Ranulph de Blondeville Earl of Chester 
Ranulph de was born in 1172 in Album,Monasterium,Powys,Wales. Ranulph de's father was Hugh Keveliok (3Rd Earl) De Meschines and his mother was Bertrade d'Evreux Montfort. His paternal grandparents were Ranulph de Gernon 2nd Earl of Chester, Vicomte d'Avranches and Maud Fitzrobert De Gloucester; his maternal grandparents were Simon III Baron De Montfort and Maud de Beaumont Countess of Evreux. He had twelve sisters named Helga De, Tanghurst, Amica De, Beatrix de, Beatrix de, Maud (Of Chester) de, Mabel, Amicia de, Hawise de, Hawise De, Agnes De and Maud Keveliok. He had a half-sister named Tanghurst Of. He died at the age of 60 on October 26th, 1232 in Wallingford, Berkshire, England. He was buried on November 3rd, 1232 in St. Werburg's, Chester, Cheshire, England.General Notes
!Fourth Earl of Chester and Lincoln. By a formal charter, granted the earldom of Lincoln to his sister Hawyse so that she could be a countess and that her heirs might enjoy the earldom, which grant was confirmed by the king, and at the especial request of the Countess of Lincoln, John de Lacie, her son-in-law, was created Earl of Lincoln, in 1232. [Magna Charta Barons, p. 102]
!Randle de Blondeville, so called from the town of Album Monasterium, in Powys (now Oswestry), where he was born. Randle was also Lord and Earl of the counties of Lincoln and Leicester. Randle was knighted by Henry II, who had given to him in marriage Constance, Countess of Brittany, daughter and heir of Conon, Earl of Brittany, by Margaret of Scotland, sister of William the Lion and of David of Huntingdon. They were divorced. He married secondly Clemencia, daughter of Ralph de Feugers and widow of Alan Dinant. Randle held Richmond Castle in Yorkshire, besides many others, and he began the building of Beeston Castle on his return from the Holy Land in 1220. He was powerful, rich, and magnificent. It is recorded that he gave the king a palfrey in exchange for a lamprey. His sisters being his heirs, John le Scot, the son of his eldest sister Maud, wife of David Earl of Huntingdon, succeeded as 7th Earl of Chester on his death. [The Bruces and the Cumyns, pp. 513-14]
6th earl of Chester; d.s.p. 1232. [Falaise Roll, Table III]
King Henry III compelled Ranulph de Blundeville, earl of Chester, to make amends for "his transgression of the previous year (1224) in occupying the castle of Théobald Crispin at Chateauceaus." [Falaise Roll, p. 135]
6th earl of Chester; m. Clementina, dau. of William du Hommet I. [Falaise Roll,Table X]
The earldom of Chester was probably the greatest in the land, it vigorous earls having strengthened their powers over Cheshire, excluding the royal administration, and extending the tentacles of their influence across the Midlands to Lincoln and down to Coventry. It was therefore a political event of the first importance when Earl Rannulf d. childless in 1232; his estates were divided bet. his 4 sisters and the earldom passed to his nephew John the Scot who himself d. 5 yrs. later. [Angevin England, p. 78]
Earl of Chester; 2nd husband of Constance, later divorced. [The Irish and Anglo-Irish Landed Gentry, p. 48]
Upon his return from the Crusades in 1220, Ranulf de Blundeville had embarked upon a major programme of castle-building. The inner gatehouse of his newcastle at Beeston, just over the English border in Cheshire, bears such a marked similarity to the inner gatehouse at Criccieth that it may be suggested that 10-15 years later, Llywelyn ab Iorwerth may well have modelled his design on that of his ally. [Criccieth Castle, p. 11]
In April 1217 the rebels opened the spring offensive. The French were outside Dover Castle, but meanwhile a royalist force under Ranulf de Blundeville, the richest noble in England and a direct grandson of Ranulf de Gernons, was attacking the rebel garrison of Mountsorrel Castle (Leicestershire). [Lincoln Castle, p. 35]
At Lincoln Castle on 20 May 1217, the French, getting the worst of the battle, retreated back towards the town where they found reinforcements and rallied, only to be beaten back once again. They were then attacked by Ranulf de Blundeville, earl of Chester, and another fierce battle was fought on soft ground down by the river. [Lincoln Castle, p. 40]
Ranulf de Blundeville, earl of Chester, was created earl of Lincoln in 1217, but resigned in favour of his sister Hawise before his death in 1232. [Lincoln Castle, p. 44]
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Ancestor Pedigree Chart
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*There are earlier generations for the ancestor(s) indicated. See their page(s) for details (click name)
- b.~ 1017 in Bayeux,Calvados,Normandy,France d.Bet 1053 and 1108
- b.< 1046 in Saint-Sever, Vire, Normandy, France d.Jan 1129 in Chester, Cheshire, England
- b.1027 in Normandy, France
- b.~ 1070 in of Meschines,Bessin,Calvados,Normandy d.Jan 1128/1129 in of Chester,Cheshire,England
- b.~ 1025 in Averanches, Normandy, France d.> 1082 in Normandy?, France
- b.~ 1056 in Avranches, Normandy, France d.> 1084
- b.1033 in Montague, Conteville, France d.Bet 1059 and 1089
- b.1099 in Guernon Castle, Normandy, France d.16 Dec 1153 in of Chester, Cheshire, England
- b.~ 1004 in of Gatinois, Fr d.01 Apr 1046 in Fleury-sur-Ouche, Anjou/Pays-de-la-Loire, France
- b.1022 in Yorkshire, England d.1094 in Kendal, Cambria, England
- b.1018 in Of, Anjou, Fr d.18 Mar 1075/1076 in Fleury-sur-Ouche, France
- b.~ 1050 in of Mercia,England d.1136
- b.~ 1002 in Mercia, England d.1062 in Mercia, England
- b.~ 1040 in Mercia,England d.> 1130 in Spalding, Lincln, Eng.
- b.~ 0997 in Tamworth,Staffordshire,England d.Bet 1020 and 1081
- b.1147 in Keveliok, Merionethshire, Wales d.30 Jun 1181 in Leek, Staffordshire, England
- b.14 Oct 1024 in Falaise, Calvados, Normandy, France d.09 Sep 1087 in Hermentrube, France
- b.1068 in Selby, Yorkshire, England d.01 Dec 1135 in Angers,Maine-et-Loire,Rouen,France
- b.1032 in Flanders d.03 Nov 1083 in Caen, Calvados, France
- b.~ 1090 in Caen, Normandy, France d.Oct 1147 in Bristol, Gloucester, England
- b.1042 in Pays de Caux, Normandy, France d.~ 1092
- b.~ 1075 in Alcester, Warwickshire, England d.> 1157 in of Pontesbury and Woodcote,Shropshire,England
- b.1332 d.1395
- b.~ 1120 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England d.29 Jul 1189 in Chester, Cheshire, England
- b.~ 1032 in Normandy, France
- b.~ 1070 in East Chester, Cheshire, England d.10 Mar 1106/1107
- b.~ 1094 in Gloucestershire, England d.1157 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England
- b.~ 1058 in Marche, Poitou, France d.> 1102 in Dy Sp
- b.~ 1066 in St Germain, Montgomery, Normandy, France
- b.~ 1062 in Marche, Poitou, France d.1116
- b.1172 in Album,Monasterium,Powys,Wales d.26 Oct 1232 in Wallingford, Berkshire, England
- b.0993 in of Montfort, Normandy d.AFT 4 Feb 1030/1031
- b.1025 in Montfort,l'Amauri,Hainaut d.1087 in of Montfort,Eure,France
- b.~ 1001 in Ile de France, France d.> 1051
- b.1070 in Montfort, Eure, France d.Apr 1137
- b.0986 in Rouen, S-Infr, France d.13 Dec 1067 in Normandy, France
- b.1030 in Evreux, Normandy, France d.~ 1087
- b.ABT 0997/1004 in Barcelona,Spain d.~ 1051
- b.1117 in Montfort, Sur-Risle, Eure, France d.13 Mar 1181 in France
- b.~ 1069 in Garlande, France d.1118
- b.~ 1095 in Garlande, France d.1181
- b.1017 in Monthlhery, France d.1108
- b.~ 1073 in Monthlhery, France d. in Rochefort, France
- b.~ 1017 in Corbeil, France
- b.1155 in Montfort-sur-Risle, Eure, Normandy, France d.12 Jul 1227 in Evreux, Eure, Normandy, France
- b.~ 1022 in Beaumont-le-Roger,Eure,Normandy d.29 Nov 1094 in Sturminster,Marshal,Dorset,England
- b.1040 in Pont-Audemer, Beaumont, Normandy, France-----see notes d.05 Jun 1118 in Leicester, Eng.----1st Earl of Leics. spouse # 1
- b.~ 1014 in Pontaudemer, Normandy, France d.08 Apr 1081
- b.1104 in Beaumont, , Normandy d.05 Apr 1168 in St. Mary's,de Pre,Leicester,England
- b.1057 in Vermandois, Normandy, France Count of Vermandois d.18 Oct 1101 in Tarsus, Asia Minor
- b.1081 in Vermandois, Normandy, France d.<Jul 1147 in Meulan, D-Sens, France
- b.~ 1062 in of Valois, Bretagne, France d.23 Sep 1120 in Vermandois, Normandy or Meulan, France
- b.~ 1137 in Monmouth Castle, Gloucestershire, England d.1168 in of Evreux,Normandy,France
- b.~ 1033 in Pontoise,Vexin,Normandy d.21 Dec 1057 in of Hereford,,Warwickshire,England
- b.~ 1052 in of Gauder,Montfort-sur-Mer,Gael,Brittany d.1095 in Outremer
- b.1024 in Herefordshire,England d. in of Sudeley Castle,Winchcombe,Gloucestershire,England
- b.~ 1104 in of Gael,of Guader,of Montfort,Brittany d.15 Dec 1181 in Nuneaton Convent, England
- b.~ 1010 in Breteuil,Eure,Normandy d.20 Feb 1071 in Bavinchove,Battle of Cassel,Flanders
- b.~ 1056 in Breteuil,Eure,Normandy d. in Outremer
- b.~ 1016 in Tosny,Eure,Normandy d.1066
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Ranulph de were married in a religious ceremony in 1187 in of Brittany, France.
Ranulph de were married in a religious ceremony before October 7th, 1200 in of Normandy, France.
Source/Citation
Lincoln Castle: The Medieval Story @ p. 44
Lincoln Castle: The Medieval Story @ p. 44
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