D' ANJOU Geoffrey I Grisegnelle Comte

0938 - 0987  (48 years)

• Name	D' ANJOU Geoffrey I Grisegnelle Comte
  Birth	11 Nov 0938	Anjou, France
  Gender	Male
  Death	21 Jul 0987	Anjou, France
  Notes	Disambiguation Adèle de Meaux is not Adélaïde de Châlons. Adèle married Geoffroy I Grisegonelle, d. 987, count of Anjou, while Adélaïde married Lambert, d. probably 978, count of Chalon. The confusion arises because after Adele's death, and after Lambert's death, Lambert's widow, Adélaïde did marry Geoffroy I Grisegonelle. [1] Name Geoffroi I Grisegonelle [2] Geoffrey I of Anjou (c. 938/940 – July 21, 987), known as Grisegonelle ("Greymantle"), was count of Anjou from 960 to 987. Geoffroy I “Grisegonelle” Comte d'Anjou, was son of Foulques II Comte d’Anjou & his first wife Gerberge [de Maine] (-21 Jul 987). [3] Geoffroy I "Grisegonelle" (Geoffrey Greycloak, Gaufridus/Gauzfredus Grisegonella) [1] Gaufridus, comes Andegavorum [1] Geoffrey Grey Gown [4] Titles Count of Anjou, 958/960-987 [2][1] Count of Chalon, 979-987 [2] Birth and Parents Geoffroi's date and place of birth are unknown. [1] Geoffroi was the son of Fulk II (Foulques II the Good), Count of Anjou, and his wife Gerberga, or Gerbage. [2] Geoffroi's father was Foulques II "le Bon", whose accession was after 941 and who died between 958 and 960, count of Anjou.[1] His mother was named Gerberge. Baldwin notes that in charters of March 966 and 19 June 966, Gaufridus, comes Andegavorum, mentions his brother abbot Widdo, father Fulco and mother Gerberga, and in a charter of 970, count Gaufridus mentions his father Fulco and mother Gerberga[1] Estimating a birth year for Geoffroi must first account for the dates of his father Fulk, born around 905 and died between 958 and 960. Geoffroi's birth would not likely have occurred earlier than 926, when his father Fulk became 21. Geoffroi's mother Gerberge's estimated birth was in the year 913 and her death in 952. Geoffroi's birth would not not likely have occurred earlier than 928, when Gerberge was 15. Cawley [3] estimates a birth year of 938, which would make Geoffroi aged 20 or 21 when he acceded to his rule. This is no different from the estimates of a century ago by Norgate. [5] 960 Succession Geoffroy succeeded his father Foulques II as count of Anjou sometime between September 958, when Foulques was still alive, and September 960, when a count Gausfredus signed a donation to the monastery of Saint-Florent de Saumur by a certain Éremburge. [1] Or as Bachrach put it, he succeeded his father as Count of Anjou about 960, at the age of 20. [6] He succeeded his father Fulk II. He cultivated the loyal support of a group of magnates, some of whom he inherited from his father, others whom he recruited; men such as Alberic of Vihiers, Cadilo of Blaison, Roger I (le "vieux") of Loudon, Joscelin of Rennes, castellan of Baugé, Suhard I of Craon, Tobert of Buzençais and members of the Bouchard clan, and encouraged them to see their own dynastic interests as tied to the success of the Angevin count. [7] He succeeded in establishing a group of fideles upon whom his son, Fulk called "Nerra", was able to depend in establishing Anjou as a cohesive regional power in an age of territorial disintegration. [7] In preparing the way, Geoffrey was the first count in the west of France to associate his son in the comital title. [7] 965 First Marriage to Adele of Troyes He married Adele of Meaux. He was the son of Fulk II of Anjou and his wife Gergerge.[4] 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. [6] Through this marriage the Angevins joined the highest ranks of western French nobility. [6] Geoffrey maried first Adele of Troyes, daughter of Robert, Count of Meaux and his wife Adelais. [2] Richardson dates the marriage as "about 965" while Cawley [3] dates it "before 965". Baldwin simply notes that Geoffroi's first wife, Adèle de Troyes, daughter of Robert I, count of Troyes. was living on 6 March 974. On that day Adela, wife of count Gauzfredus, donated land which she had inherited to Saint-Aubin d'Angers, in a charter witnessed by, among others, count Gauzfredus, his sons Fulco and Gauzfredus, and count Heribertus. [1] The Saint-Aubin genealogies make Adèle a daughter of count Robert I of Troyes. Baldwin notes that although some have placed her instead as a sister of Robert and a daughter of Herbert II of Vermandois, there is no early authority for this. [1] 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. Through this marriage the Angevins joined the highest ranks of western French nobility. [7] Adela died at some time after the 974 charter. 971 See of Le Mans About 971 Geoffrey secured the see of Le Mans for his ally Bishop Seinfroy.[8] [4] 973 Marriage of Ermengarde to Conan In 973 Geoffrey had married his daughter Ermengarde-Gerberga to Conan I of Rennes[9] [4] but Conan began to oppose Geoffrey and in 982 the two met at the first battle of Conquereuil with Geoffrey defeating Conan.[10][4] Conquests Geoffrey allied with the Count of Nantes against the Count of Rennes, and allied with Hugh Capet, fearing an invasion by the Count of Blois. He was one of the men responsible for bringing Hugh to the throne of France.[7] 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] [4] The lands of the abbeys of Saint-Aubin and Saint-Serge in Angers provided the beneficium for his most faithful adherents.[4] [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] [4] Although one of the principal methods of Angevin expansion was by the creation of family connections Geoffrey exerted his control through various methods.[6] [4] 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] [4] 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] [4] 975 Brother Guy Appointed to Le Puy 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] [4] 979 Second Marriage to Adelais de Chalon, widow of Lambert After the death of his first wife Adele, Geoffrey married secondly Adelaise de Châlon. [8] Adelaise, sometimes also referred to as Adele, was the widow of Lambert I, Count of Chalon-sur-Saone (died 22 Feb 978). [2] Cawley places the date of this second marriage of Adelais as 2 or 9 Mar 979. [9] Cawley and Baldwin [1] both discuss a number of disputes as to the actual parentage of Adelais. Cawley notes that none appears to be based on any primary documentation and Bouchard concludes that she prefers "to leave Adelais's origins unknown". [9] As a result of this marriage, Geoffroi I "Grisegonelle" Comte d'Anjou, who acted as Comte de Chalon until his death in 987.[9] and for nearly a decade exerted control over the county of Châlons. [8] Adelaide, widow of Lambert, count of Chalon was living in 999. [9] 982 Marriage of Sister to Young King Louis V 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] 987 Accession of Fulk 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][4] 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][4] Seneschal of France Geoffrey I received in requital of his gallant services against the Emperor Otto, a grant from King Robert, of the dignified office of Seneschal of France.[7] 987 Death Geoffroi I, Count of Anjou, was slain in battle at Marcon (near Chateau-du-Loir) 21 July 987, and was buried at Saint-Martin de Tours. Geoffroy was killed on 21 July 987 while besieging a certain Odo Rufinus at Marçon, near Château-du-Loir [1] 999 Widow His widow, the second Adele, was living in 999. [2] Issue Documented Children Geoffroi and Adele had two sons and two daughters [2] Geoffroi and his second wife Adelais had a son, Maurice. Foulques d'Anjou , or Foulques III Nerra, Count of Anjou, son of Geoffroi and Adele [1], was born between 965 and 972. [2] Historiæ Andegavensis names his birth year as 970, and his death at Metz on 21 Jun 1040 with burial at Beaulieu-lez-Loche, Abbaye de Saint-Pierre).[11] Geoffrey d'Anjou or Geoffroi, son of Geoffroi and Adele, born between 965 and 974 [2] Geoffrey ("Gauzfredi filii eius") is named by his mother "Adela" in the 6 March 974 charter by which she donated property to Saint-Aubin d'Angers [3] and is living at that time [1] Geoffrey of Anjou (971-977), died young. [12] Ermengarde de Bretagne, daughter of Geoffroi and Adele, was born between 965 and 974 [2] and married Conan I of Rennes, who died in 992. Baldwin notes that (1) Rodulfus Glaber states that Conan married a sister of count Foulques of Anjou; (2) the Chronicle of S. Florent says that Geoffrey was son of Conan by a sister of Foulques; and (3) the Angevin genealogical collection states that Judith, wife of Richard of Normandy, was the daughter of Conan by his wife Ermengarde, daughter of Geoffroy of Anjou. [1] Baldwin further notes that chronological considerations place Ermengarde as a child of Geoffroy's first marriage to Adèle de Troyes. Sometimes Ermengarde and her sister Gerberge are conflated into one person, "Ermengarde-Gerberga" [13] Baldwin, however, notes that "there is no good reason to identify Geoffroy's daughters Ermengarde (wife of count Conan of Rennes) and Gerberge (wife of count Guillaume IV of Angoulême) as the same person, as is sometimes done [1] Gerberga d'Anjou, daughter of Geoffroi and Adele, was born between 965 and 974., and married Guillaume IV, Count of Angouleme. [2] She died after 988. [3] Ademar de Chabannes states that count Guillaume (IV) was married to Gerberge, sister of count Foulques ["Andegavensis" in one manuscript], who must chronologically be Foulques III. Depoin cites a charter which gives the name of Guillaume's wife as Girberga. [1] Maurice, son of Geoffroi and his second wife Adelais, d. in or before 1039. He was mentioned as a brother of count Fulco in a charter of 1003 He was killed in combat by a certain Gautier, son of Hamelin de Langeais, in or before 1039. [1] Additional Children Linked on WikiTree These children were linked on WikiTree but not verified by any source as the children of Geoffrey and his first wife Adela. They may be children of Geoffrey's second wife Adelais, by her first husband Lambert, and have been linked as their children. Maud. Born Chalon, no birth year. Married Anjou Elizabeth (Châlons) Vergy, born Chalons, 958 Maud (Châlons) de Semur, born 969 Aelis (Châlons) Mâcon , born 985 Falsely attributed children Bouchard (Barbatus), supposed father of Bouchard de Montmorency.[1] Adélaïde (in fact a sister), mother of queen Constance. One example of this comes from a late fabricated genealogy which was published with the cartulary of Trinité de Vendôme. Bouchard is part of a late attempt to fabricate an origin for the house of Montmorency. Constance's mother Adélaïde was a sister of Geoffroy [1] Children formerly linked which have been delinked Hugues (Châlons) de Châlons, born Dijon 1030 has been shown as the child of Lambert and Adelaide de Vermandois. There are two problems with this -- (1) Lambert and Adelaide were married to different people, and (2) Hughes was born well after the deaths of both of them. Therefore I have delinked Hughes from Adelaide.Day-1904 19:06, 5 March 2017 (EST) Sources ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 Stewart Baldwin. The Henry Project. Geoffrey I Grisegonelle File uploaded 11 May 2006, Revision uploaded 24 April 2008. Accessed June 6, 2017. jhd ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 Douglas Richardson. Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial and Medieval Families. Kimball G. Everingham, editor. By the author: Salt lake City, 2013. Vol V, pp. 485-486. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Cawley. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Medieval Lands Database. fmg.acGeoffroy I Accessed March 5, 2017. jhd ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 Wikipedia. Geoffrey I Count of Anjou Accessed June 6, 2017. jhd ↑ Norgate, Kate (1887). England Under The Angevin Kings. England: Macmillan. Cited by Wikipedia. Geoffrey I Count of Anjou Accessed June 6, 2017. jhd ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Bernard S. Bachrach, Fulk Nerra the Neo-Roman Consul, 987-1040 (University of California Press, 1993), p. 9. Cited by Wikipedia. Geoffrey I Count of Anjou Accessed June 6, 2017. jhd ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Prior narrative for Geoffrey without inline source; citation needed ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bernard S. Bachrach, 'The Idea of the Angevin Empire', Albion: A Quarterly Journal Concerned with British Studies, Vol. 10, No. 4 (Winter,1978), p. 295. Cited by Wikipedia. Geoffrey I Count of Anjou Accessed June 6, 2017. jhd ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Charles Cawley. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Medieval Lands Database Medieval Lands Lambert ↑ 10.0 10.1 Bernard S. Bachrach, Fulk Nerra the Neo-Roman Consul, 987-1040 (University of California Press, 1993), p. 15. Cited by Wikipedia. Geoffrey I Count of Anjou Accessed June 6, 2017. jhd ↑ Historiæ Andegavensis, allegedly written by Foulques IV "Rechin" Comte d'Anjou, names "Goffridus Grisagonella pater avi mei Fulconis". succeeded father 987 as FOULQUES III "Nerra/the Black" Comte d'Anjou. ↑ Bernard S. Bachrach, Fulk Nerra the Neo-Roman Consul, 987-1040 (University of California Press, 1993), pp. 11-12. Cited by Wikipedia. Geoffrey I Count of Anjou Accessed June 6, 2017. jhd ↑ Detlev Schwennicke, Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten, Neue Folge, Band III Teilband 4 (Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, Marburg, Germany. 1989), Tafel 817. Cited by Wikipedia. Geoffrey I Count of Anjou Accessed June 6, 2017. jhd
  Person ID	I58340	Freeman-Smith
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026

  
  

  Father	ANJOU Foulques,   b. Abt 0905, Anjou, France d. Abt 0958 (Age 53 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	GÂTINAIS Gerberge,   b. Abt 0913, Gatinais, Orleanais-Centre, France d. 0952, Tours, Loire-Centre, France (Age 39 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	Abt 0937	Anjou, Loire-Centre, France
  Family ID	F26026	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	de VERMANDOIS Adelaide,   b. Abt 0950, Of, Vermandois, Neustria d. Aft 0982 (Age > 33 years)
  Marriage	Abt 0965	France
  Children	1. ANJOU Ermengarde,   b. Abt 0966, Anjou Province, France d. 27 Jun 0992, France (Age 26 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F27928	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026