- 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.
- 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.
- John of Lancaster (1362-1362)
- Elizabeth of Lancaster (1363-1425)
- Edward of Lancaster (1365-1365)
- John of Lancaster (1366-1366)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- +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.
- John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (c1373-1410)+
- Henry Cardinal Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester (1375-1447) +
- Thomas Beaufort, 1st Duke of Exeter (1377-1426) +
- 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
| 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) | |||
| 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) | |||
| 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) |
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Blanche of Lancaster (1359-1388) | 1359 | 1388 | Thomas Morieux (1355-1387) |
Siblings
See Also
Bibliography
- Carr, Helen (2021). The Red Prince: the life of John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster. London: Oneworld. ISBN 9780861540822.
- Cantor, Norman F. (2004). The Last Knight: the Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era. New York: Free Press. ISBN 0743226887. https://archive.org/details/lastknighttwi00cant.
- Goodman, Anthony (1992). John of Gaunt: the Exercise of Princely Power in Fourteenth-Century Europe. Harlow: Longman. ISBN 0582098130.
- Green, V. H. H. (1955). The Later Plantagenets: a Survey of English History 1307–1485. London: Edward Arnold. https://archive.org/details/laterplantagenet0000gree.
- Nicolle, David (2011). The Great Chevauchée: John of Gaunt's Raid on France 1373. Raid. 20. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84908-247-1.
- Walker, Simon (1990). The Lancastrian Affinity, 1361–1399. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ISBN 0198201745.
- Walker (2008). "John [John of Gaunt], duke of Aquitaine and duke of Lancaster, styled king of Castile and León (1340–1399)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/14843. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
External Links
- wikipedia:en:John of Gaunt
- John of Gaunt at thePeerage
- John of Gaunt - Geni.com
- John of Gaunt at Find A Grave
- English Kings 1066-1603 - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy
- Sir Jean Froissart: John of Gaunt in Portugal, 1385
- The Katherine Swynford Society website
Ancestry Trees
- Charlemagne Family Ancestry
- Rurik Family Ancestry
- Rollo Family Ancestry
- Alfred the Great Family Ancestry
- House of Normandy
- Plantagenet Family Line
- Capetian dynasty
- House of Lancaster
Contemporary References
Here are some of the best contemporary references for his life:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
|
