Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster

Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster, was born around 1278 as the eldest son of Edmund Crouchback and Blanche of Artois. He was a member of the first House of Lancaster, a cadet branch of the Plantagenet dynasty. Through his mother, he was a half-brother to Queen Joan I of Navarre. His marriage to Alice de Lacy was troubled, and they had no children together, though he fathered two illegitimate sons.

Thomas inherited the titles of Earl of Lancaster, Leicester, and Derby in 1296, and later became Earl of Lincoln and Salisbury through his marriage. He was a prominent figure in the baronial opposition against King Edward II, his cousin. Thomas was involved in the execution of Piers Gaveston, the king's favorite, in 1312. He effectively ruled England for a period after the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, but struggled to maintain order.

In 1321, Thomas led a rebellion against the king's new favorites, the Despensers, but was defeated at the Battle of Boroughbridge in 1322. Captured and tried for treason, he was not allowed to speak in his defense. His execution was carried out by beheading due to his royal blood, and his titles and estates were forfeited.

Thomas died on 22 March 1322 near Pontefract Castle at the age of approximately 43 or 44. His brother Henry later regained the earldoms, and Thomas was posthumously venerated as a martyr and saint.