Jan van Renesse

Van Renesse

Van Renesse is an old Dutch aristocratic family that stems from the town of Renesse in Zeeland.-History:There is some debate regarding the origin of the family; some historians claim that they are the Renesse family was a branch of the German Sayn dynasty. The family played an important role as...

(died 1304) was a member of the Zeeland

Zeeland

Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...

 nobility. Together with Wolfert van Borselen he co-led a party favoring Flanders

Flanders

Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...

 and against Holland, with considerable influence in Zeeland. With the support of Edward I of England

Edward I of England

Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...

, Jan van Renesse governed Zeeland on behalf of John I, Count of Holland

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....

 (the infant son of Floris V, Count of Holland

Floris V, Count of Holland

Count Floris V of Holland and Zeeland , "der Keerlen God" , is one of the most important figures of the first, native dynasty of Holland . His life was documented in detail in the Rijmkroniek by Melis Stoke, his chronicler...

), but van Borselen took up arms against him, and he was expelled after the failure of Edward I's invasion of Flanders.

He fought on the Flemish side at the Battle of the Golden Spurs

Battle of the Golden Spurs

The Battle of the Golden Spurs, known also as the Battle of Courtrai was fought on July 11, 1302, near Kortrijk in Flanders...

 (1302), and supported the Flemish action against Holland and Zeeland, and managed to get as far as Utrecht

Utrecht (city)

Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...

, but had to flee the area after the defeat of the Flemings at Zierikzee

Battle of Zierikzee

The battle of Zierikzee was a naval battle between a Flemish fleet and an allied Franco-Hollandic fleet which took place on 10 and 11 August 1304. The battle, fought near the town of Zierikzee, ended in a Franco-Holland victory...

. He was drowned while crossing the River Lek

Lek River

The Lek is a river in the western Netherlands of some 60 km in length. It is the continuation of the Nederrijn after the Kromme Rijn branches off at the town of Wijk bij Duurstede. The main westbound waterway is hereafter called the Lek River...

.

Source

• Nobility that died in the Battle of the Golden Spurs