John of Arkel

Who was John of Arkel?

John of Arkel or Jan van Arkel was a Bishop of Utrecht from 1342 to 1364 and Prince-Bishop of Liège from 1364 to 1378.

John was the son of John III, lord of Arkel, and his second wife Kunigonda of Virneburg. After the death of Bishop John of Diest in 1340 there was a problem with the succession. The chapters had elected John of Bronkhorst, but Pope Benedict XII had appointed Nicola Capocci. This was not accepted by the chapters, and Nicola was forced to withdraw. The eventual appointment of John of Arkel as Bishop was due to the influence of Count William IV of Holland.

His predecessor had left the Sticht as a semi-protectorate of Holland, and the reign of Jan van Arkel was aimed at removing its dependence on Holland. In this he was very successful, and he also managed to straighten out the Bishopric's finances. He was supported in these actions by the city of Utrecht, which understood that without a strong central authority, the minor nobility had a free rein, which had resulted in the appearance of robber barons and pirates. The city decided to act independently of Holland, and signed an alliance with the bishop in 1344.