PART I: Forming the Power Base
The county of Vermandois, a vassal of the Duke of Champagne, was a forested domain northeast of Paris, lying on the border of the Holy Roman Empire and on the path to Lower Lorraine. Its folk, though not numerous, were hardy hunters and archers who made their living from the forest. In 1066 it was ruled by Count Herbert, a stern, proud, militantly religious man who accepted no excesses in anything save his legendary virility, of which he held an opinion that it was a blessing from God. Herbert was also descended from the great Emperor Charlemagne in the ninth generation, though with the ascension of the Capets to the French throne few recognized or remembered his descent.
Vermandois and the surrounding lands
The count's family was not large. He was married to Adele, elder daughter of his neighbor Raoul de Valois, the count of Amiens and Vexin. They had two children, son Eudes and daughter Adele. Herbert also had two younger brothers, Eudes and Pierre, both unmarried. In addition, Herbert's cousin Adelaide also lived in Vermandois.
Count Herbert
The count's wife Adele
As the county was small, there were few court members besides the count's family. Knowing their abilities, he had little difficulty in appointing suitable tasks for them. His wife Adele took charge of security and information gathering; his son Eudes helped greatly in managing the household and the estates. Herbert's brother Eudes was made captain of the guards, and Pierre, a church-educated theologian, became the religious advisor. Finally, cousin Adelaide was appointed chancellor.
Though Herbert's wife Adele was not too young, she was a strong and healthy woman, and gave birth to a son, Robert, in November 1067. Meanwhile, the count saw to the fortunes of his two oldest children. In September, Adele was given in marriage to Jordan, son of the Norman count Richard of Aversa; she soon left for southern Italy. Herbert's son Eudes, in turn, courted Agnes, the daughter of Duke Guillaume of Poitou; finally, the Duke relented and gave his blessings to the union. The wedding was held in Poitiers on March 9th, 1068 to the great joy of all in attendance, and afterwards Agnes traveled in Vermandois together with Eudes.
The first half of 1068 saw growth of the towns and villages in Vermandois, promoted by the count's wise policies. The new growth was soon paying off in the form of increased tax and trade revenue from the merchant traffic between Paris and the Low Countries.
Desiring to ensure that the dynasty flourishes, Herbert soon sought wives for his brothers as well. Such wives were found in the persons of two ladies-in-waiting from the county of Dijon. Eudes married Marguerite and Pierre married Peronelle in summer 1068. Both were soon expecting children as well.
Herbert's wife Adele gave birth to another son in January 1069, but the infant died only three days later. Herbert's second son Robert also did not survive for long, and succumbed to an illness in May. The count, very upset at this turn of events, sought peace of mind by going incognito through the local villages. In one of these he had a brief affair with a peasant girl which resulted in the birth of a bastard son, though the child did not survive. Fortunately the count returned to good news, the birth of his first grandson Louis to Eudes and Agnes d'Aquitaine.
Relieved, Herbert again began to spend more time with his wife, and in June 1070 she gave birth to another son, Charles. So active was Herbert that she was again pregnant a mere two days later, and the infant Jean was born in March 1071. Meanwhile Eudes and Agnes had another son, Oronci, but the boy died in April 1071 due to poor health.
Herbert's brother, the captain Eudes, was not as fortunate. Though he had three children by then, in late 1071 his wife Marguerite, and then he himself, fell ill. Moreover, in May 1072, Marguerite gave birth to a stillborn child, no doubt due to her illness. In September Eudes succumbed to his illness, and Marguerite followed him in August 1073.
Herbert's son Eudes, however, was going strong. His wife gave birth to another son, Charles, in June 1072. Herbert himself had his second daughter, Peronelle, in October, but the girl died the following year.
In the county, things were going well. The forest was harvested for new resources, and in June 1073 a central sawmill was built to facilitate construction. At the court, a wandering merchant, Enguerrand de Dreux, was recently admitted. In November, he approached the count, asking to be named captain of the guards. Though Herbert did not have a lot of faith in his military skills, he nonetheless granted Enguerrand's request, as he had no captain since the death of his brother Eudes. Under Enguerrand's supervision, training grounds were built in the count's castle in December 1075, and Vermandois could now raise over a thousand men if needed.
Meanwhile, France was in some turmoil as King Philippe died of illness in late 1074 and the throne passed to his son Robert, a boy of six. The Dukes immediately started plotting to increase their power. Though Herbert wished he could do something, his power was not yet significant enough to take part in the kingdom's power plays. And so he waited.
In September 1076, an itinerant priest, one Henri de Montmorency, offered his services to the count. Herbert accepted, and soon named the zealous priest as his new guard captain, dismissing Enguerrand de Dreux from the position. Enguerrand had little chance to protest, but was mollified somewhat after he was given Herbert's cousin Adelaide in marriage.
Herbert's eldest grandson Louis had been sent to train with the soldiers two years before, and was not doing too badly. But the rigorous training, as well as the great expectations of his grandfather (Louis was, after all, the heir-apparent to the duchy of Aquitaine through his mother), caused the eight-year old boy to feel very stressed. Still, the stern Herbert would not allow him a moment's rest, placing the future hopes of the family on the boy's shoulders.
In January 1078, the Pope called for a Crusade to free the Holy Land from the infidel. Though Herbert would have liked to go, there seemed to be little interest among his peers, and he knew that alone he could do little. However, his desire was seen and praised, and his image as a pious man continued to grow.
The county of Vermandois grew and prospered. In 1081, small-scale annual trade sailing began along the small rivers of the county. At the same time, the local people perfected the use of terrain for defense and ambush. Herbert generously rewarded his son and steward Eudes as well as his chancellor, cousin Adelaide, for their work in making the county prosper. The solid base of Vermandois power was now well-established.
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Vermandois genealogy started and updated to January 1082.