Editing Ralph d'Escures (section)

==Time in England==
Soon afterwards Ralph paid a visit to England, perhaps to visit [[Shrewsbury Abbey]], which was a daughter house of Séez.<ref name=DNB/> He may have been involved in mediating the surrender of [[Robert of Bellême, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury|Robert of Bellême]] at [[Shrewsbury]] in 1102, for some chroniclers state that it was Ralph who delivered the keys of the castle to King Henry I of England.<ref name=HenryI163>Hollister ''Henry I'' p. 163</ref> In 1103, he took refuge in England from the demands of Robert of Bellême for [[Homage (medieval)|homage]]. Ralph declined to do homage because Pope [[Urban II]] had ordered that no clergy could do homage to the laity.<ref name=Vaughn24>Vaughn ''Anselm of Bec and Robert of Meulan'' pp. 24–25</ref> Robert was also demanding heavy taxes, and Ralph fled with [[Serlo, Bishop of Sees|Serlo]], [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Sées|Bishop of Séez]], who was also subjected to Robert's demands.<ref name=HenryI181>Hollister ''Henry I'' p. 181</ref> He passed his time in England with his friends Saint Anselm and Gundulf the Bishop of Rochester.<ref name=Barlow82>Barlow ''English Church'' p. 82</ref> He attended the [[Translation (relics)|translation]] of [[Cuthbert of Lindisfarne|Saint Cuthbert]]'s remains at [[Durham, England|Durham]], where he was one of examiners of the body, and declared the saint's remains uncorrupt. In 1106, he visited Anselm at the Abbey of Bec, but probably did not try to assert himself at Séez. After Anselm was elected to the see of Canterbury, Ralph appears to have become part of the archbishop's household.<ref name=DNB/>

In June 1108, Ralph succeeded Gundulf as Bishop of Rochester, having been nominated by Gundulf before his death.<ref name=BHORoch>Greenway "Rochester: Bishops" ''Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066–1300'': Volume 2: Monastic Cathedrals (Northern and Southern Provinces)</ref> Ralph was consecrated on 9 August 1108.<ref name=Handbook267>Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 267</ref> He was at Anselm's deathbed in April 1109,<ref name=DNB/> and, afterwards, Ralph acted as administrator of the see of Canterbury<ref name=Powell57>Powell and Wallis ''House of Lords'' p. 57</ref> until 26 April 1114, when he was chosen Archbishop at [[Windsor, Berkshire|Windsor]].<ref name=Handbook232>Fryde, et al. ''Handbook of British Chronology'' p. 232</ref> The king had wanted his doctor, [[Faritius|Faricus]], who was an Italian and [[Abbot of Abingdon]], but the nobles and the bishops objected to anyone but a [[Normans|Norman]] being appointed.<ref name=Barlow82/> The bishops also desired someone who was not a monk, or at least not one who was so close to Henry.<ref name=Monastic181>Knowles ''Monastic Order'' p. 181</ref> As a compromise, Ralph was chosen, rather than the [[secular clergy]] that the bishops favoured.<ref name=Monastic628>Knowles ''Monastic Order'' p. 628</ref> Although Ralph was a monk and had not served as a royal clerk, he was also a bishop, which seems to have reconciled the other bishops to his selection.<ref name=Cantor33>Cantor ''Church, Kingship, and Lay Investiture'' p. 33</ref>