John II, the Hunchback, (born 1333, died 26 May 1384), Count of
Armagnac
Armagnac (, ) is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditionally ...
, of Fézensac,
Rodez (1371–1384) and
Count of Charolais
Charolais (; also Charollais) is a historic region of France, named after the central town of Charolles, and located in today's Saône-et-Loire ''département'', in Burgundy.
History
It was held by the French noble house of Chalon-Arlay, until ...
(1364–1384), Viscount Lomagne and Auvillars, he was the son of
John I, Count of Armagnac
John I of Armagnac (French: Jean d’Armagnac; 1311 – 16 May 1373), son of Bernard VI and Cecilia Rodez, was Count of Armagnac from 1319 to 1373. In addition to Armagnac he controlled territory in Quercy, Rouergue and Gévaudan. He was the coun ...
, of Fezensac and Rodez, Viscount Lomagne and Auvillars and Beatrix de Clermont, great-granddaughter of
Louis IX of France.
During the life of his father, he bore the title of lord, and subsequently, Count of Charolais, which he had received from his mother. Also, during his life, the government of
Languedoc
The Province of Languedoc (; , ; oc, Lengadòc ) is a former province of France.
Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately ...
was entrusted to him.
Hundred Years War
Since 1351, he actively participated in the battles of the
Hundred Years' War, fighting under the command of his father, or for his lord,
Philip III, Duke of Burgundy
Philip III (french: Philippe le Bon; nl, Filips de Goede; 31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467) was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty, to which all 15th-century kings of France belonged ...
, or
John, Duke of Berry
John of Berry or John the Magnificent (French: ''Jean de Berry'', ; 30 November 1340 – 15 June 1416) was Duke of Berry and Auvergne and Count of Poitiers and Montpensier. He was Regent of France during the minority of his nephew 1380-1388 ...
, or the king of France.
As lord of Charolais he was not required, according to the terms of the
Treaty of Brétigny
The Treaty of Brétigny was a treaty, drafted on 8 May 1360 and ratified on 24 October 1360, between Kings Edward III of England and John II of France. In retrospect, it is seen as having marked the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years ...
, to pay a humiliating tribute to those he had fought for several years;
Edward III, king of England, and his son,
The Black Prince
Edward of Woodstock, known to history as the Black Prince (15 June 1330 – 8 June 1376), was the eldest son of King Edward III of England, and the heir apparent to the English throne. He died before his father and so his son, Richard II, su ...
, Prince of Wales. But it was the first and only time, to support the call from
King Charles V against the actions of the Prince of Wales, which ultimately led to the liberation of
Biscay
Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
B ...
from the English occupation.
Peace with De Foix
In 1379 he concluded with
Gaston III Phoebus, a peace consolidated by the marriage of his daughter Beatrice with the son of Gaston Phoebus. Thus ended this unfortunate quarrel which for 89 years, had opposed the two most powerful families in the south of France.
Trial
Through the intrigues of the Duke of Berry, against his brother, the Duke of Burgundy, John was summoned to court to defend himself against these charges:
* Procuring an alliance with England;
* Being in league with
free companies;
* Have tried, in concert with the Count of Foix, to share Languedoc.
John never stood trial, having died at
Avignon in 1384.
Marriage & Children
On 21 November 1359 he married Jeanne de Périgord, daughter of Roger Bernard, Count of Périgord, and Eleanor de Vendôme. They had three children:
*
John III, (1359 to 1391), Count of Armagnac.
*
Bernard VII, (1363 to 1418), Count of Armagnac, Constable of France.
* Beatrix (c1365), married in 1379 to Gaston de Foix († 1381), son of
Gaston III, Count of Foix
Gaston Fébus (also spelt Phoebus) (30 April 1331 – 1391) was the eleventh count of Foix (as Gaston III) and twenty-fourth viscount of Béarn (as Gaston X) from 1343 until his death.
Early life
Gaston was born either in Orthez or Foix, the e ...
, and 27 January 1382 to Carlo Visconti, lord of Parma, son of
Bernabò Visconti
Bernabò or Barnabò Visconti (1323 – 19 December 1385) was an Italian soldier and statesman who was Lord of Milan. Along with his brothers Matteo and Galeazzo II, he inherited the lordship of Milan from his uncle Giovanni. Later in 1355, he a ...
and
Beatrice Regina della Scala
Beatrice ''Regina'' della Scala (1331 – 18 June 1384) was Lady of Milan by marriage to Bernabò Visconti, Lord of Milan, and politically active as the adviser of her spouse.Tuchman, p.333
Life
Beatrice Regina was born in Verona in 1331,Charle ...
.
John also had several illegitimate children:
* Jean, Bastard of Armagnac († 8 October 1409), bishop of Mende and archbishop of Auch.
[ Joseph Vaissète, ''Histoire générale de Languedoc'', Vol.3, 68.]
* Bertrand, Bastard of Armagnac († 1403), master of the Château de Villiers in Armagnac.
Ancestry
References
Sources
*
*
* ''The Americana: a universal reference library'', Vol.2, Ed. Frederick Converse Beach, George Edwin Rines, 1912.
* ''Histoire générale de Languedoc'', Vol.3, Ed. Claude de Vic,
Joseph Vaissete, Alexandre Du Mège, 1841.
{{DEFAULTSORT:John 02 Of Armagnac
1333 births
1384 deaths
Counts of Armagnac