House of Bylandt
Encyclopedia
The House of Bylandt is the name of an ancient house of the nobility
originating in the Lower Rhine region
. It later split into the cadet branch
es of Bylandt-Well, Bylandt-Rheydt and Bylandt-Halt-Spaldorf.
. Doys is mentioned in 1275 as being the owner of Castle
Scate, then a fiefom of the Counts (and later Dukes
) of Cleves
. Doys son Dietrich became the first person to use "de Bylandt" as his house name (1294). From then on all descendants use the name Bylandt. From then on the Bylandt family became steadily more powerful and acquired vast amounts of land. The title Marshal
of the County of Cleves
also stayed in the family for a long time.
In 1500 the three cadet branch
es formed. The first branch, Bylandt-Well became the owners of Gut in Geldern
but soon died out. The second, Bylandt-Rheydt inherited Rheydt
, later calling themselves Baron of Rheydt, and gained control of much land, including land in Austria
, the Netherlands and Germany
. They were later granted the title of Freiherr
. The third cadet branch
Bylandt-Halt-Spaldorf gained control of the Castles of Halt and Spaldorf in Westphalia
and also became Freiherr
en.
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
originating in the Lower Rhine region
Lower Rhine region (Germany)
The Lower Rhine region or Niederrhein is a region around the Lower Rhine section of the river Rhine in North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany between approximately Neuss and Düsseldorf in the South and the Dutch border around Emmerich in the North...
. It later split into the cadet branch
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
es of Bylandt-Well, Bylandt-Rheydt and Bylandt-Halt-Spaldorf.
History
The first tracable ancestors of the house of Bylandt were known by the name of Doys. The first documented member of this name is Wilhelmus dictus Doys (1260) who died in the Battle of WorringenBattle of Worringen
The Battle of Worringen was fought on June 5, 1288, near the town of Worringen , which is now the northernmost borough of Cologne...
. Doys is mentioned in 1275 as being the owner of Castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
Scate, then a fiefom of the Counts (and later Dukes
Dukes
-Albums:-EPs:-Singles:...
) of Cleves
Duchy of Cleves
The Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...
. Doys son Dietrich became the first person to use "de Bylandt" as his house name (1294). From then on all descendants use the name Bylandt. From then on the Bylandt family became steadily more powerful and acquired vast amounts of land. The title Marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
of the County of Cleves
Duchy of Cleves
The Duchy of Cleves was a State of the Holy Roman Empire. It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves and the town of Wesel, bordering the lands of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster in the east and the Duchy of Brabant in the west...
also stayed in the family for a long time.
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
es formed. The first branch, Bylandt-Well became the owners of Gut in Geldern
Geldern
Geldern ) is a city in the northwest of the federal state North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the district of Cleves, which is part of the Düsseldorfadministrative region.-Location:...
but soon died out. The second, Bylandt-Rheydt inherited Rheydt
Rheydt
Rheydt is a borough of the German city Mönchengladbach, located in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia. Until 1918 and then again from 1933 through 1975 it was an independent city....
, later calling themselves Baron of Rheydt, and gained control of much land, including land in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, the Netherlands and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. They were later granted the title of Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
. The third cadet branch
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
Bylandt-Halt-Spaldorf gained control of the Castles of Halt and Spaldorf in Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
and also became Freiherr
Freiherr
The German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding a person's given name or, after 1919, before the surname...
en.
Famous scions
- Bernhard, Count of BylandtBernhard, Count of BylandtBernhard, Count of Bylandt was a German nobleman, artist, sculptor, author and member of the House of Bylandt or more specifically the branch of Bylandt-Rheydt....
(1905 - 1998) professor of art, author. - Arthur Maximilian, Count of Bylandt (1821 - 1891), politician, Austrian Minister of Defence.
- Willem Frederik van BylandtWillem Frederik van BylandtWillem Frederik count of Bylandt or Bijlandt was a Dutch lieutenant-general who as a major-general commanded a Belgian-Dutch infantry brigade at the Battle of Quatre Bras and the Battle of Waterloo.-Family Life:Bylandt was the son of major-general Alexander count of Bylandt and Anne, baroness Van...
, lieutenant-general during the Napoleonic era. - Lodewijk van BylandtLodewijk van BylandtLodewijk Count Van Bylandt was a Dutch lieutenant-admiral. He gained a certain notoriety in the Affair of Fielding and Bylandt of 1779 and even more in consequence of the refusal of the Dutch navy to put out to sea to combine with the French fleet in Brest in 1783, during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch...
(1718-1793), admiral.
Literature
- Balk, L.Inventaris van de familie-archieven van Bylant-Halt en van Bylandt-Rheydt (1329-1970) ('s-Gravenhage, 1983). (in Dutch).
- Otto HuppOtto HuppOtto Hupp was a German graphical artist. His main working area was heraldry, yet he also worked as a typeface designer, creating commercial symbols and metal works....
. Münchener Kalender 1931. (München/Regensburg, 1931). (in German). - Vorsterman van Oijen, A.A.Genealogie van het geslacht van Bijlandt.('s-Gravenhage, 1891).(in Dutch).
External links
- Museum Schloss Rheydt (German).
- Bylandt-Rheydt (German).