#185-Earliest Ancestor--Fulk, Were You Really Rude?

The blog theme for this week is “Who is your earliest ancestor?”  Now I can go way, way back to the Middle Ages with documentation.  When I first started doing genealogy, I spent a week at the New England and Historic and Genealogical Society on one of their research trips.  One afternoon I worked with Gary Boyd Roberts, who looked at my Cochrane Tree and decided that he could take it back a couple of generations.  Several hours later that tree had gone from the 1700’s to the 1312, the birth of my 24^th grandfather, King Edward III, Plantagenet.  I was amazed and excited.  I had no idea of that relationship and it opened up a whole new world to explore.  There is a great deal written about the Plantagenets and most of it is very well researched. 

So when I got home and had a little time, I decided to see how far back I could take that Plantagenet line.  It was not very hard.  With documentation, I could go back to Geoffrey Gastinois, II born in 1006  He is either my 24 or 25 great grandfather.  In 1035, he married Ermengarde-Blanche of Anjou, daughter of Fulk III Nerra. They were the founders of the House of Plantagenet.

Geoffrey and Ermegarde had three children:  Hildegarde, Geoffrey III of Anjou and Fulk IV, Count of Anjou (Also known as Fulk the Rude).  Geoffrey III inherited Anjou from his Uncle, Geoffrey Martel.  However, Fulk took Anjou by force, captured his brother and imprisoned him.  Because of their conflict Fulk lost a considerable amount of territory and was forced to give the Gâtinais, part of his land,  to King Philip I of France.   Fulk spent the rest of his reign as count trying to regain control of his barons and all the lost lands.

Geoffrey died sometime about 1046 and Fulk about 1109.

I would love to talk to Fulk, the Rude and ask him how he got that name.  I have read that it could also be translated as quarrelsome or surly.