John, he would eventually inherit the earldom. Pembroke was buried in Hereford in April 1375. Background and youth John Hastings was born on 29 August 1347 at Sutton Valence Castle, Kent and baptised that day in the local church, St Mary the Virgin. He was the only son and heir of Laurence Hastings, 1st Earl of Pembroke, by his wife Agnes, who was the third daughter of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March. His father's mother, Juliana Leybourne, was enormously wealthy. Laurence Hastings died a year to the day after his son's birth, and John remained in the care of his mother, while becoming a ward of the King, Edward III (). In December 1348 his mother was granted the large sum of 100 marks a year for his maintenance and upkeep. She soon remarried, but her second husband, John Haklyt, was himself dead by 1357. The wardship of Laurence's estates was divided between his wife Agnes; his mother, John's grandmother (Julian de Leybourne, who later married the Earl of Huntingdon); and Sir John Grey of Ruthin. In 1362, John began receiving grants of the manors previously held by his father. In 1364, he received the wardship of all his father's lands in England and Wales, and was appointed keeper of all his grandmother's dower lands. He attended the King's midwinter revels in December 1366 as part of the extended royal family. Hastings proved his age to the King—and thus his legal majority—on 12 September 1368. The following year, he paid homage to Edward and pledged his fealty; in return, he was granted the rights to all his English inheritance. The following month, he entered into those estates his father had held in Ireland and Wales. Like his father, as well as Earl of Pembroke he also styled himself Lord of Wexford and of Abergavenny. He became a favourite of the King. Marriages Pembroke was contracted to marry twice. His first marriage was arranged by Edward III to his 12-year-old fourth daughter, Margaret. The betrothal ceremony took place on 19 May 1359 in the Queen's Chapel, Palace of Westminster. This was an important match for Pembroke; the royal connection meant that, while his wife lived, Pembroke was referred to as the King's son in official records, as his marriage had brought him directly into the royal family. Margaret died around 1 October 1361, probably of plague. and was buried in