William of Malines
Encyclopedia
William of Malines or Messines (died 1145/7) was the first medieval Archbishop of Tyre
from 1128 to 1130 and thereafter Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
until his death. He is sometimes called William I to distinguish him from Bishop William II of Tyre and William of Agen
, second patriarch of that name.
William was from England
, perhaps the younger son of a noble house, and had previously been the prior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
, a man of "praiseworthy habits". In 1127 Baldwin II of Jerusalem
sent William and Roger, Bishop of Ramla, to Rome to seek the approval of Pope Honorius II
for Baldwin's plan to make Fulk V of Anjou his successor. He was succeeded at Tyre by Fulk of Angoulême
late in 1130, when he was transferred to Jerusalem. He was content to resolve a dispute between the monarch and the previous patriarch, Stephen of La Ferté
, in the monarch's favour. He was an important supporter of Melisende
during her regency and is described, a man capable yet pliable. He received a letter from Bernard of Clairvaux
urging him to support the Knights Templar
, who had received their papal privileges at the same time as William's embassy to Rome. William took the initiative in constructing a castle, the Chastel Arnould (Castrum Arnaldi) at Yalo
, to guard the road between Jerusalem and Jaffa
in 1132–33, along with some citizens. It was later a Templar stronghold. In 1139 William refused a plan of Fulk of Angoulême's to regain his suffragans that were then in the Principality of Antioch
and therefore under the authority of its Patriarch
. William would not allow the archbishop of Tyre, whose archdiocese lay within the boundaries of the Kingdom of Jerusalem
and his patriarchate, to become the subject of another.
Archbishop of Tyre
The Archbishop of Tyre was one of the major suffragans of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem during the Crusades and was established to serve the Roman Catholic members of the diocese....
from 1128 to 1130 and thereafter Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem
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...
until his death. He is sometimes called William I to distinguish him from Bishop William II of Tyre and William of Agen
William II of Agen
William II of Agen was the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1261-1270. Among other things, he was tasked by Pope Urban IV in 1263 by the papal bull Exultavit cor nostrum to investigate the legitimacy of an alleged ambassador with the Mongol Empire, John the Hungarian.-References:* Peter Jackson,...
, second patriarch of that name.
William was from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, perhaps the younger son of a noble house, and had previously been the prior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. It is a few steps away from the Muristan....
, a man of "praiseworthy habits". In 1127 Baldwin II of Jerusalem
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,...
sent William and Roger, Bishop of Ramla, to Rome to seek the approval of Pope Honorius II
Pope Honorius II
Pope Honorius II , born Lamberto Scannabecchi, was pope from December 21, 1124, to February 13, 1130. Although from a humble background, his obvious intellect and outstanding abilities saw him promoted through the ecclesiastical hierarchy...
for Baldwin's plan to make Fulk V of Anjou his successor. He was succeeded at Tyre by Fulk of Angoulême
Patriarch Fulk of Jerusalem
Fulk or Fulcher of Angoulême was the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1146 to his death in 1157.Fulk came from Angoulême. According to William of Tyre, he was "religious and God-fearing, possessed of little learning, but a faithful man and a lover of discipline." In France he had been abbot of...
late in 1130, when he was transferred to Jerusalem. He was content to resolve a dispute between the monarch and the previous patriarch, Stephen of La Ferté
Stephen of La Ferté
Stephen of La Ferté was Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1128 until his death in 1130. He was a French priest, abbot of Saint-Jean-en-Vallée at Chartres, and related to Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem....
, in the monarch's favour. He was an important supporter of 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...
during her regency and is described, a man capable yet pliable. He received a letter from Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
urging him to support the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
, who had received their papal privileges at the same time as William's embassy to Rome. William took the initiative in constructing a castle, the Chastel Arnould (Castrum Arnaldi) at Yalo
Yalo
Yalo was a Palestinian Arab village located 13 kilometres southeast of Ramla. Identified by Edward Robinson as the ancient Canaanite city of Aijalon, after the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, Jordan formally annexed Yalo along with the rest of the West Bank...
, to guard the road between Jerusalem and Jaffa
Jaffa
Jaffa is an ancient port city believed to be one of the oldest in the world. Jaffa was incorporated with Tel Aviv creating the city of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. Jaffa is famous for its association with the biblical story of the prophet Jonah.-Etymology:...
in 1132–33, along with some citizens. It was later a Templar stronghold. In 1139 William refused a plan of Fulk of Angoulême's to regain his suffragans that were then in the Principality of Antioch
Principality of Antioch
The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade.-Foundation:...
and therefore under the authority of its Patriarch
Latin Patriarch of Antioch
The Latin Patriarch of Antioch was an office created in 1098 by Bohemund, founder of the Principality of Antioch, one of the crusader states....
. William would not allow the archbishop of Tyre, whose archdiocese lay within the boundaries of the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Kingdom of Jerusalem
The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. The kingdom lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks, but its history is divided into two distinct periods....
and his patriarchate, to become the subject of another.