Robert I, Count of Namur

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/NAMUR.htm#RobertIdiedbefore981

• 1. ROBERT [I] ([920/25]-before 981). Robert succeeded as Comte de Namur, maybe as direct successor to Berengar as no documentary record has been found of another intervening count in the area, although this is not certain. The earliest reference to Robert is the charter dated 2 Jun 946 under which "Rotbertus comes" donated the villa of Melin "in comitatu meo" to the abbey of Waulsort[13]. According to Europäische Stammtafeln[14], Robert was the son of Berengar. However, the only evidence so far identified that Robert may have been a descendant of Berengar is provided by the Vita Gerardi Abbatis Broniense which records that "comes Berengarius Nammucensi castro præsidebat" commenting that "cuius stirpis posteritas ibidem hactenus perstat"[15]. This convoluted reference suggests that the relationship may have been less direct than father/son: maybe Robert was Berengar's grandson, the son of Berengar's daughter. This appears to be corroborated by the chronology of the births in the family. If Giselbert, son of Robert [I], was born in [955/60], it is unlikely that his father was born before [920/25] at the earliest, bearing in mind that he was presumably an adult at the time of the 946 charter. Assuming that the birth date range of Berengar is correct as shown above, Robert would most likely have been born earlier than this if he had been Berengar's son. The fact that Robert named his second son Giselbert also suggests a family connection with Berengar, whose wife was the sister of Giselbert Duke of Lotharingia, although it is somewhat surprising that the name Berengar itself is not repeated among Robert's descendants. Another indication of Robert's family background is provided by the Gesta Abbatum Gemblacensium which names "Rotbertus…comes Namucensis" as the most powerful of the "cæteri fratres et nepotes pii patris nostri [Wicperti]", while recording that he oppressed the abbey of Gembloux[16]. If this is correct, Robert's maternal grandmother was Osburga, whose first husband was St Wicbert's father (see Chapter 5.A). "Otto…rex" granted property "quod Ymmo in villa Castra et in pago Darnegouue ac in comitatu Rotberti comitis" to "fideli nostro Tietboldo" by charter dated 11 Jun 958[17]. Flodoard's Annals record that in 960 "Rotbertus", enemy of Bruno Archbishop of Köln (son of Henrich I King of Germany), fortified "Namuurum castrum" against the archbishop[18]. "Rotbertus comes" subscribed a charter dated 961 under which Erluin abbé of Gembloux exchanged property[19]. The Gesta Abbatum Lobiensium names "comite Roberto" and records that "Ratherius" died "apud Namurcum"[20], an event dated elsewhere to 974. m ---. Thierry Stasser suggests that the wife of Robert [I] Comte de Namur may have been [Liutgarde], daughter of Adalbert Graf [von Metz], emphasising that this is purely speculative based only on onomastics[21]. Comte Robert [I] & his wife had [five] children:
  • a) ALBERT (-shortly before 1011). Albert, Gislebert and Ratbod are named as sons of Comte Robert in a charter dated 981[22]. He succeeded as ALBERT I Comte de Namur. - see below.
  • b) GISELBERT ([955/60]-). ...
  • c) RATBOD [Robert] . ...
  • d) son (-[before 981]). ...
  • e) [LIUTGARDE . ... m ARNOUL [II] Comte de Cambrai, son of ARNOUL [I] Comte de Cambrai & his wife Berta --- (-23 Oct 1012).]

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Alias: Robert Ier de Namur Titles: comte de Namur