John I, Duke of Brittany

John I
John represented on a window in Chartres Cathedral
Duke of Brittany
Reign21 October 1221 – 8 October 1286
PredecessorPeter I & Alix
SuccessorJohn II
RegentPeter I (1221–1237)
Earl of Richmond
Reign1268
PredecessorPeter of Savoy
SuccessorJohn II
Bornc. 1217/1218
Died8 October 1286
Château de l'Isle
Burial
SpouseBlanche of Navarre
Issue
Among others
HouseDreux
FatherPeter I, Duke of Brittany
MotherAlix, Duchess of Brittany

John I (Breton: Yann, French: Jean; c. 1217/1218 – 8 October 1286), known as John the Red due to the colour of his beard, was Duke of Brittany from 1221 to his death and 2nd Earl of Richmond in 1268.

John was the eldest of three children born to Duchess Alix and her husband and jure uxoris co-ruler, Duke Peter I.[1] He became duke upon his mother's death in 1221. His father, who had reigned as duke due to his marriage to Alix, ruled as regent until John reached adulthood.[2] In 1268, Henry III granted the earldom of Richmond to John,[3] and the title continued in his family, through frequent temporary forfeitures and reversions, until 1342.

He experienced a number of conflicts with the Bishop of Nantes and the Breton clergy. In 1240, he issued an edict expelling Jews from the duchy and cancelling all debts to them.[4] He joined Louis IX of France in the Eighth Crusade in 1270, and survived the plague that killed the king. The duchy of Brittany experienced a century of peace, beginning with John I and ending with Duke John III's reign in 1341.[5]

  1. ^ Richard 1983, p. xxviii.
  2. ^ Lower 2005, p. 117.
  3. ^ Crawford 2002, p. 35.
  4. ^ Jones 1988, p. 140.
  5. ^ Jones 1988, p. 34.