John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond

John of Brittany

Arms of John of Brittany
Born c. 1266
Died 17 January 1334
Duchy of Brittany
Resting place Church of the Franciscans, Nantes
Title Earl of Richmond
Tenure 1306–1334
Other names Jean de Bretagne
Years active 1294–1327[1]
Nationality English, French
Locality Yorkshire[2]
Net worth £1800 p.a.[1]
Wars and battles First War of Scottish Independence
• Battle of Falkirk (1298)
• Siege of Caerlaverock (1300)
• Battle of Old Byland (1322)
Offices Guardian of Scotland
Lord Ordainer
Predecessor John II, Duke of Brittany
Successor John III, Duke of Brittany
Spouse(s) Unmarried
Parents John II, Duke of Brittany
Beatrice of England

John of Brittany or Jean de Bretagne (c. 1266 – 17 January 1334) 3rd Earl of Richmond, was an English nobleman of Breton origin. He entered royal service under Edward I, and fought in the Scottish Wars. On 15 October 1306 he received his father's title of Earl of Richmond.[3] Although he was generally loyal to Edward II during the times of baronial opposition, he eventually supported the coup of Isabella and Mortimer. He then retired to his estates in France, and for the rest of his life remained politically inactive.

John of Brittany was not an accomplished soldier, and among the earls of England he was politically quite insignificant.[4] He was nevertheless a capable diplomat, valued by both Edward I and Edward II for his negotiating skills. John was never married, and upon his death his title and estates fell to his nephew, John III, Duke of Brittany.

Contents

Family background and early life

John was the second surviving son of John II, Duke of Brittany, and his wife Beatrice, who together had three sons and three daughters who survived to adulthood. Beatrice was the daughter of Henry III of England, which made John the nephew of Henry's son and heir Edward I.[5] His father held the title of Earl of Richmond, but was little involved in English political affairs.[6] John was raised at the English court together with Edward I's son Henry, who died in 1274.[7] He participated in tournaments in his youth, but never distinguished himself as a soldier.[1] When in 1294 the French king confiscated King Edward's Duchy of Aquitaine, John travelled to France[8] but failed to take Bordeaux, and in Easter 1295 had to flee the town of Rions.[9] In January 1297 he shared defeat at the siege of Bellegarde with Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, following which he returned to England.[10]

Despite his poor results in France he remained highly regarded by King Edward I, who judged him almost as a son.[11] After his return to England John became involved in the Scottish Wars. He was probably at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, and was certainly at the Siege of Caerlaverock in 1300.[10] His father died in 1305, and was succeeded to the Duchy of Brittany by John's elder brother, Arthur. The following year however, Edward I invested John with his father's other title, Earl of Richmond.[12]

Service to Edward II

Though a military failure and politically relatively insignificant, the English government viewed Richmond as a trusted diplomat.[1] He was a skilled negotiator, and his French connections were a useful asset.[13] In 1305, Edward I had appointed him Guardian of Scotland, a position which was confirmed upon the accession of Edward II in 1307.[1] At this time Richmond was also one of the nation's oldest earls.[14] As the relationship between Edward II and his nobility deteriorated, Richmond remained loyal to the king; in 1309 he went on an embassy to Pope Clement V on behalf of Edward's favourite Piers Gaveston.[15] Richmond was allegedly Gaveston's close personal friend, and did not share the antagonistic attitudes held by certain other earls.[16] By 1310 however, the relationship between Edward II and his earls had deteriorated to the point where a committee of magnates took control over government from the king. Richmond was one of eight earls appointed to this group of 21, referred to as the Lords Ordainers.[17]

Richmond then travelled to France for diplomatic negotiations, before returning to England. Gaveston, exiled by the Ordainers but who later made an illicit return, was killed in June 1312 by Thomas of Lancaster and other nobles.[18] It fell upon Richmond, together with Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, to reconcile the two parties after this event.[19] In 1313 he followed Edward on a state visit to France, and thereafter generally remained a trusted subject. In 1318 he witnessed the Treaty of Leake, which restored Edward to full power.[20]

In 1320 he again accompanied the king to France, and the next year he carried out peace negotiations with the Scots.[21] When in 1322 Thomas of Lancaster rebelled and was defeated at the Battle of Boroughbridge, Richmond was present at his trial, when Lancaster was sentenced to death.[22] After this, Edward staged an unsuccessful military campaign against Scotland. Although Richmond covered Edward's retreat at the Battle of Old Byland, enabling him to evade capture,[23] Richmond was taken prisoner. He remained in captivity until 1324, when he was released for a ransom of 14,000 marks.[1] After his release he continued his diplomatic activities, in Scotland and France.

Deposition of Edward II and final years

In March 1325 Richmond made a final return to France, where for the first time he made himself a clear opponent of the king. His lands in England were confiscated by the Crown.[1] He aligned himself with Queen Isabella, who had been sent on a diplomatic mission to France, and had disobeyed her husbands orders to return.[24] In September 1326 Isabella, her lover Mortimer, and a small army, invaded England. By January 1327 Edward II had been forced to abdicate, and his son was declared King Edward III.[25] Although Richmond's lands were restored, his last years were spent on his French estates, and he remained largely cut off from English political affairs. He died on 17 January 1334, and was buried in the church of the Franciscans in Nantes.[1][10] John of Brittany never married; he was succeeded by his nephew John (Arthur's son), who inherited his Earldom.[3]

Ancestry

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Jones (2004).
  2. ^ Given-Wilson (1996), p. 186.
  3. ^ a b Fryde (1961), p. 446.
  4. ^ Phillips (1972), pp. 9–10.
  5. ^ Phillips (1972), p. 16.
  6. ^ Prestwich (1997), p. 235.
  7. ^ Johnstone (1923).
  8. ^ Prestwich (1997), pp. 378–9.
  9. ^ Prestwich (1997), pp. 381–2.
  10. ^ a b c Cokayne (1910–59).
  11. ^ Prestwich (1997), p. 132.
  12. ^ Prestwich (2007), p. 361.
  13. ^ Phillips (1972), p. 271.
  14. ^ McKisack (1959), p. 1.
  15. ^ Hamilton (1988), p. 69.
  16. ^ Hamilton (1988), pp. 56, 67.
  17. ^ Prestwich (2007), p. 182.
  18. ^ Chaplais (1994), p. 88.
  19. ^ Phillips (1972), pp. 42–4.
  20. ^ Phillips (1972), p. 172.
  21. ^ Phillips (1972), pp. 192, 204.
  22. ^ Maddicott (1970), pp. 311–2.
  23. ^ Barrow (1965), p. 317.
  24. ^ McKisack (1959), p. 82.
  25. ^ McKisack (1959), pp. 83–91.

Sources

Further reading

Peerage of England
Preceded by
John II of Dreux		 Earl of Richmond
1306–1334		 Succeeded by
John III of Dreux