Joan Fitzalan
Encyclopedia
Joan FitzAlan, Countess of Hereford, Countess of Essex and Countess of Northampton (1347 – 7 April 1419), was the wife of the 7th Earl of Hereford, 6th Earl of Essex and 2nd Earl of Northampton
. She was the mother of Mary de Bohun
, the first wife of Henry of Bolingbroke who later reigned as King Henry IV
, and Eleanor de Bohun
, Duchess of Gloucester. She was the maternal grandmother of King Henry V
.
In 1400, she gave the order for the beheading
of the Earl of Huntingdon
in revenge for the part he had played in the execution of her brother, the 11th Earl of Arundel
.
The estates which comprised Joan's large dowry
made her one of the principal landowners in Essex
, where she exercised lordship, acting as arbitrator and feoffee
in property transactions.
Lady Joan FitzAlan was born in 1347 at Arundel Castle
, Sussex, one of seven children, and the eldest daughter of Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel
and his second wife Eleanor of Lancaster
. Her paternal grandparents were Edmund Fitzalan, 9th Earl of Arundel
and Alice de Warenne
, and her maternal grandparents were Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster
and Maud Chaworth
.
Joan had a half-brother from her father's first marriage to Isabel le Despenser
:
Joan had two uterine half-siblings from her mother's first marriage to John de Beaumont, 2nd Lord Beaumont (died 14 April 1342):
of England.
He was the son of William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton
and Elizabeth de Badlesmere
. Their marriage united two of the most prominent noble families in the kingdom; an alliance which was further strengthened by her elder brother Richard's marriage to Humphrey's sister, Elizabeth.
Together Humphrey and Joan produced two daughters, whom upon the death of their father, divided his vast estates between them:
of Edward III. Sometime after her husband's death, she received from King Edward the manor of Langham, which she held until her own death, among the numerous other manors she owned. The numerous estates which comprised Joan's large dowry ensured that she was one of the principal landowners in Essex. This placed her at the hub of a powerful structure of landed country gentry, who acted as her advisers and officers; Joan in turn acted as "arbitrator, feoffee in property transactions, and intercessor with the royal government".
During the Peasant's Revolt in 1381, some of Joan's manors were sacked by the rebels; this did not deter Joan from expanding and industrialising her lands after the uprising had been put down, having done much to encourage the dyeing and fulling
of woollen cloth on some of her estates such as Saffron Walden.
In the Public Record Office, London, there is an extant document, written in Latin, which records the payment to Joan by John of Gaunt for the maintenance of her younger daughter Mary after the latter's marriage until she came of age in 1384.
A member of St. Helen's religious guild
in Colchester
, Joan founded chantries and was also a patron of Walden Abbey
, having donated money for relics, vessels, vestments, and the construction of new buildings. She is described in the State Rolls as having been a "great benefactress" to the monasteries of Essex.
. The king's half-brother John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter
, Earl of Huntingdon
accompanied him to the scaffold, as one of King Richard's representatives. Less than three years later in 1400, when Holland joined a conspiracy
to murder the new king Henry IV, and was captured near Joan's principal residence Pleshy Castle in Essex, he was turned over to her for punishment. Described as having possessed a "stern character", she showed him no mercy, and promptly gave orders for his decapitation
, after having summoned the children of her dead brother to witness the execution. Following the beheading, which was performed without benefit of a trial, she ordered that Holland's severed head be raised on the end of a pike, which was placed upon the battlements of Pleshy Castle.
Henry IV rewarded Joan for her services on behalf of the Crown
, by granting her custody of forfeited lands and properties. When Henry died in 1413, Joan's grandson Henry V followed suit; therefore up until her death in 1419, a large number of forfeited estates had come under her control.
, which she had previously endowed.
's last book My Lord John, which is set in the reign of King Henry IV.
Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford
Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford, 6th Earl of Essex, 2nd Earl of Northampton, KG was an important medieval English noble during the reign of King Edward III of England.- Lineage :...
. She was the mother of Mary de Bohun
Mary de Bohun
Mary de Bohun was the first wife of King Henry IV of England and the mother of King Henry V. Mary was never queen, as she died before her husband came to the throne.-Early life:...
, the first wife of Henry of Bolingbroke who later reigned as King Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
, and Eleanor de Bohun
Eleanor de Bohun
Eleanor de Bohun was the elder daughter and co-heiress with her sister Mary de Bohun, of their father Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford. Her mother was Lady Joan Fitzalan, daughter of Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and his second wife Eleanor of Lancaster.-Marriage:In 1376 she...
, Duchess of Gloucester. She was the maternal grandmother of King Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
.
In 1400, she gave the order for the beheading
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
of the Earl of Huntingdon
John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter
John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter KG , also 1st Earl of Huntingdon, was an English nobleman, primarily remembered for helping cause the downfall of Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester and then for conspiring against Henry IV.He was the third son of Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent and Joan...
in revenge for the part he had played in the execution of her brother, the 11th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel and 9th Earl of Surrey KG was an English medieval nobleman and military commander.-Lineage:...
.
The estates which comprised Joan's large dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
made her one of the principal landowners in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, where she exercised lordship, acting as arbitrator and feoffee
Feoffee
A Feoffee is a trustee who holds a fief , that is to say an estate in land, for the use of a beneficial owner. The term is more fully stated as a feoffee to uses of the beneficial owner. The use of such trustees developed towards the end of the era of feudalism in the middle ages and became...
in property transactions.
Family
Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle in Arundel, West Sussex, England is a restored medieval castle. It was founded by Roger de Montgomery on Christmas Day 1067. Roger became the first to hold the earldom of Arundel by the graces of William the Conqueror...
, Sussex, one of seven children, and the eldest daughter of Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and 8th Earl of Surrey was an English nobleman and medieval military leader.- Lineage :...
and his second wife Eleanor of Lancaster
Eleanor of Lancaster
Eleanor of Lancaster, Countess of Arundel was the fifth daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster and Maud Chaworth.-First marriage and issue:...
. Her paternal grandparents were Edmund Fitzalan, 9th Earl of Arundel
Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel
Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel was an English nobleman prominent in the conflict between Edward II and his barons. His father, Richard FitzAlan, 8th Earl of Arundel, died in 1302 while Edmund was still a minor. He therefore became a ward of John de Warenne, Earl of Surrey, and married...
and Alice de Warenne
Alice de Warenne
Alice de Warenne, Countess of Arundel was an English noblewoman and heir apparent to the Earldom of Surrey. In 1305, she married Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel.-Family:...
, and her maternal grandparents were Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster
Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster
Henry , 3rd Earl of Leicester and Lancaster was an English nobleman, one of the principals behind the deposition of Edward II of England.-Family and lineage:...
and Maud Chaworth
Maud Chaworth
Maud de Chaworth was an English noblewoman and wealthy heiress. She was the only child of Patrick de Chaworth. Sometime before 2 March 1297, she married Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, by whom she had seven children...
.
List of siblings
- Richard Fitzalan, 11th Earl of ArundelRichard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of ArundelRichard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel and 9th Earl of Surrey KG was an English medieval nobleman and military commander.-Lineage:...
(1346- 21 September 1397 Tower Hill, Cheapside, London), married firstly Elizabeth de BohunElizabeth de BohunElizabeth de Bohun, Countess of Arundel, Countess of Surrey was a member of the Anglo-Norman Bohun family, which wielded much power in the Welsh Marches and the English government...
, sister of Humphrey de Bohun, by whom he had seven children, and secondly Philippa Mortimer. He was beheaded on charges of high treason against King Richard II of EnglandRichard II of EnglandRichard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
. - John FitzalanJohn FitzAlan, 1st Baron ArundelJohn FitzAlan , 1st Baron Arundel was a Lord Marshal or Marshal of England.- Lineage :He was born in Etchingham, Sussex, England to Richard Fitzalan, 10th Earl of Arundel and his second wife Eleanor of Lancaster...
1st baron of Arundel, 1st Baron Maltravers (1351-16 December 1379), married Eleanor Maltravers, by whom he had issue. He drowned in the Irish Sea, having been shipwrecked after defeating the French off the Cornish coast. - Alice FitzalanAlice FitzAlan (1350-1416)Alice Holland, Countess of Kent , formerly Lady Alice FitzAlan, was an English noblewoman, a daughter of the 10th Earl of Arundel, and the wife of the 2nd Earl of Kent, the half-brother of King Richard II. She was the maternal grandmother of Anne Mortimer, thus an ancestor of King Edward IV and...
(1350- 17 March 1416), married Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of KentThomas Holland, 2nd Earl of KentThomas Holland , 2nd Earl of Kent, 3rd Baron Holand KG was an English nobleman and a councillor of his half-brother, King Richard II of England.-Family and early Life:...
, by whom she had issue. - Thomas ArundelThomas ArundelThomas Arundel was Archbishop of Canterbury in 1397 and from 1399 until his death, an outspoken opponent of the Lollards.-Family background:...
Archbishop of CanterburyArchbishop of CanterburyThe Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
(1352- 19 February 1414) - Mary Fitzalan (died 29 August 1396), married John Le Strange, 4th Baron Strange of Blackmere, by whom she had issue, including Ankaret Le Strange who married Richard Talbot, 4th Baron Talbot. These were the parents of John Talbot, 1st Earl of ShrewsburyJohn Talbot, 1st Earl of ShrewsburyJohn Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury and 1st Earl of Waterford KG , known as "Old Talbot" was an important English military commander during the Hundred Years' War, as well as the only Lancastrian Constable of France.-Origins:He was descended from Richard Talbot, a tenant in 1086 of Walter Giffard...
- Eleanor Fitzalan (1356- before 1366)
Joan had a half-brother from her father's first marriage to Isabel le Despenser
Isabel le Despenser
Isabel le Despenser was the name of several women of the aristocratic family of Despenser during the Middle Ages.*Isabel le Despenser, Countess of Arundel *Isabel le Despenser, Countess of Worcester and Warwick...
:
- Edmund of Arundel (1327- after 1377), he was bastardised by his parents annulment. He married Sybil Montagu, by whom he had two daughters.
Joan had two uterine half-siblings from her mother's first marriage to John de Beaumont, 2nd Lord Beaumont (died 14 April 1342):
- Henry de Beaumont, 3rd Lord Beaumont (4 April 1340 – 17 June 1369), married as her first husband Margaret de VereMaud de BadlesmereMaud de Badlesmere, Countess of Oxford was an English noblewoman, and the wife of John de Vere, 7th Earl of Oxford. She, along with her three sisters, was a co-heiress of her only brother Giles de Badlesmere, 2nd Baron Badlesmere, who had no male issue.At the age of 11 she was imprisoned in the...
(died 15 June 1398), by whom he had issue. - Matilda de Beaumont (died July 1367), married Hugh de Courtney.
Marriage and issue
Sometime after 9 September 1359, Joan married Humphrey de Bohun, one of the most powerful noblemen in the realm. His titles included 7th Earl of Hereford, 6th Earl of Essex, 2nd Earl of Northampton, and he was the hereditary ConstableConstable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
of England.
He was the son of William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton
William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton
William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton, KG was an English nobleman and military commander.-Lineage:He was the fifth son of Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford and Elizabeth of Rhuddlan. He had a twin brother, Edward...
and Elizabeth de Badlesmere
Elizabeth de Badlesmere
Elizabeth de Badlesmere, Countess of Northampton was the wife of two English noblemen, Sir Edmund Mortimer and William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton...
. Their marriage united two of the most prominent noble families in the kingdom; an alliance which was further strengthened by her elder brother Richard's marriage to Humphrey's sister, Elizabeth.
Together Humphrey and Joan produced two daughters, whom upon the death of their father, divided his vast estates between them:
- Eleanor de BohunEleanor de BohunEleanor de Bohun was the elder daughter and co-heiress with her sister Mary de Bohun, of their father Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford. Her mother was Lady Joan Fitzalan, daughter of Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel and his second wife Eleanor of Lancaster.-Marriage:In 1376 she...
(c.1360- 3 October 1399), co-heiress of her father. In 1376 she married Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester, the youngest son of King Edward III of EnglandEdward III of EnglandEdward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe...
and Philippa of HainaultPhilippa of HainaultPhilippa of Hainault, or, Philippe de Hainaut was the Queen consort of King Edward III of England. Edward, Duke of Guyenne, her future husband, promised in 1326 to marry her within the following two years...
. The marriage produced five children, including Anne of GloucesterAnne of GloucesterAnne of Gloucester, Countess of Stafford was the eldest daughter of Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester and Eleanor de Bohun.-Family:...
. Eleanor died as a nun at Barking Abbey. - Mary de BohunMary de BohunMary de Bohun was the first wife of King Henry IV of England and the mother of King Henry V. Mary was never queen, as she died before her husband came to the throne.-Early life:...
(1369- 4 June 1394), co-heiress of her father. On 27 July 1380 she married Henry of Bolingbroke, who would later be crowned King Henry IV. She died before he ascended the throne. The marriage produced six children including King Henry V of EnglandHenry V of EnglandHenry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
.
Widowhood
Joan was left a widow in January 1373 at the age of about 25 or 26, and she chose not to remarry. Her two daughters were made wardsWard (law)
In law, a ward is someone placed under the protection of a legal guardian. A court may take responsibility for the legal protection of an individual, usually either a child or incapacitated person, in which case the ward is known as a ward of the court, or a ward of the state, in the United States,...
of Edward III. Sometime after her husband's death, she received from King Edward the manor of Langham, which she held until her own death, among the numerous other manors she owned. The numerous estates which comprised Joan's large dowry ensured that she was one of the principal landowners in Essex. This placed her at the hub of a powerful structure of landed country gentry, who acted as her advisers and officers; Joan in turn acted as "arbitrator, feoffee in property transactions, and intercessor with the royal government".
During the Peasant's Revolt in 1381, some of Joan's manors were sacked by the rebels; this did not deter Joan from expanding and industrialising her lands after the uprising had been put down, having done much to encourage the dyeing and fulling
Fulling
Fulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
of woollen cloth on some of her estates such as Saffron Walden.
In the Public Record Office, London, there is an extant document, written in Latin, which records the payment to Joan by John of Gaunt for the maintenance of her younger daughter Mary after the latter's marriage until she came of age in 1384.
A member of St. Helen's religious guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
in Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, Joan founded chantries and was also a patron of Walden Abbey
Walden Abbey
Walden Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Saffron Walden, Essex, England founded by Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex between 1136 and 1143. Originally a priory, it was elevated to the status of an abbey in 1190....
, having donated money for relics, vessels, vestments, and the construction of new buildings. She is described in the State Rolls as having been a "great benefactress" to the monasteries of Essex.
Execution of John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter
In 1397, Joan's brother Richard Fitzalan, 11th Earl of Arundel and a Lord Appellant was executed on Tower Hill for his opposition to King Richard II of EnglandRichard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
. The king's half-brother John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter
John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter
John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter KG , also 1st Earl of Huntingdon, was an English nobleman, primarily remembered for helping cause the downfall of Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester and then for conspiring against Henry IV.He was the third son of Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent and Joan...
, Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon
Earl of Huntingdon is a title which has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The title is associated with the ruling house of Scotland, and latterly with the Hastings family.-Early history:...
accompanied him to the scaffold, as one of King Richard's representatives. Less than three years later in 1400, when Holland joined a conspiracy
Epiphany Rising
The Epiphany Rising was a failed rebellion against Henry IV of England in January 1400.-Background:After the murder of Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester in 1397, Richard II rewarded those who had supported him against Gloucester and the Lords Appellant with a plethora of new titles.Upon...
to murder the new king Henry IV, and was captured near Joan's principal residence Pleshy Castle in Essex, he was turned over to her for punishment. Described as having possessed a "stern character", she showed him no mercy, and promptly gave orders for his decapitation
Decapitation
Decapitation is the separation of the head from the body. Beheading typically refers to the act of intentional decapitation, e.g., as a means of murder or execution; it may be accomplished, for example, with an axe, sword, knife, wire, or by other more sophisticated means such as a guillotine...
, after having summoned the children of her dead brother to witness the execution. Following the beheading, which was performed without benefit of a trial, she ordered that Holland's severed head be raised on the end of a pike, which was placed upon the battlements of Pleshy Castle.
Henry IV rewarded Joan for her services on behalf of the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
, by granting her custody of forfeited lands and properties. When Henry died in 1413, Joan's grandson Henry V followed suit; therefore up until her death in 1419, a large number of forfeited estates had come under her control.
Death
Lady Joan FitzAlan died on 7 April 1419 and was buried with her husband in Walden AbbeyWalden Abbey
Walden Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Saffron Walden, Essex, England founded by Geoffrey de Mandeville, 1st Earl of Essex between 1136 and 1143. Originally a priory, it was elevated to the status of an abbey in 1190....
, which she had previously endowed.
In fiction
Joan appears as a character in Georgette HeyerGeorgette Heyer
Georgette Heyer was a British historical romance and detective fiction novelist. Her writing career began in 1921, when she turned a story for her younger brother into the novel The Black Moth. In 1925 Heyer married George Ronald Rougier, a mining engineer...
's last book My Lord John, which is set in the reign of King Henry IV.