Sprota

0911 - 0940  (~ 29 years)

• Name	Sprota
  Birth	0911	Bretagne, France   [1]
  Gender	Female
  Residence	Fecamp, Normandie, France   [2]
  Death	0940
  Person ID	I51064	The Hennessee Family
  Last Modified	17 Mar 2018

  
  

  Family	William of Normandy, I, Duke of Normandy,   b. ~893, Normandy, France d. 17 Dec 942, Piquigny, France
  Marriage	Y  [1]
  Residence (Family)	Rouen, France   [1]
  Residence (Family)	Bayeux, France   [3]
  Children	1. Richard de Normandie, I,   b. 28 Aug 932, Fecamp, Normandie, France d. 20 Nov 996, Fecamp, France (Age 64 years)
  Family ID	F18989	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	30 Apr 2023

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 0911 - Bretagne, France Residence - - Fecamp, Normandie, France Residence (Family) - - Rouen, France Residence (Family) - - Bayeux, France  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Notes

  Sprota was the name of a Breton captive who William I, Duke of Normandy took as a wife in the Viking fashion (more danico)[1][2] and by her had a son, Richard I, Duke of Normandy. After the death of her husband William, she became the wife of Esperleng and mother of Rodulf of Ivry.[3][4][5] Life The first mention of her is by Flodoard of Reims and although he doesn't name her he identifies her under the year [943] as the mother of "William’s son [Richard] born of a Breton concubine".[6] Her Breton origins could mean she was of Breton, Scandinavian, or Frankish origin, the latter being the most likely based on her name spelling.[7] Elisabeth van Houts wrote "on this reference rests the identification of Sprota, William Longsword’s wife 'according to the Danish custom', as of Breton origin".[8] The first to provide her name was William of Jumiáeges.[9][10] The irregular nature (as per the Church) of her relationship with William served as the basis for her son by him being the subject of ridicule, the French King Louis "abused the boy with bitter insults", calling him "the son of a whore who had seduced another woman's husband."[11][12] At the time of the birth of her first son Richard, she was living in her own household at Bayeux, under William's protection.[4] William, having just quashed a rebellion at Prâe-de Bataille (c.936),[a] received the news by a messenger that Sprota had just given birth to a son; delighted at the news William ordered his son to be baptized and given the personal name of Richard.[10] William's steward Boto became the boy's godfather.[13] After the death of William Longsword and the captivity of her son Richard, she had been 'collected' from her dangerous situation by the 'immensely wealthy' Esperleng.[3] Robert of Torigni identified Sprota's second husband[b] as Esperleng, a wealthy landowner who operated mills at Pãitres.[4][14] [3]

  
  

• Sources

  [S12470] "Richard I of Normandy", Biography, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_I_of_Normandy, abstracted by David A. Hennesse. [S12479] "William Longsword", Biography, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Longsword, abstracted by David A. Hennessee, info@. [S12538] "Sprota", Biography, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprota, by David A. Hennessee, info@classroomfurniture.com, revisited.