Ranulf Glanvill

Ranulf Glanvill was justiciar or chief minister of England (1180–89) under King Henry II (r. 1154-1189) who was the reputed author of the first authoritative text on the common law, Tractatus de legibus et consuetudinibus regni Angliae (c. 1188; “Treatise on the Laws and Customs of the Kingdom of England”).

As justiciar, Glanville was, in effect, viceroy of England while Henry II was out of the country. When Henry II died, Glanvill suffered the usual fate of finance ministers in medieval times: he was accused of speculation and theft by Richard I (r. 1189-1199) and was fined with the colossal sum of £15,000 in 1189.

After that Glanvill took off on the third Crusade but died in the siege camp outside Acre in 1190. At the time of his death he was worth about £10,000. In 2010 he would be worth £11.09bn.