Biography of John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset 1373-1410

In 1373 John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset was born illegitimately to [his father] John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 32] and [his mother] Katherine Swynford aka Roet Duchess Lancaster [aged 22]. He a grandson of King Edward III of England.

On 16th January 1373 Humphrey Bohun 7th Earl Hereford 6th Earl Essex 2nd Earl of Northampton [aged 31] died. He was buried at Waldon Priory and Abbey [Map]. Earl Hereford, Earl Essex, Earl of Northampton extinct. His estates were divided between his two daughters Eleanor Bohun Duchess Gloucester [aged 7], wife of [his uncle] Thomas of Woodstock 1st Duke of Gloucester [aged 18] and [his future sister-in-law] Mary Bohun [aged 5], wife of [his half-brother] Henry of Bolingbroke [aged 5], the future Henry IV, although the title and estates should have been inherited Gilbert Bohun who was a grandson of Humphrey Bohun 2nd Earl Hereford 1st Earl Essex.

On 24th June 1380 [his brother-in-law] John Hastings 3rd Earl Pembroke [aged 7] and [his half-sister] Elizabeth Lancaster Duchess Exeter [aged 17] were married at Kenilworth Castle [Map]. She by marriage Countess Pembroke. She the daughter of [his father] John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 40] and Blanche Duchess of Lancaster. He the son of John Hastings 2nd Earl Pembroke and Anne Manny Countess Pembroke. They were half third cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward I of England. She a granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

After 24th June 1380 [his brother-in-law] John Hastings 3rd Earl Pembroke [aged 7] and [his half-sister] Elizabeth Lancaster Duchess Exeter [aged 17] marriage annulled since she had become pregnant by John Holland 1st Duke Exeter [aged 28] whom she subsequently married. It isn't clear whether John Holland was punished; he was half-brother to King Richard II of England [aged 13] through their mother Joan "Fair Maid of Kent" Princess Wales [aged 51].

On 5th February 1381 [his half-brother] Henry Bolingbroke [aged 13] and [his sister-in-law] Mary Bohun [aged 13] were married at Arundel Castle [Map]. She the daughter of Humphrey Bohun 7th Earl Hereford 6th Earl Essex 2nd Earl of Northampton and Joan Fitzalan Countess Essex, Hereford and Northampton [aged 34]. He the son of [his father] John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 40] and Blanche Duchess of Lancaster. They were second cousins. He a grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

On 24th June 1386 [his brother-in-law] John Holland 1st Duke Exeter [aged 34] and [his half-sister] Elizabeth Lancaster Duchess Exeter [aged 23] were married at Plymouth, Devon [Map]. She the daughter of [his father] John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 46] and Blanche Duchess of Lancaster. He the son of Thomas Holland 1st Earl Kent and Joan "Fair Maid of Kent" Princess Wales. They were half second cousin once removed. He a great grandson of King Edward I of England. She a granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

On 2nd February 1387 [his brother-in-law] King John I of Portugal [aged 35] and [his half-sister] Philippa of Lancaster Queen Consort Portugal [aged 26] were married. She by marriage Queen Consort Portugal. She the daughter of [his father] John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 46] and Blanche Duchess of Lancaster. He the son of Peter I King Portugal and Inês Castro. They were half fourth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

Before 17th September 1388 [his brother-in-law] Henry III King Castile [aged 8] and [his half-sister] Catherine of Lancaster Queen Consort Castile [aged 15] were married at Palencia Cathedral [Map]. She by marriage Queen Consort Castile. She the daughter of [his father] John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 48] and Constance of Castile Duchess of Lancaster [aged 34]. He the son of John I King Castile [aged 30] and Eleanor Barcelona Queen Consort Castile. They were half second cousins. She a granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

In 1391 [his brother-in-law] Robert Ferrers [aged 18] and [his illegitimate sister] Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmoreland [aged 12] were married at Beaufort en Vallée [Map]. She the illegitmate daughter of [his father] John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 50] and [his mother] Katherine Swynford aka Roet Duchess Lancaster [aged 40].

Before 29th November 1396 [his brother-in-law] Ralph Neville 1st Earl of Westmoreland [aged 32] and [his illegitimate sister] Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmoreland [aged 17] were married. She by marriage Baroness Neville Raby. She the illegitmate daughter of [his father] John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 56] and [his mother] Katherine Swynford aka Roet Duchess Lancaster [aged 46]. They were half fifth cousins. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

In February 1397 John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 24] was appointed Admiral of the Irish Fleet, Constable of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports.

Parliament Rolls Richard II. 31. Whereupon the said Sir John was brought before the king in parliament between two earls, namely Huntingdon and the marshal, dressed in a cloth as a dress of honour, and his sword carried before him, the hilt uppermost. And then the king's charter of the said creation was read aloud before the king, lords, and commons in parliament. And afterwards the king himself girded the said earl with his sword and took his homage, and caused him to sit in his place in parliament, that is to say, between the earls marshal and Warwick. The tenor of which charter follows:

In May 1397 John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 24] was appointed Admiral of the Northern Fleet.

After September 1397 John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 24] was appointed 87th Knight of the Garter by King Richard II of England [aged 30].

After September 1397 John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 24] was appointed Lieutenant of Aquitaine.

On 27th November 1397 John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 24] and Margaret Holland Duchess Clarence [aged 12] were married. She by marriage Countess Somerset. She the daughter of Thomas Holland 2nd Earl Kent and Alice Fitzalan Countess Kent [aged 47]. He the illegitmate son of John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster [aged 57] and Katherine Swynford aka Roet Duchess Lancaster [aged 47]. They were half third cousins. He a grandson of King Edward III of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

On 27th February 1398 [his illegitimate brother] Cardinal Henry Beaufort [aged 23] was appointed Bishop of Lincoln.

In 1399 John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 26] was degraded in his titles: Marquess Somerset, Marquess Dorset forfeit. by [his nephew] King Henry V of England [aged 12] as a consequence of his having been a counter-appellant i.e. a supporter of King Richard II who opposed the Lords Appellants.

In 1400 [his brother-in-law] John Cornwall 1st Baron Fanhope 1st Baron Milbroke [aged 36] and [his half-sister] Elizabeth Lancaster Duchess Exeter [aged 36] were married. She the daughter of [his father] John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster and Blanche Duchess of Lancaster. They were fourth cousin once removed. He a great x 3 grandson of King John of England. She a granddaughter of King Edward III of England.

In 1401 [his son] Henry Beaufort 2nd Earl Somerset was born to John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 28] and Margaret Holland Duchess Clarence [aged 16]. He a great grandson of King Edward III of England.

In 1403 [his son] John Beaufort 1st Duke of Somerset was born to John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 30] and Margaret Holland Duchess Clarence [aged 18]. He a great grandson of King Edward III of England. He married 1439 his fifth cousin once removed Margaret Beauchamp Duchess Somerset, daughter of John Beauchamp 3rd Baron Beauchamp Bletsoe and Edith Stourton Baroness Beauchamp Bletsoe, and had issue.

On 10th May 1403 [his mother] Katherine Swynford aka Roet Duchess Lancaster [aged 52] died. She was buried in Lincoln Cathedral [Map]. The monument is thought to be the work of Henry Yevele.

"Katherine's fine tomb chest of Purbeck marble, with its moulded plinth and lid, had armorial shields encircled by garters along each side; it was surmounted by a canopied brass depicting Katherine in her widow's weeds, and bearing her arms impaled with those of John of Gaunt, while above it was raised a vaulted canopy with trefoiled arches, cusped lozenges and miniature rose bosses. The canopy and associated stonework would have been painted in bright colours."

When John Leland visited the Cathedral in about 1540, he recorded that: "In the southe parte of the presbytery lyithe in 2. severalle highe marble tumbes in a chapell Catarine Swineforde, the 3. wife to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, and Jane her dougtar Countes of Westmerland".

In 1654 John Evelyn's Diary: "The soldiers had lately knocked off most of the brasses from the gravestones".

At some point after this the position of the two monuments was changed and they now stand end to end.

In 1404 John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 31] was appointed Constable of England.

In 1404 [his daughter] Joan Beaufort Queen Consort Scotland was born to John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 31] and Margaret Holland Duchess Clarence [aged 19]. She a great granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married (1) 12th February 1424 her half fourth cousin twice removed King James I of Scotland, son of King Robert III of Scotland and Annabella Drummond Queen Consort Scotland, and had issue (2) before 21st September 1439 James "Black Knight of Lorn" Stewart and had issue.

Before 15th February 1404 [his illegitimate brother] Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter [aged 27] and [his sister-in-law] Margaret Neville Countess Dorest [aged 20] were married. He the illegitmate son of [his father] John of Gaunt 1st Duke Lancaster and [his mother] Katherine Swynford aka Roet Duchess Lancaster. They were half fifth cousin once removed. He a grandson of King Edward III of England.

In 1405 [his son] Thomas Beaufort Count Perche was born to John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 32] and Margaret Holland Duchess Clarence [aged 20]. He a great grandson of King Edward III of England.

On 26th November 1405 Thomas Fitzalan 10th Earl of Surrey 5th or 12th Earl of Arundel [aged 24] and Beatrice Aviz Duchess Exeter [aged 23] were married. [his half-brother] King Henry IV of England [aged 38] and [his sister-in-law] Joanna of Navarre Queen Consort England [aged 35] were present at their wedding feast. She the illegitmate daughter of [his brother-in-law] King John I of Portugal [aged 53] and Ines Peres. He the son of Richard Fitzalan 9th Earl of Surrey 4th or 11th Earl of Arundel and Elizabeth Bohun Countess Arundel and Surrey. They were half fourth cousin once removed. He a great x 2 grandson of King Edward I of England.

In 1406 [his son] Edmund Beaufort 1st or 2nd Duke of Somerset was born to John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 33] and Margaret Holland Duchess Clarence [aged 21]. He a great grandson of King Edward III of England. He married in or before 1432 his third cousin once removed Eleanor Beauchamp Duchess Somerset, daughter of Richard Beauchamp 13th Earl Warwick and Elizabeth Berkeley Countess Warwick, and had issue.

In 1409 [his daughter] Margaret Beaufort Countess Devon was born to John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 36] and Margaret Holland Duchess Clarence [aged 24] at Westminster Palace [Map]. She a great granddaughter of King Edward III of England. She married 1420 her third cousin Thomas Courtenay 5th or 13th Earl Devon, son of Hugh Courtenay 4th or 12th Earl Devon and Anne Talbot Countess Devon, and had issue.

On 16th March 1410 John Beaufort 1st Marquess Somerset and Dorset [aged 37] died at Hospital of St Katharine's by the Tower, Tower Hill [Map]. He was buried at St Michael's Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral [Map]. His son Henry [aged 9] succeeded 2nd Earl Somerset.