William, Count of Blois

William of Orléans
Count of Blois
Reign830 – 834
PredecessorNone
SuccessorRobert the Strong
Died834
Touraine
HouseUdalriching
FatherAdrian, Count of Orléans
MotherWaldrada
For the 11th-century count of Blois, see William, Count of Sully.

William of Orléans (died 834), known as The Constable,[1] was a magnate in the Frankish Empire during the reign of his first cousin, Louis the Pious. He was the Count of Blois from about 830 and, at the time of his death in battle, was Louis's constable. William was the son of Adrian, Count of Orléans,[2][3] and Waldrada.[a] His brother was Odo, Count of Orléans, and he was also a kinsman of Bernard of Septimania.

In 834, the emperor's son, Lothair rebelled, supported by Count Lambert I of Nantes and Matfrid, the former Count of Orléans. The emperor sent an army against them under the leadership of William and Odo. A battle took place in the Touraine after Whitsunday (25 May), at which both William and Odo died, along with several other notables: a certain Count Fulbert, Count Guy of Maine and Abbot Theoto of Saint-Martin, the imperial archchancellor.[5] The historian Adrevald of Fleury referred to these men as "leaders of war" (ductores belli).[6] Although William is also named in the Annales Bertiniani and the Vita Hludovici, he is not mentioned by Nithard in his account of the battle.[citation needed]

  1. ^ Quervelle 1952, p. 7.
  2. ^ Le Jan 2003, p. 294.
  3. ^ Werner 2004, p. 325.
  4. ^ Keats-Rohan 2000, p. 68.
  5. ^ Nelson 1991, p. 30.
  6. ^ MGH, Scriptores, 15.1, p. 489, ch. 21: ductores belli, Odonem fratremque illius Willelmum comitem Blesensium, Teutonem denique abbatem Sancti Martini, Guidonem comitem Coenomannensem cum multis aliis amplae opinionis viris mortem oppetiisse ("leaders of war, Odo and his brother William, count of Blois, and Theoto, abbot of Saint-Martin, Guy, count of Maine, with many other men of high esteem met death").


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