William I of Bures

William of Bures (died 1142) was a French crusader from Bures-sur-Yvette, Ile-de-France.

He arrived in the Kingdom of Jerusalem before 1115, with his brother Geoffrey. They were vassals of Joscelin I of Edessa.

In 1119 they took part in a raid into Turkish territory over the Jordan River, and Geoffrey was killed.[1] William became Prince of Galilee when Joscelin took over Edessa.

When Eustace Grenier died in 1122, and while Baldwin II of Jerusalem was held captive, he became constable and regent of the Kingdom. In 1127-8 he was sent on a mission to France, with Hugues de Payns, to find a husband for the heiress to the throne, Baldwin's daughter Melisende of Jerusalem[2].

He died childless, and was succeeded as Prince of Galilee by his nephew Elinard of Bures, son of Geoffrey.

Notes

  1. ^ Steven Runciman, A History of the Crusades, II p.147.
  2. ^ Piers Paul Read,The Templars (1999), p. 98.