• Born: Est 1110
• Married:

  Research Notes:

Family name also spelled MEURDRAC and MURDRAC.

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In the Foundation for Medieval Genealogy, the compiler, Charles Cawley, does not include this individual's given name, but states the following:

His existence is indicated by the charter dated to 1173/74 under which his son refers to "avus meus Radulfus Murdac", presumably indicating Ralph Murdac who was named in the 1130 Pipe Roll. ¹

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Ralph Murdrac was succeeded by another Ralph, who witnessed a charter of Geoffrey Torkarel to Lenton Priory. As this charter was also witnessed by Ralph de Chesney, who died before 1154, this charter must have been made prior to that date. (Cf. Cart. Eynsham, Appendix, vol. i.; Mr. Salter’s account of the Chesney Family ; “ History of the Parish and Priory of Lenton,” by J. I. Godfrey.) Ralph Murdac also gave lands in Meering that had belonged to Roger de Chesney to Lenton, and this charter was witnessed by Alexander de Chesney, who died after 1147 (History of Lenton, supra). In the Carta of Payn de Montdablel (1166) Ralph Murdrac is returned as holding one knight’s fee. This fee was undoubtedly the manor of Black Burton in Oxfordshire, for Payn belonged to the Chaworth family, and in the Testa de Nevill Eva de Grey and Beatrice Murdrac, the wife and daughter respectively of Ralph Murdrac, the Judge, held Burton of Patrick de Chaworth. It was this Ralph who appears in the Northampton Feodary (Round’s “Feudal England”) holding four hides in Merston (Merston St. Lawrence), of the Earl of Leicester, which William de Chesney had held, and they appear to be the four hides that Robert de Rothelent held of the Earl of Chester in 1086. He, and not the Judge, may be the Ralph Murdrac who witnessed the charter of Roger d’Oilly, granting to Eynsham lands in Eston, that Mr. Salter dates between 1160 and 1180. ²