John IV (15 October 1396 – 5 November 1450) was a

Count of Armagnac The following is a list of rulers of the county of Armagnac: House of Armagnac *William Count of Fézensac and Armagnac ?– 960 * Bernard the Suspicious, First count privative of Armagnac 960– ? * Gerald I Trancaléon ? –1020 * Bernard ...

, Fézensac, and

Rodez Rodez ( or ; oc, Rodés, ) is a small city and commune in the South of France, about 150 km northeast of Toulouse. It is the prefecture of the department of Aveyron, region of Occitania (formerly Midi-Pyrénées). Rodez is the seat of th ...

from 1418 to 1450. He was involved in the intrigues related to the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

and in conflicts against the King of France.

Biography

Born 15 October 1396, John was the son of

Bernard VII of Armagnac Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac (1360 – 12 June 1418) was Count of Armagnac and Constable of France. He was the son of John II, Count of Armagnac, and Jeanne de Périgord. He succeeded in Armagnac at the death of his brother, John III, in ...

, Count d' Armagnac, of Fézensac, Pardiac, and Rodez; and

Bonne of Berry Bonne of Berry (1367 – 30 December 1435) was a French countess. She was Countess of Savoy by marriage to Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy. When she was widowed, she unsuccesfully claimed the regency during her son's minority against her mother-in- ...

. Upon the murder of his father on 12 June 1418 by a mob, John became count of Armagnac. John's father had taken the

County of Comminges This is a list of counts of the County of Comminges. Counts of Comminges House of Comminges House of Lescun ''In 1462, the king of France Louis XI detached the county of Comminges from the royal domain and gave it to his friend.'' * 1462 ...

by force, but John could not prevent the second marriage of Marguerite to Mathieu de Foix in 1419. Subsequently, they retook the County of Comminges. In 1425, John recognized the King of Castile as overlord of Armagnac. The French king, Charles VII, occupied fighting the English, could not intervene, but did not overlook the affront. His conflict with Charles VII encouraged him to seek an approximation with the latter's enemies, namely the English. In July 1437, both John and

King Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English throne at ...

signed a treaty, one of the terms being that Armagnac would not allow his subjects to act with hostility towards the English. John took part in the

Praguerie The Praguerie was a revolt of the French nobility against King Charles VII from February to July 1440. It was so named because a similar rising had recently taken place in Prague, Bohemia, at that time closely associated with France through the ...

(1440) of the barons and the

Dauphin of France Dauphin of France (, also ; french: Dauphin de France ), originally Dauphin of Viennois (''Dauphin de Viennois''), was the title given to the heir apparent to the throne of France from 1350 to 1791, and from 1824 to 1830. The word ''dauphin' ...

, but the coalition was overcome by Charles VII, who pardoned the insurrectionists. John started negotiations for a marriage between one of his daughters and Henry VI of England in 1442. John was anxious for a strong alliance which would protect him from threats by Charles VII, while the English were looking forward to being able to use his lands as a defensive

buffer zone A buffer zone is a neutral zonal area that lies between two or more bodies of land, usually pertaining to countries. Depending on the type of buffer zone, it may serve to separate regions or conjoin them. Common types of buffer zones are demili ...

against French attacks. His strategically located territories in southwestern France made him much better positioned to defend

Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part ...

than the English crown. "...the count of Armagnac was said to have offered a huge dowry in money, lands and men to help defend the borders of Gascony." John seems to have stalled the negotiations as he evaluated whether allying with the English or attempting a reconciliation with Charles VII was the best idea. Regardless, threats from his overlord, coupled with indecisiveness on the part of the English, the marriage negotiations came to an end. John, besieged in L'Isle-Jourdain by Dauphin Louis, was captured and imprisoned in

Carcassonne Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It is the prefecture of the department. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Carcassonne is located in the plain of the Aud ...

in 1444. He was pardoned three years later, but his counties were directed by royal officers.

Marriages and children

John married

Blanche of Brittany Blanche of Brittany (1271–1327) was a daughter of John II, Duke of Brittany, and his wife Beatrice of England. She is also known as Blanche de Dreux. Through her mother she was the granddaughter of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Prov ...

(1395–1419), daughter of

John IV, Duke of Brittany John IV the Conqueror KG (in Breton Yann IV, in French Jean IV, and traditionally in English sources both John of Montfort and John V) (1339 – 1 November 1399), was Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort from 1345 until his death and 7th Ea ...

and Jeanne d' Évreux, on 16 June 1407 and had: *Bonne (b. 1416; † before 1448) He married his second wife on 10 May 1419, shortly after the death of his first wife. His second wife was

Isabella d' Évreux Isabella of Navarre (1395 – 31 August 1450) was the younger surviving daughter of Charles III of Navarre and his wife Eleanor of Castile. She was a member of the House of Évreux. Early life and family Shortly before Isabella's birth, her mo ...

(b. 1395; † 1450), daughter of

Charles III, king of Navarre Charles III (1361 – 8 September 1425), called the Noble, was King of Navarre from 1387 to his death and Count of Évreux from 1387 to 1404, when he exchanged it for the title Duke of Nemours. He spent his reign improving the infrastructure of ...

and Eleanor of Castille. They had: *

Marie of Armagnac Marie of Armagnac (c. 1420–1473) was a French noblewoman, daughter of John IV of Armagnac and his second wife, Isabella of Navarre. Marriage and children On 30 April 1437, Marie became the second wife of John II of Alençon. Their marriage wa ...

(b. 1420; † 1473), married in 1437

John II of Alençon 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 * Seco ...

(1409–1476),

Duke of Alençon Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...

Jean V of Armagnac John V of Armagnac ( Fr.: ''Jean V, comte d'Armagnac'') (1420 – 6 March 1473), the penultimate Count of Armagnac of the older branch. He was the son of John IV of Armagnac and Isabella of Navarre. Life Styled Viscount de Lomagne while his fath ...

(b. 1420; † 1473), Viscount of Lomagne, then Count of Armagnac, of Fézensac and Rodez. *Eléonore (b. 1423; † 1456), married in 1446 Louis II of Chalon-Arlay (b. 1389; † 1463), Prince d'Orange, Lord of Arlay and Arguel *

Charles I, Count of Armagnac Charles d'Armagnac, born 1425, died June 3, 1497, in Castelnau-de-Montmiral at the age of 72 years, was Count of Armagnac and Rodez from 1473 to 1497. He was the son of John IV, Count of Armagnac and Rodez, and Isabella d'Évreux. His older brother, ...

(b. 1425; † 1497), Viscount of Fézensaguet, then Count d' Armagnac, of Fézensac and Rodez * Isabelle (c. 1430 – 1476), Lady of the Four-Valleys

Notes

References

Sources

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External links