Sir John Harpeden (died 8 May 1438) was an English knight. Little is known of him—he was never summoned to Parliament—but he was related to the
Mortimers.
Life
Harpeden spent his early years in the entourage of
John Cornwall, Baron Fanhope. In 1415 and again in 1416 he was granted letters of protection, he then being in France in the retinue of Cornwall, fighting at the
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt ( ; french: Azincourt ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected English victory against the numerica ...
in 1415. During July 1417, John and Cornwall were contracted to raise 53 lances and 121 archers for the army being mustered for King
Henry V of England
Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...
’s expedition to France. In March 1418 he was granted the castle and lordship of Chanteloup and the manors of Appily and Créances within the counties of Coutances and Avranches in Normandy. Declared a rebel in September 1420, these lands were re-granted to John de Grey, Lord Gray. In 1422 he obtained a general pardon and also was given a license to cross over from France to England with the body of Dame Eleanor de Courtenay for interment.
Historically Harpeden's death has often been mistakenly dated to 1457, but it took place on 8 May 1438. He does not appear to have been of advanced age. He was buried in St. John the Evangelist’s chapel
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
and his
monumental brass
A monumental brass is a type of engraved sepulchral memorial, which in the 13th century began to partially take the place of three-dimensional monuments and effigies carved in stone or wood. Made of hard latten or sheet brass, let into the paveme ...
is still located there in the north ambulatory of the choir, after being relocated in 1772. His second wife Joan's monumental brass is in
Cobham church. Harpeden's excellent brass shows him in very simple
plate armour
Plate armour is a historical type of personal body armour made from bronze, iron, or steel plates, culminating in the iconic suit of armour entirely encasing the wearer. Full plate steel armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, es ...
surrounded by the shields impaling his arms, with those of his three wives and the last shows his arms.
Mariages
His first marriage is considered to be to Eleanor (died 1422), widow of
Edward de Courtenay, daughter of
Roger de Mortimer, Earl of March and Ulster and
Eleanor Holland
Eleanor Holland, Countess of Salisbury (1386 – after 1413), was an English noblewoman, the daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, a half-brother of King Richard II of England. She was the first wife of Thomas Montagu, 4th Earl of Salis ...
. John's second marriage, was the fifth and last husband of Joan (died 13 January 1433), heiress of the
Cobham barony in Kent. Joan was the only child of John de la Pole and Joan, heiress of
John Cobham and Margaret Courtenay. Joan was the widow of Robert Hemendale, Reginald Braybrooke, Nicholas Hawberk and
John Oldcastle
Sir John Oldcastle (died 14 December 1417) was an English Lollard leader. Being a friend of Henry V, he long escaped prosecution for heresy. When convicted, he escaped from the Tower of London and then led a rebellion against the King. Eventual ...
. She had children by all of them, however none by Harpeden. His third marriage was to Elizabeth (died 1453), daughter of Reginald Cobham, 3rd Baron Sterborough.
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Notes
Citations
References
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External links
Rubbing of John Harpeden's monumental brass
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harpeden, John
Year of birth unknown
1438 deaths
15th-century English military personnel
Medieval English knights