HP: Angevin loose ends

Having uploaded pages on the earlier Angevin counts to the "Henry
Project" webpage yesterday, I thought I would summarize some loose
ends, and indicate some places where there has been significant
disagreement in the literature. See the pages themselves for details.

First, items of past disgreement for which I think the evidence
heavily favors a specific solution.

1. The paternal ancestry of the Plantagenets.
I accept the theory of Estournet (1928), later convincingly
followed by Settipani (1997, 2000) and Saint-Phalle (2000), that count
Geoffroy of Gâtinais (father of Foulques IV) was the son of Beatrix de
Mâcon by a certain Hugues du Perche (discussed in detail on the page
for Geoffroy of Gâtinais). For the moment, I have sidestepped the
more difficult question of the parentage of Hugues du Perche (which is
intertwined with the problematic origin of the counts of Perche and
viscounts of Châteaudun).

2. The legendary nature of Tertullus and Tortulfus/Torquatius.
I see no reason to regard these individuals as historical. Even
for Ingelger, the contemporary sources give us nothing beyond his
name.

3. The parentage of Adèle, wife of Geoffroy Grisegonelle.
Her father was almost certainly count Robert I of Troyes. The
rival theory which would make her a sister of Robert and a daughter of
Heribert II of Vermandois is nowhere attested and chronologically less
likely.

4. Ermengarde and Gerberge, daughters of Geoffroy Grisegonelle.
I see no good reason to combine these two daughters into a single
individual Ermengarde/Gerberge.

Next, one item for which I have not yet read an important article:

5. Adélaïde d'Anjou (the often married)
I have outlined the evidence from other sources, but I still have
not read Thierry Stasser's article that appeared in "Le Moyen Age".
(That journal is easy enough to find, but it is not available to me
here in Auburn, and I keep forgetting to make a copy of that article
when I am at a library that has it.)

Finally, thing which I think are clearly still "loose ends".

6. The supposed second marriage of Geoffroy Grisegonelle to Adélaïde,
widow of Lambert of Chalon.
This is not directly attested, and chronologically difficult. I
find myself sitting on the fence with this one.

7. The mother of Geoffroy's son Maurice.
This is heavily tied with the previous matter.

8. The wife of Joscelin de Courtenay.
His wife is said to have been a daughter of a certain count
Geoffroy Férreol, but the common identification of this Geoffroy
Férreol with Geoffroy of Gâtinais is not well attested.

9. Adèle, wife of Gautier de Vexin.
With proof still lacking, the conjecture making her a daughter of
Foulques II seems best.

leblancr...

On the pages for Foulques I and II, it is mentioned that the chronology
seems more favorable for placing her as a daughter of Foulques II,
though I had previously noted the opposite to be the case. It would be
beneficial to see more elaboration for the possible chronology concerns
involved.

Roger LeBlanc

10. Descents of the earlier Angevin wives.
A lot of conjecture, even more uncertainty, it seems to me.

Stewart Baldwin