Arnoul Flandre (889 - 965)

Born 12 Dec 0889 in Ghent, Flanders, Flemish Region, Belgium

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 27 Mar 0965 at age 75 in Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium

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Arnulf I of Flanders

Arnulf of Flanders (c. 890 – March 28, 965), called the Great, was the third Count of Flanders, who ruled the County of Flanders, an area that is now northwestern Belgium and southwestern Netherlands.

Arnulf was the son of count Baldwin II of Flanders and Ælfthryth of Wessex, daughter of Alfred the Great. Through his mother he was a descendant of the Anglo-Saxon kings of England, and through his father, a descendant of Charlemagne. Presumably Arnulf was named after Saint Arnulf of Metz, a progenitor of the Carolingian dynasty.

At the death of their father in 918, Arnulf became Count of Flanders while his brother Adeloft or Adelolf succeeded to the County of Boulogne.[1] However, in 933 Adeloft died, and Arnulf took the countship of Boulogne for himself, but later conveyed it to his nephew, Arnulf II.

Arnulf I greatly expanded Flemish rule to the south, taking all or part of Artois, Ponthieu, Amiens, and Ostrevent. He exploited the conflicts between Charles the Simple and Robert I of France, and later those between Louis IV and his barons.

In his southern expansion Arnulf inevitably had conflict with the Normans, who were trying to secure their northern frontier. This led to the 942 murder of the Duke of Normandy, William Longsword, at the hands of Arnulf's men.[5] The Viking threat was receding during the later years of Arnulf's life, and he turned his attentions to the reform of the Flemish government.

Timeline

• 918: Count of Flanders.^[1]
• responsible for amajor expansion of Flemish territory to the south. He and his brother joined the expedition of Raoul King of the Franks against the Normans in 925 and captured Eu. Count Arnoul inflicted a heavy defeat on the Normans in 926.
• 932: seized abbey of St Vaast, as well as Douai in Ostrevant.
• 933: after brother's death, seized Boulonnais and Ternois and disinherited nephews.
• 934: alliance with Héribert II Comte de Vermandois sealed by his marriage to Vermandois' daughter.

Responding to raids by Guillaume Comte [de Normandie], Count Arnoul invaded Ponthieu and in 939 captured Montreuil from Herluin Comte de Ponthieu, although the county was later recaptured by Comte Guillaume's forces. "Arnulfus…regis…marchysus" restored property to Saint-Pierre de Gand by charter dated 8 Jul 941, signed by "…Baldwini filii Arnulfi marchysi, Isaac comitis, Arnulfi filii eius, Theoderici comitis, Wenemari advocati…".

After agreeing to meet Count Guillaume in 942 in order to settle the dispute over Montreuil, Guillaume was murdered, presumably at Count Arnoul's instigation. Count Arnoul was secure in his possession of Montreuil by 949. "Arnulfus Flandrie comes et marchisus" granted use of property "Snellenghem in pago Flandrensi" to Saint-Pierre de Gand, for "uxore mea…Adala atque…filio meo Balduino et filia mea Lietgardis" and for deceased "Balduino genitore meo et Elstrudis genetrice mea atque Heeberto filio meo", and returned "in pago Hainau super fluvio Savo villam…Dulciaca", by charter dated 10 Jul 953.

After the death of his son in 962, Count Arnoul was obliged to cede Artois, Ostrevant, Ponthieu and Amiens to Lothaire King of the West Franks in order to ensure the latter's support for the succession of Count Arnoul's infant grandson to the county of Flanders.

"Arnulfus marchysus" donated property to Saint-Pierre de Gand by charter dated 5 May 962, signed by "…Baldwini advocati, Theoderici comitis…". "Arnulfus…comes" donated "villam Canlin" to Saint-Pierre de Gand by charter dated 17 Jun 962, signed by "…Balduini advocati…". An undated charter, dated to 962, records the last wishes of "marchysi Arnulfi", noting that "pater meus et mater mea" were buried in the abbey of Saint-Pierre de Gand.

Research Notes

Gottfried (Flandre) Verdun (-1002) and Arnold Flandre (abt.0940-1002) have been detached as his sons due to lack of evidence.

Links

• Wikipedia: Arnulf I of Flanders

Sources

1. ↑ "Elstrudis comitissa…cum filiis suis Arnulfo et Adelolfo" donated "hereditatem suam Liefsham…in terra Anglorum in Cantia" to Saint-Pierre de Gand, for the soul of "senioris sui Baldwini", by charter dated 11 Sep 918.

• Article on MEDLANDS: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/FLANDERS,%20HAINAUT.htm#ArnoulIdied964B
• Article on Henry project: https://fasg.org/projects/henryproject/data/arnul000.htm
• Flodoard of Reims. Flodoardi Chronicon (Reims : Regnier, 1855) Records his death in the year 965.