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____ William (Guillaume) IV (II) "Fier-a-bras"
Birth: ABT 937 of Aquitaine
Death: 3 Feb 994 France
Notes
II: Poitou, IV: Aquitaine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_IV,_Duke_of_Aquitaine
William IV (937 – 3 February 994[1]), called Fierebras or Fierebrace (meaning "Proud
Arm", from the French Fier-à-bras or Fièrebrace, in turn from the Latin Ferox brachium),
was the Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitou from 963 to his retirement in 990.
William's father, William III, abdicated to the abbey of Saint-Cyprien in Poitiers and left
the government to Fierebras. His mother was Gerloc, the daughter of Duke Rollo of
Normandy. His sister was Adelaide, wife of Hugh Capet, the king against whom William
later battled for his duchy. His early reign was characterised by many wars. He fought
frequently against the counts of Anjou, the first time against Geoffrey Greymantle, who
had taken Loudun.
In 988, he went to war with the newly elected king of France, Hugh Capet, whom he
refused to recognise. Capet had been granted Aquitaine by King Lothair before the
latter had been reconciled to William's father. Capet renewed his claim on the great
duchy and invaded it that year. A royal army was defeated on the plain of the Loire
Valley. William sheltered the young Louis, the son of Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine,
the last legitimate Carolingian heir. He opened the palace of Poitiers to him and
treated him as royalty, regarding him as the true heir to the French throne.
In 968, he married Emma or Emmeline,[2] daughter of Theobald I of Blois and
Luitgarde of Vermandois. Their marriage was stormy, in part because of William's
indulgence in the pursuit of women and, a hunting aficionado, wild animals. She
banished his paramours, they separated twice for long periods, and finally he retired to
a monastery, as his father had done, leaving Emma to rule Aquitaine in the name of
their son William until 1004. Their second son, Ebles, died sometime after 997.
Parents
____ William (Guillaume) III (I) "Tete d'Etoupe" (ABT 915 - 3 Apr 963)
OF NORMANDY Adele (Gerloc) (ABT 920 - 14 Oct 962)
Siblings
____ William (Guillaume) IV (II) "Fier-a-bras" (ABT 937 - 3 Feb 994)
OF AQUITAINE Adelaide (ABT 945 - ABT 1004)
Marriage To OF BLOIS Emma (ABT 954 - AFT 27 Dec 1003)
m. 968
Notes
Parents
OF BLOIS Theobald (Thibault) II "le Tricheur" ("the Cheat") (ABT 911 - 16 Jan 975)
DE VERMANDOIS Luitgarde (ABT 914 - 9 Feb 978)
Children by OF BLOIS Emma ABT 954 - AFT 27 Dec 1003
DE POITOU William (Guillaume) V (III) "The Grand" (ABT 969 - 31 Jan 1030)
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