John I, Duke of Brittany
John I (Breton: Yann, French: Jean; c. 1217/1218 – 8 October 1286), known as John the Red due to the colour of his beard, was Duke of Brittany from 1221 to his death and 2nd Earl of Richmond in 1268.
| John I | |
|---|---|
 John represented on a window in Chartres Cathedral | |
| Duke of Brittany | |
| Reign | 21 October 1221 – 8 October 1286 |
| Predecessor | Peter I & Alix |
| Successor | John II |
| Regent | Peter I (1221–1237) |
| Earl of Richmond | |
| Reign | 1268 |
| Predecessor | Peter of Savoy |
| Successor | John II |
| Born | c. 1217/1218 |
| Died | 8 October 1286 Château de l'Isle |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Blanche of Navarre |
| Issue Among others |
|
| House | Dreux |
| Father | Peter I, Duke of Brittany |
| Mother | Alix, Duchess of Brittany |
John was the eldest of three children born to Duchess Alix and her husband and jure uxoris co-ruler, Duke Peter I.[1] He became duke upon his mother's death in 1221. His father, who had reigned as duke due to his marriage to Alix, ruled as regent until John reached adulthood.[2] In 1268, Henry III granted the earldom of Richmond to John,[3] and the title continued in his family, through frequent temporary forfeitures and reversions, until 1342.
He experienced a number of conflicts with the Bishop of Nantes and the Breton clergy. In 1240, he issued an edict expelling Jews from the duchy and cancelling all debts to them.[4] He joined Louis IX of France in the Eighth Crusade in 1270, and survived the plague that killed the king. The duchy of Brittany experienced a century of peace, beginning with John I and ending with Duke John III's reign in 1341.[5]
Marriage and issue
In 1236 John married Infanta Blanche, daughter of King Theobald I of Navarre.[6] They had the following surviving issue:
- John II, Duke of Brittany (1239–1305), married Beatrice of England and had issue.[7]
- Peter (1241–1268), Lord of Dinan, Hade, Léon, Hennebont and La Roche-Derrien.[7]
- Alix (1243–1288), Dame de Pontarcy; married John of Châtillon, Count of Blois.[7]
- Theobald (1245–1246), interred in the church abbey of Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys.
- Theobald (1247 – died young), interred in the church abbey of Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys.
- Eleanor (1248 – died young), interred in the church abbey of Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys.
- Nicolas (1249–1251), interred in the church abbey of Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys.
- Robert (1251–1259), interred in the church abbey of Saint-Gildas-de-Rhuys.
References
- Richard 1983, p. xxviii.
- Lower 2005, p. 117.
- Crawford 2002, p. 35.
- Jones 1988, p. 140.
- Jones 1988, p. 34.
- Hallam & Everard 2001, p. 273.
- Morvan 2009, p. table 2.
Sources
- Crawford, Anne (2002). Letters of Medieval Women. Sutton.
- Hallam, Elizabeth M.; Everard, Judith (2001). Capetian France, 987-1328. London: Longman. ISBN 9780582489097. OCLC 6813908.
- Jones, Michael (1988). The Creation of Brittany: A Late Medieval State. London: The Hambledon Press. ISBN 9780907628804. OCLC 16805427.
- Lower, Michael (2005). The Barons' Crusade: A Call to Arms and Its Consequences. University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Morvan, Frederic (2009). La Chevalerie bretonne et la formation de l'armee ducale (in French). Presses Universitaires de Rennes.
- Richard, Jean (1983). Lloyd, Simon (ed.). Saint Louis, Crusader King of France. Translated by Birrell, Jean. Cambridge University Press.
