Joan Beaufort Daughter of Katherine Swynford Matriarch of the Norh
Barry Aveyard
- Regions:
- East Midlands, East Midlands, East Riding, East Riding
- Notice Period:
- Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
- Type:
- Historian
- Fee:
- Free
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 25th October 2026
- Tagged:
- Medieval
Baz Aveyard’s talk explores the remarkable life of Joan Beaufort, one of the most important yet overlooked women of medieval England, and the subject of his forthcoming book, Joan Beaufort, Katherine Swynford’s Daughter: Matriarch of the North, to be published by Pen & Sword in 2027. This will be the first full-length biography devoted to Joan, bringing a woman of extraordinary historical significance out of the shadows.
Daughter of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, Joan stood at the centre of a remarkable dynastic network that would shape the future of the English monarchy and the Wars of the Roses.
The talk follows Joan’s journey from her birth into the controversial Beaufort family, her parents’ eventual marriage and the legitimisation of their children, to her position as Countess of Westmorland and matriarch of the powerful Neville dynasty. Through marriage, family alliances and political influence, Joan became the ancestor of kings, queens and kingmakers, including Edward IV and Richard III.
Drawing on the extensive research undertaken for his biography, including contemporary chronicles, medieval documents, family records and surviving monuments, Baz explores Joan not simply as the daughter of famous parents, but as an influential woman in her own right. The talk also examines her close connections with Lincoln, where she was buried alongside her mother in Lincoln Cathedral.
Joan died in 1440, before the outbreak of the Wars of the Roses, but the dynastic legacy she left behind would have profound consequences. Her descendants would find themselves on opposing sides of a conflict that transformed the English monarchy.
An Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and author of several forthcoming medieval biographies for Pen & Sword, Baz brings together historical research, family intrigue, ambition and the personal stories behind the great events of medieval England.
Accessible, richly illustrated and engaging, this talk brings Joan Beaufort and her extraordinary family vividly back into the spotlight, revealing why she deserves to be remembered as one of the great matriarchs of medieval England.
Views: 247 | Enquiries: 0About Barry Aveyard
Baz Aveyard
Historian, Author, Speaker and Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
Baz Aveyard is an independent medieval historian, author and public speaker based in Lincoln. He specialises in the lives of individuals whose stories illuminate the political, social and personal complexities of medieval England, particularly the women whose experiences have too often been overshadowed by those of kings, noblemen and warriors.
In October 2026, Baz was elected an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, recognising his contribution to historical research and writing.
Following a career in higher education, including senior roles in nursing education and a lectureship at Sheffield Hallam University, Baz retired in 2016. His longstanding fascination with medieval history subsequently developed into a second career as a researcher, writer and speaker.
He has now secured contracts with Pen & Sword Books for four historical biographies:
- Joan Beaufort, Katherine Swynford’s Daughter: Matriarch of the North — a biography of the daughter of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, whose marriage into the Neville family placed her at the heart of northern aristocratic power. Scheduled for publication in 2027.
- Eleanor Neville — the remarkable and often tragic story of Joan Beaufort’s daughter, Countess of Northumberland, who endured the loss of her husband and four sons during the Wars of the Roses. Scheduled for publication in 2027.
- Piers Gaveston — a reassessment of the controversial Earl of Cornwall, his intimate relationship with Edward II, his extraordinary political career and his violent death in 1312. Planned for publication in 2028.
- Catherine de Valois — the story of the French princess who became Queen of England through her marriage to Henry V and whose later relationship with Owen Tudor helped establish the dynasty that would transform English history. Forthcoming from Pen & Sword.
Baz’s research places particular emphasis on contemporary chronicles, medieval records and archival evidence, while seeking to recover the human experiences behind the historical narrative.
An experienced and engaging public speaker, he regularly delivers illustrated talks to historical societies, U3A groups and other organisations. His subjects include Katherine Swynford, Joan Beaufort, Eleanor Neville and the wider world of medieval England.
Through his website, The Medieval History Bloke, Baz shares his research, visits to historic sites, discoveries and reflections on bringing medieval lives to a modern readership.
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