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Birth:          ABT 1372 Kettlethorpe, Lincolnshire, England
Death:          13 Nov 1440 Howden, Yorkshire, England
Burial:         Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Beaufort,_Countess_of_Westmorland
Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland (c.?1379 – 13 November 1440), was the 
fourth of the four children (and only daughter) of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of 
Lancaster, and his mistress, later wife, Katherine Swynford. In her widowhood, she 
was a powerful landowner in the North of England.
Early life and marriages[edit]

She was probably born at the Swynford manor of Kettlethorpe in Lincolnshire. Her 
surname probably reflects her father's lordship of Beaufort in Champagne, France, 
where she might also have been born.[2] In 1391, at the age of twelve, Joan married 
Robert Ferrers, 5th Baron Boteler of Wem, at Beaufort-en-Vallée, Anjou. They had two 
daughters before he died in about 1395.

Legitimation[edit]

Along with her three brothers, Joan had been privately declared legitimate by their 
cousin Richard II of England in 1390. Her parents were married in Lincoln Cathedral in 
February 1396.[3] Joan was already an adult when she was legitimized by the marriage 
of her mother and father with papal approval. The Beauforts were later barred from 
inheriting the throne by a clause inserted into the legitimation act by their half-brother, 
Henry IV of England, although it is not clear that Henry IV possessed sufficient 
authority to alter an existing parliamentary statute by himself, without the further 
approval of Parliament. Soon after the legitimation, on 3 February 1397, when she was 
eighteen, Joan married Ralph de Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, who had also been 
married once before.

Inheritance[edit]

When Ralph de Neville died in 1425, his lands and titles should, by law of rights, have 
passed on to his grandson through his first marriage, another Ralph Neville. Instead, 
the bulk of his rich estate went to his wife, Joan Beaufort, even though the title Earl 
of Westmorland and several manors were passed to the grandson. This may have 
been done to ensure that his widow was well provided for, but by doing so, Ralph 
essentially split his family into two, and the result was years of bitter conflict between 
Joan and her stepchildren, who fiercely contested her acquisition of their father's 
lands. Joan, with her royal blood and connections, was far too powerful to be called to 
account, and the senior branch of the Nevilles received little redress for their 
grievances. Inevitably, when Joan died, the lands would be inherited by her own 
children.

Death[edit]

Joan died on 13 November 1440 at Howden in Yorkshire.[3] Rather than be buried 
with her husband Ralph (who was not buried with his first wife, though his monument 
has effigies of himself and his two wives), she was entombed next to her mother in the 
magnificent sanctuary of Lincoln Cathedral. Joan's is the smaller of the two tombs; 
both were decorated with brass plates – full-length representations of them on the tops 
and small shields bearing coats of arms around the sides — but those were damaged or 
destroyed in 1644 by Roundheads during the English Civil War. A 1640 drawing of 
them survives, showing what the tombs looked like when they were intact, and side-
by-side instead of end-to-end, as they are now.

Descendants[edit]

Joan Beaufort was mother to Cecily, Duchess of York, and thus grandmother of 
Edward IV of England and Richard III of England, the latter defeated in battle by 
Henry VII in order to take the throne for himself. Henry then married Elizabeth of York, 
daughter of Edward IV, and their son became Henry VIII of England. Henry VIII's sixth 
wife, Catherine Parr, was also a descendant of Joan through Joan and Ralph's eldest 
son, Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury, and thus Henry's third cousin. The Earl of 
Salisbury was father to Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, "the Kingmaker" (father 
of Queen consort Anne Neville).

Children of Joan Beaufort and Robert Ferrers[edit]

In 1391, at the age of twelve, Joan married Robert Ferrers, 5th Baron Boteler of Wem, 
at Beaufort-en-Vallée, Anjou. They had 2 children:
Elizabeth Ferrers, 6th Baroness Boteler of Wem (1393–1474). She is buried at Black 
Friars Church, York. She married John de Greystoke, 4th Baron Greystoke (1389–
1436), on 28 October 1407 in Greystoke Castle, Greystoke, Cumberland, and had 
issue.
Margaret (or Mary) Ferrers (1394 – 25 January 1457/1458). She married her 
stepbrother, Sir Ralph Neville, son of Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmoreland, c. 1413 
in Oversley, Warwickshire, and had issue

Children of Joan Beaufort and Ralph Neville[edit]

They had 14 children:
Lady Katherine Neville, married first on 12 January 1411 John Mowbray, 2nd Duke of 
Norfolk; married second Sir Thomas Strangways; married third John Beaumont, 1st 
Viscount Beaumont; married fourth Sir John Woodville (d. 12 August 1469).
Lady Eleanor Neville (d. 1472), married first Richard le Despenser, 4th Baron 
Burghersh, married second Henry Percy, 2nd Earl of Northumberland
Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (1400–1460), married Alice Montacute, suo jure 
5th Countess of Salisbury. Had issue.
Robert Neville (d. 1457), Bishop of Durham
William Neville, 1st Earl of Kent (c.1410–1463)
Lady Anne Neville (?1411–20 September 1480), married Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke 
of Buckingham
Edward Neville, 3rd Baron Bergavenny (d. 1476)
Lady Cecily Neville (1415–1495) ("Proud Cis"), married Richard, 3rd Duke of York, and 
mothered Kings Edward IV of England and Richard III of England
George Neville, 1st Baron Latimer (d. 1469)
Joan Neville, became a nun
John Neville, died young
Cuthbert Neville, died young
Thomas Neville, died young
Henry Neville, died young

Parents
OF GAUNT John (Mar 1340 - 3 Feb 1399)
DE ROET Katherine (25 Nov 1350 - 10 May 1403)

Siblings
DE BEAUFORT Joan (ABT 1372 - 13 Nov 1440)

Marriage To DE FERRERS Robert (ABT 1373 - BEF 29 Nov 1396)
    m. 1391 

Notes

Parents
DE FERRERS Robert (ABT 1341 - 1381)
BOTILLER (BOTELER) Elizabeth (1345 - Jun 1411)

Children by DE FERRERS Robert ABT 1373 - BEF 29 Nov 1396
DE FERRERS Elizabeth (1393 - 1434)
DE FERRERS Mary (Margery) (1394 - 25 Jan 1458)

Marriage To NEVILLE Ralph (ABT 1364 - 21 Oct 1425)
    m. 3 Feb 1397 

Notes

Parents
NEVILLE John (ABT 1337 - 17 Oct 1388)
DE PERCY Maud (ABT 1335 - BEF 18 Feb 1379)

Children by NEVILLE Ralph ABT 1364 - 21 Oct 1425
NEVILLE Eleanor (ABT 1397 - 1472)
NEVILLE Richard (1400 - 31 Dec 1460)

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