William DE BOHUN, , 1st Earl of Northampton

William DE BOHUN, , 1st Earl of Northampton

Male Abt 1312 - 1360  (~ 48 years)

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  • Name William DE BOHUN 
    Suffix , 1st Earl of Northampton 
    Born Abt 1312 
    Gender Male 
    Died 16 Sep 1360 
    Person ID I15211  Young Kent Ancestors
    Last Modified 28 Oct 2021 

    Father Humphrey DE BOHUN, , 4th Earl of Hereford,   b. 1276,   d. 16 Mar 1322  (Age 46 years) 
    Mother Elizabeth OF RHUDDLAN,   b. 7 Aug 1282, Rhuddlan Castle is a castle, Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, Wales Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 5 May 1316, Quendon, Essex, United Kingdom Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 33 years) 
    Family ID F4629  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family Elizabeth DE BADLESMERE, Countess of Northampton,   b. 1313, Castle Badlesmere, Kent, England Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 8 Jun 1356  (Age 43 years) 
    Children 
     1. Humphrey DE BOHUN, 7th Earl of Hereford,   b. 25 Mar 1341,   d. 16 Jan 1373  (Age 31 years)
     2. Elizabeth DE BOHUN, Countess of Arundel, Countess of Surrey,   b. Abt 1350,   d. 3 Apr 1385  (Age ~ 35 years)
    Last Modified 20 Mar 2022 
    Family ID F4628  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  • Notes 
    • William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton, KG (c. 1312 – 16 September 1360) was an English nobleman and military commander.


      Contents
      1 Lineage
      2 Life
      3 Campaigns in Flanders, Brittany, Scotland, Victor at Sluys and Crecy
      4 Renowned Diplomat
      5 Senior naval command
      6 Issue
      7 In Historical Fiction
      8 External links
      9 Ancestry
      10 References
      11 Bibliography
      Lineage
      He was the fifth son of Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford and Elizabeth of Rhuddlan. He had a twin brother, Edward. His maternal grandparents were Edward I of England and his first Queen consort Eleanor of Castile.

      Life
      William de Bohun assisted at the arrest of Roger Mortimer in 1330, allowing Edward III to take power. After this, he was a trusted friend and commander of the king and he participated in the renewed wars with Scotland.[1]

      In 1332, he received many new properties: Hinton and Spaine in Berkshire; Great Haseley, Ascott, Deddington, Pyrton and Kirtlington in Oxfordshire; Wincomb in Buckinghamshire; Longbenington in Lincolnshire; Kneesol in Nottinghamshire; Newnsham in Gloucestershire, Wix in Essex, and Bosham in Sussex.

      In 1335, he married Elizabeth de Badlesmere (1313 – 8 June 1356). Her parents Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere, and Margaret de Clare had both turned against Edward II the decade before. Elizabeth and William were granted some of the property of Elizabeth's first husband, who had also been Mortimer's son and heir.

      William was created Earl of Northampton in 1337, one of the six earls created by Edward III to renew the ranks of the higher nobility. Since de Bohun was a younger son, and did not have an income suitable to his rank, he was given an annuity until suitable estates could be found.

      In 1349 he became a Knight of the Garter. He served as High Sheriff of Rutland from 1349 until his death in 1360.[2]

      Campaigns in Flanders, Brittany, Scotland, Victor at Sluys and Crecy
      In 1339 he accompanied the King to Flanders. He served variously in Brittany and in Scotland, and was present at the great English victories at Sluys and was a commander at Crécy. His most stunning feat was commanding an English force to victory against a much bigger French force at the Battle of Morlaix in 1342. Some of the details are in dispute, but it is clear that he made good use of pit traps, which stopped the French cavalry.

      Renowned Diplomat
      In addition to being a warrior, William was also a renowned diplomat. He negotiated two treaties with France, one in 1343 and one in 1350. He was also charged with negotiating in Scotland for the freedom of King David Bruce, King of Scots, who was held prisoner by the English.

      Senior naval command
      From the 8 March 1352 to 5 March 1355 he was appointed Admiral of the Northern Seas, Fleet.

      Issue
      1. Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford (1341–1373)

      2. Elizabeth de Bohun (c. 1350–1385); married Richard FitzAlan, 4th Earl of Arundel

      In Historical Fiction
      In Bernard Cornwell's series the Grail Quest, the Earl of Northampton plays a minor role as Thomas of Hookton's lord.

      External links
      Inquisition Post Mortem [3]

      William de Bohun's IPM #168 and his wife Elizabeth de Bohun #169 follows Inquisition Post Mortem.[4]

      Ancestry
      Ancestors of William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton

      References
      Mortimer, Ian (2008). The Perfect King The Life of Edward III, Father of the English Nation. Vintage. p. 138.
      Fuller, Thomas (1840). The history of the worthies of England, Volume 3 By Thomas Fuller. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
      Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem
      Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem - Edward III
      Bibliography
      Le Melletier, Jean (1978). Les Seigneurs de Bohun. pp. 6, 17, 43–44.
      Eales, Richard; Shaun Tyas, eds. (2003). Family and Dynasty in Late Medieval England. Shaun Tyas, Donington. p. 152.