Earl of Hereford is a title in the ancient feudal nobility of England, encompassing the region of

Herefordshire Herefordshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England, bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh ...

, England. It was created six times. The title is an ancient one. In 1042,

Godwin, Earl of Wessex Godwin of Wessex (; died 15 April 1053) was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman who became one of the most powerful earls in England under the Danish king Cnut the Great (King of England from 1016 to 1035) and his successors. Cnut made Godwin the first ...

severed the territory of Herefordshire and its Welsh dependencies from the

Kingdom of Mercia Mercia (, was one of the principal kingdoms founded at the end of Sub-Roman Britain; the area was settled by Anglo-Saxons in an era called the Heptarchy. It was centred on the River Trent and its tributaries, in a region now known as the Midlan ...

. He immediately granted it to his eldest son

Sweyn Godwinson Sweyn Godwinson () ( 1020 – 1052), also spelled Swein, was the eldest son of Earl Godwin of Wessex, and brother of Harold II of England. Early life In 1043 Sweyn was raised to an earldom which included Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxf ...

. The earldom included the counties of

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, Herefordshire,

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

and

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

. In 1047, Sweyn attempted to take

Eadgifu The name Eadgifu, sometimes Latinized as ''Ediva'' or ''Edgiva'', may refer to: * Eadgifu of Kent (died c. 966), third wife of king Edward the Elder, King of Wessex * Eadgifu of Wessex (902 – after 955), wife of King Charles the Simple * Eadgifu ...

, Abbess of Leominster, from her nunnery by force with the intention of marrying her. However, the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

and

King Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was King of England from 1042 until his death in 1066. He was the last reigning monarch of the House of Wessex. Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. He succeed ...

intervened and stopped him. As punishment, King Edward banished Sweyn from England. In 1049, Sweyn returned to England seeking forgiveness, supported by his cousin

Beorn Estrithson Beorn Estrithson (died 1049) was the son of Jarl Ulf and Estrid Svendsdatter, sister of Cnut the Great. Life Beorn established himself in England where many of his relatives held high positions. He held an Earldom (Huntingdon) in what is now ...

. However, a disagreement arose and Sweyn murdered his cousin, resulting in his exile once more. He was deemed "a man of no honour". In 1050, Sweyn was pardoned for his crimes and had the earldom restored to him, despite his violent acts. In 1051, Sweyn was exiled again together with his father and brothers and forfeited the earldom. In 1052, King Edward granted the earldom to

Ralph the Timid Ralph the Timid, also known as Ralf of Mantes (died 1057), was Earl of Hereford between 1051 and 1055 or 1057. His mother was Godgifu, the daughter of King Æthelred the Unready and his second wife Emma. His father was Drogo of Mantes, Coun ...

. In 1055,

Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia Ælfgar (died ) was the son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, by his famous wife Godgifu ( Lady Godiva). He succeeded to his father's title, Earl of Mercia, and responsibilities on the latter's death in 1057. He gained the additional title of Earl of E ...

and

Gruffydd ap Llywelyn Gruffudd ap Llywelyn ( – 5 August 1063) was the first and only Welsh king to unite all of Wales under his rule from 1055 to 1063. He had also previously been King of Gwynedd and Powys from 1039 to 1055. Gruffudd was the son of Llywelyn ap ...

invaded Herefordshire and Ralph met the Welsh army at Hereford. Fearing defeat, Ralph fled with the French and Norman soldiers, causing the surrounding area to fall under Welsh control. Between 1055 and 1057,

Harold Godwinson Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, the decisive battle of the Norman ...

retook the county with another force. Ralph died in 1057, leaving his young son Harold as heir. In 1066, William FitzOsbern supported the

Norman Conquest of England The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, French people, French, Flemish people, Flemish, and Bretons, Breton troops, all led by the Du ...

. As reward, he was granted the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...

. In 1067, William was also granted the earldom of Hereford, and took on roles as chief administrator of

Northern England Northern England, or the North of England, refers to the northern part of England and mainly corresponds to the Historic counties of England, historic counties of Cheshire, Cumberland, County Durham, Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland, Westmo ...

. He oversaw the building of numerous castles. Between 1070 and 1071, William FitzOsbern was delegated to govern England while

William the Conqueror William the Conqueror (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), sometimes called William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England (as William I), reigning from 1066 until his death. A descendant of Rollo, he was D ...

was away for

Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...

. When the

Count of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the c ...

died, his widow

Richilde, Countess of Hainaut Richilde, Countess of Mons and Hainaut ( 1018 – 15 March 1086), was a ruling countess of Hainaut from c. 1050 until 1076, in co-regency with her husband Baldwin VI of Flanders (until 1070) and then her son Baldwin II of Hainaut. She was also ...

offered her hand in marriage to FitzOsbern for assistance against challenges to her power. However, FitzOsbern sought to gain control of the wealthy Flanders territory near Normandy. He rushed there with his army but was killed in the Battle of Cassel, leaving his son

Roger de Breteuil Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford (c. 1056 – after 1087), succeeded in 1071 to the Earl of Hereford, earldom of Hereford and the English estate of his father, William Fitzosbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, William Fitz-Osbern. He is known t ...

as the new earl. In 1075, Roger conspired with his brother-in-law Ralph Guader, Earl of Norfolk while the Conqueror was again absent in Normandy. They raised an army but were prevented from crossing the

River Severn The River Severn (, ), at long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, with an average flow rate of at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in t ...

by local bishops and defeated at Fagadune. When the Conqueror returned, Roger was tried for treason before the

Magnum Concilium In the Kingdom of England, the (Latin for "Great Council") was an assembly historically convened at certain times of the year when the English nobles and church leaders outside the '' Curia regis'' were summoned to discuss the affairs of the c ...

and sentenced to perpetual imprisonment, while his soldiers had their right foot amputated. All his lands were also forfeited. Roger died in prison in 1087, leaving two sons Reynold and Roger. Neither inherited the earldom, though they later fought successfully for King Henry I. After 1135, in the absence of an earl, King Stephen granted the earldom to Robert de Beaumont, Earl of Leicester and grandson of the previous earl, Roger. As part of this grant, Robert was instructed to use the city and castle of Hereford as another stronghold in the

Midlands The Midlands is the central region of England, to the south of Northern England, to the north of southern England, to the east of Wales, and to the west of the North Sea. The Midlands comprises the ceremonial counties of Derbyshire, Herefor ...

region. In 1141, the

Empress Maud Empress Matilda (10 September 1167), also known as Empress Maud, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter and heir of Henry I, king of England and ruler of Duchy of Normandy, Norm ...

granted the earldom to Miles FitzWalter, hereditary

High Sheriff of Gloucestershire This is a list of Sheriffs and High Sheriffs of Gloucestershire, who should not be confused with the Sheriffs of the City of Gloucester. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown (in England and Wales the office previously kn ...

, for his faithful service during her claim to the crown. He rebuilt

Gloucester Castle Gloucester Castle was a Norman-era royal castle situated in the city of Gloucester in Gloucestershire, England. It was demolished in 1787 and replaced by Gloucester Prison. Early Norman motte and bailey castle It was probably constructe ...

, while Empress Maud lived at his expense in England. She granted him

Abergavenny Castle Abergavenny Castle () is a ruined castle in the market town of Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, established by the Normans, Norman lord Hamelin de Balun . It was the site of a massacre of Welsh noblemen in 1175, and was attacked during the e ...

as well in 1142. In 1143, Miles FitzWalter demanded large sums from the Church while desperately short of money to pay his troops. The

Bishop of Hereford The Bishop of Hereford is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Hereford in the Province of Canterbury. Until 1534, the Diocese of Hereford was in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church and two of its bishop ...

resisted Miles' demands, so when Miles invaded church lands he was excommunicated. Miles died in a hunting accident at Christmas, leaving his son Roger FitzMiles as the new earl. Roger inherited his father's roles as High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, Castellan of Gloucester Castle, and

Constable of England The Lord High Constable of England is the seventh of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Great Chamberlain and above the Earl Marshal. This office is now called out of abeyance only for coronations. The Lord High Constable was ...

. He was troubled by his father's death as an excommunicate and continued pressing the Bishop, eventually receiving excommunication himself. In 1151, the devout Roger founded the Abbey of Flaxley in Gloucester and supported other monasteries. However, in 1155 a dispute arose with King Henry II over Gloucester Castle, which Roger surrendered along with his earldom. King Henry regranted the earldom to Roger, who then took monastic vows at

Gloucester Abbey Gloucester Cathedral, formally the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity and formerly St Peter's Abbey, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the River Severn. It originated with the establishme ...

. Roger died without heirs, leaving his brother

Walter of Hereford Walter of Hereford was a holder of the feudalism, feudal title Baron Bergavenny or Lord Abergavenny in the Welsh Marches in the mid twelfth century. Lineage Walter of Hereford was a son of Miles of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, and Sibyl of ...

to inherit. But before Walter could assume his titles, he joined a rebellion against King Henry. As punishment, the king stripped Gloucester city and the earldom of Hereford from Walter's inheritance. Walter then died childless, followed by his brothers Henry and Mahel of Hereford in border conflicts and an accident respectively. With no male heirs, their estates passed to their three sisters: Margeret of Hereford,

Bertha of Hereford Bertha of Hereford, also known as Bertha de Pitres (born c. 1130), was the daughter of Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford, and a wealthy heiress, Sibyl de Neufmarché. She was the wife of William de Braose, 3rd Lord of Bramber to whom ...

and Lucy. The eldest sister Margeret was married to Humphrey II de Bohun. In recognition of this marriage, King Henry granted Humphrey the earldom of Hereford. He also inherited two-thirds of the family estates and the prestigious hereditary office of Constable of England. Humphrey held the high position of

Lord High Steward The Lord High Steward is the first of the Great Officers of State in England, nominally ranking above the Lord Chancellor. The office has generally remained vacant since 1421, and is now an ''ad hoc'' office that is primarily ceremonial and ...

, above the

Lord Chancellor The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...

. Upon Humphrey's death in 1165, their son

Humphrey III de Bohun Humphrey III de Bohun (before 1144 – ? December 1181) of Trowbridge Castle in Wiltshire and of Caldicot Castle in south-east Wales, 5th feudal baron of Trowbridge, was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and general who served King Henry II as Lord High ...

succeeded him. Before 1172, he successfully claimed the title of Constable of England from the Gloucester family, consolidating his inherited powers. Between 1171-1175, Humphrey married Margaret of Huntingdon, widow of

Conan IV, Duke of Brittany Conan IV ( 1138 – 18/20 February 1171), called the Young, was the Duke of Brittany from 1156 to 1166. He was the son of Bertha, Duchess of Brittany, and her first husband, Alan, Earl of Richmond. Conan IV was his father's heir as Earl of Ric ...

and granddaughter of

King David I of Scotland David I or Dauíd mac Maíl Choluim (Scottish Gaelic, Modern Gaelic: ''Daibhidh I mac haoilChaluim''; – 24 May 1153) was a 12th century ruler and saint who was David I as Prince of the Cumbrians, Prince of the Cumbrians from 1113 to 112 ...

. Between 1181-1187, Humphrey accompanied King Henry, leading an army against the Count of Flanders in support of King Philip II of France. However, he died abroad, leaving his son

Henry de Bohun Sir Henry de Bohun (died 23 June 1314) was an English knight, of Anglo-Norman origins, the grandson of Humphrey de Bohun, 2nd Earl of Hereford. He was killed on the first day of the Battle of Bannockburn by Robert the Bruce. Riding in the vang ...

to inherit. In 1200, King John elevated Henry's status by conferring the now-extinct title of Earl of Hereford, in the

Peerage of England The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. From that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were closed to new creations, and new peers were created in a single Peerag ...

, upon him at Porchester. However, the king retained the revenue and feudal control of the earldom. Henry was instead granted an annuity, and all future earls were peers rather than holding the feudal title.

Earls of Hereford, First Creation (1043)

* Swegen Godwinson (1043–1051)

Earls of Hereford, Second Creation (1052)

Ralph the Timid, Earl of Hereford Ralph the Timid, also known as Ralf of Mantes (died 1057), was Earl of Hereford between 1051 and 1055 or 1057. His mother was Godgifu, the daughter of King Æthelred the Unready and his second wife Emma. His father was Drogo of Mantes, Count ...

(1052–1057)

Earls of Hereford, Third Creation (1058)

* Harold Godwinson, Earl of Hereford (later Harold II of England) (1058–1066)

Earls of Hereford, Fourth Creation (1067)

William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford, Lord of Breteuil ( 1011 – 22 February 1071), was a relative and close counsellor of William the Conqueror and one of the great magnates of early Norman England. FitzOsbern was created Earl of Herefo ...

(1067–1071) *

Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford (c. 1056 – after 1087), succeeded in 1071 to the earldom of Hereford and the English estate of his father, William Fitz-Osbern. He is known to history for his role in the Revolt of the Earls. Revolt ...

(1071–1074)

Earls of Hereford, Fifth Creation (1141)

* Miles de Gloucester, 1st Earl of Hereford (1141–1143) * Roger Fitzmiles, 2nd Earl of Hereford (1143–1155)

Earls of Hereford, Sixth Creation (1199)

Henry de Bohun, 1st Earl of Hereford Henry de Bohun, 1st Earl of Hereford (1176 – 1 June 1220) of Pleshey Castle in Essex, was an Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman Nobility, nobleman who became Hereditary Constable of England from 1199. Origins Henry was the son and heir of Hum ...

(1199–1220) *

Humphrey de Bohun, 2nd Earl of Hereford Humphrey IV de Bohun, 2nd Earl of Hereford, 1st Earl of Essex (1204 – 24 September 1275) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman and soldier who served as hereditary Constable of England. Origins He was the eldest son and heir of Henry de Bohun, 1st Ear ...

(1220–1275) *

Humphrey de Bohun, 3rd Earl of Hereford Humphrey (VI) de Bohun (c. 1249 – 31 December 1298), 3rd Earl of Hereford and 2nd Earl of Essex, was an English nobleman known primarily for his opposition to King Edward I over the ''Confirmatio Cartarum.''Fritze and Robison, (2002). He ...

(1275–1298) *

Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford Humphrey (VII) de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford ( 1276 – 16 March 1322) was a member of a powerful Anglo-Norman family of the Welsh Marches and was one of the Ordainers who opposed Edward II's excesses. Family background Humphrey de Bohun's ...

(1298–1322) *

John de Bohun, 5th Earl of Hereford John de Bohun, 5th Earl of Hereford (23 November 1306 – 20 January 1336) was born in St Clement's, Oxford to Humphrey de Bohun, 4th Earl of Hereford and Elizabeth of Rhuddlan, a daughter of Edward I of England. After his father's deat ...

(1322–1336) *

Humphrey de Bohun, 6th Earl of Hereford Humphrey (VIII) de Bohun, 6th Earl of Hereford, 5th Earl of Essex (6 December 1309 – 15 October 1361) of Pleshy Castle in Essex, was hereditary Constable of England. He distinguished himself as a captain in the Breton campaigns of the Hundred ...

(1336–1361) *

Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford, 6th Earl of Essex, 2nd Earl of Northampton, Order of the Garter, KG (25 March 1342 – 16 January 1373) was the son of William de Bohun, 1st Earl of Northampton, and Elizabeth de Badlesmere, and grandson o ...

(1361–1373) Heiresses: *

Eleanor de Bohun Eleanor de Bohun ( – 3 October 1399) was the elder daughter and co-heiress (with her sister, Mary de Bohun), of Humphrey de Bohun, 7th Earl of Hereford (1341–1373) and Joan Fitzalan, a daughter of Richard FitzAlan, 10th Earl of Arundel an ...

(c. 1366 – 1399), who married

Thomas of Woodstock Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester (7 January 13558 or 9 September 1397) was the fifth surviving son and youngest child of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault. Early life Thomas was born on 7 January 1355 at Woodstock Pal ...

; their great-great-great-grandson Walter Devereux was created Viscount Hereford in 1550 *

Mary de Bohun Mary de Bohun (c. 1369/70 – 4 June 1394) was the first wife of Henry Bolingbroke, Earl of Northampton, who after her death became King Henry IV. As she died before her husband came to the throne, Mary was never queen. She and Henry had six ch ...

(c. 1368 – 1394), who married Henry of Bolingbroke, the future

King Henry IV of England Henry IV ( – 20 March 1413), also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was King of England from 1399 to 1413. Henry was the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (a son of King Edward III), and Blanche of Lancaster. Henry was involved in the 1388 ...

; he was created Duke of Hereford in 1397

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hereford Earldoms in England before 1066 Extinct earldoms in the Peerage of England Forfeited earldoms in the Peerage of England Noble titles created in 1067 Noble titles created in 1141 Noble titles created in 1199