Hugh II of Le Puiset
Encyclopedia
Hugh II of Le Puiset (c. 1106 – 1134) was a crusader knight and Count of Jaffa, who revolted against King Fulk
in 1134.
and his wife Mamilia (or Mabilla); Hugh I was also Hugh II of Le Puiset
in France
, and thus both men are sometimes known as "Hugh II of Le Puiset". According to William of Tyre
, his father had come to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage
during the reign of Baldwin II
, and Hugh was born in Apulia
during the journey. However, according to John L. La Monte, it is more likely that Hugh I came to the east with Bohemund of Taranto
in 1106. In any case, Hugh I was named Count of Jaffa after his arrival (by Baldwin I
, if in 1106), but soon died.
When Hugh II came of age he arrived in Jerusalem to claim his inheritance, and married Emelota (or Emma), niece of the Patriarch
Arnulf of Chocques
. Hugh was a relative of Queen Melisende
, King Fulk
's wife, as their fathers Hugh I and Baldwin II were cousins; Melisende's grandmother, also named Melisende, was a sister of Hugh's grandmother Alice. Hugh had a close relationship with Melisende, but he "...was rumoured to be on too familiar terms with the queen..." (William of Tyre, 14.16) and came into conflict with a jealous Fulk. It was also rumoured that Hugh was simply arrogant and refused to pay homage
to Fulk. The latter rumour also seems to the basis of the account of Orderic Vitalis
; according to him, Hugh and other nobles were offended by Fulk, who brought Angevin nobles and counsellors with him when he became king, and ignored the native barons of the kingdom.
, lord of Oultrejordain
. According to William of Tyre, Hugh's stepson Walter I Grenier, Lord of Caesarea
(Emelota's son through her first marriage to Eustace Grenier
) accused Hugh of treason
and conspiracy
at a meeting of the Haute Cour
; Walter possibly did this with the urging of Fulk himself. Hugh denied the charges, and it was decided that the matter would be settled by judicial combat
. When the appointed day arrived, Hugh did not appear, and he was found guilty in absentia
.
He allied with the Egypt
ian city of Ascalon
, and Fulk invaded Jaffa and besieged the city. Hugh's rear-vassal
s, including Baldwin of Ramla
and Barisan
, constable of Jaffa, deserted him and "wisely betook themselves to the king." The usual punishment for such actions was permanent exile and confiscation of the rebel's territories, but in this case, perhaps due to Hugh's high status in the kingdom and his relationship with the queen, the Patriarch William mediated in the dispute, and Hugh was exiled for only three years.
on the street, he was brutally attacked by a Breton
knight. The knight was quickly apprehended and convicted:
Rumours spread that Fulk himself had hired the knight to assassin
ate Hugh, and public opinion considered Hugh to be innocent of the charges of treason and conspiracy. Fulk ordered "...that the tongue should not be included among the members so mutilated", supposedly so that he would not be accused of trying to silence the knight. In any case, the knight claimed to have acted on his own:
Nevertheless Fulk no longer had the support of the public in the dispute.
Hugh remained in the kingdom for a short time, while his wounds healed. He then went into exile in Apulia, where his relative Roger II of Sicily
named him Count of Gargan. Hugh never fully recovered, and died soon after his arrival.
, to defend against Egyptian invasions. As a consequence of the revolt, the former rear-vassals of Jaffa became more powerful, such as Ramla
. The lords of Ibelin and Ramla would become important in the affairs of the kingdom later in the century.
The dispute also led to a rift between Fulk and Melisende. Melisende, who legally ruled the kingdom in her own right with Fulk as consort, was supported by the Church and various other nobles, and Fulk and his supporters in the dispute for a time felt unwelcome and even unsafe. According to William of Tyre, "from that day forward, the king became so uxorious that...not even in unimportant cases did he take any measures without her knowledge and assistance." (William of Tyre, 14.18)
. However, William's chronology is probably confused, and al-Qalanisi's references to conflicts in the kingdom probably refer to those between Fulk and Pons of Tripoli
in 1132. Hugh appears as count of Jaffa in charter
s dated to 1133 and 1134, and the date of 1134 is now accepted by most scholars.
Fulk of Jerusalem
Fulk , also known as Fulk the Younger, was Count of Anjou from 1109 to 1129, and King of Jerusalem from 1131 to his death...
in 1134.
Arrival in the kingdom
Hugh was the son of Hugh I of JaffaHugh I of Jaffa
Hugh I was the Lord of Le Puiset from 1097 and Count of Jaffa from 1106. He was the son of Hugh I of Le Puiset and Alice of Montlhéry...
and his wife Mamilia (or Mabilla); Hugh I was also Hugh II of Le Puiset
Le Puiset
Le Puiset is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-Population:-Medieval lordship:In the Middle Ages it was the site of a lordship within the County of Blois and Chartres. The lords descended from the counts of Breteuil, and often also held the position of viscount of Chartres...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and thus both men are sometimes known as "Hugh II of Le Puiset". According to William of Tyre
William of Tyre
William of Tyre was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from a predecessor, William of Malines...
, his father had come to Jerusalem on a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
during the reign of Baldwin II
Baldwin II of Jerusalem
Baldwin II of Jerusalem , formerly Baldwin II of Edessa, also called Baldwin of Bourcq, born Baldwin of Rethel was the second count of Edessa from 1100 to 1118, and the third king of Jerusalem from 1118 until his death.-Ancestry:Baldwin was the son of Hugh, count of Rethel, and his wife Melisende,...
, and Hugh was born in Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
during the journey. However, according to John L. La Monte, it is more likely that Hugh I came to the east with Bohemund of Taranto
Bohemund I of Antioch
Bohemond I , Prince of Taranto and Prince of Antioch, was one of the leaders of the First Crusade. The Crusade had no outright military leader, but instead was ruled by a committee of nobles...
in 1106. In any case, Hugh I was named Count of Jaffa after his arrival (by Baldwin I
Baldwin I of Jerusalem
Baldwin I of Jerusalem, formerly Baldwin I of Edessa, born Baldwin of Boulogne , 1058? – 2 April 1118, was one of the leaders of the First Crusade, who became the first Count of Edessa and then the second ruler and first titled King of Jerusalem...
, if in 1106), but soon died.
When Hugh II came of age he arrived in Jerusalem to claim his inheritance, and married Emelota (or Emma), niece of the Patriarch
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is the title possessed by the Latin Rite Catholic Archbishop of Jerusalem. The Archdiocese of Jerusalem has jurisdiction for all Latin Rite Catholics in Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan and Cyprus...
Arnulf of Chocques
Arnulf of Chocques
Arnulf Malecorne of Chocques was a leader among the clergy during the First Crusade, and was Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1099 and from 1112 to 1118....
. Hugh was a relative of Queen Melisende
Melisende of Jerusalem
Melisende was Queen of Jerusalem from 1131 to 1153, and regent for her son between 1153 and 1161 while he was on campaign. She was the eldest daughter of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem, and the Armenian princess Morphia of Melitene. She was named after her paternal grandmother, Melisende of...
, King Fulk
Fulk of Jerusalem
Fulk , also known as Fulk the Younger, was Count of Anjou from 1109 to 1129, and King of Jerusalem from 1131 to his death...
's wife, as their fathers Hugh I and Baldwin II were cousins; Melisende's grandmother, also named Melisende, was a sister of Hugh's grandmother Alice. Hugh had a close relationship with Melisende, but he "...was rumoured to be on too familiar terms with the queen..." (William of Tyre, 14.16) and came into conflict with a jealous Fulk. It was also rumoured that Hugh was simply arrogant and refused to pay homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to Fulk. The latter rumour also seems to the basis of the account of Orderic Vitalis
Orderic Vitalis
Orderic Vitalis was an English chronicler of Norman ancestry who wrote one of the great contemporary chronicles of 11th and 12th century Normandy and Anglo-Norman England. The modern biographer of Henry I of England, C...
; according to him, Hugh and other nobles were offended by Fulk, who brought Angevin nobles and counsellors with him when he became king, and ignored the native barons of the kingdom.
The revolt against Fulk
In 1134 Hugh seems to have revolted against Fulk, along with Roman of Le PuyRoman of Le Puy
Roman of Le Puy was a French nobleman from Le Puy-en-Velay who accompanied Adhemar de Monteil on the First Crusade in the army of Raymond IV of Toulouse....
, lord of Oultrejordain
Oultrejordain
Lordship of Oultrejordain or Oultrejourdain was the name used during the Crusades for an extensive and partly undefined region to the east of the Jordan river, an area known in ancient times as Edom and Moab...
. According to William of Tyre, Hugh's stepson Walter I Grenier, Lord of Caesarea
Walter I Grenier, Lord of Caesarea
Walter I Grenier was the Lord of Caesarea in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, succeeding his father Eustace...
(Emelota's son through her first marriage to Eustace Grenier
Eustace Grenier
Eustace Grenier was an important crusader lord, and Constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem....
) accused Hugh of treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
and conspiracy
Conspiracy (political)
In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....
at a meeting of the Haute Cour
Haute Cour of Jerusalem
The Haute Cour was the feudal council of the kingdom of Jerusalem. It was sometimes also called the curia generalis, the curia regis, or, rarely, the parlement.-Composition of the court:...
; Walter possibly did this with the urging of Fulk himself. Hugh denied the charges, and it was decided that the matter would be settled by judicial combat
Trial by combat
Trial by combat was a method of Germanic law to settle accusations in the absence of witnesses or a confession, in which two parties in dispute fought in single combat; the winner of the fight was proclaimed to be right. In essence, it is a judicially sanctioned duel...
. When the appointed day arrived, Hugh did not appear, and he was found guilty in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
.
He allied with the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian city of Ascalon
Ashkelon
Ashkelon is a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, south of Tel Aviv, and north of the border with the Gaza Strip. The ancient seaport of Ashkelon dates back to the Neolithic Age...
, and Fulk invaded Jaffa and besieged the city. Hugh's rear-vassal
Vavasour
A vavasour, is a term in Feudal law. A vavasour was the vassal or tenant of a baron, one who held their tenancy under a baron, and who also had tenants under him...
s, including Baldwin of Ramla
Baldwin I of Ramla
Baldwin I was the castellan and lord of Ramla in the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1106 to his death. In 1120 he participated in the Council of Nablus. In 1126, the castellany, which controlled the surrounding countryside too, was given in fief the Count of Jaffa...
and Barisan
Barisan of Ibelin
Barisan of Ibelin was an important figure in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, and was the founder of the Ibelin family. His name was later written as "Balian" and he is sometimes known as Balian the Elder or Balian I....
, constable of Jaffa, deserted him and "wisely betook themselves to the king." The usual punishment for such actions was permanent exile and confiscation of the rebel's territories, but in this case, perhaps due to Hugh's high status in the kingdom and his relationship with the queen, the Patriarch William mediated in the dispute, and Hugh was exiled for only three years.
Attempted assassination
Hugh was free to remain in Jerusalem while waiting for a ship to take him into exile. One day, while playing diceDice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
on the street, he was brutally attacked by a Breton
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
knight. The knight was quickly apprehended and convicted:
- "No accuser or witnesses were necessary to prove the crime, for it was well known to all. Since the regular process of law was needless, therefore, the king ordered a sentence commensurate with his guilt to be pronounced upon the man. The court accordingly convened, and the assassin was sentenced by unanimous consent to suffer the penalty of mutilation of his members. The judgment was reported to the king, who ordered the sentence to be carried out." (William of Tyre, 14.18)
Rumours spread that Fulk himself had hired the knight to assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
ate Hugh, and public opinion considered Hugh to be innocent of the charges of treason and conspiracy. Fulk ordered "...that the tongue should not be included among the members so mutilated", supposedly so that he would not be accused of trying to silence the knight. In any case, the knight claimed to have acted on his own:
- "It was impossible to extort from the criminal, either in secret or in public, before or after the sentence was carried out, an admission that this monstrous act had been done by the order or with the knowledge of the king. On the contrary, he declared that he had ventured to do the deed on his own initiative in the hope of gaining the king's favor." (William of Tyre, 14.18)
Nevertheless Fulk no longer had the support of the public in the dispute.
Hugh remained in the kingdom for a short time, while his wounds healed. He then went into exile in Apulia, where his relative Roger II of Sicily
Roger II of Sicily
Roger II was King of Sicily, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon. He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, later became Duke of Apulia and Calabria , then King of Sicily...
named him Count of Gargan. Hugh never fully recovered, and died soon after his arrival.
Aftermath
Whether or not Fulk hired the Breton knight, he has been suspected, by Hans Mayer and other historians, of inciting Hugh to revolt so that he might take personal control of Jaffa. Because Hugh died before his three years of exile were over, his territories were confiscated and added to the royal domain, where they remained for the rest of the 12th century. Fulk began to build numerous castles in the area, including IbelinIbelin
Ibelin was a castle in the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century , which gave its name to an important family of nobles.-The castle:...
, to defend against Egyptian invasions. As a consequence of the revolt, the former rear-vassals of Jaffa became more powerful, such as Ramla
Lordship of Ramla
The Lordship of Ramla was one of the vassal states of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was part of the County of Jaffa and Ascalon.-History:During the first crusade Ramla was abandoned by its Muslim inhabitants, as it lacked the defenses necessary to withstand a siege...
. The lords of Ibelin and Ramla would become important in the affairs of the kingdom later in the century.
The dispute also led to a rift between Fulk and Melisende. Melisende, who legally ruled the kingdom in her own right with Fulk as consort, was supported by the Church and various other nobles, and Fulk and his supporters in the dispute for a time felt unwelcome and even unsafe. According to William of Tyre, "from that day forward, the king became so uxorious that...not even in unimportant cases did he take any measures without her knowledge and assistance." (William of Tyre, 14.18)
Dating of the revolt
Hugh's revolt was previously dated to 1132, due to the evidence in William of Tyre and Arab historian Ibn al-QalanisiIbn al-Qalanisi
Hamza ibn Asad abu Ya'la ibn al-Qalanisi was an Arab politician and chronicler in Damascus in the 12th century.He descended from the Banu Tamim tribe, and was among the well-educated nobility of the city of Damascus...
. However, William's chronology is probably confused, and al-Qalanisi's references to conflicts in the kingdom probably refer to those between Fulk and Pons of Tripoli
Pons of Tripoli
Pons of Tripoli was the son of Bertrand of Tripoli, and was count of Tripoli from 1112 to 1137.Pons married Cecile of France, the widow of his mentor Tancred, Prince of Galilee and daughter of Philip I of France...
in 1132. Hugh appears as count of Jaffa in charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
s dated to 1133 and 1134, and the date of 1134 is now accepted by most scholars.
Sources
- William of TyreWilliam of TyreWilliam of Tyre was a medieval prelate and chronicler. As archbishop of Tyre, he is sometimes known as William II to distinguish him from a predecessor, William of Malines...
, A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea, Volume II. Trans. Emily Atwater Babcock and A. C. Krey. Columbia University Press, 1943. - John L. La Monte, Feudal Monarchy in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1100-1291. Mediaeval Academy of America, 1932.
- John L. La Monte, The Lords of Le Puiset on the Crusades. SpeculumSpeculum (journal)Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies is a quarterly academic journal published by the Medieval Academy of America. It was established in 1926. The journal's primary focus is on the time period from 500-1500 in Western Europe, but also on related subjects such as Byzantine, Hebrew, Arabic, and...
17 (1942). - Hans Mayer, Studies in the History of Queen Melisende of Jerusalem. Dumbarton Oaks Papers 26 (1972).
- Steven Tibble, Monarchy and Lordships in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, 1099-1291. Clarendon Press, 1989.