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  • 1st Duke of Lancaster
  • 1st Earl of Richmond
  • 1390-1399: Duke of Aquitaine

Biography

John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster was born 6 March 1340 in Ghent, East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium to Edward III of England (1312-1377) and Philippa of Hainaut (1311-1369) and died 3 February 1399 Leicester Castle, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom of unspecified causes. He married Blanche of Lancaster (1345-1369) 13 May 1359 JL in Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom. He married Constance of Castile (1354-1394) September 1371 JL in Roquefort. He married Catherine De Roet (1350-1403) 1 January 1397 JL in Lincoln Cathedral.

He was the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. He was called "John of Gaunt" because he was born in Ghent, then rendered in English as Gaunt. Created Duke of Lancaster in 1362. Became titular King of Castile and León in 1371 upon his marriage to the illegitimate daughter of Pedro the Cruel.

John of Gaunt's legitimate male heirs, the Lancasters, included Kings Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI. His other legitimate descendants included, by his first wife, Blanche, his daughters Queen Philippa of Portugal and Elizabeth, Duchess of Exeter; and by his second wife, Constance, his daughter Queen Catherine of Castile.

John fathered five children outside marriage, one early in life by a lady-in-waiting to his mother, and four surnamed "Beaufort" (after a former French possession of the Duke) by Katherine Swynford, Gaunt's long-term mistress and third wife. The Beaufort children, three sons and a daughter, were legitimised by royal and papal decrees after John and Katherine married in 1396; a later proviso that they were specifically barred from inheriting the throne, the phrase excepta regali dignitate (English: except royal status), was inserted with dubious authority by their half-brother Henry IV. Descendants of this marriage included Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester and eventually Cardinal; Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland, grandmother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III; John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, the great-grandfather of King Henry VII; and Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots, from whom are descended, beginning in 1437, all subsequent sovereigns of Scotland, and successively, from 1603 on, the sovereigns of England, of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the United Kingdom to the present day.

The three succeeding houses of English sovereigns from 1399—the Houses of Lancaster, York and Tudor—were descended from John through Henry Bolingbroke, Joan Beaufort and John Beaufort, respectively.

John was the fourth son of King Edward III of England. His first wife, Blanche, was also his third cousin, both being great great grandchildren of King Henry III. They married in 1359 at Reading Abbey as Edward III arranged matches for his sons with wealthy heiresses. Upon the death of his father-in-law in 1361, John received half his lands, the title "Earl of Lancaster", and the distinction as the greatest landowner in the north of England, inheriting the Palatinate of Lancaster. He also became the 14th Baron of Halton and 11th Lord of Bowland. John inherited the rest when Blanche's sister, Maud, Countess of Leicester (married to William V, Count of Hainaut), died on 10 April 1362.

John received the title "Duke of Lancaster" from his father on 13 November 1362. He was by then well established, owning at least thirty castles and estates across England and France. His household was comparable in scale and organization to that of a monarch. He owned land in almost every county in England, producing a net income of between £8,000 and £10,000 a year (several millions in today's terms).

After the death of his older brother Edward of Woodstock (also known as the Black Prince), John of Gaunt contrived to protect the religious reformer John Wycliffe, possibly to counteract the growing secular power of the Roman Catholic Church. At this time he exercised great political influence over his nephew, Richard II of England (1367-1400), during his minority.

Family Life

1st Marriage : Blanche of Lancaster

Blanche of Lancaster (1345-1369) - On 19 May 1359 at Reading Abbey, John married his third cousin, Blanche of Lancaster, daughter of Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. The wealth she brought to the marriage was the foundation of John's fortune. Blanche died of bubonic plague on 12 September 1369 at Bolingbroke Castle, while her husband was away at sea.

  1. Philippa of Lancaster (1360-1415) became Queen of Portugal by marrying King John I of Portugal in 1387. All subsequent kings of Portugal were thus descended from John of Gaunt.
  2. John of Lancaster (1362-1362)
  3. Elizabeth of Lancaster (1363-1425)
  4. Edward of Lancaster (1365-1365)
  5. John of Lancaster (1366-1366)
  6. Henry Bolingbroke became Henry IV of England, after the duchy of Lancaster was taken by Richard II upon John's death while Henry was in exile.
  7. Isabel of Lancaster (1368-1368)

2nd Marriage : Constance of Castile

Constance of Castile (1354-1394) - In 1371, John married Infanta Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile, thus giving him a claim to the Crown of Castile, which he would pursue.

  1. Katherine of Lancaster (1372-1418) - Though John was never able to make good his claim, hisdaughter by Constance, Catherine of Lancaster, became Queen of Castile by marrying Henry III of Castile. Constance died in 1394. John married Katherine in 1396, and their children, the Beauforts, were legitimised by King Richard II and the Church, but barred from inheriting the throne.
  2. +John of Lancaster (1374-1374) - From the eldest son, John, descended a granddaughter, Margaret Beaufort, whose son, later King Henry VII of England, would nevertheless claim the throne. All monarchs of England and later of Great Britain, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms from Henry IV onwards are descended from John of Gaunt.

3rd Marriage; Catherine de Roet

Catherine De Roet (1350-1403) - During his marriage to Constance, John of Gaunt had fathered four children by a mistress, the widow Katherine Swynford (whose sister Philippa de Roet was married to the famous poet Chaucer, author of the Canterbury Tales). Prior to her widowhood, Katherine had borne at least two, possibly three, children to Lancastrian knight Sir Hugh Swynford. The known names of these children are Blanche and Thomas. (There may have been a second Swynford daughter.) John of Gaunt was Blanche Swynford's godfather.

  1. John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (c1373-1410)+
  2. Henry Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester (1375-1447) +
  3. Thomas Beaufort, 1st Duke of Exeter (1377-1426) +
  4. Joan Beaufort (1379-1440)

Other relationships

  • Marie de Saint-Hilaire (c1340-aft1399) John's first child was an illegitimate daughter, Blanche of Lancaster (1359-1388). Blanche was the daughter of John's mistress, Marie de St. Hilaire of Hainaut (1340-after 1399), who was a lady-in-waiting to his mother, Queen Philippa. The affair apparently took place before John's first marriage, which was to his cousin Blanche of Lancaster. John's daughter, Blanche, married Sir Thomas Morieux in 1381. Morieux held several important posts, including Constable of the Tower the year he was married, and Master of Horse to King Richard II two years later. He died in 1387 after six years of marriage.



Children


Offspring of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and Blanche of Lancaster (1345-1369)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Philippa of Lancaster (1360-1415) 31 March 1360 Leicester Castle, Leicester, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom 19 July 1415 Odivelas, Portugal John I of Portugal (1357-1433)
John of Lancaster (1362-1362)
Elizabeth of Lancaster (1363-1425) 1363 24 November 1425 Burford, Shropshire, England, United Kingdom John Hastings, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (1372-1389)
John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter (c1352-1400)
John Cornwall, 1st Baron Fanhope (c1364-1443)
Edward of Lancaster (1365-1365)
John of Lancaster (1366-1366)
Henry IV of England (1367-1413) 3 April 1367 Bolingbroke Castle, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom 20 March 1413 Westminster Abbey, London, England, United Kingdom Mary de Bohun (c1368-1394)
Joanna of Navarre (1370-1437)
Isabel of Lancaster (1368-1368)


Offspring of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and Constance of Castile (1354-1394)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Katherine of Lancaster (1372-1418) 6 June 1372 Hertford Castle, Hertford, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom 2 June 1418 Valladolid, Spain Henry III of Castile (1379-1405)
John of Lancaster (1374-1374)


Offspring of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and Catherine De Roet (1350-1403)
Name Birth Death Joined with
John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (c1373-1410) 1371 16 March 1409 Margaret Holland (1385-1439)
Henry Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester (1375-1447)
Thomas Beaufort, 1st Duke of Exeter (1377-1426)
Joan Beaufort (1379-1440) 1379 Château de Beaufort, Haute-Loire, France 13 November 1440 Howden, Yorkshire, England Robert, 3rd Baron Ferrers of Wemme (c1373-1396)
Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland (c1364-1425)


Offspring of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and Marie de Saint-Hilaire (c1340-aft1399)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Blanche of Lancaster (1359-1388) 1359 1388 Thomas Morieux (1355-1387)



Siblings


Offspring of Edward III of England (1312-1377) and Philippa of Hainaut (1311-1369)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Edward of Woodstock, Prince of Wales (1330-1376) 15 June 1330 Woodstock Palace, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom 8 June 1376 Palace of Westminster, England, United Kingdom Joan of Kent (1328-1385)
Isabella de Coucy (1332-1382) 16 June 1332 Woodstock Palace, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom April 1379 England, United Kingdom Enguerrand VII de Coucy (1339-1397)
Joan of England (1335-1348) 19 December 1333 Tower of London, London, England, United Kingdom 1 July 1348 Loremo, Bordeaux, France
William of Hatfield (1337-1337) 16 February 1337 Hatfield, South Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom 3 March 1337
Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence (1338-1368) 29 November 1338 Antwerp, Belgium 7 October 1368 Alba, Piedmont, Italy Elizabeth de Burgh, 4th Countess of Ulster (1332-1363)
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (1340-1399) 6 March 1340 Ghent, East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium 3 February 1399 Leicester Castle, Leicestershire, England, United Kingdom Blanche of Lancaster (1345-1369)
Constance of Castile (1354-1394)
Catherine De Roet (1350-1403)
Marie de Saint-Hilaire (c1340-aft1399)
Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York (1341-1402) 5 June 1341 Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom 1 August 1402 Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom Isabel of Castile (1355-1392)
Joan Holland (c1380-1434)
Blanche of England (1342-1342) March 1342 Tower of London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom March 1342 Tower of London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
Mary of England (1344-1362) 10 October 1344 Waltham, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom December 1362 England, United Kingdom Jean IV de Bretagne (1339-1399)
Margaret of England (1346-1361) 20 July 1346 Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom 1361 England, United Kingdom John Hastings, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (1347-1375)
Thomas of Windsor (1347-1348) 1347 Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom 1348 Windsor, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom
William of Windsor (1348-1348) 24 June 1348 Windsor, England, United Kingdom 5 September 1348 London, Greater London, England
Thomas of Woodstock (1355-1397) 7 January 1355 Woodstock Palace, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom 9 September 1397 Calais, Brittany, France Eleanor de Bohun (c1366-1399)


See Also

Bibliography

External Links

Ancestry Trees

Contemporary References

Here are some of the best contemporary references for his life:

  1. The Chronicles of Froissart: Jean Froissart was a French chronicler who wrote extensively about the Hundred Years' War and the political events of the 14th century. His Chronicles include detailed accounts of John of Gaunt's military campaigns in France and Spain.
  2. The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer: Chaucer was a close friend and associate of John of Gaunt, and the two men shared many political and cultural interests. Chaucer's poetry and prose often reflect his relationship with Gaunt and his views on the political situation in England.
  3. The History of King Richard II by Thomas Walsingham: Walsingham was a Benedictine monk who wrote a chronicle of the reign of Richard II, which included a detailed account of John of Gaunt's role in English politics.
  4. The Life of Chaucer by John Leland: Leland was a 16th-century antiquarian who wrote a biography of Chaucer that includes information about his relationship with John of Gaunt.
  5. The Chronicle of Henry Knighton: Knighton was an English chronicler who wrote a history of England that covers the period from the reign of Edward II to the early 15th century. His chronicle includes accounts of John of Gaunt's role in English politics and his relationship with Richard II.

Royal Succession Chart

John of Gaunt
Born: 6 March 1340 Died: 3 February 1399
Peerage of England
New creation Duke of Lancaster
2nd creation
1362–1399
Succeeded by
Henry Bolingbroke
Preceded by
Henry of Grosmont
Earl of Leicester
Earl of Lancaster
Earl of Derby

1361–1399
Preceded by
Robert III of Artois
Earl of Richmond
29 September 1342 – 25 June 1372
Succeeded by
John IV of Brittany
French nobility
Preceded by
Richard II
Duke of Aquitaine
1390–1399
Succeeded by
Richard II
Political offices
Preceded by
Henry of Grosmont
Lord High Steward
1362–1399
Succeeded by
Henry Bolingbroke
Pretenders to the title
Preceded by
Henry II
as unopposed king

Template:S-dis

Succeeded by
John I
as unopposed king

References



Footnotes (including sources)

‡ General





MainTour, Robin Patterson, Mindspillage, AMK152, Thurstan, Rtol, Phlox


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