Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| English Royalty |
|---|
| House of Plantagenet |
 Armorial of Plantagenet |
| Edward III |
| Edward, Prince of Wales |
| Lionel, Duke of Clarence |
| John, Duke of Lancaster |
| Edmund, Duke of York |
| Thomas, Duke of Gloucester |
| Joan of England |
| Isabella, Countess of Bedford |
| Grandchildren |
| Richard II |
| Philippa, Countess of Ulster |
| Philippa, Queen of Portugal |
| Elizabeth, Baroness Fanhope and Milbroke |
| Henry IV |
| Katherine, Queen of Castile |
| Edward, Duke of York |
| Richard, Earl of Cambridge |
| Constance of York |
| Anne, Countess of Eu |
Thomas of Woodstock, 1st Duke of Gloucester (January 7, 1355 – September 8 (or 9), 1397) was the thirteenth and youngest child of King Edward III of England and Queen Philippa. He was the fifth of the five sons of Edward III who survived to adulthood.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Thomas was born after two short-lived sons, one of whom had also been baptised Thomas. He was born at Woodstock Palace in Oxfordshire. He married Eleanor de Bohun in 1376, and inherited the title Earl of Essex from his father-in-law, Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford. Woodstock's wife's younger sister, Mary de Bohun, was subsequently married to Henry "Bolingbroke," who eventually became Henry IV of England.
At the age of 22, in 1377, Woodstock was created Earl of Buckingham. In 1385 he received the title Duke of Aumale, and at about the same time was created Duke of Gloucester.
[edit] Dispute with King Richard II
Thomas was the leader of the Lords Appellant, a group of powerful nobles whose ambition to wrest power from King Richard II of England (Thomas' nephew) culminated in a successful rebellion in 1388, which significantly weakened the king's power. Richard II managed to dispose of the Lords Appellant in 1397, and Thomas was imprisoned in Calais to await trial for treason. He was, however, murdered the same year by Nicholas Colfox, presumably on behalf of Richard II, causing an outcry amongst the nobility of England which is considered by many to have added to Richard's unpopularity.
[edit] Heirs
Thomas and his wife had one son and four daughters. Following his murder his title was forfeit and did not pass to his son, Humphrey.
His eldest daughter, Anne of Gloucester, married into the powerful Stafford family, who were Earls of Stafford and Dukes of Buckingham, and four generations after Thomas, the disposition of the de Bohun estates may have been a motivating factor in the involvement of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham in plots against the crown during the period of Richard III. She later married into the Bourchier family (the Earls of Bath) and established a long American line of descendants.
[edit] Titles, styles, honours and arms
[edit] Arms
As Duke of Gloucester, Thomas had use of the coat of arms of the kingdom, differenced by a bordure argent.[1]
[edit] References
- Columbia Encyclopedia - Gloucester, Thomas of Woodstock, duke of
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by The Earl of Hereford and Essex |
Lord High Constable 1372–1397 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Buckingham |
| Peerage of England | ||
| Preceded by New Creation |
Duke of Gloucester 1385–1397 |
Succeeded by Forfeit |
|
|||||
