Irene Preston's Historical Writing
THE
EARLS OF CHESTER
In 1070 Cheshire was held by Gherbod a great Flemish noble but he
returned to the continent within the year as he thought the area was too
wild and troublesome, but rumour had it that when he arrived in France
he was abducted and held prisoner for many years.
Hugh de Avranches 1st Earl In 1071 the first official earl of Chester was Hugh de Avranches the
nephew of William the Conqueror and son of the Viscount de Avranches.
Hugh inherited much land from his father throughout Western Normandy as
well as much in England. He became an important councillor of his uncle
and contributed 60 ships for the invasion. He did not fight at Hasting
but stayed behind to govern Normandy. As Earl of Chester he fought
savagely with the Welsh and eventually ruled North Wales and Cheshire.
He became very fat and could hardly walk and was known as ‘Hugh the Fat"
also ‘Hugh Lupus’ the wolf. His household was full of rowdy thugs but he
could be generous and had a pious side. He held land in 20 counties and
founded St. Werburgh's Abbey in 1092, and became a monk. He died in 1101
and was buried wearing his habit in the Abbey.
Richard de Avranches 2nd Earl
The second earl was Hugh's son Richard who was only 7 at his father's
death. He became the earl in 1114, aged 20. Richard was on a military
campaign with the King of Scotland in Wales. He later joined Prince
William, heir to Henry I, on a trip to Normandy. Richard spent most of
his time in Normandy. On the return journey in 1121 the ship, called the
Blanche Nef meaning the white ship, sank with only one survivor. This
tragic loss of the heir to England was the cause of the civil war
between Empress Maud, sometimes called Matilda, and Stephen of Blois the
named heir.
RanuIf I de Meschine 3rd Earl
The 3rd earl was Richard's cousin Ranulf and nephew of Hugh Lupus. He
is known as Ranulf I de Meschine Viscount of Bayeux and held the
Earldom of Carlisle through his wife Lucy who was descended from the
great Anglo-Saxon Earl of Mercia, Leofric and Lady Godifu, known as
Godiva. Ranulf had to surrender his other earldoms and lands to the
crown.
His earldom only lasted 8 years he died in 1129.
Ranulf II de Meschine 4th Earl
Ranulf’s son, known as Ranulph II the 4th earl, was the most ruthless of
all the earls of Chester. He was not like his father and became the most
important lord in England. He wanted power to recover the Earldom of
Carlisle and his father's lands which he could not achieve until after
the death of King Henry I in 1135.
Ranulf had married the daughter of Robert Earl of Gloucester who was the
illegitimate son of the late king. With lands from this marriage he
could control one third of England, almost half from Cheshire to Lincoln
and the east coast. The castle at Lincoln was in royal hands and he had
not broken from the king. He did seize the castle for a year and went to
the side of Matilda with his own army including Welshmen. There was much
brutality in Lincoln but Ranulph II was arrested, later set free and
turned again to violence until King Stephen restored his castle and
lands. He controlled from Chester across to Lincoln and down to Coventry
and instead of receiving Carlisle he received land between the Rivers
Mersey and the Ribble.
In spite of his immense power he was still prepared to sell his sword to
the highest bidder. Matilda's son Henry Plantagenet landed in England in
1153 and Ranulf turned against Stephen on the promise of lands including
those of William Peveral of the Peak. William poisoned Ranulf in 1153
and he died within the year.
Hugh II de Kevelioc 5th Earl
The 5th earl was Ranulf’s son Hugh II de Kevelioc who was born in Wales.
His father's northern lands were given to King David of Scotland, known
as the Earldom of Huntingdon.
Scotland had been divided into two and ruled by David and his brother
William. William died in 1124 without issue so David succeeded to the
whole of Scotland. He had received a Norman education and Anglo-Saxon
culture influenced him. He granted lands to Anglo-Saxon friends and
later to Anglo-Normans. David became Earl of Nottingham and Huntingdon
through marriage to Maud the daughter of Hugh de Kevelioc. Their son
John was to become the 7th and last Earl of Chester.
Hugh II held lands in England and Normandy, where he spent most of his
time overseeing his lordships of Avranches and Bayeux. In 1169 he
married Beatrice de Montford daughter of Simon III de Montford and
cousin to Henry II who gave her away in marriage. Her father later
became the leader in the baronial revolt against Henry II in 1173/4.
Hughe's son
Ranulf III de Blunderville later became the 6th earl.
His daughters made good marriages with important
leaders of the 12th century.
Maud married David of Scotland, 8th Earl of Huntingdon
Mabel married William de Aubigny, 3rd Earl of Arundel
Agnes married William de Ferrers, 4th Earl of Derby
Hawise, Countess of Lincoln, married Robert II de Quincy
Another daughter married a Welsh prince and an illegitimate daughter
Amice married Ralph de Mainwaring.
Hugh II was aware of the problems between Henry and Thomas Becket in
1170. Hugh died in 1181 at Leek in Staffordshire and was buried in St.
Werburgh Abbey.
Ranulf III de Blunderville 6th Earl Hughe's son Ranulf
III became the 6th earl and held the earldom for 51 years and was
probably the last of the great. He also held Lincoln and Huntingdon.
Cheshire was one of the most important lordships in England. He expanded
his power by peaceful negotiation. In 1189, when he was 17, he married
Constance, Countess of Brittany and widow of Geoffrey, son of Henry II.
The marriage gave Ranulf the Earldom of Richmond and Duchy of Brittany.
The marriage was not a success they separated and it was dissolved in
1199. He married again in Normandy and lived in France from 1199-1204.
He was powerful enough to become regent for the young Henry III who was
aged 9 when his father King John died, but he left it to William
Marshall the Premiere Earl.
Ranulf III made a strong alliance with Llewelyn, Prince of Wales, in
1218 before he left for the Holy Land. On his return he began to build
Beeston Castle in 1220. He died without issue and no brothers so the
earldom went to his nephew John le Scot. Ranulph will be remembered as a
man of affairs, a statesman, a crusader and stalwart soldier. He was
commander-in-chief of an unsuccessful campaign in France in 1231 and
died a year later aged 60. He was buried in the Chapter House at
Chester.
John le Scot 7th Earl
John le Scot, Earl of Huntingdon, and nephew to the King of Scotland and
nephew to Ranulf III became the 7th and last Earl of Chester.
Scottish Kings and Lords often held lands in England and were made earls
of various counties.
John le Scot's father David was knighted in 1170 by Henry II and later
created the Earl of Huntingdon in 1184. David died in 1219 and his son
John inherited the title. His mother was Maude, eldest sister and
co-heir of Ranulf III de Blunderville the Earl of Chester who built
Beeston Castle.
Ranulf died in 1232 and John inherited the title of Earl of Chester by
the right of his mother. He had married Helen, the daughter of Llewellen
Prince of Wales, in 1226. John died of poison in 1237 and it was said
his wife had been responsible. There was no issue from the union and
Henry III decided that the earldom was too important to divide between
John's sisters so it was annexed to the crown. The king gave John's
sisters other lands in exchange and later created his son and heir
Edward as Earl of Chester and later Prince of Wales, the future Edward
I.
In Norman French (Latin) we have venator/venitor meaning hunter. Gross
meant great more than big so gross venitor meant a great hunter.
The words have become joined as Grosvenor the name of a distinctive
family since 12th century, keepers of the King's Forest in Cheshire
There is Grosvenor Street and museum in Chester and its founder was
called Hugh Lupus Grosvenor.
Another familiar name from 11th century is Gilbert Venables, Baron of
Kinderton, on the banks of the River Weaver, known as the hunter,
venitor. He was a relation of the Counts of Blois.
When Henry III annexed the earldom of Chester to the Crown in 1237 he
also gave the earls hunting lodge in Macclesfield Forest, known as
Addlington, to his natural son. His son took the name of Corona and the
lodge eventually passed to a second son of the Venables of Kinderton
through marriage and he took his mother's name of Legh.