Catherine Grandison, Countess of Salisbury ( 1304 – 23 November 1349) was an English noblewoman, remembered for being raped by King

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 from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

and possibly the woman in whose honour the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

was originated. She was the daughter of William de Grandison, 1st Baron Grandison, and Sibylla de Tregoz. Her mother was one of two daughters of John de Tregoz, Baron Tregoz (whose

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

were blazoned ''Gules two bars gemels in chief a lion passant guardant or''), maternal granddaughter of Fulk IV,

Baron FitzWarin Baron FitzWarin (also written FitzWaryn, FitzWarine, and other spellings) was a title in the Peerage of England created by writ of summons for Fulk V FitzWarin in 1295. His family had been magnates for nearly a century, at least since 1205 whe ...

). Catherine married William Montacute, 1st Earl of Salisbury in about 1320. Their children were: *Elizabeth Montacute, b. before 1325, married Hugh le Despencer, Baron le Despencer before 27 April 1341. * William Montacute, 2nd Earl of Salisbury (1328–1397) *Sibyl Montacute, born 1329, died after 1371, married Sir Edmund FitzAlan, Knt. before 1347. * John de Montacute, 1st Baron Montacute, (1330–1390), father of John Montacute, 3rd Earl of Salisbury. *Philippa Montagu, born 1332, died 1381, married Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March. *Agnes Montagu, contracted to marry John, eldest son of Roger Grey, 1st Baron Grey de Ruthyn. According to Jean Le Bel, King Edward III raped Catherine in 1341, according to the ''True Chronicles'' of Jean le Bel he "left her there unconscious, bleeding from her nose, mouth, and elsewhere", after having relieved a Scottish siege on Wark Castle, where she lived, while her husband was out of the country. An Elizabethan play, ''

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

'', deals with this incident. In the play, the Earl of Warwick is the unnamed countess's father. In around 1348, the Order of the Garter was founded by Edward III and it is recorded by Jean Froissart Jean Froissart, ''Chronicles'' that he did so after an incident at a ball when the "Countess of Salisbury" dropped a garter and the king picked it up. It is assumed that Froissart is referring either to Catherine or to her daughter-in-law,

Joan of Kent Joan, Countess of Kent suo jure ( – August 1385),Barber, R. (2004, 23 September). Joan, suo jure countess of Kent, and princess of Wales and of Aquitaine alled the Fair Maid of Kent(c. 1328–1385). ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biog ...

. In 1836

Alexandre Dumas Alexandre Dumas (born Alexandre Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas , was a French novelist and playwright. His works have been translated into many languages and he is one of the mos ...

's first serialised novel '' The Countess of Salisbury'' was based on her life.

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Salisbury, Catherine Grandison, Countess of 1349 deaths Mistresses of English royalty 14th-century English nobility English countesses Daughters of barons Year of birth uncertain Catherine Catherine 14th-century English women