Bertha, Duchess of Brittany
Encyclopedia
Bertha of Cornwall also known as Bertha of Brittany (Breton
: Berthe Breizh ), was hereditary Duchess of Brittany between 1148 until her death. Bertha was the eldest daughter of Conan III of Brittany
by Maude, the illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England
. She was the last member of the Cornwall family to reign over Brittany.
By 1138 Bertha was married to Alan
Count of Penthièvre
, who was created created 1st Earl of Richmond
by Stephen of England
for his support against the dispossessed Empress Matilda
during the English Civil War. The marriage between Bertha and Alan may have been intended to bring Brittany on the side of Stephen in the war.
Bertha had three children with Alan,
By 1146 her husband Alan had died, and Bertha returned home to Brittany where she married Odo, Viscount of Porhoet. Two years later her father Duke Conan III died, and on his deathbed he had renounced Hoèl as illegitimate and no son of his, designating Bertha as his heiress. However, Hoel would remain as count of Nantes.
When Bertha died in 1156 war broke out between Bertha's son Conan IV and her second husband Odo. With her death the ducal throne passed to her son. Odo may have made a compact with his brother-in-law, Hoel of Nantes to divide Brittany between them. However in late 1156 Conan IV was able to defeat Odo and secure his maternal inheritance.
Breton language
Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...
: Berthe Breizh ), was hereditary Duchess of Brittany between 1148 until her death. Bertha was the eldest daughter of Conan III of Brittany
Conan III, Duke of Brittany
Conan III of Cornwall or the Fat , was duke of Brittany, from 1112 to his death. He was son of Duke Alan IV and Ermengarde of Anjou....
by Maude, the illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
. She was the last member of the Cornwall family to reign over Brittany.
By 1138 Bertha was married to Alan
Alan de Bretagne, 1st Earl of Richmond
Alan of Penthièvre of Brittany, 1st Earl of Cornwall, 1st Earl of Richmond , Breton Alan Penteur, also known as "Alan the Black", was a Breton noble who fought for Stephen of England...
Count of Penthièvre
Counts and dukes of Penthièvre
In the 11th and 12th centuries the countship of Penthièvre in Brittany belonged to a branch of the sovereign house of Brittany. Geoffrey I, Duke of Brittany, gave it to his brother Eudes in 1035, and the line formed a cadet branch of the ducal house of Brittany...
, who was created created 1st Earl of Richmond
Earl of Richmond
The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was held by various Bretons, Normans, the royal families of Plantagenet, Capet, Savoy, Tudor and Stuart.-History:...
by Stephen of England
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
for his support against the dispossessed Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
during the English Civil War. The marriage between Bertha and Alan may have been intended to bring Brittany on the side of Stephen in the war.
Bertha had three children with Alan,
- Conan IV, Duke of BrittanyConan IV, Duke of BrittanyConan IV of Penthièvre , called "the Young", was duke of Brittany, from 1156 to his death. He was son of Alan the Black, 1st Earl of Richmond and Bertha of Brittany. He was his mother's heir as Duke Conan III...
, b. 1138, their son and heir. - Constance of Brittany, who married Alan III, Vicomte of RohanRohan (family)The House of Rohan is a family of viscounts, later dukes and princes, coming from the locality of Rohan in Brittany. Their line descends from the viscounts of Porhoët and said to trace back to the legendary Conan Meriadoc. Through the Porhoët, the Rohan are related to the Dukes of Brittany, with...
. - Enougen, abbess of St. Sulpice.
By 1146 her husband Alan had died, and Bertha returned home to Brittany where she married Odo, Viscount of Porhoet. Two years later her father Duke Conan III died, and on his deathbed he had renounced Hoèl as illegitimate and no son of his, designating Bertha as his heiress. However, Hoel would remain as count of Nantes.
When Bertha died in 1156 war broke out between Bertha's son Conan IV and her second husband Odo. With her death the ducal throne passed to her son. Odo may have made a compact with his brother-in-law, Hoel of Nantes to divide Brittany between them. However in late 1156 Conan IV was able to defeat Odo and secure his maternal inheritance.