Haimo (dapifer)

Hamo Dapifer (died c. 1100) (alias Haimo) was an Anglo-Norman royal official under both King William I of England (r. 1066–1087) and his son King William II of England (r. 1087–1100). He held the office, from which his epithet derives, known in Latin as dapifer and in French seneschal, in English "steward", as well as the office of Sheriff of Kent.

Hamo was the son of Hamon Dentatus (died c. 1047), a Norman noble who held the lordship of Torigny-sur-Vire near Manche in Normandy. Hamon Dentatus rebelled against Duke William, later William the Conqueror, and died in about 1047. Traditional pedigrees of the Grenville family of Stowe in the parish of Kilkhampton in Cornwall and of Bideford in Devon, dating from the 17th century when the family was raised to the Earldom of Bath erroneously gave the father of Robert FitzHamon (the most famous of the Hamo family) as Hamon Dentatus and omitted any mention of his true father Hamo Dapifer. This was despite William of Malmesbury having described Hamo Dentatus as avus ("grandfather") to Robert FitzHamon. The erroneous descent was given official status when recited in the royal warrant signed in 1661 by King Charles II creating titles of nobility for John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath (1628–1701).

Hamo was steward to both King William I and his son King William II. He was acting as royal steward by 1069. Hamo was appointed to the office of Sheriff of Kent in 1077 and held it until his death. During the reign of William II, Hamo was one of five known stewards, the others being Eudo Dapifer, Eudo's brother Hubert of Ryes, Roger Bigod, 1st Earl of Norfolk, and Ivo Taillebois.

...
Wikipedia