John Fitzalan, 7th Earl of Arundel, 4th Baron Maltravers (14 February 1408 – 12 June 1435) was an English nobleman and military commander during the later phases of the Hundred Years' War.

His final resting place was a matter of dispute until the mid-nineteenth century, when his tomb at Arundel Castle was revealed to contain a skeleton missing one leg.

[6] FitzAlan was knighted in 1426 along with the four-year-old King Henry VI, where he was referred to as "Dominus de Maultravers" ("Lord Maltravers").

[2] On 17 December 1431, he was present when Henry VI was crowned King of France in Paris, where he distinguished himself at the accompanying tournament.

[1] FitzAlan's military success led to several important appointments of command; in November 1431, he was made lieutenant of the Rouen garrison, and shortly after also captain of Vernon.

The assailants could not hold the castle, because Marshall Boussac refused to garrison the town; Guillaume de Ricarville was forced to surrender twelve days later.

from an attack by the duke of Alençon's army, after the town's captain Raoul Tesson had been appointed to replace Suffolk, who was captured at the Battle of Jargeau.

The French retreated to the fastness of Mont St Michel, from where they continued to raid Anglo-Norman towns, like Granville in 1433.

[citation needed] In the County of Alençon, a young, tall and courageous earl led the campaign that probably took place in 1433,[8] taking back Saint-Célerin, Sillé-le-Guillaume, where there was a short skirmish.

[2] By now the Earl of Arundel might have returned briefly to England in May 1434, when he was in the process of gathering troops for an English expedition to France.

[12] In the summer Arundel captured the Mantes-Chartres regional fortresses; it appeared for a time at least the Armagnacs no longer posed a threat to Paris.

The Duke of Alençon was trying to exploit the revolt to take control of Avranches, but Arundel managed to prevent the French advance and ended the rebellion.

Alençon intended to build a fortress at Savigny-le-Vieux, but when the English found out, the bailli of Cotentin was required to demolish it.

[14] With 800 men, Arundel was sent to recover Rue, where he learnt that La Hire was fortifying Gerberoy, only 37 miles east of Rouen.

Talbot had previously cleared out the Picardy,[clarification needed], but when Arundel arrived he discovered to his surprise La Hire and Jean Poton de Xaintrailles had already occupied the fortress.

[2] In the ensuing battle, Arundel lost many of his men and was himself hit in the foot by a shot from a culverin, a primitive musket.

According to the French historian Thomas Basin, Arundel was humiliated by his defeat and refused to receive medical treatment for the damage to his foot.

The leg was eventually amputated, but Arundel's life could not be saved; he died of his injuries on 12 June 1435,[17] depriving the English of one of their youngest, most able and dedicated military leaders.

Eyton maintained therein that he had secured the earl's body and brought it back to England, for which he had been rewarded with a payment of 1400 Marks.

[2] He was referred to as the "English Achilles"; the historian Polydore Vergil called him "a man of singular valour, constancy, and gravity".