John Harpeden I facts for kids
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Sir John Harpeden was an English knight and leader. He lived during the Hundred Years' War, a long conflict between England and France. Sir John worked for Edward III of England in France. He held important jobs, like being a seneschal (a type of governor or royal official). He was the seneschal of Saintonge from 1371 to 1372. Later, he became the seneschal of Aquitaine from 1385 to 1389. His family later became important French lords. People sometimes call him John Harpeden the Elder to tell him apart from his son, Jean Harpedenne II.
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Serving in Saintonge (1371–1372)
Sir John Harpeden was the seneschal of Saintonge. This was a region in France. He worked for John of Gaunt, who was the king's son. John of Gaunt was in charge of Aquitaine at the time. In 1371, when John of Gaunt went back to England, he left a castle called La Roche-sur-Yon. Sir John Harpeden shared control of this castle with two other knights. They agreed to pay for the castle's upkeep. They also agreed to pay rent to Edward the Black Prince, who was the Duke of Aquitaine. They planned to get this money by taking property from traitors and raiding French lands.
The Battle of La Rochelle
In June 1372, Sir John was still the seneschal of Saintonge. An English fleet, led by the Earl of Pembroke, was trapped in La Rochelle. A Spanish fleet was blocking them. Sir John worked all night to find more soldiers. He gathered Gascon soldiers from nearby forts. He also took control of four barges. He sent messages to other English leaders, asking for help. However, the people of La Rochelle would not let him use their ships.
Sir John reached Pembroke's ships just before sunrise. A big battle happened, called the Battle of La Rochelle. The English forces lost, and Sir John Harpeden was captured. He was held prisoner until 1378. There was a story, probably not true, that he was set free because he offered to fight two "Ethiopian" non-Christians to defend his faith.
Leading Aquitaine (1385–1389)
Sir John Harpeden returned to France in 1385. King Richard II made him the seneschal of Aquitaine. This region was also known as Gascony. He took over from another leader, William le Scrope. Unlike Scrope, Sir John did not get money from the English treasury. He had to use money from the local area to defend the province.
Fighting for Control
Reports from French officials in Toulouse said that Sir John attacked the French early on. English and Gascon "free companies" (groups of soldiers) started raiding French lands much more often. The Durfort family, led by Gaillard II, attacked the Agenais region. They had 500 soldiers. Sir John also tried to convince local lords in the Agenais to support England. He sent letters all over the region, telling people to obey King Richard II. By the end of 1386, he controlled most of the Agenais and Quercy regions.
In the summer of 1387, the French attacked. Sir John Harpeden organized defenses in two places at once. He defended the Gironde region from a royal invasion. He also defended the Agenais from the Count of Armagnac. Sir John's time as seneschal ended in 1389. A new leader, John Trailly, was appointed on June 25, 1389.
Family Life
Sir John Harpeden was married twice. His first wife was Katherine. We don't know if they had any children.
In the 1360s, he married his second wife, Jeanne. She was the daughter of Olivier IV de Clisson. Jeanne had inherited land when her father died in 1343. Sir John and Jeanne had a son, Jean Harpedenne II. Their son grew up in the home of Jeanne's brother, Olivier V de Clisson. It's thought that Sir John and his son probably didn't see each other after 1372. When Sir John came back to France in 1385, his son was working at the court of King Charles VI.
