John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel
| The Earl of Arundel | |
|---|---|
John FitzAlan's funeral effigy in Arundel Castle.
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| Born |
14 February 1408 Lytchett Matravers, Dorset |
| Died | 12 June 1435 (aged 27) Beauvais, France |
| Cause of death | Wounded in battle |
| Resting place | Arundel Castle, Sussex 50°51′22″N 0°33′13″W / 50.85611°N 0.55361°W |
| Title | 14th Earl of Arundel |
| Tenure | 1433–35 |
| Other titles |
Baron Maltravers Duke of Touraine |
| Known for | Military service in the Hundred Years' War |
| Years active | c. 1430–35 |
| Nationality | English |
| Residence | Arundel Castle |
| Wars and battles |
Hundred Years' War • Siege of Compiègne • Battle of Gerbevoy |
| Predecessor | John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel |
| Successor | Humphrey FitzAlan, 15th Earl of Arundel |
| Spouse(s) | Constance Fanhope, Maud Lovell |
| Issue | Humphrey FitzAlan, 8th Earl of Arundel |
| Parents | John FitzAlan, 13th Earl of Arundel, Eleanor Berkeley |
John FitzAlan, 14th Earl of Arundel, 4th Baron Maltravers KG (14 February 1408 – 12 June 1435) was an English nobleman and military commander during the later phases of the Hundred Years' War. His father, John FitzAlan, 3rd Baron Maltravers, fought a long battle to lay claim to the Arundel earldom, a battle that was not finally resolved until after the father's death, when John FitzAlan the son was finally confirmed in the title in 1433.
Already before this, in 1430, FitzAlan had departed for France, where he held a series of important command positions. He served under John, Duke of Bedford, the uncle of the eight-year-old King Henry VI. FitzAlan was involved in recovering fortresses in the Île-de-France region, and in suppressing local rebellions. His military career ended, however, at the Battle of Gerbevoy in 1435. Refusing to retreat in the face of superior forces, Arundel was shot in the foot and captured. His leg was later amputated, and he died shortly afterwards from the injury. His final resting place was a matter of dispute until the mid-nineteenth century, when his tomb at Arundel Castle was revealed to contain a skeleton missing one leg.
Arundel was considered a great soldier by his contemporaries. He had been a successful commander in France, in a period of decline for the English, and his death was a great loss to his country. He was succeeded by his son Humphrey, who did not live to adulthood. The title of Earl of Arundel then went to John's younger brother William.
John FitzAlan was born at Lytchett Matravers in Dorset on 14 February 1408. He was the son of John FitzAlan, 3rd Baron Maltravers (1385–1421) and Eleanor (d. 1455), daughter of Sir John Berkeley of Beverstone, Gloucestershire. John FitzAlan the elder, through his great-great-grandfather Richard FitzAlan, 4th Earl of Arundel, made a claim on the earldom of Arundel after the death of Thomas FitzAlan, 5th Earl of Arundel, in 1415. The claim was disputed, however, by Thomas's three sisters and their families, foremost among these Elizabeth FitzAlan, who had married Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk. It is debatable whether Maltravers ever held the title of Earl of Arundel; he was summoned to parliament under this title once, in 1416, but never again. When he died in 1421, the dispute continued under his son, and it was not until in 1433 that the younger John FitzAlan finally had his title confirmed in parliament. Four years earlier, in July 1429, he had received his late father's estates and title.
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