Ranulf I de Soules

Ranulf de Soulis (Ranulf I de Soules) was a Norman knight who came to Scotland with David I. Some websites state that he had a daughter, Juliana, who married William de la Haye, the first Hay in Scotland. This would have made Ranulf an ancestor of the Hay Clan and indeed the first such in Scotland. However, Juliana was actually his sister and he had no issue. While he was not, in fact, an ancestor of the Hays, he is nevertheless interesting in that he was the first de Soulis in Scotland, and therefore important to that family, he illustrates the close connection of the de Soules and de la Haya families, and he enjoyed a close relationship to David I (born 1084, died 1153). He was David’s cupbearer and was succeeded in that post by his nephew, William de la Haya, the son of the William de la Haya who married Juliana. He may well have been a mentor to his nephew at court. The best source of information about Ranulf de Soulis appears to be M’Michael’s "The Feudal Family of de Soulis"M'Michael T., Feudal Family. pp.163-93] .

Early life

Ranulf was apparently one of the group of young Normans whom David gathered around him before he became King of the Scots in 1124 and was therefore likely of a similar age. He was probably born in the Cotentin at Soules, although M’Michael concluded that he was from Doddington in Northamptonshire, the county where David spent his early married life after becoming Earl of Huntingdon and Northamptonshire on marrying Matilda. There is no inconsistency here; Ranulf did hold Great Doddington on David’s Honour of Huntingdon, but this does not imply that he was born there.

He apparently accompanied David to Cumbria around 1112 when the latter was essentially governor or titular earl of that region under England’s King Henry and was encouraged by David to build Liddel Castle in Liddesdale to control that unruly area. According to Tranter [Tranter, David the Prince, p.188, p.235] , in one of his historical novels, Ranulf was with David at the Battle of the Standard in 1138. Ranulf de Soulis built Liddel Castle, a motte and bailey structure, at the junction of the Liddel and Esk rivers. This castle [Cite web| url =http://www.borderreivers.co.uk/Border%20Castles/Liddel%20Castle.htm |title=Liddel Castle |publisher=borderreivers.co.uk | accessdate =2007-10-22] , the earthworks of which remain, therefore was probably built around 1115–1118, although apparently the first written mention of it was in an 1165 charter that William the Lion granted to the Canons of Jedburgh Abbey. It is not to be confused with nearby Hermitage Castle, a later structure, or with Liddel Strength that was built in the same region, but just within England, by Turgot de Rossedale, from a Yorkshire family. [M’ Michael, T., Feudal Family, Op cit. Note 1.]

Cupbearer

David appointed him as his Cup-bearer, the first person to hold that office in Scotland; after David’s death he was cupbearer to Malcolm IV and later to William the Lion in the early part of his reign. The cupbearer (pincerna [Pincerna has been variously translated as butler, cup bearer, treasurer and food keeper. Owen states that the general management of the royal household was in the hands of the stewards (seneschals), who were also of noble rank. The pincerna was probably under their direction, just as members of lesser nobility, such as the doorwards (or ushers), served under the Royal Chamberlain.] [Owen, p.10] or butler) was not a major official at court, but it and other similar appointments gave their possessors influence at court and in affairs of state beyond the duties implied by their titles. Essentially, they became confidants and advisors to the King. The court was highly mobile in these times and court officials, such as the cupbearer, would often accompany the King on his excursions. Ranulf de Soulis witnessed a number of David’s, and later Malcolm IV’s and William’s charters. [The charter, as legal evidence in writing of the right to hold freehold property, was introduced into Scotland by David I, or possibly by his predecessor, Alexander. It was essentially a title deed.] [Robertson, p.285] He died sometime between 1165 and 1170, possibly repelling a border raid. There is a monument near Eccles to this event [M’Michael,T., Feudal Family, pp.164 and reference 13]

Legacy

Ranulf was succeeded as Lord of Liddesdale by his nephew, who was also named Ranulf and who was the son of his brother, William .

Notes

References

*cite journal | last =M’ Michael | first = T | title =The Feudal Family of de Soulis | journal =Article 16 Transactions of Dumfreishire and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, 3rd series | volume =XXVI | publisher = | date =1947-08 | accessdate=
*G. W. S. Barrow.(1973)"The Kingdom of the Scots, Government, Church and Society from the eleventh to the fourteenth century",325.New York:St Martin’s Press.
*cite book | last =Owen | first =D. D. R | title =William the Lion, Kingship and Culture,1143-1214 | publisher =Tuckwell Press | date =1997 | location =East Linton,Scotland | isbn =
*cite book | last =Robertson | first =E.W | title =Scotland under her Early Kings, Vol.1, | publisher =Edmonston and Douglas | date =1862 | location =Edinburgh | isbn =
*cite book |last =Tranter |first =N |authorlink = |coauthors = |title =David the Prince |publisher =Coronet Books |date =1982 |location =Sevenoaks, UK |url = |doi = |id = |isbn =