46
RIDDELLS OF NORMANDY AND ARDNAMURCHAN.
succeeded to that earldom, but becoming a monk, relinquished that in-
heritance to his son in 998.
FIFTH GENERATION.
William Ridel (3), son of Arnold¹ (1), succeeded to the earldom of
Angoulesme in 998 A. D.; married Gerberga, daughter of Galfridus I,
Earl of Anjou, and sister of Folco III, grandfather of Folco IV, great-
grandfather of Henry II, King of England. This representative of the
family was a nobleman equally celebrated for his munificence, his valor, and
his prudence. He made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and died shortly
after his return, the eighteenth of the Ides of April, 1028, leaving two
sons, who successively became heirs of the earldom, as will afterwards
appear.
SIXTH GENERATION.
Alduin Ridel (2), eldest son of William (3), was born at Angoulesme,
France, and succeeded to that earldom. He died in 1034 A. D., and was
succeeded by his brother.
Galfridus Ridel (1), second son of William5 (3), was born at Angou-
lesme, France, and succeeded his brother before mentioned in 1034 A. D.
He married Petronilla, daughter and heiress of Manard, surnamed "The
Rich," Baron of Archiac and Botaville, by whom he had issue five sons.
He died in 1048.
SEVENTH GENERATION.
Folco Ridel (1), eldest son of Galfridus (1), was born at Angoulesme,
France, and succeeding to that earldom became the ancestor of the earls
of that line. This branch ended in Isabella, wife of King John† of Eng-
land; and from her every sovereign who has since sat on the throne of
England was descended.
Galfridus Ridel' (2), second son of Galfridus (1), was born at Angou-
lesme, France, and became ancestor of this line, as the eighth in succession.
He is sometimes called Geoffery, and is particularly mentioned by the au-
thor of the lives of the Earls of Angoulesme, as having assumed the sur-
name, and is described in his account of the issue of Galfridus, his father.
He had for his inheritance the baronies of Montausier and Blaye, in
Guinne; the former he seems to have given up to his younger brother,
afterwards mentioned, who was, in consequence, called Arnold de Mon-
tausier; the latter possession he held in the same manner as his father
had done, when his elder brother, Earl Alduin, was alive. He married
Agnes, daughter and heiress of Albert II, Earl of Piragord, who de-
scended, as himself, in the seventh degree, from Walgrinus, the first
*The Romans made a threefold division of the month into Calends, Nones, and
Ides. In March, May, July, and October, the Ides fell on the 15th, and in the re-
maining months on the 13th.
King John (surnamed "Lackland"), born 24th December, 1166, was crowned
27th May, 1199. He was espoused to Alice, eldest daughter and co-heir of Hum-
bert, Count of Maurien, now Savoy; she died before nuptials, and John married
first, Isabella, daughter and heiress of William, Earl of Gloucester, from whom he
was divorced; secondly, to Isabella, daughter and heiress of Aymer Taillefer (or
Ridel), Count of Angoulesme, by whom (who married secondly, Hugh, Lord of
Lusignan and Valence, in Poictou, and dying in 1246, was buried at Fonterand)
he left at his decease at Newark Castle, 19th October, 1216, 1, Henry, his successor;
2, Richard, born 1209; 3, Joan, married 1221 to Alexander, King of Scotland; 4,
Eleanor; 5, Isabella, married Frederick II, Emperor of Germany. From this we
see how the royal family of Europe were connected with the Riddells.
