Sprota (Adela) of Senlis [3589] ²⁴

  General Notes:

http://www.hull.ac.uk/php/cssbct/cgi-bin/gedlkup.php/n=royal?royal03013

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprota

Sprota was the name of a Breton captive who William I, Duke of Normandy took as a wife in the Viking fashion (more danico) and by her had a son, Richard I, Duke of Normandy . After the death of her husband William, she became the wife of Esperleng and mother of Rodulf of Ivry


Brian Tompsett of the University of Hull in Hull, England, in his "Directory of Royal Genealogical Data" says that Scrota is the dauhter of Hubert I, Count of Senilis and Count of Vermandois. But does not give any references or sources to back this up. As his work is very extensive and usually good, I am putting Hubert as her father till we get more information.

Bran also misses her second husband Esperling and has Rodulf (Raoul) of Ivry as Williams' son.

The Wikipedia free online Encyclopedia says:

The first mention of her is by Flodoard of Reims and although he doesn't name her he identifies her under the year [943] as the mother of "William's son [Richard] born of a Breton concubine".

Her Breton origns could mean she was of Celtic, Scandinavian, or Frankish origin, the latter being the most likely based on her name spelling. Elisabeth van Houts wrote "on this reference rests the identification of Sprota, William Longsword's wife 'according to the Danish custom', as of Breton origin" The first to provide her name was William of Jumièges The irregular nature (as per the Church) of her relationship with William served as the basis for her son by him being the subject of ridicule, the French King Louis "abused the boy with bitter insults", calling him "the son of a whore who had seduced another woman's husband.

Wikipedia does not list her as one of Hubert's children, but they do not list all of his children.

Wikipedia does not even speculate on who Sprota's father was. But if she was from Breton origins she most likely was not the daughter of Hubert I. Also if one of Hubert's daughters was carried away captive there would have been more written about it.

Sprota married William I Longsword of Normandy 2nd Duke of Normandy [3865] [MRIN: 700], son of Robert (Rollo) of Norway Ragnvaldsson 1st Duke of Norway [2634] [9HQW-2DQ] and Papia (Poppa) of Senlis (Normandy) de Valois Duchess of Normandy [3591]. (William I Longsword of Normandy 2nd Duke of Normandy [3865] was born in 900 ²⁵ and died on 17 Dec 942 ²⁴.)

Sprota next married Esperling of Vaudreuil [63392] [MRIN: 551618532].