The Sins of the Father.
In the first two generations of the Norman Mohun family, the first William Mohun was rewarded for services rendered with the manor of Dunster in Somerset and his son, also William was a rebellious knight fighting on the side of Matilda in 1141 who according the the Gesta Stephani
“raised a mighty revolt against the King, and, collecting some bands of horsemen and footmen, at his fortress, which he had placed in a fair
and impregnable position by the sea-shore, began to overrun all that part of England in warlike manner, sweeping like a whirlwind.”
After losing over one hundred men to Henry de Tracy, Mohun retreated to ‘his fortress’ dying in obscurity, leaving his son, another William, his heir.
William would have heard directly from his father how the King was responsible for the families downfall, how he had seized power despite swearing to a public oath and how Stephen was untrustworthy and sly. What William made of all of this goes unrecorded but he certainly didn't take up arms, in fact it forced him to keep his head down. Either by choice or design William spent his life ‘out of the limelight’ as there is no evidence of William taking part in local government and it seems that he let parts of his manor at Dunster fall into disrepair, which may mean that the family abandoned the castle altogether witnessing from a distance the last years of the reign of King Stephen. It is not known if Mohun spent the last years of his life as a bitter man resenting his father's actions or as a quiet man wishing to keep out of trouble. Little did he know that only a generation later the Mohun fortunes would take a turn for the better as a result of their association with the offspring of barons, who supported Stephen, in the struggle between brothers King Richard and King John.
William had married Godehide de Tosny, whose grandmother was Judith of Lens, niece of William the Conqueror. Judith held lands in ten counties in the Midlands and East Anglia, three of her Cambridgeshire manors, Whittlesford, Kirtling and Brinkley were given to William Mohun on his marriage to Godehide. Godehide gave birth to at least five children the first was William who was born soon after their marriage and of whom we will hear later. William was followed by Geoffrey who was given lands in Dorset by his brother in return for military service but which he lost for his support of John against his brother King Richard. A third son was John who was the progenitor of the Mohun family in Dorset another son Thomas is said to have connections with Normandy. William and Godehide’s daughter Agnes married William of Windsor, she was given Bicknoller in Somerset as a marriage parcel, this manor had formed part of the Mohun family estate since the conquest.
A generous man, William gave monies to several religious houses such as the Church of Cutcombe near Dunster and Lyon in Normandy and 1142, while his father was still alive he witnessed his charter to the Augustinian canons at Bruton in Somerset and later, after his parents death, he gave lands in their honour to the same priory.
William’s death, in 1176, occurred before his son was of age, his family estates transferred to the crown and his heir became a ward of Henry II. Godehide ten years later.
“raised a mighty revolt against the King, and, collecting some bands of horsemen and footmen, at his fortress, which he had placed in a fair
and impregnable position by the sea-shore, began to overrun all that part of England in warlike manner, sweeping like a whirlwind.”
After losing over one hundred men to Henry de Tracy, Mohun retreated to ‘his fortress’ dying in obscurity, leaving his son, another William, his heir.
William would have heard directly from his father how the King was responsible for the families downfall, how he had seized power despite swearing to a public oath and how Stephen was untrustworthy and sly. What William made of all of this goes unrecorded but he certainly didn't take up arms, in fact it forced him to keep his head down. Either by choice or design William spent his life ‘out of the limelight’ as there is no evidence of William taking part in local government and it seems that he let parts of his manor at Dunster fall into disrepair, which may mean that the family abandoned the castle altogether witnessing from a distance the last years of the reign of King Stephen. It is not known if Mohun spent the last years of his life as a bitter man resenting his father's actions or as a quiet man wishing to keep out of trouble. Little did he know that only a generation later the Mohun fortunes would take a turn for the better as a result of their association with the offspring of barons, who supported Stephen, in the struggle between brothers King Richard and King John.
William had married Godehide de Tosny, whose grandmother was Judith of Lens, niece of William the Conqueror. Judith held lands in ten counties in the Midlands and East Anglia, three of her Cambridgeshire manors, Whittlesford, Kirtling and Brinkley were given to William Mohun on his marriage to Godehide. Godehide gave birth to at least five children the first was William who was born soon after their marriage and of whom we will hear later. William was followed by Geoffrey who was given lands in Dorset by his brother in return for military service but which he lost for his support of John against his brother King Richard. A third son was John who was the progenitor of the Mohun family in Dorset another son Thomas is said to have connections with Normandy. William and Godehide’s daughter Agnes married William of Windsor, she was given Bicknoller in Somerset as a marriage parcel, this manor had formed part of the Mohun family estate since the conquest.
A generous man, William gave monies to several religious houses such as the Church of Cutcombe near Dunster and Lyon in Normandy and 1142, while his father was still alive he witnessed his charter to the Augustinian canons at Bruton in Somerset and later, after his parents death, he gave lands in their honour to the same priory.
William’s death, in 1176, occurred before his son was of age, his family estates transferred to the crown and his heir became a ward of Henry II. Godehide ten years later.
