John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster

John of Gaunt was born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1340. The third eldest son of King Edward III, he was father of Henry Bolingbroke, who usurped Richard II to become King Henry IV. As well as the Lancastrian Kings of England descending from John of Gaunt duke of Lancaster, so too did the House of Tudor, as Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII, was a great-granddaughter of John of Gaunt through his relationship, then marriage, to Katherine Swynford.

The death of John of Gaunt in February 1399 sparked a series of events that led to the overthrowing of Richard II which in turn created a dispute over the rightful inheritance of the Crown which led to uprisings, and later was the ‘by right’ argument of the House of York.

John of Gaunt: Duke of Lancaster

Marriages of John of Gaunt

John of Gaunt married Blanche of Lancaster, an heiress of Henry Grosmont 1st Duke of Lancaster, on 19 May 1359 at Reading Abbey. When Henry Grosmont died, in 1361, John inheirted the titles Earl of Lancaster, Earl of Derby, and Earl of Leicester by right of his wife: though sme titles were not immediate, he received all of them upon the death in 1362 of Blanche’s sister, Maud of Lancaster. The dukedom was then placed in abeyance. In November 1362 John’s father, King Edward III, recreated the Dukedom of Lancaster and bestowed it upon John as 1st Duke of Lancaster (of the second creation).

The inheritance as well as lands that John had already been granted made John of Gaunt an incredibly wealthy man. He held castles and estates across the country, with a net income annually in the region of £8-10,000 which at the time was only matched in England by that of his father.

Children of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster

John and Blanche had seven children, three of whom survived into adulthood. Those three were:

• Philippa of Lancaster born in 1360. Married King John I of Portugal.
• Elizabeth of Lancaster born in 1363. Married John Hastings 3rd Earl of Pembroke, secondly to John Holland 1st Duke of Eeter, thirdly to John Cornwall 1st Baron Fanhope.
• Henry (Bolingbroke). Born in 1367, he became King Henry IV in 1399. Henry married twice, firstly to Mary de Bohun, secondly to Joan of Navarre.

Relevance of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster’s marriage

The marriage of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster created a vast estate for one magnate. It gave him incredible wealth and influence, far surpassing that which was held by most Royal Princes at any time in English Medieval History. This allowed John to, to some extent, moderate clashes between magnates and King Richard II. It also, however, created a scenario where upon his death, the inheritance would pass to his son, Henry, who was one of the nobles who had clashed with Richard II.

The implications of that are discussed at length on other websites, but in simple terms it led to Henry being denied access to his inheritance and with that, the decision by him and his supporters to usurp King Richard II.

Legacy of the marriage of John of Gaunt and Blanche of Lancaster

The Lancastrian inheritance was therefore the primary cause of the change in England monarchial transition from Richard II being deposed to the Act of Accord of 1460, or in terms of crowned monarchs, Edward IV‘s coronation after overthrowing King Henry VI. This presented problems from 1399 onwards as the line of inheritance from the childless Richard II was not likely to have been to John of Gaunt, or his heirs. [See below for details of claims of right].

These rival claims led to revolts against Henry IV almost as soon as he seized the throne. Justifications for the alternative ‘rightful’ holder of the Crown remained the same through until the Wars of the Roses: by which time the alternative lines of ‘right’ were vested in one line, that of Richard 3rd Duke of York and his heirs, such as his son Edward Earl of March.

Marriage to Constance of Castile

Blanche of Lancaster died at Tutbury Castle on 12 September 1368. In 1371, John was to marry for a second time. He married the Infanta Constance of Castile. Through this marriage John gained a claim, through his wife, to the Crown of Castile. The Duke of Lancaster pressed home this claim, altering his arms and being termed ‘my lord of Spain‘. Despite the title being recognised within Castile and Leon as early as 1372, he had to resort to military campaigns to try and assert the right to the title.

In 1386 a campaign in unison with the Portuguese saw some 5000 men sail on Castile to try and secure John and Constance’s crown through force. The campaign proved to be unsuccessful in terms of military victories, though was concluded by a treaty with John of Trastámara, who had taken the Crown himself, which included the marriage of John and Constances daughter, Catherine of Lancaster, to the son and heir of John of Trastámara. In time, this resuted in Catherine becoming Queen of Castile.

John of Gaunt: Affair with then Marriage to Katherine Swynford

Whilst married to Constance of Castile, John of Gaunt entered into an extra-marital relationship with Katherine Swynford. The couple had four children. In 1381 the politics of the day, largely centred around the Peasants Revolt and John’s unpopularity at the time, resulted in the relationship having to end. However, following the death of Constance of Castile in 1394, the romance reignited, resulting in the marriage of John and Katherine at Lincoln Cathedral in 1396.

The four children of the couple, who had been born out of wedlock, were then legitimised with the surname Beaufort. These children were: John Beaufort 1st Earl of Somerset, Henry Beaufort Cardinal and Lord Chancellor, Thomas Beaufort Duke of Exeter, and Joan Beaufort married firstly Robert Ferrers and secondly Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmorland.

Legacy of the relationship between John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford

The relationship between the John and Katherine resulted in a lineage that was to have a huge impact on English politics over the years. Their children and later descendants were of note.

John Beaufort

Held military commands and was a key political figure in the latter stages of the reign of Richard II and early days of the reign of Henry IV. He was appointed to key roles as Warden of the Cinque Ports, Lieutenant of Aquitaine, and as an Admiral. John supported Richard II against the appellants, including his half-brother the future Henry IV and was elevated to the rank of Marquess [reverted to Earl again under Henry IV]. His line later gained the Crown themselves as Henry Tudor was John Beaufort’s great-grandson, through Margaret Beaufort, daughter of John 1st Duke of Somerset, the latter of whom was the Earl’s eldest son and heir.

Henry Beaufort

Henry Beaufort was a major political figure in the 15th Century. As a cleric, he rose to be bishop of Lincoln in 1398. He was then translated to the see of Winchester in 1404 before being elevated in 1426 to the ecclesiastical rank of Cardinal. As well as these major roles within the Church, Henry was a Statesman, holding the position of Lord Chancellor from 1403-04, 1413-17 and 1424-26. A fiery character, Henry Beaufort clashed with senior nobles, including King Henry IV [1411-13, he sided with the Prince of Wales in disputes], and Humphrey duke of Gloucester during the minority of King Henry VI. Henry was a major soure of funding for English campaigns in France, giving him much sway at Council.

Thomas Beaufort

Thomas was elevated to the rank of Duke of Exeter by King Henry V in 1416, after serving on the Agincourt Campaign. He held a range of military positions under Henry V including Lieutenant of Normandy, Captain of Calais, and several appointments to England’s admiralcies. Thomas Beaufort also held the position of Lord Chancellor under King Henry IV from 1410-12. Thomas was predeceased by his only son and his titles went into abeyance, being recreated at a later date with the Duchy of Exeter going to the Holland family.

Joan Beaufort

Joan’s second marriage was to become of great significance during the era of the Wars of the Roses. Children born to her in her marriage to the Earl of Westmorland included Cecily Neville, who became Duchess of York, Richard Neville 5th Earl of Salisbury the father of Richard 16th Earl of Warwick ‘the Kingmaker’, and William 1st Earl of Kent who was known as Fauconberg due to the pre Earldom rank of being 6th Baron Fauconberg. These and other children of Joan and Ralph went on to play, along with their descendants, a major role in shaping English politics over the course of the 15th century.

John of Gaunt’s Military Career

Whilst the Duke of Lancaster’s career may not be as famed as that of his eldest brother, the Black Prince, or his father, Edward III, is is notable and of consequence within the era of the Hundred Years War. In some instances, John’s campaigns were impacted by events beyond his control.

An Early Start to Warfare

As a child John, then Earl of Richmond, spent much time in the household of his eldest brother, Edward of Woodstock. Here he learnt military skills alongside other forms of a young princes education. He also travelled with his brother. This led to him being at Winchelsea, aged ten, in 1350. Here he seemingly insisted upon boarding his father’s ship, the Cog Thomas, as the English Fleet made it’s preparations. In doing so, John became a participant in the sea Battle of Winchelsea aged ten.

At this time the King of England held a grudge against the Spanish for their pillaging of English ships at sea, so that he swore to met them on their return from Flanders. The Spaniards in their turn held this of little account, and fitted out their ships with men and artillery, which only increased the King’s determination to best them at sea, and he accordingly left London for Sussex.

Robert de Namur arrived from overseas to join the army to the King’s delight, and the King prepared to meet the Spanish at a certain point which they had to pass, with his soldiers, knights, and lords, the chief figures of whom are ennumerated in a list. John, Earl of Richmond (John of Gaunt), took ship with his father, as he was too young to fight on his own account (“too young to wear armour”) and they kept out at anchor for three days between Dover and Calais.

Froissart paraphrased in a translation on the Heritage Gateway website.

John of Gaunt and the Battle of Najera

In 1366 King Peter of Castile was forced to flee his kingdom by Henry of Trastamara. He went to Bayonne in Gascony, where he sought assistance from Edward of Woodstock, the Black Prince. Eager to secure the support of Castile’s navy, the English agreed to provide military support.

In 1367 a campaign in support of Peter entered Castile. England was well represented with both Edward of Woodstock and John of Gaunt as commanders. The campaign led to a Battle at Najera against a force supporting Henry which included men commanded by the French hero Bertrand du Guesclin.

In the Battle of Najera John of Gaunt commanded the vanguard, assisted by Sir John Chandos. The Black Prince also captained a section of the army. For John of Gaunt this was his first large land battle. The English were on the winning side in the Battle with most of Henry of Trastamera’s force killed, captured, or in flight.

The Battle did not prove decisive though. Henry had escaped and the kingdom of Castile remained out of Peter’s control. That meant that Peter was unable to reimburse his allies, or offer his fleet to support the English against France.

John of Gaunt at War in France

1369/70

In 1369 John of Gaunt received his first senior campaign command. It was a force sent to Calais, from where he and the Earl of Hereford conducte raids. The force was later bolstered by the Earl of Warwick when faced by the threat of the Duke of Burgundy, but no battle was had between the two armies. The campaign of 1369/70 had few moments of glory, capturing Hugh de Châtillon at Blanchetaque being a highlight. However, it succeeded in it’s objective of preventing a French invasion of England to be possible through a brief siege of Harfluer – that was lifted due to disease in the camp.

Lieutenant of Aquitaine

After returning to England, John was dispatched to Aquitaine. Arriving in the summer of 1370 with a small army, he supported Edward of Woodstock in the Siege of Limoges. Following the Siege, Edward of Woodstock returned to England, leaving John of Gaunt as his Lieutenant in Aquitaine. It was a major appointment, but one that was made at a time of peril for the English in the region. France had been making steady gains against the English. Edward, the Black Prince, had fallen ill, and the loyalties of many of the regional nobles was fragile and/or wavering.

John of Gaunt held onto Aquitaine for a year before his own return to England. It was whilst in Aquitaine as Lieutenant that John of Gaunt married Constance of Castile.

1373: John of Gaunt’s Chevauchee

John was once again in France in 1373. The role was a staggering attempt to aid Aquitaine and prevent its capitulation. Landing with an army said to be 9000 in Calais, John led a Chevauchee through France to Bordeaux. After four months of riding and marching his army arrived in Bordeaux on 24 December 1373. It was not a particularly glorious entry. His force had been ravaged by disease, starvation, and poor weather. Many men had deserted and lots of the horses used on the chevauchee style crossing of France had been lost. The effort had posed the French logistical and strategic problems but no decisive actions had been forced by either party.

Failure in Brittany

A wholly unsuccessful campaign was launched by John of Gaunt in 1378. He set out to take control of Brittany. His campaign was dogged by problems before it even set sail. Ill equipped, lacking enough ships, and lacking sufficient provisions, it landed near St. Malo to try and achieve something with its limited resources. John began a siege of the port but found his own men harassed not only from the defenders within St. Malo but by the forces of Bertrand du Guesclin and Oliver Clisson. It was very quickly apparent that his force stood little chance of success and he opted to sail back to England in ignominy.

John of Gaunt and the Peasants Revolt

In 1381 there was a great revolt against the government of King Richard II. Known as the Peasants Revolt, the uprising was triggered by a series of Poll Tax levies that were introduced from 1377 onwards. As John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster was the most senior of Richard II’s relatives, and effectively head of his government during his minority, John was held by some of the rebels to be responsible for the problems in the realm. This led to some of the duke’s properties being targetted in the uprising, though the duke himself was not in London when the rebels, led by Wat Tyler, confronted King Richard II.

Other senior figures, however, had been in London as the Peasant’s Revolt threatened the Crown and Government. This had led to Simon Sudbury Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor being dragged from the Tower of London and killed by the rebels.

Inheritance ‘rights’ of John of Gaunt’s heirs

Twice descendants of John of Gaunt seized the throne of England, in 1399 and 1485. The first occasion was Henry Bolingbroke, John’s eldest son, overthrowing Richard II. The second was Henry Tudor, a great-great grandson of John of Gaunt, invading in 1485 and overthrowing Richard III through conquest and the death of the Yorkist King in the Battle of Bosworth.

Henry IV replacing Richard II

Henry IV usurped Richard II. This was done through capturing and imprisoning Richard II. Henry was proclaimed King and despite plots and revolts designed to reverse the usurpation, he retained the crown. His son, and grandson, then inherited the Crown of England in turn through more traditional rights of being the eldest male heir to the previous monarch.

In the 14th century there was no hard and fast rule as to who ought to inherit the Crown. Tradition in England had the eldest male heir as the next in line. This was the basis for Richard II taking the crown as a child when his grandfather, Edward III, died.

There has been debate as to whether or not Henry Bolingbroke, Henry IV, would have been the next king by right in the event of Richard II not having any surviving male heirs. This is complicated by a mixture of traditions and edicts set down by monarchs, councils, and peers over the years.

Within Richard’s reign the designated heir was noted not as the eldest uncle, or the eldest son of the eldest uncle as would later be the method. Instead, it was Edmund of Langley duke of York who was nominated within Richard’s lifetime. This is not what would happen in later rites of inheritance as Edmund had elder brothers who had living male issue. Nor would it be the method utilised today in England as there were also female issue who would preceed Edmund under modern inheritance of the Crown laws.

Simple versions:

Designated heir – said to be Edmund of Langley duke of York in Richard II’s later reign. [Explanation here]

Heir by right of male only inheritance – John of Gaunt, or his male heirs.

Male heir by right of male or female inheritance – Roger Mortimer (who was named as such in 1386) and his heirs (Edmund Earl of March d 1425).

Current English Crown Inheritance: though irrelevant to the 14th century, the next monarch after Richard II would have been via the Mortimer line as current rules include female rights.

For a detailed assessment of the succession ‘rights’ of various claimants see:

Heir by right of tradition:

Rather depends which tradition. Edward III used one tradition (including female generations of inheritance) to justify his claims in France. However, a different tradition was typically utilised in respect of the English Crown. By rights of tradition, ignoring French Laws, it would be either the Mortimer line, via the daughter of Lionel Duke of Clarence, or the Lancastrian line by virtue of unbroken male to male tradition of inheritance.

In basic terms there was no agreed or legally binding mode of inheriting the Crown, nor any universally agreed ‘right’ to inheritance of the Crown.

How does this impact on Henry Tudor’s claims?

Henry Tudor became King by right of conquest. His legitimacy as monarch was important, and as a result his lineage was of significance. Henry was a great-great grandson of John of Gaunt. This was via the Beaufort line.

There is debate as to whether or not the Beaufort Line was barred from inheriting the Crown. This may well have been the intention, but it was never enacted into an Act of Parliament. Author Nathen Amin has talked about the evidence pertaining to moves by King Henry IV to possibly bar his kin from such inheritance. It is clear from the materials Nathen uses in these talks that it was certainly considered: but equally clear that it was never put into law.

Notwithstanding any (potentially lost) letters patent that may, or may not, have ever noted such things, the simple fact of the matter is that there was no binding law on the succession to the crown at that time, nor was there any legal bar to the inheritance by anybody of Beaufort lineage beyond attainders issued by Yorkist Parliaments who themselves had been attainted by Lancastrian Parliaments.

Nathen Amin notes the history Lancastrian succession and claims after the Battle of Tewkesbury in this post.

John of Gaunt: General Links

British Museum. John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster

History Today. Richard Cavendish explains the life and death of Henry IV’s father, on February 3rd, 1399

John of Gaunt: Academic Links

Goodman, Anthony. “John of Gaunt: Paradigm of the Late Fourteenth-Century Crisis.” Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, vol. 37, 1987, pp. 133–48. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3679154.

Friedman, Donald M. “John of Gaunt and the Rhetoric of Frustration.” ELH, vol. 43, no. 3, 1976, pp. 279–99. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2872416.

Hotson, J. Leslie. “The ‘Tale of Melibeus’ and John of Gaunt.” Studies in Philology, vol. 18, no. 4, 1921, pp. 429–52. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4171811.

Ross, Christopher P.. “John of Gaunt and His Use of Marriage” (1988). Master of Arts (MA), Thesis, History, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/qkfr-cn63<https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/history_etds/230

Lewis, N. B. “II Indentures of Retinue with John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, Enrolled in Chancery, 1367–1399.” Camden Fourth Series 1 (1964): 77–112. Web.

1. Arvanigian M. A Lancastrian Polity? John of Gaunt, John Neville and the War with France, 1368-88. In: Ormrod WM, ed. . Fourteenth Century England. Boydell & Brewer; 2004:121-142.Via Cambridge Core

Wedgwood, Josiah C. “John of Gaunt and the Packing of Parliament.” The English Historical Review, vol. 45, no. 180, 1930, pp. 623–25. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/553396.

Featured Image: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster

John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, receiving a letter from the King of Portugal – Chronique d’ Angleterre (Volume III) (late 15th C), f.236r – BL Royal MS 14 E IVJohn of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, receiving a letter from the King of Portugal – Chronique d’ Angleterre (Volume III) (late 15th C), f.236r – BL Royal MS 14 E IV. Public Domain. Via Wikimedia.