Kind(eren):
The founder of this family in England was Humphrey de Bohun, kinsman and companion in arms to William the Conqueror, and was generally known as "Humphrey with the Beard." Of this Humphrey little more is ascertained than that he possessed the lordship of Taterford, in Norfolk, and was s. by his son, Humphrey de Bohun. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, London, 1883, p. 57, Bohun, Earls of Hereford, Earls of Essex, Earls of Northampton, and High Constables of England]hich seems to have been copied from a Rand Corp. employee's genealogy website:y Jean LeMelletier, Coutances: Arnaud-Bellee, 1978. This was translated from French to English by a friend. The book was found at UCLA's Research Library as CS 439 D416L45 1978.roy, Onfrei, Onfroi, Unfridus, Humfridus)nd and as the founder of the Bohon priory. Old English books designate him Humfridus cum Barba or Humphrey with the Beard. His beard distinguished him from other Norman knights of the period because they habitually shaved. Humphrey was the godfather of William and was certainly close to him because we see the names of William, duchess Mathilde, and their children associated with Humphrey's children. The oldest mention of Humphrey that we know of is in William's journals. It confirms a donation made at the abbey of St. Trinite du Mont at Rouen by Gilbert, Osbern's vassal. William's signature is accompanied by that of Humphrey, son of Richard, listed with the rest of William's men. In 1062 we find Humphrey again with William at the Hogue de Biville, along with Roger de Montgomery and William, son of Osbern. At a meal in the middle of the road, William said they should be free like the common people of the neighboring priory of Heauville. In recounting the story, a monk said that a fellow diner criticized William's liberalism. Not taking too kindly to criticism, William threatened to strike him with a shoulder of pork. According to a paper from about 1060, the knight Humphrey, a rich and noble man, granted the priory he founded, St. Georges de Bohon, to the abbey of St. Martin of Marmoutier. Humphrey tells us:m for the relief of my soul, and those of the late Richard of Mary, my father, and of the late Billeheude, my mother...in the octave of the Pentecost before the venerable father Geoffrey, bishop of Coutances... I protect the abbey of St. Martin, the servants Arnouf, Heribert, and Roger, and the other people whose names are inscribed here.ments were unfortunately destroyed, does not seem to bear to be contested.r 1068; Gerville and the Bernard abbey 1092; L. Musset between 1066 & 1087). However, the title of earl was given to William before 1066 and the founding of the priory was earlier. Originally the priory was settled by four secular canons. The act of including the priory with the abbey was precisely to entrust it with the lands of a knight. (A knight cared for and protected his lands and those who lived there from thieves, warring lords, etc.)e of Hastings where it was fought. A document signed by Sir William, duke of the Normands, before 1066 shows that Humphrey de Bohon gave a garden from his fief (holdings) in Puchay to the nuns of St. Amand in Rouen for the repose of his soul and those of his three wives when one of his daughters became religious.e's Church, the town of Carentan, and the neighboring rectory. Later Humphrey bequeathed the monastery a convent that his second daughter entered. Humphrey's sons Robert and Richard agreed with his actions..m was written more than a hundred years after the events happened, some feel that Humphrey was not among the people at the Battle of Hastings. Taking into account the type of document (poem), it is very probable that Humphrey did participate in the battle. He was also with several neighbors of Cotentin and probably vassals, whose names were associated with his.l scene presided over by Bishop Odo, a bearded man is sitting to William's right. It is possible that this is Humphrey de Bohon--with the Beard--who would occupy a place of honor at the table out of respect for his age.f Cherbourg, about 1076. Under the king's orders, he rendered justice with the monks at the Heauville priory against Bertram de Bricquebec, viscount of Cotentin, who had levied unfair taxes on his people., and as lord of Taterford in Norfolk. Much of his wealth is attributed to the goodwill of William and the spoils of the campaigns, which was not a unique situation. However, the possession of large estates and properties in England was not all fun; they were hard to protect from raiders and warring lords. Humphrey probably also benefitted from Normandy's continued growth and profits from his holdings.080, with the signatures of his son Richard, and William, Mathilda, and their two sons. One is the endowment of the church of St. Georges de Boscherville; the other documents a gift of St. Gervais Church and St. Portais to St. Florent de Saumur with other revenues by William de Briouze.nother document for the foundation of the Montebourg Abbey.s settled in favor of Humphrey by a judgment of the king's court on 27 December 1080 at Cherbourg. Among the witnesses were Humphrey de Bohon, his son Richard, and Torchetil de Bohon.umphrey added his border lands to his holdings. In answer to his request, he received a formal deed from King William at Bernouville, probably at the end of 1081.ifitted from his generosity.. Enguerran became a monk at Marmoutier in the Bohon priory. Richard began another branch, whose descendents include (in France) Enjuger de Bohon and Richard de Bohon, bishop of Coutances, and (in England) the Bohons of Midhurst, Jocelin, bishop of Salisbury, and Reginald and Savary, bishops of Bath. Humphrey became the illustrious ancestor of the earls of Hereford.
cites KSB Keats-Rohan, Domesday People, I:272-273.