Coat of arms of the kingdom of Jerusalem.
There were six major
officers of the kingdom of Jerusalem: the
constable, the
marshal, the
seneschal, the
chamberlain (which were known as the "Grand Offices"), the
butler and the
chancellor. At certain times there were also
bailiffs,
viscounts and
castellans.
Essentially these offices developed from the typical officials that existed in northern
France in the 11th century, the homeland of the first
kings of Jerusalem. The offices continued to develop in France and
England, but in Jerusalem they tended to develop more slowly or not at all, taking on different roles than their European counterparts.
The lists given below are incomplete, as the specific names and dates of the officers are sometimes unknown. After the fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the offices were sometimes awarded as honors by the
kings of Cyprus and Jerusalem.
Constables
The
constable commanded the army, paid
mercenaries and judged legal cases pertaining to the military. He was the most important officer in the kingdom, due to the almost constant state of warfare that existed between the Christian and
Muslim states. The constable was officially the second-in-command of the army, in which he exercised police authority and commanded a division twice as large as all others. In addition, constables also determined the boundaries and borders of the kingdom.
During the coronation the constable would hold the king's horse.
- Walter of Montbéliard (1206-1211)
- Eudes of Montbéliard (1220-1244)
- William of Botron (1258-1262)
- Richard of Neublans (c. 1277)
- Simon of Montolif (c. 1284?)
- Baldwin of Ibelin (c. 1286)
- Amalric of Lusignan (1285-1300)
- Philip of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (c. 1359?)
- Peter of Lusignan (c. 1415?)
Marshals
The
marshal was next-in-command (and, apparently, a literal vassal) to the constable. He led the mercenaries and was in charge of the army's horses, and distributed the spoils of a victorious battle.
On coronation day the marshal would assist the constable.
- Gerard of Pugi (1169-1174)
- James of Dournai (1211-1217)
- Philip of Cossie (c. 1250)
- Geoffrey of Sargines (c. 1254)
- William Canet (1269-1273)
Seneschals
The office of
seneschal in Jerusalem never achieved the prominence of its European counterparts but was important nonetheless. The seneschal administered the coronation ceremony, oversaw the
Haute Cour in the king's absence, administered royal castles, and managed the royal finances and revenue. The seneschal's power was over only viscounts and not castellans, and the constable was still superior to the seneschal due in part to the kingdom's constant state of war.
[Richard, 76.] During coronations the seneschal would hold the royal sceptre and oversee the coronation feast.
The office was similar to, but not as developed as, the English office of the
exchequer.
- Hugh of St. Omer (c. 1100-1104)
- Guy le François (c. 1164)
- Obertus Nepos (1187-1192?)
- Baldwin of Ibelin (c. 1256)
- Geoffrey of Sargines (1254-1267?)
- Robert of Cresque (c. 1269)
Chamberlains
The
Chamberlain administered the royal household and its servants, and had other honorary duties such as administering oaths.
On coronation day the chamberlain would robe the king.
He had his own fief from which he drew his salary.
- Gauvain de la Roche (c. 1156)
- Henry of Canelli (c. 1192)
- Rohard of Caiphas (1201-1220)
- Renaud of Caiphas (1230-1232)
- John of Cossie (1232-1250)
- Philip of Cossie (1250-1269)
Butlers
The
butler was in charge of the royal table and also administrated the kingdom's
vineyards.
[Richard, 77.]- Robert Crispin (1145-1146)
Chancellors
The
chancellor drew up deeds and charters and managed the kingdom's diplomatic service.
The
chancellery is an interesting example of the fossilization of 11th century offices. It consisted of only a few secretaries and scribes, and never became the large administrative bureaucracy that had developed elsewhere in Europe. Chancellors tended to be clergymen who often became bishops or archbishops, sometimes while still holding the chancellery. The relative unimportance of the chancellor reflects the relative decentralization of royal authority as compared to states like France or England that were at the same time becoming more centralized.
- Ralph, bishop of Bethlehem (1146-1174)
- Peter, bishop of Tripoli (1185-1192)
- Ralph, bishop of Sidon (1206-1212)
- Simon, archbishop of Tyre (1226-1227)
Bailiffs
The
bailiff (or
bailli) administered the kingdom in the absence or minority of the king, in the capacity of a regent; for example, during the captivity of
Baldwin II, and the youth and illness of
Baldwin IV. In the 13th century the bailiff ruled essentially as a king himself, and was the most powerful man in the kingdom, as the kings were usually foreign monarchs who did not live permanently in the kingdom.
- Raymond III of Tripoli (1186)
- Hugh of Montbéliard (1223-1227)
- Thomas of Calan (1227-1228)
- John of Ibelin (1246-1248)
- Geoffrey of Sargines (1259-1261)
- Philip of Ibelin (1286-?)
Viscounts and Castellans
These two offices were sometimes held by one person and sometimes held by two separate people; sometimes one or the other was not held at all. They were named by the king and occupied the
Tower of David, but their specific duties are mostly unknown and were probably not particularly important; one of the duties of the viscount was apprehending criminals and administering justice in the lower-class burgess court. Like the office of butler, these offices may not have survived the move to Acre.
- Anselm (castellan, c. 1110)
- Pisellus (viscount, c. 1110)
- Anscatinus (viscount, 1120-1135?)
- Roard the elder (both?, 1135?-1150?)
- Arnoul (viscount, 1155-1181?)
- Roard the younger (castellan, 1165-1177?)
- Peter of Creseto (castellan, c. 1173?)
- Balian of Jaffa (castellan, c. 1178)
- Peter of Creseto (castellan, c. 1178)
Citations
