William of Nassau (1601-1627)
Encyclopedia
Willem van Nassau, Lord of De Lek (also Willem van Nassau-LaLecq, or in French
Willem LaLecq; 1601 – 1627) was a Dutch soldier from 1620 until 1627. He was the illegitimate son of stadholder Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange
and his mistress Margaretha van Mechelen
.
Like their other illegitimate children, he was recognized with the surname Nassau-LaLecq. He went by the title Rijksgraaf (Count of the Holy Roman Empire) van Nassau-LaLecq" and was also popularly known in French as the "Chevalier de Nassau". After 1625 he was granted lands and the title Lord of De Lek. He received his heerlijkheid
of De Lek as a bequest from his father to him and his descendants. His brother Lodewijk van Nassau had the title "Lord of Beverweerd and Odijk".
From his 19th year on, Willem served in the Dutch army fighting Spain in the Dutch Revolt
(1568-1648). Aged only 24 he received the rank of lieutenant-admiral of Holland and West Friesland, replacing stadholder Frederik Hendrik. He led the Dutch ships that participated in the Cádiz expedition
of 1625. In the summer of 1627 he was present at the Siege of Grol
. On the 18 August, not long before the end of the siege, fighting with the French troops at the front, Willem received a bullet wound which later proved fatal. Thus he died on his 26th birthday, with Lodewijk inheriting Willem's fiefdom..
On 4 April 1627, 4 months before his death, Willem married Anna van der Noot, lady of Hoogwoud and Aartswoud, in Sluis
. Though he had no children with Anna, he had one illegitimate son by Barbara Augustinus Cocx, Willem Jonker van Nassau (1620-1679) .
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
Willem LaLecq; 1601 – 1627) was a Dutch soldier from 1620 until 1627. He was the illegitimate son of stadholder Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange
Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange
Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange was sovereign Prince of Orange from 1618, on the death of his eldest half brother, Philip William, Prince of Orange,...
and his mistress Margaretha van Mechelen
Margaretha van Mechelen
Margaretha van Mechelen was a South Dutch noblewoman and the mistress of Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, with whom she had 3 sons:*Willem of Nassau, lord of the Lek...
.
Like their other illegitimate children, he was recognized with the surname Nassau-LaLecq. He went by the title Rijksgraaf (Count of the Holy Roman Empire) van Nassau-LaLecq" and was also popularly known in French as the "Chevalier de Nassau". After 1625 he was granted lands and the title Lord of De Lek. He received his heerlijkheid
Heerlijkheid
A heerlijkheid was the basic administrative and judicial unit in rural areas in Dutch-speaking lands before 1800. It originated in the feudal subdivision of government authority in the Middle Ages. The closest English equivalents of the word are "seigniory" and "manor"...
of De Lek as a bequest from his father to him and his descendants. His brother Lodewijk van Nassau had the title "Lord of Beverweerd and Odijk".
From his 19th year on, Willem served in the Dutch army fighting Spain in the Dutch Revolt
Dutch Revolt
The Dutch Revolt or the Revolt of the Netherlands This article adopts 1568 as the starting date of the war, as this was the year of the first battles between armies. However, since there is a long period of Protestant vs...
(1568-1648). Aged only 24 he received the rank of lieutenant-admiral of Holland and West Friesland, replacing stadholder Frederik Hendrik. He led the Dutch ships that participated in the Cádiz expedition
Cádiz Expedition (1625)
The Cádiz Expedition of 1625 was a naval expedition against Spain by English and Dutch forces.The plan was put forward because after the Dissolution of the Parliament of 1625, the Duke of Buckingham, Lord High Admiral wanted to undertake an expedition that would match the exploits of the heroes of...
of 1625. In the summer of 1627 he was present at the Siege of Grol
Siege of Groenlo (1627)
The Siege of Grol in 1627 was a battle between the Army of the Dutch Republic commanded by Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange and the Spanish controlled fortified city of Grol , during the Eighty Years War in 1627. The Spanish army led by Hendrik van den Bergh came to relieve Grol, but it came too...
. On the 18 August, not long before the end of the siege, fighting with the French troops at the front, Willem received a bullet wound which later proved fatal. Thus he died on his 26th birthday, with Lodewijk inheriting Willem's fiefdom..
On 4 April 1627, 4 months before his death, Willem married Anna van der Noot, lady of Hoogwoud and Aartswoud, in Sluis
Sluis
Sluis is the name of both a municipality and a town located in the west of Zeelandic Flanders, in the south-western part of the Netherlands....
. Though he had no children with Anna, he had one illegitimate son by Barbara Augustinus Cocx, Willem Jonker van Nassau (1620-1679) .