Joan Holland facts for kids

Joan Holland was an important English noblewoman who lived from about 1380 to 1434. She was the third daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, and Alice FitzAlan. Joan married four times in her life. Her first husband was a powerful duke, and her next three husbands were barons. It is believed that she did not have any children from these marriages.

Joan Holland's Family Background

Joan Holland was born around 1380 in a place called Upholland, in Lancashire, England. She was one of ten children born to Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent, and Alice FitzAlan. Her mother, Alice, was the sister of Richard Fitzalan, 11th Earl of Arundel.

Joan was also the niece of Richard II of England, who was the king at the time. This was because her grandmother, Joan of Kent, had married Edward, the Black Prince, who was King Richard II's father.

Joan had five sisters. Alianore became a Countess. Margaret became a Countess and later a Duchess. Eleanor also became a Countess. Elizabeth married a knight named Sir John Neville. Her sister Bridget became a nun, living a religious life at Barking Abbey.

Joan's oldest brother, Thomas Holland, 1st Duke of Surrey, was involved in a plan to remove King Henry IV of England from the throne. This plan was called the Epiphany Rising. In 1400, Thomas was killed by an angry crowd in Cirencester because of his role in this plot. After Thomas's death, her second oldest brother, Edmund Holland, became the new Earl of Kent.

Joan Holland's Marriages and Life Events

Joan Holland's life was marked by several important marriages and historical events.

First Marriage to Edmund of Langley

Around November 4, 1393, Joan married Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York. Edmund was a son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. Because of this marriage, Joan became known as the Duchess of York. They did not have any children together.

Lady Companions of the Garter

In 1399, Joan and her sister Margaret were given a special honor. They were made "Lady Companions of the Garter." The Order of the Garter is a very old and important group of knights and ladies in England. It is said that their grandmother, Joan of Kent, also known as the "Fair Maid of Kent," inspired King Edward III to create this special order.

Second Marriage to William de Willoughby

After her first husband, Edmund, passed away in 1402, Joan married again before August 9, 1404. Her second husband was William de Willoughby, the 5th Lord Willoughby de Eresby. He was also a Knight of the Garter. After this marriage, Joan became known as The Baroness Willoughby de Eresby, or Lady Willoughby. Lord Willoughby died on November 30, 1409.

Third Marriage to Henry le Scrope

After September 6, 1410, Joan married for the third time to Henry le Scrope, the 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham. In the same year, Henry Scrope was also made a Knight of the Garter.

Henry Scrope worked for King Henry IV of England as a treasurer. However, in 1415, he was involved in a plan called the Southampton Plot. This plan was with the Earl of Cambridge to remove King Henry V from power and put Edmund Mortimer, 5th Earl of March on the throne. Edmund Mortimer was Joan's nephew. Both Lord Scrope and the Earl of Cambridge were put to death on August 5, 1415, in Southampton Green, Hampshire.

The Earl of Cambridge's young son, Richard Plantagenet, later continued his father's fight for the throne. This struggle eventually led to a big conflict known as the Wars of the Roses, where different families fought for control of England.

Fourth Marriage to Henry Bromflete

Less than a year after her third husband's death, before April 27, 1416, Joan married for the fourth and final time. Her last husband was Sir Henry Bromflete.

Joan Holland passed away on April 12, 1434. Her last husband, Sir Henry Bromflete, later became Baron Vessy in 1449 and died in 1469.