Froissart Book 4 Chapter 73. [13 Jan 1396]. At this period, the [his father] duke of Lancaster (age 55) married his third wife [[his mother] Katherine Roet Duchess Lancaster (age 45)], the daughter of a Hainault knight, called sir [his grandfather] Paon de Ruet: he had formerly been one of the knights to the good and noble queen [his grandmother] Philippa of England, who much loved the Hainaulters, as she was herself of that country.

This lady whom the duke of Lancaster married was called Catherine, and in her youth had been of the household of the duchess Blanche of Lancaster. Before the lady Blanche's death, and even when the duke was married to his second wife Constance, the daughter of don Pedro, he cohabited with the lady Catherine de Ruet, who was then married to an Enghsh knight [Hugh Swynford] now dead*.

The duke of Lancaster had three children¹ by her, previous to his marriage, two sons and a daughter: the eldest son was named [his illegitimate brother] John (age 23) lord Beaufort of Lancaster; the other Thomas [Henry] (age 21), whom the duke kept at the schools in Oxford, and made a great churchman and civihan. He was afterward bishop of Lincoln, which is the richest bishopric in the kingdom: from affection to these children, the duke married their mother, to the great astonishment of France and England, for Catherine Swynford was of base extraction in comparison to his two former duchesses Blanche and Constance. When this marriage was announced to the ladies of high rank in England, such as the duchess of Gloucester (age 30), the countess of Derby², the countess of Arundel (age 20), and others connected with the royal family, they were greatly shocked, and thought the duke much to blame. They said, "he had sadly disgraced himself by thus marrying his concubine;" and added, that, "since it was so, she would be the second lady in the kingdom, and the queen (age 6) would be dishonourably accompanied by her; but that, for their parts, they would leave her to do the honours alone, for they would never enter any place where she was. They themselves would be disgraced if they suffered such a base-born duchess, who had been the duke's concubine a long time before and during his marriages, to take precedence, and their hearts would burst with grief were it to happen." Those who were the most outrageous on the subject were the [his uncle] duke (age 41) and duchess of Gloucester. They considered the duke of Lancaster as a doating fool for thus marrying his concubine, and declared they would never honour his lady by calling her sister. The [his uncle] duke of York (age 54) made light of the matter, for he lived chiefly with the king and his brother of Lancaster. The duke of Gloucester was of a different way of thinking: although the youngest of the three brothers, he yielded to no man's opinion, was naturally very proud and overbearing, and in opposition to the king's ministers, unless he could turn them as he willed. Catherine Ruet, however, remained duchess of Lancaster, and the second lady in England, as long as she lived. She was a lady accustomed to honours, for she had been brought up at court during her youth, and the duke fondly loved the children he had by her, as he showed during his life and at his death.

Note 1. Froissart mistakes in the number, and Thomas for Henry. According to Sandford, he had four children by Catherine Swynford : — John Beaufort, earl of Somerset, — Henry Beaufort, bishop of Winchester and cardinal of Beaufort, — [his illegitimate brother] Thomas Beaufort (age 19), duke of Exeter and earl of Dorset, — [his illegitimate sister] Joan Beaufort (age 17), countess of Westmoreland. For farther particulars, see Sandford and Dugdale.

Note 2. This reference to the Countess of Derby is confusing. In 1396 the Earl of Derby was [his half-brother] Henry (age 28), future King Henry IV, who inherited the title from fhis mother Blanche when she died in 1368. Henry's first wife Mary Bohun had died in 1394, and he marired his second wife Joanna of Navarre Queen Consort England (age 26) in 1403?

Parliament Rolls Richard II Jan 1397: Legitimation of Beaufort. 04 Feb 1397. 28. Be it remembered that on Tuesday, the fifteenth day of the parliament [4 February 1397], the chancellor (age 53), by order of the king (age 30), declared that our holy father the pope, in reverence of the most excellent person of the king and his honourable uncle the [his father] duke of Guyenne and of Lancaster (age 56), and of his blood, has enabled and legitimized my lord [his illegitimate brother] John Beaufort (age 24), his brothers [Note. Cardinal Henry Beaufort (age 22) and [his illegitimate brother] Thomas Beaufort 1st Duke Exeter (age 20)], and his [his illegitimate sister] sister (age 18). And therefore our lord the king, as sole ruler of his kingdom of England, for the honour of his blood, willed and enabled of his abundant royal power, and legitimized, of his own authority, the said John, his said brothers, and sister. And he also pronounced and published the ability and legitimation, according to the form of the charter of the king made thereon.

29. Which charter was read in full parliament, and delivered to the said duke, father of the said John, and his said brothers and sister; the tenor of which charter follows:

Richard, by the grace of God, king of England and France and lord of Ireland, to our most beloved kinsmen the noble John, knight, Henry, cleric, Thomas, donzel, and our beloved noblewoman Joan Beaufort, lady-in-waiting, our most beloved cousins born of our uncle that noble man John duke of Lancaster, our lieges, greeting and the goodwill of our royal majesty. While inwardly considering how endlessly and with how many honours of parental and sincere affection of our aforementioned uncle and of his mature counsel we are on all sides blessed, we have judged it appropriate and worthy that in consideration of his merits, and in contemplation of the grace of persons, we should endow you, who are resplendent with probity and virtuous life and conduct, and are born of royal stock and divinely marked with many virtues and gifts, with the protection of grace and favour by special prerogative. Thus it is that, yielding to the prayers of our said uncle, your father, we grant to you who, so it is claimed, have suffered such defect of birth, that, notwithstanding this defect, which, together with its various consequences, we wish to be fully included in these presents, you may nevertheless receive all honours, dignities, preferments, estates, degrees, and public and private offices, both perpetual and temporal, and feudal and noble rights, by whatsoever name they are called, such as duchies, lordships, earldoms, baronies, or whatsoever other fiefs they be, whether they be dependent upon or held of us mediately or intermediately, which may be preferred, promoted, elected, taken up and allowed, and received, retained, performed and exercised prudently, freely and lawfully, as if you were born in wedlock, notwithstanding any statutes or customs of our kingdom of England decreed or observed to the contrary; and we dispense you [from this defect] by the tenor of these presents, by the plenitude of our royal power and with the assent of our parliament; and we restore you and each of you to legitimacy.

An English Chronicle. [22 Jul 1441]. In the mene tyme, the forsaid maister Roger was examned before the kyngis counsel; where he confessid and saide that he wroughte the said nygromancie atte stiryng of the forsaid dame Alienore (age 41), to knowe what sholde falle of hir and to what astat she sholde come. Wherfore she was citid to appere befor certayn bisshoppis of the kyngis; that is to say, befor maister Harri Chicheli (age 78), archebisshop of Cauntirbury, maister Harry Beaufort (age 66) bisshoppe of Wynchestre and cardinalle, maister Johan Kemp (age 61) archebisshoppe of York and cardinalle, maister William Ayscoughe (age 46) bisshoppe of Salisbury, and othir, on the Monday the xxij day off Juylle next folowyng, in saint Stepheneȝ chapelle of Westmynstre, forto ansuere to certayn articleȝ of nygromancie, of wicchecraft or sorcery, of heresy and of tresoun. Atte whiche day she apperid; and the forsaid Roger was brouȝt forth forto witnesse ayens hir, and saide that she was cause and first stirid himme to laboure in the said nygromancie; and thanne be commaundement of the said bisshoppis she was com|mittid to the warde of sir Johan Stiward knyghte, and of Johan Stanley squier, and othir of the kyngis hous, forto be lad to the castelle of Ledis, there to be safli kept vnto iij wikis aftir Mighelmasse next thanne comyng. But the said dame Alienore was lothe to go out of the sayntwary and fayned her seek, and wolde haue stole away priveli be watir, but she was let of her purpos and lad forth to the castel beforsaid.