Warm reception of William of Jülich in Bruges (May 1302)

William of Jülich, called the Younger (Dutch: ''Willem van Gulik de Jongere''; died August 18, 1304), was one of the Flemish noblemen that opposed the annexation policies of the French king Philip IV, together with

Pieter de Coninck Pieter de Coninck (died 1332 or 1333) was a weaver from Bruges well known for his role in the events surrounding the Battle of the Golden Spurs. He was not the head of the weavers' guild as is popularly believed (mostly because he was portrayed ...

. He was also

archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...

of the

prince-bishopric of Liège The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was an Hochstift, ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial State, Imperial Estate, so the List of ...

. William was the son of William the Elder and grandson of

William IV, Count of Jülich William IV, Count of Jülich (c. 1210 – 16 March 1278) was the son and heir of William III of Jülich and Mathilde of Limburg, daughter of Waleran III, Duke of Limburg.Walther Möller, ''Stammtafeln westdeutscher Adelsgeschlechter im Mittelalter ...

, and of Maria, a daughter of Guy of Dampierre, Count of Flanders and

Matilda of Bethune Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...

. His connection to the Flemish count and his wish to avenge the imprisoning of his uncles Robert III of Bethune and by the French king presumably explains his support for the Flemish resistance. An extra incentive for this support could have been the murder of his uncle

Walram, Count of Jülich Walram, Count of Jülich (1240/45 – c. August 1297, after Battle of Furnes) was the second son of William IV, Count of Jülich and Richardis of Guelders, daughter of Gerard III, Count of Guelders. Biography In 1278, Walram succeeded his father a ...

by the French after the

Battle of Bulskamp The Battle of Furnes, also known as ''Battle of Veurne'' and ''Battle of Bulskamp'', was fought on 20 August 1297 between French and Flemish forces. The French were led by Robert II of Artois and the Flemish by Guy of Dampierre. The French fo ...

in 1297. The Flemish resistance led to the unexpected victory over the French during the

Battle of the Golden Spurs The Battle of the Golden Spurs ( nl, Guldensporenslag; french: Bataille des éperons d'or) was a military confrontation between the royal army of France and rebellious forces of the County of Flanders on 11 July 1302 during the Franco-Flemis ...

in 1302. William of Jülich gained another victory against the French in the

Battle of Arques (1303) The Battle of Arques was fought on 4 April 1303 in the French city of Arques between the County of Flanders and the Kingdom of France. Background The Battle of the Golden Spurs was an embarrassing defeat for King Philip IV of France that liber ...

. In 1304 however, the French king returned with an army and defeated the Flemings during the

Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle The Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle (or Pevelenberg) was fought on 18 August 1304 between the French and the Flemish. The French were led by their king, Philip IV. Prelude The French king wanted revenge for the defeat in Battle of the Golden Spu ...

. William died during this battle.

References

1304 deaths Flemish nobility Revolts involving Flanders Year of birth unknown Military personnel of the Holy Roman Empire 14th-century people from the county of Flanders {{Europe-noble-stub