Fourteenth Douglas Johnson Memorial Lecture in French History.
The Society for the Study of French History
and
The Association for the Study of Modern and Contemporary France
Present:
The Annual Douglas Johnson Memorial Lecture,
Monday 22nd January 2024.
Adventures in the French Archives:
Finding Countess Ermengarde of Brittany, c. 1070-1147
Professor Amy Livingstone (Lincoln School of Humanities and Heritage)
The 2024 Annual Douglas Johnson Memorial Lecture was the 14th in this series, organised by the Society for the Study of French History and the Association for the Study of Modern and Contemporary France. It was held at the the Institut français, South Kensington, London.
We were delighted to welcome Professor Amy Livingstone (Lincoln School of Humanities and Heritage) to give a paper entitled ‘Adventures in the French Archives: Finding Countess Ermengarde of Brittany, c. 1070-1147’.
Click here to watch the recording: Watch the 2024 Douglas Johnson Memorial Lecture
Abstract: Although described as the ‘jewel of Brittany’ by Bishop Marbode of Rennes, and respected by her peers, Countess Ermengarde of Brittany does not feature in the history of medieval France. This lecture will restore Ermengarde to view and situate her in the history eleventh and twelfth-century France. It will explore her accomplishments, such as co-ruling Brittany with her husband and adult son, her generous patronage and support of the church, her travel to the Holy Land – where she built a church, and her friendships with some of the most influential individuals of her day.
But why has Ermengarde been left out of accounts of the past? As well as discussing Ermengarde and her experiences, this lecture will address the scholarly process of finding Ermengarde and restoring her to accounts of the medieval past.
Bio: Amy Livingstone is the Head of the Lincoln School of Humanities and Heritage and Professor of Medieval History. Previously she was the Associate Dean of the Honors College and Professor of History at Ball State University in Indiana and the H.O. Hirt Professor of History at Wittenberg University in Ohio. She is a scholar of medieval Europe and her research focuses on the aristocracy of medieval France, particularly women and the family. She is the author of Out of Love for My Kin: Aristocratic Family Life in the Lands of the Loire, 1000-1200, Medieval Lives, c. 1000-1292: The World of the Beaugency Family, as well as many articles and essays. In 2017 she received the Medieval Academy of America/Committee on Centers and Regional Associations Teaching Excellence Award. Professor Livingstone is also the co-editor of Medieval People, a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a former councillor of the Medieval Academy of America, and a life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge. Currently, she is working on a biography of of Countess Ermengarde of Brittany, the topic of her lecture.