Yves Ier de Bellême

Yves Ier de Bellême or Yves the Old one († between 1005 and 1012) is the first known lord of Bellême.

Biography

With the reading of the medieval chronicles Normans, Yves Ier de Bellême could be one of the key characters in the escape from the young person Duc of Normandy Richard Ier (942 - 996). This last is high after the death of his/her father at the court of king de France, Louis IV of Overseas. The Duc of Normandy does not have whereas 10 years. Towards 943 - 945, its faithful intendant, Osmond de Centeville, fears that its protected becomes prisoner of king de France. He thus organizes an escape. To this end, he plots with some “ Yves, father of Guillaume de Bellême ”. It is surely about Yves de Bellême since this last is known like the father of Guillaume Ier de Bellême. The chronicler Orderic Vital specifies in his Historia ecclesiastica his name and his function “Yves de Creil, large-Master of the principal rafters of the king”. Yves de Creil and Yves de Bellême could thus be the same person. On the councils of Yves and Osmond de Centeville, the child pretends to be sick, which has as a consequence a relaxation in the monitoring of the guards. Osmond profits to hide the young duke in a bundle of hay and flees about it unperceived with him. They find refuge with Coucy then with Senlis, in the count Bernard de Senlis. One can suppose that this refuge was advised by Yves the Old one/Yves de Creil. Bernard de Senlis was to be the lord of Yves (Creil is to 10 km of Senlis).

The identification between Yves de Bellême and Yves de Creil is however the object of a debate. Indeed, chronologically, it seems not very plausible that the plotter of the years 943 - 945 is Yves de Bellême, which dies after 1005. was Orderic Vital mistaken? The historian Geoffrey H. White puts forth the assumption that Yves the Old one is the son of Yves de Creil. Nevertheless, if Yves de Creil existed certainly, there does not exist proof of a bond between him and the lords of Bellême.

Yves would be the founder of the castle of Alençon.

His/her son, Guillaume Ier, succeeds to him the head of the Seigneurie of Bellême.

Family and descent

His/her parents are not known with certainty. If it is considered that Yves the Old one is not Yves de Creil, this last could be his/her father.

Marry: Godehilde

Children:

Guillaume Ier de Bellême
Avesgaud de Bellême, bishop of Mans
Yves, bishop of Sées
Hideburge de Bellême, which marries Hamon, lord of the Castle-of-Dormouse
Godehilde de Bellême, which marries Raoul III of Beaumont-with-Maine
Sigefroi de Bellême (bastard?), bishop of Mans (uninsured child)

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