Waratton, Mayor of the Palace of Neustria

Descent Line

1.Anseflede [1] m Waratton(-686) Mayor of the Palace of Neustria [2,3]

• 2.1 Giselmar ( -685) Mayor of the Palace of Neustria
  
• 2.2 Anstrudis [4,5] m Berthechar (- 688) Mayor of the Palace of Neustria [6,7]
  

• 3 Adaltrudis [8] m Drogo (670 - 708) Duke of Champagne, son of Pépin II d'Héristal's Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia
  

Their Story

Waratton was appointed maior domus of Neustria in 680 by the remaining Neustrian nobility after the murder of Ebroin, and he made peace with Pépin II d'Héristal, maior domus of Austrasia. He was deposed by his son, Giselmar, but restored after the death of the latter in 685 [9].

Berthechar married Anstrude, the daughter of Waratton and Anseflede. In 686 [10], when Waratton died, there were succession disputes, and Anseflede, Waratton’s widow, (supposedly) arranged to have Berthechar – her son-in-law- appointed by King Theoderic III in Waratton’s place [11].

But Berthechar tried to return to the policy of Ebroin, former Mayor of the Palace - to submit to the central government . He thus alienated many of the Neustrian nobility who deserted to join Pépin. When the powerful Bishop of Reims went into exile and took refuge in Austrasia, he encouraged Pépin to go to war against Berthechar [12,13]. Pépin defeated Berthechar and King Theoderic at the battle of Tertry Vermandois in 687. Some of the factions fled to the nearby abbeys, Peronne and Saint-Quentin; while the rest, including Berthechar and King Theodoric III, retreated to Paris. Pépin followed them into the city, and a peace agreement was signed; the content of which is unknown, except that Berthechar was left in office. Once Theoderic and Berthechar were readmitted at court there were renewed disputes between the groups.

As a consequence of these events Pépin took over the office of Mayor of the Palace of Neustria. He did not, however, touch Theoderic’s position as king [14] . In order to negotiate peace with Pépin, Anseflede had her son-in-law murdered [15] and married either her daughter, Anstrudis (widow of Berthechar), or her granddaughter, Adaltrudis (daughter of Berthechar and Anstrudis) to Drogo, eldest son of Pépin. This secured Pepin's place in Neustria.

Footnotes in Anseflede, Anstrudis, Adaltrudis & the Mayors of the Palace of Neustria Project