John DE BEAUFORT, 1st Earl of Somerset

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• FamilySearch ID: 9HTZ-YQ8
• MilitaryService: ; Captain of Calais
• Royal House: ; Plantagenet
• MilitaryService: 1397; Lord High Admiral of England
• Occupation: 1397, Dover, Kent, England; Constable of Dover Castle
• Title (Nobility): 10 Feb 1397; 1st Earl of Somerset

Notes:

The Life Summary of John
When John Beaufort 1st Earl of Somerset was born on 29 January 1371, in Kettlethorpe, Lincolnshire, England, his father, John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, was 30 and his mother, Katherine de Roet Duchess of Lancaster, was 20. He had at least 3 sons and 2 daughters with Margaret Holland Duchess of Clarence. He registered for military service in 1397. In 1404, at the age of 33, his occupation is listed as lord high constable of England. He died on 16 March 1410, in London, England, at the age of 39, and was buried in Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England.

John Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Somerset and 1st Marquess of Dorset, later only 1st Earl of Somerset, KG (c. 1373-16 March 1410) was an English nobleman and politician. He was the first of the four children of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress Katherine Swynford, whom he married in 1396. Beaufort's surname probably reflects his father's lordship of Beaufort in Champagne, France.

The Beaufort children were declared legitimate twice by parliament during the reign of King Richard II of England, in 1390 and 1397, as well as by Pope Boniface IX in September 1396. Even though they were the grandchildren of Edward III and next in the line of succession after their father's legitimate children by his first two wives, the Beauforts were barred from succession to the throne by their half-brother Henry IV.

Early life
Between May and September 1390, Beaufort saw military service in North Africa in the Barbary Crusade led by Louis II, Duke of Bourbon. In 1394, he was in Lithuania serving with the Teutonic Knights.

John was created Earl of Somerset on 10 February 1397, just a few days after the legitimation of the Beaufort children was recognized by Parliament. The same month, he was also appointed Admiral of the Irish fleet, as well as Constable of Dover Castle and Warden of the Cinque Ports. In May, his admiralty was extended to include the northern fleet. That summer, the new earl became one of the noblemen who helped Richard II free himself from the power of the Lords Appellant. As a reward, he was created Marquess of Somerset and Marquess of Dorset on 29 September, and sometime later that year he was made a Knight of the Garter and appointed Lieutenant of Aquitaine. In addition, two days before his elevation as a Marquess he married the king's niece, Margaret Holland, sister of Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey, another of the counter-appellants. John remained in the king's favour even after his older half-brother Henry Bolingbroke (later Henry IV) was banished from England in 1398.

Later career
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 merely Earl 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 the Welsh rebel leader Owain Glyndwr 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 named Constable of England.

Family
John Beaufort and his wife Margaret Holland, the daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent and Alice FitzAlan, had six children. His granddaughter Lady Margaret Beaufort married Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond, the son of Dowager Queen Catherine of Valois by Owen Tudor.

Somerset died in the Hospital of St Katharine's by the Tower. He was buried in St Michael's Chapel in Canterbury Cathedral.

His children included the following:

1.) Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset (1401-25 November 1418)

2.) John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset (baptized 25 March 1404-27 May 1444), father of Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby, grandfather of King Henry VII of England

2.) Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland (1404-15 July 1445) married James I, King of Scots.

5.) Thomas Beaufort, Count of Perche (1405-3 October 1431)

6) Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset (1406-22 May 1455)

7.) Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Devon (1409-1449) married Thomas de Courtenay, 13th Earl of Devon.

Titles, styles, honours and arms
Arms
As a legitimated grandson of the sovereign, Beaufort bore the arms of the kingdom, differenced by a bordure gobony argent and azure.

The family emblem featuring the portcullis was shown on the reverse of British pennies minted between 1971 and 2008.

According to genealogists, a few of Beaufort's notable descendants include British actor Benedict Cumberbatch and codebreaker Alan Turing. Coincidentally, Cumberbatch portrayed Turing in the film The Imitation Game.

John married Margaret HOLLAND, Duchess of Clarence in 1397 in England. Margaret (daughter of Thomas HOLLAND, 2nd Earl of Kent and Countess Alice FITZALAN) was born in 1385 in Upholland, Lancashire, England; died on 30 Dec 1439 in Bermondsey, Surrey, England; was buried in 1440 in Canterbury, City of Canterbury, Kent, England, United Kingdom. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Henry BEAUFORT, 2nd Earl of Somerset was born in 1401 in Lancashire, England; was christened on 5 Dec 1401 in Westminster, Middlesex, England; died on 4 Dec 1418 in Westminster, Middlesex, England.
2. John BEAUFORT,, 1st Duke of Somerset and Earl of Kendal was born on 25 Mar 1404 in Westminster Palace, Westminster, London, England; was christened on 25 Mar 1404 in Westminster, Middlesex, England; died on 27 May 1444 in Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, England; was buried in May 1444 in Saint Cuthberga Churchyard, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England,.
3. Thomas BEAUFORT, Count of Perche was born in 1405 in Westminster, Middlesex, England; died on 3 Oct 1431 in Louviers, Eure, Haute-Normandie, France.; was buried in St. Michael's Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral, Canterbury, Kent, England..
4. Sir Edmund BEAUFORT,, 2nd Duke of Somerset was born on 25 Mar 1406 in East Barnet, London Borough of Barnet, Greater London, England, United Kingdom; was christened on 5 Oct 1406 in St. James Palace, Westminster, Middlesex, England; died on 22 May 1455 in First Battle Of Saint Albans, Saint Albans, Hertfordshire, England; was buried in 1455 in St Albans, St Albans District, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom.
5. Joan BEAUFORT, Queen Consort of Scotland was born on 27 Dec 1407 in Palace of Westminster, Westminster, Middlesex, England; died on 15 Jul 1445 in Dunbar Castle, Dunbar, Haddingtonshire, Scotland; was buried on 22 Nov 1445 in Carthusian Monastery, Perth, Perthshire, Scotland.
6. Margaret BEAUFORT, Countess of Devon was born in 1408 in Westminster, Middlesex, England; died in Nov 1449 in Colcombe Castle, Colyton, , Devonshire, England; was buried in Nov 1449 in Colyton, East Devon District, Devon, England.

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• FamilySearch ID: GWZX-F4D

John married Katherine DE RO?T, Duchess of Lancaster. Katherine was born in 1349 in Hainaut, Belgium; died on 10 May 1403 in Lincolnshire, England; was buried in May 1403 in Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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• FamilySearch ID: 9C7T-V6M