Katharine Swynford 53 



Katharine might not have been born within half a dozen years 

 thereafter. She became the mistress, or governess, of Blanche's 

 two daughters,"^ Philippa and Elizabeth, of whom Philippa was 

 born in 1360.^^ Froissart tells us (15. 238) that Katharine 'fut 

 mise de sa jeunesse en I'ostel du due et de la duchesse Blanche 

 de Lancastre.' 



The assumption of adultery with Katharine in Blanche's life- 

 time is confirmed by Froissart's account (15. 240) of the indig- 

 nation expressed by the foremost ladies of England when John of 

 Gaunt married her, for they referred to her as 'une telle duchesse 

 qui vient de basse lignie, et qui a este concubine du due ung trop 

 long temps en ses manages.'**^ Now manages must refer to both 

 his previous marriages, that to Blanche as well as that to Con- 

 stance. An even more explicit statement is made in the Percy 

 manuscript 78, quoted by Armitage-Smith (pp. 464-5) : 



Iste etiam Johannes Gaunt post mortem Constancie secunde uxoris 

 sue adhuc superduxit dominam Katerinam de Swynfurth, de qua 

 genuit in diebus domine Blanchie prime uxoris sue Johannem Bow- 

 furth, comitem Somersissie; Johannam Bowfurth, comitissam West- 

 morelandie ; Henricum Bowfurth, presbiterum, cardinalem, et 

 episcopum Wyntonyensem ; . . . Thomam Bowfurth, ducem 

 Exoniensem. 



The comment of Armitage-Smith is (p. 462) : 'No contem- 

 porary evidence supports the statement of Percy MS. 78, . . . 

 which places the birth of the Beauforts in the life of the Duchess 

 Blanche. There is no doubt, however, that most historians have 

 postdated the birth of the Beauforts, or at least of the eldest of 

 them.' He quite ignores the testimony borne by Froissart, as 

 quoted above, and asserts (p. 461) : 'There is no evidence that 

 any amour disturbed the married life of John of Gaunt and 

 Blanche of Lancaster.'*'* 



*'' Exc. Hist., p. 152 ; Wood, Letters of Royal and Illustrious Ladies i. 78 ; 

 Armitage-Smith, p. 227. 



"" Armitage-Smith, p. 94. 



•"Translated in the plural by Johnes (4. 473). Cf. Jahrb. fiir Rom. 

 und Engl. Lit. 8. 142 (Hertzberg). 



"He ascribes, however, to 1358 or 1359 (p. 461) an amour with Marie 

 de Saint Hilaire (like Katharine, a Hainauter), of which the issue was 

 a daughter Blanche. May not this Blanche, like Katharine's own daugh- 

 ter (see p. 52, note 57), have been born after his marriage, and have 



