Yves de Bellême explained

Yves d'Alençon (died c. 1005), Seigneur de Bellême, the first known progenitor of the House of Bellême.

Life

Yves was probably the son of Yves de Creil,[1] [2] one of those who saved young Duke Richard I from death or mutilation at hand of King Louis IV of France.[3] Yves de Bellême held the castle and lands of Bellême, of the King of France, as well as the Sonnois and part of the Passais, both held of the Count of Maine.[4] That he held part of the march-lands of Passais is known from his having given abbot Gauzlin of Fleury Abbey the lands of Magny-le-Désert.[2]

His wife was named Godeheut and although her parentage is unknown, she was the sister of Seinfroy, Bishop of Le Mans.[5] [6] Yves was the founder of a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in his castle of Bellême and endowed it with a church in the Sonoisis, another at Vieux Bellême plus a vill and three other churches in the Hiesmois.[2] Yves died sometime after 1005.[7]

Family

Yves de Bellême and his wife Godeheut had five children:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Yves de Criel and Yves de Bellême are confused by several sources and thought to be the same person by some. Yves de Criel, who was instrumental in saving young Richard I of Normandy would not chronologically be possible to be the same as Yves de Bellême, the subject of this article, who died c. 1005. Geoffrey White believed Yves de Criel was probably the father of Yves de Bellême, which was also accepted by all the French writers, but was of the opinion it should not be stated as fact as it was by Prentout. See: Geoffrey H. White, The First House of Bellême, TRHS, Vol. 22 (1940), pp. 70-71.
  2. Geoffrey H. White, The First House of Bellême, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Fourth Series, Vol. 22 (1940), p. 73
  3. The Gesta Normannorum Ducum of William of Jumieges, Orderic Vatalis, and Robert of Torigni, Vol. I, ed. & trans. Elisabeth M.C. van Houts (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1992) pp. 103, 105
  4. Kathleen Thompson, 'Robert of Bellême Reconsidered', Anglo-Norman Studies XIII: Proceedings of the Battle Conference, 1990, Ed. Marjorie Chibnall (The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, UK, 1991), p. 264
  5. Geoffrey H. White, The First House of Bellême, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Fourth Series, Vol. 22 (1940), p. 72
  6. Detlev Schwennicke, , Neue Folge, Band III Teilband 4 (Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, Marburg, Germany, 1989), Tafel 636
  7. Geoffrey H. White, The First House of Bellême, Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, Fourth Series, Vol. 22 (1940), p. 74 & n. 2