Joanna of Flanders by Julie Sarpy

Author:Julie Sarpy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amberley Publishing
Published: 2019-03-10T00:00:00+00:00

Table 7. The Breton ducal house with Penthièvre and Richmond post-1250.

On 24 September 1341 Edward III granted John de Montfort the County of Richmond (lordship) to hold for those lands confiscated by Philippe VI, with the same castles, towns, villages, fiefs and rents as the late duke, until his French possessions were returned.72 Despite the endowment,73 this was not an investiture of the Dignity of the Honour of Richmond, but rather a quid pro quo arrangement whereby John de Montfort got manpower to support his cause in Brittany and Edward III got remuneration from Brittany to support his war with France. Holding Richmond in abeyance for the return of Montfort-L’Amaury or French lands of equal value was a draw, with nothing gained or lost because each had similar value, although the grant’s specific language that John de Montfort was to hold Richmond as his late brother, who was fully invested, had done, was provocative.74 While the funding for English troops began almost immediately, English military assistance was delayed until the spring of 1342 with Edward III not arriving until that autumn.75 Despite these delays and Montfort’s capture, Edward III exacted more and more guarantees and assurances of friendship and fealty so that perhaps, cynically, he thought that he could avoid fully rendering the Earldom of Richmond to John de Montfort.76

Although John de Montfort’s capture in November 1341 was a hurdle in Edward III’s war strategy with France that forced the king to deal with Joanna of Flanders, it did not overcome his intentions regarding Richmond and desire to grant it to his son. John de Montfort was apparently oblivious to Edward III’s designs on Richmond. Although John de Montfort was preoccupied, under siege in Nantes by the Blois-French forces attempting to implement the Arret de Conflans and place Charles de Blois on the ducal throne,77 interestingly Montfort contemporaneously had appointed the same attorney as custodian of Richmond as his late brother.78 Thus, it could be argued that John de Montfort was carrying on usual relations with England and negotiating in good faith, while Edward III had his own agenda. Edward III’s decision to grant Richmond to John of Gaunt was a means of provisioning his son and securing his future. Despite their alliance, the king had no intention of fully investing Montfort with the earldom. While John de Montfort was still in prison and before departing for Brittany, Edward III created John of Gaunt the Earl of Richmond on 20 September 134279 and shortly thereafter named his wife Queen Philippa as guardian of the earl and the earldom.80 Thus the queen, and by extension, the king, had sole control of the resources and revenues from the Honour of Richmond, while Montfort was still lord. Although the purpose of investing John of Gaunt with the Earldom of Richmond was to secure his son’s domestic needs, as Edward III had and would do for his numerous other children throughout their lives, this act was inherently self-serving.81

Not only was the possession of Richmond lucrative and prestigious, it may have been a part of Edward III’s broader foreign policy aims.

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