John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset

c. 1373 – 16 March 1410

House: Beaufort, Plantagenet

Titles: 1st Marquess of Somerset, 1st Marquess of Dorset, 1st Earl of Somerset, KG

John Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Somerset and 1st Marquess of Dorset, later known as the 1st Earl of Somerset, KG, was an English nobleman and politician born around 1373 and died on 16 March 1410. He was the eldest of four children born to John of Gaunt and his mistress Katherine Swynford, whom Gaunt married in 1396.

The legitimacy of the Beaufort children was affirmed by parliament under King Richard II in 1397 and by Pope Boniface IX in September 1396. Although they were Edward III’s grandchildren and followed their father’s legitimate heirs in the line of succession, they were excluded from the throne by their half-brother Henry IV.

Notable events

c. 1373
Birth of John Beaufort, son of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford
1396
Marriage of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford, legitimizing their children
September 1396
Legitimacy of Beaufort children confirmed by Pope Boniface IX
1397
Parliament declares Beaufort children legitimate during the reign of King Richard II
1399
Death of John of Gaunt
1399
Accession of Henry IV, half-brother to John Beaufort, who bars Beauforts from succession
16 March 1410
Death of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset
16 March 1410
John Beaufort's role as a nobleman and politician during the early 15th century
Posthumous
John Beaufort's descendants would later play significant roles in English history

Other details

Death: Died at the age of approximately 37 on 16 March 1410; buried at St Michael's Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral.

Children: 5 legitimate (Henry, Joan, John, Thomas, Edmund, Margaret)

Marriages: Married to Margaret Holland

Parents: John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford

Sources

Compiled from various 3rd hand sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/