Ralph de Warneville (died 1191; sometimes Ralph de Varneville
[Turner and Heiser ''Reign of Richard Lionheart'' pp. 178-179] or Ralf of Wanneville
[Powicke ''Loss of Normandy'' p. 70]) was the twentieth
Lord Chancellor
The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. The ...
of
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
as well as later
Bishop of Lisieux
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
in Normandy.
Ralph was probably from
Varneville aux Grès in Normandy, from which he derived his name.
[Greenway ]
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 6: York: Treasurers of York
'
Ralph became
Treasurer of Rouen sometime between 11 July 1146, the last appearance of his predecessor in office, and 27 September 1146 when Ralph is named as treasurer for the first time. He held the office of treasurer until 1176.
[Spear ''Personnel of the Norman Cathedrals'' p. 219] He acquired the office of
Archdeacon of Rouen in 1170, holding the office along with the treasurership of Rouen for a few years.
[Spear ''Personnel of the Norman Cathedrals'' p. 214] After he left the treasurership, Ralph was accused by the
cathedral chapter
According to both Catholic and Anglican canon law, a cathedral chapter is a college of clerics ( chapter) formed to advise a bishop and, in the case of a vacancy of the episcopal see in some countries, to govern the diocese during the vacancy. In ...
of Rouen of misusing some of the funds of the cathedral, and the dispute dragged on until 1188, when it was heard by a papal commission.
[
Ralph also held offices in England. He was ]Treasurer of York
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance.
Government
The treasury o ...
from 1167 until 1181,[ and was ]Archdeacon of the East Riding
The Archdeacon of the East Riding is a senior ecclesiastical officer of an archdeaconry, or subdivision, of the Church of England Diocese of York in the Province of York. It is named for the East Riding of Yorkshire and consists of the eight rura ...
at about the same time.[Greenway ]
Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300: Volume 6: York: Archdeacons: East Riding
' Ralph served King Henry II of England
Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...
as Lord Chancellor from 1173 to 1181.[Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 84]
Ralph was a friend of Arnulf of Lisieux
Arnulf of Lisieux (1104/1109 – 31 August 1184) was a medieval French bishop who figured prominently as a conservative figure during the Renaissance of the 12th century, built the Cathedral of Lisieux, which introduced Gothic architecture to No ...
, Bishop of Lisieux, and benefited from Arnulf's intercession with the Bishop of Poitiers
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Poitiers (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Pictaviensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Poitiers'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in France. The archepiscopal see is in the city of Poitiers. Th ...
. But during Ralph's chancellorship, Ralph was one of the royal officials that urged Arnulf to resign his bishopric.[ Arnulf was suspected by King Henry of supporting Henry's sons in their ]Revolt of 1173–74
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
, and eventually Arnulf was forced to resign his see.[Warren ''Henry II'' p. 211] Ralph also had custody of the castle and royal lands at Vaudreuil in Normandy in the 1180s, and was still owing accounts for his administration at his death.[
Ralph was appointed Bishop of Lisieux in July 1181, after his resignation from the office of Chancellor. He was not consecrated until after 1182, as he was still being recorded as bishop-elect then.][Spear ''Personnel of the Norman Cathedrals'' p. 171]
Ralph died on 10 September 1191,[ as his death was commemorated on 10 September at ]St Evroul
Ebrulf (''Evroul, Evroult, Ebrulfus, Ebrulphus'') (517–596) was a Frankish hermit, abbot, and saint.
Life
Ebrulf was of noble birth, born at Bayeux. He was a courtier at the Merovingian court of Childebert I, serving as a cup-bearer to the ...
.[
]
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Warneville, Ralph de
Lord chancellors of England
1191 deaths
Bishops of Lisieux
Year of birth unknown
12th-century English people
Archdeacons of the East Riding