[MR] Wikipedia: Death of Henry de Bohun

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

On this date in 1314, Henry de Bohun became one of the first among many
English casualties at the Battle of Bannockburn during the First War of
Scottish Independence.

The battle had yet to be joined, with both sides firming up their
positions. King of Scots Robert the Bruce was in front of his men,
inspecting their readiness. The king was mounted on an unarmored palfrey,
having only a battle axe, and according to some accounts lightly armored.

Henry de Bohun, son of the 2nd Earl of Hereford, was in the English
vanguard. He spotted Bruce, and perhaps thinking of fame and glory for
himself by killing the Scottish king in single combat, rashly and
somewhat unchivalrously charged alone toward the unprepared Scottish King.

Seeing de Bohun's attack, Bruce wheeled to meet him, axe against lance. At
the last moment in a feat of superb horsemanship Bruce twisted his mount
out of harm's way. Raising up in the stirrups, he brought his axe down on
de Bohun's head, cleaving through his enemy's armor and into de Bohun's
brain.

Returning to his lines, Bruce was met with criticism by some of his
commanders for risking his life. Bruce's only comment was that the
encounter had cost him his second-best axe.

Henry de Bohun's death immediately cast a pall upon the overconfident
English army. It proved to be a minor foretaste of the slaughter they would
face the next day. Bruce's army achieved a stunning victory over the much
larger English force. For a the rest of Robert the Bruce's life, Scotland
enjoyed freedom from English domination.

Bruce and de Bohun's encounter is found at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_de_Bohun .

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep the original Merry Rose relevant and in
business.