Alan, 1st Earl of Richmond

Alain de Bretagne or Alain le Noir, occasionally Alain de Penthièvre or Alain III. le Noir called (* before 1100, † September 15, 1146 ), perhaps Mr. Guingamp, was the first to officially received the title of Earl of Richmond ( England) led, after his ancestors were already masters of Richmond. He was also Earl of Cornwall 1140-1141.

He was a younger son of Stephen I, Count of Penthièvre (Brittany ) and Havoise de Guingamp. He married Bertha of Brittany, the daughter and heiress of Conan III. , Duke of Brittany, and Matilda of Normandy.

In 1138 he gave the English King Stephen the title of Earl of Richmond, and in 1140 the Earl of Cornwall one. In 1141 he took with his Breton mercenaries from Stephen's side at the First Battle of Lincoln in part. When he, 2nd Earl of Chester was captured after the battle of Ranulph de Gernon, he had to cede him as ransom the county of Cornwall.

Family and descendants

Alain was married to Bertha of Brittany, with the had several children:

• Conan IV of the Small ( le Petit ), Duke of Brittany
• Constance de Bretagne († 1195) ∞ Alain III. de Rohan, Vicomte de Rohan
• Enoguen de Penthièvre († 1187 ), 1171 third abbess of the Abbey of Saint- Sulpice Rennes.

In 1148 his widow married the Viscount Odo of Porhoet