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Birth:          ABT 1340 of Kettlethorpe, Lincolnshire, England
Death:          ABT 1371 Bordeaux, France
Burial:         Sts. Peter and Paul, Kettlethorpe, Lincolnshire, England

Notes
ancestry.com

A respected member of John of Gaunt's retinue whose family estate was situated at 
Kettlethorpe in Lincolnshire.
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Hugh was descended from Saxon stock apart from one Ketel, a Dane, who ravaged 
and pillaged to his way along the Trent in about 870, who stopped and set up his 
home (thorpe) in Lincolnshire. It is now known as Kettlethorpe and can be found off 
the A57 Lincoln to Gainsborough road, where you turn off the A57 on to the 
B1133/B156 at Newton-on-Trent. However, for some reason Hugh moved to the 
Swinesford (Swynford) in a Leicestershire and appears to have married and settled 
there.
It was his father, Sir Thomas, who bought back Kettlethorpe when Hugh was a child 
and the family moved back to Lincolnshire. He used funds from the dowry of his 2nd 
wife Nichela (Nicole), from Bedford. Hugh and his stepmother did not get on together 
and would it would appear that Hugh decided to pursue his own life and left home at 
about the age of 15 to join up Edward III's army which was invading Scotland. During 
this period he first met John of Gaunt, then only Earl of Richmond, and they appear to 
have established some rapport. 
Hugh then appears again fighting for the Black Prince at Poitiers, when Jean de 
France was captured. It would seem to be at this time that Hugh was knighted and 
returned home to show off his title and spoils. There is the gap until he goes to 
London, with squire in tow to do knights' service to the Duke of Lancaster, his feudal 
overload. Hugh owned a manor at Coleby that belonged to John's manor of Richmond. 
However, by this time John had married Blanche of Lancaster and had possession of 
all her lands and the Dukedom. Hugh was one of a retinue of two hundred barons, 
knights based at the Savoy Palace in London. He was very unpopular with the 
"Norman" contingent and the rest don't seem to have had any good rapport him. He 
does not appear to have had much time for chivalry and earthly pursuits. However, he 
was a "damn good soldier" and is described in the registers as "a shrewd and 
terrifying fighter". He was small, stocky and known by his fellow as has "the battling 
Saxon ram!" 
Nothing is known of him until his marriage to Katherine. It would seem that the 
marriage was arranged under the auspices of Queen Philippa of Hainault and was not 
to Katherine's liking. Unusually, they did not remain at court after their marriage. It 
would appear that Hugh offended someone, the registers state that he was sent back 
to Kettlethorpe to wait the time when and if his services as a fighter should be 
required! 
It would seem that this exile was short-lived, however, just long enough for him to 
collect his rents, sort out manor affairs, settle Katherine into her new home and depart 
in August 1366 for Aquitaine. John and Edward, the Black Prince were entering into 
war in Castile with King Pedro against his brother Henry of Trastamere, who had 
usurped the throne. 
Katharine was with child when he left and Hugh obviously confided this fact to John. 
Again, the registers record that Katherine was escorted to Bolingbrook to spend 
Christmas and New Year with Duchess Blanche who was herself with child. No more is 
known of either Katherine or Hugh until May 1367 when the registers note that John of 
Gaunt appointed his servitor, Nirac de Bayanne, as Stewart over Kettlethorpe until 
Hugh could be sent home. They also record that he stood sponsor to Blanchette, 
Hugh and Katherine's daughter born in May 1367 and ordered for her the silver and 
gilt cup and at as a baptismal gift.
Hugh was sent back to Lincoln shortly after having taken part in the battle of Najera 
and distinguishing himself again as a good warrior and battle tactician. No more is 
heard of either Hugh or Katherine until 1369 by which time they had a son, names 
Thomas after his grandsire.
It was a bad year for England, Lionel, Duke of Clarence, died on his honeymoon trip. 
There was a rebellion in Acquitaine in April, war was declared against France. There 
were floods, on August 15 Queen Philippa died and plague broke out in London. 
On a local level, Hugh's stepmother died. Gildan, Hugh's half-brother died and 
Kettlethorpes' crops failed. Hugh was ill - it would appear to have been dysentery. 
Hugh and Katherine's relationship had mellowed, but Katherine appears to have been 
quite pleased to go to Bolingbrook to wait on the Duchess Blanche. Sadly, by the time 
she arrived, Blanche was dying of plaque. Katharine nursed her and was able to 
locate a priest to give her the last rights. It would then appear that Hugh sanctioned 
Katherine's journey to London in Blanche's funeral train. 
Quite what happened when she got to London is not really certain, but Katharine 
returned to Kettlethorpe as an armiger in her own right. Her blazon was designed, 
bestowed and registered by John. He also rewarded her, as a pension, "all issues 
from, and profits from his towns of Waddington and Wellingere to be paid yearly". 
Hugh was, not unnaturally, not too happy, but seems to have accepted the reason for 
the gift. This was "for the care shown to the late Duchess and for the Lancastrian 
children after their mother's death".
There was also a summons for a Hugh to go to France in a company led by Sir Robert 
Kindles. They would carry on as a fighting force under Kindles until John arrived to 
take over. The war was protracted and nothing more is heard of Hugh until 1371. He 
was seriously wounded and transported back to Bordeaux in John's train. John 
appointed his own physician, bother William Appleton to care for him and secured 
lodgings for him in Bordeaux. 
It was unusual for John to be so personally involved with one of his retinue. However 
it may have been because John had arranged for Katharine to travel to Bordeaux as 
one of the group of women picked to attend the Infanta Costanza (Constance) of 
Castile who was to be John's second wife. It is known that against John's wishes, 
Katharine went straight to Hugh. It is also worth noting that Nirac de Bayanne was her 
escort. 
No love was lost between Hugh and Nirac and this may have had some bearing on the 
next events. It was not until the relationship between Katherine and John was ending 
that Nirac was posthumously implicated in Hugh's death. He is reputed to have 
confessed to poisoning Hugh on his death that and he repeatedly stated that neither 
John nor Katherine was aware of what he had done. 
It would appear that he was privy to John's desire for Katherine, he hated Hugh so 
much that he was literally able to kill two birds with one stone. Less than a week after 
Katherine is arrival, Hugh was dead. His death surprised everyone as he had been 
making a good recovery. Katherine seemed to have been genuinely shocked and 
upset by his passing. Aided by Brother William, she arranged for Hugh's body to be 
returned to England and Kettlethorpe for burial. Unusually, she returned to court in 
Bordeaux, rather than accompanying his body home. Hugh was buried at his home, 
and faded into obscurity, his contribution to history was his death which left Katherine 
free to enter into a liaison with John.
It is known that John and Katherine disappeared for several weeks prior to his second 
marriage, and presumably this is when she became his mistress. She returned to 
England and was obviously pregnant because she gave birth to John, later John 
Beaufort. It was assumed that John was Hugh's posthumous child, but when Henry 
was born to John and Katherine, they acknowledged John as theirs. 
However, Hugh's son Thomas was raised with the Duke's own children and was 
knighted in his own right. He inherited Kettlethorpe, which was much improved by 
Katherine, and he turned it into a prosperous holding. He had two wives, the first was 
Janet Crophill of Nottingham by whom he had twin children, Hugh and Dorothy. He 
later married an older widow, Margaret D'Arcy when Janet died giving birth. The infant 
also died. 
http://www.swynford.force9.co.uk/johngaunt.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Swynford

Parents
SWYNFORD Thomas (ABT 1310 - 3 Nov 1361)
DE ARDERNE Nicola (ABT 1315 - )

Siblings
SWYNFORD Hugh Ottes (ABT 1340 - ABT 1371)

Marriage To DE ROET Katherine (25 Nov 1350 - 10 May 1403)
    m.  

Notes

Parents
DE ROET Payn (ABT 1310 - 1380)
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Children by DE ROET Katherine 25 Nov 1350 - 10 May 1403
SWYNFORD Thomas (21 Sep 1368 - 1432)

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