Ranulf IV de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester ^{1 2 3}

   Other names for Ranulf were Ranulph de Gernon 2nd Earl of Chester, Ranulph de Gernon Earl of Chester, Vicomte d'Avranches in Normandy, Ranulf de Guernan Earl of Chester, Vicomte d'Avranches and Ranulph "de Gernon" de Meschines Earl of Chester.

  Research Notes:

From Wikipedia - Ranulf de Gernon, 4th Earl of Chester :

Ranulf II, also known as Ranulf le Meschin or Ranulf de Gernon inherited his palatine earldom in 1128 aged 28, upon the death of his father who was descended from the Counts of Bayeux , Calvados Normandy .

2 Chronology of Ranulf's life
2.1 The loss of the Earl's northern lands to King David of Scotland (1136-1139)
2.2 Ranulf takes Lincoln (1140)
2.3 The Battle of Lincoln (2 February 1141)
2.4 The capture of Robert of Gloucester
2.5 The second siege of Lincoln (1144)
2.6 Ranulf defects to the King (1145-1146)
2.7 Agreement between King David and Earl Ranulf
2.8 Ranulf's treaty with Robert Earl of Leicester
3 Monastic foundation
3.1 The death of the Earl (1153)


Early life
Note: He is the 4th Ranulf (ie Ranulf IV) but he is the 2nd Earl of Chester.

Ranulf was born at Gernon castle , Normandy around 1100 to Ranulf le Meschin, 3rd Earl of Chester (should be: Ranulf III, 1st Earl of Chester [of the second creation]) and Lucia Taillebois of Mercia , England. His parents were both significant landowners and he had considerable autonomy within the palatine .

[Much more available in Wikipedia]

Monastic foundation
He founded a North Welsh Cistercian Abbey in 1131 which was colonised by monks from the Norman house, the Congregation of Savigny .

[edit ] The death of the Earl (1153)
In 1153 Ranulf survived a failed attempt at murder by poison by one of his arch-enemies, William Peverel the Younger , when he was guest at Peverel's house. William had poisoned the wine that Ranulf and his men had drunk. Three of Ranulf's men died but the Earl recovered, though he suffered agonizingly, as he had drunk less than his men. William was exiled from England after Henry took the crown as he was accused of poisoning Ranulf and his retainers. The Earl died the same year (due to the poisoning?), on the 16 December 1153 . One other notable event of 1153, was that Duke Henry granted Ranulf Staffordshire . After his death, the Earl's son and heir Hugh was allowed to inherit Ranulf's lands as held in 1135, and other honours bestowed upon Ranulf were revoked.

Ranulf married Maud FitzRobert of Gloucester, daughter of Robert de Caen 1st Earl of Gloucester and Mabel FitzHamon of Gloucester, about 1141. (Maud FitzRobert of Gloucester was born about 1120 in Glouchestershire, England and died on 29 Jul 1190 in Chester, Cheshire, England.)