 Ralph Basset ( sometimes Bassett ; died c . 1127 ) was a medieval English royal justice during the reign of King Henry I of England . He was a native of Normandy , and may have come to Henry 's notice while Henry held land in Normandy prior to becoming king . Basset is first mentioned in documents about 1102 , and from then to 1110 was a royal justice in the north of England . He was appointed sheriff of Yorkshire in 1110 and held the post for the rest of his life .
Basset is sometimes called "Sheriff of Yorkshire", but in fact he was not sh