AND A CHARTER OF ROBERT OF THORNHAM, AT ANGERS (1197), BOTHCONCE...

1198) and a charter of Robert of Thornham, at Angers (1197), bothconcerning Marmoutier's priory of Carbay, in which Andrew probablyhad an interest.

⁸¹

Constance continued to rule Brittany in her own name. Arthurreturned from the Capetian court around the beginning of 1199 andbegan to be associated in Constance's government of Brittany.

⁸²

At thetime of Richard's death on 6 April 1199 Arthur was in Brittany,apparently playing host to his uncle, John, count of Mortain. This mayhave been more than a social visit. According to Ralph of Coggeshall,John had recently left Richard's court after a dispute arose between thetwo brothers.

⁸³

Whatever common interests John and Arthur may havehad with Richard as king, the news of his death turned uncle andnephew into arch-rivals for the succession to the Angevin dominions.Arthur's claim to succeed Richard was supported in Anjou, Touraineand Maine. In the months from mid-April to mid-September 1199,Arthur concentrated on securing these counties, with the aid ofDuchess Constance and Philip Augustus.Co-ordinating the operation was the Angevin baron, William desRoches, immediately appointed by Arthur as his seneschal of Anjou andMaine.

⁸⁴

William's sudden appearance at Arthur's side is unexplained.He had Breton connections, in that his barony of Sable was situated onthe Breton frontier, and he was related by marriage to the families ofCraon and Dinan-Becherel (through Juhel de Mayenne), both of whichhad supplied seneschals of Brittany, and possibly to Geoffrey deChaÃteaubriant, `seneschal of La MeÂe'.

⁸⁵

80

Le Baud,

Chroniques de VitreÂ, pp. 33±4; cf. Le Baud,

Histoire de Bretagne, p. 204.

81

P. Marchegay (ed.),

Archives d'Anjou: Recueil de documents et meÂmoires ineÂdits de cette province,

Angers, 1853 and 1854,

ii, pp. 13±14.

82

Charters, pp. 109, 133.

83

D. L. Douie and H. Farmer (eds.),

Magna Vita sancti Hugonis: The life of St Hugh of Lincoln, 2

vols., London, 1962, p. 156; J. Stevenson (ed.)

Ralph of Coggeshall, Chronican Anglicanum,

London, 1875, p. 99.

84

`Chronicum turonense magnum', in A. Salmon (ed.),

Recueil de chroniques de Touraine, Tours,