The Earl of Arundel | |
|---|---|
| 7th Earl of Arundel | |
 John FitzAlan's funeral effigy in Arundel Castle | |
| Tenure | 1433–1435 |
| Other titles | Baron Maltravers Duke of Touraine |
| Known for | Military service in the Hundred Years' War |
| Years active | 1430–1435 |
| Born | 14 February 1408 Lytchett Matravers, Dorset |
| Died | 12 June 1435 (aged 27) Beauvais, France |
| Cause of death | Wounded in battle |
| Buried | Arundel Castle, Sussex 50°51′22″N 0°33′13″W / 50.85611°N 0.55361°W |
| Nationality | English |
| Residence | Arundel Castle |
| Wars and battles | Hundred Years' War • Siege of Compiègne • Battle of Gerbevoy |
| Spouse(s) | Constance Fanhope Maud Lovell |
| Issue | Humphrey Fitzalan, 8th Earl |
| Parents | John Fitzalan, 6th Earl Eleanor Berkeley |
John Fitzalan, 7th Earl of Arundel, 4th Baron Maltravers KG (14 February 1408 – 12 June 1435) was an English nobleman and military commander during the later phases of the Hundred Years' War. His father, John Fitzalan, 3rd Baron Maltravers, fought a long battle to lay claim to the Arundel earldom, a battle that was not finally resolved until after the father's death, when John Fitzalan the son was finally confirmed in the title in 1433.
Already before this, in 1430, Fitzalan had departed for France, where he held a series of important command positions. He served under John, Duke of Bedford, the uncle of the eight-year-old King Henry VI. Fitzalan was involved in recovering fortresses in the Île-de-France region, and in suppressing local rebellions. His military career ended, however, at the Battle of Gerbevoy in 1435. Refusing to retreat in the face of superior forces, Arundel was shot in the foot and captured. His leg was later amputated, and he died shortly afterwards from the injury. His final resting place was a matter of dispute until the mid-nineteenth century, when his tomb at Arundel Castle was revealed to contain a skeleton missing one leg.
Arundel was considered a great soldier by his contemporaries. He had been a successful commander in France, in a period of decline for the English, and his death was a great loss to his country. He was succeeded by his son Humphrey, who did not live to adulthood. The title of Earl of Arundel then went to John's younger brother, William.