Adelolf, Count of Boulogne
Encyclopedia
Adelolf, Count of Boulogne (died 13 November 933) was a son of Baldwin II, Count of Flanders
, and of Ælfthryth. He was probably named for his maternal great-grandfather, King Æthelwulf of Wessex.
Baldwin II's extensive lands and many offices in what is now the north of modern France
and the west of Belgium
were divided among his sons on his death in 918. The elder, Arnulf, became Count of Flanders
. Adelolf succeeded his father as count of Saint-Pol, Count of Boulogne
and of Thérouanne
. He was also the lay abbot
of the Abbey of Saint Bertinus (Saint-Bertin) at Saint-Omer
.
In 926 Adelolf was sent as an ambassador to his maternal first cousin King Æthelstan of England by Count Hugh the Great
, effective ruler of northern France under Rudolph, Duke of Burgundy, who had been elected king of France in 923. Adelolf was to seek the English king's agreement to a marriage between Hugh and another of Æthelstan's sisters. Among the lavish gifts sent to Æthelstan, an avid collector of relics, were said to be the sword of the Roman Emperor
Constantine the Great and the Holy Lance
. The embassy was a success and Hugh was married to Æthelstan's half-sister Eadhild.
Adelolf was the father of Arnulf II, Count of Boulogne
(died 971), and of an illegitimate son named Baldwin (died 973) who was guardian of Arnulf II, Count of Flanders
.
According to Folcwine's Gesta abbatum Sancti Bertini Sithiensium (Deeds of the abbots of Saint-Bertin), Adelolf died on 13 November 933. He was buried at Saint-Bertin.
Baldwin II, Count of Flanders
Baldwin II , nicknamed Calvus was the second count of Flanders. He was also hereditary abbot of St. Bertin from 892 till his death. He was the son of Baldwin I of Flanders and Judith, a daughter of Charles the Bald...
, and of Ælfthryth. He was probably named for his maternal great-grandfather, King Æthelwulf of Wessex.
Baldwin II's extensive lands and many offices in what is now the north of modern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the west of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
were divided among his sons on his death in 918. The elder, Arnulf, became Count of Flanders
Count of Flanders
The Count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790....
. Adelolf succeeded his father as count of Saint-Pol, Count of Boulogne
Count of Boulogne
The county of Boulogne was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of a part of the present-day French département of the Pas-de-Calais , in parts of which there is still a Dutch-speaking minority....
and of Thérouanne
Thérouanne
Thérouanne is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:Thérouanne is located 10 miles southwest of Saint-Omer, on the D157 and D341 road junction.-Population:-History:...
. He was also the lay abbot
Lay abbot
Lay abbot is a name used to designate a layman on whom a king or someone in authority bestowed an abbey as a reward for services rendered; he had charge of the estate belonging to it, and was entitled to part of the income.This custom existed principally in the Frankish Empire from the eighth...
of the Abbey of Saint Bertinus (Saint-Bertin) at Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer , a commune and sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department west-northwest of Lille on the railway to Calais. The town is named after Saint Audomar, who brought Christianity to the area....
.
In 926 Adelolf was sent as an ambassador to his maternal first cousin King Æthelstan of England by Count Hugh the Great
Hugh the Great
Hugh the Great or Hugues le Grand was duke of the Franks and count of Paris, son of King Robert I of France and nephew of King Odo. He was born in Paris, Île-de-France, France. His eldest son was Hugh Capet who became King of France in 987...
, effective ruler of northern France under Rudolph, Duke of Burgundy, who had been elected king of France in 923. Adelolf was to seek the English king's agreement to a marriage between Hugh and another of Æthelstan's sisters. Among the lavish gifts sent to Æthelstan, an avid collector of relics, were said to be the sword of the Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Constantine the Great and the Holy Lance
Holy Lance
The Holy Lance is the name given to the lance that pierced Jesus' side as he hung on the cross in John's account of the Crucifixion.-Biblical references:The lance is mentioned only in the Gospel of John and not in any of the...
. The embassy was a success and Hugh was married to Æthelstan's half-sister Eadhild.
Adelolf was the father of Arnulf II, Count of Boulogne
Arnulf II, Count of Boulogne
Arnulf II of Boulogne was a son of Count Adalolf. He succeeded as Count of Boulogne in 964 after the death of his uncle Arnulf I, and held it until 971. He was the father of Arnulf III, Count of Boulogne....
(died 971), and of an illegitimate son named Baldwin (died 973) who was guardian of Arnulf II, Count of Flanders
Arnulf II, Count of Flanders
Arnulf II of Flanders was Count of Flanders from 965 until his death. He was the son of Baldwin III of Flanders and Mathilde Billung of Saxony, daughter of Herman, Duke of Saxony-History:...
.
According to Folcwine's Gesta abbatum Sancti Bertini Sithiensium (Deeds of the abbots of Saint-Bertin), Adelolf died on 13 November 933. He was buried at Saint-Bertin.