Willem (Holland) van Holland (bef. 1168 - 1222)

Ancestors

Husband of Aleide (Gelre) van Holland — married 1197 in Stavria, Westergo

Descendants

Died 11 Feb 1222 after age 54 in Rijnsburg, Graafschap Holland

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Biography

Youth & Parentage

In the 12th century, the births of the counts of Holland were not recorded. This makes it impossible to know when or where Willem was born exactly. However, a charter that is dated on the 4th of June 1180 (Julian) might give us some more clues about the age of Willem. In this record, a "Willelmus de Hollanda" is mentioned as a witness ^[1]. As no other Willem van Holland is known at the time, this could imply that we are looking at our Willem I van Holland. This is further supported by the fact that his name is recorded last, implying that he was not very important yet - witnesses were recorded in the order of importance at the time. If this "Willelmus de Hollanda" can indeed be identified to be the same person as count Willem I van Holland, this means that he would have been born in or closely before 1168, as would have had to be of age (12), but had not yet been old enough to be very important.

Count of Holland

Occupation: Count of Holland; Crusader

Marriages

Count Willem was married twice, first, he was married in 1197 at Stavoren to Aleid van Gelre, daughter of Otto I, Count of Guelders and Richarde of Bavaria. Adelheid died on 12 February 1218 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.

There are three records that mention or refer to the first marriage of Willem van Holland:

• The Annales Egmundani record the marriage in 1197 of "Wilhelmum fratrem Theoderici comitis" and "filiam comitis Ottonis [Pictavis Aquisgrani]" ^[2].
• The Gesta Episcoporum Traiectensium tells us that Wilhelmus married the daughter of Otto, count of Gelre ^[3].
• The Chronologia Johannes de Beke gives us more details about the marriage, stating that he married Adelheid, the daughter of count Otto, in Stavria ^[4]. Stavria can be identified as Stavoren, a city then located in Westergo.

Using this information, we can conclude that Willem married Adelheid, the daughter of count Otto van Gelre, in 1197 in Stavoren. The Chronologia Johannes de Beke gives us the names of their children in the following order of importance ^[5], which is not necessarily the order of birth:

• Florencium Hollandie comitem
• Ottonem Traiectensem pontificem
• Wilhelmum presidium
• Adam abbatissan Rinesburgensem
• Richardim devotissimam monialem

His wife passed away on the II idus of February 1218 ^[6] - this can be translated to 12 February 1218 on the Julian calendar, which converts to the 19th of February 1218 on the Gregorian calendar.

Children

Willem and his first wife Aleid had the following children:

1. Floris IV, Count of Holland (24 June 1210 The Hague–19 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.

Marriage to Maria

There are records that make mention of the second marriage of Willem van Holland:

• The Chronologia Johannes de Beke tells us that he married a Maria, but gives no clues as to her origin ^[7]. He gives no mention of a date.

Death

According to the Chronologia Johannes Beke, Willem died on the II nonas of February of the 19th year of his reign, which can be translated to the 4th of February 1222 (Julian) ^[8]. In Gregorian dates, this is the 11th of February 1222.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} A.C.F. Koch, red., Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland I (Den Haag 1970) nr. 202.
2. ↑ Annales Egmundani 1197, MGH SS XVI, p. 472.
3. ↑ Gesta Episcoporum Traiectensium, MGH SS XXIII, p. 408.
4. ↑ Chronologia Johannes de Beke 61, p. 141. Available online at http://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/pdf/beke/bekeL02deel1.pdf
5. ↑ Chronologia Johannes de Beke 61, p. 141 - 143. Available online at http://resources.huygens.knaw.nl/pdf/beke/bekeL02deel1.pdf
6. ↑ Chronologia Johannes de Beke 65b, p. 163.
7. ↑ Chronologia Johannes de Beke 65b, p. 163.
8. ↑ Chronologia Johannes de Beke 65b, p. 163.

• Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland tot 1299

• "Royal Ancestry" 2013 by Douglas Richardson Vol. III, page 299-300 contains a lot of wrong information: the wrong death date of Aleid, and not mentioning all children. Please refrain from using this book as information.

• http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/HOLLAND.htm#FlorisIIIdied1190

• Wikipedia, Willem I van Holland