William of Ypres, 1st Earl of Kent
Wilhelm von Ypres, 1st Earl of Kent (* around 1104; † January 24, 1162 or 1164 in the Abbey of Saint Peter in Lo ) was the illegitimate son of Philip of Ypres and his lover, the Lady of Lo . Thereby he was a grandson of Robert I , Count of Flanders . He was Burgrave of Ypres and Lo and was made Earl of Kent in 1141 .
Wilhelm was married to a cousin, a daughter of Gottfried I von Löwen and sister of Adelheid von Löwen , Queen of England as the wife of King Heinrich I.
His years in Flanders
The Succession in Flanders 1119
In 1119 Count Baldwin VII of Flanders died without any descendants. Among the pretenders for the succession, Wilhelm, the only male descendant of Robert I, was the favorite, supported by Baldwin VII's mother, Clementia of Burgundy, who was also his aunt, and by his father-in-law Gottfried I von Löwen. However, Wilhelm had the stigma of being out of wedlock.
His opponent was Charles of Denmark , a son of the Danish King Knut IV and Adele of Flanders, who was finally recognized by the estates in 1119 in Rouliers as his successor.
Wilhelm was imprisoned and immobilized with some fiefs and some money.
The succession in Flanders 1127/28
Even before Charles died, many Flemings wanted to replace him with Wilhelm. After Karl's death in 1127, Wilhelm was (again) regarded as the natural successor in the county - this time the French King Ludwig VI opposed . , who got his brother-in-law Wilhelm Clito through, a grandson of Mathilde von Flanders , wife of Wilhelm the Conqueror , and great-grandson of Count Baldwin V.
After Wilhelm Clitos death in 1128 Dietrich von Alsace , who had been a competitor of Clitos, conquered the county. In 1133 Wilhelm von Ypres was banished from Flanders by Dietrich because Wilhelm had conspired against Dietrich for possession of the county. His property was confiscated, but the Burgraviate of Lo was later returned.
His years in England
Civil war
After his exile, Wilhelm emigrated to England and in 1135 became captain of the mercenaries in the service of King Stephen of England , most of whom he recruited in Flanders. During the civil war between Stephan and Matilda , he was one of the most capable military leaders at Stephen's side and therefore became his confidante and friend. He took part in the Normandy campaigns, the Battle of Lincoln (1141) , during which his troops were routed and Stephan was taken prisoner.
At the Battle of Winchester , Wilhelm was Commander-in-Chief on Stephen's side. He commanded the royal troops and routed Matilda's troops. After the battle he arrested Robert of Gloucester , Matilda's commander in chief. Stephan was then exchanged for Robert.
Earl of Kent
William of Ypres was rewarded in 1141 by Stephan for his services with the title of Earl of Kent . However, the title was removed from him in 1155 by Stephen's successor, Heinrich II .
Last years
William of Ypres was allowed to found Sainte-Marie Abbey in Boxley (1146) to consolidate his rule in Kent. The abbey was settled with monks from Clairvaux .
He retired to the Abbey of Saint-Pierre in Lo, where he also died.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | William of Ypres, 1st Earl of Kent |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Wilhelm of Ypres; William of Ypres (English); Guillaume d'Ypres (French) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | illegitimate son of Philip of Ypres and his lover, the "Lady of Lo" |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1104 |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 24, 1162 or 1164 |
| Place of death | Lo-Reninge , Saint Peter's Abbey |