William I, Count of Holland

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William I of Holland
Count of Holland

William I as imagined in the 16th century
Reign 1203 – 4 February 1222
Born ca. 1167
Birthplace The Hague
Died February 4, 1222
Buried Rijnsburg
Predecessor Ada
Successor Floris IV
Consort Adelheid of Guelders
Marie of Brabant
Issue Floris IV
Otto, Bishop of Utrecht
William
Ada, Abbess at Rijnsburg
Richardis
Father Floris III
Mother Ada of Scotland

William I (c. 1167, The Hague4 February 1222), Count of Holland from 1203 to 1222. He was the younger son of Floris III and Ada of Scotland.

Contents

[edit] Life

William was raised in Scotland. He started a revolt against his brother, Dirk VII and became count in Friesland after a reconciliation. Friesland was considered as a part of Holland by the Counts of Holland. His niece, Ada, eventually inherited Holland in 1203, but William couldn't accept this. After a civil war, which lasted for several years, William won the war. Louis and Ada were supported by the bishop of Liège and bishop of Utrecht, and the count of Flanders. William was supported by the duke of Brabant and by the majority of the Hollanders.

Emperor Otto IV acknowledged him as count of Holland in 1203, because he was a supporter of the Welfs. He and many others changed allegiance to emperor Frederick II after the battle of Bouvines in 1214. He took part in a French expedition against king John of England. The pope excommunicated him for this.

Possibly because of this, William then became a fervent crusader. He campaigned in Prussia and joined in the conquest of Lisbon. In Europe, he came to be called William the Crazy for his chivalric and reckless behaviour in battle. William conquered the city of Damietta during the Fifth Crusade.

[edit] Evolution of the county

There were great changes in the landscape of Holland in the end of the 12th and during the 13th century. Many colonists bought land to turn the swamps into polders. Most of the swamps had been sold, and irrigation had started during the reign of William. Huge infrastructural works were done; the island called Grote Waard was enclosed with dikes all around and a dam was built at Spaarndam. New governmental bodies were created, the so-called waterschappen and hoogheemraadschappen, which were charged with the task of protecting the polders against ever-present threat of flooding. Count William granted city rights to Geertruidenberg in 1213, to Dordrecht in 1217, to Middelburg in 1220 and perhaps also to Leiden. In this way he gave an impulse to trade.

[edit] Family

Coats of Arms of the Counts of Holland.
Coats of Arms of the Counts of Holland.

Count William was married twice. First, he was married in 1197 at Stavoren to Adelheid of Guelders, daughter of Otto I, Count of Guelders and Richarde of Bavaria. Adelheid died on 12 February 1208 while William was away on crusade. On his return he married secondly, in July 1220, Marie of Brabant, daughter of Henry I, Duke of Brabant and Maud of Boulogne and Alsace. She was the widow of Emperor Otto IV. William and his first wife Adelaide had the following children:

  1. Floris IV, Count of Holland (24 June 1210 The Hague19 July 1234, Corbie, France).
  2. Otto (d. 1249), Regent of Holland in 1238-1239, Bishop of Utrecht.
  3. Willem (d. 1238), Regent of Holland in 1234-1238.
  4. Richardis (d. 1262).
  5. Ada (d. 1258), Abbess at Rijnsburg 1239.

[edit] Ancestors

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dirk V, Count of Holland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Floris II, Count of Holland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Othelindis
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dirk VI, Count of Holland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Theodoric II, Duke of Lorraine
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gertrude (Petronella) of Lorraine
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hedwig of Formbach
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Floris III, Count of Holland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hermann of Salm, King of Germany
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Otto I, Count of Salm, Rheineck and Bentheim
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sophie of Rheineck
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Henry, Count of Northeim
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gertrud of Northeim
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gertrude of Brunswick
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
William I, Count of Holland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Malcolm III, King of Scotland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
David I, King of Scotland
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Margaret of England
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Henry of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Waltheof II, Earl of Northumbria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Maud of Northumbria, Countess of Huntingdon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Judith of Lens
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ada of Huntingdon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
William de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gundred
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ada de Warenne
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hugh of France, Count of Vermandois
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Elizabeth of Vermandois
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Adela of Vermandois
 
 
 
 
 
 

[edit] References

Preceded by
Ada
Count of Holland
1203-1222
Succeeded by
Floris IV