John I, Count of Holland

Who was John I, Count of Holland?

John I was Count of Holland and son of Count Floris V. John inherited the county in 1296 after the murder of his father.

Shortly after his birth, after negotiations between Floris and King Edward I of England in April 1285, he was betrothed to Elizabeth, a daughter of Edward and Eleanor of Castile. Soon after this the infant John was sent to England to be raised and educated there at Edward's court. In 1296, after the murder of John's father Count Floris V, King Edward invited a number of nobles from Holland with English sympathies, amongst whom were John III, Lord of Renesse, and Wolfert I van Borselen. On 7 January 1297 John married Edward's daughter Elizabeth at Ipswich. Soon after this, he was allowed to return to Holland, although being made to promise to heed the council of Renesse and Borselen. Elizabeth was expected to go to Holland with her husband, but did not wish to go, leaving her husband to go alone. After some delay and spending Christmas 1297 with part of her family in Ghent, Elizabeth did join her husband in Holland in 1298.