Enguerrand I, Count of Ponthieu, was recognized as count by 1026-7, having endorsed a royal charter. Protecting Vimeu, he inflicted losses on an invasion by
Gilbert, Count of Brionne
Gilbert (or Giselbert) de Brionne, Count of Eu and of Brionne ( – ), was an influential nobleman in the Duchy of Normandy in Northern France.Deck, S. (1954). Le comté d'Eu sous les ducs. In Annales de Normandie (Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 99-116 ...
. Enguerrand was quite influential, being at Duke Robert of Normandy's court before the latter left on crusade. He was instrumental in his son, Hugh's marriage to Bertha of Aumale, which expanded the family's territory. Enguerrand died in 1045 and was succeeded by his son
Hugh II of Ponthieu.
Life
Enguerrand was the son of
Hugh I of Ponthieu and
Gisela, daughter of
Hugh Capet
Hugh Capet (; ; 941 – 24 October 996) was the King of the Franks from 987 to 996. He is the founder of and first king from the House of Capet. The son of the powerful duke Hugh the Great and his wife Hedwige of Saxony, he was elected as t ...
. In 1026–7, Enguerrand, using the title of count, endorsed a charter in the presence of King Robert II. He had holdings at Conteville, near Doullens, east of Abbeville, which might have been remnants of a Carolingian county. He held authority in Vimeu, having repelled an attack by
Gilbert, Count of Brionne
Gilbert (or Giselbert) de Brionne, Count of Eu and of Brionne ( – ), was an influential nobleman in the Duchy of Normandy in Northern France.Deck, S. (1954). Le comté d'Eu sous les ducs. In Annales de Normandie (Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 99-116 ...
, inflicting significant losses on the Brionne forces.
By the 1030s, Enguerrand had become a key figure among his influential neighbors, whose backing Duke Robert of Normandy was keen to gain before embarking on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. His presence at Duke Robert’s court just before Robert's departure indicates his significant influence. By 1043, Enguerrand had invested time to groom and prepare his son, Hugh, as his successor. It is likely that Enguerrand also orchestrated Hugh's marriage to Bertha, the daughter of Guerinfridus, the castellan of Aumale, located on the upper River Bresle between Normandy and the Beauvaisis, thereby expanding the family's territorial holdings further south.
Enguerrand died around 1045 and buried at Saint-Riquier France.
Marriages and children
Enguerrand married
Adelaide
Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...
, widow of Baudouin de Boulogne, daughter of
Arnulf, Count of Holland
Arnulf, also known as Arnoud or Arnold, succeeded his father in 988 as Count of Frisia, which by around AD 1100 would come to be referred to as the county of Holland. He was born in 951 in Ghent and because of this he is also known as Arnulf of Ghe ...
, they had:
*
Hugh II
*
Guy, Bishop of Amiens
*Fulk (later abbot of Forest l'Abbaye)
Notes
References
Sources
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
The Carmen de Hastingae Proelio of
Bishop Guy of Amiens, edited by Catherine Morton and Hope Muntz, Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1972.
{{S-end
Counts of Ponthieu
11th-century French nobility
10th-century French nobility