Sir Humphrey V de Bohun Knight, Earl of Hereford and Essex

   Another name for Humphrey was Humphrey "the good" de Bohn Earl of Hereford.

  General Notes:

~Weis' Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America before 1700, 8th Editionm 97:28 ¹⁶⁰

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹⁷⁶
Humphrey V, second earl of Hereford, first earl of Essex, and constable of England, was also called the good earl of Hereford. He was a contemporary of Henry III and died 24 September 1274/5.

Born before 1208, Humphrey married twice. His first wife was Maud (Mathilda), daughter of Ralph of Lusignan, count d'Eu (who died 1219). His second wife was Maud (Mathilda) of Avebury, daughter and heiress of Roger of Tosny (who died 1264).

The Tosny (Tony, Toeni) family was a very important one originating in France. Hugh de Tosny, archbishop of Rouen, was the source of their fortune. Roger I de Tosny fought the Muselmans in Catalogne. Robert de Toeni was on the list of companions of William the Conqueror at Hastings and was lord of Stafford with the possessions of seven earls. His brothers, Roger II and Beranger, also had considerable domains. The former (Roger II) was builder of Clifford castle (Herefordshire). Their sister, Alice, married William, son of Osborn. The following generation Ralph III married the daughter of Walthof, the sister of Baldwin, earl of Boulogne. In 1204, the Tosnys, like the Bohons, supported John and lost their lands in Normandy.

Humphrey succeeded his father on 1 June 1220, then came into possession of his lands and was confirmed earl of Hereford. After the death of his maternal uncle, William of Mandeville, he inherited the title of earl of Essex (28 April 1228).

In 1227 Humphrey V helped solve a quarrel between Henry III and his brother, Richard, earl of Cornwall (whom Humphrey supported). He declared his intentions to postpone the judgment of the king's court and royal lords. The king refused and ordered him to submit or give up his titles. With other important barons Humphrey took the side of Richard. The conspirators raised an army, and at Stamford (Lincoln) they demanded the reinstatement of the earl's duties, an apology, and the confirmation of the liberties guaranteed by the document. The king conceded.

Humphrey was reinstated as marshall of the king's house. He served at the marriage of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence (1236), and was one of nine godfathers at the christening of the future Edward I (1239).

From 1239-1241 Humphrey was sheriff of Kent and constable of Dover castle. He also distinguished himself in the Welsh and French wars.

In 1242 Henry II led an expedition to reconquer Poitou, which was occupied by Louis VIII of France. Humphrey accompanied him in Gascogny, but became irritated by the influence of the strangers/counselors under the king. He returned to England with the duke of Cornwall. The expedition later ended as a loss.

Two years later with the earl of Clare, Humphrey took part in the suppression of a Welsh revolt. After an initial success, they were defeated, partly because the earl had been accused of embezzling part of the inheritance of his sister-in-law, Isabelle (wife of David who was son of Llewelyn).

In 1246 Humphrey joined in a letter to Pope Innocent IV denouncing the oppression exercised over England by the court of Rome.

In 1248 Humphrey was presented to Parliament. In 1250 he took the cross and went to the Holy Land.

In the meantime the queen was lavishing favors on the French in her entourage and the king increased his spending, causing discontent among the barons. In 1253 Humphrey participated in a grand remonstrance made to the king at Westminster Hall with the "bell, book, and candle" for violations against the Magna Carta, a prelude to the revolt.

The same year he founded the church of the Augustin Brothers on Broad Street in London. In 1254 he was in Gascogny with the king.

From 1256-1258 "Mr. Humphrey de Boun" participated in many battles with the Welsh. In 1259 he was one of the barons who worked to re-establish a truce between King Henry III and Llewelyn, Prince of Wales. But the following year there were again hostilities between the two. The king summoned Richard of Clare and Humphrey de Bohon to the army with other lords, Humphrey de Boun Jr. and Frank de Boun.

Humphrey was one of the councillors to draw up the Provisions of Oxford in 1258 which affirmed the Magna Carta and reformed its misuse. He was one of the Council of Fifteen that advised the king. The next year he was commissioner to ratify a treaty between France and England. In 1260 Humphrey was a traveling judge for the counties of Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester. In 1262, he negotiated peace with Llewelyn of Wales.

Humphrey V's attitude toward the new conflicts between the king and the barons has been confused with that of his son. When the barons divided their confederation Humphrey sided with Simon de Montfort. In 1263 he was one of the important barons who supported the king while his son was on the opposite side. Humphrey was taken prisoner at the Battle of Lewes.

Humphrey V was chosen one of 12 arbitrators to bring peace between the king and Simon. He died 24 September 1275 on the way to Kenilworth (Warwick). There the king stated the principles he was willing to compromise on to end the revolt surrounding Kenilworth Castle. Humphrey was buried with his ancestors at Lanthony.

He had one son from his first wife, Humphrey VI, his successor, and four daughters: Mathilda (Maud) who married Anselme Marshall, earl of Pembroke (died 1245); Cecilia or Alicia, who married Ralph de Toni; a third who married Roger de Quincy, earl of Winchester; and a fourth.

From his second marriage he had one son, John, lord of Haresfield, who participated in the Battle of Evesham as one of the rebels. John then reconciled with the king and was the father of Edmond de Bohon.

~Les Seigneurs de Bohon by Jean LeMelletier *

* The site that I found this on often disappears, so I copied the information here. There is no email address for me to ask permission, so I hope they don't mind.

• Background Information. ¹⁴¹
Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford and (from 27 Aug 1236) of Essex, Constable of England, son and heir. After his father's death William Brewer had custody of Caldicot (Monmouth) and of Walton in Surrey, but Humphrey had livery of Caldicot Castle and all lands held in chief the next year, the King having taken his homage. He joined the Earl of Cornwall in his quarrel with the King in 1227. In 1228/9 he had was acquitted for 15 1/5 fees of the moiety of the fees of Trowbridge.

At the coronation of Queen Eleanor in 1236 he was Marshal of the Household. He had livery of his mother's lands 9 September 1236. In 1237 he went on a pilgrimage to Santiago. He was appointed constable of Dover Castle 27 Feb 1238/9, which he surrendered 4 Nov 1241, and during these years was sheriff of Kent. He stood sponsor at the baptism of Edward I in 1239.

In 1214, the cause of the Welsh rising is assigned to his having kept in his hand the inheritance of the wife of David, son of Llewelyn, Prince of Wales. He joined in the remonstrance to the Pope in 1246, and was present at the Great Council of 1248. In 1250 he was among those who took the Cross. On 13 Sep 1251 he had license to make his will. He was present at the sentence of excommunication against the transgressors of the charters (1253). He had a protection 15 Nov 1253 for as long as the King remained in Gascony, and was with him there in 1254, but withdrew (having the King's permission) after failing to obtain satisfaction in a matter concerning his jurisdiction as constable.

On 18 Dec 1253, he and his eldest son Humphrey had license to hunt hare, fox, cat and other wild beasts in the forests of Bradon and Savernake, Wilts. In 1257 he was appointed to keep the marches between Montgomery and the land of the Earl of Gloucester, and had a protection 22 October on staying in Wales in the service of Prince Edward. In 1258, he was one of the 24 councillors to draw up the Provisions of Oxford, being chosen among the Barons' twelve, and was thereafter one of the fifteen chosen to advise the King on all points. He was also one of the twelve elected by the Barons to represent the community in three annual parliaments, and was one of the 24 who were concerned in treating of aids.

In 1259 he was the King's representative (with the Count of Aumâle) for the preservation of peace between France and England; was concerned with Llywellyn ap Gruffydd in the matter of the truce; and was one of the commissioners who ratified the treaty between France and England in July. On 10 Aug 1260 he was sent to treat for peace with Llywellyn, and on 25 Aug 1262, he was one of the commissioners to meet Llywellyn's commissioners at the Ford of Montgomery.

He had a grant of the custody of the lands of the late Earl of Gloucester 18 July 1262. In the struggle of 1263/4 he took the side of the King, and was one of the keepers of the City of London, 9 Oct 1265. He also was one of the plenipotentiaries for the Dictum of Kenilworth.

Humphrey married, 1^st , Maud, daughter of Raoul de Lusignan, comte d'Eu (after his marriage), by Alice, sister and heir of Raoul d'Eu (who died young), and daughter of Henry, comté d'Eu and Lord of Hastings. She died 14 Aug 1241 (vigil of the Assumption), and was buried at Llanthony by Gloucester. Humphrey married, 2^nd, Maud de Avenbury. He died 24 Sep 1275, and was buried before the high altar at Llanthony by Gloucester. His wife died 8 Oct 1273, at Sorges, in Gascony, and was buried there, but in 1290 her remains were interred beside those of her husband.

~Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, (Hereford), Vol. VI, pp. 459-462

• Web Reference: Llanthony Priory .

Humphrey married Maud de Lusignan, daughter of Ralph de Lusignan Count of Eu and Alix Comtesse d’Eu, in 1220 in Hereford, Herefordshire, England ^141,160.^,530 (Maud de Lusignan died on 14 Aug 1241 in England ^141,530 and was buried in 1241 in Llanthony Priory, England ¹⁴¹.)