Along with his brother, Adolf, William rebelled against his father but surrendered in 1404 and received his father's title as Count of Ravensberg which he held until his death in 1428.
Spolu se svým bratrem Adolfem se vzbouřil proti svému otci, ale v roce 1404 se vzdal a získal otcův titul hraběte z Ravenbergu, který zastával až do své smrti v roce 1428.