Godfrey I "the Bearded"

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Duke of Lower Lorraine
• Fact: Margrave of Antwerp
• Fact 1: Count of Louvain

Notes:

Godfrey I (c.1060 ? 25 January 1139), called the Bearded, the Courageous, or the Great, was the landgrave of Brabant, and count of Brussels and Leuven (or Louvain) from 1095 to his death and duke of Lower Lorraine (as Godfrey V or VI) from 1106 to 1129. He was also margrave of Antwerp from 1106 to his death.

Godfrey was the son of Henry II of Leuven and a countess called Adela (origin unknown). He succeeded his brother Henry III in 1095. He first came into conflict with Otbert, Bishop of LiËge, over the county of Brunengeruz that both claimed. In 1099, Emperor Henry IV allotted the county to the bishop, who entrusted it to Albert III, Count of Namur. Godfrey arbitrated a dispute between Henry III of Luxembourg and Arnold I, Count of Looz, over the appointment of the abbot of Saint-Trond.

Godfrey was in favour with the emperor and defended his interests in Lorraine. In 1102, he stopped Robert II of Flanders, who was invading the Cambraisis. After the death of the emperor in 1106, his son and successor, Henry V, who had been in rebellion, decided to avenge himself on his father's partisans. Duke Henry of Lower Lorraine was imprisoned and his duchy confiscated and given to Godfrey. After Henry escaped from prison, he tried to retake his duchy and captured Aachen, but ultimately failed.

In 1114, during a rift between the emperor and Pope Paschal II, Godfrey led a revolt in Germany. In 1118, the emperor and the duke were reconciled. In 1119, Baldwin VII of Flanders died heirless and Flanders was contested between several claimants, of which William of Ypres had married a niece of Godfrey's second wife. Godfrey supported William, but could not enforce his claim against that of Charles the Good. Also dead in that year was Otbert. Two separate men were elected to replace him and Godfrey again sided with the loser.

By marrying his daughter Adeliza to Henry I of England, who was also the father-in-law of the emperor, he greatly increased his prestige. However, Henry V died in 1125 and Godfrey supported Conrad of Hohenstaufen, the duke of Franconia, against Lothair of Supplinburg. Lothair was elected. Lothair withdrew the duchy of Lower Lorraine and granted it to Waleran, the son of Henry, whom Henry V had deprived in 1106. Nonetheless, Godfrey maintained the margraviate of Antwerp and retained the ducal title (which would in 1183 become Duke of Brabant).

After the assassination of Charles the Good in 1127, the Flemish succession was again in dispute. William Clito prevailed, but was soon fraught with revolts. Godfrey intervened on behalf of Thierry of Alsace, who prevailed against Clito. Godfrey continued to war against LiËge and Namur.

Godfrey spent his last years in the abbey of Affligem. He died of old age on 25 January 1139 and was buried in the left aisle of the abbey church. He is sometimes said to have passed in 1140, but this is an error.

Godfrey married Ida Of Chiny And NAMUR about 1100. Ida (daughter of Otto II and Adelaide Of NAMUR) was born in 1083 in Namur, Belgium; died after 1125. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Godfrey married Clemence Of BURGUNDY about 1121. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Adela and Henry had no issues.
• Name: Adela Of Brabant
• Crowned: 03 Feb 1121/2, Westminster Abbey

Notes:

Adeliza of Louvain calls him William de Albini and states that in this second marriage, she had issue of seven children. their grandson, William d'Aubigny, Earl of Arundel, was named in the Magna Charta.

Adela married Henry I "Beauclerc" King Of ENGLAND on 29 Jan 1121. Henry (son of William I The CONQUEROR and Matilda Of FLANDERS) was born in Sep 1068 in Selby, England; died on 01 Dec 1135 in (of food poisoning) Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France; was buried on 04 Jan 1136 in Reading Abbey, Reading, Berkshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Adela married William D'AUBIGNY in 1138 in England. William was born in St. Sauveur, Manche, Normandie, France; died on 12 Oct 1176 in Abby, Waverley, Surrey, England; was buried in Priory, Wymondham, Norfolk, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Count of Louvain
• Fact: Duke of Brabant

Godfrey married Luitgarde VON SULTZBACH about 1139. Luitgarde (daughter of Berenger II Count Of SULZBACH and Adelaide VON WOLFRATSAUSEN) was born about 1120 in Sulzbach, Germany; died after 1162. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Lord of Petworth, Sussex, Castellan of Arundel

Jocelin married Agnes DE PERCY after 1154. Agnes (daughter of William DE PERCY and Alice DE TUNBRIDGE) was born in 1134 in Whitby, England; died in bet. 1201 to 13 Oct 1204. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]