General Notes

EARLDOM OF RICHMOND (IV)

ARTHUR, DUKE or BRITTANY, only son and heir of Geoffrey, DUKE OF BRITTANY and EARL OF RICHMOND, by Constance, the heiress of Brittany, was born 29 March 1187, at Nantes. In October 1190 his uncle, Richard I, arranged a marriage for him with a daughter of Tancred, King of Sicily, Arthur being recognised in the treaty as heir presumptive to his uncle. In April 1196 Richard claimed the wardship of Arthur; but the Bretons handed him over to the King of France, who had him educated with his own son. When Richard died on 6 April 1199 Arthur was in Brittany, whence he led a force into Anjou and Maine. He nearly captured John at Le Mans, and Angers was surrendered to him by the Governor. On Easter Day the Barons of Anjou, Touraine and Maine acknowledged him as the rightful heir; and he styled himself DUKE OF BRITTANY, COUNT OF ANJOU and [Earl of] RICHMOND. He then did homage to the King of France at Le Mans; and at Tours Constance placed him under Philip's guardianship. He was installed as a lay Canon of St. Martin of Tours. In September 1199 he sided with Philip against John, but, offended by Philip's high-handed disregard of his rights, he fled to his uncle. John received him kindly; but Arthur, being warned secretly that the King intended to put him in prison, escaped to Angers. By the treaty of 22 May 1200 between the Kings of France and England it was agreed that Arthur owed homage to John for Brittany; and he did homage at Vernon. In 1202 he supported Philip against John, and in July the King of France knighted him at Gournay, invested him with all the Angevin dominions except Normandy, and contracted him in marriage to his own infant daughter Mary. On 1 August, when he was besieging his grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, at Mirebeau, he was surprised and captured by John, who sent him to Falaise. Early in 1203 the King transferred him to Rouen, where he disappeared before Easter. He died probably circa 3 April 1203, almost certainly at Rouen, but possibly at Cherbourg, murdered either by John himself or at his command. His body is alleged to have been buried at NÙtre Dame des PrÈs.  [Complete Peerage X:797-9, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]