John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford (20 June 1389-14 September 1435) was the third son of Henry IV of England and brother to King Henry V of England. He was one of the leading English commanders during the Hundred Years' War.
Biography[]
John of Lancaster was born in Rouen, Normandy on 20 June 1389, the third surviving son of King Henry IV of England and Mary de Bohun. He was knighted in 1399 at his father's coronation and made a Knight of the Garter in 1302, and he was granted forfeited lands from the House of Percy. In 1403, he became Constable of England, and he served as Warden of the East March from 1403 to 1414. In 1414, his brother Henry V of England made him Earl of Kendal, Earl of Richmond, and Duke of Bedford. After Henry's death in 1422, Bedford handled the ongoing war in France, while his brother, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester served as Lord Protector at home. From 1422 to 1432, he served as Governor of Normandy, and he founded the University of Caen. Bedford defeated the French numerous times during the Hundred Years' War, notably at Verneuil in 1424, and he had Joan of Arc burned at the stake at Rouen in 1431. He then arranged for the coronation of King Henry VI of England at Paris. He died in Rouen in 1435 at the age of 46.