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The Land van Arkel was a
fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...
of the
Counts of Holland The counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century. The Frisian origins While the Frisian kingdom had comprised most of the present day Netherlands, the later province of Friesland ...
, and was managed by the Lords of Arkel until 1412. The territory was bordered by the river
Merwede The Merwede (; etymology uncertain, possibly derived from the Old Dutch ''merwe'' or ''merowe'', a word meaning "wide water") is the name of several connected stretches of river in the Netherlands, between the cities of Woudrichem, Dordrecht and ...
on the south, and the river
Linge The Linge is a river in the Betuwe that is 99.8 km long, which makes it one of the longest rivers that flow entirely within the Netherlands. The river starts near the village of Doornenburg near the German border. A legend tells us that i ...
on the east. The northern border might have reached as far as Everdingen, and the western border to the river Lek. Present-day towns in the territory include
Leerdam Leerdam () is a city and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The municipality was merged with the municipalities of Vianen and Zederik on 1 January 2019. The name of the new municipalit ...
, Arkel, Heukelum,
Asperen Asperen is a small city in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of West Betuwe, and lies about 10 km (6 miles) east of Gorinchem on the river Linge. It received city rights in 1313. History In Roman times As ...
, Hagestein, Haastrecht and
Gorinchem Gorinchem ( ), pronunciation respelling, also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. It had a population of in . The munici ...
.


History

Around 1234–1240, Herbaren II, lord of Ter Leede, is supposed to have moved to Arkel in order to settle there. He was the founder of the house of Arkel. He left the lordship Ter Leede (presumably located just south of modern Leerdam) to his younger brother. His son John II is named as vassal of the
Count of Holland The counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century. The Frisian origins While the Frisian kingdom had comprised most of the present day Netherlands, the later province of Friesland ...
in a 1253 chronicle. Jan II was assigned a somewhat larger territory, stretching all the way to the river Merwede. In 1260 the lords of Arkel gained possession of Bergambacht, but they were at a disadvantage because their properties were scattered. In 1272, the port of Gorinchem was bought from the lord of Bentheim, which allowed for toll collection on the Lek and Merwede rivers. There was a flourishing trade from which the lords of Arkel were able to profit considerably. Several castles were built, the most famous in
Asperen Asperen is a small city in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of West Betuwe, and lies about 10 km (6 miles) east of Gorinchem on the river Linge. It received city rights in 1313. History In Roman times As ...
, Haastrecht and
Gorinchem Gorinchem ( ), pronunciation respelling, also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. It had a population of in . The munici ...
(1267). The lords stayed mostly in this last castle in Gorinchem. In 1290, John II dedicated his castle at Gorinchem to his feudal liege lord,
Floris V, count of Holland Floris V (24 June 1254 – 27 June 1296) reigned as Count of Holland and Zeeland from 1256 until 1296. His life was documented in detail in the Rijmkroniek by Melis Stoke, his chronicler. He is credited with a mostly peaceful reign, modern ...
, in deference to his authority. After John II van der Lede died without offspring in 1305, John III of Arkel inherited the lordship of Ter Leede. In 1351 the lands around the Lek river were added to their possessions. Haastrecht was also added.
Otto Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants '' Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded fr ...
gave Gorinchem, Hagestein and
Leerdam Leerdam () is a city and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The municipality was merged with the municipalities of Vianen and Zederik on 1 January 2019. The name of the new municipalit ...
city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...
in 1382. The power of the Lords of Arkel was at its highest at the end of the 14th century; the fortress on the eastern bank of the city of Gorinchem becoming known as ''The Imperial Castle''. The
Duchy of Gelderland The Duchy of Guelders (; ; ) is a historical duchy, previously county, of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries. Geography The duchy was named after the town of Geldern (''Gelder'') in present-day Germany. Though the present pr ...
, the
County of Holland The County of Holland was a Imperial State, state of the Holy Roman Empire from its inception until 1433. From 1433 onward it was part of the Burgundian Netherlands, from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands and from 1581 onward the leading pro ...
and the
Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht The Bishopric of Utrecht (; ) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire in the Low Countries, in the present-day Netherlands. From 1024 to 1528, as one of the prince-bishoprics of the Holy Roman Empire, it was ruled by the b ...
watched grudgingly as the economic and military powers of the fiefdom grew. What followed was the Arkel War, which broke out in 1401, after a dispute with Duke Albert I of Bavaria, who was also the Count of Holland.
John V John V may refer to: * Patriarch John V of Alexandria or John the Merciful (died by 620), Patriarch of Alexandria from 606 to 616 * John V of Constantinople, Patriarch from 669 to 675 * Pope John V (685–686), Pope from 685 to his death in 686 ...
managed to maintain his position until 1412, when he was driven to Vuren, where he was captured. He spent the rest of his life in captivity in Gouda and
Leerdam Leerdam () is a city and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The municipality was merged with the municipalities of Vianen and Zederik on 1 January 2019. The name of the new municipalit ...
. His son William of Arkel led a revolt in 1417, but was killed. The power of dynasty thus came to an end, although the descendants of Maria van Arkel, the daughter of John V, would eventually acquire major political powers in Gelre. The castle of Gorinchem was demolished in 1413. A new castle was built for the Counts of Holland, south of the city walls. This castle was known as the '' Blue Tower''.


Lords of Arkel

* Herbaren II van der Lede (ca.1200 - 1257), received possession of the lordship Arkel (''Arcelo, Arclo'') * Jan I van Arkel, (1233–1272), nicknamed ''The Strong'' * Jan II van Arkel, (1269–1296) * Nicolas van Arkel, regent (died in 1345) * Jan III van Arkel, (1280–1324) * Jan IV van Arkel, (1305–1360) * Otto, Lord of Arkel (1330–1396) * John V, Lord of Arkel, (1362–1428), nicknamed ''The Stadtholder''. **
William William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...
, son and successor of John V, however, their territory had been confiscated by the Count of Holland ** Maria, daughter of John V, married to John II, Count of Egmond


Findings

In 2003 a pillar was found at the streets Artilleriekade and Struisvogelstreet in Gorinchem. It was dated to the 14th century and must have been part of the residence where the lords of Arkel resided. In 2006 foundations of a castle belonging to the lords of Arkel were dug up in Hagestein.


Sources

* Translated from the Dutch :nl:Land van Arkel {{DEFAULTSORT:Land Van Arkel Dutch nobility