Biography of Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester 1400-1452

Paternal Family Tree: Cobham

1414 Henry V awards his brothers Dukedoms

1441 Trial and Punishment of Eleanor Cobham

1447 Death of Humphrey of Lancaster

Around 1400 Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester was born to Reginald Cobham 3rd Baron Cobham (age 19) and Eleanor Culpepper Baroness Cobham Sternborough (age 15).

On 06 Jul 1403 [her grandfather] Reginald Cobham 2nd Baron Cobham (age 55) died. His son [her father] Reginald Cobham 3rd Baron Cobham (age 22) succeeded 3rd Baron Cobham.

Henry V awards his brothers Dukedoms

On 16 May 1414 King Henry V of England (age 27) created Dukedoms for his two brothers:

[her future husband] Humphrey Lancaster 1st Duke Gloucester (age 23) was created 1st Duke Gloucester, 1st Earl Pembroke.

[her future brother-in-law] John Lancaster 1st Duke Bedford (age 24) was created 1st Duke Bedford, 1st Earl Kendal.

In 1421 Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester (age 21) became a Lady-in-Waiting to Jacqueline Wittelsbach Duchess Brabant and Gloucester (age 19) who had travelled to England following her divorce from John Valois IV Duke Brabant (age 17).

Before 1422 [her mother] Eleanor Culpepper Baroness Cobham Sternborough (age 37) died. She was buried at Lingfield, Kent.

Before 1422 [her father] Reginald Cobham 3rd Baron Cobham (age 41) and [her mother] Eleanor Culpepper Baroness Cobham Sternborough (age 36) were married. She by marriage Baroness Cobham.

Around 1423 [her future husband] Humphrey Lancaster 1st Duke Gloucester (age 32) and Jacqueline Wittelsbach Duchess Brabant and Gloucester (age 21) were married. The marriage was annulled in 1428. She the daughter of William Wittelsbach IV Count Holland VI Count Hainault V Count Zeeland and Margaret Valois Countess Holland (age 48). He the son of King Henry IV of England and Mary Bohun. They were third cousins. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward "Longshanks" I of England.

Around 1427 [her father] Reginald Cobham 3rd Baron Cobham (age 46) and [her step-mother] Anne Bardolf Baroness Cobham Sternborough (age 37) were married. She by marriage Baroness Cobham. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Edward "Longshanks" I of England.

In 1428 Humphrey Lancaster 1st Duke Gloucester (age 37) and Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester (age 28) were married. She by marriage Duchess Gloucester. He the son of King Henry IV of England and Mary Bohun.

Before 05 Nov 1436 Henry Grey 2nd Earl Tankerville (age 18) and [her illegitimate step-daughter] Antigone Lancaster Countess Tankerville (age 14) were married. She by marriage Countess Tankerville. She the illegitmate daughter of Humphrey Lancaster 1st Duke Gloucester (age 46). He the son of John Grey 1st Earl Tankerville and Joan Charleton Countess Tankerville. They were third cousins. He a great x 4 grandson of King Edward "Longshanks" I of England. She a granddaughter of Henry IV King England.

Trial and Punishment of Eleanor Cobham

Chronicle of Gregory 1441. 1441. And in the same yere there were take certayne traytourys, the whyche purposyd to slee oure lege lorde the kyng (age 19) by crafte of egremauncey1, and there instrumentys were opynly shewyde to alle men at the Crosse [Map] in Powlys chyrche yerde a-pon a schaffolde i-made there-for. Att the whyche tyme was present one of the same traytours, whiche was callyd Roger Bulbroke, a clerke of Oxforde, and for that same tresoun my Lady of Glouceter (age 41) toke sayntwerye at Westemyster; and the xj day of Auguste thenne next folowynge she toke the way to the castelle of Lesnes.

Before 27 Oct 1441 Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester (age 41), wife of the heir presumptive [her husband] Humphrey 1st Duke Gloucester (age 51), brother of the deceased King Henry V of England, uncle of King Henry VI of England and II of France (age 19), was tried for predicting the future of the King; in reality a veiled attack on her husband who had over-reached himself. She had consulted two astrologers Thomas Southwell and Roger Bolingbroke. All three were arrested, tried and found guilty. Eleanor denied most of the charges but confessd to obtaining potions from Margery Jourdemayne "The Witch of Eye" (age 26). She was sentenced to do public penance, divorce her husband and remain confined for the remainder of her life.

Chronicle of Gregory 1441. 13 Nov 1441. Ande in that same yere the Lady of Glouceter (age 41) for the same treson she was juggyde by the spyrytualle lawe to iij [3] sondyr or dyvers placys, that ys to wete, on Mondaye, the xiij daye of Novembyr, to Powlys; and on the Wanysday i-sygnyd unto Crychyrche; and on the Fryday nexte folowyng to Synt Mychellys in Cornehylle.

In 1442 Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester (age 42) was imprisoned at Chester Castle [Map].

In 1443 Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester (age 43) was imprisoned at Kenilworth Castle [Map].

In 1446 [her father] Reginald Cobham 3rd Baron Cobham (age 65) died at Sterborough Castle, Kent. His son [her brother] Reginald Cobham 4th Baron Cobham (age 35) succeeded 4th Baron Cobham. Elizabeth Savage Baroness Cobham (age 60) by marriage Baroness Cobham.

In Jul 1446 Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester (age 46) was imprisoned at the Isle of Man.

In 1447 [her illegitimate step-son] Arthur Lancaster (age 20) died.

Death of Humphrey of Lancaster

On 20 Feb 1447 [her husband] Humphrey Lancaster 1st Duke Gloucester (age 56) was arrested on a charge of treason by John Beaumont 1st Viscount Beaumont (age 37), Humphrey Stafford 1st Duke of Buckingham (age 44), Edmund Beaufort 1st or 2nd Duke Somerset (age 41), Richard Neville Earl Salisbury (age 47) and Ralph Boteler 6th and 1st Baron Sudeley (age 58).

On 23 Feb 1447 Humphrey Lancaster 1st Duke Gloucester (age 56) died at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk [Map]. He was possibly poisoned although more likely he died from a stroke. He was buried at St Alban's Cathedral [Map]. Duke Gloucester, Earl Pembroke extinct. His death left England with no heir to the throne in a direct line. Richard Plantagenet 3rd Duke York (age 35) became heir presumptive until the birth of Edward of Westinster Prince of Wales six years later.

In Mar 1449 Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester (age 49) was imprisoned at the Beaumaris Castle [Map].

After 1450 [her illegitimate step-daughter] Antigone Lancaster Countess Tankerville (age 28) died.

On 07 Jul 1452 Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester (age 52) died at Beaumaris Castle [Map].

Royal Ancestors of Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester 1400-1452

Kings Wessex: Great x 13 Grand Daughter of King Edmund "Ironside" I of England

Kings Gwynedd: Great x 8 Grand Daughter of Owain "Great" King Gwynedd

Kings Seisyllwg: Great x 14 Grand Daughter of Hywel "Dda aka Good" King Seisyllwg King Deheubarth

Kings Powys: Great x 9 Grand Daughter of Maredudd ap Bleddyn King Powys

Kings England: Great x 7 Grand Daughter of King John "Lackland" of England

Kings Scotland: Great x 11 Grand Daughter of Malcolm III King Scotland

Kings Franks: Great x 19 Grand Daughter of Louis "Pious" King Aquitaine I King Franks

Kings France: Great x 10 Grand Daughter of Louis "Fat" VI King France

Ancestors of Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester 1400-1452

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Cobham

Great x 2 Grandfather: Reginald Cobham

Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Neville

Great x 1 Grandfather: Reginald Cobham 1st Baron Cobham 4 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Walter Devereux

Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Grandison

Great x 2 Grandmother: Joan Devereux 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Richard de de Braose Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 3 Grandmother: Margery de Braose 2 x Great Grand Daughter of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Alice Le Rus

GrandFather: Reginald Cobham 2nd Baron Cobham 5 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Maurice Berkeley 7th and 2nd Baron Berkeley 2 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Rich Berkeley 8th and 3rd Baron Berkeley 3 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Eudo Zouche

Great x 3 Grandmother: Eva Zouche

Great x 4 Grandmother: Millicent Cantilupe

Great x 1 Grandmother: Joan Berkeley Baroness Cobham Sternborough 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Edmund Mortimer 2nd Baron Mortimer of Wigmore 2 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Roger Mortimer 1st Earl March 3 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Margaret Fiennes 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Margaret Mortimer Baroness Berkeley 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Piers Geneville

Great x 3 Grandmother: Joan Geneville Baroness Mortimer 2nd Baroness Geneville 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Jeanne Lusignan 6 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Father: Reginald Cobham 3rd Baron Cobham 6 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: John Maltravers

Great x 3 Grandfather: John Maltravers

Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Gorges

Great x 2 Grandfather: John Maltravers 1st Baron Maltravers

Great x 4 Grandfather: Ralph Gorges

Great x 3 Grandmother: Eleanor Gorges

Great x 1 Grandfather: John Maltravers 4 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Thomas Berkeley 6th and 1st Baron Berkeley Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Maurice Berkeley 7th and 2nd Baron Berkeley 2 x Great Grand Son of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandmother: Joan Ferrers Baroness Berkeley 4 x Great Grand Daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England

Great x 2 Grandmother: Milicent Berkeley 3 x Great Grand Daughter of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 4 Grandfather: Eudo Zouche

Great x 3 Grandmother: Eva Zouche

Great x 4 Grandmother: Millicent Cantilupe

GrandMother: Eleanor Maltravers 2nd Baroness Maltravers Baroness Arundel and Cobham 5 x Great Grand Daughter of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 1 Grandmother: Gwenllian Unknown

Eleanor Cobham Duchess of Gloucester 7 x Great Grand Daughter of King John "Lackland" of England

Great x 3 Grandfather: Thomas Culpepper

Great x 2 Grandfather: Thomas Culpepper

Great x 1 Grandfather: John Culpepper

GrandFather: Thomas Culpepper

Mother: Eleanor Culpepper Baroness Cobham Sternborough