Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester
Ranulf de Gernon | |
|---|---|
| Earl of Chester | |
| Tenure | 1128–1153 |
| Predecessor | Ranulf le Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester |
| Successor | Hugh of Cyfeiliog, 5th Earl of Chester |
| Born | 1099 Guernon castle, Calvados, France |
| Died | 16 December 1153 (aged 53–54) Cheshire, England |
| Cause of death | Succumbed to poisoning |
| Spouse | Maud of Gloucester |
| Issue Detail | Hugh of Cyfeiliog, 5th Earl of Chester Beatrice |
| Father | Ranulf le Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester |
| Mother | Lucy of Bolingbroke |
Ranulf II (also known as Ranulf de Gernon), 4th Earl of Chester (1099–1153), was an Anglo-Norman baron who inherited the honour of the palatine county of Chester and the viscountcy of Avranches upon the death of his father Ranulf le Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester. 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 around Carlisle 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.