Historical records mention her as the wife of Rorrick, the Count of Maine. Everything I know about her I’ve inferred from her husband’s, or her children’s, lives.
She is my 31 x great-grandmother.
We don’t know who Bilihildis’ parents were, or where or when she was born. Since her daughter married in 845, it is reasonable to conclude Bilihildis gave birth in the 820s, which would put Bilihildis’ birth around the beginning of the 800s.
It is also reasonable to conclude she was born in France. If her marriage had a political dimension, the church would have recorded her ancestry. This makes it likely she already lived in Maine before marriage.
Titles
As the wife of the Count of Maine, she would have held the title of Countess of Maine.
There is no historical record of this.
Family
She married Rorrick of Maine1. The first record of her is in a royal charter dated 833 which confirms a donation made by Rorrick and his wife2. Together they had four or five children2:
- Rorrick, later Rorrick II of Maine.
- Geoffrey, who fought the Vikings.
- An unnamed daughter, who may have been Ermengarde. She married Suniare II, Count of Barcelona3.
- A daughter, Bilihilde or Bilichildis who married Ranulf I of Poitiers.
- A son, Gauslin, who was a religious man.
Death
There is neither record of when, where and how she died, nor of where they buried her.
Lineage
Bilihildis is my 31 x great-grandmother.
References
- Royalty for Commoners (4th edition) Line 163; Roderick W Stuart; Genealogical Publishing Ltd; 2002[↩]
- Maine; Charles Crawley; Medieval Lands (Retrieved 2020-05-16) [↩][↩]
- Royalty for Commoners (4th edition) Line 284; Roderick W Stuart; Genealogical Publishing Ltd; 2002[↩]
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