Ralph d'Escures

Ralph (French Raoul ) OSB († October 20, 1122 ) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1114 to 1122. He was called Ralph de Turbine or Ralph d'Escures , after Escures , a property of his father near Sées in Normandy .

He entered the Benedictine Abbey of St. Martin in Sées in 1079 and became its abbot ten years later . A short time later he traveled to England, where his half-brother Seifrid Pelochim was Bishop of Chichester . In 1100 he had to flee the acts of violence committed by Robert of Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury, to England, where he now spent some time with Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury and Gundulf , Bishop of Rochester . In March 1108 he succeeded Gundulf in his office, and after Anselm's death in April 1109 he was appointed administrator of the Archdiocese of Canterbury and in April 1114 he was elected to succeed Anselm as Archbishop .

His policy was based heavily on the rights of the archdiocese and the English Church. He claimed sovereignty over Wales and Scotland and refused Thurstan , the newly elected Archbishop of York , the ordination, as he refused to submit to the Archbishop of Canterbury. This step led to an argument with the Pope and a trip to Rome , but not to a conversation with Paschal II , as he had left the city. Contrary to the resolute orders of Paschal's successors Gelasius II and Kalixt II , he continued to refuse to consecrate Thurstan. The dispute did not end when Ralph died on October 20, 1122.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Powicke & Fryde: Handbook of British Chronology. Second Edition, London, 1961, p. 248
2. ^ Powicke & Fryde: Handbook of British Chronology. Second Edition, London, 1961, p. 210

predecessor	Office	successor
Gundulf	Bishop of Rochester 1108–1114	Ernulf
Anselm	Archbishop of Canterbury 1114–1122	Wilhelm of Corbeil