| William I, Count of Hainaut | |
|---|---|
| William I, Count of Hainaut | |
| Spouse(s) | Joan of Valois |
| Noble family | House of Avesnes |
| Father | John II, Count of Hainaut |
| Mother | Philippa of Luxembourg |
| Born | c. 1286 |
| Died | 7 June 1337 Valenciennes |
William I, Count of Hainaut (c. 1286 – 7 June 1337) was Count William III of Avesnes, Count William III of Holland and Count William II of Zeeland from 1304 to his death. He was the son of John II, Count of Hainaut and Philippa of Luxembourg
William was originally not expected to become count but due to the death of his elder brothers John (killed at Kortrijk in the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302) and Henry (d. 1303) he became the main heir to his father's counties.
Before becoming count, he was defeated by Guy of Namur at the battle on the island of Duiveland in 1304. Guy and Duke John II of Brabant then conquered most of Zeeland and Holland, but these territories were recovered again when William became the new count in the same year. William continued the war with Flanders until the peace of Paris in 1323, where the Count of Flanders denounced all claims on Zeeland.
William had occupied most of the bishopric of Utrecht and tried to conquer Friesland but was repelled by Hessel Martena. Many of his daughters married with important rulers of Europe and he was called the father in law of Europe. The King of England and the Holy Roman Emperor were married to his daughters, while he was married to the sister of the King of France. In spite of this, as an ally of the English King, he tried to gain support of surrounding counties and duchies for an anti-French coalition.
Internally, William restored order and founded new institutions, like the treasury and the chancellory. The council of the count got more responsibilities.
He married Joan of Valois, sister of the future king Philip VI of France, in 1305 and had the following children:
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William I, Count of Hainaut
Born: c. 1286 Died: 7 June 1337 |
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| Preceded by John II |
Count of Hainaut 1304-1337 |
Succeeded by William II |
| Count of Holland and Zeeland 1304-1337 |
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