What the earl holds in his own hand inside the county palatine, as distinct from the baronies of his tenants: Chester castle and the lordship of the city, the great forests (Delamere, which the records call Mara and Mondrem, in the middle of the county; Macclesfield in the east; the Wirral), the demesne manors of Macclesfield and Frodsham, the Dee castle of Shotwick, a share of the salt of the wiches, and the profits of his courts.
West of the Dee he claims Englefield (Tegeingl) with Rhuddlan, conquered by his ancestors and lost to the Welsh in 1167.
Who he is
- Name
- Ranulf III de Blondeville
- Title
- Earl of Chester
- Since
- 1181 (in his own hands from 1188 or 1189)
- Born
- 1170
- Family
- See Chester (the realm record)
- Confidence
- high
Wikipedia; the county histories for the forests and demesne.
Overlord
King John, for the earldom; inside Cheshire the earl holds the royal rights himself
What it holds
- Chester castle and the earl's lordship over the city (Chester)
- Macclesfield: the demesne manor, the hundred and the forest of Macclesfield in the hills on the Derbyshire border
- Frodsham: demesne manor and the earl's castle above the Weaver crossing
- The forest of Delamere (Mara and Mondrem) between Frodsham and Tarporley
- The Wirral and its forest; Shotwick castle on the Dee
- The earl's share of the salt toll at Northwich, Middlewich and Nantwich
- The Dee mills and fisheries at Chester
- Claimed: Englefield (Tegeingl) with Rhuddlan and Dyserth, held by the princes of Gwynedd since 1167
How it was acquired
Inherited with the earldom.
Allies and rivals
As for the earl (Chester).
How things stand that morning
All held, except Englefield, which is Welsh (Gwynedd) and only claimed. The earl is probably in Normandy; his justiciar and sheriff run the demesne from Chester.
Wealth
Salt, forest dues and pannage, the mills, the Chester tolls and the courts.
Military
Chester castle is the base for any war on the Dee; Shotwick and Frodsham guard the estuary and the Weaver crossing. No figures.
Threats
- Welsh raids across the Dee from Englefield and Ystrad Alun
- Absentee rule while the earl is in Normandy
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- Through 1200No change expected; the Welsh hold Englefield and Mold.Depends on: The earl staying in Normandy and Llywelyn turning his attention west and south Stopped by: An attack on Hawarden or Shotwick
Places of note
- Chester castle: The earl's castle and exchequer
- Shotwick castle: Earl's castle on the Dee
- Frodsham castle: Earl's castle and demesne manor
- Macclesfield: Earl's demesne manor and forest
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The earl's demesne and forests are well known from later records (the Cheshire forest eyres, the Magna Carta of Chester of 1215); their exact state in 1200 is inferred.
On the map: The forests are drawn as blocks around their main townships; their real bounds were wider and changed with the forest law.
Primary sources for Chester
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- The Charter Rolls of King John (1199 to 1216, at the royal chancery). The enrolled charters of John's first years, beginning with his accession in 1199: confirmations to towns, bishoprics and abbeys, grants of land and office, and the great grants to men like William Marshal and the king's new allies in Poitou. Read online
- The Great Rolls of the Pipe for 1199 and Michaelmas 1200 (1199 and 1200, at the Exchequer). The audited accounts of every sheriff and farmer for the Exchequer year ending Michaelmas 1200: county farms, the scutage of 1199, the carucage of 1200, debts of magnates and towns, wardships, and the fines offered to the new king.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.