Adelais d'Amiens et de Valois

• Preferred Name: Adelais d'Amiens et de Valois^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}
  
• Gender: F
  
• FSID: LZXK-66H
  
• Birth: 916 in Amiens, Somme, Picardie, France at LATI: N9.894 LONG: E0.3025 with note: Some historical records suggest Adelais was born about 908, but she was likely born a few years before that time. about 0895 for birth date is before mother could have children
  
• Title+Of+Nobility: with note: Description: Countess of Ostrevant
  
• Burial: in Nord Pas De Calais, Cambrai, France at LATI: N0.1765 LONG: E0.2304
  
• Death: 12 NOV 955 in Valois, Oise, Picardie, France at LATI: N9.5 LONG: E0.5
  
• Occupation: Comtesse d'Amiens
  
• Notes:

  "The identity of the wife of Raoul I is uncertain."
  http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/nfracado.htm#_ftnref588
  
  === Some background information concerning Adelais, wife of Raoul I d'Ostrevent ===
  There appears to be considerable confusion and a great deal of misinformation in many records, particularly private individual records, concerning the person known in some records as Raoul I of Ostrevent. However, many historical records call him by a number of different names [See the documents attached in the Memories section]. As the son of Hucbald, Comte d’Ostrevent, and Heilwig von Friaul (Friuli), he can rightly be called Raoul d’Ostrevent (also sometimes spelled Ostrevant). He is also referred to in many French records as Raoul Taillefer and as Raoul, Comte de Cambrai. In addition, he is frequently called Raoul de Gouy, particularly in French records. And he is also referred to as Raoul de Gouy, Count of Cambrai, Ostrevent, Amiens, Valois and Vexin. However, all of those names and titles are speaking of the same person, the Raoul, son of Hucbald, who died in the year 926. They are all the same person, who from here on in this note will be referred to as Raoul I.
  
  There also exists much confusion as to who the wife of Raoul I was. There seems to be much speculation that his wife was a woman named Hildegard, with a great many different surnames attached to a number of different Hildegards. However, documentation from the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, the French language Les Annales de Flodoard (a French historian who is a near contemporary of Raoul I and about as close as one can currently get to an original record), two published French language histories of his son, (called hereafter Raoul II de Cambrai, who was killed in battle in 944) that are titled Raoul de Cambrai: Chanson de Geste and Raoul de Cambrai: L’Impossible Revolte, the French language Dictionnaire Historique, the French language L’Eglise et la Societe Cathares, and the French language Les Legends Epiques, among others [Again see the documents attached in the Memories section] make it clear that Raoul I was married to Adelais (also spelled Aalais, Adelheidis, etc.), daughter of the French King Charles III (often referred to as Charles the Simple). Many of the above cited records do not actually call Adelais the daughter of Charles III, but rather refer to her as the sister of Louis IV (which is also correct as Louis IV is the son and successor of Charles III). However, Adelais and Louis IV are actually half brother and sister since they have the same father but different mothers. Louis IV was born of Charles III’s second wife.
  
  Raoul I and Adelais appear to have had two sons born to them: Raoul II (called in most historical records Raoul de Cambrai) and Gathier I, who eventually succeeded as Count of Amiens, Valois and Vexin. As noted above, Raoul II died in battle in 944. Gauthier appears to have lived until about 966. There is some reporting to suggest that Adelais could have been pregnant with the second son, Gauthier, at the time of Raoul I’s death in 926 and that Gauthier was actually born after Raoul I’s death. In any case, Adelais survived her husband and was left a widow. Some of the above cited records report that Louis IV, Adelais’ brother, tried to marry her to another man following Raoul I’s death, but that she refused to marry the man chosen by her brother. It should be noted that if Raoul I’s wife Adelais survived him, it would be impossible for him to have had another wife named Hildegard. Raoul I was only 25-30 years of age when he died in 926, certainly not enough time to have had two wives and families, and the above cited historical records are clear that Adelais is the mother of Raoul II and certainly suggest she is the mother of Gauthier.
  
  It might be helpful here to provide a little historical background to enable a better understanding of the political machinations that were happening in France in the first quarter of the 900s. France was under siege from invading Vikings and, in the year 911 (using the Julian calendar then in use and not the Gregorian calendar we use today), King Charles III signed the Treaty of St Clair-sur-Epte together with Rollo the Viking which created the Duchy of Normandy which was given to Rollo. As part of the agreement, Rollo agreed to be baptized a Christian and was baptized using the Christian name Robert. Rollo was also given the hand of Charles III’s daughter Gisela in marriage to help seal the deal. Gisela is the sister of Adelais, which would make Rollo and Raoul I brothers-in-law by marriage. Rollo was already married to Poppa de Bayeux, but he repudiated her to marry Gisela. That marriage must have been what could only be termed a December-May marriage (in fact, perhaps better termed a December-March or April marriage since Rollo was likely in the late 50s and Gisela was barely a teen, if that old). Gisela appears to have died within a year of the marriage (a common speculation is that she died in childbirth—a child giving birth to a child) and Rollo then remarried his first wife Poppa in 912. Poppa is the mother of Rollo’s son and heir William Longsword (Guillaume Longue-Épée). William Longsword succeeded Rollo in 927, leading to some speculation that Rollo died in 927, but he is known to have been a witness to charters of French kings until at least 933.
  
  Much of the French nobility was outraged by what they considered to be the capitulation of Charles III to the Vikings and his appeasement of the Vikings, among some other matters. A major revolt of the nobility occurred in France, resulting in what might best be called a French Civil War as the nobles tried to depose Charles III. And the nobles actually succeed in deposing Charles III in 922 or 923 and he died in prison in 929. These are historical facts that one could likely confirm in any comprehensive high school or university history book or any comprehensive encyclopedia.
  
  The lifetime of Raoul I was a time in French history that would have been a terrible time in which to have lived, since it was a time of almost constant and continual warfare, with death and destruction occurring everywhere. As Charles III tried to retain his kingdom against the rebellious nobility, it appears that his most ardent supporters were the Vikings under Rollo rather than the French who were trying to get rid of him. That is not to say that he did not have some French support, only that the Viking subjects appear to have been involved in much of the warfare.
  
  Hopefully this brief note will be helpful in clearing up much of the confusion that seems to exist concerning Raoul I and his family connections.
  
  === Identity of Adelais, wife of Raoul I, Comte de Vexin, Amiens and Valois ===
  According to the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, Raoul I (called Raoul de Gouy and Raoul d'Ostrevent), Comte de Vexin, Amiens and Valois, was married to Adalais who was a daughter of Charles III "the Simple", King of the West Franks, and his first wife Frederune [See documents in the Memories section]. There does not appear to be any historical documentation to call her Hildegarde, but many private records seem to give her that name. Adelais is certainly the mother of any children born to Raoul I.

1. Title: Raoul de Gouy, Raoul de Cambrai and Adelais in Raoul de Cambrai, Chanson de Geste, pgs. iv, xvi, xvii, xviii, xx, xxi and xxii [See document in the Memories section]
   Author: Raoul de Cambrai, Chanson de Geste, pgs. iv, xvi, xvii, xviii, xx, xxi and xxii
   Publication: Name: https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/145298548;
   Note: Raoul de Gouy, Raoul de Cambrai and Adelais in Raoul de Cambrai, Chanson de Geste, pgs. iv, xvi, xvii, xviii, xx, xxi and xxii [See document in the Memories section]
   Page: Raoul de Gouy, Raoul de Cambrai and Adelais in Raoul de Cambrai, Chanson de Geste, pgs. iv, xvi, xvii, xviii, xx, xxi and xxii [See document in the Memories section]
   
2. Title: Hucbald, Comte d’Ostrevent; Raoul I and II and possibly Gauthier [I] Comte d'Amiens, de Valois et du Vexin in the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy ~https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/nfracado.htm#HucbaldOstervantMHeilwigFriulia [See document in the Memorie
   Publication: Name: https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/143927394;
   Note: Hucbald, Comte d’Ostrevent; Raoul I and II and possibly Gauthier [I] Comte d'Amiens, de Valois et du Vexin in the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy ~https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/nfracado.htm#HucbaldOstervantMHeilwigFriulia [See document in the Memories section]
   Page: Hucbald, Comte d’Ostrevent; Raoul I and II and possibly Gauthier [I] Comte d'Amiens, de Valois et du Vexin in the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy ~https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/nfracado.htm#HucbaldOstervantMHeilwigFriulia [See document in the Memories section]
   
3. Title: Adelais d'Amiens - Medlands - FMG
   Publication: Name: http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CAROLINGIANS.htm#CharlesIIIleSimpleFrancesB;
   
4. Title: Raoul I and II and Adelais in L'Eglise et la Societe Cathares, pgs. 225, 226 and 227 [See document in the Memories section]
   Author: L'Eglise et la Societe Cathares, pgs. 225, 226 and 227
   Publication: Name: https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/145298064;
   Note: Raoul I and II and Adelais in L'Eglise et la Societe Cathares, pgs. 225, 226 and 227 [See document in the Memories section]
   Page: Raoul I and II and Adelais in L'Eglise et la Societe Cathares, pgs. 225, 226 and 227 [See document in the Memories section]
   
5. Title: Raoul I and II and Adelais (Adelheidis) in Raoul de Cambrai, L'Impossible Revolte, pg. 17 [See document in the Memories section]
   Author: Raoul de Cambrai, L'Impossible Revolte, pg. 17
   Publication: Name: https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/145299650;
   Note: Raoul I and II and Adelais (Adelheidis) in Raoul de Cambrai, L'Impossible Revolte, pg. 17 [See document in the Memories section]
   Page: Raoul I and II and Adelais (Adelheidis) in Raoul de Cambrai, L'Impossible Revolte, pg. 17 [See document in the Memories section]
   
6. Title: Raoul I and II and Adelais in Les Legendes Epiques, pg. 320-321 [See document in the Memories section]
   Author: Les Legendes Epiques, pg. 320-321
   Publication: Name: https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/145296453;
   Note: Raoul I and II and Adelais in Les Legendes Epiques, pg. 320-321 [See document in the Memories section]
   Page: Raoul I and II and Adelais in Les Legendes Epiques, pg. 320-321 [See document in the Memories section]