Henry Beaufort

Henry Beaufort
Cardinal, Bishop of Winchester
ChurchRoman Catholic Church
ProvinceCanterbury
DioceseWinchester
Installed1404
Term ended1447
PredecessorWilliam of Wykeham
SuccessorWilliam Waynflete
Other post(s)
Previous post(s)
Orders
Consecration14 July 1398
Created cardinal24 May 1426
by Pope Martin V
RankCardinal Priest
Personal details
Bornc. 1375
Died11 April 1447 (aged 71–72)
Wolvesey Castle, Winchester,
Kingdom of England
BuriedWinchester Cathedral
DenominationRoman Catholic Church
ParentsJohn of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford
Coat of armsQuarterly: 1st and 4th: azure three fleur-de-lis Or; 2nd and 3rd: gules three leopards Or; overall a bordure compony argent and azure
1856 painting by Paul Delaroche, showing Cardinal Beaufort interrogating Joan of Arc in prison
Tomb of Cardinal Beaufort in Winchester Cathedral

Henry Beaufort (c. 1375 – 11 April 1447) was an English Catholic prelate and statesman who held the offices of Bishop of Lincoln (1398), Bishop of Winchester (1404) and cardinal (1426).[1] He served three times as Lord Chancellor and played an important role in English politics.

Beaufort was a member of the royal House of Plantagenet,[2] being the second son of the four legitimised children of John of Gaunt (third son of King Edward III) by his mistress (later wife) Katherine Swynford.

  1. ^ Miranda, Salvador. "Henry Beaufort". The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
  2. ^ Rosenthal, Joel Thomas (1970). "The Training of an Elite Group: English Bishops in the Fifteenth Century". Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 60 (5) (New Series ed.): 7. doi:10.2307/1005966. JSTOR 1005966.