John of Gaunt

John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, fourth son of Edward III., was born 24th June 1340 at Ghent, during his father's visit to Flanders. In 1359 he married Blanche, heiress of the duchy of Lancaster, and himself was created duke in 1362. Three years after her death he married in 1372 Constance, daughter of Pedro the Cruel of Castile, and assumed the title of king of Castile, though the country and crown were seized and held by Henry of Trastamare. The military expeditions which John organised against his rival all proved unsuccessful. Towards the close of his aged father's reign John gradually became the most influential personage in the realm. He was an ambitious man, and put himself in opposition to the party of his brother the Black Prince, and is suspected of having entertained the design of succeeding his father as king. He also opposed the party of the clergy, and lent support to Wyclif and his followers. But he was very unpopular with the common people; and during Wat Tyler's revolt they burned his palace of the Savoy, in London. The young king Richard, distrusting him too, contrived to send him away on another expedition for the recovery of his crown in Spain. On this occasion John concluded a definite peace with Henry of Trastamare, in virtue of which John's daughter Catharine should succeed as queen of Castile. On his return to England after three years' absence he was able to reconcile the young king to his (John's) brother Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester. After this Richard II. seems to have reposed more confidence in John, for he made him Duke of Aquitaine, and entrusted him with several embassies to France. But John of Gaunt gradually ceased to be a factor in English politics, and died on 3d February 1399. On the death of his second wife he had married in 1396 his mistress, Catharine Swynford, by whom he was already the father of three sons and a daughter. These were legitimated in 1397, and from the eldest were descended Henry VII.