Hugh IV (died 25 March 1051) was
Count of Maine
This is a list of counts and dukes of Maine. The capital of Maine was Le Mans. In the thirteenth century it was annexed by France to the royal domain.
Dukes of Maine (''duces Cenomannici'')
* Charivius (fl. 723) – appears as ''dux'' in a docu ...
from 1036 to 1051.
Life
Hugh was the son of
Herbert I, Count of Maine,
[Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten'', Neue Folge, Band III Teilband 4 (Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, Marburg, Germany, 1989), Tafel 692] one of the
Hugonides.
[The Hugonides were descended from Count Roger († and were so named for counts Hugh I, II, III, and IV, and were also ]Carolingians
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 Pippi ...
through Roger's wife Rothilde
Rothilde (Latin: ''Rothildis''; 871 – 928/929) was a lady born into the royal family of Western Francia.
Biography
Rothilde was a daughter of the King of the Franks, Charles the Bald, son of Louis the Pious. Her mother was Charles’ second s ...
, daughter 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 se ...
. See: K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, 'Two Studies in Northern French Prosopography', ''Journal of Medieval History'' 20 (1994) 3-37. He was a minor on the death of his father (1036)
so was born between 1018 and 1022.
Herbert Baco, his great-uncle and a supporter of the
Angevins, acted as regent.
[Richard Ewing Barton, ''Lordship in the County of Maine, c. 890-1160'' (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2004), p. 49]
The
Bishop of Le Mans
The Catholic Diocese of Le Mans (Latin: ''Dioecesis Cenomanensis''; French: ''Diocèse du Mans'') is a Catholic diocese of France. The diocese is now a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo but had previously been suffrag ...
,
Gervais de Château-du-Loir
Gervais de Château-du-Loir (1007–1067) was a French nobleman, bishop, and a powerful figure of his time in Northern France. He was Bishop of Le Mans from 1036 and Archbishop of Reims from 1055.
His father was Aimon de Château-du-Loir,Jul ...
, was a partisan of the opposing
Blois
Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours.
With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the ...
family.
The bishop and regent clashed, with the outcome being the expulsion of Herbert by means of a popular council.
[Richard Ewing Barton, ''Lordship in the County of Maine, c. 890-1160'' (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2004), p. 50] Gervais then proclaimed Hugh to have reached his majority, and arranged a marriage for him, with Berthe de Blois.
[K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, 'Two Studies in Northern French Prosopography', ''Journal of Medieval History'' 20 (1994), p. 22]
Herbert, unlike his predecessors, followed the advice of his bishop.
Gervais, unlike his uncle who he succeeded,
Avesgaud de Bellême
Avesgaud (Latin '' Avesgaudus'') (died c. 1036) was a French nobleman, a member of the powerful House of Bellême and was the Bishop of Le Mans from 997 until his death. His episcopate was overshadowed by his ongoing wars with Herbert I, Count of M ...
(who was an adherent of the Counts of Anjou) was allied to the Counts of Blois.
[K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, 'Two Studies in Northern French Prosopography', ''Journal of Medieval History'' 20 (1994), p. 23] Hugh, no doubt in support of his bishop, engaged in a number of wars with
Geoffrey Martel,
Count of Anjou
The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of Count of Anjou. The Robertians ...
, in the Loir valley.
Shortly after Hugh's death, 25 March 1051,
Gervais sought refuge in Normandy after being driven out of Maine.
Gervais' success in strengthening the Bishopric of Le Mans served to downgrade the countship of Maine, which led to the county being absorbed into the domains of Anjou and Normandy.
Family
Hugh married c. 1046
Bertha of Blois
Bertha of Blois (French: ''Berthe de Blois''; c. 1005 — c. 1080), was a Duchess consort of Brittany and a countess consort of Maine.
Life
Bertha was the daughter of Odo II, Count of Blois and Ermengarde of Auvergne. In 1029, she married Alain ...
, who was the widow of
Alan III, Duke of Brittany
Alan III of Rennes (c. 997 – 1 October 1040) ( French: ''Alain III de Bretagne'') was Count of Rennes and duke of Brittany, by right of succession from 1008 to his death.
Life
Alan was the son of Duke Geoffrey I and Hawise of Normandy.Detlev S ...
, and daughter of
Odo II, Count of Blois and Ermengarde of Auvergne.
Their children were:
*
Herbert II, Count of Maine († 1062).
* Marguerite (c. 1045 † 1063), betrothed to
Robert Curthose
Robert Curthose, or Robert II of Normandy ( 1051 – 3 February 1134, french: Robert Courteheuse / Robert II de Normandie), was the eldest son of William the Conqueror and succeeded his father as Duke of Normandy in 1087, reigning until 1106. ...
.
Notes
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hugh 04 Of Maine
1051 deaths
Counts of Maine
Year of birth unknown