Foulques D'ANJOU

His death was wrongly placed on 11 November 956 (in a passage with a leper miraculously disappearing followed by St Martin appearing to explain that this had been Jesus Christ in disguise) by a 13th-century chronicler ("Anno Othonis XXIo et Lotharii regis Francorum IIo, Fulco Bonus comes Andegavensis ad festum Beati Martini veniens ... Nocte sequenti apparuit comiti Beatus Martinus ... Cumque in crastinum in choro Beati Martini missam dominicam audisset ... spiritum exhalavit

anno comitatus XVIIIo ").

In an article published in 1895 René Merlet retained this date but arbitrarily transferred the event to 11 November 960 on the dubious groundsthat Fulco was living when Nantes was besieged by Normans in the course of that year.

A 14th-century chronicler placed his death in 958 without a specific date ("DCCCCLVIII. Fulcho Bonus comes Andegavensium obit").

A charter for Saint-Florent de Saumur dated September 960 is usually cited as providing the terminus ante quem, because it was subscribed by his son & heir Geoffroy Grisegonelle as count (anno ab incarnatione Domini et redemptione DCCCCLX ... S. Gausfredi comitis ... Datum mense septembrio, anno V regni Lotharii regis""). This is bolstered by a list ofcounts and bishops of Anjou, written in 1155, stating that Geoffroy, who died in July 987, was count for 27 years ("Gaufridus comes, annis

XXVII").

Peter Stewart

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