Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester

Arms Sir Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester, KG: Quarterly 1st & 4th: Argent; 2nd & 3rd: Gules, a fret or, over all a ribbon sable

Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester KG (22 September 1373 – 13 January 1400) was the son of Edward le Despenser, 1st Baron le Despencer, whom he succeeded in 1375.

Royal intrigues

A supporter of Richard II against Thomas of Woodstock and the Lords Appellant, he was rewarded with an Earldom as Earl of Gloucester in 1397.

However, he supported Henry Bolingbroke on his return to England to become King Henry IV, only to be attainted (deprived of his Earldom because of a capital crime) for his role in the death of Thomas of Woodstock.

He then took part in the Epiphany Rising, a rebellion led by a number of Barons aimed at restoring Richard to the throne by assassinating King Henry IV; this quickly failed when the conspirators were betrayed by Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York to Henry. After fleeing to the western counties, a number of the Epiphany Rising conspirators were captured and killed by mobs of townspeople loyal to the king; Despenser was captured by a mob and beheaded at Bristol on 13 January 1400.

Marriage

Thomas le Despenser married Constance, daughter of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York. They had issue, of whom:

• Elizabeth le Despenser (died young c. 1398)
• Richard le Despenser, 4th Baron Burghersh (1396–1414)
• Edward le Despenser (b. bef. 1400), died young
• Hugh le Despenser (c. 1400–1401)
• Isabel le Despenser (1400–1439), she married first Richard Beauchamp, 1st Earl of Worcester, she married second his cousin Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick

Ancestry and succession

Family of Thomas le Despenser, 1st Earl of Gloucester

16. Hugh le Despenser, Earl of Winchester               8. Hugh le Despenser the Younger                       17. Isabella de Beauchamp               4. Edward le Despenser                             18. Gilbert de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford               9. Eleanor de Clare                       19. Joan of Acre               2. Edward le Despencer, 1st Baron le Despencer                                   10. Sir William de Ferrers of Groby, Lord Ferrers                       5. Anne Ferrers                             11. Ellen de Segrave                       1. Thomas le Despenser                                         24. Robert de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh               12. Bartholomew de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh                       25. Maud de Badlesmere               6. Bartholomew de Burghersh, 2nd Baron Burghersh                             26. Theobald de Verdun, 2nd Baron Verdon               13. Elizabeth de Verdun                       3. Elizabeth Burghersh                                   14. Richard of Weyland                       7. Cecily de Weyland

Peerage of England
Preceded by Edward le Despenser	Baron le Despencer 1375–1400	Succeeded by Attainted
Preceded by New Creation	Earl of Gloucester 1397–1399	Succeeded by Deprived

References

• thePeerage.com

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: