General Notes

Name Suffix:<NSFX> Earl Of Norfolk And Suffolk
Ralph de Wayer, Guader, or de Waet, was constituted by William the Conqueror, Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk. Some of our historians affirm that this nobleman was an Englishman by birth, born in Norfolk, but others, that he was a native of Brittany, which is the more probable as he was the owner of the castle of Guader, in that province. Of this earl there is nothing memorable beyond his conspiracy against his royal master, whom he sought to destroy or expel, and to that end drew into his plans Roger, Earl of Hereford, Waltheof, the great Earl of Northumberland, and other persons of distinction. He m. Emma, sister of the Earl of Hereford, and he took the opportunity of his wedding day to disclose to the conspirators, when they were elated with wine, the whole of his projects. As soon, however, as they had recovered the effect of inebriation, the greater number refused to participate and the Earl of Hereford alone joined him in openly resorting to arms. The rebellion was quickly suppressed, however, by those stout and warlike prelates, Odo, bishop of Bayeux, and Geffrey, bishop of Worcester. The Earl of Norfolk fled into Brittany, leaving his followers to their fate in their encampment at Cambridge; of those, many were put to the sword and more were taken prisoner. The castle of Norwich was subsequently besieged and his countess obliged to surrender, but she was suffered to go beyond sea. In the end, this turbulent person assumed the cross and joined an expedition to Jerusalem against the Turks under Robert Curthose where he afterwards became a pilgrim and died a great penitent. By the treason of alph de Wayer, his earldom became forfeited. [Sir Bernard Burke, Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited, and Extinct Peerages, Burke's Peerage, Ltd., London, 1883, p. 571, Wayer, or Guader, Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk]