The History of the House of Lancaster
		Lancaster, House of, English royal dynasty that included three monarchs, Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI, and ruled from 1399 to 1461 and from 1470 to 1471. The name originated in 1267, when Henry III conferred the title of earl of Lancaster on his second son, Edmund Crouchback. In 1351 Edmund's grandson, Henry of Lancaster, was made 1st duke of Lancaster. He left no sons, but his daughter Blanche married John of Gaunt, the fourth son of Edward III; in 1362 John was made duke of Lancaster, and thus Lancaster was established as the name of a royal house. In 1385 the title of duke of York was given to John of Gaunt's younger brother Edmund of Langley, whose descendants established the rival royal house of York  the latter fought the house of Lancaster in the Wars of the Roses and then superseded it. "Lancaster, House of," Microsoft (R) Encarta. Copyright (c) 1994 Microsoft Corporation. Copyright (c) 1994 Funk & Wagnall's Corporation.
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