• Born: Abt 898, Paris, Île-de-France, France
• Married (1): Abt 914
• Married (2): Abt 926
• Married (3): Between 9 May 938 and 14 Sep 938, Mainz Oder, Ingelheim, Rhineland, Germany
• Died: 16 Jun 956, Dourdan, Essonne, France
• Buried: église de l'abbaye royale de Saint-Denis, Aude, France

  Research Notes:

Guillaume of Jumièges records that “Rodbertus dux” married “sororem Herberti” by whom he had “Hugonem Magnum”. The Historia Francorum Senonensis names "Hugo Magnus" as son of "Robertus princeps [et] sororem Herberti". "Rodbertum fratrem Odonis regis, qui erat pater Hugonis postea Francorum ducus" is named in the Cartulaire de Saint-Bertin. Rodulfus Glaber names "Hugo filius Rotberti, Parisiorum comitis", commenting on the obscurity of his ancestry. He was recognised by the king as heir to his father’s lands in 914. Flodoard records in 922 that, after King Charles III had returned [from “Lotharingia”] to Laon, "Hugo filius Rotberti" arrived “post pascha super Vidulam...ubi apud villam Finimas”. Flodoard records in 922 that "Rotbertus" sent “filium suum Hugonem” with an army of Franks “in regnum Lotharii...propter Capraemontum Gislberti castrum” where he relieved the siege led by King Charles and returned after accepting hostages “a quibusdam Lothariensibus”. He declined the succession to the throne of France on the death of his father in 923, when his brother-in-law Raoul Duke of Burgundy was elected king. Abbot of Saint-Martin de Tours: "l´abbé Hugues" granted "la ville de Mons…dans le pays de Melun" to "la reine Emma sa sœur, fille du roi Robert" by charter dated 926. On the death of King Raoul, Hugues once more declined the succession, instead negotiating the return from England of the Carolingian Prince Louis, son of King Charles III “le Simple”, who was his wife's nephew and whom he installed as King Louis IV. Hugo rector "Abbatiæ sancti Martini" names "genitoris nostri Rotberti quondam regis ac genitricis nostræ domnæ Beatricis" in a charter dated 26 Mar 931. "Hugues abbé de Saint-Martin" donated "son alleu de Lachy…dans le comté de Meaux", inherited from "comte Aledramnus", to Tours Saint-Martin by charter dated 14 Sep 937 which names "sa femme Havis".

The position of power acquired by Hugues is confirmed by the title dux francorum/Duc des Francs used in charters dated 25 Jul 936 and 25 Dec 936, and the king's references to him as “notre second dans tous nos royaumes”. Disputes between Hugues and the king quickly followed. On the death of King Louis IV in 954, Hugues was confirmed as Duc des Francs. He was granted lordship over Burgundy and Aquitaine. He only succeeded in subjugating the former, succeeding Duke Giselbert as Duke of Burgundy in Apr 956.

The Historia Francorum Senonensis records the death "XVI Kal Iul apud Drodingam villam" of "Hugo Magnus dux Francorum" and his burial "in basilica beati Dyonisii martiris Parisius". The necrology of Chartres cathedral records the death "XVI Kal Jul" of "Hugo dux Francorum". The Obituaire de Notre-Dame de Paris records the death "XV Kal Jul" of "Hugo dux Francorum". The necrology of Auxerre cathedral records the death 16 Jun of "Hugo comes". ¹