Rotrou I (born before 1031, died 1079),

Viscount of Châteaudun A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

and

Count of Perche The county of Perche was a medieval county lying between Normandy and Maine. It was held by an independent line of counts until 1226. One of these, Geoffroy V, would have been a leader of the Fourth Crusade had he not died before the assembled for ...

(as Rotrou II), second son of Geoffrey II, Viscount of Châteaudun, and Helvise de Corbon (d. 1 March 1080), daughter of Rainard, Lord of Pithiviers. At the death of Geoffrey II, his elder son Hugh became Viscount of Châteaudun, while Rotrou probably inherited the family interests around Nogent-le-Rotrou. After his brother's death, he concentrated the family lands and, by the late 1050s, he was a count, with a centre of power around Mortagne. These northern dominions probably came to him from his wife, Adelise de Domfront, as part of a settlement that divided the Bellême inheritance between her cousin Mabel, who married

Roger de Montgomery Roger de Montgomery (died 1094), also known as Roger the Great, was the first Earl of Shrewsbury, and Earl of Arundel, in Sussex. His father was Roger de Montgomery, seigneur of Montgomery, a member of the House of Montgomerie, and was probably ...

, and Adelise. After the death of William of Gouët in the late 1050s, Rotrou, with the help of

, tried to extend his influence for the strongholds of Perche-Gouët. However, William's wife Matilda remarried to Geoffrey, viscount of Mayenne, and was able to fend off the attacks. By 1058, Rotrou was in attendance on King

Henry I of France Henry I (4 May 1008 – 4 August 1060) was King of the Franks from 1031 to 1060. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians. T ...

in his attack on the Norman outpost of Thimer. However, by 1066, he had become closer to William, the Norman Duke, which can be inferred from the participation of his son Geoffrey in the invasion of England. Moreover, in 1078, William paid Rotrou a subsidy, and Rotrou supported him on the siege of Remalard, where the supporters of his rebel son,

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. ...

, were concentrated. Rotrou was quite successful, and able to make substantial donations to religious houses, including St.Vincent of le Mans and his father's foundation of Saint Denis at Nogent-le-Rotrou, where he was able to finish the church. Rotrou married Adelise (Adeliza) de Domfront, daughter of Warin de Domfront and granddaughter of

William of Bellême William of Bellême (960/5 – 1028) called William ''Princeps'', was the Seigneur of Bellême and a member of the House of Bellême. Life William was the son of Yves de Bellême and his wife Godeheut.Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Sta ...

. Their issue was: * Geoffrey II, Count of Perche, married Béatrix de Montdidier de Roucy * Hugh IV, Viscount of Châteaudun * Rotrou de Châteaudun (d. after 1110), Lord of Montfort-le-Rotrou * Fulco de Châteaudun (d. after 1078) * Helvise de Châteaudun (d. after 1078). Rotrou was succeeded as Viscount of Châteaudun by his son Hugues and, as Count of Perche, by his son Geoffroy. Rotrou attempted to avenge the murder of his father by attacking Thierry,

Bishop of Chartres The oldest known list of bishops of Chartres is found in an 11th-century manuscript of Trinity Abbey, Vendôme. It includes 57 names from Adventus (Saint Aventin) to Aguiertus (Agobert) who died in 1060. The most well-known list is included in the ...

, an act for which he was briefly excommunicated. Rotrou also had an illegitimate son named Robert “Manda Guerra” (d. after 1095).Medieval Lands Project
Perche, Mortange
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References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rotrou 01, Viscount of Chateaudun 11th-century births 1079 deaths Year of birth unknown Counts of Perche 11th-century French people Viscounts of Châteaudun