Joan/Joanne/Joanna Holland, Duchess of York

 

Joan Holland was born about 1380, one of the many children of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent and his wife Alice Arundel (aka Fitzalan) and the second-eldest daughter.

It seems to have been Kent’s policy to marry his daughters into every family that could conceivably inherit the throne. Accordingly, towards the end of 1393, Joan was married to Edmund of Langley, Duke of York, a widower who was just shy of forty years her elder, with two children older than Joan and one who was (probably) only about five years her junior.

It may well be, as was often the case with this sort of marriage, that it was not consummated immediately. One certainly hopes not. However, Froissart, who visited England in 1395 and actually had dealings with the Duke of York, says Edmund ‘interfered little in public affairs, and was without malice or guile, wishing only to live in quiet; he had besides, just married a young and beautiful wife, daughter of the Earl of Kent, with whom he spent most of his time which was not occupied by other amusements.’

By this time Joan was the first-ranking lady in England, having become so on Anne of Bohemia‘s death, and remaining so until the elevation of Katherine de Roet-Swynford to Duchess of Lancaster in 1396. Allegedly, she was one of the great ladies offended by this marriage. The King’s marriage to Isabella of Valois quickly relegated her to third place, but even that was a significant rank. Nonetheless, she was not appointed to the Garter until the last chapter of Richard II’s reign in 1399.

Edmund of Langley died at the start of August 1402, when Joan was still only about 22. She kept and used the title Duchess of York all her life – it gave her considerable status and precedence. This was the usual practice for medieval women – they only changed their title on remarriage if the new husband was of higher status than the old.

Joan received dower in the York lands, including Sandal Castle. However, the York family income at this time was not as impressive as its title, and she was probably ‘comfortable’ rather than excessively rich like, for example, her elder sister, Alianore Countess of March.

Before 9th August 1404, Joan had married again, this time to William Willoughby, Lord Willoughby de Eresby, who was a mere 10 years her elder. She was his second wife, and she gained another five stepchildren, bringing her total to eight. The marriage would certainly have been ‘approved by the management’ as Willoughby was one of those who had flocked to Henry IV soon after his arrival in England in 1399. However, it’s impossible to be sure whether the marriage was chosen by Joan or whether she was ‘persuaded’ by the King.

Willoughby was an active man, giving the King military service in Wales and the North, and served on Henry’s Council. However, he died in December 1409.

Joan’s third marriage, after 6th September 1410, was to Henry, Lord Scrope of Masham. Once again, she was a second wife, Scrope’s first having been Philippa de Bryan, daughter of Sir Guy de Bryan of Tewkesbury fame. There were no stepchildren this time.

Again, Scrope was a Lancastrian state servant, acting as Henry IV’s Treasurer. He and Joan do not seem to have been happy, as on at least one occasion she decamped to Sandal, taking various possessions belonging to Scrope with her. Scrope took legal action against the men who had ‘abducted’ his wife, but it is all but certain she went of her own accord.

Scrope was also very close to Henry V, but inexplicably got himself involved in the Southampton Plot, led by Joan’s step-son, Richard of Conisbrough, Earl of Cambridge. Possibly, he intended to betray the plot; but if so his plans went very wrong. He was executed on 5th August 1415 and his family was harshly treated, with Henry V initially intending to alienate their lands permanently. (He relented on his deathbed, to the advantage of Scrope’s heirs.) Joan managed to save some personal items of great value from the wreck, and Henry seems to have turned a blind eye to her dealings.

Before 27th April 1416, Joan married again, her husband being Sir Henry Bromflete. He was certainly no older than Joan and may have been her junior by some years. This turned out to be her longest marriage as it lasted until her death on 12th April 1434. It would be nice to think that she found happiness, or at least contentment, after what had been a life of mixed fortunes.

Joan had no children by any of her husbands.

As for Bromflete, he survived her by many years. He was created Lord Vesci in January 1449 and died in January 1469. He had a daughter, Margaret, with his second wife, Eleanor Fitzhugh.