Individual

Go to List of Family Names Go to List of People    < Previous Next >

Birth:          1275 Pleshley Castle, Essex, England
Death:          16 Mar 1322 Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, England
Burial:         Friars Preachers Church, York, Yorkshire, England

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humphrey_de_Bohun,_4th_Earl_of_Hereford
Humphrey (VII) de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford (1276 – 16 March 1322) was a member 
of a powerful Anglo-Norman family of the Welsh Marches and was one of the 
Ordainers who opposed Edward II's excesses.
Family background[edit]

Humphrey de Bohun's birth year is uncertain although several contemporary sources 
indicate that it was 1276. His father was Humphrey de Bohun, 3rd Earl of Hereford 
and his mother was Maud de Fiennes, daughter of Enguerrand II de Fiennes, 
chevalier, seigneur of Fiennes. He was born at Pleshey Castle, Essex.

Humphrey (VII) de Bohun succeeded his father as Earl of Hereford and Earl of Essex, 
and Constable of England (later called Lord High Constable). Humphrey held the title 
of Bearer of the Swan Badge, a heraldic device passed down in the Bohun family. 
This device did not appear on their coat of arms, (az, a bend ar cotised or, between 6 
lioncels or) nor their crest (gu, doubled erm, a lion gardant crowned), but it does 
appear on Humphrey's personal seal (illustration).

Scotland[edit]

Humphrey was one of several earls and barons under Edward I who laid siege to 
Caerlaverock Castle in Scotland in 1300 and later took part in many campaigns in 
Scotland. He also loved tourneying and gained a reputation as an "elegant" fop. In 
one of the campaigns in Scotland Humphrey evidently grew bored and departed for 
England to take part in a tournament along with Piers Gaveston and other young 
barons and knights. On return all of them fell under Edward I's wrath for desertion, but 
were forgiven. It is probable that Gaveston's friend, Edward (the future Edward II) had 
given them permission to depart. Later Humphrey became one of Gaveston's and 
Edward II's bitterest opponents.

He would also have been associating with young Robert Bruce during the early 
campaigns in Scotland, since Bruce, like many other Scots and Border men, moved 
back and forth from English allegiance to Scottish. Robert Bruce, King Robert I of 
Scotland, is closely connected to the Bohuns. Between the time that he swore his last 
fealty to Edward I in 1302 and his defection four years later, Bruce stayed for the most 
part in Annandale, rebuilding his castle of Lochmaben in stone, making use of its 
natural moat. Rebelling and taking the crown of Scotland in February 1306, Bruce was 
forced to fight a war against England which went poorly for him at first, while Edward I 
still lived. After nearly all his family were killed or captured he had to flee to the isle of 
Rathlin, Ireland. His properties in England and Scotland were confiscated.

Humphrey de Bohun received many of Robert Bruce's forfeited properties. It is 
unknown whether Humphrey was a long-time friend or enemy of Robert Bruce, but they 
were nearly the same age and the lands of the two families in Essex and Middlesex lay 
very close to each other. After Bruce's self-exile, Humphrey took Lochmaben, and 
Edward I awarded him Annandale and the castle. During this period of chaos, when 
Bruce's queen, Elizabeth de Burgh, daughter of the Earl of Ulster, was captured by 
Edward I and taken prisoner, Hereford and his wife Elizabeth became her custodians. 
She was exchanged for Humphrey after Bannockburn in 1314. Lochmaben was from 
time to time retaken by the Scots but remained in the Bohun family for many years, in 
the hands of Humphrey's son William, Earl of Northampton, who held and defended it 
until his death in 1360. Some Bohuns remained in Scotland, where they became 
known as the Bounds.

Battle of Bannockburn[edit]

At the Battle of Bannockburn (23–24 June 1314), Humphrey de Bohun should have 
been given command of the army because that was his responsibility as Constable of 
England. However, since the execution of Piers Gaveston in 1312 Humphrey had been 
out of favour with Edward II, who gave the Constableship for the 1314 campaign to 
the youthful and inexperienced Earl of Gloucester, Gilbert de Clare. Nevertheless, on 
the first day, de Bohun insisted on being one of the first to lead the cavalry charge. In 
the melee and cavalry rout between the Bannock Burn and the Scots' camp he was 
not injured although his rash young cousin Henry de Bohun, who could have been no 
older than about 22, charged alone at Robert Bruce and was killed by Bruce's axe.

On the second day Gloucester was killed at the start of battle. Hereford fought 
throughout the day, leading a large company of Welsh and English knights and 
archers. The archers might have had success at breaking up the Scots schiltrons until 
they were overrun by the Scots cavalry. When the battle was lost Bohun retreated 
with the Earl of Angus and several other barons, knights and men to Bothwell Castle, 
seeking a safe haven. However, all the refugees who entered the castle were taken 
prisoner by its formerly pro-English governor Walter fitz Gilbert who, like many Lowland 
knights, declared for Bruce as soon as word came of the Scottish King's victory. 
Humphrey de Bohun was ransomed by Edward II, his brother-in-law, on the pleading of 
his wife Isabella. This was one of the most interesting ransoms in English history. The 
Earl was traded for Bruce's queen, Elizabeth de Burgh and daughter, Marjorie Bruce, 
two bishops amongst other important Scots captives in England. Isabella MacDuff, 
Countess of Buchan, who had crowned Robert Bruce in 1306 and for years had been 
locked in a cage outside Berwick, was not included; presumably she had died in 
captivity.[1]

Ordainer[edit]

Like his father, grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, this Humphrey de Bohun was 
careful to insist that the king obey Magna Carta and other baronially-established 
safeguards against monarchic tyranny. He was a leader of the reform movements that 
promulgated the Ordinances of 1311 and fought to insure their execution.

The subsequent revival of royal authority and the growing ascendancy of the 
Despensers (Hugh the elder and younger) led de Bohun and other barons to rebel 
against the king again in 1322. De Bohun had special reason for opposing the 
Despensers, for he had lost some of his estates in the Welsh Marches to their rapacity 
and he felt they had besmirched his honour. In 1316 De Bohun had been ordered to 
lead the suppression of the revolt of Llywelyn Bren in Glamorgan which he did 
successfully. When Llewelyn surrendered to him the Earl promised to intercede for him 
and fought to have him pardoned. Instead Hugh the younger Despenser had Llewelyn 
executed without a proper trial. Hereford and the other marcher lords used Llywelyn 
Bren's death as a symbol of Despenser tyranny.

Death at Boroughbridge[edit]

Main article: Battle of Boroughbridge

The rebel forces were halted by loyalist troops at the wooden bridge at Boroughbridge, 
Yorkshire, where Humphrey de Bohun, leading an attempt to storm the bridge, met his 
death on 16 March 1322.

Although the details have been called into question by a few historians, his death may 
have been particularly gory. As recounted by Ian Mortimer:[2]
"[The 4th Earl of] Hereford led the fight on the bridge, but he and his men were 
caught in the arrow fire. Then one of de Harclay's pikemen, concealed beneath the 
bridge, thrust upwards between the planks and skewered the Earl of Hereford through 
the anus, twisting the head of the iron pike into his intestines. His dying screams 
turned the advance into a panic."'
Humphrey de Bohun may have contributed to the failure of the reformers' aims. There 
is evidence that he suffered for some years, especially after his countess's death in 
1316, from clinical depression.[3]

Marriage and children[edit]

His marriage to Elizabeth of Rhuddlan (Elizabeth Plantagenet), daughter of King 
Edward I of England and his first wife, Eleanor of Castile, on 14 November 1302, at 
Westminster gained him the lands of Berkshire.

Elizabeth had an unknown number of children, probably ten, by Humphrey de Bohun.

Until the earl's death the boys of the family, and possibly the girls, were given a 
classical education under the tutelage of a Sicilian Greek, Master "Digines" 
(Diogenes), who may have been Humphrey de Bohun's boyhood tutor.[citation needed] 
He was evidently well-educated, a book collector and scholar, interests his son 
Humphrey and daughter Margaret (Courtenay) inherited.

Mary or Margaret (the first-born Margaret) and the first-born Humphrey were lost in 
infancy and are buried in the same sarcophagus in Westminster Abbey. Since fraternal 
twins were known in the Castilian royal family of Elizabeth Bohun, who gave birth to a 
pair who lived to manhood, Mary (Margaret?) and Humphrey, see next names, may 
have been twins, but that is uncertain. The name of a possible lost third child, if any, 
is unknown—and unlikely.
1.Hugh de Bohun? This name appears only in one medieval source, which gives 
Bohun names (see Flores Historiarum) and was a probably a copyist's error for 
"Humphrey". Hugh was never used by the main branch of the Bohuns in England.[4] 
Date unknown, but after 1302, since she and Humphrey did not marry until late in 
1302.
2.Eleanor de Bohun (17 October 1304 – 1363),[5] married James Butler, 1st Earl of 
Ormonde and Thomas Dagworth, 1st Baron Dagworth.
3.Humphrey de Bohun (birth and death dates unknown. Buried in Westminster Abbey 
with Mary or Margaret) Infant.
4.Mary or Margaret de Bohun (birth and death dates unknown. Buried in Westminster 
Abbey with Humphrey) Infant.
5.John de Bohun, 5th Earl of Hereford (About 1307 – 1336)
6.Humphrey de Bohun, 6th Earl of Hereford (About 1309 to 1311 – 1361).
7.Margaret de Bohun (3 April 1311 – 16 December 1391), married Hugh Courtenay, 2nd 
Earl of Devon. Gave birth to about 16 to 18 children (including an Archbishop, a sea 
commander and pirate, and more than one Knight of the Garter) and died at the age of 
eighty.
8.William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton (About 1310-1312 –1360). Twin of 
Edward. Married Elizabeth de Badlesmere, daughter of Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 
1st Baron Badlesmere and Margaret de Clare, by whom he had issue.
9.Edward de Bohun (About 1310-1312 –1334). Twin of William. Married Margaret, 
daughter of William de Ros, 2nd Baron de Ros, but they had no children. He served in 
his ailing elder brother's stead as Constable of England. He was a close friend of 
young Edward III, and died a heroic death attempting to rescue a drowning man-at-
arms from a Scottish river while on campaign.
10.Eneas de Bohun, (Birth date unknown, died after 1322, when he's mentioned in his 
father's will). Nothing known of him.
11.Isabel de Bohun (b. ? May 1316). Elizabeth died in childbirth, and this child died on 
that day or very soon after. Buried with her mother in Waltham Abbey, Essex.

Parents
DE BOHUN Humphrey (ABT 1249 - 31 Dec 1298)
DE FIENNES Maud (ABT 1231 - 6 Nov 1298)

Siblings
DE BOHUN Humphrey (1275 - 16 Mar 1322)

Marriage To PLANTAGENET Elizabeth (7 Aug 1282 - 5 May 1316)
    m. 14 Nov 1302 Westminster, London, England

Notes

Parents
PLANTAGENET Edward I "Longshanks" (17 Jun 1239 - 7 Jul 1307)
OF CASTILE Eleanor (Leonor) (1244 - 28 Nov 1290)

Children by PLANTAGENET Elizabeth 7 Aug 1282 - 5 May 1316
DE BOHUN Eleanor (17 Oct 1304 - 7 Oct 1363)
DE BOHUN Margaret (3 Apr 1311 - 16 Dec 1391)
DE BOHUN William (ABT 1312 - 16 Sep 1360)

Produced by Fzip 1.7 6/20/2017