John II of Avesnes (1247 –
22 August 1304) was the oldest son of
John I of Avesnes and
Adelaide of Holland.
History
John II was
Count of Hainaut from 1280 to his death, succeeding his grandmother,
Margaret II. John continued the war between the
House of Dampierre and the
House of Avesnes against count
Guy of
Flanders for
imperial Flanders.
He became
Count of
Holland in 1299 with the death of
John I, Count of Holland, through his mother
Adelaide of Holland, heiress and regent of this county. His descendants maintained this
personal union between the counties.
His cousin,
Count Floris V, was fighting against Flanders for
Zeeland. He sought help of
France against Flanders. The French defeated the Flemish in 1300 and 1301. The rebels in
Zeeland were defeated as well. John's brother,
Guy of Avesnes, became
Bishop 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, where his eldest son was killed fighting for the French. 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 naval
Battle 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 Count
Henry V of Luxembourg and
Marguerite of Bar. Their children were:
- Henry, a canon in Cambrai, (d. 1303).
- Isabelle, (d. 1305), married Raoul de Clermont, senior de Nesle.
- Willem de Cuser (b. 1290)
