Person Page - 288

(?) MacDonald¹

• Last Edited: 14 Jul 2013

• Birth*: (?) MacDonald was born in 1840 at Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

• Married Name: As of circa 1862,her married name was (?) Boyle.¹

Sarah MacNeil¹

• Father: James MacNeil¹ b. c 1825

• Last Edited: 10 Jul 2013

• Birth*: Sarah MacNeil was born circa 1853 at Mabou Bridge, Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹
• Marriage*: She married James Basker, son of Joseph, Sr. Basker and Mary MacNeil, on 28 September 1875 at Mabou, Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

• Married Name: As of 28 September 1875,her married name was Basker.¹

James MacNeil¹

• Last Edited: 10 Jul 2013

• Birth*: James MacNeil was born circa 1825 at Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

Laurence Ling¹

• Last Edited: 14 Jul 2013

• Birth*: Laurence Ling was born circa 1870.¹
• Marriage*: He married Henrietta (?) circa 1893 at Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

Henrietta (?)¹

• Last Edited: 14 Jul 2013

• Birth*: Henrietta (?) was born circa 1870.¹
• Marriage*: She married Laurence Ling circa 1893 at Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

• Married Name: As of circa 1893,her married name was Ling.¹

Annie Cameron¹

• Father: Allan Cameron¹ b. c 1820
• Mother: Catherine MacGillivray¹ b. c 1820, d. c 1906

• Relationship: 2nd cousin 3 times removed of Donald James MacFarlane
• Charts: Descendants of Donald MacGillivray & Sarah MacDonald, Descendants of John Boyd & Catherine MacPherson, Descendants of Hugh Boyd & Mary MacFarlane

• Last Edited: 23 Apr 2014

• Marriage*: Annie Cameron married (?) Gillis at Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹
• Birth*: Annie Cameron was born on 12 July 1870 at Springfield, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

• Married Name: Her married name was Gillis.¹
• Residence*: She lived in 1944 at Hawthorne Street, Antigonish, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

(?) Gillis¹

• Charts: Descendants of Donald MacGillivray & Sarah MacDonald, Descendants of John Boyd & Catherine MacPherson, Descendants of Hugh Boyd & Mary MacFarlane

• Last Edited: 14 Jul 2013

• Marriage*: (?) Gillis married Annie Cameron, daughter of Allan Cameron and Catherine MacGillivray, at Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹
• Birth*: (?) Gillis was born circa 1870 at Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

(?) Leydon¹

• Last Edited: 16 Jul 2013

• Birth*: (?) Leydon was born circa 1850.¹
• Marriage*: He married Catherine Cameron, daughter of Dougald Cameron and Sarah MacDonald, before 1904 at Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

(?) MacGillivray¹

• Last Edited: 16 Jul 2013

• Marriage*: (?) MacGillivray married Christie Ann Cameron, daughter of Dougald Cameron and Sarah MacDonald.¹
• Birth*: (?) MacGillivray was born circa 1854.¹

Catherine Cameron¹

• Father: John Cameron¹ b. 17 Nov 1839, d. 23 Apr 1918
• Mother: Catherine Griffin¹ b. 14 Apr 1847, d. a 1911

• Relationship: 3rd cousin 2 times removed of Donald James MacFarlane
• Charts: Descendants of Donald MacGillivray & Sarah MacDonald, Descendants of John Boyd & Catherine MacPherson, Descendants of Hugh Boyd & Mary MacFarlane

• Last Edited: 16 Jul 2013

• Birth*: Catherine Cameron was born on 25 January 1875 at South River, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

Alof Aarbod¹

• Father: Harald I (?) King of Norway² b. c 850, d. c 932

• Relationship: 27th great-grandmother of Donald James MacFarlane

• Last Edited: 1 Apr 2015

• Birth*: Alof Aarbod was born circa 870 at Norway.¹
• Marriage*: She married Torf-Einarr Ragnvaldsson, son of Ragnvald I 'The Wise' Eysteinsson Earl of More, circa 890 at Norway.¹

Harald I (?) King of Norway¹

Harald Fairhair, in an illustration from the 14th century

• Father: Halfdan the Black (?)² b. c 810, d. c 860

• Relationship: 28th great-grandfather of Donald James MacFarlane

• Last Edited: 30 Jul 2013

• Birth*: Harald I (?) King of Norway was born circa 850 at Norway.¹
• Death*: He died circa 932 at Norway.¹

• Biography*: Harald Halfdansson (Old Norse: Haraldr Hálfdanarson; c. 850 – c. 932), better known as Harald Hårfagre English: Harald Fairhair), was remembered by medieval historians as the first King of Norway. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, he reigned from c. 872 to 930. Most of his life remains uncertain, since the extant accounts of his life in the sagas were set down in writing around three centuries after his lifetime. A few remnants of skaldic praise poems attributed to contemporary court poets exist which seem to refer to Haraldr's victories against opponents in Norway. The information supplies in these poems is inconsistent with the tales in the sagas in which they are transmitted, and the sagas themselves often disagree on the details of his background and biography.[1] Two of his sons, Eric Bloodaxe and Haakon the Good, followed Harald to become kings over extensive territories in Norway after his death.
  
  Background
  The only contemporary sources mentioning him are the two skaldic poems Haraldskvæði and Glymdrápa, which have been attributed to Þorbjörn Hornklofi or alternatively (in the case of the first poem) to Þjóðólfr of Hvinir. The first poem has only been preserved in fragments in 13th century Kings' sagas. It describes life at Harald's court, mentions that he took a Danish wife, and that he won a battle at Hafrsfjord. The second relates a series of battles Harald won. The facts offered by the poems may be scarce but it is a good source of information.
  
  His life is described in several of the Kings' sagas. Their accounts of Harald and his life may differ on some points, and some of the content may be uncertain but it is clear that he unified Norway into one kingdom. Some modern skeptics have generally assumed that his rule was limited to the coastal areas of southern Norway though there is no real evidence to support their claim.
  
  Saga descriptions
  In Heimskringla it is written that Harald succeeded, on the death of his father Halfdan the Black Gudrödarson, to the sovereignty of several small, and somewhat scattered kingdoms in Vestfold, which had come into his father's hands through conquest and inheritance. His protector-regent was his mother's brother Guthorm.
  
  The unification of Norway is something of a love story. It begins with a marriage proposal that resulted in rejection and scorn from Gyda, the daughter of Eirik, king of Hordaland. She said she refused to marry Harald "before he was king over all of Norway". Harald was therefore induced to take a vow not to cut nor comb his hair until he was sole king of Norway, and that ten years later, he was justified in trimming it; whereupon he exchanged the epithet "Shockhead" or "Tanglehair" for the one by which he is usually known.
  
  In 866, Harald made the first of a series of conquests over the many petty kingdoms which would compose all of Norway, including Värmland in Sweden, which had sworn allegiance to the Swedish king Erik Eymundsson. In 872, after a great victory at Hafrsfjord near Stavanger, Harald found himself king over the whole country. His realm was, however, threatened by dangers from without, as large numbers of his opponents had taken refuge, not only in Iceland, then recently discovered; but also in the Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Hebrides Islands, Faroe Islands and the northern European mainland. However, his opponents' leaving was not entirely voluntary. Many Norwegian chieftains who were wealthy and respected posed a threat to Harald; therefore, they were subjected to much harassment from Harald, prompting them to vacate the land. At last, Harald was forced to make an expedition to the West, to clear the islands and the Scottish mainland of some Vikings who tried to hide there.
  
  The earliest narrative source which mentions Harald, Íslendingabók notes that Iceland was settled during his lifetime. Harald thus caused the Norse settlement of Iceland and beyond. Iceland was settled by "malcontents" from Norway, who resented Harald's claim of rights of taxation over lands, which the possessors appear to have previously held in absolute ownership.
  
  There are several accounts of large feasting mead halls constructed for important feasts when Scandinavian royalty was invited. According to a legend recorded by Snorri Sturluson, in the Heimskringla, the late 9th-century Värmlandish chieftain Áki invited both the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair and the Swedish king Erik Eymundsson, but had the Norwegian king stay in the newly constructed and sumptuous one, because he was the youngest one of the kings and the one who had the greatest prospects. The older Swedish king, on the other hand, had to stay in the old feasting hall. The Swedish king was so humiliated that he killed Áki.
  
  Later life
  The latter part of Harald's reign was disturbed by the strife of his many sons. The number of sons he left varies in the different saga accounts, from 11 to 20. Twelve of his sons are named as kings, two of them over the whole country. He gave them all the royal title and assigned lands to them, which they were to govern as his representatives; but this arrangement did not put an end to the discord, which continued into the next reign. When he grew old, Harald handed over the supreme power to his favourite son Eirik Bloodaxe, whom he intended to be his successor. Eirik I ruled side-by-side with his father when Harald was 80 years old. Harald died three years later due to age in approximately 933.
  
  Harald Harfager was commonly stated to have been buried under a mound at Haugar by the Strait of Karmsund near the church in Haugesund, an area that later would be named the town and municipal Haugesund. The area near Karmsund was the traditional burial site for several early Norwegian rulers. The national monument of Haraldshaugen was raised in 1872, to commemorate the Battle of Hafrsfjord in 872.
  
  Issue
  While the various sagas name anywhere from 11 to 20 sons of Harald in various contexts, the contemporary skaldic poem Hákonarmál says that Harald's son Haakon would meet only "eight brothers" when arriving in Valhalla. Only the following five names of sons can be confirmed from contemporary skaldic poems (with saga claims in parenthesis), while the full number of sons remains unknown:
  Eric Bloodaxe (by Ragnhild Eiriksdotter from Jutland, Denmark)
  Haakon the Good (by Tora Mosterstong from Moster, Sunnhordland)
  Ragnvald
  Bjørn (Bjørn Farmann?)
  Halvdan, possibly two by that name
  
  According to Heimskringla
  The full list of sons according to Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla:
  Children with Åsa, daughter of Håkon Grjotgardsson, Earl of Lade:
  Guttorm Haraldssøn, king of Ranrike
  Halvdan Kvite (Haraldssøn), king of Trondheim
  Halvdan Svarte (Haraldssøn), king of Trondheim.
  Sigrød Haraldssøn, king of Trondheim
  Children with Gyda Eiriksdottir:
  Ålov Årbot (Haraldsdøtter)
  Rørek Haraldssøn
  Sigtrygg Haraldssøn
  Frode Haraldssøn
  Torgils Haraldssøn - identified as "Thorgest" in the (dates not correct) Irish history. Snorri Sturluson, in his Heimskringla, claims that Torgils was Harald's son.
  Children with Svanhild, daughter of Eystein Earl:
  Bjørn Farmann, king of Vestfold.
  Olaf Haraldssøn Geirstadalf, king of Vingulmark, later also Vestfold.
  Ragnar Rykkel
  Children with Åshild, daughter of Ring Dagsson:
  Ring Haraldsson
  Dag Haraldsson
  Gudrød Skirja
  Ingegjerd Haraldsdotter
  Children with Snøfrid, daughter of Svåse the Finn:
  Halvdan Hålegg
  Gudrød Ljome
  Ragnvald Rettilbeine
  Sigurd Rise
  Other children:
  Ingebjørg Haraldsdotter.³

Halfdan the Black (?)¹

Halvdan Svartes saga.
Gerhard Munthe, Heimskringla, 1899

• Relationship: 29th great-grandfather of Donald James MacFarlane

• Last Edited: 1 Apr 2015

• Birth*: Halfdan the Black (?) was born circa 810 at Norway.¹
• Death*: He died circa 860 at Norway.¹

• Biography*: Halfdan the Black (Old Norse: Halfdanr Svarti) (c.?810 – c.?860) was a ninth-century king of Vestfold. He belonged to the House of Yngling and was the father of Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway.
  
  Biography
  According to Heimskringla and Fagsrkinna, Halfdan was the son of the Yngling King Gudrød the Hunter. Heimskringla also names his mother, as Åsa, daughter of King Harald of Agder, and his half-brother as Olaf Geirstad-Alf. Heimskringla relates that when Halfdan's father was killed, Åsa took the 1 year-old Halfdan and returned to Agder, where Halfdan was raised. When he was 18 or 19 years old, Halfdan became king of Agder. He quickly began adding to his kingdom, through political negotiation and military conquest. He divided the kingdom of Vestfold with his brother Olaf and, through military action, persuaded King Gandalf of Vingulmark to cede half his kingdom. Based on the formulaic nature of his ties to his predecessors, his strong affiliation with Agder, and the failure of an early saga dedicated to him to name any family connections, some scholars have suggested that the linkage to the earlier Yngling dynasty of Vestfold was a later invention, created to associate a conquering Halfdan and his son Harald Fairhair with the family glorified in the Ynglingatal, whom he had displaced.
  
  Halfdan next is said to have subdued an area called Raumarike. To secure his claim to Raumarike, Halfdan first defeated and killed the previous ruler, Sigtryg Eysteinsson, in battle. He then defeated Sigtryg's brother and successor Eystein, in a series of battles. This established Halfdan's claim not only to Raumarike, but also to half of Hedmark, the core of Sigtryg and Eystein's kingdom. These details are only mentioned in Heimskringla.
  
  Fagrskinna and Heimskringla both agree that Halfdan's first wife was Ragnhild, daughter of King Harald Gulskeg (Goldbeard) of Sogn. Halfdan and Ragnhild had a son named "Harald" after his grandfather, and they sent him to be raised at his grandfather's court. Harald Gulskeg, being elderly, named his grandson as his successor, shortly before his death. Ragnhild died shortly after her father, and the young king Harald fell sick and died the next spring. When Halfdan heard about his son's death, he travelled to Sogn and laid claim to the title of king. No resistance was offered, and Halfdan added Sogn to his realm.
  
  The narrative in Heimskringla then adds another conquest for King Halfdan. In Vingulmark, the sons of Gandalf of Vingulmark, Hysing, Helsing, and Hake, attempted to ambush Halfdan at night, but he escaped into the forest. After raising an army, he returned to defeat the brothers, killing Hysing and Helsing. Hake fled the country, and Halfdan became king of all of Vingulmark.
  
  According to Heimskringla, Halfdan's second wife was also named Ragnhild. Ragnhild Sigurdsdotter was the daughter of Sigurd Hjort, king of Ringerike. She was kidnapped from her home by Hake, a "berserker" who encountered her father in Hadeland and killed him. In turn, Halfdan had her kidnapped from Hake, so that he could marry her. Fagrskinna does not mention any of these details, but calls Ragnhild the daughter of Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, who in Heimskringlas version is her great-grandfather. Both sagas agree that Ragnhild and Halfdan had a son who was also named Harald.
  
  Halvdanshaugen
  Heimskringla, Fagrskinna, Ágrip and Historia Norwegiæ all relate that Halfdan drowned when he fell through the ice at the inlet Røykenvik in the lake Randsfjorden on his return home from Hadeland. His horse and sleigh broke though ice weakened by cattle dung near a watering hole dug in the frozen lake. He was buried in a mound at Stein in Ringerike.
  
  Heimskringlas narrative adds that each of the districts of his kingdom wanted to claim his grave, and that it was agreed to divide his body into four pieces so each district could bury a piece of it, resulting in four different site called Halvdanshaugen (from the Old Norse word haugr meaning mound). According to this version, only his head is buried in Ringerike.
  
  Sources
  No contemporary sources mention Halfdan, and the details of his life that are provided by later kings' sagas are considered semi-legendary by modern historians. Although he has his own saga in Heimskringla, it lacks any skaldic verse, which is normally used by Snorri as supporting evidence and this, combined with its rather legendary character, leads historians to be wary of seeing much veracity in it. The "Black" nickname was given to him because of his black hair.
  
  Halfdan is mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla (c. 1230), Fagrskinna (c. 1220), Ágrip (c. 1190) and Historia Norwegiæ (late 12th century). The most elaborate story is found in the latest saga, Heimskringla. According to the Latin Historia Norwegiæ, Halvdan was a king "in montanis" (in the mountains), which is usually equivalent to Oppland in the Old Norse. This conflicts with the version told in Heimskringla.
  
  For Ancestors of Halfdan the Black according to the sagas (dubious authenticity) see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_I_of_Norway.¹

Otto I di Savoia Count of Savoy¹

• Relationship: 26th great-grandfather of Donald James MacFarlane

• Last Edited: 22 Nov 2014

• Birth*: Otto I di Savoia Count of Savoy was born between 1010 and 1020 at Savoy, Italy*.^2,3
• Marriage*: He married Adelaide (?) Heiress of Turin & Susa in 1046 at Italy.¹
• Death*: Otto I di Savoia Count of Savoy died in 1059 at Savoy, Italy*.⁴

• Name Variation: Otto I di Savoia Count of Savoy was also known as Oddo Conte di Savoia.²
• Biography: Otto (or Othon in French, Oddone in Italian) (1010/1020 – c.?1057) was a Count of Savoy from 1051 (or 1056) until his death.
  
  He substantially enlarged his lands through his marriage. After this acquisition the House of Savoy concentrated their expansion efforts towards Italy instead of outside the Alps as they had done before. Savoy's lands occupied much of modern Savoy and Piedmont, although several other small states could be found between them.
  
  Family
  He was son of Humbert, the first Count of Savoy, and his wife Ancilla of Lenzburg, and ascended the throne after the death of his elder brother, Amadeus I of Savoy.
  
  In 1046 he married Adelaide, heiress of Turin and Susa. They had five children:
  Peter
  Amadeus
  Otto
  Bertha, Countess of Moriana (died 1087)
  Adelaide (died 1080), married Rudolf of Swabia.¹

Adelaide (?) Heiress of Turin & Susa¹

Adelaide of Susa

• Relationship: 26th great-grandmother of Donald James MacFarlane

• Last Edited: 1 Oct 2014

• Birth*: Adelaide (?) Heiress of Turin & Susa was born circa 1014 at Turin, Italy.²
• Marriage: She married Otto I di Savoia Count of Savoy in 1046 at Italy.¹
• Death*: Adelaide (?) Heiress of Turin & Susa died on 19 December 1091 at Italy.³

• Biography: Adelaide of Susa (also Adelheid, Adelais, or Adeline; c.?1014/1020 – 19 December 1091) was the Marchioness of Turin from 1034 to her death. She moved the seat of the march from Turin to Susa and settled the itinerant court there. She was the last of the Arduinici.
  
  Biography
  Born in Turin to Ulric Manfred II and Bertha, daughter of Oberto II around 1014/1020, Adelaide's early life is not well known. Her only brother predeceased her father in 1034, though she had two younger sisters, Immilla and Bertha. Thus, on Ulric's death, the great margraviate was divided between his three daughters, though the greatest part by far went to Adelaide. She received the counties of Ivrea, Auriate, Aosta, and Turin. The margravial title, however, had primarily a military purpose at the time and, thus, was not considered suitable for a woman.
  
  Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor, therefore arranged a marriage between Adelaide and Herman IV, Duke of Swabia, to serve as margrave of Turin after Ulric's death (1034). The two were married in January 1037, but Herman died of the plague while fighting at Naples in July 1038.
  
  Adelaide remarried in order to secure her vast march to Henry of Montferrat (1041), but he died in 1045 and left her a widow for the second time. Immediately, a third marriage was undertaken, this time to Otto of Savoy (1046). With Otto she had three sons, Peter I, Amadeus II, and Otto. She also had two daughters, Bertha and Adelaide. Bertha, the countess of Maurienne, married the Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor, while Adelaide married Rudolf of Rheinfeld, who opposed Henry as King of Germany.
  
  After 1060, Adelaide acted as regent for her sons. In 1068, Henry tried to divorce Bertha and consequently drove Adelaide to an intense hatred of him and his family. However, through the intervention of Bertha, Henry received Adelaide's support when he came to Italy to submit to Pope Gregory VII and Matilda of Tuscany at Canossa. Adelaide and Amadeus accompanied the humiliated emperor to Canossa. In gratitude for her mediation, Henry donated Bugey to Adelaide and her family and took back Bertha as his wife, returning to Germany.
  
  Adelaide later played the mediator between her two royal sons-in-law, Henry and the aforementioned Rudolf during the wars of the 1080s in Germany. She was an opponent of the Gregorian reform, though she honoured the papacy, and defender of the autonomy of abbacies.
  
  In 1091, Adelaide died, to the general mourning of her people, and was buried in the parochial church of Canischio (Canisculum), a small village on the Cuorgnè in the Valle dell'Orco, to which she had retired in her later years.[5] In the cathedral of Susa, in a niche in the wall, there is a statue of walnut wood, beneath a bronze veneer, representing Adelaide, genuflecting in prayer. Above it can be read the inscription: Questa è Adelaide, cui l'istessa Roma Cole, e primo d'Ausonia onor la noma.
  
  Personality
  Adelaide had passed her childhood amongst the retainers of her father and had even learned the martial arts when young, bearing her own arms and armour. She was reputed to be beautiful and virtuous. She was pious, putting eternal things ahead of temporal. Strong in temperament, she did not hesitate to punish even the bishops and grandees of her realm. She patronised the minstrels and always received them at her court, urging them to compose songs emphasising religious values. She was a founder of cloisters and monasteries that transmitted the history of the region. One failure of Adelaide's career was the loss of the County of Albon.
  
  Family
  Adelaide and Herman IV, Duke of Swabia had at least three children (in the period of 18 months(!) - please check sources!):
  Gebhard I, Count of Sulzbach
  Adalbert I, Count of Windberg
  Adelaide, married Hermann von Peugen
  Adelaide and Otto of Savoy had five children:
  Peter I of Savoy
  Amedeus II of Savoy
  Otto, Bishop of Asti
  Bertha of Savoy, married Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
  Adelaide (died 1080), married Rudolf von Rheinfeld
  
  Legacy
  Adelaide is a featured figure on Judy Chicago's installation piece The Dinner Party, being represented as one of the 999 names on the Heritage Floor.³

Catherine MacDonald¹

• Father: Allan MacDonald¹ b. 12 Feb 1835
• Mother: Mary Walker¹ b. 10 Aug 1851

• Relationship: 3rd cousin 1 time removed of Donald James MacFarlane

• Last Edited: 25 Aug 2013

• Birth*: Catherine MacDonald was born on 20 August 1875 at Scotch Hill, Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

John McNeil¹

• Last Edited: 25 Aug 2013

• Birth*: John McNeil was born circa 1825 at Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹
• Marriage*: He married Julia (?) circa 1847 at Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

• Occupation*: John McNeil was a captain in 1877 at Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

Julia (?)¹

• Last Edited: 25 Aug 2013

• Birth*: Julia (?) was born circa 1825.¹
• Marriage*: She married John McNeil circa 1847 at Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹

• Married Name: As of circa 1847,her married name was McNeil.¹

John MacDonald¹

• Last Edited: 28 Aug 2013

• Birth*: John MacDonald was born circa 1820 at Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹
• Marriage*: He married Marcelline (?) circa 1840 at Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.^1,2

Marcelline (?)¹

• Last Edited: 28 Aug 2013

• Birth*: Marcelline (?) was born circa 1820 at Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.¹
• Marriage*: She married John MacDonald circa 1840 at Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.^1,2

• Married Name: As of circa 1840,her married name was MacDonald.^1,2

Rainier I de Sabran Seigneur de Castellar¹

• Father: Rostaing II de Sabran² b. c 1125
• Mother: Rosine de Uzes² b. c 1125, d. b 1266

• Relationship: 22nd great-grandfather of Donald James MacFarlane

• Last Edited: 29 Sep 2015

• Birth*: Rainier I de Sabran Seigneur de Castellar was born circa 1150 at France.¹
• Marriage*: He married an unknown person circa 1170 at France.¹
• Marriage*: He married Gersend de Forcalquier Countess of Forcalquier, daughter of William IV de Forcalquier Count of Forcalquier, circa 1180 at France.¹
• Death*: Rainier I de Sabran Seigneur de Castellar died circa 1224 at France.²

Garsenda II de Sabran Countess of Forcalquier¹

• Father: Rainier I de Sabran Seigneur de Castellar² b. c 1150, d. c 1224
• Mother: Gersend de Forcalquier Countess of Forcalquier² b. c 1150

• Relationship: 21st great-grandmother of Donald James MacFarlane

• Last Edited: 29 Sep 2015

• Birth*: Garsenda II de Sabran Countess of Forcalquier was born circa 1180 at Spain*.^2,1
• Marriage: She married Alfonso II (?) Count of Provence & King of Aragon, son of Alphonso II Raimond King of Aragon and Sanchia de Castilla, in July 1193 at Aix-en-Provence, Provence, France.³
• Death*: Garsenda II de Sabran Countess of Forcalquier died circa 1242 at Spain*.^2,1

• Name Variation: Garsenda II de Sabran Countess of Forcalquier was also known as Gersend de Forcalquier Comtesse de Forcalquier.²
• Name Variation: Garsenda II de Sabran Countess of Forcalquier was also known as Gersend de Sabran Comtesse de Forcalquier.³
• Biography*: Garsenda or Garsende (II) de Sabran (c. 1180 – c. 1242) was the Countess of Provence as the wife of Alfonso II from 1193 and the Countess of Forcalquier in her own right from 1209. She brought Forcalquier to the House of Barcelona and united it to Provence. She was also a patron of Occitan literature, especially the troubadours, and herself wrote some lyric poetry and is counted among the trobairitz as Garsenda de Proensa or Proença. She was, in the words of her most recent editors, "one of the most powerful women in Occitan history".
  
  Early life and marriage
  Garsenda was the daughter of Rainou (or Rénier), lord of Caylar and Ansouis of the Sabran family, and Garsenda, daughter of William IV of Forcalquier. She was named after her mother, who was the heiress of William IV, but predeceased him. Garsenda therefore inherited Forcalquier from her grandfather. She was only thirteen years of age when, in 1193, her grandfather William IV and Alfonso II signed the Treaty of Aix whereby Garsenda would inherit William's county and would marry Alfonso, who was in line to become Count of Provence. The marriage took place at Aix-en-Provence in July 1193. They had at least two children, Raymond Berengar IV and Garsenda, who married Guillermo II de Montcada, and bore him two children, including Gaston VII, Viscount of Béarn.
  
  Regency and patronage
  In 1209 both William IV and Alfonso died and Garsenda became the natural guardian of their son and heir, Raymond Berengar IV. Initially her brother-in-law, Peter II of Aragon, assigned the regency of Provence to his brother Sancho, but when Peter died in 1213 Sancho became regent of Aragon and passed Provence and Forcalquier to his son Nuño Sánchez. Dissension broke out between the Catalans and the partisans of the countess, who accused Nuño of attempting to supplant his nephew in the county. The Provençal aristocracy originally took advantage of the situation for their own ambitious ends, but eventually they lined up behind Garsenda and removed Nuño, who returned to Catalonia. The regency was passed to Garsenda and a regency council was established consisting of the native nobles.
  
  It was probably during her tenure as regent (1209/1213–1217/1220) that Garsenda became the focus of a literary circle of poets, though the vida of Elias de Barjols refers to his patron as Alfonso. There is a tenso between a bona dompna (good lady), identified in one chansonnier as la contessa de Proessa, and an anonymous troubadour. The two coblas of the exchange are found in two different orders in the two chansonniers, called F and T, that preserve them. It cannot be known therefore who spoke first, but the woman's half begins Vos q'em semblatz dels corals amadors. In the poem the countess declares her love for her interlocutor, who then responds courteously but carefully. Under some interpretations the troubadour is Gui de Cavaillon, whose vida repeats the rumour (probably unfounded) that he was the countess' lover. Gui, however, was at the Provençal court between 1200 and 1209, pushing the date of the exchange forward a bit. Elias de Barjols apparently "fell in love" with her as a widow and wrote songs about her "for the rest of his life", until he entered a monastery. Raimon Vidal also praised her renowned patronage of troubadours.
  
  Retirement and later life
  In 1220 Guillaume II de Sabran, a nephew of William IV, who claimed Forcalquier and had been in revolt in the region of Sisteron, was neutralised in part through the mediation of the Archbishop of Aix, Bermond le Cornu. By 1217 or 1220 Garsenda had finally ceded Forcalquier to her son and handed the reins of government over.
  Garsenda retired to the monastery of La Celle around 1225. In 1242, she went to visit her newly born great-granddaughter, Beatrice of England, and her parents in Bordeaux. As the father, Henry III of England, was engaged in a war in france at the time, she brought 60 knights to his service. Garsend may have been alive as late as 1257, when a certain woman of that name made a donation to a church of St-Jean on the condition that three priests be kept to pray for her soul and that of her husband.¹