Conan IV of Brittany

See also: Conan of Brittany

Conan IV Small the (towards 1138 - February 20th 1171), was Duc of Brittany (1156 - 1166) and Count de Richmond (1146-1171 ).

He is the son of Alain the Black, lord of Guingamp and count de Richmond, and of the duchess Berthe of Brittany, the girl of the duke Conan III.

Conan III designates it as its heir under regency to Eudon de Porhoët, second husband of Berthe, disinheriting due to illégitimié, his/her son Hoël who, demolishes by Eudon, must be satisfied with the county of Nantes. At the age of the majority, Conan IV, revolted against his/her father-in-law who refuses to leave him the reins of the duchy, is combined in Hoël but is beaten by Eudon in 1154. It takes refuge in England near Henri II Plantagenêt which assure him the possession of the title and the Honneur of Richmond, inherited of his father. This “honor” consists of a whole of grounds and incomes in the Yorkshire.

Conan receives an English military aid which enables him to return to Brittany and to rejoin several feudal, but its position of vassal of king d' Angleterre causes a revolt of the Breton lords under the control of Eudon de Porhoët. This last, beaten, takes refuge out of Brittany. Conan IV is proclaimed duke in 1156, but this same year, the Nantes ones drives out his/her uncle Hoël and chooses for count the younger brother of Henri II, Geoffroy Plantagenêt, already count of Maine and Anjou since 1156. The county of Nantes leaves the duchy. In died of Geoffroy, in 1158, Conan believes capacity to take again the Nantes one, but must restore it in Henri II.

In 1160, with the blessing of king d' Angleterre, Conan marries Marguerite of Scotland. Constance is born little from time afterwards and is quickly been engaged (at the 4 years age) to the third wire of the king Henri II, Geoffroy II Plantagenêt (8 years old).

Eudon de Porhoët carries out a new revolt which remport successes, but thus offers to Henri II the pretext to intervene in Brittany with an army which takes Josselin in 1168. Henri II strips Eudon de Porhoët of Porhoët, then, after a last revolt in 1173, county of Penthièvre.

Henri II does not tolerate any more disorder in the duchy, in particular the harmful effects brought to the maritime trade between his various possessions (in the North and the South of Brittany) by the Naufrageur S misusing the right of breaking. Conan is obliged to abdicate in favor of his/her future son-in-law. This last being only 9 years old, Henri II is made recognize guard duchy by the barons while waiting for that his/her son reached the majority.

Conan preserves only the county of Guingamp and mleurt four years after its abdication. It is buried in abbey Bégard.

Partial source

Etienne Gasche, Little story of the Kings and Dukes of Brittany , editions Yoran Embanner, 2006, ISBN 2-9521446-7-2

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