John I, Duke of Alençon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jean I, Duke of Alencon
Spouse(s)	Marie of Brittany
Noble family	Valois-Alençon
Father	Peter II of Alençon
Mother	Marie Chamaillard
Born	1385 Château d'Essay
Died	(1415-10-25)25 October 1415 Azincourt

This is the coat of arms for the counts of Perche.

John I of Alençon fighting against Henry of England and Edward of York at the Battle of Agincourt.

John I of Alençon, also known as John the Wise, was a brave French nobleman. He was born in 1385 and sadly died on October 25, 1415, during a famous battle.

John was born in a castle called Essay. His parents were Peter II of Alençon and Marie Chamaillard. When his father passed away in 1404, John took over his titles. He became the Count of Alençon and the Count of Perche. Later, in 1414, he was given an even higher title and became the Duke of Alençon.

A Brave Leader in Battle

John I of Alençon was a key leader in the French army. He commanded a large part of the soldiers at the Battle of Agincourt. This battle took place in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War.

During the fight, the English army broke through the first line of French soldiers. John bravely led a counterattack. Some stories say he fought very well. He is even said to have injured important English leaders. These included Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester and Edward, Duke of York. He also supposedly damaged the crown of King Henry V of England.

However, King Henry's bodyguards eventually surrounded John. He was killed before he could surrender.

His Family

In 1396, John I of Alençon married Marie of Brittany. She was the daughter of John IV, Duke of Brittany. John and Marie had five children together:

• Pierre d'Alençon (born 1407, died 1408)
• Jean d'Alençon, who later became the Duke of Alençon (born 1409, died 1476)
• Marie d'Alençon (born 1410, died 1412)
• Jeanne d'Alençon (born 1412, died 1420)
• Charlotte d'Alençon (born 1413, died 1435)

John also had two children outside of his marriage:

• Pierre d'Alençon (died 1424), who was known as the Lord of Gallandon
• Marguerite d'Alençon, who married Jean de St-Aubin