Clement-Jones family 12/22 - Person Sheet
Clement-Jones family 12/22 - Person Sheet
NameRichard FITZALAN 4th Earl of Arundel, 16068
FatherRichard FITZALAN 3rd Earl of Arundel , 13040 (1306-1376)
MotherEleanor Of LANCASTER , 16065
Spouses
ChildrenElizabeth , 16064
Notes for Richard FITZALAN 4th Earl of Arundel
Richard Fitzalan, 4th Earl of Arundel, 9th Earl of Surrey, KG (1346 – 21 September 1397) was an English medieval nobleman and military commander.

Lineage

Born in 1346, he was the son of Richard Fitzalan, 3rd Earl of Arundel and Eleanor of Lancaster.[2] He succeeded his father to the title of Earl of Arundel on 24 January 1376.

His brother was Thomas Arundel, the Bishop of Ely from 1374 to 1388, Archbishop of York from 1388 to 1397, and Archbishop of Canterbury in 1397 and from 1399 until his death in 1414.[3]

At the coronation of Richard II, Richard Fitzalan carried the crown.[2]

Admiral

Richard Fitzalan, 4th Earl of Arundel; Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester; Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham; Henry, Earl of Derby (later Henry IV); and Thomas Beauchamp, 12th Earl of Warwick, demand Richard II to let them prove by arms the justice for their rebellion
In 1377, Richard Fitzalan held the title of Admiral of the North and West.[2] In this capacity, he attacked Harfleur at Whitsun 1378, but was forced to return to his ships by the defenders. Later, he and John of Gaunt attempted to seize Saint-Malo but were unsuccessful.[4]

Power Struggle
Fitzalan was closely aligned with Thomas, Duke of Gloucester, who was uncle of King Richard II. Thomas was opposed to Richard II's desire for peace with France in the Hundred Years War and a power struggle ensued between him and Gloucester. In late 1386, Gloucester forced King Richard II to name himself and Richard Fitzalan to the King's Council.[5] This Council was to all intents and purposes a Regency Council for Richard II. However, Richard limited the duration of the Council's powers to one year.[6]

Knight of the Garter
In 1386, Richard II named Richard Fitzalan Admiral of England and made him a Knight of the Garter.[2] As Admiral of England, he defeated a Franco-Spanish-Flemish fleet off Margate in March 1387, along with Thomas de Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham.[6]

New favourites
In August 1387, the King dismissed Gloucester and Fitzalan from the Council and replaced them with his favourites - including the Archbishop of York, Alexander Neville; the Duke of Ireland, Robert de Vere; Michael de la Pole; the Earl of Suffolk, Sir Robert Tresilian, who was the Chief Justice; and the former Mayor of London Nicholas Brembre.[7]

Radcot Bridge
The King summoned Gloucester and Fitzalan to a meeting. However, instead of coming, they raised troops and defeated the new Council at Radcot Bridge on 22 December 1387. During that battle, they took the favourites prisoner. The next year, the Merciless Parliament condemned the favourites.

FitzAlan was one of the Lords Appellant who accused and condemned Richard II's favorites.[5] He made himself particularly odious to the King by refusing, along with Gloucester, to spare the life of Sir Simon de Burley who had been condemned by the Merciless Parliament. This was even after the queen, Anne of Bohemia, went down on her knees before them to beg for mercy. King Richard never forgave this humiliation and planned and waited for his moment of revenge.

Arundel was named Governor of Brest in 1388.[2]

Opposed to peace
Peace was concluded with France in 1389. However, Richard FitzAlan followed Gloucester's lead and stated that he would never agree with the peace that had been concluded.[5]

Marriage and children
Arundel married twice.

His first wife was Elizabeth de Bohun, daughter of William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton and Elizabeth de Badlesmere. They married around 28 September 1359 and had seven children:[2][8]

Thomas Fitzalan, 5th Earl of Arundel[2]
Lady Eleanor Fitzalan (c. 1365 – 1375), on 28 October 1371, at the age of about six, married Robert de Ufford. Died childless.
Elizabeth Fitzalan (c. 1366 – 8 July 1425), married first William Montacute (before December 1378); no issue. Married second, in 1384, Thomas Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk; had issue. Married third, before August 1401, Sir Robert Goushill of Hoveringham; had issue. Married fourth, before 1411, Sir Gerard Usflete, son of Sir Gerard Usflete (d.1406),[9] MP, without issue.[2][10]
Joan FitzAlan (1375 – 14 November 1435), who married William Beauchamp, 1st Baron Bergavenny;[2]
Alice Fitzalan (1378 – before October 1415), married before March 1392, John Charleton, 4th Baron Cherleton. (not mentioned as an heir of Thomas in the Complete Peerage). Had an affair with Cardinal Henry Beaufort, by whom she had an illegitimate daughter, Jane Beaufort.
Margaret Fitzalan, who married Sir Rowland Lenthall;[2] by whom she had two sons.
William (or Richard) Fitzalan
After the death of his first wife in 1385, Arundel married Philippa Mortimer, daughter of Edmund Mortimer, 3rd Earl of March. Her mother was Philippa Plantagenet, the only daughter of Lionel of Antwerp and thus a granddaughter of Edward III. They had no children.[2]
Last Modified 27 Aug 2020Created 4 Mar 2023 using Reunion for Macintosh