Ranulf Flambard (c.1060 - 1128)

An ambitious and unpopular servant of the crown, earning the nickname 'flambard' meaning something like 'one who burns'. A Norman by birth, he benefited from the patronage of Bishop Odo and became a priest in the royal household. By 1086 he had become keeper of the Great Seal. Under William Rufus, Ranulf Flambard became principal executive officer of the crown, taking control of legal and financial matters. In London he oversaw the building of Westminster Hall and the first stone London Bridge. He was rewarded with the bishopric of Durham and was responsible for the construction of the great Romanesque cathedral. Accused of embezzlement, he was dismissed by Henry I and in 1101 was imprisoned in the Tower of London, but he escaped to Normandy where he supported Robert Curthose. Ranulf Flambard was buried in Durham cathedral where his skeleton was uncovered in 1874.