year: 1141
initiator: Brothers of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
recipient: Robertus Casalis Sancti Egidii and his wife
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: Feb. 3. Nablus. Patriarch William of Jerusalem records and seals an agreement, arbitrated in his presence in Jerusalem and Nablus and made between the brothers of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem and Robertus Casalis Sancti Egidii and his wife, with the consent of Roardus vicecomes and his wife Gilla, and of King Fulk and Queen Melisende. Robertus and his wife give the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, Raimundus eiusdem domus magister and its brothers the land of Emaus with its casalia, just as Robertus had held it as a feudum from Roardus and his wife. In return the brothers of the Hospital will pay Robertus and his heirs each year a census of 250 besants at Easter or within 40 days and another 250 besants at the Feast of All Saints. The land will revert to Robertus if the Hospitallers fail to pay, but Robertus can, if he wishes, make an eleemosyinary grant to the brothers of up to 100 of these besants, or sell or commute them. Such an act will be confirmed by Roardus as an eleemosynary gift. The remaining 400 besants will continue to be paid. Witnesses: Robertus archiepiscopus Nazareth; Rogerius episcopus Sancti Georgii; Gaufridus abbas Templi Domini; of the barones, Willielmus de Burris; Roardus vicecomes; Robertus Casalis Sancti Egidii, and many others; of the brothers of the Hospital, Raimundus Palacii; Stephanus Capelle; Petrus thesaurarius; Raimundus; Girardus pincerna and many others; of other witnesses, Ramatensis Rainerius; Robertus de Frandolio; Constantinus decanus; Milo clericus; Gaufridus de Aquulea; Rainaldus de Monte Laudinis; Tosetus. Nicholaus presbyter Hispaniae wrote the charter.
Feb. 3. Nablus. Patriarch William of Jerusalem records and seals an agreement, arbitrated in his presence in Jerusalem and Nablus and made between the brothers of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem and Robertus Casalis Sancti Egidii and his wife, with the consent of Roardus vicecomes and his wife... more
sources: Mayer, UKJ 1:328-31, 347-8, nos. 143, 164 (RRH no. 201)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
875
year: 1171
initiator: Brothers of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
recipient: Pope Alexander III
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: Sept/Oct. [127] Jerusalem. The Hospital of St John. The brothers of the [central] convent of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem report to Pope Alexander III on the dissension that has arisen in their Order. Magister Gibertus, against the advice of King Amalric, who stressed the dangers facing the Holy Land, resigned his office in order to lead a solitary life. On the journey from his house he was intercepted by the preceptor and the procurator infirmorum, together with [….] and many other brothers carrying letters from the marescalcus and the convent, forbidding him to take this step before consulting the pope and the Order’s chapter. Girbertus ignored them, entered a cave to follow the religious life and, placing the insignia of the magisterium [belt, seal and purse] on the altar of the cave, absolved the brothers from all their obligations to him. The preceptor, having taken advice from the procurator infirmorum, the castellanus Gibilini, the castellanus Bellimontis and many brothers, sought the assistance of the patriarch of Jerusalem, the bishop of Bethlehem, the bishop of Lydda, the abbot of Mt Sion and the abbot of St Mary of the Valley of Jehoshaphat. The prelates tried to persuade Gibertus to reconsider and, when he refused, the patriarch, with the advice of the bishop of Bethlehem, the bishop of Lydda, the preceptor Hospitalis, the procurator informorum, the castellanus Gibelini, the castellanus Bellimontis and 30 or more of the brothers, formally ordered him on the pope’s behalf to resume his post, threatening him with excommunication and stressing that he could not resign without papal authority. Submitting to these arguments, Gibertus returned to his house, to which the patriarch came, together with the bishops of Bethlehem and Lydda and others. He was reinvested with the belt, seal and purse in the presence of the aforesaid lords by the preceptor, the procurator infirmorum and some other brothers. The brothers then summoned Gibertus to a chapter in the palatium. The patriarch forbade the magister on the pope’s behalf and with the threat of excommunication, to lay down the magisterium without papal consent or to try to subject himself to another religious order. At the same time the patriarch forbade the brothers and the convent to presume to elect another before they had received a mandate from the pope. The patriarch and the preceptor, together with the brothers who supported him, appealed formally to the pope. Most of the brothers were now opposed to the resumption of the magisterium by Gibertus, who, joined by the archdeacon of Jerusalem and the procurator infirmorum of the Hospital, asked in vain for the appeal to Rome and the threat of excommunication to be rescinded. When Gibertus had retaken his place in chapter the brothers unanimously exhorted him to keep the magisterium, but they added that he should agree to reform. He should not accept castles [castella] or fortifications on the frontiers with the Turci. He should not weigh down the Order with superfluous and useless expenses. He should not enter into any major business without the knowledge of chapter. His response was to admit his extravagance, but to renounce the magisterium again. Although Frater Pontius Blauus, together with the brothers who supported him, forbade him to lay down the magisterium without the pope’s agreement, Gibertus called on the brothers to elect another magister. He withdrew, taking 12 electors with him. Pontius Blauus repeated his prohibition, but the electors returned with Gibertus to the chapter and asked all the brothers to consent to the man [Castus] they had elected. The greater part of the chapter agreed, but Pontius Blauus was silent. Gibertus announced in the presence of the sick patients [in the hospital] that he had resigned the magisterium and retired to the cave. Four months later great dissension arose among the brothers, most of whom were ignorant of the contents of the letters written by the preceptor, together with the prior clericorum, the marescalcus, the prior Apulie [Apulia], the prior Messane [Messina], frater [Pio]tus and other brothers to the pope. Certain of the brothers said that until they had some command from the pope on this matter they did not want to obey any magister electus, since the election had been made in contempt of the Roman Church and against the appeal and prohibition. Others asserted that the election ought to be considered valid because the magister had voluntarily given up his office and the election had been made in his presence and with his advice. Meanwhile Pontius Blauus, who had been preceptor when the controversy arose, together with the [new] preceptor and other brothers, went to King Amalric and in his presence renewed the formal appeal and placed himself and his companions under papal protection, because Gibertus had resigned the magisterium after the appeal and prohibition and because they had elected him magister in spite of these. The preceptor questioned the action of Pontius Blauus on the grounds that it was against the usages of the Hospital, particularly as he had been promised justice, but Pontius claimed to be now under a superior jurisdiction. Preceptor O. deprived Pontius and his companion frater P. of their horses and armour [arnesium], because, not knowing their plans, he did not want to endanger the Order’s property. On behalf of the Hospital he forbade Pontius to travel to the pope. After this, Gibertus, having heard of the dissension, returned from his cave, suggesting that he take back the magisterium and at the same time travel to Italy to appeal directly to the pope. He had the support of some milites fratres, but this led to a debate in chapter on whether he and his companions should be prevented from leaving, according to the Order’s consuetudines. King Amalric, saddened by the dissension and appealed to by the patriarch on behalf of both factions, met the patriarch, the bishops of Lydda and Hebron, the abbot of Mt Sion, the prior of the Holy Sepulchre, the barones and many probi homines, clerical and lay, the preceptor Templi, the preceptor Hospitalis, the brothers of both factions and the citizens of Jerusalem in the chapter of the Holy Sepulchre. It was agreed that the whole truth of the matter be revealed to the pope so that he might settle the case. Witnesses: Dominus Almaricus patriarcha Ierosolimitanus; Dominus Amalrichus Iherosolimorum rex; Dominus Radulfus episcopus Bethleem; Dominus Bernardus episcopus Liddensis; Dominus Reinaldus episcopus Ebronensis; Dominus Reinaldus abbas Montis [Sion]; Dominus Petrus abbas Vallis Iosaphat; Dominus Petrus prior Dominici Sepvlcri. [128]
Sept/Oct. [127] Jerusalem. The Hospital of St John. The brothers of the [central] convent of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem report to Pope Alexander III on the dissension that has arisen in their Order. Magister Gibertus, against the advice of King Amalric, who stressed the dangers facing the... more
sources: Hiestand, PTJ 2:222-7, no. 19 (RRH no. 480)
RRR: Correspondence/envoy
1237
year: 1187
initiator: Brothers of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
recipient: Dominus Archumbaldus magister Hospitalarium Italię and their brothers overseas
institution: Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem
text: Aug. 1-31. [Brothers of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem] write to dominus Archumbaldus magister Hospitalarium Italię and their brothers overseas. They narrate how the king of Jerusalem and the count of Tripoli, with whom he had made peace, were at Saphora with 30000 men around 29 June, when Saladin reached and took Tiberias with 80000. The king advanced and fought all day on 3 July at Marestutia. He pitched his tent that night at Saluubia and the next day the master of the Knights Templars lost most of his brothers, after which the king moved to Naim and was helped by the count of Tripoli to reach a hill which was a natural fortress. The Turci lit fires around the hill and the Christian force, faced with great heat, was deprived of food and drink. Then Baldoinus de Fatinor, Bachaberbocus de Tabaria and Leisius with 3 companions deserted and revealed to Saladin the state of the Christian army. Saladin sent Techedinus with 20000 picked knights to overcome the Christians. The king and the relic of the True Cross were taken, as were comes Gabula, Milo de Calauerdo, Onfredus iuvenis, princeps Renaldus, who was killed, Galterius de Arsun, Hugo de Gibelen, domnus de Botrono and domnus de Marachele, and 1000 others of the better men. No more than 200 escaped, including the count of Tripoli, domnus Basianus and Reinardus domnus Sidonis. Saladin then took Saphora, Nazareth, Mt Tabor, Acre, Haifa, Caesarea, Jaffa, Nablus, Ram [Ramla], Sanctus Georgius [Lydda], Ybellinon, Bellefort, Mirabel, Tyronus, Gwaler, Gazer and Audurum. When the Hospitaller galley left Tyre, [some of those who had surrendered] sent Sabani to Saladin to advise him to move on Jerusalem which would surrender. [219] The Hospitallers fled in their galley to Lechia [Latakia], where they heard that Tyre had fallen. They hope that the following cities can be saved if help comes from the West: Jerusalem, Tyre, Ascalon, Marchart, Antioch, Lassar, Saona and Tripoli. Like ants, large numbers of Sarraceni and Turci have overrun the country from Tyre, which they are besieging, to Jerusalem.
Aug. 1-31. [Brothers of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem] write to dominus Archumbaldus magister Hospitalarium Italię and their brothers overseas. They narrate how the king of Jerusalem and the count of Tripoli, with whom he had made peace, were at Saphora with 30000 men around 29 June, when... more
sources: ‘Historia de expeditione Friderici imperatoris’, pp. 2-4 (RRH no. 661)