Hucbert
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Hucbert ( 820 – 864) was a
Frank Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curr ...
and son of the count
Boso the Elder Boso (or Boson) "the Elder" ( 800 – 855) was a Frankish Count of Turin and Count of Valois of the Bosonid dynasty. Family and issue He was married to Engeltrude. They had the following issue: * Boso, Count of Valois (d. 874) * Teutberga (d. ...
. Therefore, he was a
Bosonid The Bosonids were a dynasty of Carolingian era dukes, counts, bishops and knights descended from Boso the Elder. Eventually they married into the Carolingian dynasty and produced kings and an emperor of the Frankish Empire. The first great scion o ...
, and the namesake for the Huberterian branch of the family. His rise to power commenced under
Lothair I Lothair I or Lothar I (Dutch and Medieval Latin: ''Lotharius''; German: ''Lothar''; French: ''Lothaire''; Italian: ''Lotario'') (795 – 29 September 855) was emperor (817–855, co-ruling with his father until 840), and the governor of Bavar ...
but continued under Lothair II, reaching its apex when his sister Theutberga married Lothair II, a prince of the
Carolingian dynasty The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...
, the imperial family of
Francia Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks dur ...
. Hucbert also served as the lay-abbot of the Abbey of Saint Maurice-in-Valais. This gave him control over the Mons Iovis pass, the main route between Francia and
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. Hucbert later gained power in the region of
Transjurane Burgundy The Kingdom of Upper Burgundy was a Francia, Frankish dominion established in 888 by the Elder House of Welf, Welf king Rudolph I of Burgundy on the territory of former Middle Francia. It grew out of the Carolingian Empire, Carolingian margravi ...
(859) which is what helped him later to find safety within the kingdom of
Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a ser ...
. The region beyond the
Jura Mountains The Jura Mountains ( , , , ; french: Massif du Jura; german: Juragebirge; it, Massiccio del Giura, rm, Montagnas da Jura) are a sub-alpine mountain range a short distance north of the Western Alps and mainly demarcate a long part of the Frenc ...
was granted by Lothair II to his brother Louis II in 859. This was the power base of Hucbert and Lothair had therefore removed Hucbert and his influence from his kingdom. Hucbert resisted Louis II's rule during 863–4, proving rebels with safe havens within the deep mountains passes under his control. Lothair had pursued the marriage with Theutberga in order to secure his weak southern border, as Hucbert had control of several key alpine passes, to protect from his brother Louis II. Following the 856 Treaty of Orbe, peace was formed between the brother Lothair II and Louis II meaning the alliance with Hucbert, and marriage with Theutberga, was no longer imperative. Lothair first tried to obtain a divorce in 858 via a trial by ordeal (scalding water); Theutberga's champion removed his hand from the water in front of an assembly of Lotharingian bishops 'uncooked'. The trial is believed to have been passed due to a faction supporting the queen and Hucbert, giving Hucbert incredible strength inside Lothair's court. Lothair was forced to take Hucbert's sister back, but he tried for divorce again in 860 accusing Theutberga of incest with Hucbert and even aborting their child. Theutberga confessed then fled to her brother in the neighbouring kingdom of
West Francia In medieval history, West Francia (Medieval Latin: ) or the Kingdom of the West Franks () refers to the western part of the Frankish Empire established by Charlemagne. It represents the earliest stage of the Kingdom of France, lasting from about ...
. This meant Charles the Bald could block the two from entering Lotharingia for judgement, effectively slowing the process, also as the pair are under the protection of Charles the Bald. The divorce attempts ultimately failed thanks to the involvement of Pope Nicholas I and Lothair died still married to Theutberga. There are several main explanations for Lothair attempting to achieve a divorce from Theutberga, all given by Stone and West: * The changing political significance of Theutberga's family, specifically Hucbert. * Alternatively we can see Lothair as motivated against Hucbert whose political value had vanished following the Treaty of Orbe. This making Theutberga the unwanted legacy of an outdated alliance, and by 860 Hucbert had been considerably weakened politically with areas under his control removed from Lothair's kingdom. The lack of power is further supported due to the lack of resistance towards Lothair in 860, with Hucbert having fled to West Francia. Hucbert was killed in 864 by the 'sons of Conrad', meaning
Conrad the Younger Conrad I (; c. 881 – 23 December 918), called the Younger, was the king of East Francia from 911 to 918. He was the first king not of the Carolingian dynasty, the first to be elected by the nobility and the first to be anointed. He was chosen a ...
and
Hugh, Duke of Alsace Hugh or Hugo (before 855 – 895) was an illegitimate son of Lothair II, king of Lotharingia, by his concubine Waldrada. His father made him Duke of Alsace in 867. Hugh's name was not a Carolingian royal name, but it was common among the Etichon ...
. It was recorded in the 10th century that Hucbert had raided the abbey of Lobbes in 864 and usurped the abbot's seat before dividing its holdings, just prior to his death. Hucbert was the father of
Theobald of Arles Theobald (c. 854-895), count of Arles, was a Frank from the Bosonid-family. He was a son of Hucbert Hucbert ( 820 – 864) was a Frank and son of the count Boso the Elder. Therefore, he was a Bosonid, and the namesake for the Huberterian b ...
(c. 854 – c. 895), who married Bertha, the daughter of Lothair II and his concubine
Waldrada of Lotharingia Waldrada was the mistress, and later the wife, of Lothair II of Lotharingia. Biography Waldrada's family origin is uncertain. A prolific 19th-century French writer Baron Ernouf suggested that Waldrada was of noble Gallo-Roman family, sister of T ...
. Theobald later supported Lothair's son Hugh during his insurgency; he is declared in the Annals of Fulda as 'the leader of Hugh's army'.Regino of Prüm's Chronicle, Simon MacLean, pp. 189-190.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hucbert Bosonids 820s births 864 deaths Year of birth uncertain