Birth | December 24, 1167 34 45 Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England |
Death of a father | Henry PLANTAGENET II July 6, 1189 (Age 21) Chinon, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France |
Birth of a son #1 | Richard FITZROY 1190 (Age 22) Chilham Castle, Kent, England |
Death of a half-sister | Marie CAPET March 11, 1198 (Age 30) Grey, London, , England |
Death of a brother | Richard PLANTAGENET I April 6, 1199 (Age 31) Chalus, Limousin, France |
Marriage | Isabella of ANGOULEME — View family August 24, 1200 (Age 32) Bordeaux, France |
Death of a mother | Eleanor of AQUITAINE April 1, 1204 (Age 36) |
Birth of a son #2 | Henry PLANTAGENET III October 1, 1207 (Age 39) Winchester Castle, Hampshire, England |
Death of a sister | Eleanor PLANTAGENET October 31, 1214 (Age 46) Las Huelgas, Burgos, Burgos, Spain |
Death | October 19, 1216 (Age 48) Newark Castle, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England |
Record Change | January 8, 2004 (787 years after death) |
Family with parents - View family |
father |
Birth: March 5, 1133 19 31 — Le Mans, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France Death: July 6, 1189 — Chinon, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France |
mother |
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Marriage: May 18, 1152 — Bordeaux Cathedral, Bordeaux, France |
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16 years |
Birth: December 24, 1167 34 45 — Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England Death: October 19, 1216 — Newark Castle, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England |
-5 years elder sister |
Birth: October 13, 1162 29 40 — Falaise, Calvados, Normandy, France Death: October 31, 1214 — Las Huelgas, Burgos, Burgos, Spain |
-5 years elder brother |
Birth: September 8, 1157 24 35 — Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England Death: April 6, 1199 — Chalus, Limousin, France |
Mother’s family with Louis CAPET VII - View family |
step-father |
Birth: 1120 38 27 — Reims, Champagne, France Death: September 18, 1180 — Paris, Seine, France |
mother |
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half-sister |
Birth: 1145 25 23 — Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine, France Death: March 11, 1198 — Grey, London, , England |
Family with Isabella of ANGOULEME - View family |
Birth: December 24, 1167 34 45 — Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England Death: October 19, 1216 — Newark Castle, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England |
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wife |
Isabella of ANGOULEME
Birth: 1188 28 28 — Angouleme, Angouleme, Charente, France Death: May 31, 1246 — Fontervault Abby, Anjou, France |
Marriage: August 24, 1200 — Bordeaux, France |
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7 years son |
Henry PLANTAGENET III
Birth: October 1, 1207 39 19 — Winchester Castle, Hampshire, England Death: November 16, 1272 — Westminster, Middlesex, England |
Family with Adela DE WARENNE - View family |
Birth: December 24, 1167 34 45 — Beaumont Palace, Oxford, England Death: October 19, 1216 — Newark Castle, Newark, Nottinghamshire, England |
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wife | |
son |
Richard FITZROY
Birth: 1190 22 — Chilham Castle, Kent, England Death: June 1246 — England |
Hugh DE LUSIGNAN X + Isabella of ANGOULEME - View family |
wife’s husband |
Hugh DE LUSIGNAN X
Birth: about 1183 20 — Death: June 5, 1249 — |
wife |
Isabella of ANGOULEME
Birth: 1188 28 28 — Angouleme, Angouleme, Charente, France Death: May 31, 1246 — Fontervault Abby, Anjou, France |
step-daughter |
Alice DE LUSIGNAN
Birth: 1224 41 36 — Lusignan, Vienne, France Death: February 9, 1256 — Warren, Sussex, England |
Shared note | Receiver of the Magna Carta
King John of England (24 December 1166 - 19 October 1216[1]) reigned as King of England from 6 April 1199, until his death. He acceded to the throne as the younger brother of King Richard I, who died without issue. John was the youngest of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, and was their second surviving son to ascend the throne; thus, he was a Plantagenet or Angevin king of England.
During his lifetime John acquired two epithets. One was "Lackland" (French: Sans Terre), because, as his father's youngest son, he did not inherit land out of his family's holdings, and because as king he lost English territories to France. The other was "Soft-sword", for his alleged military ineptitude.[2]
Apart from entering popular legend as the enemy of Robin Hood, he is perhaps best-known for having acquiesced -to the barons of English nobility- to seal Magna Carta, a document which limited kingly power in England and which is popularly thought as an early first step in the evolution of modern democracy.
Early life
While John was his father's favourite son, as the youngest he could expect no inheritance. His family life was tumultuous, as his older brothers all became involved in rebellions against Henry. His mother, Eleanor, was imprisoned by Henry in 1173, when John was about 7.
As a child, John was betrothed to Alais (pronounced 'Alice'), daughter and heiress of Humbert III of Savoy, and sister to King Philip II of France. It was hoped that by this marriage the Angevin dynasty would extend its influence beyond the Alps, because John was promised the inheritance of Savoy, the Piemonte, Maurienne, and the other possessions of Count Humbert. King Henry promised his young son castles in Normandy which had been previously promised to his brother Geoffrey, which was for some time a bone of contention between King Henry and his son Geoffrey. Alais made the trip over the Alps and joined Henry's court, but she died before being married.
Gerald of Wales relates that King Henry had a curious painting in a chamber of Winchester Castle, depicting an eagle being attacked by three of its chicks, while a fourth chick crouched, waiting for its chance to strike. When asked the meaning of this picture, King Henry said:
"The four young ones of the eagle are my four sons, who will not cease persecuting me even unto death. And the youngest, whom I now embrace with such tender affection, will someday afflict me more grievously and perilously than all the others."
Before his accession, John had already acquired a reputation for treachery, having conspired sometimes with and sometimes against his elder brothers, Henry, Richard and Geoffrey. In 1184, John and Richard both claimed that they were the rightful heir to Aquitaine, one of many unfriendly encounters between the two. In 1185, John became the ruler of Ireland, whose people grew to despise him, causing John to leave after only eight months.
[edit] Richard's absence
During Richard's absence on the Third Crusade from 1190 to 1194, John attempted to overthrow William Longchamp, the Bishop of Ely and Richard's designated justiciar. This was one of the events that inspired later writers to cast John as the villain in their reworking of the legend of Robin Hood.
John was more popular than Longchamp in London, and in October 1191 the leading citizens of the city opened the gates to him while Longchamp was confined in the tower. John promised the city the right to govern itself as a commune in return for recognition as Richard's heir presumptive.[3] While returning from the Crusade, Richard was captured by Leopold V, Duke of Austria, and imprisoned by Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor. Meanwhile, John had joined forces with the King of France Philip Augustus and they are said to have sent a letter to Henry asking him to keep Richard away from England for as long as possible, and offering payment to keep Richard imprisoned. Henry declined their offer, and once Richard's ransom was paid, he was set free. Upon the release, John pled forgiveness from Richard, who granted it and named him heir presumptive.
[edit] Reign
[edit] Dispute with Arthur
When Richard died, John did not gain immediate universal recognition as king. Some regarded his young nephew, Arthur of Brittany, the son of John's late brother Geoffrey, as the rightful heir. Arthur fought his uncle for the throne, with the support of King Philip II of France. The conflict between Arthur and King John had fatal consequences. By the May 1200 Treaty of Le Goulet, Philip recognised John over Arthur, and the two came to terms regarding John's vassalage for Normandy and the Angevin territories. However, the peace was ephemeral.
The war upset the barons of Poitou enough for them to seek redress from the King of France, who was King John's feudal overlord with respect to certain territories on the Continent. In 1202, John was summoned to the French court to answer the charges one of which was his marriage to Isobel of Angouleme who was already engaged to Guy de Lusignan. John was called to Phillip's court after the Lusignans pleaded for his help. John refused, and, under feudal law, because of his failure of service to his lord, the French King claimed the lands and territories ruled by King John as Count of Poitou, declaring all John's French territories except Gascony in the southwest forfeit. The French promptly invaded Normandy; King Philip II invested Arthur with all fiefs King John once held (except for Normandy) and betrothed him to his daughter Marie.
Needing to supply a war across the English Channel, in 1203 John ordered all shipyards (including inland places such as Gloucester) in England to provide at least one ship, with places such as the newly-built Portsmouth being responsible for several. He made Portsmouth the new home of the navy. (The Anglo-Saxon kings, such as Edward the Confessor, had royal harbours constructed on the south coast at Sandwich, and most importantly, Hastings.) By the end of 1204, he had 45 large galleys available to him, and from then on an average of four new ones every year. He also created an Admiralty of four admirals, responsible for various parts of the new navy. During John's reign, major improvements were made in ship design, including the addition of sails and removable forecastles. He also created the first big transport ships, called buisses. John is sometimes credited with the founding of the modern Royal Navy. What is known about this navy comes from the Pipe Rolls, since these achievements are ignored by the chroniclers and early historians.
In the hope of avoiding trouble in England and Wales while he was away fighting to recover his French lands, in 1205, John formed an alliance by marrying off his illegitimate daughter, Joan, to the Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great.
As part of the war, Arthur attempted to kidnap his own grandmother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, at Mirebeau, but was defeated and captured by John's forces. Arthur was imprisoned first at Falaise and then at Rouen. No one is certain what happened to Arthur after that. According to the annals of Margam Abbey, Wales, where John would lodge on his trips between England and Ireland: On 3 April 1203
"After King John had captured Arthur and kept him alive in prison for some time in the castle of Rouen... when John was drunk he slew Arthur with his own hand and tying a heavy stone to the body cast it into the Seine."[citation needed]
However, Hubert de Burgh, the officer commanding the Rouen fortress, claimed to have delivered Arthur around Easter 1203 to agents of the King sent to castrate him and that Arthur had died of shock. Hubert later retracted his statement and claimed Arthur still lived, but no one saw Arthur alive again, and the supposition that he was murdered caused Brittany, and later Normandy, to rebel against King John.
Besides Arthur, John also captured his niece, Eleanor, Fair Maid of Brittany. Eleanor remained a prisoner the rest of her life (which ended in 1241); through deeds such as these, John acquired a reputation for ruthlessness.
[edit] Dealings with Bordeaux
In 1203, John exempted the citizens and merchants of Bordeaux from the Grande Coutume, which was the principal tax on their exports. In exchange, the regions of Bordeaux, Bayonne and Dax pledged support against the French Crown. The unblocked ports gave Gascon merchants open access to the English wine market for the first time. The following year, John granted the same exemptions to La Rochelle and Poitou.[4]
Dispute with the Pope
When Archbishop of Canterbury Hubert Walter died on 13 July 1205, John became involved in a dispute with Pope Innocent III. The Canterbury Cathedral chapter claimed the sole right to elect Hubert's successor and favoured Reginald, a candidate out of their midst. However, both the English bishops and the king had an interest in the choice of successor to this powerful office. The king wanted John de Gray, one of his own men, so he could influence the church more.[5] When their dispute could not be settled, the Chapter secretly elected one of their members as Archbishop. A second election imposed by John resulted in another nominee. When they both appeared in Rome, Innocent disavowed both elections, and his candidate, Stephen Langton, was elected over the objections of John's observers. John was supported in his position by the English barons and many of the English bishops and refused to accept Langton.
John expelled the Chapter in July 1207, to which the Pope reacted by imposing the interdict on the kingdom. John immediately retaliated by closing down the churches. The Pope, realizing that too long a period without church services could lead to loss of faith, gave permission for some churches to hold Mass behind closed doors in 1209. In 1212, they allowed last rites to the dying. While the interdict was a burden to many, it did not result in rebellion against John.
In November 1209 John was excommunicated, and in February 1213, Innocent threatened stronger measures unless John submitted. The papal terms for submission were accepted in the presence of the papal legate Pandulph in May 1213 (according to Matthew Paris, at the Templar Church at Dover);[6] in addition, John offered to surrender the Kingdom of England to God and the Saints Peter and Paul for a feudal service of 1,000 marks annually, 700 for England and 300 for Ireland.[7] With this submission, formalised in the Bulla Aurea (Golden Bull), John gained the valuable support of his papal overlord in his new dispute with the English barons.
[edit] Dispute with the barons
Coming to terms with Llywelyn I, Prince of Gwynedd, following the Welsh Uprising of 1211 and settling his dispute with the papacy, John turned his attentions back to his overseas interests. The European wars culminated in defeat at the Battle of Bouvines (1214), which forced the king to accept an unfavourable peace with France.
This finally turned the barons against him (some had already rebelled against him after he was excommunicated), and he met their leaders at Runnymede, near London on 15 June 1215 to seal the Great Charter, called in Latin Magna Carta. Because he had signed under duress, however, John received approval from his overlord the Pope to break his word as soon as hostilities had ceased, provoking the First Barons' War and an invited French invasion by Prince Louis of France (whom the majority of the English barons had invited to replace John on the throne). John travelled around the country to oppose the rebel forces, including a personal two-month siege of the rebel-held Rochester Castle.
Death
Retreating from the French invasion, John took a safe route around the marshy area of the Wash to avoid the rebel held area of East Anglia. His slow baggage train (including the Crown Jewels), however, took a direct route across it and was lost to the unexpected incoming tide. This dealt John a terrible blow, which affected his health and state of mind. Succumbing to dysentery and moving from place to place, he stayed one night at Sleaford Castle before dying on 18 October (or possibly 19 October) 1216, at Newark Castle (then in Lincolnshire, now on Nottinghamshire's border with that county). Numerous, possibly fictitious, accounts circulated soon after his death that he had been killed by poisoned ale, poisoned plums or a "surfeit of peaches".[8][9]
He was buried in Worcester Cathedral in the city of Worcester.
His nine-year-old son succeeded him and became King Henry III of England (1216-72), and although Louis continued to claim the English throne, the barons switched their allegiance to the new king, forcing Louis to give up his claim and sign the Treaty of Lambeth in 1217.
Legacy
King John's reign has been traditionally characterised as one of the most disastrous in English history: it began with defeats-he lost Normandy to Philip Augustus of France in his first five years on the throne-and ended with England torn by civil war and himself on the verge of being forced out of power. In 1213, he made England a papal fief to resolve a conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, and his rebellious barons forced him to sign Magna Carta in 1215, the act for which he is best remembered.
As far as the administration of his kingdom went, John functioned as an efficient ruler, but he lost approval of the English barons by taxing them in ways that were outside those traditionally allowed by feudal overlords. The tax known as scutage, payment made instead of providing knights (as required by feudal law), became particularly unpopular. John was a very fair-minded and well informed king, however, often acting as a judge in the Royal Courts, and his justice was much sought after. Also, John's employment of an able Chancellor and certain clerks resulted in the first proper set of records-the Pipe Rolls. Tudor historiography was particularly interested in him, for his independence from the papacy (or lack of it) - this atmosphere produced not only Shakespeare's own King John but also its model The Troublesome Reign of King John and John Bale's Kynge Johan.
Winston Churchill summarised the legacy of John's reign: "When the long tally is added, it will be seen that the British nation and the English-speaking world owe far more to the vices of John than to the labours of virtuous sovereigns".[10] Medieval historian C. Warren Hollister called John an "enigmatic figure":
...talented in some respects, good at administrative detail, but suspicious, unscrupulous, and mistrusted. He was compared in a recent scholarly article, perhaps unfairly, with Richard Nixon. His crisis-prone career was sabotaged repeatedly by the halfheartedness with which his vassals supported him-and the energy with which some of them opposed him.
In 2006, he was selected by the BBC History Magazine as the 13th century's worst Briton.
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