County of Brionne

The county of Brionne would be part of the Duché of Normandy, which would have existed in first half of the 11th century.

Uncertainties on the existence of this county

Orderic Vital puts in the mouth of Robert, wire of Baudouin of Grinding stones, that Godefroi, his/her grandfather, was made count of Brionne by the duke Richard I {{er}} of Normandy (942-996). Godefroi was one of wire of this last. There thus would have been a county of Brionne as of the 10th century. However, the assertion of the Anglo-Norman chronicler is contradicted by two texts:

  • the chronicler Robert de Torigni writes that Godefroi was made count and accepted Brionne of the duke Richard II of Normandy (996-1026).
  • in a diploma of the end of the reign of Richard Ier, Godefroi does not appear with the title comtal. Moreover, one knows no count under this duke.
Consequently, the county of Brionne could go back to the reign of Richard II, rather than with that of Richard Ist Assumption reinforced by the fact that Godefroy is quoted as count in a diploma of the second Richard. However, the lack of precise details of the document (one does not know of which territory he was the count) lets remain a doubt about the existence of this county of Brionne. The historians David Douglas and Pierre Bauduin wonder whether the title comtal of Godefroi does not refer to the town of Have.

In the same way, if the son of Godefroi, Gilbert de Brionne, is described as count, nothing ensures that it was of Brionne.

Two facts more weaken the thesis of the existence of a county of Brionne:

  • whereas the Norman counties are located at the 11th century on the periphery of the duchy, that of Brionne is almost in the middle.
  • whereas the Norman counties of the 10th century are often the heirs to old pagi , one cannot make this filiation for the county of Brionne.

If the thesis is admitted, it should be recognized that in any event the county has a transitory existence since after the death of Gilbert de Brionne about 1040, we do not know any count, even supposed. His/her son, Richard de Bienfaite, does not carry this title. Brionne became simple a châtellenie.

List supposed counts de Brionne

There were at most only two counts de Brionne:
  • illegitimate Godefroi, wire of Richard I {{er}}, Jarl of Normandy.
  • Gilbert, wire of Godefroi.

The two wire of Gilbert, Richard de Bienfaite and Baudouin of Grinding stones are respectively at the origin of the families of Clare and Grinding stones.

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