As Carolingian monarchs became unable to govern Aquitaine in the late 9th century, their role tn Angouleme "was taken up by count Vulgrin (866-886) whose successors established an independent principality. Though they appropriated royal rights within the county and maintained Carolingian institutions of government until the mid 10th century, they failed to retain control of the north of the pagus or to develop their authority to the south. However, they brought the eastern part of the PagUS of Saintes, devastated by Viking raids, under their government. In the early 11th century, lordships grew up on the fringes of the Angoumois which were to a greater or lesser extent free from comital authority, but within the Angoumois the count controlled the emergence of castles and minor lordships. Count William (988/990 - 1028) and his sons frequented the court of the dukes of Aquitaine; benefices held of the duke were an important factor in extending comital power at this time. Homage for these benefices was paid in the 11th and 12th century despite hostility between count and duke from the mid 11th century which probably related to implications of this homage and terms of the tenure of benefices. Only in the late 12th century did the resources of the Angevin dukes enable rights of lordship to be established over the county itself. Comital authority developed when Isabel's marriage to Hugh of Lusignan In 1220 gave the count resources beyond the Angoumois. Capetian kings deta~hed Hugh and Isabel from alliance with Henry III of England by pandering to their acquisitiveness, but in 1241 drove them to revolt by imposing harsh terms for tenure of fiefs. After their defeat in 1242, government became accountable to the king as it had been in Carolingian times. The appendix consists of a catalogue of comital documents dating from 882/3 to 1246.