[1] As a consequence of the guardianship, Dirk III grew up with the future William IV of Holland.

Exceptions were the possible dower of Hendrik's wife Isabel, and the lordships of Aelbrechtsberg and Tetterode, and the many lands in South Holland, which the count would then keep to himself.

In such case it was usual for liege lord to allow succession by other relatives for a price, but for Hendrik's succession, his younger brother also named Dirk (c. 1307-1346, married to Maria van Buren Huis Brederode) was a closer relative.

The promise of the Brederode succession probably helped Dirk to get the hand of Beatrix van Heinsberg and Valkenburg in about 1334.

[12] Van Wijn claimed that at least by 27 September 1350 Hendrik was death and Dirk had become Lord of Brederode.

[14] Enough for Van Wijn to conclude that Dirk III had become Lord of Brederode, because Hendrik would not have signed after 'De Lek' but before him.

[16] In other words: the letter proves the exact opposite of what Van Wijn thought, i.e. Dirk III was still not Lord of Brederode on 27 September 1350!

In it, the count treated with 'the lord of Brederode' and his castellan Harman van den Busche.

His goods were sequestered till further notice and managed by a land agent appointed by the count, who would pay Brederode's debts from it.

[9] From a 27 September 1350 letter Van Wijn deduced that Dirk III was 'Lord of Brederode' by this time, but as shown above, this is highly unlikely.

[19] However, when the fight between Count William and Margaret was ended with a treaty, Dirk got his possessions back.

On 8 December 1354 Count William ordered that Dirk was to get back all the goods he had owned before the war started.