Alain le Noir Anglo-Breton aristocrat Date of Birth: 01.01.1107 Country: Great Britain

1. Early Life and Inheritance
2. Support for Stephen and Royal Titles
3. Participation in the English Civil War
4. Marriage and Children
5. Constance (d. 1195), married to Alain III, Viscount de Rohan.
6. Alan the Black died in 1146.

Early Life and Inheritance

Alan the Black, an Anglo-Breton aristocrat, was born as the second son of Étienne I, Count of Penthièvre, and Hawise de Guingamp. After his father's death in 1137, Alan's elder brother, Geoffrey II, inherited the County of Penthièvre in northeastern Brittany, while Alan received his mother's seigneury of Guingamp in central Brittany, along with the de Penthièvre family's extensive holdings in England. These lands, located in Cornwall, East Anglia, and Yorkshire, had been heavily colonized by Bretons since the Norman Conquest. The center of Alan the Black's possessions was Richmond Castle, founded by his uncle, Alain Rufus, in 1071.

Support for Stephen and Royal Titles

In 1135, Alan the Black supported the accession of Stephen of Blois to the English throne. For this loyalty, he was awarded the title of Earl of Richmond in 1137 or 1138, becoming the first in a long line of Dukes of Brittany to bear this designation. In 1140, Alan also received the title of Earl of Cornwall, based on his holdings in that county.

Participation in the English Civil War

When civil war erupted in England between the supporters of King Stephen and those of the Empress Matilda, Alan the Black aligned himself with the king. He participated in the Battle of Lincoln on February 2, 1141, with his Breton contingent but was defeated and captured by Ranulf de Gernon. As a ransom for his freedom, Alan was forced to surrender some of his lands and the title of Earl of Cornwall to Ranulf.

Marriage and Children

Alan the Black married Berthe, daughter and heiress of Conan III, Duke of Brittany, and Matilda of Normandy, an illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England, around 1114. They had three children:

Conan IV (1138-1171), Duke of Brittany (from 1156), 2nd Earl of Richmond (from 1146), married to Margaret of Scotland. His descendants ruled the Duchy of Brittany until the mid-16th century.

Constance (d. 1195), married to Alain III, Viscount de Rohan.

Enogen de Penthièvre (d. 1187), Abbess of Saint-Sulpice Abbey in Rennes.

Alan the Black died in 1146.