Introduction

If you are here, it's probably because you have read Anya Seton's novel and am seeking more information on the life of Katherine Swynford. As well-written as Seton's novel was, you may even feel as if you already know a fair amount about her. And, this is probably true. But, as good an historical novelist Seton is, much is either at best speculation or, at worst, fiction for the purpose of providing the good drama that has endeared many of us who have read it. It inspired me, while in high school, to start on a nearly quarter-century journey in discovering more about Seton's famous heroine.

Reality vs. the Historical Romance Novel

Education at the Convent at Sheppey. So, who was the real Katherine Swynford? Well, for starters, she probably wasn't raised at the convent at Sheppey, which was impoverished by the 13th century. Girls who become attendants upon Queens and Duchesses generally don't start out in impoverished convents. Secondly, her immediate family is larger by at least two siblings: She had an older sister, Elizabeth/Isabell, who was dowered into one of Hainault's most influential abbeys, St. Waudru's near Mons, by the Countess Margaret of Bavaria (sister of England's Queen Philippa of Hainault) and an elder brother, Walter, who is found variously in the service of Margaret, her son Duke Albert, and Edward the Black Prince of Wales.

The In-Laws & Kettlethorpe. Katherine did indeed have a mother-in-law named Nicholaa whose husband, Thomas Swynford, was sheriff of Lincoln and is noted as being one of those bearers of authority 'who made a bad use of it' (he seems to have had a problem with the pidgeons). And, as portrayed by Seton, the Swynford holdings -- Kettlethorpe and Coleby -- were bleak and badly in need of the repair made possible after Hugh's death by Gaunt 's largess.

The Lover's Quarrel. Speaking of Gaunt, one naturally wonders why a man who was dragged through the mud for his open affair with Katherine would have a dramatic breakup only to marry her years later, again risking public condemnation, and taking the unusual step of legitimating their children? While their supposed breakup is reported by at least two contemporary chroniclers, it should be noted that one had a political alignment with Gaunt's legal wife and duchess, Constance of Castille, and that the wording of the other seems suspiciously familiar as to be not an independant confirmation. It also should be remembered that, at the time of the Peasant's Revolt, the locals were afraid to give safe harbor even to the Duchess Constance, who was turned back when she sought refuge at Pontefract Castle. Gaunt himself tarried awhile in Scotland before returning to England and may well have spent the time plotting a mechanism that would save both of his families. 'Reconciling' with Constance, who had to have been only too aware of the political nature of her and Gaunt's union, molified the religious crowd who could then declare Gaunt 'reformed' , while his 'rejection' of Katherine allowed her to peaceably retreat to safer ground until tempers had cooled.

Gaunt's first significant biographer, Sydney Armitage-Smith, himself rejects the notion that Gaunt and Katherine had any falling-out at this time but others, such as Anthony Goodman, are more convinced of its certainty. However, the notion of a genuine alienation of affections seems a bit too piously convenient to be mere coincidence. Certainly if there had been an acrimonious parting of the ways, we would not expect to find Katherine and her children enjoying favour in rather obvious posts in the Lancastrian retinue throughout most of the 1380s, in the receipt of costly gifts and generous revenue.

Blanchette. Less obvious is what became of 'Blanchette'. While Seton has her becoming emotionally scarred and entering a convent after the upheaval of the Peasan'ts Revolt, there appears to be lack of evidence supporting this idea. Female children of minor knights are somewhat invisible, indicating their lack of importance. Indeed, we are only aware of Blanche's existence via reference from two contemporary documents, namely, a notice in Gaunt's accounts providing revenue for her marriage [11] and the papal petition filed by Gaunt requesting permission to marry Katherine and subsequently legitimize their Beaufort children, in which it is noted the potential impediment of Gaunt being a godfather to a daughter of Katherine's.

Seton may have gotten the idea of having the fictional Blanche enter a convent from a 1377 royal nomination of a "Margaret Swynford" to the prestigious Barking Abbey. There is no further known mention of a Blanche Swynford. She may, however, have been identical with the Blanche who in 1381 became the wife of Sir Thomas Murrieux, a favored retainer of Gaunt. Froissart, as cited by Armitage-Smith, believes her to be the early illegitimate offspring by Gaunt and a Marie St. Hillaire. Sir Harris Nicholas believes that Blanche Murrieux is indeed Gaunt's daughter but by Katherine Swynford, which would make her non-legitimation odd. However, given the confusion over who her mother was, and her connection with Gaunt, it seems equally likely that Blanche Murriex is Blanche Swynford. Blanche Murriex soon disappears from record as well.

Katherine & Hugh's Other Daughter. Which leaves us to wonder about who Margaret Swynford was. It is often supposed that young women entering the religious life generally entered at the age of 13 to prepare for taking the veil. If this is true, then Margaret Swynford was likely born by 1364. While many Chaucer biographers of the later 19th through the mid-20th centuries made much of the fact that Katherine married a great, landed, knightly Swynford while her sister Philippa married the mere valettus Geoffrey Chaucer, it seems evident that the Swynford family fortunes appear to have depreciated considerably by the 14th century due to the family's unfortunately having favored the losing side of the Baron's War. The nature of the Swynford family's financial standing is indicated by the facts that (a) Hugh's father Thomas had to purchase back the family's land holdings; (b) they were in ruinous condition; and (c) Hugh's son and grandchildren experienced financial difficulties holding onto them.

What has this to do with Margaret Swynford? Well, given that none of the various branches of the Swynford family were particularly well-off, it is puzzling that one of their numbers enters the prestigious and wealthy Barking Abbey; stranger still that this entry is facilitated by no less a person than the king of England, Richard II, as a right of royal privilege. She could, of course, have been a member of one of the other Swynford family branches that is not known to have had any particular access to the king. More likely is that she is Katherine and Hugh's daughter, especially inasmuch as Richard II seems to have had a particular fondness for Katherine, who was sent to France to help welcome his new bride and who, after Richard's confiscation of Gaunt's estates which had devolved upon Richard's suspiciously-acting cousin Henry of Derby, had her own share of those estates guaranteed untouched by royal command. Margaret later became abbess and died at Barking Abbey which had been made all the richer by Gaunt's handsome dowering of Margaret's cousin Elizabeth Chaucer when she entered there in 1381.

Thomas Swynford, Son of Katherine & Hugh. And, what of Katherine and Hugh's son, Thomas? Well, while he did marry a Joan Crophill, there seems to be scant real evidence for the existence of twins 'little Hugh and Dorothy'. He does have a recorded son by Joan, another Thomas Swynford, as well as an additional son, William, by second wife Margareta Lady D'Arcy. He is sometimes said to also have had a daughter, Elizabeth, who married Thomas Thimelby, (who was Sheriff of Lincoln in 1380) , but this is difficult to verify. He seemingly did have a daughter named for his mother, Catherine, who married Sir William Drury.

However, Seton's portrayal of Thomas Swynford's hostility towards Gaunt and his Beaufort half-siblings is strange poetic license. 1387 finds him being inducted into the confraternity of Lincoln Cathedral along with half-brother John Beaufort, his half-brother (later King Henry IV) Henry of Derby, and Thomas' likely ailing aunt, Philippa Chaucer. The three are later found in the 1390 retinue of 30 Lancastrians taking part in the Joust of St. Inglevert. He is remembered fondly -- mons tres chere bachelier Mons'r Thomas Swynneford -- with a 100 marc bequest in Gaunt's 1399 will and, when declared an outlaw due to indebtedness at the hands of a London draper, Thomas placed his worldly goods in the protective possession of his half-brother John Beaufort. Along with his Beaufort half-brothers and his cousin Thomas Chaucer, Thomas Swynford led an interesting life in public service, serving as one of two commissioners sent by step-brother Henry IV to negotiate a treaty with Flanders in 1406. His son, William, is similary fondly remembered in a Beaufort uncle's will .

The "Real" Katherine. As for Katherine herself, likely she could read; certainly her daughter Joan could read. She probably also was an enthusiastic and reasonably accomplished horsewoman, which could have come in handy in the public touring of the Lancastrian holdings she is noted to have made with Gaunt. Katherine certainly had a healthy appreciation for the finer things a life of affluence could provide -- gold rings, coral rosaries, pearls, gold hanaps and fine wine. Froissart noted that Katherine was brought up in royal households, as would have been proper for the governess of the children of the Duke of Lancaster. She was also religiously observant and early on requested the right to have a personal altar for the celebration of Mass.

She was also a notably responsible steward for her Swynford children's patrimony. Katherine dutifully maintained the family properties holdings during the minority of her son, making numerous improvements to Kettlethorpe which, ironically, her son later was probably unable to financially maintain. She loaned Gaunt money 'in his great necessity' and, when an aqueous thoroughfare of critical importance to Lincolnshire craftsmen and merchants became unnavigable, Katherine was one of only two women involved increating a "grass-roots " (if you will ) solution to clean out the Fosse Dyke.

Discerning Katherine's character involves something along the lines of an old poem in which one can only glimpse at a reflection rather than directly, and sometimes not even that.

more to come...