John Mowbray, 2nd Duke of Norfolk facts for kids
John de Mowbray (born 1392 – died 19 October 1432) was an important English nobleman and soldier. He became the 2nd Duke of Norfolk, 3rd Earl of Nottingham, and was also known as the 8th Baron Mowbray and 9th Baron Segrave. He was also a Knight of the Garter and the Earl Marshal.
John was the younger son of the first Duke of Norfolk, Thomas de Mowbray. He inherited his father's earldom of Norfolk when his older brother rebelled against King Henry IV and was executed. This happened before his brother was old enough to officially inherit. Because his mother lived a long time and kept a large part of the family's lands, John was often short on money, even though he was an important person in politics.
To help with his money problems, John joined the Hundred Years' War in France, which was a popular choice for young nobles. He fought alongside King Henry V and later for the young King Henry VI. He missed the famous Battle of Agincourt because he became very ill.
After his mother passed away in 1425, John's financial situation improved greatly. He inherited more lands and was promoted from Earl of Norfolk to Duke of Norfolk. He was married to Katherine Neville and they had one son, also named John. John de Mowbray died in 1432.
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Early Life and Family History
John Mowbray was born in Calais in 1392. He was the younger son of Thomas Mowbray, the 1st Duke of Norfolk, and Elizabeth Fitzalan. His father died in 1399.
In 1405, John's older brother, Thomas, rebelled against King Henry IV. The rebellion failed, and Thomas was beheaded for treason. This meant that John, at about 13 years old, inherited his father's titles as the 5th Earl of Norfolk and 3rd Earl of Nottingham.
Growing Up as a Ward
When John was about 15 in 1407, he became a "ward" of his great-aunt, Joan, Countess of Hereford. This meant she was his guardian and looked after him. She lived in Essex, and John likely lived with her there. The king paid her money to cover his living costs.
By 1410, John left his great-aunt's care and became a ward of the king's household. Even though he was still young, he slowly started to get some of his family's lands back from the crown. In 1411, he became a ward of the Earl of Westmorland, who paid a large sum of money to become John's guardian and arrange his marriage.
Marriage and Important Role
On 12 January 1412, John married Katherine Neville, the Earl of Westmorland's oldest daughter. Around this time, he also got back his family's special job as Earl Marshal. This role had been given to Westmorland after John's father died. Historians believe that King Henry V wanted to make peace with families who had rebelled against his father, and giving John back this important role was part of that plan.
When King Henry IV died in March 1413, his son became King Henry V. John Mowbray likely performed his duties as Earl Marshal for the first time at Henry V's coronation in April that year. He was paid with a silver dish for his service.
Fighting in France: The Hundred Years' War
Serving King Henry V
By 1414, King Henry V was openly saying he had a right to the French throne. In April 1415, John Mowbray agreed to serve the King in France. He promised to bring four knights, 45 men-at-arms, and 150 archers. He also had to pay for supplies like tents, horses, armor, and weapons, as well as support staff like surgeons and cooks. This cost him a lot of money, and he didn't get all of it back from the king.
John's finances were so bad that he had to borrow money. He even pressured some innocent but wealthy townsmen, claiming they were runaway peasants, to get money from them. The war campaign ended up costing John Mowbray more than he was paid.
Just before the King's army left for France in August 1415, a plot against Henry V was discovered. As Earl Marshal, John Mowbray led the investigation into this plot and helped judge the conspirators, who were sentenced to death.
The English army landed in France on 14 August. John Mowbray took part in the first big fight, the siege of Harfleur. However, he caught dysentery, a serious illness that affected many soldiers. He had to return to England in October to recover. Because of this, he missed the famous Battle of Agincourt, which happened on 25 October. He recovered at his family home in Epworth and was well enough to welcome King Henry V back to London in November.
The next year, John Mowbray agreed to go to France again, this time with an even bigger force. He stayed in France for five years. During this time, he took part in major sieges, including those of Caen, Louviers, and Rouen. In February 1419, he was made captain of two French towns. He also helped in the sieges of Évreux, Vernon, Ivry, Gisors, and Melun. He played a big part in the surrender of Melun in October 1419.
In 1420, John Mowbray continued to be successful in the military. He spent Christmas 1419 with the king in Rouen. In March, he captured the town of Fresnay-le-Vicomte and helped defeat the French Dauphin (prince) in the Battle of Le Mans. He later became captain of Pontoise, which was a demanding job. This kept him from going to England with the king for his marriage and coronation.
Serving with the Duke of Gloucester
In 1424, John Mowbray joined his friend Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, on an unusual expedition. The duke decided to invade the county of Hainaut. Mowbray traveled with him and was his military commander. This trip was likely profitable for Mowbray.
Serving King Henry VI
John Mowbray was still in France when King Henry V returned in 1421. He continued to fight on the front lines. When the king died unexpectedly on 31 August 1422, John returned to England with the king's body.
He joined the royal council, which was set up to govern England while the new King Henry VI was still a child. John's presence brought a younger voice to the council. He didn't attend every meeting, but within a year, he agreed to serve abroad again. He brought a large force of men-at-arms and archers. He helped defend English lands in France and clear Normandy of enemy forces.
Although he was a leader in the royal armies, John's excitement for military service began to fade. This was partly because his strong loyalty was to Henry V, who was now gone. Since the new king was a baby, there weren't many major campaigns, and John's role as Earl Marshal was not used as much. In May 1426, the young King Henry VI knighted John Mowbray's son, also named John.
Later Life and Passing
In November 1428, John Mowbray nearly drowned in the River Thames when his boat overturned after hitting London Bridge. He lost several members of his household in this accident.
John was part of the council that year that spoke out against the Duke of Gloucester's attempts to gain more power. The council was surprised that the duke would try this when the king was getting closer to becoming an adult and taking full control.
By May 1429, John had written his first will. He performed his duties as Earl Marshal again at the king's coronation in Westminster. He also joined the first major campaign of Henry VI's reign. In 1430, the King's Council decided to crown Henry in both England and France. John Mowbray led a large army that went with the king to France. He and other nobles acted as experienced advisors to the king while they were there.
John Mowbray died on 19 October 1432 at Epworth, Lincolnshire. He wrote his second will on the same day. In both wills, he asked for his father's bones to be brought back from Venice and buried on the Isle of Axholme. John also asked to be buried there.
Lands and Wealth
John Mowbray's wealth was negatively affected by his time serving in France. For example, the Agincourt campaign cost him about £2,000. Even though he fought for many years, he never received any lands or titles from his conquests. He did manage to sell many French prisoners to Lord Fanhope, which brought in some money.
His English lands were also affected because his mother and sister-in-law still held large parts of the family estates. This meant his wealth was "wasted and encumbered" from the moment he inherited it. However, when his mother died in 1425, John inherited her large estates in East Anglia, especially around Framlingham Castle. This helped him gain recognition as the Duke of Norfolk.
Although he wasn't always very active on the King's Council, he received 300 marks a year for the job. Even when he died, the government still owed him a large amount of money in salary. He was the first Mowbray to own the Brotherton and Seagrave estates, which had belonged to his great-grandmother. These lands were very valuable and gave him new influence in East Anglia, away from his family's traditional home in Lincolnshire.
Duke of Norfolk Title
Throughout his life, John Mowbray was very focused on his "rights and privileges." He even argued with King Henry V about the powers of his Earl Marshal office. He wanted to increase his own authority. He had a dispute with Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, claiming that his earldom of Norfolk was more important than Warwick's.
This argument started in 1414 and wasn't settled until 1425, when the matter was brought to Parliament. To avoid choosing a side, Parliament suggested that John Mowbray be given back his family's dukedom.
A month later, on 14 July, John Mowbray paid respect to King Henry VI as the second Mowbray Duke of Norfolk. This was meant to soothe his pride and end the disagreement.
Family Life
John Mowbray married Lady Katherine Neville, the daughter of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland. They had one son, also named John, who was born just before his father returned ill from France in 1415.
Seventeen-year-old John Mowbray inherited the dukedom of Norfolk when his father died in October 1432. Katherine, his mother, lived for over 50 more years and married three more times after John's death.
Besides his elder brother, John Mowbray had three sisters: Elizabeth, Margaret, and Isabel. Because of their brother Thomas's treason, the sisters had to marry into families that were not as wealthy or powerful as they might have hoped.
Elizabeth married Michael de la Pole, 3rd Earl of Suffolk. Margaret married Sir Robert Howard, and their son, John Howard, later became an important figure in the Wars of the Roses. He was granted the dukedom of Norfolk in 1483 by King Richard III. Isabel married twice, first to Sir Henry Ferrers and then to James Berkeley.
Character and Personality
Historians describe John Mowbray as someone who didn't always put a lot of effort into politics. His contributions were often "routine" or "half-hearted," and he didn't actively participate much in domestic politics. Most of the council meetings he attended were about planning his military trips abroad. He generally did the minimum expected of him in running the country while the king was a child.
However, he was friends with both the Duke of Gloucester and Cardinal Beaufort, two powerful figures who often argued. John Mowbray helped keep the peace and settled disputes between them. But he was also capable of getting into his own arguments, as shown in November 1428 when he had a violent dispute with the Earl of Huntingdon. This argument was so serious that both lords were removed from a court while the Duke of Gloucester personally investigated the "long-standing feud."
