Ranulph de Kingsley source: The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester

This book by George Ormerod was written in 1819, centuries after our Ranulph was given his office and land in Kingsley.  But this book is well sourced using the Domesday book and land records as sources.

I looked at segments found through search engines on 'Kingsley' and found the following information.  I bolded and notated. 

P. 3:  "At the Norman invasion the Church was suffered to retain possession of three townships in this Hundred, Ince, Trafford and Idenshaw; and by a similar courtesy, the Bishop kept his manors of Tarvin and Burton.  One Saxon proprietor, Dunning, the Lord of Kingsley, was equally fortunate...  All the rest of the Hundred was parcelled out among the invaders."  This shows that Kingsley was already established as a town or 'parish' and presided over by a Lord in 1086, prior to our Ranulph being granted the land. 

P. 43  "From this extract from Domesday, it appears that Kingsley was afforested immediately subsequent to the Conquest, but that the Saxon possessor was allowed to preserve his estate in it; a solitary instance as far as concerns this hundred.    This right was enjoyed for a very short period, Randle the first, third earl of Chester, having conferred the place on Ranulph de Kingsley (who from his name appears to be a Norman), in the reign of Henry 1., together with a master-forestership in the forests of Mara and Modrem."  Note that Ormerod supposes Ranulph to be a Norman. 

P. 44  shows the descendancy of the master forestership into the Done/Doane family.

P. 50  "The jurisdiction was originally vested in four families;  Kingsley of Kingsley, Drosvenor of Budworht, Wever of Wever and Merton of Merton.  The master-forestership of the whole was conferred by Randle the first in the 12th century, on Ralph de Kingsley to hold the same by the tenure of a horn.  ...  This master-forestership of Mara and Mondrem, with the fourth part of the manor of Kingsley, was held of the king, as earl of Chester, by the fourth part of a knight's fee and valued at vii marks per annum."  Note that there is a Kingsley manor, now known as Utkinton hall.

P. 55  From Domesday, a description and significance of the horn in possession of the chief forester, originally Ralph de Kingsley.  "Cheshire tradition asserts that the ancient foresters were bound to use this horn, and attend in their office with two white greyhounds, whenever the earl was disposed to honour the forest of Delamere with his presence in the chase."