• Died: 808 or 817

  Research Notes:

...The Chronica Monasterii Sancti Bertini records that, when the Saracens came from Spain "ad Eudonis mandatum" (referring to Eudes Duke of Aquitaine, whose death is dated to [735]), "miles…iuvenis christianus partibus Ulixibone seu Portugallie, regia stirpe progenitus, Liedricus", from whom "Flandrie comites" descended, joined forces with Charles "Martel", maior domus of Austrasia and Neustria. The Chronica specifies that Lideric served under Charles "Martel" and his son Pepin King of the Franks, and that later he was given "terram Flandrie" by "Karolus Magnus". The Introduction to the MGH Scriptores edition of the Chronica dates the work to the third quarter of the 14th century and traces some of the earlier primary sources on which it is based. There is no indication whether the passage recording the alleged Iberian origin of Lideric was based on an earlier source which has since disappeared. It is impossible to assess the accuracy of the report on the basis of this limited amount of information. If it is correct, Lideric would presumably have been of Visigothic ancestry. The death of the last Visigothic king in Iberia is dated to 711. There appears to be no record of later aristocratic families having established themselves along the western coast of the Iberian peninsula before the mid-9th century. It is interesting to note that a root similar to "-ric" (in the name "Lideric") is reflected in the names of the later Iberian Visigothic kings Witeric, Recared and Recimir. Whatever the accuracy of the passage, there is clear chronological confusion about the events recorded in the Chronica, assuming that Lideric's date of death as shown above is accurate. The Annals of St Bavo record that "Lydricus comes Arlebeccensis comitatum Flandrie suscepit" in 794. The Annals do not refer to Lideric's origin, although this is not surprising as they list most events in truncated form and with numerous long gaps in the chronology of events recorded. The Annals are, however, extremely selective in the non-ecclesiastical events they record. The reference to Lideric is the only direct report concerning a lay person between the start of the 8th century and 937, indicating how significant the event must have been considered in the monastic records, which in turn suggests that Lideric's existence may have been factual. Lambert's Genealogia Comitum Flandriæ, dated to the early 12th century, records that "Lidricus Harlebeccensis comes" occupied Flanders, finding it "empty, uncultivated and well-wooded", in 792.

The Cartulaire de Saint-Bertin records the death in 808 of "Lidericus Harlebecanus…prefectus", naming him first in the list of rulers of Flanders. The Annales Formoselenses record the death in 817 of "Lidricus comes" and his burial at "Harlabecce".... ²