General Notes

Ranulf, Earl of Chester, [m. Constance of Brittany] who styled himself Earl of Richmond and Duke of Brittany too.  She divorced Ranulf in 1199. [Burke's Peerage]

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EARLDOM OF CHESTER (VII, 4)

RANULPH, styled "DE BLUNDEVILLIE," EARL OF CHESTER, also VICOMTE D'AVRANCHES) &C.) in Normandy, only son and heir. He was born at Oswestry (Album Monasterium or Blonde Ville) in Powys, Salop about 1172. On 1 January 1187/8 he was knighted at Caen by the King. From 1189 till his divorce from her in 1199 he, in right of his wife Constance, widow of Geoffrey, Earl of Richmond, styled himself EARL OF RICHMOND and also DUKE OF BRITTANY. In 1194 he was Commander of the Forces for Richard I, at whose second Coronation, 17 April 1194, he bore the "Curtana," one of the three swords of State. From 1209 to 1214. he engaged in warfare with the Welsh. He was faithful to King John against the rebellious Barons, being one of the few witnesses, ex Rare Regis, to the Charter of 15 June 1215, in which year he was Gov. of Newcastle-under-Lyme; Gov. of the Peak Castle and Forest, and Custos of the fief of the great Earldom of Leicester; Sheriff of the counties of Lancaster, Stafford and Salop; Steward of the Honour of Lancaster, &c. He was one of the executors of King John, who died 19 October 1216; and one of the most zealous supporters of the young King, Henry III, when, being in April 1217, joint Commander of the Royal army, he contributed mainly to the defeat of the rebels under the Count of Perche. On 23 May 1217 he was created EARL OF LINCOLN, an Earldom to which probably he considered he had some claim. Having taken the cross as early as 4 March 1215, he left for the Holy Land, May 1218, and distinguished himself at the siege of Damietta, returning in August 1220. He began the building of Beeston Castle, co. Chester, in 1225, having already begun the Abbey of Dieulacres, co. Stafford, in 1214 before he left for Jerusalem. His rival, Hubert de Burgh, being then Regent of England, the Earl appears to have taken the part of the disaffected, and was required to surrender his Castles, &C., which after some resistance, he did in 1223. In April 1229 he opposed in Parliament the grant of a tenth to the Pope, and absolutely forbade its collection in his own domain. From October 1230 to July 1231 he was Chief Commander of the Royal troops in Brittany, &C., and in June 1231 was a joint Commissioner to treat with France. He resigned the Earldom of Lincoln, between April 1231 and his death, to his sister Hawise, to whose son-in-law (John de Lacy) it was, 22 November 1232, confirmed.

He married, 1stly, 3 February 1187/8, Constance, widow of the King's nephew [sic. son] Geoffrey, EARL OF RICHMOND and DUKE OF BRITTANY, daughter and heir of Conan, 3rd EARL OF RICHMOND and DUKE OF BRITTANY by Margaret of Scotland, daughter of Henry, 4th Earl of Huntingdon, son of David I of Scotland. From her he was divorced in 1199. He married, 2ndly, before 7 October 1200, Clemence, widow of Alan DE DINAN, daughter of William DE FOUGERES, by Agatha, sister of Richard, and daughter of William Du Hommet, Constables of Normandy. He died s.p., at Wallingford, shortly before 27 October, and was buried 3 November 1232, with great pomp, in the chapter House at St. Werburg's, Chester, his heart being interred at Dieulacres Abbey. His great estates passed to his four sisters, and coheirs or their descendants while the Earldom lapsed to the Crown. His widow, who had dower in 1233, survived him 20 years, and died 1252. [Complete Peerage III:168-9, XIV:170-1, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)]