Biography of William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton 1309-1361

On 8th January 1297 John Gerulfing I Count Holland (age 13) and [his mother] Princess Elizabeth of Rhuddlan Countess Essex, Hereford and Holland (age 14) were married at Ipswich, Suffolk [Map]. She by marriage Countess Holland. The wedding was attended by her sister [his aunt] Margaret Plantagenet Duchess Brabant (age 21), her father [his grandfather] King Edward I (age 57), her brother [his uncle] Edward (age 12) and her future second husband [his father] Humphrey Bohun 4th Earl Hereford 3rd Earl Essex (age 21). She the daughter of King Edward I of England and [his grandmother] Eleanor of Castile Queen Consort England. He the son of Floris Gerulfing V Count Holland and Beatrix Dampierre. They were half third cousin twice removed. He a great x 4 grandson of King Stephen I England.

On 19th October 1330 John Neville 1299-1335, William Eland, William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton (age 20), William Clinton 1st Earl Huntingdon (age 26) and William Montagu 1st Earl Salisbury (age 29), friends of King Edward III of England (age 17) secretly entered Nottingham Castle [Map] through tunnels, met with King Edward III of England, and arrested Roger Mortimer 1st Earl March (age 43) and his son Geoffrey Mortimer (age 21) in the presence of Isabella of France Queen Consort England (age 35).

In January 1337 King Edward III of England (age 24) created a number of new Earldom's probably in preparation for his forthcoming war against France ...

William Montagu 1st Earl Salisbury (age 36) was created 1st Earl Salisbury. Catherine Grandison Countess of Salisbury (age 33) by marriage Countess Salisbury.

William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton (age 27) was created 1st Earl of Northampton. [his wife] Elizabeth Badlesmere Countess Northampton (age 24) by marriage Countess of Northampton.

Hugh Audley 1st Earl Gloucester (age 46) was created 1st Earl Gloucester probably as compensation for his daughter Margaret Audley Countess Stafford (age 19) having been abducted by Ralph Stafford 1st Earl Stafford (age 35).

Robert Ufford 1st Earl Suffolk (age 38) was created 1st Earl Suffolk. Margaret Norwich Countess Suffolk (age 51) by marriage Countess Suffolk.

On 24th June 1340 King Edward III of England (age 27) attacked the French fleet at anchor during the Battle of Sluys capturing more than 200 ships, killing around 18000 French. The English force included John Beauchamp 1st Baron Beauchamp Warwick (age 24), William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton (age 30), Henry Scrope 1st Baron Scrope of Masham (age 27), William Latimer 4th Baron Latimer of Corby (age 10), John Lisle 2nd Baron Lisle (age 22), Ralph Stafford 1st Earl Stafford (age 38), Henry of Grosmont 1st Duke Lancaster (age 30), Walter Manny 1st Baron Manny (age 30), Hugh Despencer 1st Baron Despencer (age 32) and Richard Pembridge (age 20).

Thomas Monthermer 2nd Baron Monthermer (age 38) died from wounds. His daughter Margaret succeeded 3rd Baroness Monthermer.

On 30th September 1342 the French army attacked the English besiegers of Morlaix forcing the English to retreat to the nearby woods. William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton (age 32) commanded, John de Vere 7th Earl of Oxford (age 30) and Hugh Despencer 1st Baron Despencer (age 34) fought.

In 23rd April 1349 King Edward III of England (age 36) created new Garter Knights:

26th William Fitzwarin (age 33). The date may be earlier.

27th. Robert Ufford (age 50).

28th William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton (age 39).

Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke [-1360]. In this year,¹ on the feast day of Saint George [23rd April 1350], the king held a great banquet at Windsor Castle [Map], where he established a chantry of twelve priests, and founded a hospital, in which impoverished knights, whose means were insufficient, could, in the service of the Lord, receive suitable support from the perpetual alms of the founders of that college. Besides the king, other nobles contributed to the foundation of this hospital, namely: the king's eldest son, the Earl of Northampton (age 40), the Earl of Warwick (age 37), the Earl of Suffolk (age 51), the Earl of Salisbury (age 21), and other barons. Also included were simple knights, such as: [his step-son] Roger de Mortimer (age 21), now Earl of March, Lord Walter de Mauny (age 40), Lord William FitzWarin (age 34), John de Lisle (age 14), John de Mohun (age 30), John de Beauchamp (age 31), Walter de Pavely (age 31), Thomas Wale (age 47) and Hugh de Wrottesley (age 16). Men whose proven virtue ranked them among the wealthiest earls. Together with the king, all these men were clothed in robes of powdered russet, with garters of Indian colour, also wearing garters on their right legs, and mantles of blue, adorned with the shield of Saint George. In such attire, bareheaded, they devoutly attended a solemn Mass, sung by the bishops of Canterbury, Winchester, and Exeter. They then sat together at a common table, in honour of the holy martyr, to whom they dedicated this noble brotherhood, calling their company "The Knights of Saint George of the Garter."

Isto anno, in die sancti Georgii, rex celebravit grande convivium apud Wyndesore in castro, ubi instituit cantariam xij. sacerdotum, et fundavit zenodochium, in quo milites depauperati, quibus sua non sufficerent, possent in Domini servitute de perpetuis elemosinis fundatorum illius collegii sustentacionem competentem habere. Preter regem fuerunt alii compromittentes in fundacionem istius zenodochii, scilicet regis primogenitus, comes Norhamptonie, comes Warewici, comes Suthfolchie, comes Salisbiriensis, et alii barones; simplices quoque milites, scilicet Rogerus de Mortuo mari, nunc comes Marchie, dominus Walterus de Magne, dominus Willelmus filius Garini, Iohannes de Insula, Iohannes de Mohun, Iohannes de Bealchampe, Walterus de Pavely, Thomas Wale, et Hughe de Wrotesley, quos probitas experta ditissimis comitibus associavit. Una cum rege fuerunt omnes isti vestiti togis de russeto pulverizato cum garteriis Indie coloris, habentes eciam tales garterias in tibiis dextris, et mantella de blueto cum scutulis armorum sancti Georgii. Tali apparatu nudi capita audierunt devote missam celebrem per antistites Cantuariensem, Wintoniensem, et Exoniensem decantatam, et conformiter sederunt in mensa communi ob honourem sancti martiris, cui tam nobilem fraternitatem specialiter intitularunt, appellantes istorum comitivam sancti Georgii de la gartiere.

Note 1. Stow Annales 390: "This yeere, on Saint Georges day [23rd April 1350], the king held a great and solemne feast at his castle of Windsor, where he had augmented the chappel which Henry the first and other his progenitors, kings of England, had before erected, of eight chanons. He added to those eight chanons a deane and fifteene chanons more, and 24 poore and impotent knights, with other ministers and servants, as appeareth in his charter dated the two and twentieth of his reigne. Besides the king, there were other also that were contributors to the foundation of this colledge, as followeth: i. The sovereigne king Edward the third, 2. Edward, his eldest sonne, prince of Wales, 3. Henry, duke of Lancaster, 4. the earle of Warwicke, 5. Captaine de Bouch (age 19), 6. Ralph, earle of Stafford (age 48), 7. William Montacute, earle of Salisburie, 8. Roger, lorde Mortimer, earle of March, 9. sir John de Lisle (age 31), 10. sir .

It will be seen that Stow here alters the names to tally with the list of the original knights or First Founders of the order of the Garter. Baker seems to be anticipating. William Bohun, 1st earl of Northampton, and Robert Ufford, 1st earl of Suffolk, and sir William Fitz-Warine became knights of the order at an early date; but Roger Mortimer, here styled 'now Earl of March,' did not have that title before 1352, and sir Walter Manny did not receive the garter till the end of 1359.

The date of the foundation of the order of the Garter has never been exactly determined. Froissart 203.

Murimuth 155

The Brute chronicle (Egerton MS. 650) has this description, although under a wrong year: "And in the XIX yere of his regne, anone aftre, in Jannuere, before Lenten, the same kyng Edward lete make fulle noble iustice and grete festes in the place of hys byrth, at Wyndsore, that ther were never none suche seyne before that tyme, ne I trowe sythene. At whech iustice, festis and ryalte weryn II kinges, II quenys, and the prince of Wales and the duke of Cornewale, ten erles, nine countesse, many barons, knyghttes, and worthy burgesse, the whech myght not lyghtly be nombrede; and also of dyverse londes as byyonde the see were many strangers. And at that tyme, whene the iustes had done, the kyng Edward made a grete souper, in the wheche he begone fyrst hys round table, and ordayned stedfastly the day of the forsayd table to be holde ther at Wyndessore in the Whytesonwyke evermore yerely."

Relying on the date given in the statutes of the order and on this passage in Baker, writers on the subject have adopted 1349 or 1350 as the year of foundation. But an entry in the household-book of the Black Prince affords a reason for dating the event a year earlier, payment having been made on the 18th November 1348, for twenty-four garters which were given by the prince "militibus de societate garterias" i.e. "garters [were given] to the knights of the society"; Beltz, Memorials of the Order of the Garter, pp. XXXII, 385. Proof however is not conclusive, as the ministers' accounts in the household-book were rendered between 1352 and 1365, and there is therefore room for error; moreover, the garters in question may have been prepared in anticipation. The date of 1349, which is given in the preamble to the earliest copies of the statutes, although it is true that those copies are not contemporary, is not to be lightly set aside. It is, indeed, most probable that the order was never solemnly instituted at an early period, but that it was gradually taking shape during the years following the foundation of the Round Table. Edward's patent, bearing date of 22nd August 1348, whereby he instituted a chapel at Windsor, with a fraternity of eight secular canons and a warden, fifteen other canons, and four-and-twenty poor knights, appears to be the first formal document which can be quoted as a foundation-deed of the order. After this there is no direct reference to it until 1350, when robes were issued for the King against the coming Feast of St. George, together with a Garter containing the King's motto, "Hony soyt qui mal y pense!" Nicolas, History of Orders of Knighthood, 1.24.

In September 1359, a case of Marriage of Two Sets of Siblings, siblings from the de Bohun family, children of William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton (age 49), his only children, and the Fitzalan family, children of , were married:

[his son-in-law] Richard Fitzalan 9th Earl of Surrey 4th or 11th Earl of Arundel (age 13) and [his daughter] Elizabeth Bohun Countess Arundel and Surrey (age 9) were married. She the daughter of William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton and [his former wife] Elizabeth Badlesmere Countess Northampton. He the son of Richard Fitzalan 3rd or 10th Earl of Arundel 8th Earl of Surrey (age 53) and Eleanor Plantagenet Countess Arundel and Surrey (age 40). They were third cousins. He a great x 2 grandson of King Henry III of England. She a great granddaughter of King Edward I of England.

[his son] Humphrey Bohun 7th Earl Hereford 6th Earl Essex 2nd Earl of Northampton (age 18) and [his daughter-in-law] Joan Fitzalan Countess Essex, Hereford and Northampton (age 12) were married. She the daughter of Richard Fitzalan 3rd or 10th Earl of Arundel 8th Earl of Surrey and Eleanor Plantagenet Countess Arundel and Surrey. He the son of William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton and Elizabeth Badlesmere Countess Northampton. They were third cousins. He a great grandson of King Edward I of England. She a great x 2 granddaughter of King Henry III of England.

On 13th April 1360 a freak weather event known as Black Monday Hailstorm occurred as the army of King Edward III of England (age 47) were camped outside Chartres [Map]. Thomas Beauchamp 11th Earl Warwick (age 47), William Bohun 1st Earl of Northampton (age 50), Henry of Grosmont 1st Duke Lancaster (age 50), Edward "Black Prince" (age 29) and Walter Mauny were present. Around one thousand English were killed, with up to six thousand horses. King Edward III of England believed the event to be an Act of God and proceeded to negotiate with the French resulting in the Treaty of Brétigny.

On 28th April 1360 Guy Beauchamp died from injuries received during the Black Monday Hailstorm.