JOHN de GAUNT
John de Gaunt, b. March 1339, d. Feb. 3, 1399, Earl of Derby, Earl of Leicester, Earl of Lincoln, Duke of Lancaster, and Duke of Aquitaine (1362).
JOHN is sometimes given the title "King of Castile and Leon", a
reference to his marriage to CONSTANCE of Castile.
Because JOHN's romance with KATHERINE SWYNFORD has been such a distinctive part of his biography, it is easy to
overlook the devotion he apparently felt for his first wife, BLANCHE. After her death, he established a number of chantries
to say masses for her soul, and funded an expensive yearly memorial service. There is no evidence that JOHN was ever
unfaithful to BLANCHE.
As a result of his second marriage,to CONSTANCE, daughter of
PETER the Cruel (king of Castile and Leon), JOHN laid claim to the throne of Castile. During the Hundred Years' War, he aided
the Black Prince(his brother, Edward) against France and established English rule over most of southern France. After a severe illness forced the return
of the Black Prince to England, JOHN took command of the English armies. But by 1380 he had lost much of the territory the
English had previously won.
In 1377, King EDWARD changed the status of JOHN's county of
Lancaster, making him the Earl Palatinate, as JOHN's late father-in-law, GENRY of Grosmont had been. This had
significant implications for the county as a revenue unit, and formed the basis on which JOHN's son, HENRY IV, sectioned
off the Duchy of Lancaster to keep its fortune separate from that of the crown. Over the years, the set of transactions has had
enormous financial implications for the holder of the duchy (its revenues, for instance, funded much of the Lancastrian war
effort in the War of the Roses.).
In 1386, JOHN invaded Castile, but was defeated by King JOHN
I of Castile and Leon. JOHN of Gaunt gave up his claim to Castile and Leon in 1387, when his daughter married HENRY III
of Castile.
JOHN of Gaunt gave up his control of the English government
when his nephew, RICHARD II became king in 1377, and thereafter, he played the role of peacemaker. JOHN was named
Duke of Aquitaine in 1390.
JOHN's third wife, KATHERINE SWYNFORD, had been his
mistress for many years. She was the "Governess of JOHN's other children for many years". They married when the children were
older. After they were married, their four grown children were legitimized by RICHARD II as the Beaufort
family.
Father: Edward III Of England b: 13 Nov 1312 in Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England
Mother: Philippa Of Holland And Hainault b: 24 Jun 1311 in Mons, Hainaut, Belgium
Marriage 1 Blanche Of Lanchaster
Children
1. Elizabeth Plantagenet b: ABT. 1360
1. Henry IV Of England b: Apr 1366 in Bolingbroke Castle, Lincoln Co., England
Marriage 2 Constance Of Castille
Marriage 3 Catherine Swynford Roelt b: 1350
Married: 13 Jan 1395/96 in Lincoln, England
Children
1. John (First Earl Somerset) de Beaufort b: 1372 in Chaateau de Beaufort, Maine-et-Loire, France
3. Henry de Beaufort b: ABT. 1376
3. Thomas de Beaufort b: ABT. 1377
4. Joan de Beaufort b: 1379 in Chateau De Beaufort, Meuse-et-Loire, France
Endnotes
Information corrobrated by Brian Thompsett at the University of Hull, UK.
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Last updated on ... August 9, 2004