Person:Ralph the Timid (1)

Ralph the Timid _____
d.21 Dec 1057
m. Bef 1026
  1. Adele de Mantes
  2. Ralph the Timid _____1026 - 1057
  3. Walter III de Vexin1030 - 1063
m. Abt 1038
  1. Daughter Of BrittanyAbt 1042 -
  2. Hardwin Of SuffolkAbt 1044 -
  3. Harold De SudeleyAbt 1057 - Aft 1115
Facts and Events
Name Ralph the Timid _____
Alt Name Ralph _____, Earl of Hereford
Alt Name[2] _____ Ralph
Alt Name The Timid Earl of Hereford Of Sudeley Ralph
Alt Name Ralph de Sudeley
Alt Name Ralph Earl Of Norfolk
Alt Name The Staller
Alt Name Earl Ralph of Norfolk
Gender Male
Birth[2] 1026 Herefordshire, England
Marriage Abt 1038 Of, , Norfolk, Englandto Gytha Fitzosgood
Other Marriage Ending Status Divorce
with Gytha Fitzosgood
Death[1][2] 21 Dec 1057
Burial? Peterborough, Peterborough, Northumberland, England
Reference Number? Q75718?


the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Ralph the Timid, also known as Ralf of Mantes (died 1057), was Earl of Hereford between 1051 and 1055 or 1057. His mother was Godgifu, the daughter of King Æthelred the Unready and his second wife Emma. His father was Drogo of Mantes, Count of the Vexin, who died on pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1035.

Ralph came to England with his uncle, the future King Edward the Confessor, in 1041. He attested three charters as earl in 1050, and his earldom was probably located in the East Midlands, where the lands of his wife Gytha were located. He was a benefactor of Peterborough Abbey. When King Edward quarrelled with Earl Godwin in 1051, Ralph raised the levies of his earldom to support the king. Godwin and his sons were forced into exile, but they returned the following year, and Ralph and Earl Odda commanded the fleet raised to resist them, but they were unable to prevent their return in triumph.[1]

Later in 1052 Godwin's son Sweyn died on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and it was probably at this stage that Ralph was given Sweyn's earldom of Hereford, which included Oxfordshire. In 1055 Ælfgar, the earl of East Anglia, was exiled and allied himself with the ruler of Wales, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. Ralph met them in battle on 24 October, but suffered a disastrous defeat, and the invaders sacked Hereford. It was later claimed that Ralph and his Frenchmen started the rout, resulting in his insulting nickname, 'The Timid'. Godwin's son, Harold, the future king, then chased the invaders back into Wales. Ralph died in his early thirties on 21 December 1057, and was buried in Peterborough Abbey.[1]

Ann Williams suggested that Ralph probably lost his earldom to Harold after his defeat in 1055,[1] but in the view of Frank Barlow he held it until his death. Ralph's son Harold was one of the royal children brought up by King Edward's wife, Edith. Ralph was on good terms with the Godwins, and his son may have been named after the future king and been his godson. Harold Godwinson may have been given the earldom of Hereford to hold until the Ralph's son came of age.[2] The younger Harold survived the Conquest and later received part of his father's lands, as well as Ewyas Harold, which is named after him. His descendants are the Sudeleys of Toddington, Gloucestershire.[1]

This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at Ralph the Timid. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with WeRelate, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

Ralph http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=document&guid=0f80159f-63a9-41fb-986e-8e3fb5fa3516&tid=1579964&pid=-1460407534

References
  1. Ralph the Timid, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gilman, Mariah Hope. Ancestors of Mariah Hope Gilman. (http://superjordans-home.com/MariahsAncestors/Index.htm, Cited 16 February 2004.).