John I, Duke of Cleves

John I, Duke of Cleves
John I, Duke of Cleves by Rogier van der Weyden
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth of Nevers
Issue John II, Duke of Cleves Engelbert, Count of Nevers Philip of Cleves (Bishop)
Noble family	House of La Marck
Father	Adolph I, Duke of Cleves
Mother	Mary of Burgundy
Born	16 February 1419
Died	5 September 1481 (aged 62)

John I, Duke of Cleves, Count of Mark (16 February 1419 – 5 September 1481) was Duke of Cleves and Count of Mark.

Life

Arms of John I, Duke of Cleves, Count of Mark

He was the son of Adolph I, Duke of Cleves and Mary of Burgundy. He was raised in Brussels at the Burgundian court of his uncle Philip the Good. He ruled Cleves from 1448 from 1481, and Mark since 1461 after the death of his uncle Gerhard, who had waged war on his own brother.

He fought 3 wars with the Electorate of Cologne and finally defeated Ruprecht of the Palatinate, conquering the cities of Xanten and Soest. In these wars, he was supported by his uncle Philip the Good, bringing Cleves-Mark into the Burgundian sphere of influence.
His marriage with Elisabeth Countess of Nevers, from a sideline of the House of Burgundy, only strengthened this influence. He also took sides in the Münster Diocesan Feud supporting the aspirations of the House of Hoya to the episcopacy in Münster.

John was also made a Knight in the Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece in 1451, with which he was depicted by Rogier van der Weyden.

In 1473 he helped the Burgundian Duke Charles the Bold conquer the Duchy of Guelders.

Marriage and Children

On 22 April 1455 he married Elizabeth Countess of Nevers, daughter of John II, Count of Nevers. They had:

• John II, Duke of Cleves (13 April 1458 – 15 March 1521) married 3 November 1489 Matilda of Hesse
• Adolf (1461–1525)
• Engelbert, Count of Nevers (26 September 1462 – 21 November 1506) married 23 February 1489 Charlotte de Bourbon-Vendôme
• Dietrich 1464
• Marie of Cleves (1465–1513)
• Philip of Cleves, Bishop of Nevers, Amiens and Autun (1467–1505)

Ancestors

Ancestors of John I, Duke of Cleves

16. Engelbert II of the Marck               8. Adolph II, Count of Mark                       17. Mechtild of Arenberg               4. Adolf III of the Marck                             18. Dietrich VIII, Count of Cleves               9. Margaret of Cleves                       19. Margaret of Guelders               2. Adolph I, Duke of Cleves                                   20. William V, Duke of Jülich               10. Gerhard VI of Jülich, Count of Berg and Ravensberg                       21. Joanna of Hainaut               5. Margaret of Jülich                             22. Otto IV, Count of Ravensberg               11. Margaret of Ravensberg                       23. Margaret of Berg-Windeck               1. John I, Duke of Cleves                                         24. John II of France               12. Philip II, Duke of Burgundy                       25. Bonne of Bohemia               6. John II, Duke of Burgundy                             26. Louis II of Flanders               13. Margaret III, Countess of Flanders                       27. Margaret of Brabant               3. Marie of Burgundy                                   28. Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor               14. Albert I, Duke of Bavaria                       29. Margaret II, Countess of Hainault               7. Margaret of Bavaria                             30. Louis I of Brzeg               15. Margaret of Brieg                       31. Agnes of Głogów-Żagań

References

• Stirnet.com Accessed July 29, 2007
• Marek, Miroslav. "Cleves 5". Genealogy.EU. Retrieved 29 July 2007.