John de Foix, 1st Earl of Kendal

Who is John de Foix, 1st Earl of Kendal?

Jean de Foix was the Captal de Buch, first Earl of Kendal, Vicomte de Castillon,and Meilles and Comte de Benauges.

Jean de Foix was a Gascon noble in the service of the English. His parents were Gaston de Foix captal de Buch, and Marguerite d'Albret, daughter of Arnaud Amanieu, Lord of Albret, and Marguerite de Bourbon. The family of Jean de Foix were originally called de Grailly and they were Savoyards, with estates bordering lake Geneva. The family were for many centuries loyal to the Kings of England and took part in many of the famous battles with the French. A branch called Grelley, came to England with William of Normandy in 1066. They received considerable landholdings in Lancaster and became Barons of Manchester. The last of the English line, Thomas Grelley died in and his estates were inherited by the families of De La Warr and Gise, who had married Thomas' two sisters. In 1446, like his father before him, he became a Knight in the Order of the Garter. He was active in the defence and subsequent recovery of the city of Bordeaux. Then on 17 July 1453 he and John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, fought the French forces at the Battle of Castillon.