John Montague, 3rd Earl of Salisbury

John Montague's father was the younger brother of William Montague, 2nd Earl of Salisbury . John's mother was the granddaughter of Joanna of Accra from her misalliance with Ralph de Montermar .

In his youth, John Montague participated in the war with France , then took a trip to Prussia, where he fought with the pagans (probably together with Henry Bolingbroke, future king Henry IV ). When the wife of Bolingbroke died, the latter transferred his eldest son Henry Monmouth (future King Henry V ) to the guardianship of John Montague and his wife (1394).

John's father died in 1390, leaving his son the second Baron Montague. After the death of his mother, he also became Baron Montermar. The only son of his uncle, the 2nd Earl of Salisbury, died very young in the tournament (1382), so that in 1397 John Montague became the 3rd Earl of Salisbury, thus becoming one of the largest landowners and the most powerful nobles of the kingdom.

His influence was strengthened by the favor of King Richard II . Montague accompanied the monarch in his Irish campaign (1394), was one of the main supporters of the marriage with Isabella of France. After the massacre of the appellant lords, he received part of the possessions of the convict Thomas de Boshan, 12th Earl of Warwick (1397), and in 1399 he became a knight of the Order of the Garter . Then Montague was sent by the king to Paris to upset the impending marriage between the exile Henry Bollingbroke and Maria Berry, cousin of Charles VI ; This mission ended successfully.

When Richard II went to Ireland for the second time (1399), John Montague again accompanied him. During the king’s stay in Ireland, news came that the Bolingbroke landed in England. Then Richard transferred under the command of John Montague part of his troops so that he would cross to North Wales and recruit more people there to fight the rebellion. But Montague’s army fled when rumors spread about the death of the king. The Earl of Salisbury arrived at a meeting with Richard at Conway Castle with virtually no troops.

After the deposition of the king, John Montagu retained his position. Nevertheless, at the end of the same year, 1399, he plotted, along with several other lords, the purpose of which was to kill Bolingbroke, who became Henry IV , and his sons on January 6, 1400, during the Feast of the Epiphany in Windsor. Other conspirators were Bishop Carlisle, Edward of Norwich , Earl of Rutland and a cousin of both kings - old and new, Richard II's half-brother , Earl Huntington , and the son of another half-brother - Thomas Holland, Earl of Kent .

Implementation of the plan was hindered by the fact that at the last moment Rutland's father, Edmund of York , who immediately informed Henry IV, found out about him. The latter fled from Windsor to London. The conspirators began to gather an army and spread the rumor that Richard II had escaped from prison, but that did not help them. John Montague and Thomas Holland were captured at Sirenster and beheaded there on January 8, 1400.

John Montague was married to Maud Francis, daughter of the mayor of London, Sir Adam Francis. In this marriage, six children were born:

• Thomas Montague, 4th Earl of Salisbury (1388-1428)
• Robert Montague
• Richard Montague (died after 1400)
• Ann Montague (died in 1457); 1st husband - Sir Richard Hankford ; 2nd husband - Sir John Fitz-Lewis; 3rd husband - John Holland, 2nd Duke of Exeter
• Margaret Montague; husband - William Ferrers, 5th Baron Ferrers of the Grouby
• Elizabeth Montague; husband - Robert Willoughby, 6th Baron Willoughby de Erzby

• John Montague, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, at www.thepeerage.com