This document shows the nobility in the counties of Maine and Vendôme.

The county of Maine lay south of the duchy of Normandy and north of the county of Anjou. It derived from the pagus Cenomanensis, which coincided geographically with the territory of the bishopric of Le Mans. Onomastics suggest that the early counts in Maine descend from Rothgar, recorded as count in the mid-8th century, although the information which has survived in primary sources is insufficient to trace the precise relationships (see Chapter 1.A). Charles II "le Chauve" King of the West Franks confiscated the county from Rorico [II], son of count Rorico [I], in 862 and entrusted it to Robert "le Fort", ancestor of the later Capetian kings of France. Roger, whose relationship to the earlier counts of Maine has not been established, ruled Maine in 897, probably established there by Charles III "le Simple" King of the West Franks who was his wife's nephew. It remained with Roger's descendants in the male line until 1062, when it was overrun by Guillaume II Duke of Normandy (who later succeeded as William I King of England). The people of Maine successfully rebelled against Norman rule in 1070, installing as count a member of the powerful Este family of northern Italy, who was the first cousin of the last count of the family of Roger. He took little interest in his inheritance and, according to Orderic Vitalis, sold the county in [1093] to his cousin Hélie de la Flèche for 10,000 shilllings[1] (see Chapter 1.B). Hélie's only daughter married Foulques V Comte d'Anjou in 1110, and the county of Maine was subsumed into the county of Anjou. It formed part of the French territories which passed to the future Henry II King of England in 1152. The English lost control over Anjou and Maine in the early 13th century, when both counties were integrated into the domaine royale of the Capetian kings.

The most interesting genealogical problem associated with the families of the early counts of Maine is the shadowy figure of David, allegedly Comte du Maine in the mid-10th century. He is named in a series of probably spurious documents as the father of Comte Hugues [II]. However, he does not figure in his own right in contemporary charters and his historical existence has been generally doubted. Nevertheless, an analysis of the problem highlights the probability of a missing generation in the generally accepted genealogy of the 10th century counts of Maine, which could be filled either by this alleged David or by an additional count named Hugues. This question is discussed fully in Chapter 1.B.

This document sets out some other noble families in the county of Maine, including the Sires de Braitel, Seigneurs de Chaources, Seigneurs de Château-du-Loir, Seigneurs de Château-Gonthier, Sires de Laval, the Vicomtes du Maine (later known as the Vicomtes de Beaumont-sur-Sarthe), and the Seigneurs de Mayenne.

The county of Vendôme lay east of the county of Maine. It is recorded in primary sources as a separate county from the late 9th century, but passed by marriage to the counts of Anjou in the first half of the 11th century. After a period of direct rule by Geoffroy II "Martel" Comte d´Anjou, the county of Vendôme re-established its autonomy after he died in 1060 when it was held by a junior branch of the family of the comtes de Nevers. This family expired in the male line in 1085, when the county was inherited by the seigneurs de Preuilly and, in the early 13th century, by the seigneurs de Montoire. In the late 14th century, the county passed to a younger branch of the Bourbon-Capet family.