Joan FitzAlan, Countess of Hereford

Lady Joan FitzAlan was a notable English noblewoman who held the titles of Countess of Hereford, Essex, and Northampton. Born at Arundel Castle, Sussex, she was the eldest daughter of Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel, and Eleanor of Lancaster. Her marriage to Humphrey de Bohun, a prominent nobleman, produced two daughters, Eleanor de Bohun and Mary de Bohun, the latter becoming the first wife of Henry of Bolingbroke, who ascended to the throne as King Henry IV. Joan FitzAlan became the maternal grandmother of King Henry V. Following the death of her husband in 1373, she managed her extensive dowry, becoming a principal landowner in Essex. Joan was involved in various property transactions and acted as an intercessor with the royal government. Her stern character was highlighted by her decisive action against John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter, whom she ordered to be beheaded without trial in 1400.

Joan was a patron of religious institutions and contributed to the expansion and industrialization of her lands. She maintained her influence and control over forfeited estates until her death in 1419. Her final resting place is in Walden Abbey alongside her husband. Joan FitzAlan appears as a character in Georgette Heyer’s novel ‘My Lord John,’ set during the reign of King Henry IV.