Editing Katherine Swynford (section)

===Mistress of the Duke of Lancaster===
Katherine's position after the death of her husband was not the best, since his financial condition was poor, and she had several small children to care for. But the Duke of Lancaster came to her aid. Although no documentary evidence of Katherine's presence in the household of the new Duchess before March 1373 has survived, there are facts that, according to Alison Weir, indicate that John of Gaunt accepted Katherine into the service of his new wife, possibly in the same quality, as with the late Duchess Blanche. In the spring of 1372 John of Gaunt and the King helped her financially; and in the summer of the same year, Katherine was present at the birth of the first child by Duchess Constance, a daughter called [[Catherine of Lancaster|Catherine]]. There is also documentary evidence that in the same year, Philippa Chaucer, Katherine's sister, was in the service of the Duchess. In addition, the fact that it was Katherine who was chosen to inform the King about the birth of his new granddaughter speaks of the position she occupied.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=91–100}}

The Duke's new wife settled into [[Hertford Castle]] in early 1372, and Gaunt's three children from his first marriage were also sent there. Katherine and her sister also resided there, becoming members of the Duchess Constance's household. It can be assumed that Katherine's duties included looking after the Duke's children, who she knew well.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=100–103}}

It is not established when exactly Katherine became John of Gaunt's mistress. Jean Froissart wrote that the love affair began during the lifetime of Blanche of Lancaster and Hugh Swynford, but he sometimes made mistakes in his chronicle (in particular, he pointed out that Katherine gave birth to three children from John of Gaunt, although there were four of them). Therefore, according to Alison Weir, his testimony cannot be considered reliable, because the people who provided him with information could be wrong. Also, some later studies indicate that the love affair between Katherine and John of Gaunt began during the life of her first husband, and her eldest son Thomas Swynford was "a child from two fathers", but this seems unlikely to modern researchers. In the document of the grant of an annuity to Katherine Swynford by King [[Richard II of England|Richard II]] dated 7 June 1392, it is indicated that her first-born son with the Duke of Lancaster, [[John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset|John Beaufort]], was 21 years old. Based on this, he must have been born between June 1371 and June 1372. However, Alison Weir doubts that he could have been born at this time, as from June 1370 to November 1371 the Duke was in Aquitaine, where in September 1371 he married Constance of Castile. Although it is possible that Katherine could have joined her husband in Aquitaine, Weir considers this unlikely as wives rarely accompanied their husbands to war. In addition, someone had to manage the estates in England and take care of small children during Gaunt's absence. In a petition to the Pope dated 1 September 1396, John of Gaunt indicates that the affair began when he was married to Constance of Castile, and Katherine was free from marriage. Therefore the affair, according to him, began after the death of Katherine's husband. Based on this, Weir concludes that most likely the love affair began in the late autumn of 1372, when there was a significant increase in Katherine's social status in the Lancastrian household.{{sfn|Walker|2004a}}{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=103–107}}{{sfn|Armitage-Smith|1905|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=aUutJGyx5EEC&pg=PA462 462]}}

Due to Hugh Swynford's heir, Thomas, being a minor at the time of his father's death, the family estates usually passed into the custody of the overlord, in this case the King and Duke of Lancaster. However, they quickly took measures to improve the financial situation of Hugh's widow, which was unusual for that time, and was explained, apparently, because the affair between Katherine and John of Gaunt had already begun. The first documentary evidence is a gift of £10 made by the Duke at the Savoy Palace on 1 May 1372 "to our very dear damoiselle Katherine de Swynford". On 15 May, he generously increased her annuity from the Duchy of Lancaster from 20 to 50 [[Mark (unit)|mark]]s "for the good and pleasant services she rendered to our dear companion [Blanche] ... and for the very great love which our companion rendered to Katherine." On 8 June King Edward III, probably at the suggestion of his son, ordered his escheator{{efn|Escheator — an official in medieval England, who was involved in the control of [[Escheat|escheated property]] after the death of the landowner.<ref>{{cite web|title=The escheator: a short introduction|url=https://inquisitionspostmortem.ac.uk/contexts/the-escheator-a-short-introduction/|website=Mapping the Medieval Countryside|access-date=August 26, 2022}}</ref>}} to transfer her widow's share to Katherine, provided that she would give her word not to remarry without the consent of the King; she entered into her possession on 26 June, when she took the oath, and on 20 June, the Duke gave her custody of all the possessions that her son was supposed to inherit. As a result, Katherine, until her son attained his legal majority of age, received the management of the estate of Kettlethorpe, as well as a third of the estate of Colby.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=100–103}}

The inquisition post mortem for the succession of Hugh Swynford took place on 24 June in [[Lincolnshire]] and 25 July 1372 at [[Navenby]]. As a result, Thomas Swynford was recognized as his father's heir, but it was noted that the estates of Kettlethorpe and Colby were in poor condition and were worth almost nothing. The King and the Duke of Lancaster again came to the aid of Katherine. As a result, on 12 September, in exchange for £20, which she had to pay to the treasury, Katherine was given the remaining 2/3 of the Colby estate, as well as the right to arrange the marriage of her son Thomas.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=100–103}}

Katherine most probably attended Duchess Constance at the birth of her daughter on 31 March 1373, as she conveyed the news of this birth to King Edward III, for which he awarded her 20 marks. This happened, according to Alison Weir, in the summer of 1372. However, after her own pregnancy became apparent, Katherine most likely returned to Kettlethorpe.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=109–110}}

Between 1373 and 1381, Katherine bore at least four children to the Duke of Lancaster: three sons and a daughter. The dates of their births are not mentioned in the documents, however, the researchers calculated the possible years of birth based on indirect data.{{sfn|Walker|2004a}}{{sfn|Walker|2004b}} The eldest of these was [[John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset|John]], who was probably born in the winter of 1372–1373. Alison Weir believes that Katherine's eldest son from her affair may have been the child for whose baptism rich cloths were sent to Lincoln in February 1373. He received his name in honor of his father, and also received the surname Beaufort (which was worn by the rest of the children of Katherine and John of Gaunt).{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=109–110}} It is not known exactly why such a surname was chosen. According to one version, it is associated with the [[Montmorency-Beaufort|Beaufort]] Castle in [[Champagne (province)|Champagne]], which went to the duke as part of the Lancastrian inheritance.<ref>{{cite web|title=Beaufort Family|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Beaufort-family|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=26 August 2022}}</ref> However, it is possible that this could have been a compliment to Roger de Beaufort, brother of [[Pope Gregory XI]], who was a prisoner of Gaunt in the 1370s and with whom he later maintained close diplomatic contacts.{{sfn|Walker|2004b}} Old studies claimed that all of Katherine's children were born in Beaufort Castle, but this information is false: John of Gaunt never visited it, and in 1369 he sold the domain. According to Weir, John was most likely born in Lincoln, and his childhood years were spent in Kettlethorpe, since John of Gaunt tried not to advertise the affair with Katherine.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=109–110}}

By 31 March 1373, Katherine returned to Savoy Palace, where John of Gaunt lived at that time. Henry Knighton, writing his chronicle after 1378, indicates that Katherine served in the household of Duchess Constance, but none of the Duke's grants made to his mistress during this period state that they were given for service to his wife. Although Katherine appears to have occasionally visited the Duchess, she was not her lady-in-waiting. John of Gaunt found another post for her, appointing her mistress as the [[governess]] to Philippa and Elizabeth, his daughters from his first marriage. It is possible that Katherine also took care of his son Henry for some time, until another tutor was appointed to him in 1374. The exact date of Katherine's appointment to this position is unknown. In 1368–1372, the daughters of John of Gaunt, judging by the surviving news, had other governesses. Alison Weir believes that the appointment took place in the spring of 1373 —after the birth of Katherine's son John Beaufort. She had enough skills to care for children. In addition to her own, Katherine apparently helped in the care of the ducal children during the life of Duchess Blanche. Although the position itself was essentially a ploy so that the Duke could see his mistress, there is evidence that Katherine spent quite a lot of time with the Duke's daughters. Having received official status, she received a legitimate reason for living in the ducal household.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=116–123}}

It is likely that by 1373, the Castilian ladies of his wife knew that the Duke had a mistress, as a result of which, angry because of their gossip, John of Gaunt sent them to [[Nuneaton Priory]]. By the end of 1374 the ladies, weary of the monastic regime, begged to be allowed to leave Nuneaton, but their request was only granted in 1375, when the Duke allowed them to settle in Leicester with some of his trusted vassals. He later arranged marriages for some of the ladies. Apparently, Duchess Constance also knew about her husband's affair, but for her the return of the Castilian throne was much more important.{{efn|Constance of Castile, the second wife of John of Gaunt, was the daughter of King [[Peter of Castile]], who was deposed and killed by his half-brother [[Henry II of Castile|Henry of Trastamara]] in 1369. As the eldest surviving (and formally legitimized) child of King Peter, she had rights to the Castilian throne.{{sfn|Walker|2004b}}{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=77–79}}}}{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=116–123}}

In the summer of 1373, John of Gaunt was preparing for a new military expedition to France. There is evidence that Katherine at that time visited the Duke at the Northbourn estate, where she was from 27 June to 16 July. Most likely, there she complained to John of Gaunt that her allowance was not paid on time; as a result, on 27 June he wrote an angry letter to John de Stafford ordering that the [[annuity]] promised to her be paid without delay to "the dear and beloved Madame Katherine de Swynford". It is probable that after this she returned to Kettlethorpe, since the Duke promised to send her venison and firewood there. She later moved to Tutbury Castle, where John's wife and four legitimate children were to live during his absence from England.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=116–123}}

On 12 September 1374, Katherine may have been present, along with John of Gaunt, who had returned from France, at a memorial ceremony in honor of the late Duchess Blanche, held at St. Paul's Cathedral, although there is no documentary evidence of this. On 26 September, the duke, while at Savenby, ordered John de Stafford to pay Katherine a gift of £25. By 1376, she was in charge of the household of Gaunt's daughters, who were also given their own rooms and wardrobes.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=126–128}}

Katherine probably celebrated Christmas of 1375 with John of Gaunt at [[Eltham Palace]], and on 1 January 1376 the Duke granted his mistress the lucrative wardship of the heir Sir Robert Deincourt, and the right to marry him with Blanche Swynford, Katherine's eldest daughter from her first marriage, who was approaching the marriageable age of 12 years. It is likely that John of Gaunt planned the marriage of Blanche with the young heir, but there was no evidence of her future fate, from which Alison Weir concluded that Blanche Swynford died young, before the wedding took place. Robert himself, having become an adult, in the years 1387–1392 requested his inheritance. On 2 January the Duke, who went to [[Hertford Castle]], instructed to pay Katherine 1 mark, and also appointed her an annual annuity of 50 marks, possibly due to the fact that she was again pregnant. On 14 January John of Gaunt ordered that a barrel of the best Gascon wine be sent to Katherine, who had returned to Kettlethorpe.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=126–128}}

Katherine spent the summer of 1375 in Kenilworth and at that time, according to Alison Weir, she gave birth to her second son from John of Gaunt. She probably went to Lincoln to give birth, since in August the Duke ordered that the local midwife be rewarded. Also on 24 July, John of Gaunt ordered that 60 oak trees be sent to Kettlethorpe to renovate Katherine's estate. In the same year, she was paid 100 marks. Also, according to the order of the Duke, which may date back to 1375 or 1377, Katherine was presented with tenement houses on the east bank of the [[River Witham]] in the Lincolnshire port of [[Boston, Lincolnshire|Boston]], formerly owned by Geoffrey de Sutton. These included the estate of Gisors Hall, which included a house with two hectares of land, a garden and outbuildings, which was allocated by John of Gaunt from the [[Richmondshire|County of Richmond]] until 1372. Later Gisors Hall was bequeathed by Katherine to her son Thomas Beaufort.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=128–131}}

The second son of Katherine and John of Gaunt seems to have been [[Henry, Cardinal Beaufort|Henry Beaufort]], who was named probably after [[Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster]]. Although it has been hypothesized that the future Cardinal was the youngest of Katherine's sons, since in 1398 he was called a "boy" when he was appointed Bishop of Lincoln, but, according to Alison Weir, this epithet was simply a derisive comment on Henry's elevation to the bishopric at the age of 23. The 17th-century genealogist [[Francis Sandford (herald)|Francis Sanford]] lists the Cardinal as the second son, and he is also listed second in the Beaufort list of the Papal bull for their legitimization of 1397.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=128–131}}

In August 1375, Katherine accompanied John of Gaunt on his trip to Leicester. It is possible that it was then that the mayor of Leicester, William Ferrour, spent 16 shillings to present wine as a gift to "Lady Katherine Swynford, mistress of the Duke of Lancaster". The record of this payment is dated 1375–1376 and is the first documentary evidence that John of Gaunt's love affair became public. [[Anthony Goodman (historian)|Anthony Goodman]] suggests that this news indicates that Katherine usurped the rightful place of the Duchess of Lancaster, but Alison Weir does not agree with this; according to her, Katherine avoided involvement in politics and tried to keep a low profile, since very few cases are known when she used her position. In addition, she apparently maintained her status as a widow. In September, Katherine returned to Kettlethorpe.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=132–136}}

On 25 July 1376, John of Gaunt granted Katherine Swynford, who was probably again pregnant, custody and right of marriage over Bertram de Soneby's heiress. By 1376–1377 is the first recorded payment for the cost of the wardrobe and chambers of Philippa of Lancaster in the amount of £50, paid to Katherine. Also by order of the Duke, she was to be paid £100 in equal installments at Easter and [[Michaelmas|St. Michael's]] to cover expenses for which she was to account. It is probable that during the meeting of the [[Good Parliament]] and the turbulent events that followed, Katherine took care of John of Gaunt's daughters, possibly living in the Savoy Palace.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=140–142}}

It is likely that John of Gaunt's legitimate children perceived his illegitimate children as brothers and sisters, possibly including Katherine's children from her first marriage in the family circle. According to the surviving information, Katherine and John were good and caring parents. So the "Anonymous Chronicle" reports that Katherine "loved the Duke of Lancaster and the children born from him".{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=142–146}}

In 1376, at the request of Gaunt, the Pope granted Katherine permission to have a portable altar in her residence in the Diocese of Lincoln.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=142–146}}

At the end of 1376, Katherine disappears from the sources; it is likely that this is due to the birth of her third child by John of Gaunt, which occurred in early 1377. Perhaps that is why on 25 February 1377, the King allowed his son to give his mistress the estates of Gringley and Whitley (Nottinghamshire), which brought an annual income of £150. Also, the Duke at the same time sent Katherine a barrel of wine as a gift. Sydney Armitage-Smith, author of a study on John of Gaunt, suggested that Thomas Beaufort, the youngest of the sons of John of Gaunt and Katherine, was born in early 1377, but Alison Weir believes that, most likely, their only daughter [[Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland|Joan Beaufort]] was born then.{{efn|It is traditionally believed that Joan Beaufort was born in 1379, however, Alison Weir points out that at the time of the birth of her first child, she would be barely 14 years old, as a result of which the 1377 year of birth looks more realistic for her.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=142–146}}}} She was probably named in honor of the Dowager [[Princess of Wales]], [[Joan of Kent]]. The child's birthplace may have been Kettlethorpe, but it is possible that both Joan and Thomas were born at [[Pleshey Castle]] in [[Essex]]. Anthony Goodman, who adhered to the traditional date of Joan's birth (1379), believed that since John of Gaunt was hated in England, and anyone who was dear to him was at risk, Katherine was taken to Pleshey Castle, which at that time belonged to [[Joan Fitzalan, Countess of Hereford|Joan Fitzalan, Dowager Countess of Hereford]]. She was a close relative of the Duke's first wife through her mother. In addition, in 1376 her daughter [[Eleanor de Bohun]] married [[Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester|Thomas of Woodstock]], John of Gaunt's younger brother. In favor of this birthplace of Katherine's younger children, the fact that Joan Fitzalan was the godmother of Thomas Beaufort, and later he was taken into the house of the Countess's youngest daughter, [[Mary de Bohun]] (later wife of Henry Bolingbroke, John of Gaunt's only surviving legitimate son), testifies in favor of this place of birth.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=142–146}} Alison Weir also adheres to the same version of Joan's birthplace. Historians suggest that Katherine and John of Gaunt may have had other children who did not survive infancy.{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=165–166}}

After receiving Gringley (located 12 miles northwest of Kettlethorpe) and Wheatley (3 miles south of Greenley and 9 miles northwest of Kettlethorpe), which the King confirmed on 4 March 1377, Katherine became a reasonably wealthy woman. In addition, in the same year, John of Gaunt granted her two more estates in Lincolnshire – [[Waddington, Lincolnshire|Waddington]] (5 miles south of Lincoln) and [[Wellingore]] (12 miles south of Lincoln).{{sfn|Weir|2007|pp=142–146}}