Ralph Paynel facts for kids
Ralph Paynel, also known as Paganel, was an important Norman person who lived a long time ago, around the year 1089. He owned a lot of land and was a strong supporter of King William II of England. He also served as the sheriff of Yorkshire, which was like a powerful local official for the king.
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Ralph Paynel's Life
Ralph Paynel likely came from a Norman family. This family owned land in a region called the Duchy of Normandy. Today, this area is in France. They had land in places like Montiers Hubert and near Beuzeville.
His Lands and Wealth
By 1086, Ralph Paynel was a very wealthy man. He controlled many estates, called lordships, across England. He had ten lordships in Devon and five in Somerset. He also owned fifteen lordships in Lincolnshire and fifteen more in Yorkshire. He had other lands in Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire too. He received these lands from someone named Merleswain.
Serving the King
In 1088, Ralph Paynel became the sheriff of Yorkshire. A sheriff was a powerful official who managed the king's business in a county. King William II ordered him to take control of lands belonging to William of St. Calais, who was the bishop of Durham. Ralph Paynel strongly supported King William II. He defended the king's side at an important meeting in Salisbury in November 1088.
Building and Giving Back
In 1089, Ralph Paynel helped restart a religious building. It was called the priory of Holy Trinity, York. He made it a smaller part of a bigger monastery, Marmoutier Abbey, which was in France. He gave the priory his main village in Yorkshire, which was called Drax.
Ralph Paynel's Family
Ralph Paynel was married to a woman named Matilda. Together, they had four sons. Their sons were named William Paynel, Jordan, Elias, and Alan.
