Henry of Lancaster
3rd Earl of Lancaster and Leicester
Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster, was an English Nobleman known for his role in deposing King Edward II and his contributions to the political landscape of 14th century England.
Henry (Plantagenet) was born around 1281 at Grosmont Castle in Monmouthshire, Wales. He was the second son of Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster, and Blanche of Artois, Queen Dowager of Navarre. His grandfather was King Henry III.
Henry married Maud Chaworth sometime before March 2nd, 1296. They had seven children together: Henry, Blanche, Maud, Joan, Isabel, Eleanor, and Mary.
When his father, Edmund Crouchback, died in June of 1296, his older brother, Thomas, succeeded his father as the 2nd Earl of Lancaster. In 1297, Henry was called Lord of Monmouth.
On February 6th, 1298, Henry was summoned to Parliament by writ, by which he is held to have become Baron Lancaster. In July of 1300, he took part in the Siege of Caerlaverock with Edward I.
On March 22nd, 1322, Henry's older brother, Thomas, was executed for treason near Pontefract Castle after participating in two open rebellions against King Edward II. He was not allowed to speak at his trial or have anyone else speak on his behalf. His sentence was to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, but the King commuted that sentence to just a beheading due to Thomas' royal blood.
Henry did not participate in the rebellions and petitioned for his brother's lands and titles. On March 29th, 1324, Henry was invested as the 3rd Earl of Leicester.
In September of 1326, Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimer returned to England from France. Henry joined her party against her husband, King Edward II, which led to a desertion of the King's cause and overturned the power of Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester, and his son Hugh the Younger.
Henry was sent in pursuit of Edward and captured the King at Neath Abbey in South Wales, and was responsible for his custody at Kenilworth Castle.
After the accession of King Edward III in 1327, Edward returned the Earldom of Lancaster to Henry along with the lordship of Bowland. Henry was appointed head of the Regency Council and also appointed Captain-General of all the King's forces in the Scottish Marches.
Also in 1327, Henry was appointed Constable of Lancaster Castle and High Sheriff of Lancashire. He helped Edward III put an end to Roger Mortimer's regency and tyranny, having him declared a traitor and executed in 1330.
In 1330, Henry became blind and spent the last fifteen years of his life at Leicester Castle, where he founded a hospital for the poor and infirm in an extension of the castle's bailey.
September 22nd, 1345, Henry died at the Monastery of Cannons in Leicester. He was buried in the hospital chapel, where the King and Queen attended his funeral.
His son later moved Henry's remains to the Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady of the Newarke, which he had built.
His son, Henry of Grosmont, also succeeded him as the 4th Earl of Lancaster and Leicester and would go on to become the first Duke of Lancaster.
