Adelolf, Count of BoulogneHis name is variously spelled Adelulf, Adalulf, Adalolf, and, in French, Adalolphe; in Latin, Adalolphus. (died 933), was a younger brother of

Arnulf I, Count of Flanders Arnulf I (c. 893/899 – 27 March 965), called "the Great", was the first Count of Flanders. Life Arnulf was the son of margrave Baldwin II of Flanders and Ælfthryth of Wessex, daughter of Alfred the Great.Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische S ...

and was given the

County of Boulogne The County of Boulogne was a county within the Kingdom of France during the 9th to 15th centuries, centred on the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer. It was ruled by the counts of Flanders in the 10th century, but a separate House of Boulogne emerged duri ...

by his father. He was a son of

Baldwin II, Count of Flanders Baldwin II ( 865 – 10 September 918) was the second margrave (or count) of Flanders, ruling from 879 to 918. He was nicknamed the Bald (''Calvus'') after his maternal grandfather, Emperor Charles the Bald. Rule Baldwin II was born around 86 ...

, and of Ælfthryth, daughter of Alfred the Great.Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten'', Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 5 He was probably named for his maternal great-grandfather, King Æthelwulf of Wessex. Baldwin II's extensive lands and many offices in what is now the north of modern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and the west of

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

were divided among his sons on his death in 918.Renée Nip, 'The Political Relations between England and Flanders (1066-1128)', ''Anglo-Norman Studies 21: Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1998'', ed. Christopher Harper-Bill (The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, UK, 1999), p. 150 The elder, Arnulf, became Count of Flanders while Adelolf succeeded his father as

count of Saint-Pol The county of Saint-Pol (or ''Sint-Pols'') was a county around the French city of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise (''Sint-Pols-aan-de-Ternas'') on the border of Artois and Picardy, formerly the county of Ternois. For a long time the county belonged to Fla ...

, Count of Boulogne and of

Thérouanne Thérouanne (; vls, Terenburg; Dutch ''Terwaan'') is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. It is located west of Aire-sur-la-Lys and south of Saint-Omer, on the D 157 and D 341 road junction. Loca ...

. He was also the

lay abbot Lay abbot ( la, abbatocomes, abbas laicus, abbas miles, ) is a name used to designate a layman on whom a king or someone in authority bestowed an abbey as a reward for services rendered; he had charge of the estate belonging to it, and was entitle ...

of the

Abbey of Saint Bertinus The Abbey of St. Bertin was a Benedictine monastic abbey in Saint-Omer, France. The buildings are now in ruins, which are open to the public. It was initially dedicated to but was rededicated to its second abbot, . The abbey is known for its La ...

(Saint-Bertin) at

Saint-Omer Saint-Omer (; vls, Sint-Omaars) is a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department in France. It is west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais, and is located in the Artois province. The town is named after Saint Audoma ...

.Régine Le Jan, 'Famille et Pouvoir dans le Monde Franc (VIIe–Xe Siècle)', ''Essai d'anthropologie sociale'' (Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne, 2003), In 926 Adelolf was sent as an ambassador to his maternal first cousin King

Æthelstan of England Æthelstan or Athelstan (; ang, Æðelstān ; on, Aðalsteinn; ; – 27 October 939) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924 to 927 and King of the English from 927 to his death in 939. He was the son of King Edward the Elder and his first ...

by Count

Hugh the Great Hugh the Great (16 June 956) was the duke of the Franks and count of Paris. Biography Hugh was the son of King Robert I of France and Béatrice of Vermandois.Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der E ...

, effective ruler of northern France under

Rudolph, Duke of Burgundy Rudolph (french: Rodolphe), sometimes called Ralph (; c. 890 – 14/15 January 936), was the king of France from 923 until his death in 936. He was elected to succeed his father-in-law, Robert I, and spent much of his reign defending his realm fr ...

, who had been elected king of France in 923. Adelolf was to seek the English king's agreement to a marriage between Hugh and another of Æthelstan's sisters. Among the lavish gifts sent to Æthelstan, an avid collector of relics, were said to be the sword of the Roman Emperor

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...

and the

Holy Lance The Holy Lance, also known as the Lance of Longinus (named after Saint Longinus), the Spear of Destiny, or the Holy Spear, is the lance that pierced the side of Jesus as he hung on the cross during his crucifixion. Biblical references The l ...

. The embassy was a success and Hugh was married to Æthelstan's half-sister

Eadhild Eadhild (died 937) was an English princess, the second wife of Hugh the Great, Hugh, duke of the Franks. She was a daughter of Edward the Elder, king of the Anglo-Saxons and his second wife Ælfflæd, wife of Edward the Elder, Ælfflæd. In 926 ...

. In 933, Æthelstan's half-brother

Edwin The name Edwin means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "ƿine" (friend). The original Anglo-Saxon form is Eadƿine, which is also found for Anglo-Saxon figures. People * Edwin of Northumbria (die ...

was drowned and his body cast ashore. Adelolf received the body of his kinsman with honour and took it to the Abbey of Saint Bertin for burial. Adelolf was the father of

Arnulf II, Count of Boulogne Arnulf II of Boulogne (died 972) was Count of Boulogne from 964 to 972. He was the son of Count Adelolf of Boulogne. He succeeded as count in 964 after the death of his uncle Arnulf I, who was also Count of Flanders, and held it until his own deat ...

( † 971), and of an illegitimate son named Baldwin (died 973) who was guardian of

Arnulf II, Count of Flanders Arnulf II (960 or 961 – 30 March 987) was Count of Flanders from 965 until his death. Life He was the son of Baldwin III of Flanders and Mathilde Billung of Saxony, daughter of Herman, Duke of Saxony.Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammt ...

. Adelolf died November 13, 933.Lambert of Ardres, ''The History of the Counts of Guines and the Lords of Ardres'', trans. Leah Shopkow (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007), p. 26 He was buried at Saint-Bertin.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adelolf, Count Of Boulogne Year of birth unknown 933 deaths 10th-century French people Counts of Boulogne House of Flanders French people of English descent