John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (c. 1373 - March 16, 1410) was the first of the four children of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress (later his wife) Katherine Swynford. Beaufort was born in about 1373 and his surname probably reflects his birthplace, his father's Beaufort Castle in Anjou, France. The family emblem was the portcullis which is shown on the back of a 1p coin. John of Gaunt had his nephew Richard II of England declare the Beaufort children legitimate in 1390, with the important proviso that they were barred from the succession to the throne, despite being the grandchildren of Edward III of England. It is thought that this may have been a "private" act (that is, not entered in the public records), because, in January 1397, the Duke had Parliament issue a similar declaration, with the same proviso. Later that month, Gaunt married Katherine although they had been living apart for some years, possibly in order to have their children publicly declared legitimate. While this legal wrangling ultimately caused an enormous amount of bloodshed and destruction, it did result in one of the Beaufort descendants ascending the throne as Henry VII. Events Bristol is made an independent county. ... March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ... Events July 15 – Lithuanian forces under the cousins Władysław Jagiełło of Poland and Witowt of Lithuania decisively defeat the forces of the Teutonic Knights, whose power is broken Jan Hus is excommunicated by the Archbishop of Prague. ... John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster (June 24, 1340 - February 3, 1399), the third surviving son of King Edward III of England, gained his name because he was born at Ghent in 1340. ... There were several Dukes of Lancaster in the 14th and early 15th Centuries. ... Coat of arms designed for Katherine Swynford: three gold Catherine wheels (roet means wheel) on a red background. ... Events Bristol is made an independent county. ... For other uses, see Anjou (disambiguation). ... A portcullis in Bucharest, Romania Categories: Stub | Fortification ... Richard II (January 6?, 1367 – February 14, 1400) was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Prince of Wales, and Joan The Fair Maid of Kent. He was born at Bordeaux and became his fathers heir when his elder brother died in infancy. ... Events Births December 27 - Anne Mortimer John Dunstable, English composer (d. ... Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377) was one of the most successful English kings of medieval times. ... Events February 10 - John Beaufort becomes Earl of Somerset. ... Henry VII (January 28, 1457 – April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland (August 22, 1485 – April 21, 1509), was the founder of the Tudor dynasty and is generally acknowledged as one of Englands most insidious kings. ...

John Beaufort was created Earl of Somerset on February 10, 1397. On September 28 of that year he married Margaret Holland, daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent; the next day he was created Marquess of Somerset and Dorset. Also sometime that year he was made a Knight of the Garter. He lost the two marquessates in 1399 after the accession of Henry IV. In 1404 he was Constable of England. The Duke of Somerset is a title in the peerage of England that has been created several times. ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events February 10 - John Beaufort becomes Earl of Somerset. ... Margaret Holland (1385 - 30 Dec 1429) was the daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, who was the son of Joan the Fair Maid of Kent, (wife of Edward the Black Prince and mother of Richard II of England) and grandson of Edward I of England. ... Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent (1350-1397) was an English nobleman and a councilor of his half-brother Richard II. He was the son of Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent and Joan of Kent, daughter of Edmund of Woodstock and granddaughter of Edward I. After his fathers... A garter is one of the Orders most recognisable insignia. ... Henry IV (April 3, 1367 – March 20, 1413) was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence the other name by which he was known, Henry Bolingbroke. His father, John of Gaunt was the third and oldest surviving son of King Edward III of England, who had enjoyed a position of...

He and his wife had six children:

• Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset (c. 1401 - November 25, 1418).
• John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset (baptized March 25, 1404 - May 27, 1444).
• Thomas Beaufort, Earl of Perche (c. 1405 - 1432).
• Joan Beaufort (c. 1406 - July 15, 1445), who married James I of Scotland.
• Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset (c. 1406 - May 22, 1455).
• Margaret Beaufort (c. 1409 - 1449). Married Thomas de Courtenay, 14th Earl of Devon.

Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset (November 26 (probable), 1401 - November 25, 1418) was the eldest son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, and the grandson of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford. ... Events The Lollards, a religious sect taught by John Wycliffe, were persecuted for their beliefs. ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events May 19 - Capture of Paris by Duke John the Fearless of Burgundy September - Beginning of English Siege of Rouen Mircea the Old, ruler of Wallachia dies and is succeeded by Vlad I Uzurpatorul. ... John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset (baptised March 25, 1404 - May 27, 1444), was an English noble and military commander. ... March 25 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Events June 14 - Owain Glyndwr of Wales allies with the French against the English and the Henry of Lancaster. ... May 27 is the 147th day (148th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 218 days remaining. ... Events March 1 - Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg proclaimed commander of the Albanian resistance April 16 - Truce of Tours. ... Events Early feminist Christine de Pizan writes The Book of the City of Ladies Erection of Bath Abbey (-- 1499) Publication of Bellifortis by Konrad Kyeser (book on military technology) Births October 18 - Pope Pius II Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg, Albanias national hero Deaths February 14 - Timur (aka Tamerlane), Mongol monarch... Events June 1 - Battle of San Romano - Florence defeats Siena foundation of Université de Caen In the end of the Hook and Cod wars, Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut and Holland is forced by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, to abdicate all her estates in his favour; end of Hainaut... Joan Beaufort (d. ... Events Construction of Forbidden City begins in Beijing. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... Events Discovery of Senegal and Cape Verde by Dinas Diaz Births March 1 - Sandro Botticelli, Italian painter of the Florentine school during the Early Renaissance (d. ... James I (1394 – February 21, 1437) reigned as king of Scotland from 1406 until 1437. ... Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset (1406?- May 22,1455) was an English nobleman and an important figure in the Wars of the Roses and in the Hundred Years War. ... Events Construction of Forbidden City begins in Beijing. ... May 22 is the 142nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (143rd in leap years). ... Events February 9 - Wars of the Roses: Richard, Duke of York dismissed as Protector February 23 - Johannes Gutenberg prints the first Bible on a printing press May 22 - Wars of the Roses: First Battle of St Albans - Richard, Duke of York and his ally, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick defeat... Events January 1 - The Welsh surrender Harlech Castle to the English. ... Events January 6 - Constantine XI is crowned Byzantine Emperor. ...

Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, (June 5, 1341 - August 1, 1402) was a younger son of King Edward III of England, the fourth of the five sons of the King who lived to adulthood. ... The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is a ceremonial official in the United Kingdom. ... Sir Thomas Erpingham was a English knight, immortalised as a character in the play Henry V by William Shakespeare, as an officer in the kings army. ...

The Duke of Somerset is a title in the peerage of England that has been created several times. ... Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset (November 26 (probable), 1401 - November 25, 1418) was the eldest son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, and the grandson of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford. ...

External Links

The Beaufort Family The Courtenay Family