Flaald FITZ FLAALD Seneschal de Dol-de-Bretagne [7056] ¹⁶⁶⁴

   FamilySearch ID: 9HQ6-6GH.

  General Notes:

Biography
Name
Flaald is the name by which he is most often known. His name sometimes appears with his title, Flaald Dapifer (Flaald the cup-bearer). Fledaldus is the Latin equivalent and sometimes it too appears with a title, Fledaldus Senescal.
Flaald of Dol, Dapfifer of Dol and Senescal of Dol
In Legendary Scottish Stewart Ancestry Flaald of Dol in Brittany has become conflated with the legendary Scottish Fleance, son of the legendary Banquo. Appearance of a name like "Flaad Banquo de Dinan" is an indication that one has come upon legendary rather than factual material.
Disputed Lineages, Seneschals of Dol
This profile is affected by conflicting lineages provided in 1901 by J. Horace Round and a century later in 200 by Paul A. Fox. The two conflicting lineages and this profile's place in them are shown at Round and Fox and the Seneschals of Dol.
The Peerage generally follows Round. For the Peerage, Flaald fitz Flaald, Seneschal de Dol en Bretagne was the son of Allan, Seneschal de Dol.1 and gained the title of Seneschal de Dol en Bretagne. The Peerage does not explain how Flaald fitz Flaald was the son of someone not named Flaald.
1011 Estimating Birth Year in Round and Fox
Both Round and Fox agree on the existence of Flaald, Steward of Dol, and the major outlines of his life. Because of their differing theories of Flaald's relationships with others, however, there is a substantial difference in dating.
Based on Round: 1052 Dating based on Round's scenario is derived from the presumed death of Alan the Crusader in 1095, the assumption that Alan the Crusader is the older brother of Flaald and the source of Flaald's position and property upon Alan's death. Estimating the birth of Alan the Crusader as no earlier than 1050, for he would then be 45 at his death in the First Crusade, younger brother Flaald's birth could be estimated at 1052. The Geni site places Flaald's birth as 1046 in Dol De Bretagne The Geni site primarily follows Round and does not have the benefit of the various citations employed by Fox. The Peerage site gives a birth year of 1048 in Dol de Bretagne and also follows Round's genealogy, which is the standard.
Based on Fox: 1011 Fox's association of father Hato with dated charters makes Hato an earlier person than Round's father Alan. With Hato's own birth estimated at 990, his son Flaald would not be born earlier than 1008 when he was 18. Fox provides charters that Flaald himself witnessed as early as 1034. If Flaald was 21 at the time, he would not be born later than 1013. Splitting the difference, one can say that Flaald, Steward of Dol was born, say, 1011, when his father Hato would have been 21.
This site follows Fox's account, with notes where possible as to differences with Round.
Parentage
Round ("Alan") and Fox ("Hato") give Flaald's father different names. Because they have given Flaald himsself different time spans, the father of Flaald has different estimated birth years. In addition, Fox, reflecting an additional century of research, has potential access to more original documentation .
Hato. As established by Fox, Flaald, Steward of Dol, was the son of Hato, Knight of Dol.
Alan. Fox's discovery of Hato is a change from the assertion a century before, that Flaald's father was named Alan. Round had three brothers to find a father for and created Alan, but since Alan was only an estimated figure, no actual facts were found about him.
Unknown Father, "Senescal of Dol." Sir James Balfour Paul discusses three brothers in the family that held the office of Senescal or Steward of Dol, under the Counts of Dol and Dinan, in Brittany, but he does not name the father of the three brothers.
Given this variety, researchers pose the question of whether any account has enough credibility to be selected over another. Peter Stewart notes that "the strength of Fox's argument hinges largely on the occurrence of a Flaald son of Flaald in a charter that he neglects to quote, citing only fol 88v in Liber Albus of St-Florent de Saumur - elsewhere he refers to this manuscript at second hand, from a citation by Borderie, so it is not clear to me that Fox has actually consulted his source.
The difficulties posed by the differing Round and Fox accounts are illustrated by the Peerage site which notes that "Flaald Dapifer, the second son of Alan "Dapifer", occurs as "Float filius Alani dapiferi" at the dedication of Monmouth Priory 1101." For Round, whose Flaald is born later and died later, the Flaald at Monmouth Priory is the Flaald of this profile. For Fox, whose Flaald is born earlier and dies earlier, the Flaald at Monmouth Priory is Flaald fitzFlaald, son of the Flaald of this prory.
Siblings
Round and Fox differ in the arrangement of Flaald's siblings, children and grandchildren, and the differences are discussed in detail at Round and Fox and the Seneschals of Dol.
Fox Perspective
Flaald's father = Hato, knight of Dol, flourished 1013-1050. Estimated birth year 990.
Flaald, steward of Dol, married unnamed daughter of Tehel and Inoguen. Estimated birth year 1011
Hato, the knight, son of Hato, flourished 1050-86 Estimated birth year 1020. Shortly after Rivallon's death in 1065, Rivallon's son William made a gift to Mont St.Michel signed at Dol and witnessed by Hato, brother of Flaald (Flotald).
Round Perspective
Flaald's father = Alan, Dapifer Dolensis born, say, 1020. Merge with *Alan de Dol, b. 1020, m. Tittenfor Unknown. Alan the Crusader, oldest son, oldest son. Under Fox's schema, this profile is superfluous, because the Crusade experience belongs to Alan FitzFlaald. But it is retained here as part of the Round scenario.
Alan the Crusader, son of Alan, Dapifer. died 1095. born, say, 1050 (Round scenario).
Flaald, sonof Alan, Dapifer. Occurs at Monmouth, 1101 or 1102, frater et filius Alana Dapiferi. Born, say, 1052. (Round scenario). Another profile also fits: Fledaldus Seneschal
Rhiwallon, son of Alan, Dapifer: Monk of St. Florent. Born, say, 1054. (Round scenario)
1034 Witnessed Charter with son Flaald
Flaald appears in the record in 1034 when in the time of Abbot Albert of Marmoutiers (1034-1064), Hato and his son Flaald (Fledald), the steward witnessed a gift by Rivallon to Marmoutiers of half the church of St. Machut in the castle of Combourg.
Marriage
Cawley simply states that the name of Flaald's wife is not known.
Given the close family relationships he has documented, Fox believes, based on a variety of family associations, that Flaald, steward of Dol, married an unnamed sister of Main, daughter of Tehel and his wife Inoquen, Inoquen in turn being a daughter of Hamo I, viscount of Alet and his wife Rolenteline. Flaald's wife being a sister of Brient, lord of Châteaubriant, her profile appears as Unknown Châteaubriant
1050 Witnesses Charter of St. Pern
Around 1050, Flaald and his father Hato witnessed a charter of Rivallon of Dol and Josselin of Dinan giving the tithes of St. Pern to the new priory of St. Pern, a cell of St. Nicholas of Angers. Flaald and his father themselves made a donation to the same priory.
"Goscelinus de Dinam…Rivallonus frater eius…Arveus…Radulfus…filius Donnalloni" donated "suam partem de decima terræ sancti Paterni" to Angers Saint-Nicolas by charter dated to [1050], witnessed by "Fretaldus et Hato pater eius".
1060 Death of Father and Inheritance
It is estimated that Flaald's father died in about 1060. What happened at this point depends upon whether one follows Round or Fox.
Round Upon the death of Flaald's father, Alan, in about 1060, his inheritance went to his oldest son, Alan. Alan then exercised control of the family inheritance until his own death in the Crusades about 1097. Upon the death of Alan the Crusader, Flaald, next in line, inherited the wealth and titles. Paul, following Round, assumes that Alan the Crusader was an older brother of Flaald, and that the lands and office of Senescal of Dol reverted to Fledaldus or Flaald when this older brother died, circa 1097, in the first crusade.
Fox' Upon the death of Flaald's father, Hato, in about 1060, his inheritance went to his oldest son, Flaald. Flaald then exercised control of the family inheritance until his own death.
Flaald was the first man to be given the important position of hereditary steward of the Archbishop of Dol, the most important official in his household apart from that of vidame.
In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the sénéchal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli. It is equivalent to the Slavonic title stolnik or the English steward.
Fox's hypothesis is that Flaald was the eldest son of Hato, and would have inherited upon the death of Hato. Fox further hypothesizes that Alan the Crusader was Flaald's son,

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Title Of Nobility: Baron of St. Florent, on an unknown date,. ¹⁶⁶⁶

2. He worked as a Second Hereditary Seneschal de Dol en Bretagne and Baron of St Florent on an unknown date. ¹⁶⁶⁶

3. Title Of Nobility: Seneschal of Dol-de-Bretagne, on an unknown date,. ¹⁶⁶⁶

4. He served in the military on an unknown date: possibly fought at Hastings with William the Conqueror. ¹⁶⁶⁶

Flaald married Guenta VERCH GRUFFYDD [7057] [MRIN: 5545], daughter of Gruffydd AP LLEWELYN King of Wales [7065] and Ealdgyth Edith OF MERCIA [7066], about 1066 in , , , France.¹⁶⁶⁶ (Guenta VERCH GRUFFYDD [7057] was born in 1050 in , , , Wales,¹⁶⁶⁴ died in 1084 in , , , Wales ¹⁶⁶⁴ and was buried in Plenee-Jugon, Departement des Côtes-d'Armor, Bretagne, France ¹⁶⁶⁴.)