John of Brittany (french: Jean de Bretagne; c. 1266 – 17 January 1334), 4th
Earl of Richmond
The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was initially held by various Breton nobles; sometimes the holder was the Breton duke himself, including one member of the ca ...
, was an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
nobleman
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...
and a member of the Ducal house of Brittany, the
House of Dreux
The House of Dreux was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. It was founded by Robert I, Count of Dreux, a son of Louis VI of France, who was given the County of Dreux as his appanage.
The Counts of Dreux were relatively minor nobles in Fra ...
. He entered royal service in England under his uncle
Edward I, and also served
Edward II. On 15 October 1306 he received his father's title of Earl of Richmond. He was named
Guardian of Scotland
The Guardians of Scotland were regents who governed the Kingdom of Scotland from 1286 until 1292 and from 1296 until 1306. During the many years of minority in Scotland's subsequent history, there were many guardians of Scotland and the post was ...
in the midst of England's conflicts with Scotland and in 1311
Lord Ordainer during the baronial rebellion against Edward II.
John of Brittany served England as a soldier and as a diplomat but was otherwise politically inactive in comparison to other earls of his time. He was 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
John III ''the Good'' (in Breton ''Yann III'', in French ''Jean III''; 8 March 128630 April 1341) was Duke of Brittany, from 1312 to his death and 5th Earl of Richmond from 1334 to his death. He was the son of Arthur II, Duke of Brittany, and ...
. Although he was generally loyal to his first cousin Edward II during the times of baronial rebellion, he eventually supported the coup of
Isabella
Isabella may refer to:
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* Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Isabella (surname), including a list of people
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United States
* Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpor ...
and
Mortimer
Mortimer () is an English surname, and occasionally a given name.
Norman origins
The surname Mortimer has a Norman origin, deriving from the village of Mortemer, Seine-Maritime, Normandy. A Norman castle existed at Mortemer from an early point; ...
. After Edward II abdicated in favour of his son
Edward III of England
Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ...
, John retired to his estates in France and died in his native Brittany in 1334 with no known issue.
Early life
John was the second surviving son of
John II, Duke of Brittany
John II ( br, Yann, french: Jean; 123918 November 1305) reigned as Duke of Brittany from 1286 until his death, and was also Earl of Richmond in the Peerage of England. He took part in two crusades prior to his accession to the ducal throne. As a ...
, 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
Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême, Henry a ...
, which made John the nephew of Henry's son and heir
Edward I. His father held the title of
Earl of Richmond
The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was initially held by various Breton nobles; sometimes the holder was the Breton duke himself, including one member of the ca ...
, but was little involved in English political affairs. John was raised at the English court together with Edward I's son
Henry
Henry may refer to:
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*Henry (given name)
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Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
, who died in 1274. He participated in
tournaments
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
in his youth, but never distinguished himself in his early roles as a soldier.
Service to Edward I
When in 1294 the French king confiscated King Edward's
Duchy of Aquitaine
The Duchy of Aquitaine ( oc, Ducat d'Aquitània, ; french: Duché d'Aquitaine, ) was a historical fiefdom in western, central, and southern areas of present-day France to the south of the river Loire, although its extent, as well as its name, fluc ...
, John travelled to France as the
lieutenant of the Duchy,
["Principal Office Holders in the Duchy"]
an
"King's Lieutenants in the Duchy (1278–1453)"
''The Gascon Rolls Project (1317–1468)''. but failed to take
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
. During Easter of 1295 he had to flee the town of
Rions
Rions is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Gironde department
The following is a list of the 535 communes of the Gironde department of France.
The c ...
. In January 1297 he shared defeat at the
Siege of Bellegarde with
Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln
Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln (c. 1251February 1311), Baron of Pontefract, Lord of Bowland, Baron of Halton and hereditary Constable of Chester, was an English nobleman and confidant of King Edward I. He served Edward in Wales, France, and S ...
. After this defeat, he returned to England.
Despite his poor results in France he remained highly regarded by his uncle King Edward I, who treated him almost as a son. After his return to England John became involved in the
Scottish Wars
The Wars of Scottish Independence were a series of military campaigns fought between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.
The First War (1296–1328) began with the English invasion of ...
. He was probably at the
Battle of Falkirk in 1298. He was certainly at the
Siege of Caerlaverock
Caerlaverock Castle is a moated triangular castle first built in the 13th century. It is located on the southern coast of Scotland, south of Dumfries, on the edge of the Caerlaverock National Nature Reserve. Caerlaverock was a stronghold o ...
in 1300. The nobles who joined Edward I at the Siege of Caerlaverock, including John of Brittany, were commemorated in the Roll of Caerlaverock which named each noble and described their banner. In this roll, the banner and description of John of Brittany immediately follows that of his uncle King Edward I.
His father, the
Duke of Brittany
This is a list of rulers of the Duchy of Brittany. In different epochs the sovereigns of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary r ...
, died in 1305, and was succeeded as duke by John's elder brother,
Arthur
Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...
. The following year Edward I invested John with his father's other title, Earl of Richmond. In addition Edward I appointed him
Guardian of Scotland
The Guardians of Scotland were regents who governed the Kingdom of Scotland from 1286 until 1292 and from 1296 until 1306. During the many years of minority in Scotland's subsequent history, there were many guardians of Scotland and the post was ...
, a position which was confirmed upon the accession of
Edward II in 1307.
Service to Edward II
The English court viewed John of Brittany as a trusted diplomat. He was a skilled negotiator, and his French connections were a useful asset. By 1307 he was also one of the kingdom's oldest earls. 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
Pope Clement V ( la, Clemens Quintus; c. 1264 – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his de ...
on behalf of Edward's
favourite
A favourite (British English) or favorite (American English) was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In post-classical and early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated s ...
Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall (c. 1284 – 19 June 1312) was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favourite of Edward II of England.
At a young age, Gaveston made a good impression on King Edward I, who assigned him to the househ ...
. John was allegedly Gaveston's close personal friend, and did not share the antagonistic attitudes held by certain other earls.
Lord Ordainers
![Castle of Richmond 04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Castle_of_Richmond_04.JPG)
By 1310 the relationship between Edward II and his earls had deteriorated to the point where a committee of earls took control of government from the king. The earls disobeyed a royal order not to carry arms to parliament, and in full military attire presented a demand to the king for the appointment of a commission of reform. At the heart of the deteriorating situation was the peers' opinion of Edward II's relationship with
Piers Gaveston
Piers Gaveston, Earl of Cornwall (c. 1284 – 19 June 1312) was an English nobleman of Gascon origin, and the favourite of Edward II of England.
At a young age, Gaveston made a good impression on King Edward I, who assigned him to the househ ...
, and his reputedly outrageous behaviour. On 16 March 1310, the king agreed to the appointment of Ordainers, who were to be in charge of the reform of the royal household. John of Brittany was one of eight earls appointed to this committee of 21, referred to as the
Lords Ordainers. He was among the Ordainers considered loyal to Edward II and was also by this time one of the older remaining earls.
John then travelled to France for diplomatic negotiations, before returning to England. Gaveston was exiled by the Ordainers but later made an irregular return. Gaveston was killed in June 1312 by
Thomas of Lancaster
Thomas of Lancaster, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, 2nd Earl of Leicester, 2nd Earl of Derby, ''jure uxoris'' 4th Earl of Lincoln and ''jure uxoris'' 5th Earl of Salisbury (c. 1278 – 22 March 1322) was an English nobleman. A member of the House of Pl ...
and other nobles. It fell upon John, together with
Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, to reconcile the two parties after this event. In 1313 he followed Edward II on a state visit to France, and thereafter generally remained a trusted subject. In 1318 he witnessed the
Treaty of Leake
The Treaty of Leake was an agreement between the "Middle Party", including courtier adherents of Edward II of England, and the king's cousin, the Earl Thomas of Lancaster and his followers. It was signed at Leake in Nottinghamshire on 9 August 1 ...
, which restored Edward to full power.
War with Scotland
In 1320 he again accompanied Edward II to France, and the next year he carried out peace negotiations with the Scots. When in 1322 Thomas of Lancaster rebelled and was defeated at the
Battle of Boroughbridge
The Battle of Boroughbridge was fought on 16 March 1322 in England between a group of rebellious barons and the forces of King Edward II, near Boroughbridge, north-west of York. The culmination of a long period of antagonism between the King a ...
, Richmond was present at his trial, and when Lancaster was sentenced to death. After this, the English invaded Scotland only to have their army starved when
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
burned the country before them. The Bruce brought his army into England and crossed the
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth ( gd, Tràchd Romhra) is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria (including the Solway Plain) and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven ...
in the west, making his way in a south-easterly direction towards Yorkshire; he brought many troops recruited in Argyll and the Isles. The boldness and speed of the attack soon exposed Edward II to danger, even in his own land. On his return from Scotland, the king had taken up residence at
Rievaulx Abbey
Rievaulx Abbey was a Cistercian abbey in Rievaulx, near Helmsley, in the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire, England. It was one of the great abbeys in England until it was seized in 1538 under Henry VIII during the Dissolutio ...
with Queen Isabella. His peace was interrupted when the Scots made a sudden and unexpected approach in mid-October. All that stood between them and a royal prize was a large English force under the command of John of Brittany. John had taken up a position on Scawton Moor, between
Rievaulx and
Byland Abbey
Byland Abbey is a ruined abbey and a small village in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England, in the North York Moors National Park.
History
It was founded as a Savigniac abbey in January 1135 and was absorbed by the Cistercian orde ...
. To dislodge John from his strong position on the high ground, Bruce used the same tactics that brought victory at the earlier
Battle of the Pass of Brander
The Battle of the Pass of Brander in Scotland forms a small part of the wider struggle known as the Wars of Scottish Independence, and a large part of the civil war between the Bruce and Balliol factions, a parallel and overlapping conflict. ...
. As
Moray and
Douglas
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*Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civi ...
charged uphill a party of Highlanders scaled the cliffs on the English flanks and charged downhill into John of Brittany's rearguard. Resistance crumbled, and the
Battle of Old Byland
The Battle of Old Byland (also known as the Battle of Byland Abbey, the Battle of Byland Moor and the Battle of Scotch Corner) was a significant encounter between Scots and English troops in Yorkshire in October 1322, forming part of the War ...
turned into a rout. John himself was taken prisoner and given a tongue lashing by King
Robert the Bruce
Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...
for his treatment of the Scottish Queen while she was an English prisoner.
John remained in captivity until 1324, when he was released for a ransom of 14,000
marks
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* Marks & Co, the inspiration for the novel ...
.
After his release, he continued his diplomatic activities in Scotland and France.
Final years
In March 1325 John of Brittany made a final return to France, where for the first time he made himself a clear opponent of Edward II. His lands in England were confiscated by the Crown. In France, John aligned himself with Queen
Isabella
Isabella may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Isabella (surname), including a list of people
Places
United States
* Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpor ...
, Edward II's wife, who had been sent on a diplomatic mission to France, and had disobeyed her husband's orders to return to England. Later when Edward II was forced to abdicate and his son Edward III ascended to the English throne, John of Brittany's English lands were restored. He spent his last years 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
, image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg
, image_size = 200px
, caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans
, abbreviation = OFM
, predecessor =
, ...
in
Nantes.
John of Brittany never married and as far as is known had no issue. He was succeeded as
Earl of Richmond
The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was initially held by various Breton nobles; sometimes the holder was the Breton duke himself, including one member of the ca ...
by his nephew
John
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Secon ...
(Arthur's son).
Notes
References
Sources
*
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Further reading
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Richmond, John of Brittany, Earl of
Earls of Richmond (1268 creation)
1266 births
1334 deaths
Guardians of Scotland
House of Dreux
13th-century Breton people
English people of the Wars of Scottish Independence
13th-century English people
14th-century English people