Family History 2.21

 

 

Plantagenet Family origins

 

Count Geoffrey II of Chateau-Landon was count of the Gatinais district, which lies south of Fontainebleau, a short way from Paris. It stretches from the Seine River to the Loire River.

 

About 1035 he married the heiress of the County of Anjou, a district much lower down the Loire River, and more powerful than his own.

 

He died in the mid-forties of the century, when William of Normandy was extending his power, eventually to the stage of conquering the Kingdom of England in 1066.

 

Geoffrey's younger son, born in 1043, was Fulk. When the Count of Anjou died, he left his domains to Fulk's older brother, also Geoffrey. The brothers fought over the control of Anjou; Geoffrey was regarded as incompetent, and was imprisoned by Fulk in 1067. The Church leaders persuaded him to release his brother, which he did, but they soon fell out again, and Geoffrey ended up in prison again, this time for good.

 

So from 1068, as William the Conqueror was getting established in England, Fulk took over the sole authority for Anjou, as Fulk IV.

 

Because of Geoffrey's incompetence, a lot of territory had been lost and Fulk spent most of his time trying to regain the lost lands, and in a struggle with the counties to his north for control of the border areas.

 

Fulk IV died in 1109, and was succeeded by his son, Fulk V.

 

Fulk V married the heiress of the county of Maine, to the north of Anjou, and their eldest son, Geoffrey, later succeeded his father as Count of Anjou.

 

In 1119 Fulk entered an alliance with Henry I of England, and became interested in the crusades. He joined the Knights Templars, spent one season on crusade, and afterwards maintained two knights in the Holy Land.

 

Baldwin King of Jerusalem was looking for a strong military leader to succeed him. He asked Fulk to take this role, which involved marrying Baldwin's daughter, and Fulk, who was a widower, agreed.

 

So by 1131 he had handed control of Anjou to his son, Geoffrey, married Baldwin's daughter, and become joint ruler of Jerusalem on Baldwin's death.

 

By 1144 Geoffrey, whose nickname was Plantagenet, had conquered Normandy, and so become a force to be reckoned with in northern France. In 1128 he had been married to Matilda, daughter of King Henry of England, who was happy to be allied with a promising young leader.