Our common ancestors - English Royal family - Contents

John of Gaunt

John of Gaunt.
17th cent painting. From here.
See full picture from here.

John of Gaunt (see here and here), Duke of Lancaster,
born Mar 1340,
mar 1stly, 1359 to Blanche Plantagenet [descendant of Aoife Mac Murrough],
through his wife inherited Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire (later held by Robert Dudley),
Blanche died 1368, bur St.Paul's Cathedral, London,
had issue by 1st wife:

1. Philippa Plantagenet, mar John I, King of Portugal and had issue.
2. Elizabeth Plantagenet, mar John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter and had issue.

3. Henry IV, born 1366, succeeded 13th Oct 1399 (House of Lancaster).

he was the effective ruler late Edward III - early Richard II (1370s-80s),
appears in Richard II by Shakespeare,
the TV movie Richard II (1978) has John Gielgud as John of Gaunt,
patron of John Wycliffe, the "Morning Star of the Reformation", who produced the first English translation of the Bible 1382,
mar 3rdly, 1396, to his long-time mistress Catherine Roet [born 1350], by whom he had already had illegitimate issue,
his children by Catherine Roet were legitimated by statute 1397 "for all purposes save succession to the crown" (i.e. this line is not in the Royal line of succession, but of course we have other Royal Descents),
he died 3rd Feb 1399, age 58 yrs,
bur St.Paul's Cathedral, London, tomb destroyed in Great Fire of London 1666,
see biography,
never king himself, but within months of his death his son became king,
Catherine died 10th May 1403, Lincoln, age 53 yrs, bur Lincoln Cathedral,
he had issue by Catherine Roet:

1. John de Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (see here), born 1373,
   mar Margaret Holland [descendant of Edward I and of Aoife Mac Murrough]
   and had issue:
   1. John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, had issue:
      1. Margaret Beaufort (see here and portrait), mar Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond and had issue (House of Tudor).

      2. Thomasine Beaufort, mar Reginald de Grey, 7th Baron Grey de Wilton and had issue.

   2. Edmund Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset (second creation, also called 2nd Duke, see here), mar Eleanor Beauchamp [descendant of Edward I] and had issue:
      1. Henry Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset (also called 3rd Duke, see here), associated with Joan Hill and had illegitimate issue:
         1. Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester.

      2. Joan Beaufort, mar 1478 to Robert St.Lawrence, 2nd (15th) Baron Howth.

      3. Margaret Beaufort, mar Humphrey Stafford and had issue.

   3. Joan Beaufort (and here),
      mar 1stly to James I, King of Scotland and had issue,
      mar 2ndly to Sir James Stewart and had issue.

   
   

2. Joan de Beaufort (see here),
   born c.1379, Beaufort Castle, Anjou,
   mar 2ndly, 1396, to Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmoreland and had issue.

Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire, 2003.
From here. See more images.

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Tomb of Catherine Roet and her dau Joan Beaufort, Lincoln Cathedral

Search for photos (and here).

Tomb of Catherine Roet and her dau Joan Beaufort, Lincoln Cathedral.
Photo 2008. See larger and full size.
From Gordon Plumb. Used with permission.

Tomb of Catherine Roet and her dau Joan Beaufort, Lincoln Cathedral.
Photo 2008. See full size.
From Lauren Elliott. Used with permission.

The tomb of Catherine Roet.
Drawing dated 1809.
From here.

Joan Beaufort on LHS. Catherine Roet on RHS.
Photo 2008. See full size.
From Lauren Elliott. Used with permission.

Catherine Roet's tomb, close-up.
Photo 2010. See larger and full size.
From here. Used with permission.

Catherine Roet's tomb, close-up.
Photo 2008. See full size.
From Lauren Elliott. Used with permission.

The joint tomb of Catherine Roet and Joan Beaufort in Lincoln Cathedral.
1640 drawing.
This is the tomb before it was despoiled by the Roundheads in 1644 in the English Civil War.
From here.

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In Act 2, Scene 1 of Richard II, John of Gaunt is given the immortal lines:

This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall,
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England