Ralph "the Staller" de Gael Earl of Norfolk

   Another name for Ralph was Raoul de Gaël.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹⁴¹
Ralph "the Staller", was likely a Breton, or possibly mixed Breton and English. He is likely identical with a "Ralph the Englishman," who attested charters of Alan, Duc de Bretagne in 1031 &1032. He first appears in England wehn he attests a charter of the Confessor as "dapifer." His name appears again in 1061, when he is called "minister," and in 1062, this time as "regis aulicus." His name appears attesting to a charter of Abbot Ælfwig sometime between 1060 and 1066 as "steallere." As "steallere," or a royal Staller, he name appeares many times in the Domesday Book in which he is styled "stalra" or "stalre."

In the Domesday Survey, he is shown holding extensive estates in Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincoln and one estate in Cornwall. It isn't known how he obtained his wealth in land. He also held the Barony of Gael in Brittany (Bretagne), from which he took his name. According to Orderic [vol. ii. p.263], Ralph obtained his land from his father, but beyond that, there is no other explanation

Ralph survived the conquest, and was taken into favor of the new King, who appointed created him the Ear of Norfolk and Suffolk, which was called East Angles at the time. Earl Ralph and his son were present at the Conqueror's court in England, and are referred to as the kings friends in a charter confirming the Earl's gifts to St. Riquier.

Ralph's wife is not know, but she very likely was an English born woman. Besides his son and heir, also named Ralph, he had a second son named Hardwin. Hardwin if mentioned in the Domesday Survey as the brother of Earl Ralph. Ralph was alive in Feb 1068, but probably died sometime before Apr 1070.

~Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, (Norfolk), Vol. IX, pp. 568-571