1535944

[SUSANNA KEENE.FTW]

A cousin of William the Conqueror.

Received one estate in Tellesford (or Tethford or Talesford)
Norfolk, according to db.

Excerpted from Les Seigneurs de Bohon by Jean LeMelletier,
Coutances:
Arnaud-Bellee, 1978: Humphrey I, also called The Old, was the
founder of the house of Bohon. He is mainly known as a
companion of William the Conqueror at the conquest of England
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:

"with the inspiration of God and the patronage of lord earl
William 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."

The authenticity of this act, of which the original documents
were unfortunately destroyed, does not seem to bear to be
contested. The latest dates proposed for the founding of the
priory come from dates of estate foundings (from Martene and
Miss Gantier 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.) In later years St. Martin
became very popular. It was at Marmoutier that William himself
joined the Battle Abbey, founded to commemorate the Battle 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. The
monastery of St. Leger in Preaux was given the deeds to
Barbeville, St. Marie'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. By 1066 Humphrey
had been married three times, two daughters had entered the
convent, and sons Robert and Richard were old enough to assume
their inheritance. Humphrey was a senior citizen. Wace cited
among the soldiers of Hastings: E de Bohon the older Humphrey.
Humphrey's name, a bit distorted, is seen on a majority of
other lists of William's battle companions. As Wace's poem 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. On the
Bayeux tapestry, in a meal 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. Ten
years after Hastings, William was in England, so Queen Mathilda
was left in charge of the government in Normandy. We know
Humphrey was also in Normandy because of the act of 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. Humphrey is mentioned in the Domesday Book (a
great census taken of all the lands and people in England as
ordered by William, between 1080 and 1086) as a champion and
defender of the throne, 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.
Humphrey's signature is on:

A treaty at Bayeaux. The king presided over the treaty between
the abbey of Mont St. Michel and William Paynel.

Two documents of Boscherville on 30 January 1080, 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.

A document of William the Conqueror at Caen confirming the
foundation of the Lessay Abbey on 14 July 1080.

Another document for the foundation of the Montebourg Abbey.

Humphrey's decision to combine the priory with the abbey was
contested by Geoffrey (son of Nervee) who reclaimed the priory.
The case was 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. Continually Humphrey 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. Other religious establishments benifitted from his
generosity. Humphrey died between 1080 and 1093. He had four
sons that we know of: Robert, Humphrey, Richard, and Enguerran,
and two daughters. Robert died young, before his father.
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.

Records not imported into INDI (individual) Gramps ID I0615:

Line ignored as not understood Line 7966: 2 SOUR @S085410@
Skipped subordinate line Line 7967: 3 DATA
Skipped subordinate line Line 7968: 4 TEXT Date of Import: Aug 7, 2000