Philippa Mohun

Philippa de Mohun was Duchess of York, as a result of her third marriage to Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, Lord of the Isle of Wight, a grandson of King Edward III. She succeeded her third husband as Lady of the Isle of Wight.

Origins

Philippa's birthdate is unknown. She was the third daughter and co-heiress of John Mohun, 2nd Baron Mohun, KG, one of the Founding Knights of the Order of the Garter, feudal baron of Dunster, of Dunster Castle, Somerset, by his wife Joan Burghersh, daughter of Bartholomew de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh.

Inheritance

Although her father was the last in the male line of Mohun of Dunster, neither she nor either of her sisters inherited their paternal estates at Dunster. This was because her mother Lady Mohun had sold the reversion of the estates in 1374 to Lady Elizabeth Luttrell, wife of Sir Andrew Luttrell and a daughter of Hugh de Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon. The Luttrell family and their later descendants in a female line from 1737 owned Dunster Castle until 1976, when it was donated to the National Trust.

Marriages and progeny

Philippa married three times:

First to Walter Fitzwalter, 4th Baron Fitzwalter ; this marriage produced one son named Walter, 5th Baron Fitzwalter mentioned in his mother's will.
Secondly to Sir John Golafre, the bastard son of Sir John Golafre of Sarsden in Oxfordshire, Bury Blunsdon in Wiltshire, Fyfield in Garford and Frilford in Berkshire, eldest son of Sir John Golafre, MP. He was a favoured knight of the chamber of King Richard II and was Constable of Wallingford Castle. He was a notable jouster. He died on 18 November 1396 and at the king's order was buried in the royal chapel in Westminster Abbey.
Thirdly, before 7 October 1398, to Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York, eldest son of Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, by his first wife Isabella of Castile, and a grandson of King Edward III. By her third marriage Philippa became Duchess of York. Following Edward's death at the Battle of Agincourt she received a grant for life of the Lordship of the Isle of Wight, previously held by her husband, and on 10 December 1415 was styled Lady of the Isle of Wight.
Death and burial

Philippa died 17 July 1431 at her seat of Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight and was buried in Westminster Abbey, where her chest tomb and effigy survive in the Chapel of St Nicholas. Also buried in Westminster Abbey was her second husband Sir John Golafre, who was interred in the royal chapel, his grave marked by a monumental brass now lost. Her mother, Lady Joan Burghersh de Mohun was buried at Canterbury Cathedral, where she established a chantry and her tomb is still located.

Monument in Westminster Abbey

Her monument is today situated in the north-west corner of the Chapel of St Nicholas, Westminster Abbey, with one side against the chapel's screen, but before 1600 was situated in the centre of the chapel. In effigy, recumbent upon a freestone chest tomb, Philippa wears a long cloak with widow's hood, the head resting on two cushions. The original paintwork which once covered effigy and base has almost completely worn away. The hands are missing. On the two visible sides of the base are sculpted seven heraldic shields:

Two of Mohun ;
Royal arms of England;
Mohun impaling Burghersh, for her father;
FitzWalter impaling Mohun, for her first husband;
Golafre impaling Mohun, for her second husband;,
Royal arms of England impaling Mohun, for her third husband.

In 1723 the monument had an elaborately carved wooden canopy above it, since removed, as is illustrated in John Dart's history of the Abbey published in that year, but a tester in the Abbey's collection may have come from this monument. The Latin inscription, of which only two words now survive, was recorded in a work on the Abbey's history published in 1822 as follows: : "Philippa daughter and co-heir of John Lord Mohun of Dunster who died Anno Domini 1431". An earlier work stated the inscription to have included also the words: "wife of Edward Duke of York".

Last will and testament

The text of the last will of Philippa de Mohun was published by Richard Gough in 1780. In it she mentioned her son Walter, Lord Fitzwalter and bequeathed money to several charities and to Thomas Chaucer. Her last will and testament was dated at Carisbrooke Castle. She appointed that her body should be interred in Westminster Abbey, and directed further as follows: