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The Golden Falcon |
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Chapter VI/1 - Fair |
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THE FAIR WIND
Fair
stood the wind for France When
we our sails advance, Nor
now to prove our chance Longer
will tarry; But
putting to the main At
Caux the mouth of Seine With
all his martial train Landed
King Harry. They
now to fight are gone Armour
on armour shone Drum
now to drum, did groan To
hear - was wonder; That
with the cries they make The
very earth did shake Trumpet
to trumpet spake Thunder
to thunder (Drayton) In
early 1348 the Black Death, coming from China along the trade routes,
reached Italy, Spain and Southern France, then crossed the Alps into
Bavaria and down the Rhine. At
the beginning of the summer it reached Normandy, by autumn it came to
England and then spread to Wales and Scotland.
It raged on till 1350 when it suddenly died out. In
France Philip VI died and his son John succeeded.
Edward still claimed the French throne but a truce was negotiated
at Calais. 20,000 sacks of wool had been seized by the English king in
1347 to pay for the war and the English merchants also had to pay him sums
of money. Despite
the truce, the war in France went on.
Henry of Grosmont, earl of Lancaster and Derby raided Toulouse,
Geoffrey de Charney tried to capture Calais, Sir Thomas Dagworth was
killed in Brittany and bands of mercenaries carried out "chevauchees",
burning the countryside. Edward
III made an alliance with Charles "the
Bad", king of Navarre (a claimant to the French throne) who had
killed Charles, Constable of Spain, the French king John's favourite. Edward's son, the Black Prince attacked from Aquitaine, Edward III and Henry Plantagenet of Grosmont sailed for the Channel Islands where they were to meet Charles of Navarre but on hearing he had made peace with the French king, they went to Calais instead and with German and Flemish reinforcements, entered France laying waste the countryside. Edward had to return to England because of fresh trouble with the Scots (bribed by France to invade England - a favourite strategy) and the Irish invaded the English Pale, aided by the Scots. Edward Balliol surrendered to Edward III who assumed the title of king of Scots but a storm drove away his supply ships which compelled him to retreat from Scotland. Meanwhile
the Black Prince landed at Bordeaux and marched into the Languedoc almost
reaching the Gulf of Lyons but returned to Bordeaux from Narbonne -
letters written to Avesbury by Sir John Wingfield described this campaign.
John of France still did not trust Charles of Navarre so he ordered
him and his friends to be seized at a banquet in Rouen and several,
including John of Harcourt, were executed.
Charles of Navarre's brother Philip and John of Harcourt's uncle
Godfrey called upon the English for assistance.
The English army, led by Henry of Grosmont landed at La Hogue where
they were joined by John of Montfort, duke of Brittany, Philip of Navarre,
Godfrey de Harcourt and Robert Knolles who brought an English contingent
from Brittany and raided Normandy. The
Black Prince again attacked from Bordeaux and met the French at Poitiers
in 1356 where the English won a famous battle during which the French king
was captured and taken to England. He
was lodged at the Savoy Palace but allowed to go hunting, visit Windsor
and Hertford where his cousin the Queen mother resided.
David of Scots had also been taken prisoner and later released but
negotiations for John's release dragged on for a long time. Under
a peace treaty, Edward was given western France from Calais to Gascony and
the overlordship of Brittany but France was still not at peace because
gangs of international mercenaries, even Italians, continued their raids.
In 1359 the English under Lancaster landed at Calais, besieged
Reims (which had 30,000 Yorkshire and Worcestershire wool-weavers resided)
and marched on Burgundy whilst Norman and Picard fleets raided the English
coast at Winchelsea, Southampton and Portsmouth. Edward
marched up to the gates of Paris and then to Chartres where the French
offered terms of surrender. On
8.5.1360 the Treaty of Bretigny gave Edward the whole of Aquitaine,
including Poitou, Rouerge, Bigorre, Bearn, Calais, Guines and Ponthieu.
King John was ransomed but died soon after, his son Louis of Anjou,
left as a hostage at Calais, escaped and Henry of Grosmont, duke of
Lancaster died of the plague in 1361. France
was devastated during the Hundred Year's War for it was the policy to
carry out "chevauchees"
- conquering by fire and sword to weaken and terrorise the country. The English practised a protection racket called "patis"
and became "routiers"
or highwaymen, raiding and plundering the countryside. Many
of the great English houses were built with French booty. Sir Richard Scrope's at Bolton for example and "there
is a commune saying that one of the Hungerfords built this part of the
castle
(of Farleigh Hungerford) by the praye (ransom)
of the Duke or Orleance taken with his peers at Agincourt". The
Winters were descended from the family of Hungerford whose arms were "a garb between 2 sickles." They owned Farleigh Hungerford in Wiltshire, built by Thomas
Hungerford (d. 1397), first Speaker of the House of Commons from the
proceeds of the war in France (with the ransom of the Duke of Orleans
taken at Agincourt) in which they lived for 300 years from 1369-1681.
They were one of the richest families in England and owned land
from Farleigh to Salisbury. Farleigh has the tomb of a descendant Walter Hungerford who
built the church of Wellow. Sir
Thomas Hungerford was MP for Berkshire in 1295. There
was a cadet branch of this family at Down Ampney, Gloucestershire which
had belonged to the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem and was
acquired by the Hungerfords at the Dissolution.
The Tudor manor house was rebuilt in 1537 by Sir John Hungerford
and his son Anthony built the beautiful gatehouse.
In the north transept of the chapel lie the tombs of Sir John
Hungerford (d. 1534) and his son Anthony. According
to John Stow in his "Survey of
London" Sir John's father Sir Thomas Hungerford and Walter
Hungerford, son of Edward Hungerford, knight were both buried in
Westminster Abbey with Sir John Golofre. Sir
Thomas Hungerford knight, father of Sir John Hungerford of Down Ampney,
Walter Hungerford, son of Edward Hungerford. Philippa,
duchess of York, d. of the Lord Mohun, thrice married - to the Lord
Fitzwater, Sir John Golofer and the Duke of Yorke.
Sir John Golofer (1396) Barbara
Hungerford, daughter of Sir John Wriothesley, wife of Anthony Hungerford
(son of Thomas of Down Ampney), was buried at All Hallows, Langborne Ward;
Alice, Lady Hungerford, hanged at Tyburn in 1523 for murdering her first
husband John Collet, was buried in the church of Greyfriars or
Christchurch in Faringdon Ward Within and Edmund Hungerford in St. Mary
the Virgin, Gay Spur Lane in Cripplegate Ward. The
Hungerfords were staunchly Lancastrian and owned a house at Hungerford
Market, London on the site of which Charing Cross Station was built. Lord Hungerford and Molins of Stoke Poges was at the battle
of Towton on the Lancastrian side and was beheaded at Newcastle after the
battle of Hexham. His son Sir
Thomas sided with earl Richard Neville ("Warwick
the Kingmaker") but later attempted to restore King Henry VI and
was beheaded at Salisbury in 1468. The
Hungerford lands were restored on the accession of Henry VII when their
attainder was reversed. Thomas
Cromwell granted Heytesbury and favours to Walter Hungerford (his
stepmother was hanged for murdering her first husband) who became sheriff
of Worcester and Lord Hungerford of Heytesbury.
Walter imprisoned his wife at Farleigh Hungerford and was used to
pull down Cromwell who was executed on 28.6.1540 - Hungerford was beheaded
for unnatural vice on the same day. Eleanor,
daughter of Sir John Berkeley of Beverstone, widow of John fitzAlan (d.
1421), earl of Arundel & Maltravers, married Walter, lord Hungerford
of Heytesbury as his first wife. Various
inquisitions show the lands they held. 14
Henry VI (1436) Edmund Hungerford held Thirning, Norfolk from the Duke of
Bedford. 27
Henry VI (1449) Walter Hungerford held Charryng (Charing Cross) & St.
Martins in Middlesex, Farley Hungerford in Somerset, Folke in Dorset,
Hungerford Sandon fee in Berkshire, Chipppenham, Sheldon, Bidston,
Bosthopeston, Donlowe, Immer, Winterborne, Honyngton, Mayden Bradley, Nova
Sarum, Mildenhale, Selwode, Heytesbury, Sutton Codeford, Estharnam and
Hemyngton.in Wiltshire. 33
Henry VI (1455) No. 35 - Alianor, wife of Walter Hungerford "milits
defunct"
held Doddyngton, Huntas, Westhop, Acton Ronde, Doune, Berley, Kempton
Aston, Malverley, Eggerley, Manbroke, Oswaldestre, Clonin (Shropshire and
the Welsh Marches), Cotesforteys, Aylyston George, Somerford Maltravers,
Wynterborne Stoke, Sherneton, Boynton, Kyvele, Stapulford, Knyghton,
Bulkyndon-juxta-Kyvale in Wiltshire; Bukelond, Colley in Surrey, Stanstede,
Esthamptoney, Wolbedyng, Wonworth Upmerdon, Oldhorham, Slagham, Pyngden in
Essex; Castleacre, Myleham, West Wortham, Flokkethorp, Buxton-juxta-Mare
in Norfolk, Wimborn Phipiston, Lychet Maltravers, Frome Whittesford,
Lodery Wootton Fitzpayne, Wollecombe Mautravers, Remmesbury, Estmorden
Langton, Worth, Acford Fitzpayne, Dureweston in Dorset, Spartegrove,
Stoketrystes, Hymford in Somerset, Grandesden in Huntingdonshire;
Crokesden, Postelyng in Kent, Munklane in Herefordshire. 35
Henry VI (1457), No. 29 - Aleanor, wife of Walter Hungerford held Upton
St. Leonard vocat (called) le Milnecroft, Stonehouse, Shyryngton, Arehades,
Kyngstanley, Wodchester in Gloucestershire. 37
Henry VI (1459) No. 17 - Robert Hungerford senior held Farley Hungerford (advowson)
Sarum (advowson) Chyppenham (advowson) Maydenbradley (advowson), Knoyll
Episcopi, Farnehull, Fontell Giffard, Fontell Espiscopi, Stoppe, Tysbury
in Wiltshire. Walter
Hungerford "miles pro
cant' in ecc(lesia) de Farley Hungerford"
(Walter
Hungerford, knight in exchange for singing in the church of Farley
Hungerford) held Tellyfont in Wiltshire (of the Gloucester Honour),
Charleton-juxta-Hungerford in Somerset, held of Humphrey, duke of
Buckinghamshire. Henry
VI No. 21 - Walter Hungerford held Chippenham in Wiltshire "pro cantar in ecc(le)sia de Chippenham" (for
singing in the church of Chippenham). 4
Edward IV (1465) No. 26 - Robert Hungerford
attincus
(attainted)
et Alianore,
wife of William Hungerford, Somerford Maudit, Fountell Gyffard, Lee, Gore,
Boxe, Crawle in Trowe, Farnhill in Fonthell, Fonthill Gyffard, Fetelton,
Heighetredesbury (Heytesbury), Tudrington, Horningham, Fenny Sutton,
Godford, Chippenham, Rowdon, Shuldon, Bidston, Myldenhale and Asshale (advowson),
Funtell Giffard, Fornhill, Ovir, Trefunt Bereford, Knoll Episcopi, Tylbery,
Dynton in Wiltshire, South Moyles of Hungerford in Oxfordshire, South
Cadbury (advowson) Holbroke, Mapurton, Clopton, Halton, Hatherley,
Flyntford, Halton, Wootton Courtney (advowson), Withepole, Ivers in
Somerset; Southpole, Harliston, Plumtre, Sutton Lucy, Coleville, Dupeford,
Wake Conham, Stoke Mules in Devon, Wodemancote in Warwickshire,
Ludgershale, Adington, Weston Turvile, Cluere, Aston Molines, Hardisley
Molins, Burnham (advowson), Stoke Poges, Ditton in Buckinghamshire,
Bucket, Henle-super-Thames, Broughton, Bramton, Brampton Stanlake in
Oxfordshire, Swerford, Pengrelly, Polruan, Molyns Trengoffe in Cornwal., 8
Edward IV (1469) No. 43 - Thomas Hungerford, "miles"
(knight)
held Sutton Lacy of the Honour of Plympton (Devon), Wolmeston, Colwell of
the Honour of Okehampton (Devon), Cadbury, Maperton, Clopton, Halton,
Hathorley, Holnbroke in Somerset. 9
& 10 Edward IV (1470-1) No 29 - Thomas Hungerford held Asshley, Rowdon,
Bydeston, Mildenhale in Wiltshire. 18
Edward IV (1479) No. 40 - Margaret, Lady Botreaux, wife of Robert
Hungerford held Heytredsbury (Heytesbury), Tudrynton, Honeyngsham, Feny
Sutton, Codford, Mildenhale,. Hungerford, Sarum chantries, Chippenham in
Wiltshire, Kilmersdon (advowson), Babyngham, Alre, North Cadbury, Publewe,
Wulwode, Pensford, Newton Sentlo, South Pederston, Baryngton, Chelyngton,
Stratton, Southorp in Somerset of the Honour of Gloucester; Dupford,
Langford in Devon. 2
Richard III (1485) No.l 25 - Edmund Hungerford held Jenkings Court,
Breton, Stratton St. Mary, Stoke-juxta-Bedewen in Wiltshire, Estham
Burnell, Westham Burnell, Stansted Monfichet, Helleshoues in Essex,
Downampney, Wyke-juxta-Hampton, Meyfey in Gloucestershire. The
lordship of Heytesbury passed to the Hungerfords through the family of
Molyns. John de Molyns of
Stoke Poges was a medieval robber baron who murdered his wife's cousin and
that man's only son to inherit his lands.
He was a member of the Despencer party during the end of the reign
of Edward II and rose to power and influence in court, becoming baron of
Stoke Poges and Treasurer of the Chamber to Edward III.
He was imprisoned for failure to remit money to the king at the
siege of Tournay [Chron. St.
Thomas More]
but was restored to royal favour in 1347. In 1336/7 he had a grant of free warren and licence to impark
woods at Ilmer, Buckinghamshire which had been in the king's hands since
1340 and was restored to Molyns in 1346. John
Molyns also held Aston Bernard by service of being marshal of the king's
hawks and falcons and had free warren in his demesne lands of Halverthing
and Wandsworth [Cart. 8 Edw. III
n. 3, Dugdale Baronage II 135, Magna Brit]
which were seized by Edward III but later restored. The
manor of Ash, Surrey was restored to John de Molyns in 20 Edward III
(1347) with liberty to impark the woods of West Grove and Goddard Grove [Claus
20 Edward III p.2. m.26]
as well as the manor of Henley (24th August 1338).
In 23 Edward III (1350) Henry de Stoghton released the rights of
Ash, Surrey to John de Molyns. Egidia, wife of John de Molyns and William, son of John and
the heirs of John were to have rights there
[Claus Edward III p.2. m.9]. In
23rd Edward III, William de Molyns, son of John, released rights to the
king. John de Molyns was
benefactor to St. Mary Overy, Southwark.
In 1333 he had licence to assign to the church of Southwark, 25
acres in Stoke Poges in exchange for another 25 acres in the same place [14
Cal. Feb. 9 Edw III 1336].
Vigils, masses etc were to be said for Egidia, his wife and his
family. Joan, widow of Sir
John Molyns II (d. 16.5.1370) married Michael, Lord Poynings. In
1441 the lordship of Heytesbury and lands passed by the marriage of
Eleanor, daughter of William Molyns (John's great grandson) to Robert
Hungerford (19
Henry V). Lord William
Molyns was executed in 1463 and Eleanor, his daughter was his sole
heiress. The
Molyns lands appear in Inquisitions: 3
Henry VI (1425) No. 29 - Will(elm)us Molyns, Chivaler held Windsore Nova
in Berkshire, Oldhawes, Broughton, Stanlake, Albemarle Honor, Henle, Aston
Brampton in Oxfordshire, Stoke
Pugges (Poges), Ditton, Foulemere, Ilmer, Aston Barnard alias Aston Molins,
Newport Paganell, Langley Marreis, Ludgarsale, Weston Turville, Chardesley,
Cippenham,. Datchett in Buckinghamshire, Whittelee, Box, Trowbrigg Castro
(Trowbridge castle), Funtell, Tyffebury, Trow, Farnehull, Somerford, Lee,
Gore in Wiltshire. 6
Henry VI (1428) - Will(elmus)
Molyns, "Chivaler,
melius inquiri de maritagio suo" (inquisition
regarding a marriage settlement) held Stanlake
maner "et advoc
eccl(es)iae" (advowson
of the church) in Oxfordshire
"ut de honore de Albemarl"
(held
of the Honour of Albermarle). Inquisition
8 Henry VI (1430) No. 38 - Will(elm)us Molyns, "miles"
(knight)
held Somerford, Lee, Whiteley, Box Lancaster memb'r ducat (Honour of
Lancaster), Trow, Fontwell in Farnhull, Gore in Wiltshire, Henley super
Thame, Aston, Brampton, Stanlake, Albermarle Honor membr' (Honour of
Albemarle) in Oxfordshire, Nova Windsore in Berkshire, Ludgarhale,
Cherdesley, Chippenham, Dartchett, Policote Magna, Newport Paynell, Weston
Turville in Buckinghamshire "Lancastr'
ducat membr" (of
the Duchy of Lancaster). 17
Henry VI (1439) No.52 -
Margeria "quae fuit uxor"
(who
was wife of) WiIlielmi Molyns held Windsore Nova in Berkshire, Roxe maner
et castro de Trowbrygge (Trowbridge Castle), Farneshill in Fontell alias
Tyffebury, Whitelegh maner, Gore, Trewe, Lee, Somerford Maudit alias
Somerford Molyns maner in Wiltshire, Pengelley, Womberleigh, Ponruan
"in parochia" (in
the parish of) Lanteglas, "manerio" de
Lame, Trengot in Mahenet and maner de Brodbran, Sancti Neotis "parochia"
(in
the parish of St. Neots), Stotfoldmore and maner de Brodbran in Cornwall,
Foulmere, Ditton, Langley Marreys, Ditton Park, Newport Paganell,
Ludgareshalle, Cherdesley, Cippenham in Buckinghamshire. 18
Henry VI (1440) No. 21 - Will(elm)us Molyns, "miles"
(knight)
held Brehull, Stoke Pogeys, Ditton, Dachette (manor and fair), Fulmere,
Ilmere, Adyngton, Aston Barnard, Weston Turvyle, Lutgershale, Stivecley,
Littlecote, Swanebourne, Cippenham, Bychendon, Chardeleley Valence,
Burnham "advoc abbatia"
(advowson
of the abbey) Stoke "marcat et
feria" (market and fair) in Buckinghamshire, Henle, Swirford in
Oxfordshire, La Lee, Brenkeworth, Newton Gore, Coumbe, Lutleton,
Brokenburgh, Thurnhull in Wiltshire. Fig.
55
- Hungerford of Farleigh Hungerford, Wilts & Down Ampney, Glos. Sir
Thomas Hungerford,
MP for Berkshire (1295) > Sir
Thomas Hungerford (d. 1397), first Speaker of the House of Commons
> Walter Hungerford of
Heytesbury, Somerset & Homel in Normandy, held manor of Camberwell
& Hacchesham, Surrey = (1) Eleanor Berkeley (d.1421), widow of the
earl of Arundel = (2) Jane, d. of Lord Zouche > Robert Hungerford (d. 1445 or 1459) = Margaret, d. of William, lord
Botreux > Robert Hungerford
(exec 1464) = Eleanor, d. of William, lord Molines>: (a)
Thomas Hungerford (exec. 1464)
at Newcastle after the battles of Hexham & Towton =
Anne, d. of Henry Percy, earl of Northumberland >:
(1) son exec. at Hexham with earl of Somerset
(2) Mary = (1) Edward, lord Hastings = (2) Sir Richard Sacheverell (b)
Walter Hungerford (d. 1514) > Sir Edward or Edmund (d. 1521) = (1)
Margery, d. of
Edward Burnell = (2) Alice who murdered her 1st husband
& was hanged at Tyburn. By
(1) >:
1. Walter Hungerford (d.
1543) =(1) .= (2) = (3) Elizabeth, d. of John, Lord Hussey
who complained to Thomas Cromwell that her husband was poisoning
her. Walter
imprisoned his wife for years at Farleigh.
Elizabeth Hussey married (2) Sir Robert
Throckmorton whose daughters were Muriel (wife of Sir Thomas
Tresham) and
Anne (wife of Sir William Catesby) mothers of Francis Tresham and
Robert
Catesby, the Gunpowder Plotters.
Sir Robert Throckmorton's sister Katherine was
grandmother of Robert, Thomas and John Winter of Huddington who
were involved
in the Plot. Her
sister Mary Hussey was lady-in-waiting to Lady Lisle > Walter
Hungerford (d.1595) = (1) Anne Bassett, d. of Lady Lisle by her 1st
husband, Gilbert
Basset = (2) Anne, d. of Sir William Dormer whom he charged with
adultery in 1570
with William Darell of Littlecotes between 1560-9 and with trying
to poison Walter in
1564
2. Thomas 2nd
son, buried at Westminster (= Christine, d. of John Hall of Salisbury)
>
John Hungerford of Down Amnpey (= Margaret Blount of Glos) >
Elizabeth
Hungerford = Roger Winter BURNELL:
Philip Burnell > Hugh Burnell = Maud (.d. 1294), daughter of Richard
Arundel (Richard fitzAlan, earl of Arundel?) > Maud Burnell = (1) John
Lovel of Tichmarsh (d. 8 Edw II) = (2) John, lord Handlow (d. 5.8, 20 Edw III) > Nicholas
Handlow alias Burnell (d. 19.1.1383) > Hugh Burnell = (2) Joyce,
daughter of John Botetourt (d. 27.11.1420) > Edward Burnell = (1)
Alice, daughter of John, lord Strange of Knockin.
Edward = (2) Elizabeth, By
(2) >: (a)
Margery Burnell = Edmund Hungerford. (b)
Joyce Burnell = Thomas Erdington. (c)
Catherine Burnell = (1) John Ratcliffe = (2) John Talbot. Although
the war had officially ended, the free companies of mercenaries still
remained and united to form the Great Company.
They included such Englishmen as Hugh Calverley and Robert Knolles
and John Hawkwood (whom the Italians called Giovanni Acuto) left with the
White Company for Italy where they formed the Condottieri.
The free companies fought for the King of Navarre against France,
won Brittany for its Duke and sided with both Pedro "the
Cruel" and Enrique de Trastamara in the Spanish civil war. Froissart
wrote that there was a knight called Sir Regnault de Cervoles, known as
the Archpriest, commander of a large company of men-at-arms of many
nationalities. These soldiers
had their pay stopped after the capture of King John of France and not
able to make a living in France, led by Sir Regnault went to Provence
where they captured a number of fortified towns and castles, plundering
southern France up to Avignon. There
was a contemporary company of soldiers and irregulars from various
countries, who "pacified"
and plundered the whole area between the Seine and the Loire.
It was led by a Welsh captain called Ruffin (Griffin or Gryffyd)
who was knighted and became so powerful and wealthy that his riches could
not be calculated. His
company raided almost up to Paris, Orleans and Chartres.
No area was safe from their attacks and pillage unless it was
well-defended. They over-ran
the country with troops of twenty, thirty or forty and met no resistance. On
the Normandy coast Sir Robert
Knollys led a large company of English and Navarrese troops who
pillaged, marauded and captured towns and castles with no opposition.
Sir Robert Knollys had done this for a long time, acquiring about a
100 crowns. He had many
mercenaries in his troops, so well-paid they were eager to follow him. The
activities of these mercenary armies, known as the Free Companies began
attacking travellers carrying valuables under the administration of the
Three Estates. Not
only did the yeomen archers became an essential part of armies but the
Free Companies consisted of adventurers who wanted to better themselves.
Sir Robert Knolles may have risen from the lower ranks of society
to become a prominent captain and a very rich man.
He may have been descended from one Stephen de Knolle who held land
in Sussex "de nova feffamento"
(newly enfeoffed) in 1211-12 of the Honour of the Earl of Eu
[Red Book of the Exchequer]
and perhaps ancestor of Thomas Knolles, one of the mayors and
viscounts in London in the reign of Henry IV. The
charred gables which marked Robert Knolle's or Knolly's passage through
France were called "Knolly's
Mitres", the motto on his banner read "Qui
Robert Cnolle prendera, cente mille moutans gagnera" (who
captures Robert Knolle will gain 100 sheep - the florin of the time had a
sheep's head on it). He
endowed a church at Pontrefract with the booty ransacked in France and
John Stowe related in his "Survey
of London": "Then
was the White Friar's church called "Fratres
Beate Mariae de Monte Carmeli".
Sir Robert Knoles,
knight, was a great builder there also in the raigne of Richard the Second
and of Enrique de Trastamara the Fourth, he deceased at his manor of Scone
Thorpe (Scunthorpe)
in the year 1407 and was brought to London and honourably buried by the
Lady Constance, his wife in the bodie of the said White Friars church
which he had newly builded. There
were buried also in the old choir John
Winter". Sir
John Chandos and Sir Hugh Calverley for the English and Bertrand du
Guesclin for the French carried on the war between John de Montfort and
Charles of Blois (who died fighting in 1364 for the duchy) and du Guesclin
was taken prisoner. Edward
III's son John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster married as his second wife,
Isabella, daughter of Pedro "the
Cruel" of Castile and after Pedro's murder, claimed the Spanish
throne. In
1365 the English (led by John of Gaunt) sided with the legitimate heir of
Alfonso XI of Castile, Pedro (suspected of poisoning his wife, Blanche of
Bourbon) who had seized land belonging to Pedro of Aragon and made an
alliance with the Moorish king of Granada.
Charles V of France supported Pedro's illegitimate brother Enrique
de Trastamara and sent troops into Spain under du Guesclin who had been
ransomed. Some of the English like Sir Hugh Calverley joined him,
others fought on Pedro's side. Edward
III had married his daughter Joan Plantagenet to Pedro of Castile but she
died of the Black Death on her way to Spain so the English king encouraged
his son Edward, the Black Prince, Duke of Aquitaine, to give refuge to
Pedro when he was forced into exile in 1366.
The English serving under du Guesclin were recalled, Sir John
Chandos was ordered to recruit the free lances and Gascon nobility and the
prince's uncle John of Gaunt returned to England to raise troops there -
Sir Thomas Percy was one of the knights who joined him. From
1200-1500 the English and Spanish royal families were closely
intermarried. By the time
James I ascended the throne, the Infanta of Spain (whom he wanted his son
Charles I to marry) had a very strong claim to England as her ancestor
Philip II of Spain was descended twice from John Plantagenet of Gaunt,
duke of Lancaster and therefore from a legitimate male line of the
Plantagenet kings; Mary and Elizabeth Tudor only through an illegitimate
son of a Beaufort who was descended from one of John of Gaunt's
illegitimate children by his mistress Katherine Swynford (daughter of a
Flemish knight, Sir Payn Roet). The
legitimacy of the Tudors descent through the female line from Henry VII's
wife Elizabeth Plantagenet (Edward IV's daughter by Elizabeth Woodville)
was doubtful because Richard III declared their children illegitimate on
the grounds a pre-contract of marriage (witnessed by Stillingfleet, Bishop
of Bath and Wells) with Elizabeth (later wife of Thomas Butler, Duke of
Ormonde), daughter of Sir John Talbot. Fig.
56
- Marriages between the royal houses of England & Spain. Castile Alfonso
VII of Castile (1126-1157) = Eleanor Plantagenet, d. of Henry II of England >: A.
Blanche of Castile = Louis VII of France > St.Louis IX B.
Alfonso VIII (1158-1214) > Alfonso X (1188) > Ferdinand II “the
Saint” (1217-1252)
=
(1) = (2) Joan of
Ponthieu.
By (2) Eleanor of Castile = Edward I of England > Eleanor
Plantagenet = (1) Alfonso of
Aragon = (2) Henry, Count of Bar.
By (1) Alfonso X "the
Wise (1221-84)
> Sancho IV (1284-95) > Alfonso XI (1342)>:
1. Pedro “the Cruel”
(1366) = Blanche of Bourbon > Constance of Castile =
John Plantagenet of
Gaunt, earl of Lancaster & Derby >:
(a) Philippa Plantagenet
(by Blanche of Lancaster, his 1st wife) = Joaõ I of
Portugal (1360-1415) >:
a. Isabella of Portugal
b. Enrique of Portugal =
Catalina, sister of Juan II of Spain
(b) Katherine Plantagenet
(by 2nd wife Constance of Castile) = Enrique III
de Trastamara
2. Enrique I of
Trastamara (illegit) > Juan I of Castile = Blanche
Plantagenet of
Lancaster (?) > Enrique III of Trastamara = Katherine
Plantagenet, d. of John
of Gaunt > Juan II = (1) Maria of Portugal = (2) Isabella of
Portugal > Isabella
“la
Catolica”
= Ferdinand of Aragon Aragon Alfonso
I of Aragon (1122) > Petronilla (1131-62), heiress of Aragon = Ramon
Berenguer IV "the
Saint",
Count of Cataluña > Alfonso II of Aragon (1162-96), Count of Provence
(1166) >: A.
Sanchia = Raymond VII of Toulouse (d. 1240) B.
Pedro II > Jaime I (1213-76) C.
Alfonso, Count of Provence (1196-1209) > Raymond Berenguer IV of
Provence (d.
1245) = Beatrice of
Savoy >:
(1) Margaret of Provence = St. Louis IX
(2) Beatrice of Provence = Charles of Anjou, brother of Louis IX
(3) Sanchia of Provence = Richard Plantagenet, earl of Cornwall,
Henry III’s brother D.
Eleanor of Provence = Henry III > Edward I = Eleanor of Castile >
Eleanor Plantagenet = Alfonso of Aragon (1291-1327) |