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- John was the Duke of Lancaster, Earl of Derby, Lincoln and the Duke of Acquitaine. He was the 4th son of Edward III. He dominated power in the English government the latter part of his father's reign. His third wife was his long time mistress by whom he'd had four children previously named "Beauforts". The children received legitimate titles under King Richard II and became prominent in English history. John, through these children, is an ancestor of King Henry VIII. By marriage to his second wife, he was entitled to become King of Castile. Burke says he was the King of Castile and Leon. At any rate, in 1387 he gave up his claim to this title in favor of his daughter Catherine. His will is as follows: "I, John, son of the King of England, Duke of Lancaster, February 3d, 1397. My body to be buried in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, of London, near the principal altar, beside my most dear late wife Blanch, who is there interred. If I die out of London I desire that the night my body arrives there, that it be carried direct to the Friars Carmelites in Fleet Street, and the next day taken strait to St. Paul's, and that it be not buried for forty days, during which I charge my executors that there be no cering or embalming my corpse; I will that my executors pay all my debts, excepting the debts for the army, which my beloved brother the Duke of York incurred in Portugal, of which before God and all the world I hold myself free; I desire that chauntries and obits be founded for the souls of my late dear wives Blanch and Constance, whom God pardon; to the said altar of St. Paul's my vestment of satin embroidered, which I bought of Courtnay, embroider at London, certain lands and tenements in London, of which the reversion is purchased, rendering xx marks a year to Dame Katherine del Staple for her life, and I desire that during her life she be paid out of the rents of the Manor of Bernoldwyk, in the county of York; to the prisons of Newgate and Ludgate, in London C marks, to be divided between them; to my most dear wife Katherine, my two best nouches which I have, excepting that which I have allowed to my Lord and nephew the King, and my large cup of gold which the Earl of Wilts gave to the King my Lord, and which he gave me on my going into Guienne, together with all the buckles, rings, diamonds, rubies, and other things, that will be found in a little box of cypress wood, of which I carry the key myself, and all the robes which I bought of my dear cousin the Duchess of Norfolk, also my large bed of black velvet, embroidered with a circle of fetter-locks, and garters, all the beds made for my body called in England "trussing beds," my best stay with a good ruby, my best collar, all which my said wife had before her marriage with me, also all the goods and jewels which I had given her since my marriage; to my Lord and nephew the King the best nouche which I have on the day of my death, my best cup of gold which my dear wife Katherine gave me on New Year's Day last, my gold saltcellar with a garter, and the piece of arras which the Duke of Bourgoyne gave me when I was at Calais; to my dear brother the Duke of York, a gold cup and cover; to my dear son Henry, Duke of Hereford, Earl of Derby, two of the best pieces of arras, one of which was given me by my Lord and nephew the King, and the other by my dear brother the Duke of Gloucester, whom God pardon, when I lately returned from Spain, also a chain of gold of the old manner, with the name of God in each part, which my most honored Lady and mother the Queen, whom God pardon, gave me, commanding me to preserve it, with her blessing, and I desire that he will keep it with the blessing of God and mine; to my dear daughter Philippa, Queen of Portugal, my second best stay of gold, and a gold cup and cover; to my dear daughter Katherine, Queen of Castile and Leon, a gold cup and cover; to my dear daughter Elizabeth, Duchess of Exeter, my white bed of silk, with blue eagles displayed, and my best nouche after those before given; to my dear son John Beaufort, Marquis of Dorset, a dozen saucers, &c.; to the Reverend Father in God and my dear son the Bishop of Lincoln, a dozen saucers, &c. and my missal, and my portheus, which belonged to my Lord and brother the Prince of Wales, whom God preserve; to my dear son Thomas Beaufort, their brother, a dozen saucers, &c.; to my dear daughter, their sister, Countess of Westmoreland and Lady of Nevil, a silk bed, and a cup and cover of gold; to my dear Henry, eldest son of my dear son the Duke of Hereford, a gold cup; to my dear son John, brother to the said Henry, a gold cup; after all my debts are paid, and restitution made to all who have been injured by me or my servants, on my account, I desire that my executor pay to the Minister of Bury one thousand pounds; to my said wife Katherine two thousand pounds; to my said son the Duke of Hereford one thousand pounds; to my said son the Marquis one thousand pounds; to my said son Thomas Beaufort one thousand marks; "a mon tres chere bachelier" Monsr. Thomas Swyneford, C marks; to Monsr Walter Blount, Monsr Chamberlain, C marks; to Monsr Hugh Shirley Cmarks; to Monsr Richard Aberbury, the sons, L marks; to Monsr William Par L marks; I will that a chauntry be founded at the New Church of our Lady of Leicester, for the soul of my late wife Dame Constance, who is there buried, and for ever to keep an obit for her soul on the 24th day of March; and as for the annuity or annual pension of forty-thousand franks, which my dear son the King of Castile and Leon is bound to me, a certain part of which is unpaid, I devise to the King one third part of what may, by his assistance, be recovered of the arrears now due. And I constitute and appoint the Reverend Fathers in God Richard Bishop of Salisbury; John Bishop of Worcester; my very dear and loving cousins and companions Thomas Earl of Worcester, Steward of the Household of my Lord the King; and William Earl of Wilts, Treasurer of England; my son Ralph Earl of Westmoreland; Monsr Walter Blount; Monsr John Dabruggecourt; Monsr William Par; Monsr Hugh War'ton; Monsr Thomas Skelton; and Cokeyn, Chief Steward of my Lands; Sir Robert Qwytby, my Attorney General; Piers Melburn; William Ketyring; Robert Haylfield, Comptroller of my Household; Sir John Leyburn, my Receiver General; and Thomas Longley, Clerk, my executors. And I ordain my most dear and entirely beloved brother Edmond Duke of York; my most dear and entirely beloved nephew Edward Duke of Aumerle; the Reverend Fathers in God Roger Archbishop of Canterbury; Richard Archbishop of York; and the Bishop of Lincoln, my dear son, supervisors of this my last will, whom, with my Lord the King, I pray to be faithful surveyors of the same. In faith of which I have placed hereto the seal of my arms, and also my own signet, which I always carry myself, in the presence of the following witnesses: Maistre John Kenyngham, Doctor in Theology; Sir John Newton, Parson of the Church of Burbach; Sir Walter Piers, Parson of the Church of Wymondham; William Harpeden, and Robert Symeon, Esquires; and by John de Bynbrok, of the Diocese of Lincoln, Notary.CODICIL TO THE SAID WILLItem. John, son of the King of England, Duke of Lancaster, whereas I have purchased divers manors, &c. before my marriage with my dear wife Catherine, to whom I have given several parts for her life, and I have enfeoffed my dear son John Beaufort, Marquis of Dorset, with certain other parts, &c. to my dear son Thomas Beaufort, brother of the aforesaid John, manors which belonged to Edward de Kendale, the reversion of which I have bought of Dame Elizabeth Crosier, also the lordships, &c. of which Dame Elizabeth Barry held for the term of her life, to him and the heirs of his body; in default of which to my said son John, and the heirs of his body; failing which to my dear daughter Joan, their sister, Countess of Westmoreland; I will that my dear bachelier Monsr Robert Nevil, William Gascoigne, my dear esquires, Thomas de Radclyf, and William Kat'yng, and my dear clerk Thomas de Langley, who, according to my directions, are enfeoffed in the Manor of Bernolswyk, in the County of York, pay annually to my executors for Dame Katherine del Staple xx marks for her life; and touching the wapentakes of Hangest, Hangwest, and Halykeld, in Richmondshire, which I have before granted to my dear son-in-law Ralph Earl of Westmoreland, and to my daughter Joan, his wife, for their lives, I will, &c."</line><line /><line>Sir John and Katherine were also the ancestors of King Henry VIII as follows making him a cousin:</line><line /><line>1. Sir John of Gaunt
Katherine Roet
2. Sir Ralph Neville
Joan Beaufort
3. Cecily Neville
Sir Richard Plantagenet
4. Edward IV, King of England
Elizabeth Woodville
5. Elizabeth of York
Henry VII, King of England
6. Henry VIII, King of England
King of England</line><line /><line>and</line><line /><line>Francis Scott Key as follows making him a cousin:</line><line /><line>1. Sir John of Gaunt
Katherine Roet
2. Eleanor Neville
Sir Henry Percy
3. Sir Henry Percy
Eleanor Poynings
4. Henry Percy
Maud Herbert
5. Eleanor Percy
Edward Stafford
6. Elizabeth Stafford
Thomas Howard
7. Sir Henry Howard
Frances de Vere
8. Catherine Howard
Henry Berkeley
9. Mary Berkeley
Sir John Zouche
10. Sir John Zouche
Isabel Lowe
11. Elizabeth Zouche
Col. Devereux Wolseley
12. Anne Wolseley
Rev. Thomas Knipe
13. Anne Knipe
Michael Arnold
14. Alicia Arnold
John Ross
15. Ann Arnold Ross
Frances Key
16. John Ross Key
Anne Phebe Penn Dagworthy Charlton
17. Francis Scott Key
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