ce itinerant in various reigns. Now, it is not
only dates that make this impossible: Turchil had married, first, the
Countess of Perche, and, second, Leverunia; and Ralph de Arderne, of
Hampton, is given as of the first family. But the mother of Ralph the
justice was a De Bohun. I propose, therefore, tentatively, to consider
that the first Ralph de Hampton married a De Bohun, and hope to find the
records true of an eldest son Ralph, brother of Robert, the Archdeacon
of Lisiaux, of Peter the clerk, and of Roger of Hampton. This view is
supported by many facts, and it gives _time_. Ralph was at the height of
his power in 1188, the very date at which William de Ardene, of Hampton,
the son of Roger, draws up a deed and affixes his seal.[451] According
to Dugdale, this should be his grandson. The name of Ralph's son and
heir is Thomas, not Roger. It was very unusual for a noble family to
bring up the eldest son to the Church, and yet the Archdeacon of Lisiaux
is considered by Dugdale as the eldest son of Ralph, who gives up his
inheritance to his brothers. But if we find a Ralph to be the eldest
son, we can easily account for his giving up the Hampton in Arden home.
He had made his fortunes elsewhere. Ralph was in high favour with the
King,[452] Henry II., and had married Amabilia, daughter and coheir of
Ranulph de Glanville,[453] the great lawyer, author, statesman, soldier,
and crusader, who, while Sheriff of York, had made prisoner William the
Lion of Scotland, and laid the King of England under an obligation.
Ralph's mother was a daughter of Savaric FitzCana, and sister of Ralph,
Gelduin, and Savaric FitzSavaric. Ralph FitzSavaric having died without
heirs, on the death of his uncle Savaric, Franco, the son of Gelduin,
laid claim to his vast possessions in England and the fief of Bohun in
Normandy. It is believed that Gelduin had married within the forbidden
degrees, without dispensation, and that this was the reason that Ralph
de Arderne put forward his mother's claims. Henry II. decided in his
favour at a court at Caen in 1187. But on the accession of Richard I.,
Ralph fell into disgrace, ostensibly through some delay in rendering his
accounts at Westminster while Sheriff of Hereford, and Henry's decision
was reversed 1189.[454] But it was evidently a doubtful question. Franco
died in 1194, and when his son and heir Engelger came of age, 1198,
Ralph de Arderne revived his claim, which was settled by a compromise.
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