William II of Geneva

Who was William II of Geneva?

William II was the Count of Geneva, originally a usurper, from 1225 until his death. He fought a long series of wars with the House of Savoy and lost control of all of his county outside of the traditional Genevois and saw his influence over the city of Geneva proper and the Bishop of Geneva severely reduced.

William was the second son of Count William I of Geneva and younger brother of Count Humbert I of Geneva. When Humbert died in 1225, William seized the county and expelled Humbert's sons, his nephews, Peter and Ebal, who eventually found protection under Peter le Petit Charlemagne, who had brought them with him to England by 1244. That year Peter, the elder, married a rich English heiress, Mathilda de Lacy. Peter le Petit Charlemagne was in fact William's nephew, a son of his sister Margaret.

In September 1229 at Tournon William was one of the arbiters of a dispute between the Bishop of Valence, William, who was a brother of le Petit Charlemagne, and the citizens of Valence. In 1234 he had his second son, Amadeus, installed as a canon in the Diocese of Lausanne. In 1239 Amadeus was successful in leading the pro-Genevan party over he pro-Savoyard in the episcopal election which placed Jean de Cossonay on the bishop's seat.