Alduin II, comte d'Angoulême

Ingestuur:

HILDUIN d’Angoulême (-1032 before 1 May). The Chronicle of Adémar de Chabannes names "Hilduinum et Gosfridum" as sons of "comes…Engolismæ Willelmus" and his wife "Girberga sorore comitis Fulconis"[508]. "…Willelmi Engolisme comitis, Alduini eius filius…" subscribed the charter dated 3 Aug 1016 under which "Guilelmus…dux Aquitaniensium" granted rights to Saint-Hilaire de Poitier[509]. "Vuillelmi vicecomitis Engolismense et Aldoini filii sui" subscribed a charter dated 21 May 1021 under which "Belerendis" donated property "in pago Pictave in viccaria Metulensi in villa…Blansiaco" to Saint-Jean d'Angély[510]. Ademar names "Hilduinem et Gosfridum" sons of "comes Engolismæ Willelmus" and his wife "Girberga sorore comitis Fulconis"[511]. He succeeded his father in 1028 as Comte d'Angoulême. The Chronicle of Adémar de Chabannes records the succession of "filius eius Alduinus" after the death of "Willelmus comes"[512]. The Historia Pontificum et Comitum Engolismensis records that "Alduinus filius eius" succeeded “in principatu Engolismæ” on the death of "Willermo", ruled for four years and died “MXXX---”[513]. m ALAISIA de Fronsac, daughter of GRIMOARD Vicomte de Fronsac & his wife Deda de Montignac. The Chronicle of Adémar de Chabannes records the marriage of "Ilduinem comitem" and "comitissæ Alaiziæ", specifying that she brought "castro Fronciaco" to her husband[514]. The Chronique de Guitres names “Alaaz Engolismensem comitissam et Ameliam Petragorcicorum comitissam” as the children of “Grimoardus” and his wife “de Montiniac...Dea”[515]. [According to Europäische Stammtafeln[516], Comte Hilduin married ([1020]%29 Alaisia de Gascogne, daughter of Sancho Guillén Duke of Gascony & his wife ---, although the primary source on which this is based has not yet been identified and it contradicts the sources cited above. Another table in Europäische Stammtafeln[517], records their possible son as Berenger, "Duke of Gascony 1032, died [1036/37]". He is named as such in L'art de verifier les dates[518], but if this is correct it is unclear why Berenger (who would presumably have been his parents' oldest son if he succeeded in Gascony) did not subscribe the charter dated to [1020/28] which was subscribed by his presumed brothers Guillaume and Arnaud[519].] The Historia Pontificum et Comitum Engolismensis records that "filius...Alduini...Willermus Chausardus" held "solummodo Mastacium et medietatem castri Fronciaci" after the death of his father and succession of his paternal uncle, stating that “comes Willelmus eius avus” had disinherited “filios et filias” [of Hilduin] because “uxor eiusdem Audoini” had poisoned him[520]. Comte Hilduin & his wife had [three] children:

We have noticed that, according to the French genealogists, the grandfather of William, who was first named Taillefer. was Wulgrin, who was created count of Perigord and Angouleme by his kinsman Charles the Bald. He married Rogerlinde, daughter of Bernard Duke of Toulouse ; and after having fought several engagements with the Northmen, died on May 3rd, 8SG. He was succeeded by his son Aldwin, who died according to the chronicle of Angouleme on the 27th of March, 916, and was buried at the church of St. Cybard.

His only son was William, surnamed Taillefer, whose inheri- tance, as he left no legitimate issue, was disputed between his son Armand Taillefer, called Manzer, or the Bastard, and a cousin, also called Armand, surnamed Bouration, or Yoratio, who made himself master of Angouleme on the death of William. After a fierce struggle for the inheritance, during which Armand the Bastard slew Ranulph the brother of Armand in single combat, the countship of Angouleme became established in the illegiti- mate line.

Armand founded the abbey of St. Armand, and dying March 4th, 992. was buried at St. Cybard in the habit of a monk. The affix or " to-name " of Taillefer, which had been adopted by him, was continued by his direct descendants. He had married Hildegarde, or Rengarde . . ., by whom he had a son William Taillefer II., Count of Angouleme, who married Girberge, or Gilbergue, daughter of Geoffry Grisgonelle, Count of Anjou, and Grand Master of France. He was a man of great courage and piety, and the intimate friend and adviser of William, Duke of Aquitaine, and Count of Poitou, who gave him lands at Melle, Aunay, Rochechouart, Chabanais, Confolens, and Ruilec. He was said to have built the " chateau de Taille- fer " in Angouleme. In 1020 he went to the Holy Land, and, dying April 6th, 1028, was buried in the abbey church of St. Cybard.

He left two sons, Alduin, who succeeded him ■ as Alduin Taillefer II., Count of Angouleme, said to have been poisoned by his wife Alaizie, or Alaaz, in 1030 or 1032; and Geoffry, of whom presently. William Taillefer, " Le Chansart," was Alduin's eldest son. He was Viscount of Mastas, or Matha, and he possessed half Fronsae in right of his mother, who was daughter of Grimoard, one of the first Viscounts of Fronsae, by Dea de Montignac. He was dispossessed, as we have seen, by his uncle GeofFry, who seized Angouleme, and became count on the death of his brother Alduin. In " L'Art de Verifier les Dates," it is said of him that the name Taillefer was continued to him (although he was the representative of a collateral branch, by which it is clear that until then it was only inherited in the direct male line) on account of his feats of strength in cleav- ing helms and cuirasses. He died in 1040. His descendant in the fifth generation was Wulgrin Taillefer, count of Angou- leme, who, after waging war against the English, died in 1188, leaving a daughter and heiress Mathilda. This Mathilda was deposed by her uncle Adomar or Aymar, in whom the name of Taillefer does not seem to have been revived. He married Alix, the divorced wife of the Count de Joigni, who was the grand-daughter of Peter de Courtenai, son of Louis le Gros. Count Aymar left one daughter and heiress, Isabella, who was first the wife of John, King of England, and secondly of the Count de la Marche- Ingestuur Ds. MG Muller