Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick



Thomas de Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick, KG (c.14 February 1313 – 13 November 1369) was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. In 1348 he became one of the founders and the third Knight of the Order of the Garter.

Early life
He was born at Warwick Castle, Warwickshire, England to Guy de Beauchamp, 10th Earl of Warwick and Alice de Toeni.

He served in Scotland frequently during the 1330s, being captain of the army against the Scots in 1337.

He was hereditary High Sheriff of Worcestershire from 1333 until his death (in 1369). In 1344 he was also made High Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire for life.

Victor at Crécy and Poitiers
Warwick was Marshall of England from 1343/4 until 1369, and was one of the commanders at the great English victories at Crécy and Poitiers.

Thomas Beauchamp fought in all the French wars of King Edward III: commanded at the Battle of Crecy: was guardian of the sixteen-year-old Black Prince: fought at Poitiers in 1356 and at the Siege of Calais (1346). He began the rebuilding of the Collegiate Church of Saint Mary, in Warwick out of money received from the ransom of a French Archbishop. He died of plague in Calais on 13 November 1369.

Marriage and children
He married Katherine Mortimer, daughter of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. They had five sons and ten daughters:
 * Thomas b. 16 Mar 1338 d. 8 Aug 1401, who married Margaret Ferrers and had descendants. His son Richard succeeded him as Earl and inherited most of his property.
 * Guy (d. 28 April 1360). He had two daughters who by entail were excluded from their grandfather's inheritance: Elizabeth (d. c.1369), and Katherine, who became a nun.
 * Reinbrun, (d. 1361); he was named for a character in Guy of Warwick.
 * William (c.1343–1411), who inherited the honour of Abergavenny. Married Joan FitzAlan.
 * Roger (d. 1361)
 * Maud (d. 1403), who married Roger de Clifford, 5th Baron de Clifford.
 * Philippa de Beauchamp who married Hugh de Stafford, 2nd Earl of Stafford.
 * Alice (d. 1383), who married first John Beauchamp, 3rd Baron Beauchamp and then Sir Matthew Gournay.
 * Joan, who married Ralph Basset, 4th Baron Basset de Drayton.
 * Isabell (d. 1416) who married first John le Strange, 5th Baron Strange, and then William de Ufford, 2nd Earl of Suffolk. After the latter's death she became a nun.
 * Margaret, who married Guy de Montfort and after his death became a nun.
 * Elizabeth, married Thomas de Ufford KG
 * Anne, married Walter de Cokesey
 * Juliana
 * Katherine, became a nun at Shouldham

Catherine Montacute, Countess of Salisbury was not his daughter, although she is presented as such in William Painter's Palace of Pleasure and in the Elizabethan play, Edward III that may be by William Shakespeare.