Sir Otho Holand (c. 1316–3 September 1359) was an English soldier and a founder

Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George ...

. He was alternatively called Otes or Eton Holand or Holland. He was born in Brackley, Northamptonshire, a younger son of

Robert de Holland, 1st Baron Holand Robert de Holland, 1st Baron Holand ( 1283 – October 1328) was an English nobleman, born in Lancashire. Early life Holland was a son of Sir Robert de Holland of Upholland, Lancashire, and Elizabeth, daughter of William de Samlesbury. Hollan ...

of Upholland, Lancashire, by his wife Maud la Zouch. One of his brothers was

Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent Thomas Holland, 2nd Baron Holand, and ''jure uxoris'' 1st Earl of Kent, KG (c. 131426 December 1360) was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. By the time of the Crécy campaign, he had apparently lost one of ...

, and also a founder Knight of the Garter. Otho joined his brother Thomas in Edward III's military expedition to

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

in 1346 and fought at the

Battle of Caen The Battle for Caen (June to August 1944) is the name given to fighting between the British Second Army and the German in the Second World War for control of the city of Caen and its vicinity during the larger Battle of Normandy. The battles ...

. There the

Constable of France The Constable of France (french: Connétable de France, from Latin for 'count of the stables') was lieutenant to the King of France, the first of the original five Great Officers of the Crown (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and ...

surrendered himself to his brother who sold him to the King. Back in England the Constable was given to Otho to guard until he could be ransomed but Otho allowed his prisoner too much freedom (by allowing him to cross to France on parole) and was heavily censured as a result. In 1348 he was invested, along with his brother Thomas, as a founder knight of the new

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...

and allocated stall 23 at the home of the order in

St George's Chapel St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is both a Royal Peculiar (a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch) and the Chapel of the Order of the Gart ...

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original cast ...

. In 1355 he again joined his brother Thomas on a campaign in France, but was taken prisoner in Dauphiny and ransomed. He was made Governor of the

Channel Islands The Channel Islands ( nrf, Îles d'la Manche; french: îles Anglo-Normandes or ''îles de la Manche'') are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, ...

in 1359. He died childless in Normandy in 1359. His estates went to his brothers Robert and Thomas.

References

1316 births 1359 deaths People from Brackley English soldiers Garter Knights appointed by Edward III

Otho Marcus Otho (; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was the seventh Roman emperor, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors. A member of a noble Etru ...

Military personnel from Northamptonshire People of the Hundred Years' War {{England-mil-bio-stub