Charles Martel, Mayor of the Palace

688 - 741  (53 years)

• Name	Charles Martel
  Birth	688	Heristal, Wallonia, Belgium   [1, 2]
  Miscellaneous	714 (26 years)  [3]
  When Pépin of Heristal died in 714, Charles Martel had to overcome opposition from the family of Pépin's first wife Pletrude. By 718, Charles had triumphed, gaining not only his father's office of Mayor of the Palace, but also his father's fortune. He then vanquished other Frankish leaders to greatly extend his realm. The Merovingian kings Childperic II (reigned 715-721) and Theuderic IV (reigned 721-737) were mere figureheads, and the Mayor of the Palace possessed supreme authority. Following the death of King Theuderic IV in 737, Charles Martel ruled alone as Mayor of the Palace. Although the throne was vacant, Charles did not attempt to claim it.
  Military	732 (44 years)  [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Charles' most spectacular victory came in 732 when he triumphed over an invading Islamic army from Spain at the Battle of Poitiers, also called the Battle of Tours, and is regarded as one of the most decisive battles in the history of the world. The fighting began near Tours, France, and ended near Poitiers. Charles was later called Martel, meaning "the Hammer", because of his victory over the Muslims.
  	Charles Martel entering Paris after the defeat of the Saracens
  Miscellaneous	say 735 (47 years)  [3]
  In order to maintain his power, Charles had to engage in continual struggles with various princes, both secular and ecclesiastical. Following his victory at Poitiers in 732, he attacked some unruly bishops including Eucherius of Orléans. Because of this, his memory suffered. During the ninth century, his tomb at the abbey of St. Denis is said to had been opened by the abbot, and a hideous dragon supposedly emerged from a blackened, charred and otherwise barren coffin; thus demonstrating Charles Martel's damnation for despoiling the Church of its property. Later historians at St. Denis said he had taken Church lands only temporarily and had intended eventually to reimburse and further enrich the Church.
  Death	22 Oct 741	Quierzy, Hauts-de-France, France   [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
  Burial	Basilica of Saint-Denis, St. Denis, Île-de-France, France Basilica of Saint-Denis, St. Denis, Île-de-France, France
  	Tomb Effigy of Charles Martel
  Siblings	1 brother
  + 1. Childebrand I, Lord of Perracy and of Bougy, Count of Autun,   b. Abt 630   d. After 751  (Age 122 years) ▻ Rolande + 2. Charles Martel, Mayor of the Palace,   b. 688, Heristal, Wallonia, Belgium d. 22 Oct 741, Quierzy, Hauts-de-France, France  (Age 53 years) ▻ Rotrou of Allemania;   Chrotrude
  Half siblings	2 half brothers (family of Pépin II of Heristal and Plactruda )
  1. Drogo, Duke of Champagne   2. Grimoald II, Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia
  Patriarch & Matriarch	Clovis, Frankish King of Cologne   (8 x Great Grandfather)  Aupais,   b. Abt 654  (Mother)
  Person ID, Branch	I3026	Roy Line, Boudreau Line
  Last Modified	2 Jan 2022

  
  

  Father	Pépin II of Heristal, Mayor of the Palace in Austrasia,   b. Abt 635, Heristal, Wallonia, Belgium d. 16 Dec 714, Jupille-sur-Meuse, Wallonia,Belgian (Age 79 years)
  Relationship	Natural
  Mother	Aupais,   b. Abt 654
  Relationship	Natural
  Family ID	F2421	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Spouse / Partner 1	Rotrou of Allemania   d. 724  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
  Marriage	Yes, date unknown  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
  Children	3 sons and 1 daughter
  +   1. Pépin, King of the Franks,   b. 714/15, Austrasia Austrasia Austrasia was the northeastern kingdom within the core of  the Frankish Empire during the Early Middle Ages, centering  on the Meuse, Middle Rhine and the Moselle rivers. d. 24 Sep 768 (Age 53 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Bertha  m. Abt 740 +   2. Duke Bernard   d. About 784  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ daughter of Caribert  m. Yes, date unknow +   3. Landrée of Hesbaye  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Sigrand, Count of Hesbaye  m. Yes, date unknow     4. Jerome  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]
  Family ID	F2416	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	2 Jan 2022

  
  

  Spouse / Partner 2	Chrotrude
  Children	2 sons and 1 daughter
  +   1. Carloman, Mayor of the Palace   d. 754, Abbey of Monte Cassino, Lazio, Italy  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ daughter of Alard     2. Grifo  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] >   3. Chiltrud  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth] ▻ Odilo, Duke of Bavaria  m. 749
  Family ID	F2420	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	23 Sep 2019

  
  

• Pedigree

  ← Click to display 1Charles Martel, Mayor of the Palace(688 – 741) 2Pépin II of Heristal, Mayor of the Palace in Austrasia(Abt 635 – 714) 4Duke Ansgise, Mayor of the Palace(602 – 685) 8Saint Arnulf, Mayor of the Palace and Bishop of Metz(Abt 582 – 641) 16Duke Bodegisel II, Governor of Aquitaine( – 588) 17Oda 9Clothilde(Abt 586 – ) 18Arnwald, Bishop of Metz 19 5Saint Begga of Landen(Abt 613 – Abt 698) 10Pépin "the Old", Mayor of the Palace in Austrasia(Abt 585 – 640) 20 21 11Saint Itta( – 652) 22Arnwald, Bishop of Metz 23 3Aupais(Abt 654 – ) 6 12 24 25 13 26 27 7 14 28 29 15 30 31

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 688 - Heristal, Wallonia, Belgium Death - 22 Oct 741 - Quierzy, Hauts-de-France, France Burial - - Basilica of Saint-Denis, St. Denis, Île-de-France, France  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Sources 🟢 Primary Evidence 🟡 Secondary Evidence 🟠 Tertiary Evidence 🔴 Unreliable Evidence

  [S60] Stuart, Roderick W., Royalty for Commoners, The Complete Known Lineage of John of Gaunt, Son of Edward III, King of England, and Queen Philippa Fourth Edition, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2002). [S59] Weis, Frederick Lewis. Ancestral Roots of Sixty Colonists Who Came to New England Between 1623 and 1650 Fifth Editionif, (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1982). [S65] Sewell, Robert James. Sewell: A History of the Sewell Family from the Earliest Times, (unknown: manuscript, March 2008). [S1494] Moriarty, G. Andrews. "The Origin of Capet and Plantagenet" , (Boston: The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, volume CVII, October 1953). [S61] Moriarty, G. Andrews. The Origin of the Carolingians, (Boston: The New England Historical and Genealogical Registervolume XCVIII, October 1944 ). [S62] Kelley, David H. Genealogical Research in England: A New Consideration of the Carolingians, (Boston: The New England Historical and Genealogical Register volume CI, April 1947).