Humphrey with the Beard
Encyclopedia
Humphrey with the Beard was a Norman
soldier and landed aristocrat, the earliest known member of the Bohun family who took part in the Norman conquest of England
as one of the original companions at Hastings.
Humphrey may have been a relative of William the Conqueror, probably through one of Humphrey's marriages. He was married three times, as his donation of a plow and garden to the nuns of Abbaye Saint-Amand at Rouen
states, but the names of his wives are unknown. This donation is witnessed by William as comes (count), indicating that he had not yet succeeded to the throne of England and was still only Duke of Normandy
. This suggests that Humphrey was advanced in age by 1066, which corroborates the description of him given at line 13,583 of the Roman de Rou
of Wace
: De Bohun le Vieil Onfrei ("from Bohun the old Humphrey"). His nickname, "with the beard" (cum barba), was a distinguishing one in eleventh-century Normandy, where the custom was to shave the face and back of the head.
At the time of the Conquest Humphrey possessed the honour of Bohun (today comprising two communes, Saint-André-de-Bohon
and Saint-Georges-de-Bohon
) in western Normandy. After the Conquest he received an honour with its seat at Tatterford
in Norfolk
, as recorded in Domesday Book
(1086). The small size of his reward in England, despite his relations with William's family, may be a result of his age. He later donated the church of Saint-Georges-de-Bohon to the Abbey of Marmoutier. By his wives he left three sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Robert, predeceased him unmarried, and his second son, Richard, was the progenitor, in the female line, of the Bohuns of Midhurst
. His youngest son and namesake is commonly numbered Humphrey I
because by his marriage he was "the founder of the fortunes of his family".
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
soldier and landed aristocrat, the earliest known member of the Bohun family who took part in the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
as one of the original companions at Hastings.
Humphrey may have been a relative of William the Conqueror, probably through one of Humphrey's marriages. He was married three times, as his donation of a plow and garden to the nuns of Abbaye Saint-Amand at Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
states, but the names of his wives are unknown. This donation is witnessed by William as comes (count), indicating that he had not yet succeeded to the throne of England and was still only Duke of Normandy
Duke of Normandy
The Duke of Normandy is the title of the reigning monarch of the British Crown Dependancies of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. The title traces its roots to the Duchy of Normandy . Whether the reigning sovereign is a male or female, they are always titled as the "Duke of...
. This suggests that Humphrey was advanced in age by 1066, which corroborates the description of him given at line 13,583 of the Roman de Rou
Roman de Rou
Roman de Rou is a verse chronicle by Wace in Norman covering the history of the Dukes of Normandy from the time of Rollo of Normandy to the battle of Tinchebray in 1106...
of Wace
Wace
Wace was a Norman poet, who was born in Jersey and brought up in mainland Normandy , ending his career as Canon of Bayeux.-Life:...
: De Bohun le Vieil Onfrei ("from Bohun the old Humphrey"). His nickname, "with the beard" (cum barba), was a distinguishing one in eleventh-century Normandy, where the custom was to shave the face and back of the head.
At the time of the Conquest Humphrey possessed the honour of Bohun (today comprising two communes, Saint-André-de-Bohon
Saint-André-de-Bohon
Saint-André-de-Bohon is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-References:*...
and Saint-Georges-de-Bohon
Saint-Georges-de-Bohon
Saint-Georges-de-Bohon is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-References:*...
) in western Normandy. After the Conquest he received an honour with its seat at Tatterford
Tatterford
Tatterford is a village within the civil parish of Tattersett in the English county of Norfolk.. The village is 4.8 miles south west of the town of Fakenham, 30.3 miles north west of Norwich and 112 miles north north east of London. The nearest railway station is at Sheringham for the Bittern Line...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, as recorded in Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(1086). The small size of his reward in England, despite his relations with William's family, may be a result of his age. He later donated the church of Saint-Georges-de-Bohon to the Abbey of Marmoutier. By his wives he left three sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Robert, predeceased him unmarried, and his second son, Richard, was the progenitor, in the female line, of the Bohuns of Midhurst
Midhurst
Midhurst is a market town and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England, with a population of 4,889 in 2001. The town is situated on the River Rother and is home to the ruin of the Tudor Cowdray House and the stately Victorian Cowdray Park...
. His youngest son and namesake is commonly numbered Humphrey I
Humphrey I de Bohun
Humphrey I de Bohun was an Anglo-Norman aristocrat, the youngest son of Humphrey with the Beard, who had taken part in the Norman conquest of England in 1066. He married Maud, a daughter of the Anglo-Saxon landholder Edward of Salisbury, through whom he acquired an honour in Wiltshire with its...
because by his marriage he was "the founder of the fortunes of his family".