House of Holland (nobility)

{{Infobox noble house

|surname = Gerulfing / of Holland

|type = Noble family

|native_name =

|native_name_lang =

|other_name =

|coat of arms = File:Counts of Holland Arms.svg

|image_size =

|alt =

|caption = Coat of Arms

|country = Netherlands
Belgium
Germany

|estates = County of Holland
County of Bentheim
County of Tecklenburg

|parent house =

|titles =

|styles =

|founded = 9th century

|founder = Gerulf I of Frisia

|final ruler = John I, Count of Holland (in Holland)
Otto V or Richardis (in Tecklenburg)
Bernard (in Bentheim)

|current head =

|dissolution = 1299 (in Holland)
1328 (in Tecklenburg)
1421 (in Bentheim)

|deposition =

|ethnicity =

|cadet branches =

|notes =

}}

The Gerulfings were the first family to rule over what would become the County of Holland and the County of Zeeland, then called West Frisia.

Origins

File:Arms of the house of Bentheim.svg

They were named after Gerulf the Elder (died after 839), who is believed to have descended from the Frisian king Radbod (died 719). Dijkstra{{who|date=December 2024}} suggests that Dirk may have been the son of a sister of Gerolf and that his own father died while he was still an infant.

The first count of Holland, Dirk I, was the son or foster-son of Gerolf, Count in Frisia He received land around Egmond from Charles the Fat at a place called Bladella (modern-day Bladel near Eindhoven) in 922. This is seen as the beginning of the county of Holland. However, until about 1100, the usual names for the county were West-Friesland, Frisia or Kennemerland; in spite of this the counts from Dirk I onwards are traditionally named of Holland.

Note that the chronology of the first few counts is uncertain. The existence of a count between Dirk I and Dirk II was only recently suggested, since it is thought that the references to counts named Dirk between 896 and 988 refer to three, not two, different counts. This third Count Dirk is placed between Dirk I and II and numbered as Dirk I bis to avoid confusion with the already established numbering referring to the other counts of Holland named Dirk.

The main line of the family died out in 1299.

=Bentheim and other branches=

A branch of the dynasty held the County of Bentheim. The property was inherited through Sophia of Rheineck, married to Dirk VI of Holland. Their children split the property. This branch survived longer than the original family: it went extinct in 1421, after which Bentheim was inherited through non-direct female line.

Bastard lines of the family were the Van Teylingen, Van Brederode and Van der Duyn. The House of Egmond and the Van Wassenaer may also trace their origins to an illegitimate child from this family.

Rulers

=Gerulfing dynasty=

==Partitions under Gerulfing rule==

align="center" style="border-spacing: 0px; border: 1px solid black; text-align: center;"

colspan=1 style="background: #fff;" |

| colspan=1 style="background: #eee;" |Bentheim under
House of Salm

| colspan=1 rowspan="3" style="background: #eee;" |Tecklenburg under
Tecklenburg family

colspan=2 style="background: #fff;" |

colspan=1 rowspan="3" style="background: #fff;" |County of
West Frisia
Later renamed
County of Holland
(885-1299)

| colspan=1 style="background: #fedf;" |

colspan=2 style="background: #fedf;" |

colspan=1 rowspan="3" style="background: #fedf;" |County of
Bentheim
(1176-1421)

| colspan=1 rowspan="2" style="background: #ceb;" |County of
Tecklenburg
(1279-1328)

colspan=1 rowspan="3" style="background: #eee;" |Inherited by
the House of Avesnes

colspan=1 rowspan="2" style="background: #eee;" |Inherited by
the County of Schwerin

colspan=1 style="background: #eee;" |Inherited by
the Götterswyk family

==Table of rulers==

class="wikitable sticky-header"

! colspan=2 | Monarch !!Born!!Reign!!Ruling part!!Consort!!Death!!Notes

style="background:#fff"

| Gerulf I the Elder

|align=center|c.820
Son of ?

|align=center|c.840 – 855

County of West Frisia

A daughter of Waldger of Corbie
at least four children

|align=center|c.855
aged 34-35

First ruler of the family in West Frisia.

style="background:#fff"

| Gerulf II

|align=center|c.850
Son of Gerulf I

|align=center|855 – 896

County of West Frisia

Unknown
two children

|align=center|896
aged 45-46

style="background:#fff"

House of Holland (nobility)

Origins

=Bentheim and other branches=

Rulers

=Gerulfing dynasty=

==Partitions under Gerulfing rule==

==Table of rulers==

References

Bibliography