James Blount

Who was James Blount?

Sir James Blount was commander of the English fortress of Hammes, near Calais. When in 1484 the Earl of Oxford was imprisoned there, Blount was apparently persuaded to switch to the Lancastrian side. Blount and Oxford fled to join Henry Tudor, leaving his wife in charge. She and the garrison held out for months against Richard III's forces, until in early 1485 they surrendered in return for safe passage into France.

Blount was the son of Walter Blount, 1st Baron Mountjoy, and uncle of William Blount, 4th Baron Mountjoy.

Blount appears as a minor character in Shakespeare's Richard III.