Jeanne de Bar
Encyclopedia
Joan of Bar
Joan of Bar (1297 France
– 1361 London
) was the younger daughter of Henry III, Count of Bar
and Princess Eleanor of England, and niece of Edward II of England
. She was unhappily married to John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey
. In 1354, Joan became the regent
of Bar for her great-nephew, Robert I
.
Joan was a granddaughter of Edward I of England
, "Longshanks", and Eleanor of Castile
. She was close in age to her older brother, Edward I of Bar, born circa 1294/95.
On 25 May 1306, at ten or eleven years old, Joan was married to one of the leading nobles of England, John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey
, a "nasty, brutal man with scarcely one redeeming quality." She lived at the Warenne family estates, Conisbrough Castle
and Sandal Castle
, abandoned by her husband, who hated her and since 1313 had been trying to divorce her. In England, she was close to the queen consort Isabella of France
, her aunt by marriage (Isabella's husband, Edward II, being Joan's maternal uncle) who was about her same age, and spent time with her at court. She was probably close to her first cousin Elizabeth de Clare
(the daughter of Joan of Acre
, her mother's sister), who left Joan an image of John the Baptist
in her will.
After four unhappy years of marriage, Surrey alleged in 1314 that the union was unlawful because Joan was related
to him in the third and fourth degree, and because he had been "precontracted" to Maud of Nerford, his longtime mistress and the mother of his children, before marrying Joan. Despite his claims, a divorce was never granted.
In 1336, her only brother, Edward, drowned off the coast of Cyprus. He was succeeded by his son, Henry
, who died eight years later, in 1344. In 1345, Joan was invited by the King of France to return and act as regent of the County of Bar.
In 1353, she returned to England. When the French monarch John II
was captured and imprisoned in London
, she was allowed to visit him and is said, however unlikely the notion, to have become his mistress
, at 56 years old.
She died in 1361 in London.
, Joan of Bar has been alleged to be the fifth Grand Master of the Priory of Sion.
Joan of Bar (1297 France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
– 1361 London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) was the younger daughter of Henry III, Count of Bar
Henry III, Count of Bar
Henry III of Bar was Count of Bar from 1291 to 1302. He was son of Thibault II of Bar and Jeanne de Toucy.- Life :...
and Princess Eleanor of England, and niece of Edward II of England
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
. She was unhappily married to John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey
John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey
John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey was a prominent English nobleman and military commander during the reigns of Henry III of England and Edward I of England. During the Second Barons' War he switched sides twice, ending up in support of the king, for whose capture he was present at Lewes in 1264...
. In 1354, Joan became the regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of Bar for her great-nephew, Robert I
Robert I of Bar
Robert I of Bar was Marquis of Pont-à-Mousson and Count and then Duke of Bar. He succeeded his elder brother Edward II of Bar as count in 1352, and the county was promoted to a duchy in 1354...
.
Joan was a granddaughter of Edward I of England
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
, "Longshanks", and Eleanor of Castile
Eleanor of Castile
Eleanor of Castile was the first queen consort of Edward I of England. She was also Countess of Ponthieu in her own right from 1279 until her death in 1290, succeeding her mother and ruling together with her husband.-Birth:...
. She was close in age to her older brother, Edward I of Bar, born circa 1294/95.
On 25 May 1306, at ten or eleven years old, Joan was married to one of the leading nobles of England, John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey
John de Warenne, 7th Earl of Surrey
John de Warenne, 6th Earl of Surrey was a prominent English nobleman and military commander during the reigns of Henry III of England and Edward I of England. During the Second Barons' War he switched sides twice, ending up in support of the king, for whose capture he was present at Lewes in 1264...
, a "nasty, brutal man with scarcely one redeeming quality." She lived at the Warenne family estates, Conisbrough Castle
Conisbrough Castle
Conisbrough Castle is a 12th-century castle in Conisbrough, South Yorkshire, England, whose remains are dominated by the 97-foot high circular keep, which is supported by six buttresses. In the mid-1990s, the keep was restored, with a wooden roof and two floors being rebuilt...
and Sandal Castle
Sandal Castle
Sandal Castle is a ruined medieval castle in Sandal Magna, a suburb of the city of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, overlooking the River Calder. It was the site of royal intrigue, the opening of one of William Shakespeare's plays, and was the source for a common children's nursery rhyme.-The...
, abandoned by her husband, who hated her and since 1313 had been trying to divorce her. In England, she was close to the queen consort Isabella of France
Isabella of France
Isabella of France , sometimes described as the She-wolf of France, was Queen consort of England as the wife of Edward II of England. She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre...
, her aunt by marriage (Isabella's husband, Edward II, being Joan's maternal uncle) who was about her same age, and spent time with her at court. She was probably close to her first cousin Elizabeth de Clare
Elizabeth de Clare
Elizabeth de Clare was the heiress to the lordships of Clare, Suffolk in England and Usk in Wales. She was the youngest of the three daughters of Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford and Joan of Acre, and sister of Gilbert de Clare, who later succeeded as the 7th Earl...
(the daughter of Joan of Acre
Joan of Acre
Joan of Acre was an English princess, a daughter of the King Edward I of England and queen Eleanor of Castile...
, her mother's sister), who left Joan an image of John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
in her will.
After four unhappy years of marriage, Surrey alleged in 1314 that the union was unlawful because Joan was related
Consanguinity
Consanguinity refers to the property of being from the same kinship as another person. In that respect, consanguinity is the quality of being descended from the same ancestor as another person...
to him in the third and fourth degree, and because he had been "precontracted" to Maud of Nerford, his longtime mistress and the mother of his children, before marrying Joan. Despite his claims, a divorce was never granted.
In 1336, her only brother, Edward, drowned off the coast of Cyprus. He was succeeded by his son, Henry
Henry IV of Bar
Henry IV of Bar was count of Bar from 1336 to 1344. His aunt, Joan of Bar, Countess of Surrey, governed Bar in his name during his minority. He was the son of Edward I of Bar and his wife Marie of Burgundy. He married Yolande de Dampierre and both his children succeeded him as count....
, who died eight years later, in 1344. In 1345, Joan was invited by the King of France to return and act as regent of the County of Bar.
In 1353, she returned to England. When the French monarch John II
John II of France
John II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,...
was captured and imprisoned in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, she was allowed to visit him and is said, however unlikely the notion, to have become his mistress
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
, at 56 years old.
She died in 1361 in London.
In popular culture
In conspiracy theories, such as the one promoted in The Holy Blood and the Holy GrailThe Holy Blood and the Holy Grail
The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail is a book by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln....
, Joan of Bar has been alleged to be the fifth Grand Master of the Priory of Sion.
Sources
- Weir, Alison. Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England: Balantine Books, 2005.
- Edward II blog