John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, KG (1403 – 27 May 1444) was an English noble and military commander.
Baptised on 25 March 1404, he was the second son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland, and succeeded his childless elder brother Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset to become the 3rd Earl of Somerset in 1418. He was also the 1st Earl of Kendal.
The young earl fought in his cousin Henry V's 1419 campaigns in France. In ...
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John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, KG (1403 – 27 May 1444) was an English noble and military commander.
Baptised on 25 March 1404, he was the second son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland, and succeeded his childless elder brother Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset to become the 3rd Earl of Somerset in 1418. He was also the 1st Earl of Kendal.
The young earl fought in his cousin Henry V's 1419 campaigns in France. In 1421 he accompanied the King's younger brother Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence to the fighting in Anjou. Thomas was killed at the Battle of Baugé while Somerset and his younger brother were captured. On 25 March 1425, Somerset came into his majority, but the estates of his father had to be managed by his mother for the next thirteen years until he was released from imprisonment.
He remained imprisoned until 1438, and after being ransomed became one of the leading English commanders in France.
In 1443 he was created Duke of Somerset...
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