Excerpts

Friends & Family of  

Katharine Swynford

Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer was married to Philippa de Roet, who was Katharine’s sister. This means, or course, that Chaucer was related to Katherine Swynford, and was her brother-in-law.

John Wycliffe

John Wycliffe was Katharine’s friend, and probably the person who had the most influence on Katharine Swynford’s life.

Thomas Sutton
John de Warsop

These two men were colleagues and friends who often appeared together in Katharine’s life. Both men were cannons of Lincoln Cathedral (which was a position of prestige, honour, and learning). Katharine Swynford was good enough friends with these two, that they stood as godfathers to her eldest son, Thomas Swynford.

Roger Flores

Roger Flores was a young man whose quick thinking had saved Katharine’s life during the Peasants Revolt. He was only a teenager, but he had a great future ahead of him.

Hawise

As far as I am aware Hawise is a character whose existence in history is only recorded by one record, a grant that John of Gaunt made to her son. Both Anya Seton, and myself, have assumed she was more than a maid, servant or retainer; and more in the line of a friend and companion to Katharine.

Katharine Swynford Raised Three Families:

The children born to Blanche and John of Gaunt

Philippe of Lancaster (1359 – 1415)

• Philippe would become Queen of Portugal

Elizabeth of Lancaster (1364-1425)

• Wild and headstrong best describes this daughter

Henry Bolingbroke (1358 – 1413)

• Henry would become King of England
• He referred to Katharine as the king’s mother

The children Katharine de Roet bore Hugh Swynford

Blanche (born August, 1368)
Thomas (born August, 1369)

The children born to Katharine & John of Gaunt

John Beaufort (born April, 1373)
Henry Beaufort (born June, 1375)
Thomas Beaufort (born August, 1379)
Joan Beaufort (born March, 1381)