Biography of Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon 1303-1377

Around 28th February 1292 [his father] Hugh Courtenay 1st or 9th Earl Devon (age 15) and [his mother] Agnes St John Countess Devon (age 17) were married. She by marriage Baroness Okehampton.

On 12th July 1303 Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon was born to Hugh Courtenay 1st or 9th Earl Devon (age 26) and Agnes St John Countess Devon (age 28).

On 11th August 1325 Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 22) and Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 14) were married. She the daughter of Humphrey Bohun 4th Earl Hereford 3rd Earl Essex and Princess Elizabeth of Rhuddlan Countess Essex, Hereford and Holland. He the son of Hugh Courtenay 1st or 9th Earl Devon (age 48) and Agnes St John Countess Devon (age 50). They were fifth cousin once removed. She a granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

In 1327 James Butler 1st Earl Ormonde (age 22) and [his sister-in-law] Eleanor Bohun Countess Ormonde (age 22) were married. She the daughter of Humphrey Bohun 4th Earl Hereford 3rd Earl Essex and Princess Elizabeth of Rhuddlan Countess Essex, Hereford and Holland. He the son of Edmund Butler 1st Earl Carrick. They were fourth cousins. She a granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

On 20th January 1327 Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 23) was appointed Knight Banneret.

On 22nd March 1327 [his son] Hugh Courtenay was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 23) and [his wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 15). He a great grandson of King Edward I of England.

In 1328 James Butler 1st Earl Ormonde (age 23) was created 1st Earl Ormonde. [his sister-in-law] Eleanor Bohun Countess Ormonde (age 23) by marriage Countess Ormonde.

In 1331 [his son] Edward Courtenay was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 27) and [his wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 19). He a great grandson of King Edward I of England.

Around 1332 [his son-in-law] John Cobham 3rd Baron Cobham (age 11) and [his daughter] Margaret Courtenay Baroness Cobham were married. She the daughter of Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 28) and [his wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 20). They were fifth cousin once removed. She a great granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

In 1335 [his brother-in-law] William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton (age 25) and Elizabeth Badlesmere Countess Northampton (age 22) were married. He the son of Humphrey Bohun 4th Earl Hereford 3rd Earl Essex and Princess Elizabeth of Rhuddlan Countess Essex, Hereford and Holland. They were fourth cousins. He a grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 4 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

On 20th January 1336 [his brother-in-law] John Bohun 5th Earl Hereford 4th Earl Essex (age 29) died. His brother [his brother-in-law] Humphrey (age 27) succeeded 6th Earl Hereford, 5th Earl Essex.

On 23rd December 1340 [his father] Hugh Courtenay 1st or 9th Earl Devon (age 64) died. His son Hugh (age 37) succeeded 2nd Earl Devon, 5th Baron Okehampton, 2nd Baron Courtenay. [his wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 29) by marriage Countess Devon.

On 3rd September 1341 [his son] Hugh Courtenay (age 14) and [his daughter-in-law] Elizabeth de Vere were married. She the daughter of John de Vere 7th Earl of Oxford (age 29) and Maud Badlesmere Countess of Oxford (age 33). He the son of Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 38) and [his wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 30). They were third cousin once removed. He a great grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 5 granddaughter of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England.

Around 1342 [his son] Archbishop William Courtenay was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 38) and [his wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 30). He a great grandson of King Edward I of England.

In 1343 Thomas Dagworth 1st Baron Dagworth (age 67) and [his sister-in-law] Eleanor Bohun Countess Ormonde (age 38) were married. The difference in their ages was 28 years. She the daughter of Humphrey Bohun 4th Earl Hereford 3rd Earl Essex and Princess Elizabeth of Rhuddlan Countess Essex, Hereford and Holland.

On 11th June 1345 [his mother] Agnes St John Countess Devon (age 70) died at Exeter, Devon [Map].

In 1346 [his son] Peter Courtenay was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 42) and [his wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 34). He a great grandson of King Edward I of England.

After 20th June 1347 Thomas Dagworth 1st Baron Dagworth (age 71) was created 1st Baron Dagworth. [his sister-in-law] Eleanor Bohun Countess Ormonde (age 42) by marriage Baroness Dagworth.

In 1348 [his son] Hugh Courtenay (age 20) died.

Before 1350 [his son-in-law] John de Vere and [his daughter] Elizabeth Courtenay were married. She the daughter of Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 46) and [his wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 38). He the son of John de Vere 7th Earl of Oxford (age 37) and Maud Badlesmere Countess of Oxford (age 41). They were third cousin once removed. He a great x 5 grandson of King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England. She a great granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

In 1355 [his son] Philip Courtenay was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 51) and [his wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 43). He a great grandson of King Edward I of England.

On 16th September 1360 [his brother-in-law] William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton (age 50) died. He was buried either in the Courtenay Chantry Chapel at Exeter Cathedral [Map] or at Waldon Priory and Abbey [Map]. His son Humphrey (age 19) succeeded 2nd Earl of Northampton. Joan Fitzalan Countess Essex, Hereford and Northampton (age 13) by marriage Countess of Northampton.

On 15th October 1361 [his brother-in-law] Humphrey Bohun 6th Earl Hereford 5th Earl Essex (age 52) died. His nephew Humphrey (age 20) succeeded 7th Earl Hereford, 6th Earl Essex. Joan Fitzalan Countess Essex, Hereford and Northampton (age 14) by marriage Countess Essex, Countess Hereford.

In 1363 [his sister-in-law] Eleanor Bohun Countess Ormonde (age 58) died.

In or before 1364 [his son-in-law] Andrew Luttrell of Chilton and [his daughter] Elizabeth Courtenay were married. She the daughter of Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 60) and [his wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 52).

On 2nd May 1377 Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (age 73) died at Exeter, Devon [Map]. His grandson [his grandson] Edward (age 20) succeeded 3rd Earl Devon, 6th Baron Okehampton.

After 2nd May 1377. Exeter Cathedral [Map]. Monument to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon (deceased) and [his former wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 66). Note the de Bohun Swans Effigies on which her feet rest.

Margaret Bohun Countess Devon: On 3rd April 1311 she was born to Humphrey Bohun 4th Earl Hereford 3rd Earl Essex and Princess Elizabeth of Rhuddlan Countess Essex, Hereford and Holland. She a granddaughter of King Edward I of England. On 11th August 1325 Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon and she were married. She the daughter of Humphrey Bohun 4th Earl Hereford 3rd Earl Essex and Princess Elizabeth of Rhuddlan Countess Essex, Hereford and Holland. He the son of Hugh Courtenay 1st or 9th Earl Devon and Agnes St John Countess Devon. They were fifth cousin once removed. She a granddaughter of King Edward I of England. On 23rd December 1340 Hugh Courtenay 1st or 9th Earl Devon died. His son Hugh succeeded 2nd Earl Devon, 5th Baron Okehampton, 2nd Baron Courtenay. She by marriage Countess Devon. On 16th December 1391 Margaret Bohun Countess Devon died.

On 16th December 1391 [his former wife] Margaret Bohun Countess Devon (age 80) died.

Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke [-1360]. In the nineteenth year of the king's reign, Henry, Earl of Derby,¹ later created Duke of Lancaster, and the Earls of Devon and Pembroke, as well as Lord Ralph Stafford; not yet Earl of Stafford but still a baron, and Lord Walter de Mauny, were sent to Gascony. There, having conquered walled towns and castles, they won many glorious battles with great bravery. The town of Aiguillon,² which they captured by assault, was placed under the guardianship of Ralph of Stafford. Afterward, they moved against other towns, such as Bergerac, which due to its strength was called "the chamber of the French," and also Saint-Jean, La Réole, and many other large, strong, and well-fortified places, which they captured through great effort and perilous assaults. In these campaigns, the Duke of Lancaster fought in underground tunnels, which were being dug to undermine the towers and walls, and suffered fierce attacks from the valiant defenders, fighting hand-to-hand against the besieged. And, something unheard of before, he knighted both Gascon and English soldiers in those very tunnels. Indeed, by conquering towns, cities, castles, and fortresses numbering two hundred and fifty, he marched across a large part of Gascony and advanced as far as Toulouse. There, he invited the ladies of Toulouse and noble maidens, through letters, to dine with him, his fellow nobles, and Lord Bernard de Libreto,³ a loyal Gascon. But, with God's protection, he did no harm to the city or its inhabitants, except for instilling in them unbearable terror, as those who had been besieged later told me. The terror was such that even mendicant friars took up arms, and the Prior of the Carmelite order of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Toulouse, bearing a silver banner with a golden image of the Virgin, led the citizens of his quarter from the walls. He raised his banner in defence,⁴ and by this display, he stirred pious devotion in the duke and many in the army, though some mocked him as well.

Anno Domini MCCCXLV, regis XIX, Henricus comes Derbie, postea dux Lancastrie creatus, et comes Devonie et comes Pembrochie et dominus Radulfus, nondum comes Staffordie set baro, et dominus Walterus de Magne Vasconiam destinantur; ubi, conquisitis villis muratis et castris, multa gloriosa certamina fortiter vicerunt. Villam Daguiloun per insultum adquisitam deputabant custodie Radulphi Staffordie. Postea diverterunt se ad alias villas, ut Brigerak, vocatam pre sua fortitudine 'cameram Francorum,' et ad villam sancti Iohannis et de la Ruele et alias multas grandes et fortes et bene munitas, quas magnis laboribus et insultibus periculosis adquisierunt. Ibi dux Lancastrie, militans in fossatis subterraneis que pro diruendis turribus et muris effodiebantur, graves a virilibus defensoribus insultus paciebatur, et manualiter contra obsessos dimicavit, et, quod antea fuit inauditum, in eiisdem fossatis milites tam Vascones quam Anglicos effecit. Quippe villas, civitates, castra et fortalicia ducentas l. conquirendo, magnam partem Vasconie et usque Tolosam transequitavit, ubi dominas Tolosanas et virgines nobiles per suas literas ad convivandum secum et suis comitibus et domino Bernardo de Libreto, Aquitannico fideli, invitavit. Set, civitatem Deo conservante, nihil eius incolis malefecit, nisi quod terrorem intollerabilem, ut obsessi mihi retulerunt, eiis intulit; ita quod, religiosis mendicis ad arma compulsis, prior Carmelitarum beate Marie Tolose, sub vexillo argenteo ymaginem auream beate Virginis habente, de quarterio sui incolatus civibus prefectus, ostendens suum vexillum ad muros, per armorum errancias descriptum ducem ad devocionem piam et quam plures de exercitu, atque nonnullos ad derisionem, provocavit.

Note 1. Henry of Grosmont succeeded as earl of Lancaster, 22nd September 1345, and was created duke on the 6th March 1352. Hugh Courtenay succeeded as earl of Devon in 1341; died in 1377. Laurence de Hastings was created earl of Pembroke, 12th October 1339; died in 1348. Ralph de Stafford succeeded as baron Stafford in 1308, and was created earl on the 5th March 1351; died in 1372.

Baker is very confused as to the capture of the different places. Bergerac was first taken on the 24th August 1345, Aiguillon, early in December, La Réole, in January 1346. The Saint-Jean-d'Angely was not taken till September 1346. Derby did not go near Toulouse, although it is not impossible that some incursion was made thither. Baker says that he had his information from persons who were besieged there; but he was quite capable of confusing events, and he is most probably referring to the expedition of 1349.

Note 2. Aiguillon, is located at the confluence of Rivers Lot and Garonne. Bergerac is on the River Dordogne. La Réole and Saint-Jean-d'Angely are both on the Garonne downstream of Aiguillon.

Note 3. Bernard, sire d'Albret; died 1358.

Note 4. This seems to mean: by the procession of his banner, on which the picture of the Virgin stood for his armorial device.

[his daughter] Katherine Courtenay was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon and Margaret Bohun Countess Devon. She a great granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

[his daughter] Anne Courtenay was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon and Margaret Bohun Countess Devon. She a great granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

[his daughter] Margaret Courtenay Baroness Cobham was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon and Margaret Bohun Countess Devon. She a great granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

[his son] Humphrey Courtenay was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon and Margaret Bohun Countess Devon. He a great grandson of King Edward I of England.

[his son] Thomas Courtenay was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon and Margaret Bohun Countess Devon. He a great grandson of King Edward I of England.

[his daughter] Joan Courtenay was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon and Margaret Bohun Countess Devon. She a great granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

[his daughter] Elizabeth Courtenay was born to Hugh Courtenay 2nd or 10th Earl Devon and Margaret Bohun Countess Devon. She a great granddaughter of King Edward I of England.