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Joan Beaufort Countess of Westmorland

c. 1377 - 13 November 1440

House: Beaufort, Neville

Titles: Countess of Westmorland, Lady of the Order of the Garter

Joan Beaufort was born around 1377 and died on 13 November 1440. She was the youngest of the four legitimised children and the only daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, by his mistress and later wife, Katherine Swynford. Joan married Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, and after his death, she became a powerful landowner in northern England.

Joan’s influence extended beyond her widowhood, as she became a patron of literature and a significant figure in arranging the marriages of her children to other noble families. Her descendants played crucial roles in English history, including kings Edward IV and Richard III, as well as Henry VIII’s sixth wife, Catherine Parr.

Notable events

  • September 1396
    Legitimised by papal bull along with her siblings.
  • 1391/2
    Marriage to Robert Ferrers, 5th Baron Boteler of Wem.
  • November 1396
    Marriage to Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland.
  • 1399
    Made a Lady of the Order of the Garter by King Richard II.
  • 1399
    Henry IV, Joan's half-brother, deposes Richard II and grants lands and titles to Joan and Ralph.
  • 1423
    Purchased the wardship of Richard of York, who later married Cecily Neville, Joan's daughter.
  • 1425
    Ralph de Neville's death leads to Joan's inheritance of lands and the beginning of the Neville–Neville feud.
  • 1430
    Depicted in the Neville Book of Hours by Pol de Limbourg.
  • 1428
    Joan undertakes a religious pilgrimage and joins the Sisterhood of the Abbey of St. Alban's.
  • 1440
    Joan's death marks the end of her direct influence, but her legacy continues through her descendants.

Other details

Death: Joan Beaufort died at the age of approximately 62-63 in Howden, Yorkshire. She was buried in Lincoln Cathedral, Lincolnshire.

Children: 2 with Robert Ferrers; 14 with Ralph de Neville

Marriages: Robert Ferrers, 5th Baron Boteler of Wem; Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland

Parents: John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford

Sources

ionicons-v5-r
Compiled from various 3rd hand sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/