Guy of Burgundy, also known as Guy of Brionne, was a member of the

House of Ivrea The Anscarids ( la, Anscarii) or the House of Ivrea were a medieval dynasty of Frankish origin which rose to prominence in Northern Italy in the tenth century, even briefly holding the Italian throne. The main branch ruled the County of Burgun ...

with a claim to the

Duchy of Normandy The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans. From 1066 until 1204, as a result of the Norman c ...

. He held extensive land from his cousin, Duke

William the Bastard William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 108 ...

, but lost it following his unsuccessful rebellion in the late 1040s.

Early life

Guy was born to

Reginald I, Count of Burgundy Reginald I was the second count of the Free County of Burgundy. Born in 986, he was the son of Otto-William, the first count, and Ermentrude de Roucy. In 1016, Reginald married Alice of Normandy. He succeeded to the county on his father's death ...

, and

Alice of Normandy Alice (Adeliza, Adelaide) (c. 1002 – 1038) was a daughter of Richard II, Duke of Normandy (972–1026) and Judith of Brittany. She married Reginald I, Count of Burgundy and had the following children: #William I, Count of Burgundy Will ...

. As a younger son, he did not stand to inherit anything. As his mother was the daughter of

Richard II, Duke of Normandy Richard II (died 28 August 1026), called the Good (French: ''Le Bon''), was the duke of Normandy from 996 until 1026. Life Richard was the eldest surviving son and heir of Richard the Fearless and Gunnor. He succeeded his father as the ruler of ...

, Guy was sent to be raised at the Norman court in the early 1040s. It was hoped that the guardians of his young cousin,

, would provide a future for Guy. Guy was William's household companion for a time, and as such did not have the resources needed to challenge ducal authority. Following the murder in 1040 of the leading Norman nobleman Gilbert of Brionne, a cousin of William and Guy, Guy received the lordship of

Brionne Brionne () is a commune in the Eure department. Brionne is in the region of Normandy of northern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of oversea ...

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

. He was granted Vernon as well. Like his predecessor and cousin, Gilbert, Guy was a notable benefactor of the

Abbey of Bec An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The conc ...

Rebellion

Guy was not satisfied with the grants of land. In 1046, Guy emerged at the head of a conspiracy of Norman nobles discontented with his cousin's rule. The rebels needed a figurehead with a claim to the duchy, and Guy served the purpose as a legitimate grandson of Richard II. According to

William of Poitiers William of Poitiers ( 10201090) (LA: Guillelmus Pictaviensis; FR: Guillaume de Poitiers) was a Frankish priest of Norman origin and chaplain of Duke William of Normandy (William the Conqueror), for whom he chronicled the Norman Conquest of Engla ...

, Guy either aimed at the ducal throne, which would have been unusually ambitious, or wanted to secure the greater part of the duchy for himself. Whether Guy merely felt sidelined at William's court or thought himself a better heir than his illegitimate cousin is ultimately unclear. Guy was defeated by William and his overlord, King

Henry I of France Henry I (4 May 1008 – 4 August 1060) was King of the Franks from 1031 to 1060. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians. Th ...

, at the Battle of Val-ès-Dunes. He retreated to his castle at Brionne, where the Duke besieged him there for three years before finally subduing him in 1049. William of Poitiers wrote that the Duke subsequently allowed Guy to remain at his court;

William of Jumièges William of Jumièges (born c. 1000 - died after 1070) (french: Guillaume de Jumièges) was a contemporary of the events of 1066, and one of the earliest writers on the subject of the Norman conquest of England. He is himself a shadowy figure, only ...

describes this as

house arrest In justice and law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or, in modern times, electronic monitoring) is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to their residence. Travel is usually restricted, if all ...

. As a punishment for his rebellion, Guy lost his castles.

References

Bibliography

* * * *{{Cite book, first=Julie, last=Potter, title=The Benefactors of Bec and the Politics of Priories, work=Anglo-Norman Studies XXI: Proceedings of the Battle Conference 1998, publisher=Boydell & Brewer, year=1999, isbn=0851157459 Anscarids