Robert FitzRanulf also known as Robert de Alfreton (c. 1117 – 1172) was a

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

lord from

Alfreton Alfreton ( or locally ) is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire, England. The town was formerly a Norman Manor and later an Urban District. The population of the Alfreton parish was 8,79 ...

. He is notable for building a number of churches in

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

, most notable of which is

Beauchief Abbey Beauchief Abbey is a medieval monastic house now serving as a parish church in the southern suburbs of Sheffield, England. History The abbey was founded by Robert FitzRanulph de Alfreton. Thomas Tanner, writing in 1695, stated that it was fou ...

. The abbey was dedicated to St.

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then as Archbishop of Canterbury fr ...

, and it is believed Robert founded the abbey to expiate his guilt for taking part in the murder of Thomas, however this has been disputed. Robert was also responsible for founding churches in Norton, on the site of the present

St James, Norton St James, Norton is the Church of England parish church of the Norton, Sheffield, Norton district of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. History The Domesday Book of 1086 records a manor at Norton but not a church. The earliest parts of the b ...

church.History of Beauchief Abbey by Samuel Pegge He served as

High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests The Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and the Royal Forests is a position established by the Normans in England. The sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in t ...

during 1165–1168. He died about 1172 in

Dronfield Dronfield is a town in North East Derbyshire, England, which includes Dronfield Woodhouse and Coal Aston. It lies in the valley of the River Drone between Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield and Sheffield. The Peak District National Park i ...

References

Anglo-Saxon people History of Derbyshire 1110s births 1172 deaths Year of birth uncertain High sheriffs of Derbyshire History of Nottinghamshire {{England-bio-stub