• Born: Abt 990, Bourgogne, Marne, France
• Married (1): Before 1 Sep 1016
• Died: 4 Sep 1057, France
• Buried: Besançon, Franche-Comté, France

  Research Notes:

Rodulfus Glaber names "Rainaldus" as one of the sons of "Willemus, Henrici ducis priuignus, Adalberti Longobardorum ducis filius" and his wife. His mother's name is confirmed by the charter dated 1029 under which "Reinaldus comes filius Ottonis cognomento Vuilelmi…Yrmengardis coniugis" donated property "ecclesiam sancti Nicolai vallis iuxta Poliniacum" to Cluny, confirmed by "Rodulfus rex". The Chronicle of St Bénigne de Dijon records a donation by "Otto comes cognomento Willelmus" with "filii eius Rainaldi" dated 1004 "pro anima Hinrici Ducis, qui eum loco filii adoptavit et genitricis sue Gerberge uxoris predicti Ducis, ac filii sui Widonis et Hermintrudis coniugis". "Otto comes et uxor mea Adila" donated property to Saint-Vincent de Mâcon by two charters dated to 1015 or before (during the reign of Robert I King of France) both subscribed by "Rainaldi filii sui". Guillaume of Jumièges records that “Rainaldus trans Saonæ fluvium Burgundionum comes” was imprisoned by “Cabilonensi comite...Hugone”, and that Richard II Duke of Normandy sent an army headed by “Richardo filio suo” [which presumably dates the event to [1016/26]] who besieged “Milinandum castrum” and forced Renaud’s release.

He succeeded his father in 1026 as RENAUD I Comte de Bourgogne, although at that time the "county of Burgundy" did not yet exist as such, Bouchard suggesting that the title was purely descriptive of the area in which Renaud exercised his power. The Chronicle of Saint-Bénigne, interpolated into the Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines, records that "filius eius [=comes Otto Guilelmus] comes Rainaldus" succeeded his father in "terram ultra Sagonnam" dividing the territory with his nephew "filius alterius filii eius Guidonis, alter comes Otto". Renaud supported Emperor Konrad II in the latter's struggle with Eudes Comte de Blois for control over the kingdom of Burgundy after the death of the last King Rudolf III in 1032. "Raginaldus comes comitis Guillelmi filius" donated property to the abbey of Flavigny by charter dated 18 May 1037 subscribed by "Iudid comitisse uxoris eius, Guillelmi filii eius, Hugonis filii eius…". The Herimanni Augiensis Chronicon records that "Ludowicus comes" expelled "Reginoldum principem, reginæ Agnetis avunculum, sed Heinrico regi inimicum" from "castellum…Mons Piligardæ". Emperor Heinrich III defeated Comte Renaud in battle after the latter besieged Montbéliard, forcing him to swear allegiance to the Comte de Montbéliard at Soleure in 1045. Herimannus records that "Reginolf et Gerolt Burgundiones" submitted to Heinrich III King of Germany "apud Solodurum" [Solothurn] in 1045. ¹