Our common ancestors - English Royal family - Contents

King John

King John.
Reigned 1199-1216.
See wikipedia.
Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland ("King of Ireland") 1177-1184.
He succ 1199.
The play King John by Shakespeare spans 1199-1216.
He mar 1200 to Isabella Taillefer [descendant of Charlemagne].
He ordered erection of Dublin Castle 1204.
Built King John's Castle, Limerick c.1210.
He was forced to sign the Magna Carta 1215.
He died 1216.
He was buried before the High Altar in Worcester cathedral.
He had issue by Isabella:

1. Henry III, born 1207,
   reigned 1216-1272.

King John also had illegitimate issue:

1. Richard FitzRoy,
   mar Rohese de Dover [dau of Fulbert de Dover],
   had issue:

   
   

   1. Isabella de Dover,
      mar Maurice de Berkeley and had issue.

      
      

   2. Lorette de Dover,
      mar William Marmion, 2nd Baron Marmion of Winteringham,
      had issue:
      1. John Marmion, 3rd Baron Marmion of Winteringham,
         had issue:
         1. John Marmion, 4th Baron Marmion of Winteringham,
            mar Maud Furnival,
            had issue:
            1. Joan Marmion,
               mar Sir John Bernake,
               had issue:
               1. Maud Bernake,
                  mar Ralph de Cromwell, 1st Baron Cromwell,
                  had issue:
                  1. Maud Cromwell, mar Sir William Fitzwilliam and had issue.

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King John's tomb, Worcester Cathedral

King John (died 1216) was buried with an effigy in Worcester Cathedral.
This is the earliest royal effigy in England (earlier ones in France).

King John's tomb in Worcester Cathedral.
From a guide to Worcester Cathedral, around late 1920s.
See full size. See cover.

King John's tomb in Worcester Cathedral.
From Andrew Kelsall. See Andrew J. Kelsall Photography. Used with permission.
See other shot from Andrew Kelsall. Used with permission.

King John's tomb in Worcester Cathedral.
See full size. From here.
See another shot from Tom Ritchie. See terms of use.
See more Flickr images.

Effigy of King John on his tomb in Worcester Cathedral.
See full size. From here.

Drawing of the above effigy of King John in Worcester Cathedral.
From A Student's History of England by Samuel Rawson Gardiner (1916). See here.
Originally from Stothard's Monumental Effigies.
See also a cast of the effigy at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

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• Contacts with the Islamic world:
  • In 1213, King John sent an ambassador to Morocco to make contact with the court of Almohad Caliph Muhammad al-Nasir. The aim was to secure the Almohads' support in England's conflicts with European enemies.
  • The contemporary chronicler Matthew Paris, writing in the mid 1200s, said that King John offered to convert England to Islam in return for aid. There is no solid evidence for this story though.

• Robin Hood:
  • King John is often cast as the villain in the stories of Robin Hood. The first mention of the stories of Robin Hood is in the 1370s.