 In 1108 , Ranulf was dragged into the middle of the ongoing dispute between Archbishop Anselm and the newly appointed Archbishop of York , Thomas over whether or not Thomas should profess obedience to Anselm . Because Anselm refused to consecrate Thomas without a profession , and Thomas refused to profess , Thomas was unable to consecrate bishops himself . Ranulf wrote to Anselm , asking that he might act as Thomas ' surrogate and consecrate Thurgot as Bishop of St Andrew 's . In September 1108 , Anselm wrote to Ranulf forbidding anyone but Thomas or Anselm himself to consecrate Thurgot or any other bishops . Later , Ranulf tried to bribe King Henry to take Thomas ' side . Thurgot had been prior of the cathedral chapter at Durham , but had disagreed with Ranulf , who arranged for him to be elected to St Andrew 's as a solution to the quarrel . 
