Michael Jones

The Charters of Duchess Constance of Brittany and her Family, 1171-1221 Michael Jones

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index. Review Quotes: The indispensable charter collection for the Breton lands in the complex period of the break-up of the Angevin hegemony. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW Put(s) Breton history in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries on a new footing. FRENCH HISTORY Valuable and scholarly edition... salutary reminder that by dividing medieval records between "English" and "French" we can lose much. NORTHERN HISTORYPublisher Marketing: The indispensable charter collection for the Breton lands in the complex period of the break-up of the Angevin hegemony. ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW Around 1200, sovereignty over the duchy of Brittany was disputed by the Angevin kings of England and the Capetian kings of France. With few local chronicle sources concerning Brittany in this important period, ducal charters provide crucial evidence for politics, external relations, and the conduct of government. They are also an essential source for Breton society and institutions in a period of rapid change and development. Collected here for the first time are the acts of Duchess Constance (1171-1201), her mother, dowager-duchess Margaret of Scotland, Constance's three husbands, Geoffrey, son of King Henry II, Ranulf III, earl of Chester, and Guy de Thouars, and her three children, Eleanor, Arthur of Brittany, and Alice, who succeeded in 1213 to a duchy under Capetian sovereignty. The subject matter concerns not only Brittany, but also the Breton rulers' extensive lands in England, the honour of Richmond, and even the counties of Anjou, Maine and Touraine while they were under Arthur's rule. The charters are also of wider general significance for the light they cast on the exercise of political power by female rulers. MICHAEL JONES is Emeritus Professor of Medieval French History at the University of Nottingham.

Contributor Bio:  Jones, Michael Michael Jones is Professor of Financial Reporting and Director of the Financial Reporting and Business Communication Unit at Cardiff Business School. Contributor Bio:  Jones, Michael Michael Jones is Professor of Financial Reporting and Director of the Financial Reporting and Business Communication Unit at Cardiff Business School. He is also author of 'Accounting' 2nd edition and 'Financial Accounting' both published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd.