Robert I or Rupert (697 – 758), was a count in the Hesbaye region and Duke of Neustria. His father's name is known to be Lambert. He was a

count palatine A count palatine (Latin ''comes palatinus''), also count of the palace or palsgrave (from German ''Pfalzgraf''), was originally an official attached to a royal or imperial palace or household and later a nobleman of a rank above that of an or ...

under

Childeric III Childeric III ( 717 – 754) was King of Francia from 743 until he was deposed by Pope Zachary in March 751 at the instigation of Pepin the Short. Although his parentage is uncertain, he is considered the last Frankish king from the Merovingian ...

. Robert married Williswinda, daughter of Adalhelm, Grundherr im Wormsgau. Robert and Williswinda had three children: *

Cancor Cancor (died 771) was a Frankish count associated with Lorsch Abbey. He was son of a noble lady Williswinda. As her only known husband before she was widowed was named Robert, it has been proposed that Cancor was son to Robert I, Count of Hesbaye, ...

(d. 771), Count of Hesbaye and Rheingau * Anselm (killed in battle in

Roncesvalles Roncesvalles ( , ; eu, Orreaga ; an, Ronzesbals ; french: Roncevaux ) is a small village and municipality in Navarre, northern Spain. It is situated on the small river Urrobi at an altitude of some in the Pyrenees, about from the French bor ...

, Spain, 778),

Count Palatine A count palatine (Latin ''comes palatinus''), also count of the palace or palsgrave (from German ''Pfalzgraf''), was originally an official attached to a royal or imperial palace or household and later a nobleman of a rank above that of an or ...

* Thuringbert Upon his death in 758, Robert was succeeded as count by his brother-in-law Signramnus, probably prior to his son Cancor coming of age.

Primary sources

In a charter of 741/2 which exists in several versions, wherein a Robert, son of Lambert, Count or Duke of the "''pago Hasbaniensi et Masuarinsi''", the land of Hasbanians and Masuarians, granted lands near

Diest Diest () is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. Situated in the northeast of the Hageland region, Diest neighbours the provinces of Antwerp to its North, and Limburg to the East and is situated around ...

to Sint-Truiden Abbey. The third continuation of the ''Gesta Abbatum Trudonensium'', in its report of the charter, describes Robert as ''Robertus comes vel dux Hasbanie'' ("count or Duke of Hasbania"). This Robert, the ''Gesta'' says, is also the one mentioned as a Duke in the medieval biography (Vita) of Bishop

Eucherius of Orléans Saint Eucherius of Orléans (c. 687 in Orléans – February 20, 743 AD), nephew of Suavaric, bishop of Auxerre, was Bishop of Orléans. Reading the letters of Paul the Apostle led Eucherius to seek the monastic life in 714, when he retired to ...

. When

Charles Martel Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesm ...

exiled Eucherius to

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

this was under the custody of the said Duke Robert of Hasbania (''Hasbanio Chrodoberto duce''). The connection to Williswinda has been proposed by some historians because her late husband had the name Robert, as is mentioned only once in the

Necrology An obituary (obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Acc ...

Lorsch abbey Lorsch Abbey, otherwise the Imperial Abbey of Lorsch (german: Reichsabtei Lorsch; la, Laureshamense Monasterium or ''Laurissa''), is a former Imperial abbey in Lorsch, Germany, about east of Worms. It was one of the most renowned monasteries ...

.See Bouchard p.188 and p.307: footnote 55. Primary source for this: Lorsch necrology under 18 February: "Ruperti comitis. Hic fuit maritus domne Williswinde

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robert 01, Count of Hesbaye 697 births 748 deaths Counts of Hesbaye