General Notes

REFN: 4659AN
Alias:<ALIA> /Lackland/
REFN: P4660
John (December 24, 1167–October 18/19, 1216) reigned as King of England fr
om April 6, 1199, until his death. He succeeded to the throne as the young
er brother of King Richard I (known as "Richard the Lionheart"). John acqu
ired the nicknames of "Lackland" and "Soft-sword".
John's reign has been traditionally characterized as one of the most disas
trous in English history: it began with defeats—he lost Normandy to Philip
pe Auguste of France in his first five years on the throne—and ended wi
th England torn by civil war and himself on the verge of being forced o
ut of power. In 1213, he made England a papal fief to resolve a conflict w
ith the Church, and his rebellious barons forced him to sign Magna Car
ta in 1215, the act for which he is best remembered. Some have argued, how
ever, that John ruled no better or worse than his immediate predecess
or or his successor.
King John was also the subject of an early history play by William Shakesp
eare
Early years
Born at Beaumont Palace, Oxford, John was the fifth son of King Hen
ry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
John was a younger maternal half-brother of Marie De Champagne and Al
ix of France. He was a younger brother of William, Count of Poitiers, Hen
ry the Young King, Matilda of England, Richard I of England, Geoffrey I
I, Duke of Brittany, Leonora of Aquitaine and Joan of England.
John was always his father's favourite son, though as the youngest, he cou
ld expect no inheritance (hence his nickname, "Lackland"). He was almost c
ertainly born in 1166 instead of 1167, as is sometimes claimed. King Hen
ry and Queen Eleanor were not together nine months prior to December 116
7, but they were together in March 1166. Also, John was born at Oxfo
rd on or near Christmas, but Eleanor and Henry spent Christmas 1167 in Nor
mandy. The canon of Laon, writing a century later, states John was named a
fter Saint John the Apostle, on whose feast day (December 27) he was bor
n. Ralph of Diceto also states that John was born in 1166, and that Que
en Eleanor named him.
His family life was tumultuous, with his older brothers all involved in re
bellions against King Henry. His mother, Queen Eleanor was imprisoned in 1
173, when John was a small boy. Gerald of Wales relates that King Henry h
ad a curious painting in a chamber of Winchester Castle, depicting an eag
le being attacked by three of its chicks, while a fourth chick crouched, w
aiting for its chance to strike. When asked the meaning of this picture, K
ing Henry said:
"The four young ones of the eagle are my four sons, who will not cease per
secuting me even unto death. And the youngest, whom I now embrace with su
ch tender affection, will someday afflict me more grievously and perilous
ly than all the others."
In 1189 John was married to Avisa, daughter and heiress of William Fitz Ro
bert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester. (She is given several alternative names by h
istory, including Isabella, Hawise, Joan, and Eleanor.) They had no childr
en, and John had their marriage annulled on the grounds of consanguinit
y, some time before or shortly after his accession to the throne, which to
ok place on April 6, 1199, and she was never acknowledged as queen. (She t
hen married Geoffrey De Mandeville as her second husband and Hubert De Bur
gh as her third).
Before his accession, John had already acquired a reputation for treacher
y, having conspired sometimes with and sometimes against his elder brother
s, Henry, Geoffrey and Richard. In 1184, John and Richard both claimed th
at they were the rightful heir to the Aquitaine, one of many unfriendly en
counters between the two. In 1185 though, John became the ruler of Irelan
d, whose people grew to despise him, causing John to leave after only eig
ht months (see: John's first expedition to Ireland).
During Richard's absence on the Third CrusaDe from 1190 to 1194, John atte
mpted to overthr