and [his sister] Ermengarde Blanche Ingelger Duchess Burgundy (age 17) were married. She by marriage Countess Gâtinais. She the daughter of [his father] Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou (age 65) and [his mother] Hildegarde Sundgau Countess Anjou.

On 10th March 1040 Odo Duke Gascony and Aquitaine (age 30) died. His half brother [his step-son] William (age 17) succeeded VII Duke Aquitaine.

On 21st June 1040 [his father] Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou (age 70) died. His son Geoffrey succeeded II Count Anjou. [his wife] Agnes Ivrea Duchess Aquitaine by marriage Countess Anjou.

Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough

A canon regular of the Augustinian Guisborough Priory, Yorkshire, formerly known as The Chronicle of Walter of Hemingburgh, describes the period from 1066 to 1346. Before 1274 the Chronicle is based on other works. Thereafter, the Chronicle is original, and a remarkable source for the events of the time. This book provides a translation of the Chronicle from that date. The Latin source for our translation is the 1849 work edited by Hans Claude Hamilton. Hamilton, in his preface, says: 'In the present work we behold perhaps one of the finest samples of our early chronicles, both as regards the value of the events recorded, and the correctness with which they are detailed; Nor will the pleasing style of composition be lightly passed over by those capable of seeing reflected from it the tokens of a vigorous and cultivated mind, and a favourable specimen of the learning and taste of the age in which it was framed.'

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In 1046 [his brother-in-law] Robert I Duke Burgundy (age 35) and [his sister] Ermengarde Blanche Ingelger Duchess Burgundy (age 28) were married. She by marriage Duchess Burgundy. She the daughter of [his father] Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou and [his mother] Hildegarde Sundgau Countess Anjou. He the son of Robert "Pious" II King of the Franks and Constance Arles Queen Consort France. They were second cousins.

Council of Reims

In 1049 Reims Cathedral was consecrated. Pope Leo XI was accepted the invitation to attend and announced the Council of Reims was to be held concurrent with consecration. During the course of the Council Geoffrey "Martel" II Count Anjou was excommunicated for the imprisonment of Gervais Chateau Du Loir Archbishop of Reims (age 42).

In 1050 Geoffrey "Martel" II Count Anjou and [his wife] Agnes Ivrea Duchess Aquitaine divorced.

After 1050 Geoffrey "Martel" II Count Anjou and Grécie Langeais Countess Anjou were married. She by marriage Countess Anjou. He the son of Fulk "Black" Ingelger III Count Anjou and Hildegarde Sundgau Countess Anjou.

Battle of Varaville

In 1057 at Varaville King William "Conqueror" I of England (age 29) defeated the army of Henry I King of the Franks (age 48) and Geoffrey "Martel" II Count Anjou during the Battle of Varaville. Henry and Geoffrey's army were fording the Dives River when the tide came in; only half of the army had crossed. William seized the opportunity and attacked.

Around October 1058 [his step-son] William VII Duke Aquitaine (age 35) died. His brother [his step-son] Guy (age 33) succeeded VIII Duke Aquitaine.

Before November 1058 [his step-son] Guy William Poitiers VIII Duke Aquitaine (age 33) and Garsende Perigord Duchess Aquitaine were married. She by marriage Duchess Aquitaine. He the son of William "Great" V Duke Aquitaine and [his wife] Agnes Ivrea Duchess Aquitaine.

In November 1058 [his step-son] Guy William Poitiers VIII Duke Aquitaine (age 33) and Garsende Perigord Duchess Aquitaine were divorced.

After November 1058 [his step-son] Guy William Poitiers VIII Duke Aquitaine (age 33) and Mateoda Duchess Aquitaine were married. She by marriage Duchess Aquitaine. He the son of William "Great" V Duke Aquitaine and [his wife] Agnes Ivrea Duchess Aquitaine.

In 1060 Geoffrey "Martel" II Count Anjou died without issue. [his nephew] Geoffrey "Bearded" Count Anjou 3rd Count Gâtinais (age 20) succeeded Count Anjou.

The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy. Count Geoffrey of Anjou¹, named Martel, a man in all things crafty, frequently afflicted certain of his neighbours with various disasters and intolerable pressures. Among them he treacherously captured Count Theobald, and held him in custody until he violently forced from him the city of Tours, together with several castles. Therefore, when certain occasions of dispute had arisen, he began to move fiercely against Duke William, and laid waste Normandy grievously with plundering, having placed seditious garrisons in the castle of Domfront. The duke, mustering a military force, approached it with the intention of viewing the place; and when he saw it surrounded on all sides by extremely steep and lofty rocks, and inaccessible to assault, he called together the strength of the Normans and hemmed it in with strong fortifications, blocking every passage for exit.

Andegavorum quoque comes Goiffredus agnomine Martellus, vir per omnia versutus, quosdam cladibus diversis et intolerabilibus pressuris in vicino degentes frequenter afflixit. Ex quibus comitem Tetbaldum a se fraudulenter captum tamdiu custodia mancipavit, donec urbem Turonicam ab illo violenter extorqueret, cum nonnullis castellis. Hic ergo, obortis litium quibusdam fomentis, contra Willelmum ducem cœpit atrociter moveri, Northmanniamque rapinis vehementer demoliri, intra Damfrontis castrum seditiosis custodibusimmissis. Quod dux, militare vallatus manu, visendi obtentu aggressus, ut ipsum vidit scopulis asperrimis et eminentibus in gyro circumdatum et inaccessibile ad oppugnandum, vires Northmannorum accivit et firmissimis castellis illud strinxit, ac aditus egrediendi obstruxit.

Note 1. Geoffrey, 1006-1060, Count of Anjou, known as 'Martel' i.e. 'Hammer', was the last of the Counts of Anjou from the Ingelger family. He had no issue from his two marriages. He was succeeded as Count of Anjou by the two sons of his sister Ermengarde-Blanche who had married Geoffrey II Count of Gâtinais. Geoffrey and Ermengarde's great-grandson Geoffrey married Empress Matilda, daughter of King Henry I, grandson of William the Conqueror, whose issue, King Henry II, was the first of the Plantagenet Kings of England.

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