The charters of Duchess Constance of Brittany and her family, 1171-1221

546 Pages·1999·1.62 MB·English

by  Judith Everard

The Charters of Duchess Constance of
title:
Brittany and Her Family, 1171-1221
author: Everard, Judith; Jones, Michael
publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd.
isbn10 | asin: 0851157513
print isbn13: 9780851157511
ebook isbn13: 9780585213828
language: English
Constance,--Duchess of Brittany,--1161-
1201--Family, Anjou, House of, Brittany
(France)--Charters, grants, privileges--
subject Sources, Women heads of state--France--
Brittany--Political leadership, Great Britain-
-History--Angevin period, 1154-1216--
Sources.
publication date: 1999
lcc: DC611.B879C48 1999eb
ddc: 944/.1023/0922
Constance,--Duchess of Brittany,--1161-
1201--Family, Anjou, House of, Brittany
(France)--Charters, grants, privileges--
subject: Sources, Women heads of state--France--
Brittany--Political leadership, Great Britain-
-History--Angevin period, 1154-1216--
Sources.
Page i
The Charters of Duchess Constance of Brittany
and her Family 11711221
Around 1200, sovereignty over the duchy of Brittany was disputed by
the Angevin kings of England and the Capetian kings of France. With
few local chronicle sources concerning Brittany in this important
period, ducal charters provide crucial evidence for politics, external
relations, and the conduct of government. They are also an essential
source for Breton society and institutions in a period of rapid change
and development.
Collected here for the first time are the acts of Duchess Constance
(11711201), her mother, dowager-duchess Margaret of Scotland,
Constance's three husbands, and her three children. The subject matter
concerns not only Brittany, but also the Breton rulers' extensive lands
in England, the honour of Richmond, and even the counties of Anjou,
Maine and Touraine. The charters also cast light on the political power
of female rulers.
Dr is a British Academy post-doctoral Research Fellow at
JUDITH EVERARD
Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge; is Professor of Medieval
MICHAEL JONES
French History at the University of Nottingham.
Page ii
Publication of this volume was aided by a generous grant from the
Scouloudi Foundation, in association with the Institute of Historical
Research.
Page iii
The Charters of Duchess Constance of Brittany
and Her Family 11711221
Edited by
Judith Everard and Michael Jones
THE BOYDELL PRESS
Page iv
Editorial matter © Judith Everard and Michael Jones 1999
All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under current legislation
no part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,
published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast,
transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission of the copyright owners
First published 1999
The Boydell Press, Woodbridge
ISBN 0 85115 751 3
The Boydell Press is an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3DF, UK
and of Boydell & Brewer Inc.
PO Box 41026, Rochester, NY 146044126, USA
website: http://www.boydell.co.uk
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The charters of Duchess Constance of Brittany and her family,
11711221 / edited by Judith Everard and Michael Jones.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical reference and index.
ISBN 0-85115-751-3 (hbk. : alk. paper)
1. Constance, Duchess of Brittany, 11611201 - Family. 2. Anjou,
House of. 3. Brittany (France) - Charters, grants, privileges Sources.
4. Women heads of state - France - Brittany - Political leadership.
5. Great Britain - History - Angevin period, 11541201 Sources.
1. Everard, Judith, 1963- . II. Jones, Michael, 1940- .
DC611.B879C48 2000
944'.1023'0922 - dc21 99-38027
This publication is printed on acid-free paper
Printed in Great Britain by
Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham, Wiltshire
Page v
Contents
List of Plates vii
Preface ix
Abbreviations xi
General Introduction xv
General remarks xv
Sources xvii
Character, diplomatic and subject-matter of the ducal xix
acts
Commencement of the year in medieval Brittany xx
Editorial conventions xxi
Bibliography xxii
I 1
Charters of Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany, Earl of Richmond,
11811186
Introduction 1
Itinerary 7
Charters 11
Spurious charters 33
Appendix: Attestations of Duke Geoffrey 36
II 38
Charters of Constance, Duchess of Brittany, Countess of
Richmond, 11811201
Introduction 38
Itinerary 43
Charters 45
Appendix: Inquest into the right to appoint the prior of 91
Rumburgh
III 93
Charters of Margaret, Duchess of Brittany, Countess of
Richmond (d. 1201)
Introduction 93
Charters 94
IV 99
Charters of Ranulf III, Earl of Chester, iure uxoris Duke
of Brittany, Earl of Richmond, 1188/91231
Introduction 99
Charters 101
Page vi
V 109
Charters of Arthur, Duke of Brittany, Count of Anjou,
Maine and Touraine, Earl of Richmond, 1187 ×
11991202/3
Introduction 109
Itinerary 115
Charters 117
Appendix: Acts of Duchess Constance made with the 133
consent of Arthur
VI 134
Charters of Guy de Thouars, iure uxoris Duke of Brittany,
Earl of Richmond, Regent of Brittany, (1190)1213
Introduction 134
Itinerary 140
Charters 142
VII 164
Charters of Eleanor, Duchess of Brittany, Countess of
Richmond, 12081241
Introduction 164
Charters 165
VIII 166
Charters of Alice, Duchess of Brittany, Countess of
Richmond, 12121221
Introduction 166