Hugh VIII of Lusignan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hugh VIII of Lusignan was the eldest son of Hugh VII and of Saracena. He became lord of Lusignan, Couhé, and Château-Larcher on his father's death in 1151. Born some time after 1125, he died in 1171.

He married Bourgogne de Rancon, dame de Fontenay, daughter of Geoffroi Fossessie, seigneur de Taillebourg: she died in 1169. In 1164 he went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and participated in the Battle of Harim, where he was taken prisoner.

His children were:

1. Hugues, who died in 1169, leaving an infant son Hugues who was to become Hugh IX of Lusignan.
2. Geoffrey I, seigneur of Moncontour, who fought in the siege of Acre. According to the Chronicle of Ernoul, when told that Guy had become king of Jerusalem Geoffrey said: "He'll be God next!"
3. Amalric, born about 1145, died 1205. He succeeded his younger brother Guy as ruler of Cyprus; later he was crowned king of Cyprus, the first of the Lusignan dynasty, and eventually also became king of Jerusalem.
4. Guy, died 1194. He was regent and afterwards king of Jerusalem. After the loss of Jerusalem he became lord of Cyprus.
5. Raoul I of Issoudun, born 1160, died (at Acre, Palestine) in 1217.
6. Peter ? A "Peter of Lusignan" witnessed a charter in Antioch in 1174, but is otherwise not documented.
7. William of Valence, born after 1163, betrothed to Beatrice de Courtenay, daughter of Joscelin III of Edessa, in 1186. The marriage does not seem to have taken place. He died before 1208.

[edit] Bibliography

• Sidney Painter, "The houses of Lusignan and Châtellerault, 1150-1250" in Speculum vol. 30 (1955).
• Sidney Painter, "The Lords of Lusignan in the eleventh and twelfth centuries" in Speculum vol. 32 (1957).