John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond

Who was John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond?

John of Brittany or Jean de Bretagne, 4th Earl of Richmond, was an English nobleman and a member of the Ducal house of Brittany, the House of Dreux. He entered royal service in England under his uncle Edward I, and also served Edward II. On 15 October 1306 he received his father's title of Earl of Richmond. He was named Guardian of Scotland in the midst of England's conflicts with the Scotland and in 1311 Lord Ordainer during the baronial rebellion against Edward II.

John of Brittany served England as a soldier and as a diplomat but was otherwise politically inactive in comparison to other Earls of his time. He was a capable diplomat, valued by both Edward I and Edward II for his negotiating skills. John was never married, and upon his death his title and estates fell to his nephew, John III, Duke of Brittany. Although he was generally loyal to his first cousin Edward II during the times of baronial opposition, he eventually supported the coup of Isabella and Mortimer. After Edward II abdicated in favor of his son Edward III of England he retired to his estates in France, and died in his native Brittany in 1334 with no known issue.