Hugh IV, Count of Maine | |
|---|---|
| Born | (unknown) |
| Died | 25 March 1051 |
| Noble family | Hugonide Carolingian |
| Spouse(s) | Bertha of Blois |
| Father | Herbert I, Count of Maine |
Hugh IV (died 25 March 1051) was Count of Maine from 1036 to 1051.
Hugh IV, Count of Maine | |
|---|---|
| Born | (unknown) |
| Died | 25 March 1051 |
| Noble family | Hugonide Carolingian |
| Spouse(s) | Bertha of Blois |
| Father | Herbert I, Count of Maine |
Hugh IV (died 25 March 1051) was Count of Maine from 1036 to 1051.
Hugh was the son of Count Herbert I of Maine, [1] one of the Hugonides. [lower-alpha 1] He was a minor on the death of his father (1036) so was born between 1018 and 1022. Herbert Baco, his great-uncle and a supporter of the Angevins, acted as regent. [2]
The bishop of Le Mans, Gervais de Château-du-Loir, was a partisan of the opposing Blois family. [2] The bishop and regent clashed, with the outcome being the expulsion of Herbert by means of a popular council. [3] Gervais then proclaimed Hugh to have reached his majority, and arranged a marriage for him, with Berthe of Blois. [4]
Herbert, unlike his predecessors, followed the advice of his bishop. [4] Gervais, unlike his uncle who he succeeded, Avesgaud de Bellême (who was an adherent of the counts of Anjou) was allied to the counts of Blois. [5] Hugh, no doubt in support of his bishop, engaged in a number of wars with Count Geoffrey Martel of Anjou in the Loir valley. [3] Shortly after Hugh's death, 26 March 1051, [6] Gervais sought refuge in Normandy after being driven out of Maine. [4] Gervais' success in strengthening the Bishopric of Le Mans served to downgrade the countship of Maine, which led to the county being absorbed into the domains of Anjou and Normandy. [3]
Hugh married c. 1046 Bertha of Blois, who was the widow of Alan III, Duke of Brittany, [7] and daughter of Odo II, Count of Blois and Ermengarde of Auvergne. [8]
Their children were:
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