| John Beaufort | |
|---|---|
| Earl of Somerset | |
 Drawing of analabastertomb effigy of John Beaufort, wearing aCollar of Esses and plate armour, Canterbury Cathedral | |
| Born | c. 1373 |
| Died | 16 March 1410 (aged ~37) Hospital of St Katharine's by the Tower,London, England |
| Burial | St Michael's Chapel,Canterbury Cathedral |
| Spouse | Margaret Holland |
| Issue Detail | |
| House | Beaufort (founder) |
| Father | John of Gaunt |
| Mother | Katherine Swynford |
John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (c. 1373 – 16 March 1410), known as theMarquess of Somerset andMarquess of Dorset from 1397–99, was an English-French nobleman and politician. Beaufort was the second son ofJohn of Gaunt (1340–1399; third surviving son of KingEdward III), eldest of the four children by his mistressKatherine Swynford, whom he later married in 1396.
The Beaufort children were declared legitimate twice by parliament, first during the reign of KingRichard II, in 1397,[1] which was confirmed byHenry IV, as well as byPope Boniface IX in September 1396.[2]
Beaufort's surname (properlyde Beaufort, "from Beaufort") probably reflects his birthplace[3] at his father's castle and manor ofBeaufort ("beautiful stronghold") inChampagne, France.[4][5] The Portcullis heraldic badge of the Beauforts, now the emblem of theHouse of Commons, is believed to have been based on that of the castle of Beaufort, now demolished.[6]Between May and September 1390, Beaufort saw military service in North Africa in theBarbary Crusade led byLouis II, Duke of Bourbon.[2] In 1394, he was inLithuania serving with theTeutonic Knights.[7]
John was createdEarl of Somerset on 10 February 1397,[2][9] just a few days after the legitimation of the Beaufort children was recognised by Parliament. The same month, he was also appointedAdmiral of the Irish fleet, as well as Constable ofDover Castle andWarden of the Cinque Ports.[10] In May, his admiralty was extended to include thenorthern fleet. That summer, the new earl became one of the noblemen who helpedRichard II free himself from the power of theLords Appellant. As a reward, he was createdMarquess of Somerset andMarquess of Dorset on 29 September, and sometime later that year he was made aKnight of the Garter and appointed Lieutenant of Aquitaine.[2] In addition, two days before his elevation as a Marquess he married the king's niece,Margaret Holland, sister ofThomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey, another of the counter-appellants.[2] John remained in the king's favour even after his older half-brotherHenry Bolingbroke (later Henry IV) was banished from England in 1398.
After Richard II was deposed by Henry Bolingbroke in 1399, the new king rescinded the titles that had been given to the counter-appellants, and thus John Beaufort became merelyEarl of Somerset again. Nevertheless, he proved loyal to his half-brother's reign, serving in various military commands and on some important diplomatic missions. It was Beaufort who was given the confiscated estates of theWelsh rebel leaderOwain Glyndŵr in 1400, although he would not have been able to take possession of these estates unless he had lived until after 1415. In 1404, he was namedConstable of England.
John Beaufort and his wifeMargaret Holland, the daughter ofThomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent andAlice FitzAlan, had six children. His granddaughterLady Margaret Beaufort marriedEdmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, the son of Dowager QueenCatherine of Valois byOwen Tudor.
John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, died in theHospital of St Katharine's by the Tower. He was buried in St Michael's Chapel inCanterbury Cathedral.
His children included the following:
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As a legitimised grandson of King Edward III, Beaufort bore that king's royal arms, differenced by abordure gobony argent and azure.[11]
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![Beaufort arms (modern): Quarterly, 1st & 4th: Azure, three fleurs de lis or (France); 2nd & 3rd: Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or (England); all within a bordure compony argent and azure[12]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aBeaufort_Arms_(France_modern).svg)
Arms of Beaufort, legitimised progeny of John of Gaunt, third surviving son of King Edward III:Royal arms of King Edward III within a bordure compony argent and azure (seeCoat of arms of England). The arms were updated when the kings of England adopted France modern, having been adopted by the King of France in 1376.Charles, an illegitimate son ofHenry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset (1436–1464), took the surname "Somerset" together with the Beaufort arms and was createdBaron Herbert (1461) andEarl of Worcester (1513). In 1682 his descendantHenry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester (1629–1700), was createdDuke of Beaufort. These arms are thus used by Beaufort, Duke of Somerset (extinct) and Somerset, Duke of Beaufort (extant).
| Ancestors of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset |
|---|
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports 1398–1399 | Succeeded by |
| Peerage of England | ||
| New creation | Earl of Somerset 1397–1410 | Succeeded by |