Humphrey III de Bohun
Encyclopedia
Humphrey III de Bohun was an Anglo-Norman
nobleman and general who served Henry II
as Constable
. He was the son of Humphrey II de Bohun
and Margaret of Hereford
, the eldest daughter of the erstwhile constable Miles of Gloucester. He had succeeded to his father's fiefs, centred on Trowbridge
, by 29 September 1165, when he owed three hundred marks as relief
. From 1166 onwards, he held his mother's inheritance, both her Bohun lands in Wiltshire
and her inheritance from her late father and brothers.
As his constable, Humphrey sided with the king during the Revolt of 1173–1174. In August 1173, he was with Henry and the royal army at Breteuil
on the continent and, later that same year, he and Richard de Lucy led the sack of Berwick-upon-Tweed
and invaded Lothian
to attack William the Lion, the King of Scotland, who had sided with the rebels. He returned to England and played a major role in the defeat and capture of Robert Blanchemains, the Earl of Leicester
, at Fornham. By the end of 1174, he was back on the continent, where he witnessed the Treaty of Falaise
between Henry and William of Scotland.
According to Robert of Torigni
, in late 1181 Humphrey joined Henry the Young King
in leading an army against Philip of Alsace, the Count of Flanders
, in support of Philip II of France
, on which campaign Humphrey died. He was buried at Llanthony Secunda
.
Sometime between February 1171 and Easter 1175 Humphrey married Margaret of Huntingdon, a daughter of Henry, Earl of Northumbria, and widow since 1171 of Conan IV, Duke of Brittany
. Through this marriage he became a brother-in-law of his enemy, William of Scotland. With Margaret he had a daughter, Matilda, and a son, Henry de Bohun
, who in 1187 was still a minor in the custody of Humphrey's mother in England and who was created Earl of Hereford. It has been suggested that Humphrey's widow was the Margaret who married Pedro Manrique de Lara
, a Spanish nobleman, but there are discrepancies in this theory.
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
nobleman and general who served Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
as Constable
Lord High Constable of England
The Lord High Constable of England is the seventh of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Great Chamberlain and above the Earl Marshal. His office is now called out of abeyance only for coronations. The Lord High Constable was originally the commander of the royal armies and the...
. He was the son of Humphrey II de Bohun
Humphrey II de Bohun
Humphrey II de Bohun was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat, the third of his family after the Norman Conquest. He was the son and heir of Humphrey I and Maud, a daughter of Edward of Salisbury, an Anglo-Saxon landholder in Wiltshire...
and Margaret of Hereford
Margaret of Hereford
Margaret of Hereford was an English noblewoman and the eldest daughter of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford by his wife, the wealthy Cambro-Norman heiress Sibyl de Neufmarché. Margaret married Humphrey II de Bohun, by whom she had five children...
, the eldest daughter of the erstwhile constable Miles of Gloucester. He had succeeded to his father's fiefs, centred on Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
, by 29 September 1165, when he owed three hundred marks as relief
Feudal relief
Feudal Relief was a one-off "fine" or form of taxation payable to an overlord by the heir of a feudal tenant to licence him to take possession of his fief, i.e. an estate-in-land, by inheritance...
. From 1166 onwards, he held his mother's inheritance, both her Bohun lands in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and her inheritance from her late father and brothers.
As his constable, Humphrey sided with the king during the Revolt of 1173–1174. In August 1173, he was with Henry and the royal army at Breteuil
Breteuil
-Places in France:*Breteuil, Eure, in the Eure département*Breteuil, Oise, in the Oise département...
on the continent and, later that same year, he and Richard de Lucy led the sack of Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
and invaded Lothian
Lothian
Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....
to attack William the Lion, the King of Scotland, who had sided with the rebels. He returned to England and played a major role in the defeat and capture of Robert Blanchemains, the Earl of Leicester
Earl of Leicester
The title Earl of Leicester was created in the 12th century in the Peerage of England , and is currently a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, created in 1837.-Early creations:...
, at Fornham. By the end of 1174, he was back on the continent, where he witnessed the Treaty of Falaise
Treaty of Falaise
The Treaty of Falaise was an agreement made in December 1174 between the captive William I, King of Scots, and the English King Henry II.Having been captured at the Battle of Alnwick during an invasion of Northumbria, William was being held in Falaise in Normandy while Henry sent an army north and...
between Henry and William of Scotland.
According to Robert of Torigni
Robert of Torigni
Robert of Torigni was a Norman monk and chronicler. He was born at Torigni-sur-Vire in central Normandy, at an unknown date. He entered the monastery of Le Bec in 1128 and became prior there about 1149. He was elected abbot of Mont-Saint-Michel in 1154, and served there until his death.Robert was...
, in late 1181 Humphrey joined Henry the Young King
Henry the Young King
Henry, known as the Young King was the second of five sons of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine but the first to survive infancy. He was officially King of England; Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou and Maine.-Early life:Little is known of the young prince Henry before the events...
in leading an army against Philip of Alsace, the Count of Flanders
Count of Flanders
The Count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790....
, in support of Philip II of France
Philip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
, on which campaign Humphrey died. He was buried at Llanthony Secunda
Llanthony Secunda
Llanthony Secunda Priory is a ruined former Augustinian priory in Hempsted, Gloucester, England. Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, founded the priory for the monks of Llanthony Priory, Vale of Ewyas, in what is now Monmouthshire, Wales, in 1136....
.
Sometime between February 1171 and Easter 1175 Humphrey married Margaret of Huntingdon, a daughter of Henry, Earl of Northumbria, and widow since 1171 of Conan IV, Duke of Brittany
Conan IV, Duke of Brittany
Conan IV of Penthièvre , called "the Young", was duke of Brittany, from 1156 to his death. He was son of Alan the Black, 1st Earl of Richmond and Bertha of Brittany. He was his mother's heir as Duke Conan III...
. Through this marriage he became a brother-in-law of his enemy, William of Scotland. With Margaret he had a daughter, Matilda, and a son, Henry de Bohun
Henry de Bohun, 1st Earl of Hereford
Henry de Bohun, 1st Earl of Hereford was an Anglo-Norman nobleman.He was Earl of Hereford and Hereditary Constable of England from 1199 to 1220.- Lineage :...
, who in 1187 was still a minor in the custody of Humphrey's mother in England and who was created Earl of Hereford. It has been suggested that Humphrey's widow was the Margaret who married Pedro Manrique de Lara
Pedro Manrique de Lara
Pedro Manrique de Lara , commonly called Pedro de Molina and usually known in French sources as Pierre de Lara, was a Castilian nobleman and military leader of the House of Lara...
, a Spanish nobleman, but there are discrepancies in this theory.