General Notes

Richmond, previous creations: Henry III granted the Richmond lands in 1240 to Piers, a younger son of the Count of Savoy, who accordingly became known as Earl of Richmond, though never formally invested as such.  On his death the Earldom of Richmond, inasmuch as it had ever been his at all, reverted to the Crown.  In 1268 Henry granted the Earldom of Richmond to Piers de Braine's son John, who forthwith made it over to his own son, another John.  (These Johns, who were both known by the surname Bretagne rather than de Braine, may be regarded respectively as 2nd and 3rd Earls of Richmond of the January 1218/9 creation.)  John the younger (ie. the 3rd Earl), who was temporarily deprived of his estates in England in 1296 for siding with the French, married a daughter of Henry III.  He was killed by a wall falling on him in Lyons for the coronation of Pope Clement V in 1305.  On his death Edward I asserted a right to the Earldom of Richmond, together with its castles and territories, but a year later conferred the title on the late Earl's second son John, who thus became 4th Earl of Richmond.  Like his predecessors he too suffered temporary confiscation of his estates by the Crown, this time in 1326, though they were given back to him later that year, on 25 December approximately.  [Burke's Peerage, p. 2402]

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EARLDOM OF RICHMOND (VI, 2)

JOHN DE BRETAGNE, DUKE OF BRITTANY, styled "Le Roux," 1st son and heir of Piers, DUKE OF BRITTANY and sometime EARL OF RICHMOND, by his 1st wife, Alice of Brittany, was born in 1216. He was styled John de Bretagne until he became Duke of Brittany on his father's resignation, when he did homage to the King of France in Paris, on or shortly before 16 November 1237. He received the ducal insignia, viz. the sword and banner, at Rennes a few days later. He was knighted by Louis IX on 8 September 1241 at Melun. On 10 April 1240 he ordered the expulsion of the Jews from Brittany. In 1242 and 1259 he petitioned Henry III for the restitution of the Earldom of Richmond. In 1254 he surrendered his right to the succession to the Kingdom of Navarre, which had been secured to him by his marriage contract, for an annuity of 3,000 livres. In 1268 Henry III restored the Earldom of Richmond to John, who immediately surrendered it to his son. In July 1270 he went on Crusade, and took part in the siege of Tunisby Louis IX. Like his father, he was involved in constant quarrels with the Breton bishops, and was excommunicated.

He married, 16 January 1235/6, at Ch‚teau-Thierry, Blanche, daughter of Theobald, KING OF NAVARRE, COUNT OF CHAMPAGNE AND BRIE, by his 2nd wife, Agnes DE BEAUJEU. She died 12, and was buried 14 August 1283, in the abbey of NÙtre Dame de la Joie, near Hennebont. John died probably 8 October 1285, and was buried in the abbey of NÙtre Dame de PriËres.  [Complete Peerage X:809-11, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]