Foulques [III] d'Anjou Comte d'Anjou

  General Notes:

FOULQUES d'Anjou, son of GEOFFROY I "Grisegonelle" Comte d'Anjou & his first wife Adela de Meaux [Vermandois-Carolingian] ([970]-Metz 21 Jun 1040, bur Beaulieu-lez-Loche, Abbaye de Saint-Pierre). The Historiæ Andegavensis, allegedly written by Foulques IV "Rechin" Comte d'Anjou, names "Goffridus Grisagonella pater avi mei Fulconis". The Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines names "Gaufridi Grisagonelli" as father of "Fulconis Andegavensum comitis". His parentage is confirmed by a charter dated 1037 which announces the birth in 1007 of "Gaufridus Martellus…pater eius Fulcho…comes Andecavorum filius Gaufridi Fortissimi comitis qui cognominatus est Grisia Gonella" and records donations to Saint-Aubin d'Angers. These sources make it even more puzzling why both the Gesta Consulum Andegavorum and the Historia Comitum Andegavorum, as mentioned in the Introduction, record that Count Foulques III "Nerra" was the son of Maurice, youngest son of Count Geoffroy I "Grisegonelle", which is chronologically impossible. "Adela" donated property to Saint-Aubin d'Angers by charter dated 6 Mar 974 which names "seniore meo Gauzfredo comite" and is subscribed by "Gauzfredi comitis, Fulconis filii eius, Gauzfredi filii eius". He succeeded his father in 987 as FOULQUES III "Nerra/the Black" Comte d'Anjou. He went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1002. "Fulcho Andegavorum comes" donated property to Saint-Aubin d'Angers for the souls of "patris mei Goffredi atque matris mei Adele…" by charter dated to [1007/26]. "Fulco Andegavorum comes atque Hildegardis conjunx mea" founded the monastery of La Charité Sainte-Marie d´Anjou by undated charter signed by "…Goffridi Fulconis filii…". "Fulco Andecavorum comes et uxor mea Hildegardis filius quoque noster Goffridus" donated the bridge of Mayenne to the monastery of La Charité Sainte-Marie d´Anjou by undated charter. He allied himself with Frederic II Duke of Upper Lotharingia against Eudes II Comte de Blois, fighting the latter at Pontlevoy and in Champagne. Rodulfus Glaber refers to the "perpetual quarrels and frequent wars" between "secundus Odo filius…prioris Odonis" and Foulques III Comte d'Anjou. "Fulco comes Andegavensis, Iherosolimitanum iter aggrediens cum Audeardi comitissa et filii suo Goffredo Martello" donated property "in Genio...molendinum atque furnum" by undated charter. Rodolfus Glaber records his death at Metz and his burial place. The Chronicæ Sancti Albini records the death "1040 XI Kal Jul" of "Fulco comes Andecavorum, pater Gaufridi". The Chronicon Vindocinense records the death "XI Kal Jul" in 1040 of "Fulco comes". The necrology of Vendôme La Trinité records the death "XI Kal Jul" of "Fulco comes Andegavorum pater fundator nostri". The Gesta Consulum Andegavorum records the burial of Comte Foulques at "Lucanse castrum".

m firstly (before 989) ELISABETH de Vendôme, daughter of BOUCHARD [I] "le Vénérable" Comte de Vendôme & his wife Elisabeth [de Corbeil] (after 958-Angers Dec 999). Her parentage and marriage are confirmed by a charter dated to [1032] which records that Foulques "Nerra" Comte d´Anjou transmitted "honor Vindocinensis" to his only daughter by "sororem defuncti pontificis", who had four sons of whom "primogenitum…Burchardum". The Chronico Monasterii Sancti Albini Andegavensis records a fire in "urbis Andegavæ" a few days after the burning of "comitissæ Helisabeth".

m secondly (after 1000) HILDEGARD, daughter of --- (-Jerusalem 1 Apr 1046, bur Jerusalem, Church of the Holy Sepulchre). "Fulco Andegavorum comes atque Hildegardis conjunx mea" founded the monastery of La Charité Sainte-Marie d´Anjou by undated charter signed by "…Goffridi Fulconis filii…". "Fulco Andecavorum comes et uxor mea Hildegardis filius quoque noster Goffridus" donated the bridge of Mayenne to the monastery of La Charité Sainte-Marie d´Anjou by undated charter. She became a nun at the Abbey of Sainte-Marie de Ronceray which she had founded in 1028. "Fulco comes Andegavensis, Iherosolimitanum iter aggrediens cum Audeardi comitissa et filii suo Goffredo Martello" donated property "in Genio...molendinum atque furnum" by undated charter. "Hildegardis comitissa" relinquished rights in favour of the oratory of Toussaint by charter dated [21 Jun 1040/1 Apr 1046]. "Joffredus Andecavorum comes…michi matronis domna Hildgalde comitissa genitrice mea simulque conjuge mea Agnosze" donated "curte Petre" to the monastery of La Charité Sainte-Marie d´Anjou by charter 1 Oct (no year). She died while on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. An undated charter records the death of "comitissa Hildegardis quando viam Jerosolimitane peregrinationis" and her donation of serfs to the monastery of La Charité Sainte-Marie d´Anjou. The necrology of Angers Cathedral records the death "Kal Apr" of "Ildegardis nobilis comitissa". The Chronicæ Sancti Albini records the death "1046 Kal Apr" of "Hildegardis comitissa". A charter dated to [1060/67] recites a prior donation to Saint-Aubin d'Angers by "Hildegardis comitissa", who retained a life interest in the property which, after the death of the donor, was sold in turn to "Agneti comitissa" (recording her divorce from "comitum Gaufridum"), "comitem Gaufridum…Gaufridi nepotem" and finally "fratre eius Fulconi" who restituted it to the abbey. The necrology of Vendôme La Trinité records the death "Kal Apr" of "Hildegardis comitissa Andegavorum mater fundatoris nostri". The Chronicon Vindocinense records the death "Kal Apr" in 1046 of "Hildegardis religiosa comitissa Andegavensis".

Comte Foulques III & his first wife had one child: Adela.

Comte Foulques III & his second wife had two children: Geoffroy and Ermengarde. ¹

  Events

• Title: Comte d'Anjou, 987-1040.

Foulques married Elisabeth de Vendôme after 1000.¹ (Elisabeth de Vendôme was born after 958 and died in Dec 999 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, FR.)

Foulques next married Hildegarde after 1000.¹ (Hildegarde died on 1 Apr 1046 in Jerusalem, IL and was buried in Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, IL.)