John IV of Armagnac

John IV (born October 15, 1396 in Rodez, died on November 5, 1450 in the Isle-Jordan) was a count of Armagnac, of Fézensac and Rodez from 1418 to 1450. He was the son of Bernard VII of Armagnac, count d' Armagnac, of Fézensac, Pardiac and Rodez and the brother of Bernard of Armagnac, count de Pardiac, of the Walk and duke of Nemours.

His father had taken by the force the county of Comminges, but Jean IV could not prevent the remarriage of Marguerite with Mathieu de Foix in 1419. Subsequently they took the County of Comminges. In 1425, he recognized the king de Castille as overlord of Armagnac. The king of France, occupied fighting the English, could not intervene, but did not forget the affront. Later, Jean IV negotiated the marriage of his daughter Isabelle with Henri VI, but he back off from this plan after the threats of the king of France. In 1440, he took part in a revolt of the barons and the Dauphin of France, but the coalition was overcome by Charles VII, who granted forgiveness to the insurrectionists. He asked the count of Armagnac to give up its kingly formula, but this last refused.

Charles VII then asked the Dauphin to punish the recalcitrant Jean IV. Besieged in the Isle-Jordan, Jean was made prisoner and imprisoned in Carcassonne in 1443. He was pardoned three years latter, but his counties were directed by royal officers, and he did not have any more capacities until his death.

Marriages and children

He married Blanche of Brittany (1395-1419) on June 16th, 1407, daughter of John V, Duke of Brittany and Jeanne d' Evreux, and had:

*Bonne (b. 1416; † before 1448)
He remaried on May 10 1419, shortly after the death of his first wife. This time he married Isabelle d' Évreux (b. 1395; † 1450), girl of Charles III, king of Navarre, and of Eleanor of Castille. They had:

*Marie of Armagnac (b. 1420; † 1473), married in 1437 with John II of Alençon (b. 1409; † 1476), Duke of Alençon; maternal great-grandparents of King Henry IV of France.
*Jean V of Armagnac (b. 1420; † 1473), Viscount of Lomagne, then count d' Armagnac, of Fézensac and Rodez.
*Eléonore (b. 1423; † 1456), married in 1446 with Louis de Chalon (b. 1389; † 1463), prince d'Orange, lord of Arlay and Arguel.
*Charles Ier (b. 1425; † 1497), Viscount of Fézensaguet, then count d' Armagnac, of Fézensac and Rodez.
*Isabelle (b. 1430; † 1476), lady of the Four-Valleys.

References