Bernard, son of Charles Martel

Bernard or Bernhard de Saint Quentin (d'Herstal), Abby of von St. Quentin, Abbot of St. Quentin (c.720-787) was a son of Charles Martel by his mistress Ruodhaid.

Life

Bernard was a half Brother of the Frankish King Pepin the Short, and uncle to Charlemagne. He was brother to Hieronymus and Remigius of Rouen. Although they were all denied any claim in the legacy of their father, they were raised at court and accorded various honors. Medievalist Donald C. Jackman suggests that Bernhard's and Charlemagne's mothers may have been closely related.^[1]

In 760, he and his two brothers (Hieronymus and Remigius) went to Italy on behalf of their half-brother Pepin to mediate between Pope Paul I and Desiderius. They convinced Desiderius to return some of the cities he captured back to the papacy, but the Lombard king did not follow through on his promises.^[2]

In 773 Bernhard led half of the Frankish army in his nephew Charlemagne's Lombard campaign. While Charlemagne led his contingent through the pass of Moncenisio, Bernard led his through the Great St. Bernard Pass.^[3][4] He then participated in the Siege of Pavia. Bernard was prominent in the reign of Charlemagne's son Louis the Pious.

Family

According to Paschasius Radbertus, Bernard married first a Frankish woman who bore him:

• Adalard, abbot of Corbie Abbey.^[5]

He later married the Anglo Saxon Woman They had two sons and two daughters.

• Wala (d. 835), a high-ranking court dignitary, later abbot of Corbie
• Bernhard, a monk of Corbie
• Gundrada, sent to the Abbey of Ste-Croix in Poitiers
• Theodrada, abbess of Notre-Dame de Soissons

Louis the Pious grew concerned regarding the power and influence bestowed on his cousins by his father, and shortly after being crowned Adalard was exiled to St. Philibert on Noirmoutier, (but later reinstated at court); Count Wala was forced to separate from his wife and take his brother's place at Corbie (also later reinstated); Bernhard was exiled to Lérins; and Gundrada was sent from court. Only Theodrada, the widow of Theodoric, Duke of the Riparuarii was left undisturbed.^[6]

Sabine Baring-Gould says Bernard was the grandfather of saint Ida of Herzfeld through his daughter Theodrada.^[7]

Ancestry

References

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Pippinids, Arnulfings and Carolingians

• Legend: → ≡ "father of",
• * ≡ "brother of"

Begga, the daughter of Pepin I, married Ansegisel, the son of Arnulf of Metz, and was the mother of Pepin II.

Pippinids

• Carloman → Pepin I → Grimoald I → Childebert the Adopted

Arnulfings

Arnulf of Metz → Chlodulf of Metz Ansegisel → Pepin II, his sons
Drogo, sons	Arnulf Hugh of Champagne Godfrey Pepin
Grimoald I, son	Theudoald
Charles Martel, sons	Carloman Pepin III Grifo Bernard Jerome Remigius
Childebrand I, son	Nibelung I → Nibelungids

Early
Carolingians

Sons of Charles Martel
Carloman, son	Drogo
Pepin III, sons	Charlemagne, sons Pepin the Hunchback Charles the Younger Pepin Louis the Pious Lothair Drogo Hugh Theoderic Carloman, son Pepin Pepin
Bernard, sons	Wala Adalhard Bernhar

Carolingian
Empire

Sons of Charlemagne
Pepin, son	Bernard → Pepin, Count of Vermandois → Counts of Vermandois
Louis the Pious, sons	Arnulf of Sens Lothair I, sons Louis II of Italy → Ermengard → Louis the Blind → Bosonids Lothair II → Hugh Charles Pepin I, son Pepin II Louis the German, sons Carloman → Arnulf → Louis the Child Ratold Zwentibold → Godfrey Otto Louis the Younger → Louis Hugh Charles the Fat → Bernard Ratold → Adalbert Charles the Bald, sons Louis the Stammerer → Louis III Carloman II Charles the Simple Charles the Child Carloman Lothair the Lame Drogo Pepin Charles

West
Francia

West Francia was in the hands of the Robertians from 888 until 898. It was the last Carolingian kingdom.
Charles the Simple, sons	Louis IV Arnulf Drogo Rorico
Louis IV, sons	Lothair IV Charles Louis Charles of Lorraine Henry
Lothair IV, sons	Louis V Arnulf
Charles of Lorraine, sons	Otto Louis Charles