John II ( – 19 May 1381) was a Franco-Dutch nobleman who ruled lands in both
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and the
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
. He was the
count of Blois
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
and
Dunois from 1372 until 1381, the lord of
Avesnes
Avesnes () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.
Geography
The commune is a very small village situated some 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Montreuil-sur-Mer, on the D 129 E 1.
Population
See also
*Communes of ...
,
Schoonhoven
Schoonhoven () is a city and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Since 2015 it has been a part of the municipality of Krimpenerwaard, before it had been an independent municipality.
The former municipa ...
,
Gouda,
Beaumont
Beaumont may refer to:
Places Canada
* Beaumont, Alberta
* Beaumont, Quebec
England
* Beaumont, Cumbria
* Beaumont, Essex
** Beaumont Cut, a canal closed in the 1930s
* Beaumont Street, Oxford
France (communes)
* Beaumont, Ardèche
* ...
,
Chimay
Chimay (, wa, Chimai) is a city and Municipalities of Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, province of Hainaut, Belgium. In 2006, Chimay had a population of 9,774. The area is 197.10 km2 which gives a populatio ...
and
Waarde
Waarde is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located in the municipality of Reimerswaal, about 4 km southeast of Kruiningen.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1219 as Ward, and means "land near water". The original ...
from 1356 until 1381 and the ''
stadtholder
In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...
'' of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
and
Zeeland
, nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge")
, anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem")
, image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg
, map_alt =
, m ...
in 1359–1360 and 1362–1363 during the absences of Count
Albert of Bavaria. He was also a claimant ''
jure uxoris
''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title ''suo jure'' ("in her own right"). Similarly, the husband of an heiress could becom ...
'' to the
Duchy of Guelders
The Duchy of Guelders ( nl, Gelre, french: Gueldre, german: Geldern) is a historical duchy, previously county, of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries.
Geography
The duchy was named after the town of Geldern (''Gelder'') in p ...
from 1372 until 1379.
John was the second son of Count
Louis II of Blois and
Jeanne of Hainault
Jeanne (or Johanna) of Hainault (1323 – December 1350) was ruling Countess of Soissons from 1344 until 1350.
She was a daughter of John of Beaumont, lord of Beaumont and Margaret of Soissons. She succeeded her mother in 1344 as Countess of S ...
, daughter of
John of Beaumont. His father died at the
battle of Crécy
The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 in northern France between a French army commanded by King PhilipVI and an English army led by King EdwardIII. The French attacked the English while they were traversing northern France du ...
in 1346 and his mother administered his inheritance. In 1356, his maternal grandfather died, leaving him many lordships scattered throughout the
Low Countries
The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
.
John made his chief residence at Schoonhoven, where he patronized
French and
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
poets. His court was the literary centre of Holland before the arrival of Albert of Bavaria. John was on good terms with Albert and represented him during his absence from Holland. In 1362 and 1363, when John went on
crusade in Prussia, he took with him his professional storyteller,
Augustijnken.
On 14 February 1372, John married Matilda, daughter of Duke
Reginald II of Guelders. He was proclaimed duke of Guelders by the faction of , supported by the
bishop of Utrecht
List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht.
Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580
Founders of the Utrecht diocese
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Bishops
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,
Arnold of Horne. That same year, he succeeded his elder brother,
Louis III Louis III may refer to:
* Louis the Younger, sometimes III of Germany (835–882)
* Louis III of France (865–882)
* Louis the Blind, Louis III, Holy Roman Emperor, (c. 880–928)
* Louis the Child, sometimes III of Germany (893–911)
* Louis III ...
, in the counties of Blois and Dunois.
In 1371, Matilda's brothers, Dukes
Reginald III and
Edward
Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”.
History
The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...
, had died. John spent most of the rest of his life trying to seize Guelders from Matilda's nephew,
William VII of Jülich, in the
First War of the Guelderian Succession
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict=First War of the Guelderian Succession
, partof=
, image= Locator Duchy of Guelders and County of Zutphen (1350).svg
, caption=
, date=1371-1379
, place=Guelders, Duchy of Guelders
, result= Victory of Willi ...
. William had the support of the Emperor
Charles IV. In 1377, John was forced to abandon
Arnhem
Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both banks of ...
, where he had set up his court. In 1379, he renounced his claim on Guelders in exchange for an annual pension from William.
John died at
Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a s ...
. He had no children with his wife. He had two sons by a mistress, Isabeau d'Isbergues: John, who became lord of
Trélon
Trélon () is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
Trélon forms the western edge of the Calestienne region.
Heraldry
See also
*Communes of the Nord department
The following is a list of the 648 communes of the Nord depar ...
, and Guy, lord of Heften in Zeeland.
Notes
Bibliography
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{{Authority control
1340s births
1381 deaths
Counts of Blois
Christians of the Prussian Crusade
14th century in the Netherlands
House of Châtillon