Ralph le Roux

Not to be confused with Ralph the Red of Pont-Echanfray

Cawley's Medieval Lands database:

Robert had one illegitimate child by an unknown mistress:

5. RALPH le Roux (-after [1135/41]). "Robertus de Lacy" granted "Magnam Merlay…et Tuisleton…et…in Cliderhou" to "Radulpho le Rus" by charter dated 23 Nov 1102[92]. His parentage is confirmed by the charter dated to [1135/41] under which "Ilbertus de Lacy" confirmed the grant of "magnam Mitton, Haghton, magnam Merlay, Twisleton…in Potreton et…in Cliderhou" to "Radulfo le Rouse" and granted further property to "eidem Radulfo fratri meo"[93].

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An excellent blog article:

Who was Ralph the Red?
“Ralph the Red” circa 1140 http://thefamilydemitton.wordpress.com/ralph-the-red/

By charter dated Nov. 23, 1102, Robert de Lacy granted to Ralph le Rous, of Great Mearley, Twistleton, land in Clitheroe, Great Mitton, and Aighton.

He was the first Lord of Mitton manor, and would seem to have taken from his principal property the title of Mitton.

"The above Ralph the Red, or his successor, would seem to have taken from his principal property the title of Mitton. It is at least certain that later in the same century we find in possession one Jordan de Mitton ; 8 and with him authentic history begins. As usually happened, the local title by which he was described speedily came to be used as a family surname"
https://archive.org/details/stonyhurstcolle00geragoog/page/n61/mode...

He was founder of “Mytton Church” and first rector, 1103.

Ralph the Red is the first documented Norman at Clitheroe being enfeoffed there when he replaced the Englishman Orm at Clitheroes castle rock.

It is believed that Ralph died after his half-brother Ilbert in 1141.

https://thefamilydemitton.wordpress.com/the-de-mittons-as-scions-of...
https://thefamilydemitton.wordpress.com/

Fifteen years after the Doomsday accounting of William’s lands “Ralph the Red” was granted manors by Robert de Lacy at “Mitune”, now Great Mitton and Aighton as well as many other Clitheroe area manors in a charter dated Nov. 23, 1102. These were “reputed manors” or separate manors held by “Ralph the Red” in “demesne”. They were his to do as he wanted. Other manor lands granted were Bayley, Chaighley, Great Mearley, Twistleton, plus two oxgangs of land in Clitheroe including a manor “in and about the castle rock” of Clitheroe. Ralph the Reds feudal grants were the first “alienation of the de Lacy’s after their acquirement of the fee of Clitheroe” according to T.D Whitaker’s, “The History of the Parish of Whalley” written in the early 19th century. The “Honour of Clitheroe” was part of the Lordship of Bowland that Robert de Lacy was granted in 1102 by Henry I. These lands had reverted back to the crown after being confiscated from Roger de Poitou for his support of Robert Curthose’s failed invasion of England in August 11, 1102.

Robert de Lacy’s eldest son, Ilbert de Lacy (2) confirmed his father’s grants of Ralphs lands in 1135 (during the reign of King Stephen). That second charter reads ‘eidem Radulfo fratri meo’ – the same to my brother Ralph.

These charters are the primary documents to Ralph the Reds identity. However no other de Lacy genealogies refer to Ralph the Red as a de Lacy except these charters. They are however primary legal documents. It does beg the question why Ralph the Red is identified in these charters but not on other genealogies of the de Lacy’s.

The fact that Ralph received so many manors as well as their important strategic locations would seem he was a member of the family in some way which is how the Normans first subinfeudaled land. These manors did not go to Henry or Robert, the other de Lacy brothers at that time, but to Ralph. The grant by Robert de Lacy to Ralph rather than to Ilbert his eldest son seems unusual. Under primogeniture Ilbert would have been the heir. Yet, Ilbert, Roberts eldest son, confirms the original charter in 1135, with his Yorkshire tenets as witnesses and calls Ralph his brother.

As these grants were separate free hold manors the grantor’s motivation may have been the practical need to have a loyal family member holding land in this area to counter Saxon resistance as well as secure it for the de Lacys after reverting to the crown from the banished Roger Poitou. It is unlikely Ilbert would have acquiesced this grant without his father’s approval and with out some close family relationship to “Ralph the Red” under the feudal system. Clitheroe became the main administrative site of the de Lacy barony as well as a medieval commerce town.

The de Lacy’s continued to live at Pontefract castle but Clitheroe began to developed after Ralph’s arrival in 1102. Eventually Henry de Lacy, the younger brother of Ilbert granted the town burgesses the right to be a market town circa 1148. This marked the beginning of Clitheroe as a legitimate commerce center defended by the strategic castle on the rock where Ralph had been granted a manor in 1102.

Several sources seem to agree Ralph the Red was a de Lacy, albeit Illegitimate;

From UNTITLED ENGLISH NOBILITY:

“Robert had one illegitimate child by an unknown mistress” *

“Robertus de Lacy” granted “Magnam (major) Merlay…et Tuisleton…et…in Cliderhou” to “Radulpho le Rus” by charter dated 23 Nov 1102 [55].

(son) “Ilbertus de Lacy” confirmed the grant of “magna Merlay, Twisleton…et…in Poterton et…in Cliderh…” made by “pater meus” (my father) [see above for his father´s grant] to “Radulfo le Rus” (name spelling), with the consent and advice of “Roberti fratris mei” (my brother), by charter dated to [1135/41][59]. “Ilbertus de Lacy” confirmed the grant of “magnam (major) Mitton, Haghton, magnam Merlay, Twisleton…in Potreton et…in Cliderhou” to “Radulfo le Rouse” (name spelling) and granted further property to “eidem (and also) Radulfo fratri meo” (my brother) by charter dated to [1135/41 ][60]. http://tinyurl.com/7osoone

The second charter was probably after 1135 but before 1138 as Robert, younger brother of Ilbert, was killed at the Battle of Standard in 1138. So that narrows the dates. 1135 is when King Stephen became King of England. Ilbert de Lacy was a supporter of Stephen in the civil war with Matilda. Ilbert’s father’s family grants were confirmed upon the ascension of King Stephen when Ilbert’s barony was returned to him.

Ralph the Red’s Charter Grant of Nov. 23, 1102

The Lancashire Pipe Rolls of 31SERIES XV. CHARTER No. II. 23RD November 1102. 3 Henry I.

Grant By Robert de Lacy to Ralph Le Rous of Great Mearley, Twistleton, land in CLITHEROE, GREAT MlTTON, AND AlGHTON.

By this charter, Robert de Lacy grants to Ralph le Rous, *progenitor of the families of Mitton and Bayley, for his homage and service, Great Mearley, Twistleton, two oxgangs of land in Clitheroe with the appurtenances, particularly mentioning those messuages which had formerly belonged to Orm, the Englishman, lying both within and below the wooden palisade, which formed the outer protection of the Castle of Clitheroe, Great Mitton (in Yorkshire), Aighton and Bayley, which latter were included in the grant from Henry I contained in the preceding charter (No. 1), to hold by the service of half a knight’s fee; together with the bailiwick and wardship of certain lands within boundaries named.

The charter concludes with the addition—unusual in twelfth century charters —of a date, viz., the Feast of St. Clement in the third year after the coronation of King Henry (23rd November, 1102). The reference at this early date to the military service to be performed for the land was doubtless the result of Henry I st. Charter of Liberties (c/. Round’s Feudal England, p. 225 et seq.).

• Progenitor means founder or first of the family to follow.
• Jordon de Mitton, “Ralph the Red’s” later descendant is the first to use the surname in official documents, probably recorded for the poll tax.

Ralph’s Legacy:

Ralph the Red was progenitor of the Mitton, Bayley and Shireburne families that continued to reside on his original manor lands for centuries. He was the first Norman Lord of the Manor at “Mitune” as well as the first rector and founder of All Hallows’ Church in 1103. The Shireburnes were Norman descendants of Ralph the Red and clearly acknowledged that Norman ancestry in both deed and piety. They built a Chapel, completed in 1594 at Mitton church and called it the Shireburne Chapel. For 400 years, beginning with the marriage of Margaret Shireburne in 1377 All Hallows at Mitton now called Mytton Church continued to be the Shireburne families ancestral church for baptisms, marriages and internments.

• Elizabeth Ashworth, author of “ The de Lacy Inheritance” research comments on Ralph the Red:

“Robert de Lacy (1) also had an illegitimate son named Ralph le Rous (the red). One of the first things that Robert did when he received the honour of Clitheroe was to make a grant of lands to Ralph, in a charter dated 23rd November 1102, which included Great Mitton and from this time Ralph and his descendants took the surname de Mitton. We can be certain that Ralph was a son of Robert’s because when Ilbert de Lacy (2) was confirming his father’s grants following the restoration of the lands in 1135, his charter reads ‘eidem Radulfo fratri meo’ – the same to my brother Ralph. This grant was also made with the consent and advice of ‘my brother Robert’, another piece of evidence for a third legitimate son of Robert de Lacy (1)”.

Question to Elizabeth Ashworth as to then why Ralph the Reds grandson Hugh de Mitton, Lord of Mitton manor and thus great, grandson of Robert de Lacy the first did not have a superior claim to the de Lacy Barony when Robert de Lacy the second died without a male heir in 1193.

Answer: “Hugh de Mitton would not have had any claim to the de Lacy lands because he was descended from an illegitimate grandfather. His only claim would be to the Mitton land that had been given to Ralph. Roger Fitz Eustace did not inherit the land directly from Robert de Lacy. It was inherited by his grandmother Albreda who was Robert’s first cousin. She then passed it to her grandson. In any case Hugh would have been Robert’s cousin once removed even if he had been legitimate and so Albreda was still a closer relation”. Sept. 2011