Ralph fitz Stephen

Ralph fitzStephen (sometimes Ralf fitzStephen; died either 25 July 1202 or c. 1204) was an English nobleman and royal official.

Origins Ralph had brothers named William fitzStephen,

Career Ralph was a royal chamberlain for King Henry II of England and King Richard I of England, serving in that office until at least 1191. His work would have involved not just household duties, but the financial aspects of the office, both accepting monies owed to the royal household and paying salaries and other expenses of the king's chamber. (The others summoned by Henry were: 1168: Reginald de Warenne 1174: John de Cumin, William fitzRalph, William fitzStephen 1176: William Basset, Roger fitzReinfrid 1177: Hugh de Cressy 1179: Hugh de Gaerst, Ranulf de Glanvill, Hugh Murdac 1182: William de Auberville, Osbert fitzHervey .)

Family and death Ralph married Maud or Matilda, the daughter of Robert de Calz. According to the historian Katharine Keats-Rohan, the marriage took place sometime before 1177, as on that date he was given the forestership of Sherwood Forest which had been held by Robert de Calz. But Julia Boorman in Ralph's entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography says the marriage occurred around 1184 or 1185. Ralph controlled Sherwood Forest until 1197, as well as Chippenham Forest in Wiltshire from 1176 to 1190. Ralph may be the same as the Ralph fitzStephen who was given custody of Guildford Castle in Surrey in 1192 and 1193.

According to Keats-Rohan, Ralph died around 1204 and had no issue from his marriage. Boorman, however, states he died on 25 July 1202. According to Keats-Rohan, Maud/Matilda married Adam fitzPeter of Birkin after Ralph's death, but Boorman says that Maud/Matilda was the widow of fitzPeter when she married Ralph. Ralph gave gifts to Haverholme Priory, Darley Abbey, Gloucester Abbey, and Stanley Abbey. In 1225 the king recognised Richard of Gloucester as Ralph's nearest heir and confirmed his custody of Winterbourne. Boorman speculates that Richard might have been Ralph's son by a previous marriage before Maud/Matilda.