John Fitzalan, 1st Baron Arundel (c. 1348 – 1379), also known as Sir John Arundel, was an English soldier.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_FitzAlan,_1st_Baron_Arundel

John was appointed Lord Marshal of England by Richard II of England in 1377, and summoned to the House of Lords on 4 August 1377, by writ directed Johanni de Arundell. He served as Lord Marshal until 1383. On 26 July 1379] he was given license to crenellate (i.e., permission to fortify) a stone castle on the site of an 11th century earthwork fortress in Surrey. Over the years since then the structure was rebuilt and remodelled and its remains are now known as Betchworth Castle. Being in command of a naval expedition in aid to the Duke of Brittany, he defeated the French fleet off the coast of Cornwall. Commanding a force with the purpose of bringing relief to the Duke of Brittany, Sir John was compelled to wait for stronger winds. During this wait he decided to take refuge in a nunnery, where his men "took no notice of the sanctity of the place and violently assaulted and raped" those they found inside. Further to this Sir John "allowed his men to ransack the countryside as they liked and to impoverish the people". When the force eventually set out to sea, carrying with them goods stolen from a nearby church and under a pronouncement of excommunication from the wronged priests, the expedition was caught in a storm. Thomas Walsingham reports that during the panic of the storm, Sir John murdered those of his men who refused to make for shore for fear of being shipwrecked upon the rocks. Subsequently, after safely arriving on an island off the Irish coast, Sir John and his boat captain were swept back into the sea and drowned. According to Thomas Walsingham's story, FitzAlan's men profaned a convent at or near Southampton, and carried off many of its occupants. The fleet was then pursued by a violent tempest, when the wretched nuns who had been carried off were thrown overboard to lighten the ships. The vessels were, however, wrecked on the Irish coast, near Scariff according to some authorities, but at Cape Clear Island according to others. Sir John Arundell, together with his esquires, and other men of high birth, were drowned, and twenty-five ships were lost with most of their crews. Froissart's account of the event differs essentially from Walsingham's, in the omission of the story of the desecration of the convent. Burial: He was buried in Lewes, Sussex. He was also an ancestor of the poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Marriage and children

1. On 17 February 1358, FitzAlan married Eleanor Maltravers (Mautravers) (1345 – 10 January 1404 or 1406), daughter of John Maltravers, 1st Baron Maltravers and Gwenthin. They had at least five children (some references list more):
2. Joan FitzAlan (D' Arundel) (c. 1360 – 1 September 1404. She married first William de Brien (one son) and secondly Sir William de Echingham.[2]
3. John FitzAlan, 2nd Baron Arundel (3 November 1364 – 14 August 1390), who married Elizabeth le Despenser.
4. Richard FitzAlan (c. 1366 – 3 June 1419). His daughter Joan married Thomas Willoughby of Parham, a grandson of Alayne FitzAlan, daughter of Edmund Fitzalan, 2nd Earl of Arundel.
5. Sir William Arundel (c. 1369 – 1400). He was a Knight of the Garter.
6. Margaret (1372 – 7 July 1439) married William Ros, 6th Baron Ros of Hamlake and had descendants

   ---

John was appointed Lord Marshal of England by Richard II of England in 1377, and summoned to the House of Lords on 4 August 1377, by writ directed Johanni de Arundell. He served as Lord Marshal until 1379.

On 26 July 1379 he was given licence to crenellate (i.e., permission to fortify) a stone castle on the site of an 11th-century earthwork fortress in Surrey. Over the years since then the structure was rebuilt and remodelled and its remains are now known as Betchworth Castle.

Being in command of a naval expedition in aid to the Duke of Brittany, he defeated the French fleet off the coast of Cornwall.

From < Medlands > A. EARLS of ARUNDEL [1138/39]-1243 (ALBINI)

RICHARD FitzAlan, son of EDMUND FitzAlan Earl of Arundel & his wife Alice de Warenne ([1313]-Arundel 24 Jan 1376, bur Lewes Priory, Sussex). Richard FitzAlan's inheritance was restored in 1330 and he succeeded as Earl of Arundel, known as "Copped Hat". … m secondly (Ditton Church, Stoke Poges, Bucks 5 Feb 1345, Papal dispensation 4 Mar 1345) as her second husband, ELEANOR of Lancaster, widow of JOHN de Beaumont Lord Beaumont, … Earl Richard & his second wife had eight children:

7. JOHN d'Arundel ([1351]-at sea 15/16 Dec 1379, bur Lewes Priory). The will of "Richard Earl of Arundel and Surrey", dated 5 Dec 1375, bequeathed property to “Richard my son...my son Thomas Bishop of Ely...John my son...Joane my daughter [...Countess of Hereford]...Alice my daughter...the eldest daughter of my said son John...Henry and Edward the younger sons of my said son John...William another son of my said son John...my nephews and nieces sons and daughters of Roger le Strange and to my sister Dame Alaine le Strange wife to the said Roger...my...uncle John Arundell”[166]. He was summoned to parliament in 1377, whereby he is held to have become Lord Arundel. He was Marshal of England in 1377, and 9 Apr 1378. The will of "John de Arundel Knt", dated 26 Nov 1379, chose burial “in the priory of Lewes”, bequeathed property to “Eleanor my wife...Joane my daughter...each of my sons and daughters...my brother the Earl of Arundel...the Countess of Hereford my sister”[167]. He was drowned in the Irish Sea, having been shipwrecked after defeating the French fleet off the coast of Cornwall[168].

m (17 Feb 1359) as her first husband, ELEANOR Baroness Mautravers, daughter of JOHN Mautravers & his wife Gwenthlian --- ([1345]-10 Jan 1405, bur [Lewes Priory]). She was declared co-heiress (eventually sole heiress) of her grandfather Lord Mautravers 16 Feb 1365. The will of "John de Arundel Knt", dated 26 Nov 1379, bequeathed property to “Eleanor my wife...Joane my daughter...each of my sons and daughters...my brother the Earl of Arundel...the Countess of Hereford my sister”[169]. She married secondly (dispensation 9 Sep 1384) as his second wife, Reynold Cobham Lord Cobham.

John & his wife had six children:

• a) JOHN d'Arundel (30 Nov 1364-14 Aug 1390, bur Missenden Abbey). He succeeded his father in 1379 as Lord Arundel, but was never summoned to parliament[170]. m (before 1387) as her first husband, ELIZABETH Le Despencer, daughter of EDWARD Le Despencer Lord Despencer & his wife Elizabeth Burghersh (-10/11 Apr 1408, bur Tewkesbury Abbey). The Chronica de Fundatoribus et Fundatione of Tewkesbury Abbey names “Cecilia…Elizabeth…Annam…et Margaretam” as the four daughters of “Edwardus…secundus, filius…Edwardi” and his wife, born after their two older brothers, adding that Elizabeth was “dominam de la Sowch et relictam domini Johannis de Arundell”[171]. She married secondly William La Zouche Lord Zouche of Haryngworth. The will of "Elizabeth Lady Zouche", dated 4 Apr 1408, chose burial “in the abbey of Tewkesbury where the bodies of my brothers are buried”, bequeathed property to “Edmund and Thomas my sons”[172]. John & his wife had three children: …
• b) WILLIAM (-after 5 Dec 1375). The will of "Richard Earl of Arundel and Surrey", dated 5 Dec 1375, bequeathed property to “Richard my son...my son Thomas Bishop of Ely...John my son...Joane my daughter [...Countess of Hereford]...Alice my daughter...the eldest daughter of my said son John...Henry and Edward the younger sons of my said son John...William another son of my said son John...my nephews and nieces sons and daughters of Roger le Strange and to my sister Dame Alaine le Strange wife to the said Roger...my...uncle John Arundell”[173].
• c) HENRY (-after 5 Dec 1375). The will of "Richard Earl of Arundel and Surrey", dated 5 Dec 1375, bequeathed property to “Richard my son...my son Thomas Bishop of Ely...John my son...Joane my daughter [...Countess of Hereford]...Alice my daughter...the eldest daughter of my said son John...Henry and Edward the younger sons of my said son John...William another son of my said son John...my nephews and nieces sons and daughters of Roger le Strange and to my sister Dame Alaine le Strange wife to the said Roger...my...uncle John Arundell”[174].
• d) EDWARD (-after 5 Dec 1375). The will of "Richard Earl of Arundel and Surrey", dated 5 Dec 1375, bequeathed property to “Richard my son...my son Thomas Bishop of Ely...John my son...Joane my daughter [...Countess of Hereford]...Alice my daughter...the eldest daughter of my said son John...Henry and Edward the younger sons of my said son John...William another son of my said son John...my nephews and nieces sons and daughters of Roger le Strange and to my sister Dame Alaine le Strange wife to the said Roger...my...uncle John Arundell”[175].
• e) MARGARET (-3 Jul 1438). A manuscript narrating the foundation of Rievall Abbey records that “Willielmus de Roos” married “Margaretam filiam domini Johannis de Arundell”, by whom he was father of “Johannem, Willielmum, Thomam, Robertum et Ricardum, Beatricem, Aliciam, Margaretam et Elizabetham”, and that he died “apud Belverum 1 Sep 1414” where he was buried[176]. m (licence 9 Oct 1394) WILLIAM de Ros Lord Ros, son of THOMAS de Ros Lord Ros & his wife Beatrice de Stafford of the Earls of Stafford ([1368/69]-Belvoir 1 Sep 1414, bur Belvoir Priory).
• f) JOAN (-after 26 Nov 1379). The will of "John de Arundel Knt", dated 26 Nov 1379, bequeathed property to “Eleanor my wife...Joane my daughter...each of my sons and daughters...my brother the Earl of Arundel...the Countess of Hereford my sister”[177].