Flaald is the name by which he is most often known. His name sometimes appears with his title, Flaald Dapifer (Flaald the cup-bearer). Fledaldus is the Latin equivalent and sometimes it too appears with a title, Fledaldus Senescal.
Flaald of Dol, Dapfifer of Dol and Senescal of Dol [1]
In Legendary Scottish Stewart Ancestry Flaald of Dol in Brittany has become conflated with the legendary Scottish Fleance, son of the legendary Banquo. Appearance of a name like "Flaad Banquo de Dinan" is an indication that one has come upon legendary rather than factual material.
This profile is affected by conflicting lineages provided in 1901 by J. Horace Round [2] and a century later in 2009 by Paul A. Fox. [3] The two conflicting lineages and this profile's place in them are shown at Round and Fox and the Seneschals of Dol.
The website called the Peerage generally follows Round. According to it, Flaald fitz Flaald, Seneschal de Dol en Bretagne was the son of Allan, Seneschal de Dol.1 [4] and gained the title of Seneschal de Dol en Bretagne. [4] The Peerage does not explain how Flaald fitz Flaald was the son of someone not named Flaald.
Both Round and Fox agree on the existence of Flaald, Steward of Dol, and the major outlines of his life. Because of their differing theories of Flaald's relationships with others, however, there is a substantial difference in dating.
Based on Round: 1052 Dating based on Round's scenario is derived from the presumed death of Alan the Crusader in 1095, the assumption that Alan the Crusader is the older brother of Flaald and the source of Flaald's position and property upon Alan's death. Estimating the birth of Alan the Crusader as no earlier than 1050, for he would then be 45 at his death in the First Crusade, younger brother Flaald's birth could be estimated at 1052. The Geni site places Flaald's birth as 1046 in Dol De Bretagne [5] The Geni site primarily follows Round and does not have the benefit of the various citations employed by Fox. The Peerage site gives a birth year of 1048 in Dol de Bretagne [4] and also follows Round's genealogy, which is the standard.
Based on Fox: 1011 Fox's association of father Hato with dated charters makes Hato an earlier person than Round's father Alan. With Hato's own birth estimated at 990, his son Flaald would not be born earlier than 1008 when he was 18. Fox provides charters that Flaald himself witnessed as early as 1034. If Flaald was 21 at the time, he would not be born later than 1013. Splitting the difference, one can say that Flaald, Steward of Dol was born, say, 1011, when his father Hato would have been 21.
This site follows Fox's account, with notes where possible as to differences with Round.
Round ("Alan") and Fox ("Hato") give Flaald's father different names. Because they have given Flaald himsself different time spans, the father of Flaald has different estimated birth years. In addition, Fox, reflecting an additional century of research, has potential access to more original documentation .
The difficulties posed by the differing Round and Fox accounts are illustrated by the Peerage site [4] which notes that "Flaald Dapifer, the second son of Alan "Dapifer", occurs as "Float filius Alani dapiferi" at the dedication of Monmouth Priory 1101." For Round, whose Flaald is born later and died later, the Flaald at Monmouth Priory is the Flaald of this profile. For Fox, whose Flaald is born earlier and dies earlier, the Flaald at Monmouth Priory is Flaald fitzFlaald, son of the Flaald of this prory.
Round and Fox differ in the arrangement of Flaald's siblings, children and grandchildren, and the differences are discussed in detail at Round and Fox and the Seneschals of Dol.
Fox Perspective
Round Perspective
Flaald appears in the record in 1034 when in the time of Abbot Albert of Marmoutiers (1034-1064), Hato and his son Flaald (Fledald), the steward witnessed a gift by Rivallon to Marmoutiers of half the church of St. Machut in the castle of Combourg. [3]
Cawley simply states that the name of Flaald’s wife is not known. [9]
Given the close family relationships he has documented, Fox [3] believes, based on a variety of family associations, that Flaald, steward of Dol, married an unnamed sister of Main, daughter of Tehel and his wife Inoquen, Inoquen in turn being a daughter of Hamo I, viscount of Alet and his wife Rolenteline. Flaald's wife being a sister of Brient, lord of Châteaubriant, her profile appears as Unknown Châteaubriant
Around 1050, Flaald and his father Hato witnessed a charter of Rivallon of Dol and Josselin of Dinan giving the tithes of St. Pern to the new priory of St. Pern, a cell of St. Nicholas of Angers. Flaald and his father themselves made a donation to the same priory. [3]
"Goscelinus de Dinam…Rivallonus frater eius…Arveus…Radulfus…filius Donnalloni" donated "suam partem de decima terræ sancti Paterni" to Angers Saint-Nicolas by charter dated to [1050], witnessed by "Fretaldus et Hato pater eius". [9]
It is estimated that Flaald's father died in about 1060. What happened at this point depends upon whether one follows Round or Fox.
Round Upon the death of Flaald's father, Alan, in about 1060, his inheritance went to his oldest son, Alan. Alan then exercised control of the family inheritance until his own death in the Crusades about 1097. Upon the death of Alan the Crusader, Flaald, next in line, inherited the wealth and titles. Paul, following Round, assumes that Alan the Crusader was an older brother of Flaald, and that the lands and office of Senescal of Dol reverted to Fledaldus or Flaald when this older brother died, circa 1097, in the first crusade. [6]
Fox' Upon the death of Flaald's father, Hato, in about 1060, his inheritance went to his oldest son, Flaald. Flaald then exercised control of the family inheritance until his own death.
Flaald was the first man to be given the important position of hereditary steward of the Archbishop of Dol, the most important official in his household apart from that of vidame. [3]
In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli. It is equivalent to the Slavonic title stolnik or the English steward.[10]
Fox's hypothesis is that Flaald was the eldest son of Hato, and would have inherited upon the death of Hato. Fox further hypothesizes that Alan the Crusader was Flaald's son, [[Fitzflaald-16|Alan FitzFlaald] and rather than dying in the first crusade, went on to substantive accomplishments in England under Henry I.
Shortly after Rivallon's death in 1065, son William made a gift to Mont St.Michel signed at Dol and witnessed by Hato, brother of Flaald (Flotald). [11]
In 1070-1082 Main, and his father Tehel, made a gift of the church at Cuguen, with the consent of Alan, son of Flaald, who shared the advowson, and was ratified by their lord, John of Dol. [3]
In 1076 a coup overthrew Archbishop Juhel, who had been excommunicated, and relations with the Vatican were renewed. A new abey at Dol was approved. Alan, son of Flaald, who by this time had inherited the stewardship of Dol, witnessed various charters associated with the foundation, and himself donated his bakehouse and shop in the village of Mezvoit where the priory was to be built, with the consent of his brother Flaald (Fledald) on condition that his brotehr Rivallon was received into the monastery. [3]
Cawley states that Flaald died in the time period 1070-1076. [9]
Fox reports that Flaald, the first Steward of Dol, had died by 1076 and was succeeded by his eldest son Alan, while his younger son Flaald possibly occurs as the knight Flaald in the necrology of Mont-Saint-Michel. [12] This is supported by the observation that "In the Chartulary of the Abbey of St. Florent we find in 1080 and again in 1086 ' Alauus Senescallus ' or ' Alanus Dapifer Dolensis,' witnessing grants of laud to the Abbey, of which he was himself a benefactor, as is proved by a deed (ante 1080), to which his brother Fledaldus consents, granting to the Abbey a site for a church."
Round, who begins Flaald's life nearly a half century later, believes that the Flaald whom Fox considers father and the Flaald whom Fox considers son were the same person. Following Round, Peerage believes that Flaald died between 1080 and 1106, [4]
The authors who do not believe Flaald died by 1076 report various activities which Fox would assign to the sons, Flaald FitzFlaald and Alan FitzFlaald.
Arrival in England. For Round and the authors following his chronology, Flaald came to England during his lifetime. For some, Flaald was with the fighters in the Army of William the Conqueror in 1066. [14] Adding credibility to this scenario are instances where Flaald or his son Alan were holding positions of responsibility in England or Wales. For Fox, it was the sons of Flaald who came to England, and they did not do so until the beginning of the reign of Henry I, in 1101. The Peerage notes that "Flaad had come to the favorable notice of King Henry I of England" without noting the incidents of help given to Henry when he was in Dol. [4]
As with so many other details, the different scenarios posed by Round and Fox lead to different scenarios regarding children.
In the Fox scenario, which this profile follows, Flaald, steward of Dol, whose birth year might be estimated as 1011, married an unnamed daughter of Tehel and Inoguen. [3] and had three sons:
In the Round Scenario, it is Flaald of Dol himself, born, say, 1052, son of Alan, Dapifer who is present at Monmouth Priory in 1101 or 1102, "frater et filius Alana Dapiferi." [2] Alan the Crusader is his older brother and Rhiwallon the monk is his younger brother; he has one son of note:
As noted above, there is disagreement on the name of Flaald's father, but some documentation has been provided by Fox.
Some sites also provide a name for Flaald's mother. These are without documentation and must be considered legendary:
Flaald is sometimes shown as the husband of the following, which often reflects conflation with Scottish figures such as Fleance.
According to members of the Adams Family in England, his haplogroup is DF100/CTS4528[13]
This profile has been edited in accordance with the Wikitree style guide for Biographies, Sources, and Acknowledgements. Details of merges, edits and other contributions may be found under the Changes tab.
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D > Dol | D > de Dol > Flaald (Dol) de Dol
Categories: Legendary Scottish Stewart Ancestry
Dol-4: Flaald Dol-De Dol (c1011-c1076), son of Hato Dol-De Dol, son: Alan Fitzflaald Fitz_Alain-1: Flaad FitzAlan (1046-?) Parents unknown, son: Alan FitzFlaad.
Also relevant: Discussion: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/soc.genealogy.medieval/vxHxnfsW8z8