St Peter & St Paul

Most visitors to Kettlethorpe are interested mainly in its associations with Kathryn Swynford, the third wife of John of Gaunt, through whose children the royal houses of Tudor, Stuart and Hanover traces their descent from the Plantagenet kings of England. This interest was stimulated by the publication in 1954 of Anya Seton's very popular novel about her called 'Katherine'. The manor of Kettlethorpe was conveyed to Sir Thomas Swynford in 1356 and on his death, five years later his son Sir Hugh succeeded to the estate. Katherine, who became the wife of Sir Hugh, was daughter of Sir Payne Roelt, a knight in the retinue of Edward III's queen, Philippa of Hainault. Sir Hugh died in 1371 and Katherine became the mistress of John of Gaunt who was then no more than 30 years old. Little is known about Katherine's activities and it is uncertain how many years she spent at Kettlethorpe. Part of her life was spent in Anjou for some, or all of her children were born at Beaufort. There are documents that record that she was engaged in improving the property at Kettlethorpe by the purchase of land and in 1383 Richard II gave her a licence to enclose and mark a park of 300 acres and woods at Kettlethorpe. Eventually after 20 years as mistress, Katherine married John of Gaunt at Lincoln on 13th January 1396. He only lived for another three years however, dying a few months before his son Henry Bolingbroke, succeeded to the throne. Katherine survived him for only four more years, dying on 10th May 1403, having been Lady of Kettlethorpe for over thirty years. She was buried in Lincoln Cathedral, her son Henry Beaufort being at the time the Bishop of Lincoln.