John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset
John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset KG (* around 1371 / 73 in Beaufort , Anjou ; † 16th March 1410 ) was the first of four children of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and his mistress Katherine Swynford .
He, like his three full siblings, was illegitimate by birth. Its name is derived from Beaufort Castle in Champagne (now Montmorency-Beaufort ), which once belonged to the Dukes of Lancaster. At the request of their father, they were legitimized in 1397 by their cousin, King Richard II , with the addition that they had no rights to the English throne. John Beaufort received the title and the associated lands of an Earl of Somerset , Marquess of Dorset and Marquess of Somerset , he was also appointed a Knight of the Order of the Garter .
In 1390, John Beaufort took part in the crusade against Mahdia of Duke Ludwig II of Bourbon . After his return he was entrusted with various offices such as governorship in the Guyenne or the command of the Cinque Ports and Calais . After the coronation of King Henry IV in 1399, both of his marques titles were revoked. After his death he was buried in Canterbury Cathedral.
John Beaufort had married Margaret Holland in 1397, daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent ( House of Holland ). They had six children:
- Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset (1401-1418);
- John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset (1404-1444);
- Thomas Beaufort, Count of Perche (1405-1432);
- Joan Beaufort (1406–1445), ⚭ King James I of Scotland ;
- Edmund Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset (1406-1455);
- Margaret Beaufort (1409–1449) ⚭ Thomas de Courtenay, 5th Earl of Devon .
See also
Individual evidence
- ^ Alison Weir: Britain's Royal Families. The complete genealogy. Vintage Books, 2002, ISBN 978-0-099-53973-5 , p. 103.
- ↑ Frederick M. Powicke, Edmund B. Fryde: Handbook of British Chronology. Offices of the Royal Historical Society, London 1961, p. 449.
- ↑ Frederick M. Powicke, Edmund B. Fryde: Handbook of British Chronology. Offices of the Royal Historical Society, London 1961, p. 427
Web link
- John de Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, on thepeerage.com , accessed July 26, 2015.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| New title created |
Marquess of Dorset Marquess of Somerset 1397-1399 |
Revoked title |
| New title created |
Earl of Somerset 1397-1410 |
Henry Beaufort |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Beaufort, John, 1st Earl of Somerset |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English nobleman |
| DATE OF BIRTH | around 1373 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Beaufort , Anjou |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 16, 1410 |