John of Gloucester
Encyclopedia
John of Gloucester was an illegitimate son of Richard III of England
. John is so called because his father was Duke of Gloucester
at the time of his birth.
The identity of his mother is not known. Katherine Haute, a woman mentioned in household records of the Duke of Gloucester, has been suggested as his mistress and mother of John. Katharine, an illegitimate daughter of Richard III who married William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
, was probably his sister. They were both half-siblings of Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales
.
He was one of two persons knight
ed on September 8, 1483 in York during the celebrations which invested his half-brother Edward of Middleham as Prince of Wales.
John is known to have been in Calais
by November, 1484 and was officially appointed Captain of Calais by his father on 11 March 1485. His letter of appointment has Richard referring to him as "our dear bastard son". John was not yet an adult and did not exercise the full authority of his position. Robert Brackenbury
was entrusted with his safety.
The previous Captain Robert Dynham, 1st Baron Dynham had been an early supporter of Richard III. He had recently recaptured the fortress of Hammes from a garrison which had defected to the side of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond
but had let the defectors go unharmed, placing his loyalties under suspicion. Dynham was however allowed to serve under Gloucester.
After Richard was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field
(August 22, 1485), Henry VII removed John from the position of Captain of Calais position but did not further persecute him and, in 1486, granted him an annual income of 20 pounds sterling
. In 1491, an illegitimate son of Richard III is known to have been executed. This was probably John, then in his early twenties, rather than an unknown sibling.
John of Gloucester had no known descendants.
Richard III of England
Richard III was King of England for two years, from 1483 until his death in 1485 during the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty...
. John is so called because his father was Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester
Duke of Gloucester is a British royal title , often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England, the next in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; this current creation carries with it the...
at the time of his birth.
The identity of his mother is not known. Katherine Haute, a woman mentioned in household records of the Duke of Gloucester, has been suggested as his mistress and mother of John. Katharine, an illegitimate daughter of Richard III who married William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke was the son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Anne Devereux. His maternal grandparents were Walter Devereux, Lord Chancellor of Ireland and Elizabeth Merbury....
, was probably his sister. They were both half-siblings of Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales
Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales
Edward of Middleham, 1st Earl of Salisbury , was the only son of King Richard III of England and his wife Anne Neville. He was Richard's only legitimate child and died aged 11....
.
He was one of two persons knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed on September 8, 1483 in York during the celebrations which invested his half-brother Edward of Middleham as Prince of Wales.
John is known to have been in Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
by November, 1484 and was officially appointed Captain of Calais by his father on 11 March 1485. His letter of appointment has Richard referring to him as "our dear bastard son". John was not yet an adult and did not exercise the full authority of his position. Robert Brackenbury
Robert Brackenbury
Sir Robert Brackenbury was an English nobleman and courtier. He was a close associate of Richard III of England.-Early life:...
was entrusted with his safety.
The previous Captain Robert Dynham, 1st Baron Dynham had been an early supporter of Richard III. He had recently recaptured the fortress of Hammes from a garrison which had defected to the side of Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
but had let the defectors go unharmed, placing his loyalties under suspicion. Dynham was however allowed to serve under Gloucester.
After Richard was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field
Battle of Bosworth Field
The Battle of Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, the civil war between the House of Lancaster and the House of York that raged across England in the latter half of the 15th century. Fought on 22 August 1485, the battle was won by the Lancastrians...
(August 22, 1485), Henry VII removed John from the position of Captain of Calais position but did not further persecute him and, in 1486, granted him an annual income of 20 pounds sterling
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
. In 1491, an illegitimate son of Richard III is known to have been executed. This was probably John, then in his early twenties, rather than an unknown sibling.
John of Gloucester had no known descendants.
Sources
- Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy by Alison WeirAlison Weir (historian)Alison Weir is a British writer of history books, and latterly historical novels, mostly in the form of biographies about British royalty.-Personal life:...
.