Mon arbre généalogique

VICOMTES d'AULNAY

The families of the vicomtes in the area of Aulnay within the county of Poitou can be reconstructed into two separate groups. The family in which the name "Mainard" was predominant and the family of the "Cadelon" vicomtes. The relationship, if any, between the two family groups has not been established. Members of the "Cadelon" family are recorded as vicomtes from [921] until the early 13th century when the family became extinct in the male line and the title Vicomte d'Aulnay passed to the family of the Sires de Taillebourg. The "Mainard" vicomtes were more short-lived, mentioned first in 914 and for the last time in [990]. As noted in Part A below, it is likely that the family became extinct with the death of Vicomte Gombaud in [990].

A study of the short-lived "Mainard" family raises some interesting general questions concerning the jurisdiction of the vicomtes within the county of Poitou in the 10th and 11th centuries. The "Mainard" vicomtes are named only in the charters of the cartulary of Saint-Jean d'Angély. They are completely absent from the charters of the abbeys of Poitiers Saint-Cyprien and Saint-Maixent which both include numerous references to the main "Cadelon" family, the latter also being named frequently in Saint-Jean d'Angély charters. It does appear that both families were vicomtes over all or part of the "pagus Alniense" as this was the location of property which was the subject of donations both by the "Mainard" and the "Cadelon" vicomtes. Assuming that both families did live within the "pagus Alniense", this raises the issue of the potential overlap of jurisdiction between the different vicomtes. It is of course possible that the title "vicomte" was simply assigned by the Comte de Poitou to the principal nobles who seconded him in governing his county without any geographic attribution. If this is correct, it would be irrelevant from a jurisdictional perspective that the castles of both families happened to be located within the same pagus. It would also present an interesting parallel with the situation of the nobility in Germany where titles linked to geographic locations only emerged in the 12th century. A similar change appears to have occurred in Poitou in the mid- to late-11th century, as the earliest explicit mention of a "Vicomte d'Aulnay" is in the Saint-Jean d'Angély charter dated [1060/91] of "Vuillelmo vicecomite de Auniaco…et filius eius Kalo"[520].

The relationship between the first two vicomtes named Cadelon has not been proved, although it is likely that they were father and son. Europäische Stammtafeln[521] shows a third Cadelon in the series between the individuals who are shown below as Cadelon [I] and Cadelon [II]. However, from a chronological point of view it is more likely that there were only two different vicomtes Cadelon mentioned between [921] and [967]. The same source also shows yet another Cadelon between the ones shown below as Cadelon [III] and Cadelon [IV]. However, assigning broad estimated birth date ranges to each individual in this family shows that there is probably insufficient time for another generation, although it is recognised that this is an inevitably inaccurate process. The name "Cadelon" suggests a connection with "Chadalhoh[Kadelonis", the name of several counts in Carinthia and Bavaria between the 9th and 11th centuries.

CADELON [II] ([915/20][536]-[967/87). "Guillelmum…Pictavorum comes" transferred land by charter dated Dec 948 subscribed by "…Cadeloni, iterum Cadeloni vicarii…"[537]. Vicomte d'Aulnay. "Guillelmus…Aquitanici ducatus comes" was present in a property transaction recorded by charter dated Jul 959 subscribed by "…Cadeloni vicecomiti…"[538]. "…Chadelonis vicecomitis" subscribed a charter dated [960] which records the restoration by "Eblo episcopus Lemovice civitatis et comes Pictavorum" of the abbey of Saint-Maixent[539]. "…Cadelonis vicecomitis" subscribed a charter dated [963/75] under which "nobilis quedam mulier Oda" donated property to St Cyprien, Poitiers "pro redemptione anime sue et senioris sui Isemberti"[540]. "…Cadeloni vicecomitis…" subscribed the charter dated Jan [965/66] under which "Ebulus…Lemovicensium sedis episcopus" donated property to Saint-Maixent[541]. "Adraldo vicecomes, Arbertus vicecomes, Kadeloni vicecomes…" subscribed the charter dated Jan 969 under which "Wilelmus…Aquitaniensium dux et cœnobii…Hylarii abbas" donated property to "Mainardo", at the request of "patruus noster domnus Ebolus, sancte Lemovicensis sedis episcopus atque…beati Hylarii archiclavus"[542]. m firstly SENEGUNDIS, daughter of --- (-[May 964/966]). "Kadelo vicecomes et uxor sua Senegundis" donated property to St Cyprien by charter dated 963 or 964 subscribed by "…Kadelonis filii ipsorum, Adraldi vicecomitis"[543]. "Katalo vicecomes et uxor mea Senegundis" donated property "in pago Briocinse in ipsa vicaria…villam Vindolemia…et in pago Aunisio" to the abbey of Saint-Maixent by charter dated May 964 subscribed by "Ebuli, Ebboni, Kadeloni, Ode, Goscelmi…"[544]. "Senegundis" donated property "in pago Alnisio" to Saint-Maixent by charter dated May 964 subscribed by "Cadelonis, Ebulonis, Ode, Aldeardis, Goscelmi"[545]. These two donations were probably made when Senegundis was dying (although neither document expressly states this to be the case) as her husband is recorded within two years with his second wife. m secondly ARSENDIS, daughter of ---. "Kadelo vicecomes et uxor sua Arsendis et frater eius vicecomes Ebblus" donated property to St Cyprien by charter dated 966 or 967[546]. The reference to Ebles clarifies that this document refers to Cadelon [III] not to his son Cadelon [IV] (whose wife was also named Arsendis). Cadelon [II] & his first wife had three children