ess ▁Anne ' s ▁marriage , ▁however , ▁the ▁du chy ▁was ▁gradually ▁sub sum ed ▁to ▁the ▁French ▁state , ▁in ▁practice , ▁so ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁said ▁that ▁French ▁central ▁government ▁succeeded ▁the ▁Mont fort s . ▁ ▁R ise ▁to ▁power ▁ ▁Count ▁John ▁of ▁Mont fort ▁( 1 2 9 5 – 1 3 4 5 ) ▁was ▁the ▁sole ▁surv iving ▁son ▁of ▁Y ol ande ▁of ▁Dre ux , ▁Count ess ▁of ▁Mont fort ▁suo ▁j ure ▁( and ▁dow ager ▁queen ▁of ▁Scotland ) ▁from ▁her ▁second ▁marriage ▁to ▁Arthur ▁II , ▁Duke ▁of ▁Brit t any . ▁John ▁inherited ▁in ▁ 1 3 2 2 ▁Mont fort - l ' A ma ury ▁from ▁his ▁mother . ▁However , ▁he ▁was ▁only ▁a ▁younger ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁Duke , ▁who ▁had ▁several ▁older ▁sons ▁from ▁his ▁first ▁marriage . ▁John ▁only ▁received ▁some ▁app an age ▁in ▁Brit t any , ▁and ▁his ▁mat ernal ▁inheritance , ▁a ▁count ship , ▁was ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁important ▁possession . ▁ ▁However , ▁his ▁el dest ▁half - bro ther , ▁John ▁III , ▁Duke ▁of ▁Brit t any , ▁was ▁child less ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁his ▁three ▁mar ri ages . ▁Duke ▁John ▁III ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 3 4 1 , ▁and ▁his ▁du chy ' s ▁nobles ▁proc laimed ▁Count ess ▁Joan ▁of ▁Dre ux ▁reign ing ▁duch ess . ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁the ▁late ▁Guy , ▁Count ▁of ▁Pent hi è