 Trần Thủ Độ was born in 1194 as the third son of Trần Quả, a member of the Trần clan in Lưu Gia village (now Hưng Hà, Thái Bình).The Trần clan had made its great fortune by fishing for generations.During the troubled time under the reign of Lý Cao Tông, the Crown Prince Lý Sảm sought refuge in the family of Trần Lý, Trần Thủ Độ's uncle, and decided to marry his beautiful daughter Trần Thị Dung in 1209.