James II, Count of La Marche

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James II of Bourbon-La Marche (1370–1438, Besançon) was the son of John I, Count of La Marche and Catherine of Vendôme.

He first bore arms in the crusade which culminate in the Battle of Nicopolis. After returning to France, he commanded a force which invaded England in support of Owain Glyndŵr. His troops burned Plymouth in 1403, but twelve ships of his fleet were lost in a storm while returning to France in 1404. He married in 1406 in Pamplona Beatrix d'Evreux, daughter of Charles III of Navarre and Eleanor of Castile. The couple had three children:

Isabelle (1408 – aft. 1445), a nun at Besançon
Marie (1410 – aft. 1445) , a nun at Amiens
Eleanor of Bourbon-La Marche (1412 – aft. August 21, 1464), married Bernard d'Armagnac, Count of Pardiac (d. 1462)

He was an adherent of John, Duke of Burgundy and foe of the Armagnac party. However, his affairs in France were interrupted by a sojourn abroad. In 1415, the barons of the Kingdom of Naples arranged his marriage to Joan II of Naples, hoping he would break the power of her court favorites, Pandolfo Alopo and Muzio Sforza, to their advantage. He had Alopo executed and imprisoned Sforza, but he also kept the queen in confinement and aspired to personal rule. The indignant barons captured and imprisoned him in 1416; he was compelled to free Sforza and resign the kingship, and was ejected from the kingdom in 1419. However their wedding does not seem to have been annuled and neither Joan nor James would ever marry again.

Returning to France, he fought against the English for Charles VII of France in 1428 and was made Governor of Languedoc.

In 1435, he resigned his titles and became a Franciscan monk, dying in 1438.

Preceded by John I	Count of La Marche 1393–1435	Succeeded by Eleanor
Preceded by John I with Catherine	Count of Castres with Catherine to 1412 1393–1435	Succeeded by Eleanor
Preceded by Mary of Enghien	King Consort of Naples 1415–1416/(1435)	Succeeded by Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine