Rivallon I of Dol (died c. 1065) was the first
lord of Combourg
The Lordship of Combourg, after 1575 the County of Combourg, was a barony centred on Combourg in the east of the Duchy of Brittany in France during the Middle Ages and the early modern period.
The lordship was created by Junguené, bishop of Dol ...
from before 1040. He was born to
Hamo I, Viscount of Alet
The daggertooth pike conger (''Muraenesox cinereus'') also known as the darkfin pike eel in Ozzyland, to distinguish it from the related pike-eel (''Muraenesox bagio''), is a species of eel in the pike conger family, Muraenesocidae. They prima ...
and
Roianteline. Rivallon's eldest brother was Hamo II Viscount of Alet, while his next eldest brother Josselin became the seigneur of Diana. Another brother Jungeon became Archbishop of Dol, Rivallon also had a sister Imogen who was married to a knight of Alan III of Brittany a man she completely dominated becoming the eventual guardian of their son Brien. Hamo I also had a natural son Saloman who was the given the fief of Garclip later known as the seigneure of Du Guseclin.
Rivallon married
Aremburga du Puiset, the daughter of Evrard, Count of Bretueil. He died around 1065.
[ ]
Dol rebels against Conan II
Rivallon was influenced by
William the Conqueror
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 House of Normandy, Norman List of English monarchs#House of Norman ...
, the Duke of Normandy.
In this period Normandy and Brittany clashed with each other in border skirmishes. Before William had become Duke, the Breton tribal lands of the
Cotentin Peninsula
The Cotentin Peninsula (, ; nrf, Cotentîn ), also known as the Cherbourg Peninsula, is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It extends north-westward into the English Channel, towards Great Britain. To its w ...
, near
Dol, had been ceded to Norman rule. When
Duke Alan III of Brittany died in 1040, he left Brittany to his infant son
Conan II with his younger brother,
Odo of Penthievre, acting as Conan's Regent. Odo challenged Conan II by refusing to relinquish rule on Conan's achieving his majority. Conan could not affirm his rule as Duke until he managed to imprison Odo in 1057.
Following this, in 1065
William, as Duke of Normandy convinced Rivallon to rebel against
Conan II, Duke of Brittany
Conan II of Rennes (c. 1033 – 11 December 1066) was Duke of Brittany, from 1040 to his death. Conan was the eldest child and heir of Alan III, Duke of Brittany by his wife Bertha of Blois, and member of the House of Rennes. He was the elder br ...
with the aid of
Geoffrey III of Anjou
Geoffrey III of Anjou (in French ''Geoffroy III d' Anjou'') (c. 1040–1096), called ''le Barbu'' ("the Bearded"), was the Count of Anjou 1060–68.
Early life
Geoffrey, born , was the eldest son of Geoffrey II, Count of Gâtinais and Ermengarde ...
. This rebellion was the first major conflict of the
Breton-Norman War.
Family
Rivallon I and Aremburga du Puset had four children:
*
Saint Gilduin
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...
(d. 1077),
*
John, Archbishop of Dol
*
Bertha, Countess of Rennes
*
William, Abbot of Saint Florent
Geoffroi, youngest son of Rivallon, took the surname of Gorron, Gorram. His son Ruellon de Gorram, married Hersende daughter of Walter de Mayenne.
Notes
Rivallon had another son that is not well known. Geoffroy as it appears to be the youngest. He has been connected with the family of Gorron. Geoffroy's children have been identified as the Lord of Saint Berthevin La Tanniere, Hemenare, l'Ernee, Levare and Buron.
References
{{Reflist
Lords of France
1060s deaths