Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel

Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
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Name	Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel
Birth date	1306
Death date	1376
Title	Earl of Arundel
Spouse	Eleanor of Lancaster
Parents	Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel; Alice of Saluzzo
Issue	Thomas FitzAlan; Joan FitzAlan; Eleanor FitzAlan

Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel (1306–1376) was an English nobleman, soldier, administrator, and magnate whose life intersected with the reigns of Edward II of England, Edward III of England, and the early phases of the Hundred Years' War. He was heir to the Arundel Castle holdings and played roles in the political crises surrounding the Despenser War, the Ordinances of 1311, and the establishment of Edward III's personal rule. His career combined military command in the First War of Scottish Independence context and governance in the West Country and the Welsh Marches.

Early life and family

Born at a moment of dynastic stress, he was the son of Edmund FitzAlan, 9th Earl of Arundel and Alice de Saluzzo, tying him to both the Anglo-Norman FitzAlan house and continental nobility linked to Piedmont. His childhood unfolded amid the fallout from the Barons' Wars and the political ascendancy of Hugh Despenser the Younger and Hugh Despenser the Elder, which affected his father's fortunes. Relations with neighbouring magnates such as the Clifford family, the Mortimer family, and the FitzAlan earls of Surrey shaped his early alliances and patronage networks.

Inheritance and titles

As heir to the Earl of Arundel earldom, he inherited extensive lands centered on Arundel Castle, including manors across Sussex, Surrey, and holdings in the South West England counties. The feudal tenure obligations attached to those estates linked him to royal service under Edward II of England and later Edward III of England. His inheritance was complicated by the attainder and execution of his father during the Despenser ascendancy, a circumstance that involved legal instruments such as attainder and royal grants to Marcher Lords.

Political and military career

His military experience included service in campaigns related to the First War of Scottish Independence, where English lords were mobilised against Robert the Bruce and later Scottish resistance. He participated in the royal muster system under Edward II of England and, after the deposition of Edward II, under Edward III of England’s early reign, contributing to operations in the Welsh Marches and defensive preparations along the English Channel. Politically he engaged with reform movements like proponents of the Ordinances of 1311 and later aligned with royal interests when necessary, interacting with figures such as Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March and Isabella of France.

Conflict with Edward II and exile

The fall of his father during the Despenser War forced him into the complex politics of exile and restitution. Accused by Despenser partisans and threatened with loss of inheritance, he sought refuge among allies including members of the Lancaster family and continental connections in Gascony and Flanders. His position was affected by the power struggle between Isabella of France and Hugh Despenser the Younger, and by the eventual overthrow of Edward II of England in 1327 which shifted the fortunes of many dispossessed barons.

Return to England and later career

Following regime change and the rise of Edward III of England to personal rule, he was gradually restored to favour and estates, playing a role in royal councils and military councils preparing for continental action. In the 1330s and 1340s he was involved in the early stages of what became the Hundred Years' War, coordinating local levies, naval preparations linked to the Channel fleet, and contributing to the recruitment system used by commanders such as Edward, the Black Prince and Henry of Grosmont, 1st Duke of Lancaster. He also administered regional justice in association with officials from Chancery and the Exchequer.

Marriage, children and estates

He married Eleanor of Lancaster, daughter of Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster and a member of the Plantagenet kin-group, thereby strengthening ties with the House of Lancaster and magnate networks including the Percy family and the Beauforts later through alliances. Their children included Thomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of Arundel, who continued the family line, and daughters who married into houses such as the Basset family and the Bohun family, cementing regional alliances. The marriage settlement regulated control of Arundel Castle and estates across Sussex and Gloucestershire and involved trustees drawn from peers like William de Montacute, 1st Earl of Salisbury.

Death and legacy

He died in 1376, leaving a legacy manifested in the restoration of the FitzAlan earldom, the consolidation of estates around Arundel Castle, and a role in the martial and administrative developments that prefaced major conflicts between England and France. His descendants continued to influence English politics through the later Wars of the Roses period via intermarriage with houses such as the Neville family and the Howard family. Monuments to the FitzAlan line at Arundel and records in royal registers of the Chancery and Patent Rolls reflect his long-term imprint on medieval English aristocratic structures.

Category:14th-century English nobility Category:Earls of Arundel