Bo30 Richard de Meri

    Richard de Meri (Mary) was the son of Richard the Old de Bohon Bo31, and de Meautis and grandson of Ralph de Meri (Bo32) and the daughter of the Lord de Mont Haguez.
    Born: about 980
    Married: x Billeheude (Billeheust)
    Died:     		 T
    and had issue: 
    (Bo29) Humphrey de Bohun
    ()     		  
    THE ORIGINS
    Following tradition, the Mary family lived in the community of St. Come du Mont (Normandy). There was a Mary Street named after Ralph, first sire de Mary, friend of the sire of Sainte Marie du Mont and the dukes of Denmark in Normandy.
    According to legend, Ralph was secretly married to the daughter of the lord of Mont Haguez. They had a son, Richard I de Mary, or Richard the Old, who is attributed with the founding of the churches of Sainte Come du Mont, de Bohon, and de Meautis in 950.

    Richard de Mary (Mari or Meri) married Billeheude (Billeheust). This information comes from a document concerning the Bohon priory.

    Billeheude is sometimes considered the daughter of a certain Richard de Billeheust or Richard de Saint Sauveur. In the family we find a Bileud or Bilelde, but at a later date she is considered the daughter of Neel II of Saint Saveur, one of the principal barons who revolted against William the Bastard during his youth.

    Because of the uncertain relations with the Norsemen who landed at Contentin and their chief, Rollo (Rolf), there was a strong desire to unite the conquering and native peoples. The Mary family also desired to hold onto their Christian origins and remain loyal to the dukes of Normandy. Richard de Mary had three sons: Richard, Humphrey, and Enjuger.

    		 From the strong family relationships, it is reasonable if somewhat daring to assume the Richard de Meri was the Godfather of Robert I Duke of Normandy, and perhaps of the latter's father, Richard "the Good" Duke of Normandy, and further that Ralph de Meri (Bo31) was Godfather of the House of Normandy before him, and that this affiliation more or less guided the rise of the House of Normandy for nearly 500 years.