Hoël I of Brittany was an illegitimate son of
Alan II and Judith. He was
Count of Nantes The counts of Nantes were originally the Frankish rulers of the Nantais under the Carolingians and eventually a capital city of the Duchy of Brittany. Their county served as a march against the Bretons of the Vannetais. Carolingian rulers would s ...
and
Duke of Brittany
This is a list of rulers of Brittany. In different epochs the rulers of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary right. Hereditary ...
from 960 to 981.
Life
Upon the death of Drogo, the government of Brittany splintered among the leading nobles. Evidence of a fractured leadership appeared in letters from
Pope John XIII
Pope John XIII (; ca. 930 – 6 September 972) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 1 October 965 to his death. His pontificate was caught up in the continuing conflict between the Holy Roman emperor, Otto I, and the Roman n ...
to Brittany who addressed "Juhel Béranger and his son Conan, as well as Hoël and his brother Guérech."
In 975, Hoël I entered into a conflict with
Conan I ''Le Tort'', the Count of Rennes, son of Juhel Béranger and the eventual Duke of Brittany after the rule of Hoël and his brother Guérech. Conan I controlled the north of Brittany and considered himself the ruler of Brittany. Hoël's army was supplemented by the troops of
Geoffrey I of Anjou
Geoffrey I of Anjou ( – 21 July 987), known as ("Grey Gown" or "Greymantle"), was count of Anjou from 960 to 987.
Life
Geoffrey was the eldest son of Fulk II, Count of Anjou and his first wife Gerberga. He succeeded his father as Count of A ...
while Conan I's army was supported by the forces of the House of Blois.
A battle ensued at Conquereuil where Geoffrey defeated Conan I, although the military result of the battle was indecisive, as different results are recorded in the Chronicles of Nantes and Mont St Michel.
In 981, Hoël I worked to have his brother Guérech elected Bishop of Nantes to replace Gauthier I who had died.
Family
The name of Hoël I's spouse is unknown. He had at least two known children:
*
Judicaël (c 979 - 1004) - he became Count of Nantes and was the father of Budic and
Judith of Nantes Judith of Nantes (died 27 February 1063) was titular Countess of Nantes from 1051 to her death in 1063.
Life
Judith was the daughter of Judicaël of Nantes and the sister of Budic of Nantes. She married Alain Canhiart, Count of Cornouaille, ar ...
* Hoël
Death
In 981, during Guérech's visit to the Metropolitan of Tours, who controlled all bishops in Brittany, Hoël I was assassinated by Galuron under the orders of Conan I. Guérech left his bishopric of Nantes before being consecrated Bishop and was elected Count of Nantes.
Notes
References
Supplemental Reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoel 01, Duke of Brittany
981 deaths
10th-century dukes of Brittany
Counts of Nantes
Dukes of Brittany
Year of birth unknown
Murder victims
Assassinated nobility