Biography of William Wittelsbach I Duke Lower Bavaria 1330-1389

In 1308 [his father] Louis Wittelsbach IV Holy Roman Emperor (age 25) and Beatrix Świdnica Holy Roman Empress were married. She by marriage Holy Roman Empress. He the son of [his grandfather] Louis "Strict" Wittelsbach II Duke Upper Bavaria and [his grandmother] Matilda Habsburg Duchess Bavaria.

In 1324 [his father] Louis Wittelsbach IV Holy Roman Emperor (age 41) and [his mother] Margaret Hainaut Holy Roman Empress (age 12) were married. She by marriage Holy Roman Empress. The difference in their ages was 29 years. She the daughter of [his grandfather] William of Avesnes I Count Hainaut III Count Avesnes III Count Holland II Count Zeeland (age 38) and [his grandmother] Joan Valois Countess Zeeland Holland Avesnes and Hainaut (age 30). He the son of [his grandfather] Louis "Strict" Wittelsbach II Duke Upper Bavaria and [his grandmother] Matilda Habsburg Duchess Bavaria. They were third cousin three times removed. He a great x 3 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Stephen I England.

On 12th May 1330 William Wittelsbach I Duke Lower Bavaria was born to [his father] Louis Wittelsbach IV Holy Roman Emperor (age 48) and [his mother] Margaret Hainaut Holy Roman Empress (age 18).

In 1344 Ralph Stafford and [his future wife] Maud Plantagenet Duchess Lower Bavaria (age 3) were married. She the daughter of [his future father-in-law] Henry of Grosmont 1st Duke Lancaster (age 34) and [his future mother-in-law] Isabel Beaumont Duchess Lancaster (age 24). He the son of Ralph Stafford 1st Earl Stafford (age 42) and Margaret Audley Countess Stafford (age 26). They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

In 1345 William Wittelsbach I Duke Lower Bavaria (age 14) succeeded V Count Holland.

In 1347 William Wittelsbach I Duke Lower Bavaria (age 16) succeeded I Duke Lower Bavaria.

On 11th October 1347 [his father] Louis Wittelsbach IV Holy Roman Emperor (age 65) died. His son [his half-brother] Stephen (age 28) succeeded II Duke Bavaria. [his sister-in-law] Elisabeth Barcelona Duchess Bavaria (age 37) by marriage Duchess Bavaria. His son [his brother] Albert (age 11) succeeded I Duke Lower Bavaria.

In 1352 William Wittelsbach I Duke Lower Bavaria (age 21) and Maud Plantagenet Duchess Lower Bavaria (age 11) were married in London. She by marriage Duchess Lower Bavaria. He by marriage Earl of Leicester. She the daughter of Henry of Grosmont 1st Duke Lancaster (age 42) and Isabel Beaumont Duchess Lancaster (age 32). He the son of Louis Wittelsbach IV Holy Roman Emperor and Margaret Hainaut Holy Roman Empress (age 40). They were fourth cousin once removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

After 19th July 1353 [his brother] Albert Wittelsbach I Duke Lower Bavaria (age 16) and [his sister-in-law] Margaret of Silesia Duchesa Lowwer Bavaria (age 11) were married. She by marriage Duchess Lower Bavaria. He the son of [his father] Louis Wittelsbach IV Holy Roman Emperor and [his mother] Margaret Hainaut Holy Roman Empress (age 41).

In 1354 William Wittelsbach I Duke Lower Bavaria (age 23) succeeded V Count Hainault, V Count Zeeland.

In 1356 [his daughter] Unamed Wittelsbach was born to William Wittelsbach I Duke Lower Bavaria (age 25) and [his wife] Maud Plantagenet Duchess Lower Bavaria (age 15). She a great x 3 granddaughter of King Henry III of England. She died aged less than one years old.

In 1356 [his daughter] Unamed Wittelsbach died.

On 18th September 1361 [his half-brother] Louis "The Brandenburger" Wittelsbach V Duke Bavaria (age 45) died.

On 10th April 1362 [his wife] Maud Plantagenet Duchess Lower Bavaria (age 22) died. Her sister [his sister-in-law] Blanche (age 20) succeeded 6th Countess of Leicester. John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster (age 22) by marriage Earl of Leicester adding a fourth Earldom to the ones he already held: Earl Richmond, Earl Lancaster and Earl Derby.

On 17th May 1365 [his brother] Louis "The Roman" Wittelsbach VI Duke Upper Bavaria (age 37) died.

In 1369 [his mother] Margaret Hainaut Holy Roman Empress (age 57) died.

On 13th May 1375 [his half-brother] Stephen Wittelsbach II Duke Bavaria (age 56) died. His son [his nephew] Stephen (age 38) succeeded III Duke Bavaria.

On 16th November 1379 [his brother] Otto "The Bavarian" Wittelsbach V Duke Bavaria (age 38) died.

On 15th April 1389 William Wittelsbach I Duke Lower Bavaria (age 58) died.

Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke [-1360]. In this year, while the Lord Duke of Lancaster had gone to Prussia, and was then staying with the King of Kraków and Poland, engaged in action against the Turks, his daughter was betrothed in England, with the advice of the king and by official arrangement, to Lord William, Duke of Zeeland,¹ the firstborn son of the late [his father] Louis, Duke of Bavaria, who had been a usurper of the Holy Roman Empire.

Hoc anno domino duce Lancastrie Spruciam profecto et deinde apud regem Crakkowye et Polonie contra Turcos demorante, filia sua domino duci Selandie Willelmo, primogenito quondam Ludowici ducis Bavarie, intrusoris imperii Romani, fuit in Anglia desponsata de concilio regis et ordinacione.

Note 1. William the Mad, count of Holland, son of Louis of Bavaria by his second marriage with Margaret of Hainault, queen Philippa's sister, married Maud, elder daughter of the duke of Lancaster, who had previously been married to Ralph, son of Ralph lord Stafford. She died in 1362.