Thomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of Arundel

Thomas Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel (also FitzAlan ) (* October 13, 1381, † October 13, 1415 ), was an English nobleman who played a significant role during the seizure of power and reign of King Henry IV.

Life

Thomas Fitzalan was the son of Richard FitzAlan, 11th Earl of Arundel, and his first wife, Elizabeth de Bohun. When he was 16 years old, King Richard II, his father beheaded as a traitor and fed the family estates. Thomas was, 1st Duke of Exeter placed in the care of John Holland, half brother of the king. Holland, who also received a large part of Fitzalan - ownership, abused the boy, however, which meant that Thomas fled. He was able to come to France, where his uncle Thomas, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, was living in exile. The two Fitzalans also joined the exiled Henry Bolingbroke from England, a cousin of the king, to.

In July 1399 Thomas Fitzalan Bolingbroke to England followed and supported his power struggle against King Richard. After Bolingbroke took power as King Henry IV, Thomas got back the family goods and was the 12th Earl of Arundel and 11th Earl of Surrey. Revolted in 1400, a group of nobles, including John Holland, against the new king. Thomas Fitzalan made sure that his former guardian executed after his arrest - and probably also previously tortured - was.

In the aftermath Fitzalan, who himself had extensive estates in Wales, was busy mainly there to fight the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr. 1405 he then struck down a revolt in the north of England, which was instigated by Richard le Scrope, Archbishop of York. Thomas was chairman of the Commission, which then ordered the bishop to death, which led to an estrangement with his uncle, who was once Archbishop of Canterbury since 1399.

On November 26, 1405 Fitzalan married Beatrice, daughter of King John I of Portugal and his mistress Inez Pirez. Until 1412 Thomas Fitzalan was as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports one of the king's closest advisors, but then retired to his estates back. A year later, Henry IV died and Fitzalan was treasurer of his son Henry V. He supported his campaign against France in 1415th At the siege of Harfleur, he contracted the dysentery, returned to England and died a few weeks later. As he had no male heirs, the earldom fell to his cousin John.

In British historiography Thomas Fitzalan is considered talented military leader but also as a cruel, vindictive and selfish character.