Comtes de la Marche
The county of la Marche first appears in primary source records in the mid-10th century, the first recorded count being "Bosonis vetuli de Marca" who is named by Adémar de Chabannes. The Chronicle of Saint-Maxence records that "Boso comes de Marchia", last descendant in the male line of Boson [I], was killed in battle in 1091. Boson's sister, married to one of the sons of Roger de Montgommery Seigneur d'Alençon and Earl of Shropshire, inherited the county. The Chronicon Gaufredi Vosiensis records that Audebert [IV] sold all his properties, including presumably the county of la Marche although this is not specified, to Henry II King of England before leaving for Jerusalem, dated to [1178] from the context. King Henry II and his son King Richard I retained the county in their own hands. After the death in 1199 of King Richard, Hugues [X] "le Brun" Seigneur de Lusignan seized the county, the acquisition being accepted by King John....
The name of the county suggests that it was originally a "March", in other locations in Europe the name given in medieval times to a frontier area ruled by a marquis/Markgraf/marchese who was appointed by royal authority to maintain control with a firm military hand. However, the local requirement for this type of jurisdiction in the area to the north-east of Angoulême is unclear.
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The origins of Geoffroy, first ancestor shown below, are unknown. Settipani suggests that he may have been the son of Comte Roger ([780/after 790]) who founded the monastery of Charroux, which could explain the reference to Geoffroy as "Comte de Charroux".... The same author also highlights the mention of a deacon at Charroux in [830] named Sulpice, the name which Geoffroy gave to his son.
The Chronicle of Saint-Maxence names "Audeberti comitis Marchiæ…filius Bernardi, qui fuit Audeberti, qui fuit Bosonis, qui Sulpicii, qui fuit Godfredi primi comitis de Karrofo". The name of Geoffroy's wife is not known. 1
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