Balderic descended from the Counts of Hainaut. He was the son of Count Ricfried in the Betuwe, who expelled the Vikings from Utrecht, after which Balderic, who like his immediate predecessors had resided in Deventer, was able to move the bishopric back to Utrecht.
In Utrecht, Balderic repaired the forerunner of the Cathedral of Utrecht, Saint Martin, and rebuilt the Saint Salvator Church, which had been destroyed by the Normans, as well as the convent school that was attached to the Cathedral Chapter. Under his influence, Utrecht became the most important city in the northern Netherlands and he expanded the power of the local diocese so that it could maintain itself between the surrounding counties. Balderic was very successful in this policy: in 923 he formed close relations with the German King Henry I (919-936), who in return entrusted Balderic with the education of his four-year-old son Bruno, future archbishop of Cologne.
Because of this, Balderic also kept close contact with Henry"s other son and successor, King Otto I (936-973).
In exchange, Otto granted Balderic the right of coinage in Utrecht, as well as the trade settlement Muiden including the important toll. Furthermore, he acquired hunting rights in Drenthe, and several possessions in the Gau (country subdivision) Lek and IJssel.
Balderic collected relic for the churches in Utrecht. These included the relics of saint Odulfus for the Saint Salvator Church and relics of saints Agnes and Pontian for the Saint Martin"s Church.
In 954 he had the relics of Plechelm transferred Church that he had rebuilt in Oldenzaal.
Balderic was the first bishop of Utrecht to be buried in the Cathedral of Saint-Martin. The tombstone of that year is preserved and built into the west wall of the south aisle of the Saint Plechelmusbasiliek.
