Ranulf (also Ralph, Radulf, or Randulf) (d. 1123), was an English cleric and administrator. He became

chancellor Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...

in the reign of

Henry I of England Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...

Life

Ranulf was a chaplain or clerk of Henry I, and became chancellor in 1107–8, holding that office until his death. For the last twenty years of his life he suffered much from illness; but his mind was active, and he left a bad reputation, being described as crafty, prompt to work evil of every kind, oppressing the innocent, robbing men of their lands and possessions, and glorying in his wickedness and ill-gotten gains. In the first days of 1123 Ranulf rode with the king from

Dunstable Dunstable ( ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, east of the Chiltern Hills, north of London. There are several steep chalk escarpments, most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the ...

, where Henry had kept Christmas, escorting him to

Berkhampstead Castle Berkhamsted Castle is a Normans, Norman motte-and-bailey castle in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. The castle was built to obtain control of a key route between London and the Midlands (England), Midlands during the Norman conquest of England in t ...

, which belonged to Ranulf. As he came in sight of his castle he fell from his horse, and a monk of St. Albans Abbey, who had been despoiled of his possessions by him, rode over him. He died of his injuries a few days afterwards. Ranulf had a son, who joined him in some benefactions to

Reading Abbey Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, m ...

, and he also granted the manor of

Tintinhull Tintinhull is a village and civil parish near Yeovil, south west of Ilchester, in Somerset, England. The village is close to the A303. It is on the Fosse Way. In addition to a school of around 100 pupils, Tintinhull has a church, park, swimmin ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, to

Montacute Priory Montacute Priory was a Cluniac priory of the Benedictine order in Montacute, Somerset, England. History It was founded between 1078 and 1102 by William, Count of Mortain, in face of a threat that if he did not do so, the King would take the land ...

References

Attribution

{{short description, 12th-century Anlgo-Norman royal official Year of birth missing 1123 deaths Lord chancellors of England 12th-century English Roman Catholic priests