Ralph de Gael - Up To 1074

Up To 1074

• In 1065 he was with Conan II, Duke of Brittany when he besieged Thiwallon, Lord of Dol, in the castle of Combour.
• In 1066 he fought on the Norman side at the Battle of Hastings.
• In February or March 1068 he was present at William the Conqueror’s court with his father.
• In 1069 he routed a force of Norsemen which had invaded Norfolk and occupied Norwich. It may been in recognition of this exploit (or of services rendered at Hastings) that the Conqueror created him Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk, or the East Angles, the Earldom being also styled, from its capital, of Norwich.
• It is presumably this Ralph who, on 13 April 1069 was with the King at Winchester and witnessed, as Earl Ralph, a diploma in favour of St.Denis of Paris and in the same year witnessed, as Earl Ralph, a grant in favour of the Bishop of Essex.
• 1074- It is possible that Ralph defended Dol when the Conqueror besieged it unsuccessfully in 1074, although it is more likely that Ralph was in Dol during the revolts against Hoel II, Duke of Brittany and that William came to Dol in defense of Hoel.

Ralph built a church in Norwich, in the new town, and give it to his chaplains; but there is no record of religious benefactions by him in Brittany.