Jobert of Syria (also known as Gilbert, Josberto, or Joubert) was the seventh Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, in Syria from 1172 to his death, [1] which is thought to have occurred in 1177. He was succeeded by Roger de Moulins. [2]
Jobert of Syria (also known as Gilbert, Josberto, or Joubert) was the seventh Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, in Syria from 1172 to his death, [1] which is thought to have occurred in 1177. He was succeeded by Roger de Moulins. [2]
There is no knowledge of the place or even the province where Jobert was born, nor do we know what his responsibilities in the Order were before his election. Jobert succeeded Gastone de Murols (1170–1172), while Gastone's predecessor Gilbert d'Aissailly had been deposed while still living. The memory of Gilbert must have informed Jobert of how not to waste the Order's funds, for he seems to have been a responsible steward of the order's assets. [3]
In 1171, Amalric I of Jerusalem left the Holy Land to visit Constantinople and he entrusted Jobert with the guardianship of his son Baldwin IV of Jerusalem as well as the regency of the kingdom. In 1172, he successfully intervened to obtain the liberation of Raymond III of Tripoli, a prisoner of Nūr-ad-Din since his capture at the Battle of Harim in 1164. Raymond borrowed from the Hospitaller in order to pay his ransom, thought to be 80,000 pieces of gold. [4]
In August 1174, he refused to commit, along with the other military orders, to aiding the Sicilian navy in attacking Egypt with Miles de Plancy, the regent of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In December he joined the new regent Raymond III of Tripoli in a planned attack on Saladin. He and his forces were with the army that menaced Homs after Saladin had taken it. No battle was fought and the Franks left in exchange for the release of hostages and remission of ransoms. [5]
Jobert instigated pope Alexander III to order the prelates not to demand the "dime des noviale" from the lands cultivated by the Hospitallers and from the fodder intended for the feeding of their livestock. In 1175, Jobert was at the origin of a decree, with the church of Acre, which established the "Rules of the Church of the Hospitallers of Jerusalem" concerning the procedures for the morning service of private and public masses, funeral rites, the sacraments, the pricing of confessions, the lighting of candles, and other things, in which he did not abandon any of the privileges he held from the Holy See. He was bursar of the Order's funds but never saved money to provide bread for the poor of the Hospital of the Order in Jerusalem. He issued a decree specifying that each loaf of bread should weigh two marcs and that each poor person should receive half a loaf. He allocated the revenues of Sainre-Marie and Caphaer to this use. In 1176, Jobert had Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, now king, confirm the donations that the Order had received. These agreements mention a regular development in Jerusalem, in the vicinity of Jaffa, in Tiberias, in the county of Tripoli and the principality of Antioch. [3]
In 1176, Baldwin IV of Jerusalem confirmed a grant of lands in Egypt to the Order in exchange for assistance from Jobert in the planned campaign there. Though Jobert supported the Egyptian policy, he is last mentioned in January 1177, and his successor, Roger de Moulins, did not agree with the plan, which was abandoned. [6] One of two surviving letters written by Jobert is one to the people of Savona. [7]
Jobert's magisterium ended between January and October 1177, not, as is commonly believed, in Saladin's prisons following the battle of Jacob's Ford in August 1179. Roger de Moulins succeeded him in October 1177 at the latest. [8]
Roger de Moulins was eighth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1177 to his death in 1187. He succeeded Jobert of Syria. His successors were two interim masters, William Borrel and then Armengol de Aspa, before the permanent Grand Master Garnier of Nablus was selected in 1190.
Gilbert of Assailly was the fifth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving from 1162 or 1163 to 1170, when he was deposed. As Grand Master, he succeeded Auger de Balben. Nevertheless, most sources list him as the fifth, rather than fourth, Grand Master and this biography continues that tradition, with the exception being Delaville Le Roulx' work. He was succeeded by Gastone de Murols. Gilbert encouraged Amalric of Jerusalem in his unsuccessful invasion of Egypt, leaving the Order in debt and causing the reexamination of its military role.
Odo de Pins, also known as Eudes de Pin or Odon de Pins, was the twenty-third Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving from 1294 until his death in 1296, succeeding Jean de Villiers. He moved the headquarters of the Order to Limasso in modern-day Cyprus. Upon his death, he was succeeded by Guillaume de Villaret.
Jean de Villiers was the twenty-second Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving from 1285 until 1293. He was elected Grand Master after the death of Nicolas Lorgne. De Villiers was Prior of France beginning in 1282 and he remained in France to deal with existing problems of the Order. Jacques de Taxi became Grand Master ad interim, perhaps through 27 June 1286, while awaiting the arrival of the newly elected Grand Master in the Holy Land. De Villiers was present at the Siege of Acre in 1291, but escaped just before the city fell to the Mamluks. He was succeeded by Odon de Pins.
Auger de Balben was the third Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, holding the office from 1160 until his death. He succeeded Raymond du Puy. Many references list an Arnaud de Comps as Balben's successor, which some believe to be incorrect. His successor was Gilbert of Assailly.
Garnier de Nablus, also known as Garnier of Syria, was the tenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1190 to 1192, succeeding Armengol de Aspa. He fought at the Battle of Arsuf in 1191 during the Third Crusade. It was under his magistracy that the headquarters of the Order were transferred from Tyre to Acre. He was succeeded by Geoffroy de Donjon.
Fernando Afonso of Portugal was the twelfth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving between 1202–1206. He was the oldest son of Afonso Henriques, the first king of the Kingdom of Portugal. Fernando would never inherit the crown as he was born out of wedlock. He formally succeeded the interim Grand Master Pierre de Mirmande installed after the death of Geoffroy de Donjon. He resigned in 1206 and was succeeded by Geoffroy le Rat.
Nicolas Lorgne was the twenty-first Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving first from 1277 until 1285 and was the successor to Hugues de Revel. He was succeeded by Jean de Villiers, with Jacques de Taxi acting as Grand Master ad interim while de Villiers was en route to the Holy Land.
Hugues de Revel was the twentieth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving first from 1258–1277 as the successor to Guillaume de Chateauneuf. He was succeeded by Nicolas Lorgne.
Geoffroy de Donjon, also known as or Geoffroy de Duisson, was the eleventhth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller serving from 1193 through his death in 1202. He succeeded Garnier de Nablus who died in August 1192.
Pierre de Mirmande was a French nobleman of the Order of Saint-John of Jerusalem from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 13th century. He served as interim Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller after the death of Geoffroy de Donjon in 1202. He was replaced by Fernando Afonso of Portugal who became Grand Master in 1202.
Guillaume de Chateauneuf was the nineteenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving first from 1242–1244 as the successor to Pierre de Vieille-Brioude. He was captured during the Battle of La Forbie in 1244, held hostage in Egypt and ransomed through the Sixth Crusade. During his captivity, his position was filled on an interim basis by Jean de Ronay. De Ronay died in 1250, and de Chateauneuf was released shortly thereafter. He was succeeded by Hugues de Revel.
Bertrand de Thessy, also known as Bertrand of Thercy, was the fifteenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving between 1228 and 1230 or 1231. He succeeded Guérin de Montaigu upon his death on 1 March 1228. Thessy was either from France or Italy, most likely the former. He was succeeded by Guérin Lebrun.
Guérin Lebrun was the sixteenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving between 1228 and 1231. He succeeded Bertrand de Thessy in 1230 or 1231. As he was Prior of France, he was likely from France and is generally referred to by the single name of Guérin. He was succeeded by Bertrand de Comps.
Bertrand de Comps was the seventeenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1236 until his death after 1239. He succeeded Guérin Lebrun as Grand Master, and was succeeded by Pierre de Vieille-Brioude.
Gastone de Murols was the sixth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1170 until his death in 1172. He succeeded Gilbert of Aissailly as Grand Master and was succeeded by Jobert of Syria.
Jean de Ronay was knight of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem who was appointed Grand Commander of the Knights Hospitaller by the Grand Master Guillaume de Chateauneuf in 1243 or 1244. He served as interim Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller from 1244 to 1250 during the captivity of de Chateauneuf. He died in battle during the Seventh Crusade.
William Borrel was acting Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, ad interim, from 1 May 1187 until his death at the Battle of Hattin in 1187. He became custodian of the Hospitallers after the Grand Master Roger de Moulins was killed in the Battle of Cresson on 1 May 1187.
Armengol de Aspa, also known as Hermangard d'Asp, was the ninth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, holding the office from 1188 until his resignation in 1189 or 1190. He succeeded William Borrel who was interim Grand Master. It was under his magistracy that the headquarters of the Order was transferred from Jerusalem to Tyre. It was probably during the winter of 1189 or 1190 that Armengol's magistracy ceased, but this was not due to his death, since he appears again as lord of Amposta from December 1190 to April 1191. We have no information on what this first abdication in the history of the Order was, but he was succeeded by Garnier de Nablus sometime in 1190.
Geoffroy le Rat was the thirteenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving between 1206–1207. He succeeded the Grand Master Fernando Afonso after his resignation in 1206, and was succeeded by Guérin de Montaigu.