Geoffrey of Hauteville

Geoffrey of Hauteville

Geoffrey of Hauteville (also "Gottfried", "Godfrey", "Goffredo", or "Gaufrido") was the second youngest son of Tancred of Hauteville by his first wife Muriella. He joined his brothers in the Mezzogiorno around 1053, arriving with his half-brothers Mauger and William. He was certainly present at the Battle of Civitate in that year.

In that year, Humphrey, his brother the count of Apulia, gave Mauger and William the Capitanate and the Principate, respectively, with the title of count. When Mauger died later that decade (in 1054, according to Goffredo Malaterra), the county passed to William, who gave it to Geoffrey. In 1059, his brother Robert Guiscard, Humphrey's successor over Geoffrey, who was older, but had not been in the south as long, helped him quell a revolt in the Capitanate. He also ruled the region around Loritello, where his son Robert was invested as count, and he expanded his domains into those of the pope, conquering Gissi in the Abruzzi. His death is a matter of confusion. The "Breve Chronicon Northmannicum" states, on the authority of Goffredo Malaterra, that he died in 1063, but the chronicler apparently confused the many Geoffreys of the period. He probably died circa 1071.

He had been married in Normandy and he had three sons from that union: the aforementioned Robert; Ralph, who inherited Catanzaro; and William, who inherited Tiriolo. In the Mezzogiorno, he married, like his eldest brother William Iron Arm, a niece of the Prince Guaimar IV of Salerno, Theodora of Capaccio, daughter of Pandulf, lord of Capaccio, Guaimar's brother. From this second marriage was born at least one son, named Tancred, who was alive in 1103 and 1104. He also had a son, of unknown parentage, named Drogo or Tasso [http://www.norman-world.com/angleterre/Patrimoine_architectural/Italie/molise/02moliseen/04famiglie%20normanneen/conti%20loritello/molise04ben.htm] .

It seems that Ralph participated in the Battle of Hastings (1066) and obtained thereby a fief in Wiltshire before 1086 (the time of the Domesday Book), thus founding the English branch of his illustrious family.

ources

*Chalandon, Ferdinand. "Histoire de la domination normande en Italie et en Sicile". Paris, 1907.
*Norwich, John Julius. "The Normans in the South 1016-1130". Longmans: London, 1967.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Geoffrey de Montbray — Geoffroy de Montbray oder Geoffroy de Coutances (in England manchmal Mowbray genannt) († 2. Februar 1093 in Coutances) war Bischof von Coutances von 1049 bis 1093 und einer der engesten Berater des Herzogs Wilhelm II. von Normandie, des späteren… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hauteville family — The family of the Hauteville (French: Maison de Hauteville , Italian: Casa d Altavilla ) was a petty baronial Norman family from the Cotentin which rose to prominence in Europe, Asia, and Africa through its conquests in the Mediterranean,… …   Wikipedia

  • Geoffrey de Coutances — Geoffroy de Montbray Geoffroy de Montbray ou Geoffroy de Coutances (parfois de Mowbray en anglais) († 2 février 1093, Coutances), évêque de Coutances de 1049 à 1093, est un baron anglo normand, l un des plus proches conseillers de Guillaume le… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Humphrey of Hauteville — [Called Onfroi de Hauteville in French and Umfredo d Altavilla in Italian.] (c. 1010 ndash; August 1057), surnamed Abagelard, was the Count of Apulia and Calabria from 1051 to his death. Humphrey was probably the youngest son of Tancred of… …   Wikipedia

  • Mauger of Hauteville — (also Latin Malgerius or Italian Maugerio) was a younger (probably the second) son of Tancred of Hauteville by his second wife, Fressenda. He travelled to the Mezzogiorno with his brother William and his elder half brother Geoffrey around 1053,… …   Wikipedia

  • Abelard of Hauteville — [His name is Abélard in French and Abelardo or Abailardo in Italian. He is sometimes called Abagelard and it is sometimes asserted that his father was originally named Abagelard as well.] (c. 1044 ndash;1081) was the eldest son of Humphrey, count …   Wikipedia

  • John of Hauteville — • Moralist and satirical poet of the twelfth century (flourished about 1184) Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. John of Hauteville     John of Hauteville      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Tancred of Hauteville — was an eleventh century Norman petty lord about whom little is known. His historical importance comes entirely from the accomplishments of his sons and later descendants. He was a minor noble near Coutances in the Cotentin, but it is not even… …   Wikipedia

  • Jordan of Hauteville — (born after 1056 died 12/18/19 September 1092) was the eldest son and bastard of Roger I of Sicily. A fighter, he took part, from an early age, in the conquests of his father in Sicily. In 1077, at the siege of Trapani, one of two Saracen… …   Wikipedia

  • Norman conquest of southern Italy — The Kingdom of Sicily (in green) in 1154, representing the extent of Norman conquest in Italy over several decades of activity by independent adventurers The Norman conquest of southern Italy spanned the late eleventh and much of the twelfth… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”