Katherine Mortimer, Countess of Warwick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Katherine Mortimer |
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| Countess of Warwick | |
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| Tomb effigies of Katherine Mortimer and Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick, St. Mary's Church, Warwick | |
| Spouse(s) | Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick KG |
| Issue | |
| Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick William de Beauchamp, 1st Baron Bergavenny Maud de Beauchamp, Baroness de Clifford Philippa de Beauchamp, Countess of Stafford Alice de Beauchamp, Baroness Beauchamp and Lady Gournay |
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| Noble family | Mortimer |
| Father | Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March |
| Mother | Joan de Geneville, Baroness Geneville |
| Born | 1314 Ludlow Castle, Shropshire, England |
| Died | 4 August 1369 (aged 55) |
Katherine Mortimer, Countess of Warwick (born 1314 – died 4 August 1369) was an important English noblewoman. She was the wife of Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick, a brave military leader during the Hundred Years War. Katherine was the daughter of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March and Joan de Geneville, Baroness Geneville.
Before 1355, Katherine became a key person at the royal court of King Edward III.
Contents
Katherine's Family Background
Katherine Mortimer was born in 1314 at Ludlow Castle in Shropshire, England. She was one of twelve children born to Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March and Joan de Geneville, Baroness Geneville. Her grandparents were Edmund Mortimer, 2nd Baron Mortimer and Margaret de Fiennes on her father's side. On her mother's side, they were Sir Piers de Geneville and Jeanne of Lusignan.
Her father, Roger Mortimer, was a very powerful man. For a time, he practically ruled England alongside Isabella of France, the Queen of King Edward II. King Edward II was removed from power in 1326. Later, King Edward III, Edward II's son, ordered Mortimer's capture and execution. Katherine was sixteen years old when her father was executed in London on 29 November 1330.
Katherine's Marriage
On 19 April 1319, when Katherine was about five years old, she married Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick. Thomas was the eldest son of Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick and Alice de Toeni. Their marriage needed special permission from the Pope because they were distantly related.
Thomas became Earl of Warwick when he was only two years old. This meant Katherine became the Countess of Warwick as soon as they married. She held this title for the rest of her life. Their marriage was arranged in 1318 to settle a disagreement between their families over a piece of land called Elfael. This land was given to Katherine as part of her marriage agreement.
During Thomas's childhood, Katherine's father, Roger Mortimer, was in charge of looking after him.
Katherine later became an important figure at the court of King Edward III. As a special honor, she was chosen to be one of the godmothers for the King's granddaughter, Philippa, Countess of Ulster, in 1355. Queen Philippa of Hainault was the other godmother. This shows how respected Katherine was at the time.
Katherine's Children
Katherine and Thomas de Beauchamp had fifteen children together. Some of their notable children included:
- Guy de Beauchamp (died 1360); he married Philippa de Ferrers and had two daughters.
- Thomas de Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick (1339 – 1401); he became the next Earl of Warwick.
- William Beauchamp, 1st Baron Bergavenny (c. 1343 – 1411); he inherited the honour of Abergavenny.
- Maud de Beauchamp (died 1403); she married Roger de Clifford, 5th Baron de Clifford.
- Philippa de Beauchamp; she married Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford and had nine children.
- Alice Beauchamp (died 1383); she married twice but had no children.
- Isabella de Beauchamp (died 1416); she married twice and later became a nun. She had no children.
- Katherine de Beauchamp; she became a nun.
Death and Tomb
Katherine Mortimer passed away on 4 August 1369, when she was about 55 years old. She was buried in St. Mary's Church in Warwick, Warwickshire. Her husband, Thomas, died just three months after her from the Black Death and was buried beside her.
Their tomb is still in the church today, in the center of the quire. It has beautiful, well-preserved alabaster statues of Katherine and Thomas. Katherine's statue shows her wearing a special veil and holding hands with her husband. The sides of the tomb are decorated with figures of people mourning them.
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