Ruins of the castle of Cafarlet, which John managed to sell to the Hospitallers after it had been declared forfeit by the crown
John (died 1238–41) was the
Lord of Caesarea from 1229 and an important figure in the kingdoms of Cyprus and Jerusalem. He was the only son of Walter III of Caesarea and Marguerite d'Ibelin, daughter of Balian of Ibelin. He was often called "the young lord of Caesarea" throughout his life to distinguish him from his father, who had been called "the old lord of Caesarea".[1]
Civil war (1229–32)
John was a page at the feast held in
Lord of Beirut. According to the chronicler Philip of Novara, John conspired with Anceau de Brie to assassinate Frederick on this occasion. He was dissuaded by his uncle, who said: "[A]ll Christendom would cry out: 'These traitors overseas have slain their lord the emperor.' Since he would be dead and we alive and safe, our right would become wrong, and the truth of it would never be believed. He is our lord; whatever he does we will guard our faith and our honour."[1]
Gestes des Chiprois. In April 1232, John and his uncle lent their guarantee to a sale made by his cousin, another John of Ibelin.[1]
In 1231, when Richard Filangieri, Frederick's choice of bailiff of Jerusalem, came to the Haute Cour in Acre, John led the opposition towards him. John was not present at the Battle of Casal Imbert in 1232, but he soon afterwards returned to Cyprus and led a division at the Battle of Agridi on 15 June. While John of Ibelin besieged Kyrenia, John of Caesarea crossed back over to Acre, where he organised a commune to oppose the emperor. When an assembly of the Haute Cour threatened to turn violent on Frederick's representative, Bishop Radulf of Sidon, John intervened to save him. His uncle soon arrived to Acre to be accepted as head of the commune and promptly left, having placed John in charge as his lieutenant.[1]
Courtier in Cyprus (1232–36)
John's rise in importance during the years of civil war can be judged from the high spot in which his name appears in the witness lists of many Cypriot charters in the following years. In 1232, he was second only to John of Ibelin among the witnesses to the treaty of King
Archbishop of Nicosia.[3] In October 1233, he was present at a court held by Odo in Acre. There he signed third an agreement between the municipality of Marseille and the Orders of the Hospital and the Temple, and fourth a treaty between Jerusalem and Genoa.[3] In December, at Nicosia, he witnessed another treaty with Genoa, signing his name after the king's and John of Ibelin's.[3] That same month he was the second witness on two grants issued by the king to Archbishop Eustorge.[3] In August 1234 his was the second signature on a charter of Henry's issued at Nicosia.[3]
In February 1236,
annuity sold by Henry I.[1] That year, the lords of Caesarea and Beirut joined the Hospitallers to unsuccessfully besiege Muslim-held castle of Montferrand, where John of Ibelin died.[1]
Philip of Novara records in one passage that "Sir Hugh [i.e.,
Arsuf, and after Theobald's departure. John was not present when the Haute Cour elected a bailiff for King Conrad II when he attained his majority in 1243. The lord of Caesarea who was present was John's successor, John Aleman, the husband of his daughter and heiress, Margaret
.
John and his wife, Alice de Montaigu—who was the niece of the archbishop of Nicosia, of
Templar grand master—had one son (perhaps named Eudes), who died in infancy, and several daughters besides Margaret.[5] The names of the other daughters are uncertain because of contradictions in the principal source, the Lignages d'Outremer. According to one section of the Lignages, a daughter named Alice married Richard de Dampierre and was the mother of Eudes. According to another section, Alice became a nun and died young, while the mother of Eudes de Dampierre was Isabelle, the only other daughter mentioned in the other section. The second section also mentions daughters named Marie, who died without heirs, and Peretine, who died young.[5]
Notes
^ abcdefghijJohn L. Lamonte, "The Lords of Caesarea in the Period of the Crusades", Speculum22, 2 (1947): 156–58.
