Death of Katherine de Roet, first mistress and later third wife of John of Gaunt.

Katherine was probably born in 1350, the daughter of Sir Payn Roet, a knight from Hainault who came to England with Philippa, Edward III’s queen.  She married in 1365 Sir Hugh Swynford.

In 1368 she became governess to the children of John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, after the death of his wife Blanche.  It is not sure, when exactly she became John of Gaunt’s mistress, but between 1373 and 1377 they had four children.

Following the death of John of Gaunt’s second wife, they married in Lincoln Cathedral in January 1396, where she is also buried.

She is the title character of Anya Seton’s novel Katherine.

Tags: John of Gaunt