Cardinal Henry Beaufort, 1375-1447
Arms: Gules, two keys in bend, the upper Or, the lower Argent interlaced with a sword in bend sinister Proper (Winchester) impaling France quartering England with a border compony Argent and Azure ( Beaufort )
Henry Beaufort was the second child and second son of John of Gaunt, a Plantagenet and Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress Lady Katherine Swynford, née de Roët. Born circa. 1375 he grew up to become a cleric in the Church.
His parents married circa.13 January 1396
He was legitimized by the Pope Boniface IX on 9 Feb 1397
He was consecrated as Bishop of Lincoln on 14 July 1398
Bishop Beaufort was appointed Lord Chancellor of England in 1403 by Henry IV his half brother
He resigned as Chancellor in 1404 when he was appointed Bishop of Winchester 19 Nov 1404
He was again was appointed Lord Chancellor of England 1413 by Henry V his half nephew
But he resigned the position of Chancellor again in 1417
He was appointed for the third time as Lord Chancellor under Henry VI in 1424
And Beaufort resigned the position for the third time in 1426
He was appointed Cardinal by Pope Martin V on 24 May 1426
It is alleged he was present at the interrogation of St. Joan of Arc in 1431,
but the records, which were carefully kept of all persons present, do not support this.
He was also alleged to be present at her execution but official records again do not support this.
Cardinal Beaufort continued to be active in English politics and died on 11 April 1447
The arms shown are his as Bishop of Winchester impaled by Beaufort
The artwork is a rendering by John Hamilton Gaylor
2018 1103
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