John III ''the Good'' (in
Breton ''Yann III'', in
French ''Jean III''; 8 March 128630 April 1341) was
Duke of Brittany
This is a list of rulers of the Duchy of Brittany. In different epochs the sovereigns of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary r ...
, from 1312 to his death and 5th
Earl of Richmond
The now-extinct title of Earl of Richmond was created many times in the Peerage of England. The earldom of Richmond was initially held by various Breton nobles; sometimes the holder was the Breton duke himself, including one member of the ca ...
from 1334 to his death. He was the son of
Arthur II, Duke of Brittany
Arthur II (25 July 1261 – 27 August 1312), of the House of Dreux, was Duke of Brittany from 1305 to his death. He was the first son of John II and Beatrice, daughter of Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence.
After he inherited the duca ...
, and his first wife Marie, Viscountess of Limoges, his first wife. John was strongly opposed to his father's second marriage to
Yolande and attempted to contest its legality.
In 1297, John married Isabella of Valois, eldest child of
Charles, Count of Valois
Charles of Valois (12 March 1270 – 16 December 1325), the fourth son of King Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon, was a member of the House of Capet and founder of the House of Valois, whose rule over France would start in 1328 ...
and his first wife
Margaret of Naples. At the time of their marriage John was eleven years old and his bride five. She died childless in 1309.
In 1310, John married his second wife,
Isabella of Castile
Isabella I ( es, Isabel I; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''la Católica''), was Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death in 1504, as well as Queen consort of Aragon from 1479 until 1504 b ...
. She died childless in 1328.
In 1329, John married his third wife
Joan of Savoy. He predeceased his third wife by three years and died childless. He was unwilling to cede the
Duchy of Brittany
The Duchy of Brittany ( br, Dugelezh Breizh, ; french: Duché de Bretagne) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean t ...
to his half-brother
John of Montfort, son of his hated step-mother Yolande. He wished to leave the duchy to the french
King Philip VI, but his nobles objected. The marriage of his niece
Joanna of Dreux to
Charles of Blois
Charles of Blois-Châtillon (131929 September 1364), nicknamed "the Saint", was the legalist Duke of Brittany from 1341 until his death, via his marriage to Joan, Duchess of Brittany and Countess of Penthièvre, holding the title against the c ...
gave Charles a plausible claim to the duchy, but the matter was unresolved at John's death.
After his death, John of Montfort claimed his rights as duke of Brittany, but King Philip VI supported the Blois faction, and the
Breton War of Succession
The War of the Breton Succession (, ) was a conflict between the Counts of Blois and the Montforts of Brittany for control of the Sovereign Duchy of Brittany, then a fief of the Kingdom of France. It was fought between 1341 and 12 April 1 ...
(1341–1364) was triggered. The Breton Civil War was fought between the
House of Blois and the
House of Montfort
House of Montfort was a medieval French noble house that eventually found its way to the Kingdom of England and originated the famous Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester; although his father Simon de Monfort the Elder, leader of the French ...
. It became part of the
Hundred Years' War, as England supported the Montfort faction, which won, against the House of Blois, which was supported by France.
Arms
file:Arms of Pierre Mauclerc.svg, Coat of arms as duke until 1316
File:Arms of Jean III de Bretagne.svg, In 1316, he simplified his coat of arms to plain ermine. This is still the arms of Brittany.
See also
*
Dukes of Brittany family tree
This is a list of rulers of the Duchy of Brittany. In different epochs the sovereigns of Brittany were kings, princes, and dukes. The Breton ruler was sometimes elected, sometimes attained the position by conquest or intrigue, or by hereditary r ...
References
Sources
*
External links
Inquisition Post Mortem#355, dated 1341.
{{DEFAULTSORT:John Iii, Duke Of Brittany
Brittany, John III, Duke of
Brittany, John III, Duke of
13th-century Breton people
14th-century dukes of Brittany
14th-century peers of France
14th-century English nobility
Dukes of Brittany
Earls of Richmond (1268 creation)
House of Dreux