Roger le Poer (died 1139)

A Bishop of Salisbury who was appointed Chief Justiciar (i.e. head of the government) by King Henry I and became the owner of vast estates and three castles including Sherborne in Dorset. His cathedral, which he rebuilt in large part and enriched with high quality sculpture, was at the now deserted site of Old Sarum. Roger supported King Stephen, but in 1139 he was stripped of his power and wealth when his nephew Nigel, Bishop of Ely, defected to the Empress Matilda.