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Ranulf de Gernon | |
|---|---|
 The coat of arms of Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester[1] | |
| Born | 1099 |
| Died | 16 December 1153 |
| Cause of death | Succumbed to poisoning |
| Title | Earl of Chester |
| Term | 1128–1153 |
| Predecessor | Ranulf Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester |
| Successor | Hugh de Kevelioc, 5th Earl of Chester |
| Spouse | Maud of Gloucester |
| Children | Hugh |
| Parent(s) | Ranulf le Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester Lucy of Bolingbroke |
Ranulf II (also known as Ranulf de Gernon), 4th Earl of Chester (1099–1153),[2] was an Anglo-Norman baron who inherited the honour of the palatine county of Chester upon the death of his father Ranulf Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester.[3] He was descended from the Counts of Bessin in Normandy.
In 1136 David I of Scotland invaded England as far as Durham, which led Stephen of England to negotiate treaties that involved granting Ranulf's lands to Scotland. Thereafter, Ranulf allied himself to Matilda to further his cause. He took Lincoln Castle in 1141, which was retaken by Stephen in a siege in which Ranulf was forced to flee for his life. Ranulf enlisted the help of Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester to retake the castle and succeeded when King Stephen surrendered to him at Lincoln. While Matilda ruled England, Stephen's queen Matilda of Boulogne managed to defeat Ranulf and his allies at Winchester, which eventually resulted in Stephen being able to resume the throne.
- ^ Fox-Davies. Art of Heraldry. Quarterly Arms of Thomas Hussey. fig 261. Q 21.
- ^ Cronne, H. A. (1937). "Ranulf De Gernons, Earl of Chester, 1129–1153". Transactions of the Royal Historical Society. 20: 103–134. doi:10.2307/3678595. ISSN 1474-0648.
- ^ Tringham, Nigel (1 June 2021). "BASINGWERK ABBEY (FLINTS.) AND ITS FOUNDERS: AN EARL, A KING AND A PRINCE*". The Welsh History Review. 30 (3): 287–319. doi:10.16922/whr.30.3.1.