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RICHARD II, THE GOOD 996-1026

married - Judith of Brittany

CONTEMPORARY PRINCES:
FRANCE: 996 Robert II
ENGLAND: 978 Ethelred II; 1016 Edmund II Ironside, Knut the Great

From The Normans in Europe:

Richard the Second succeeded his father at a somewhat early age, and amongst the first things requiring his attention was a revolt of the peasants. Richard, getting word of it in time, crushed it out with merciless severity. In all the wars of King Robert of France we find, Richard lending valuable assistance, while the King of Paris acts as mediator in some of Richard's quarrels.

Richard connected himself with the rising House of Blois, and married his sister Maude to Eudes, her dower being the County of Dreux, over which a brief quarrel ensued. With Brittany he allied himself by a double marriage. He married Judith, sister of Geoffrey, Count of Rennes, who had established his supremacy over the country and gained the title of Duke; and Haduisa, his sister, became Geoffrey's wife. When Geoffrey died, his sons, Alan and Odo, fell under the guardianship of their uncle and suzerain. When Ethelred of England fled from the Danes in 1013, he sought refuge with Richard, bringing with him the Athelings - Alfred and Edward. In Normandy, Edward, afterwards the Confessor, imbibed those Norman tastes which led him to introduce Normans into England when he regained his ancestral throne, and here he contracted that friendship with William the Bastard which hurried on the downfall of his line.

During Richard's reign the Normans began to seek for enterprise beyond his dominions. Spain first attracted them, and thither Roger de Toesny sailed in 1018 to war against the Moors, and to found, if possible, a dominion for himself. This, however, had no lasting results.

Far more important is the settlement of the Normans at Aversa, in Italy, where the sons of Tancred of Hauteville won first the dukedom of Apulia, and then the kingdom of Sicily. William, Drogo, and Humfrey of Hauteville ruled Apulia in succession, and then their brother Robert Guiscard, the Wise, succeeded them. He completed the conquest of Apulia and Calabria, and wrested the ducal title from Pope Nicholas. He and his son Bohemond, Prince of Antioch, began a series of invasions against Constantinople. To Roger, his youngest brother, the twelfth son of Tancred, he entrusted the conquest of Sicily.

Richard II died without a dream of the great destiny awaiting his race in the south. Three years before the settlement at Aversa he had passed peacefully away, leaving -

  1. RICHARD, the third of his name, his successor to the dukedom
  2. ROBERT, afterwards duke
  3. WILLIAM of Arques, Count of Talou
  4. MALGER Archbishop of Rouen
  5. ALICE, married Renaud, Count of Burgundy
  6. ELEANOR, married Baldwin IV, the Bearded, of Flanders
  7. ADELISA, married Stephen II, of Blois

RICHARD III 1026-1028

SYNCHRONISMS:
FRANCE: 996, Robert II ENGLAND: 1016, Knut the Great

[From The Normans in Europe]

Richard III only enjoyed his dukedom two years, and these were clouded by domestic quarrels with his brother Robert. A dispute arose between the brothers as to Robert's share, and as to the possession of the important castle of Falaise. The reconciliation was speedily followed by Richard's death from poison, administered, many said, by Robert.

The History of the Saint-Clairs states that Helena, daughter of Richard, was married to Waleran, Lord of Saint-Clair. The age of this Duke is variously stated, but there can be little doubt that he was of full age in 1025, when Renaud of Burgundy had been confined in prison by Hugues, Bishop of Auxerre, and Count of Chalons, for Richard II thereupon sent his sons, Richard and Robert, with an army to relieve their brother-in-law, and Count Hugues was compelled to present himself with a saddle on his back (the usual custom at that period), and crave mercy at the hands of the sons of the Duke of Normandy.

Richard left a natural son named Nicholas, who in 1042 was Abbot of St.Ouen. [from "The Conqueror and his Companions"]

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