The River Vlie (also called Fli), is an extension of the
IJssel branch of the
Rhine River. The river divides the northern Netherlands into two parts, the western and the eastern part. In the eleventh century, heavy rainfall caused the river to flood over large parts of the land. The
Zuiderzee bay (previously a
lake called
Lacus Flevo by
Roman authors) was formed, separating West Friesland from the contemporary
Province of Friesland. In the
Middle Ages, the Westflinge area of West Friesland became an
island, bordered on the north by the Medem and
Zijpe inlets, and to the south by various interconnecting lakes (now
polder land) that were connected with the Zuiderzee. Because of this, the toponym "West Friesland" was applied more to the Westflinge area than to the original West Friesland. For approximately 300 years, West Friesland operated as an autonomous area as the West Frisians did not wish to be vassals of lords from
Holland.
Floris V, Count of Holland, attempted to unite Holland and West Friesland during his reign and he succeeded in annexing West Frisia. It was his successor,
John I, who achieved ultimate victory over the West Frisians in 1297. West Friesland formed a united province with Holland in the
Dutch Republic, though it was recognized an autonomous region, and the
parliament of said province, commonly known as
Holland, was formally known as the
States of Holland and West Friesland. During the time of the
United Provinces, West Friesland had its own independent
Admiralty of the Northern Quarter. Any admiral serving within this admiralty or the two other Hollandic admiralties (
Amsterdam and the
Admiralty of de Maze) had the title of
Admiral of Holland and West Frisia.
Early medieval Vroonen The first inhabitants of Alkmaar, Oudorp, and St Pancras likely settled along the high beach ridges of the Vroonermeer in the 9th century AD. Better known as
Vroonen, this settlement subsequently grew into a village. In the late 13th century, when the Dutch conquered West Frisians, the victors crossed the village and set it on fire. The few surviving inhabitants fled the region. After a long time, people returned to Vroonen and a chapel was built. The village of St Pancras was founded around this church [1484]. Vroonermeer was drained in 1561. The reclamation of the North Holland lakes was a purely private business affair intended for the establishment of new tracts of fertile land. Investors financed the operation and leased their new land to farmers. ==Geography==