heraldryofyorkmi01custuoft

ROYAL HERALDRY.
to 1,000, were assigned for the support of Prince John and his younger
sister Eleanor ; but they seem to have spent their childhood at the castle
of Fleshy, in Essex, and Marlborough Castle, until 1325, by which time
the renewed dissensions between the King and Queen had culminated
in
an open rupture.
The terrible scenes which followed of domestic dissension, impurity,
violence, and murder, shadowed the young life of John of Eltham,
brightened only by his brother's coronation at Westminster, at which his
presence is mentioned, and brilliant marriage of true affection to Philippa
of Hainault, in York Minster, where no doubt he was one of the brightest
and comeliest of all that festive throng. But brighter days, which seemed
dawning, were soon shadowed again, and the end speedily came. The
King, his brother, in token of affection and confidence, created him Earl
of Cornwall in the second year of his reign and the ; following year
appointed him custos of the kingdom, during his absence in France.
Then two several efforts were made to arrange a brilliant marriage for
him :
first, with Joane, daughter of Ralph Earl of Eu the ; year following
with Mary, daughter of the Count of Blois ; but for some reason neither
were consummated. At last, in 1334, he was engaged to Mary, daughter
of Ferdinand of Spain, Count of Lara, but the alliance had scarcely been
formally settled in August, when, in October, "he deceased," says Sandford,
" at St. John's Town, the most remote part of Scotland," under what
circumstances I cannot satisfactorily ascertain. Holinshed states that he
accompanied his brother in his expedition to Scotland in 1233, which
commenced with the siege and capture of Berwick, and culminated in
the victorious battle of Hallidon Hill, over the forces of the Douglas.
Perhaps he was mortally wounded in some one of the encounters or
skirmishes which took place at ; any rate he never returned alive.
Holinshed adds " : The Scottish writers affirm that he was slain by
" his brother King Edward for the crueltie he had used in the West part
" of Scotland, in sleaing such as for safeguard of their lives fled into
" churches." This absolutely unsupported assertion from a hostile source
is very improbable. Such a tragic episode could scarcely have taken place
without being recorded in history, nor would such a character have been
honoured by so sacred and honourable a sepulture. For his body was
brought to Westminster Abbey, and there interred in St. Edmund's Chapel.
The stately monument reared over it still remains, deprived of its beautiful
triple canopy, broken down in 1776, and removed by Dean Pearce, and
many of the alabaster statuettes have been hopelessly mutilated, but the
strong oaken screen preserved those on the south side from Puritan
violence, and visitors who have the curiosity to peep between its solid
stanchions may still see the figures of his murdered father, his wretched