6. Joan Beaufort Fell In Love With A Captive Whose Family Refused To Pay Ransom
Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland, the daughter of the first Earl of Somerset, John Beaufort, and Margaret Holland. England officials kidnapped her future husband, James I of Scotland as a young child. He lived with the English for 18 years because his uncle refused to pay James’ ransom.
While in bondage, Joan and James met and instantly fell in love. In the hopes of winning Joan’s heart, James wrote her a love poem. Whether the poem did the trick or Joan loved James before, she fell madly in love with him. The only problem – he still lived in bondage.