William I, Duke of Bavaria

William I, Duke of Bavaria-Straubing (Frankfurt am Main, 12 May 1330 – 15 April 1389, Le Quesnoy), was the second son of the emperor Louis IV the Bavarian from his second wife Margaret of Holland and Hainaut. He was also known as William V, Count of Holland, as William III, Count of Hainaut and as William IV, Count of Zeeland.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Family and children 3 Ancestors 4 See also

Biography

In 1345 William's father was conferring Hainaut, Holland, Zeeland and Friesland upon his wife Margaret, and shortly later also upon their son William. After his father's death in 1347 William ruled Bavaria, Holland and Hainaut together with his five brothers until 1349. With the first division of the Wittelsbach possessions in 1349 he received Hainaut, Holland and Lower Bavaria together with his brothers Stephen II and Albert I. After the next division of Bavaria in 1353 he ruled together with his younger brother Albert I in Bavaria-Straubing, Holland and Hainaut.

William had engaged in a long struggle with his mother Margaret, obtaining Holland and Zeeland from her in 1354, and Hainaut on her death in 1356.

In 1350, the nobles of Holland asked Margaret to return to Holland again. She then battled for the power in Holland and Hainaut for some years with her son William who refused to pay her alimony. The Cod league was formed on 23 May 1350 by a number of supporters of William. On 5 September the same year, the Hook league was formed. Soon afterward, these factions clashed, and a civil war began.

Edward III of England, Margaret's brother in law through her sister Philippa of Hainault, came to her aid, winning a naval engagement off Veere in 1351; a few weeks later the Hooks and their English allies were defeated by William and the Cods at Vlaardingen, an overthrow which ruined Margaret's cause. Edward III shortly afterwards changed sides, and the empress saw herself compelled (1354) to come to an understanding with her son, he being recognized as count of Holland and Zeeland, she of Hainaut. Margaret died two years later, leaving William, in possession of the entire Holland-Hainaut inheritance (July 1356). William was married to Matilda ("Maud" in the English style) of Lancaster, sister to Blanche of Lancaster.

In 1357, he began to show signs of insanity, and his brother Albert assumed the regency in Holland and Hainaut in 1358. William was confined for the remainder of his life.

Family and children

He married in 1352 in London Matilda of Lancaster, daughter of Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster and Isabel de Beaumont. They had only one daughter, who died in 1356.

Also, he had illegitimate children:

1. Wilhelm, married 1398 Lisbeth Hughe.
2. Elisabeth, married Brustijn van Herwijnen, lord of Stavenisse.

He was succeeded by his brother Albert in 1389.

Ancestors

Ancestors of William I, Duke of Bavaria

16. Louis I, Duke of Bavaria               8. Otto II, Duke of Bavaria                       17. Ludmilla of Bohemia               4. Louis II, Duke of Bavaria                             18. Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine               9. Agnes of the Palatinate                       19. Agnes of Hohenstaufen               2. Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor                                   20. Albert IV, Count of Habsburg               10. Rudolph I of Germany                       21. Hedwig of Kyburg               5. Matilda of Habsburg                             22. Burchard V, Count of Hohenberg               11. Gertrude of Hohenburg                       23. Mechtild of Tübingen               1. William I, Duke of Bavaria                                         24. John I, Count of Hainaut               12. John II, Count of Hainaut                       25. Adelaide of Holland               6. William I, Count of Hainaut                             26. Henry V, Count of Luxembourg               13. Philippa of Luxembourg                       27. Margaret of Bar               3. Margaret II, Countess of Hainault                                   28. Philip III of France               14. Charles, Count of Valois                       29. Isabella of Aragon               7. Joan of Valois                             30. Charles II of Naples               15. Margaret, Countess of Anjou                       31. Maria of Hungary

See also

• Counts of Hainaut family tree

William I, Duke of Bavaria House of Wittelsbach Born: 1330 Died: 1389
German royalty
Regnal titles
Preceded by Louis IV	Duke of Bavaria jointly with Louis V, Stephen II, Louis VI, Albert I, Otto V 1347–1349	Succeeded by partitioned into Upper and Lower Bavaria
Preceded by created from Bavaria	Duke of Lower Bavaria jointly with Stephen II and Albert I 1349–1353	Succeeded by partitioned into Bavaria-Landshut and Bavaria-Straubing
Preceded by created from Lower Bavaria	Duke of Bavaria-Straubing 1353–1388 with Albert of Holland	Succeeded by Albert
Preceded by Margaret	Count of Holland and Zeeland 1354–1388
	Count of Hainaut 1356–1388