- John II, Count of Holland
John II of Avesnes (1247 –
August 22 1304 ) was the oldest son ofJohn I of Avesnes andAdelaide of Holland .History
John II was
Count of Hainaut from 1280 to his death, succeeding his grandmother, Margaret II. John continued the war between theHouse of Dampierre and theHouse of Avesnes against count Guy ofFlanders for imperial Flanders.He became
Count of Holland in 1299 with the death ofJohn I, Count of Holland , through his motherAdelaide of Holland , heiress and regent of this county. His descendants maintained thispersonal union between the counties.His nephew, Count Floris V, was fighting against Flanders for
Zeeland . He sought help ofFrance against Flanders. The French defeated the Flemish in 1300 and 1301. The rebels inZeeland were defeated as well. John's brother,Guy of Avesnes , becameBishop of Utrecht . So all his main enemies were gone.The tide changed dramatically after a Flemish uprising and the defeat of the French army at the
Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302. Flemish patriots attacked Hainaut and Zeeland supported by the dissatisfied population there.Guy of Namur defeated John's son, William, in a battle on the island of Duiveland. Bishop Guy of Utrecht was taken prisoner.Guy of Namur and Duke John II of Brabant conquered most of Utrecht, Holland, and Zeeland.Guy of Namur was finally defeated in 1304 by the fleet of Holland and France at the navalBattle of Zierikzee . John II regained most of his authority when he died in the same year.Family
In 1270, John married
Philippa of Luxembourg , daughter of CountHenry V of Luxembourg andMarguerite of Bar . Their children were:# John, senior de Beaumont, Count of
Ostervant (d.11 July 1302 ).
# Henry, a canon inCambrai , (d. 1303).
# Simon.
#William I, Count of Hainaut .
# Jean, senior de Beaumont, (1288 –11 March 1356 ). He was married to Marguerite, Countess de Soissons.
# Margaret, (d.18 October 1342 ), marriedRobert II of Artois .
# Alix, (d.26 October 1317 ), married 1290Roger Bigod, 5th Earl of Norfolk .
# Isabelle, (d. 1305), married Raoul de Clermont, senior de Nesle.
# Jeanne, a nun atFontenelles .
# Marie (1280–1354), marriedLouis I, Duke of Bourbon .
# Matilda, Abbess ofNivelles .
# Willem de Cuser (b. 1290)References
* Encyclopedia: Grote Winkler Prins
* French wikipedia on this subjectee also
*
Counts of Hainaut family tree
*Counts of Holland family tree
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