Alice of Hainault was the daughter of
John de Avenes, Count of Hainault,
Holland and
Zeeland, Lord of
Friesland, by
Philippine, daughter of
Henri II, Count of Luxembourg and Roche, Marquis of
Arlon (d.1274), and
Margaret of Bar, daughter of
Henry II, Count of Bar. Her father succeeded as Count of Holland when his cousin,
John I, Count of Holland, died without issue in 1299 at the age of fifteen. Alice of Hainault had several brothers, one of whom,
William III, Count of Hainault, was the father of
Edward III's wife,
Philippa of Hainault. Another brother was
John, Lord of Beaumont, known in England as Sir John of Hainault. In 1326 he was influential in the invasion of England by
Isabella of France and
Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March, for which he was paid £32,722 or more. A third brother, also named John, who had been contracted in marriage to
Blanche of France, the daughter of
Philip III of France, was slain in 1302 at the
Battle of Courtrai. to
Robert III, Count of Flanders, dated 29 May 1310, the ship was in the
Strait of Dover, bound for London, when it was attacked by Crabbe, then master of the
De la Mue. Although the King sent further letters to the Count, Crabbe was not brought to justice. In 1315, some of Crabbe's men were punished, but no restitution had been made, in consequence of which Edward II ordered the seizure of
Flemish ships and goods in London to compensate the Countess. Alice of Hainault died 26 October 1317. ==Notes==