John of Gaunt
[Mid. Eng. Gaunt=Ghent, his birthplace], 1340-99, duke of Lancaster; fourth son of Edward III of England. He married (1 359) Blanche, heiress of Lancaster, and through her became earl (1361) and duke (1362) of Lancaster. The Lancaster hold ings made him the wealthiest and one of the most influential nobles in England. He served under his brother, Edward th e Black Prince, in the Hundred Years War and went (1367) on his campaign to aid Peter the Cruel of Castile. After the d eath of Blanche he married (1371) Peter's daughter, Constance, and thus gained a claim to the Castilian throne. When th e Black Prince became ill during the French campaign of 1370-71, John took chief command. In 1373 he led his army fro m Calais to Bordeaux, but the expedition accomplished little. After a truce was reached (1375) he returned to England , where he allied himself with the corrupt court party led by Alice Perrers, mistress of the aging Edward III. For a sh ort time John of Gaunt in effect ruled England. His party was temporarily dislodged from power by the Good Parliament o f 1376, but John was soon able to restore his friends and assembled a hand-picked Parliament in 1377. Hostility to th e strong clerical party, led by William of Wykeham, caused him to support the movement of John Wyclif. After the access ion (1377) of his nephew, Richard II, John remained the most powerful figure in the government, but he devoted himsel f primarily to military matters. In 1386, allied with John I of Portugal, who married one of his daughters, he led an e xpedition to make good his Castilian claims against John I of Castile. John of Gaunt finally agreed to peace in 1388, t ransferred his claims to his daughter by Constance of Castile, and married her to the future Henry III of Castile. He r eturned to England in 1389, was made duke of Aquitaine, and helped to restore peace between Richard II and the hostil e barons led by Thomas of Woodstock, duke of Gloucester. In 1396, John of Gaunt married Catherine Swynford, many year s his mistress, and had his children by her, under the name of Beaufort, declared legitimate. He died soon after the ki ng had exiled his eldest son, the duke of Hereford (later Henry IV, first of the royal line of Lancaster). John is als o remembered as the patron of the poet Geoffrey Chaucer.

Source:
Encyclopedia.com

• Married:

• Married: 19 MAY 1359

1. Philippa Plantagenet b: 31 MAR 1360
2. Elizabeth Plantagenet b: 1363
3. John Plantagenet b: 1364
4. Edward Plantagenet b: 1365
5. Henry Plantagenet b: 30 MAY 1366 in Castle, Bolingbroke, Lincolnshire, England
6. Isabel Plantagenet b: 1368

• Married: 1371

• Married: 1397

1. John Beaufort b: ABT 1372
2. Joan Beaufort b: 1375
3. Henry Beaufort b: 1376
4. Thomas Beaufort b: 1377

1. Title: World Family Tree Vol. 6
   Author: P. Obrist >> iobrist@mail.win.org
   Publication: August 22, 1996
   Repository: Other
   Repository: http://www.genealogy.com
   Text: P. Obrist pedigree.
   Page: Tree #4225
2. Title: World Family Tree Vol. 4
   Author: Tree # 2598
   Publication: Release date: August 23, 1996
   Repository: Family Archive CD
   Repository: http://www.genealogy.com
   Text: Customer pedigree.
   Page: Tree #2598