The Army of Godfrey of Bouillon was created by Godfrey, Lord of Bouillon, and Duke of Lower Leuven, in response to the call by Pope Urban II to both liberate Jerusalem from Muslim forces and protect the Byzantine Empire from similar attacks. Godfrey and his army, one of several Frankish forces deployed during the First Crusade, was among the first to arrive in Constantinople. The army was unique in that it included among its warriors the first three kings of Jerusalem, although Godfrey preferred the title Defender of the Holy Sepulchre as he believed that the true King of Jerusalem was Christ. This article focuses on the members of the arrmy rather that its exploits which are described in detail in Godfrey’s biography as well as numerous sources listed below.
Family and Household of Godfrey
The family and household of Godfrey include the following. Note that Godfrey’s older brother Eustace III, Count of Boulogne, may have accompanied his brother but more likely traveled with Robert Curthose’s army.
Godfrey was definitely accompanied by his younger brotherBaldwin and his wife Godevere, daughter of Raoul II of Tosny. Baldwin’s secretary Gerard was captured by the soldiers of the Turkmen under the Emir Balak and beheaded.
Members of Godfrey’s household that travelled with him included: Ruthard, his butler, Baldric, the seneschal, Stabelo, the chamberlain, Heribrand, Castellan of Bouillon, and his relative Walter of Bouillon. Additional members of the household included chamberlains Adelolf and Gerard, the seneschal Matthew, and Miles of Clermont-sous-Huy.
Winrich of Flanders, who originally travelled with Robert II of Flanders, became the butler of Godfrey of Bouillon in 1100
The household also included Wicker Alemannus of Swabia, a ministerialis of the abbey of Fulda. who died of fever at Jaffa in 1101.
Lords of Lower Lotharingia
The lords from the areas of Lower Lotharingia that were adjacent to Godfrey’s lands included the following:
A third element of the exercitus of Godfrey were from Upper Lotharingia.
The duke, Theoderic I, Count of Bar and Montbéliard, was unable to participate in the Crusades due to illness, but was represented by his eldest son Louis, Count of Mousson, and a knight who belonged to Godfrey’s household named Ralph of Mouton.
Peter of Dampierre-le-Château, Count of Astenois and his brother Rainald III, Count of Toul. They were sons of Frederick I, Count of Astenois, and Gertrude, daughter of Rainald III, Count of Toul.
Peter and Renauld were accompanied by Louis, Archdeacon of Toul, and six lords from the diocese: Rambert, son of Fraimer of Lironville, Bencelin, Aldo of Fontenoy-sur-Moselle, and Lanfric with his son Olric and brother Hugh.
Baldwin of Le Bourg. He was accompanied by his squire who executed a Turkish captive, and by a vassal known as Hugh of Bourcq.
Adalbero of Luxembourg, son of Conrad I, Count of Luxembourg. Archdeacon of Metz. After the capture of Antioch, Adelbero and a companion were captured outside the gates by the Turks and beheaded, their heads then catapulted into the city.
Other Lesser Known Participants
Very little is known about the following participants in the army. Lords and nobles accompanying Godfrey:
Arnulf II, Lord of Oudenaarde, died in the fighting near Ascalon, and was buried at the abbey of Jehosaphat
Gotmann of Brussels.
The following knights also were in the army:
Fulcher of Bouillon and his wife Emeline who was abducted by the Turks
Reinhard of Hemmersbach, died of plague during the siege of Antioch and was buried at the Church of St. Peter at Antioch.
The following also accompanied Godfrey although their role is not known:
Airard
Gunter, a member of Godfrey’s household in Jerusalem
Lambert
Philip of Bouillon.
Nobles who chose not to Participate
For a variety of reasons, primarily political, several notable lords and counts chose not to join, either personally or via family, in Godfrey’s army. These included:
Arnold I, Count of Chiny. Arnold’s descendant Louis V, Count of Chiny, apparently fabricated the story that Arnold sent his sons Otto and Louis on the Crusade with Godfrey to gain favor with the royalty participating in the Tournament of Chauvency. In fact, his daughter Hadvide was the only participant from the family.
After the capture of Jerusalem, Raymond of Toulouse refused the crown, and Godfrey became ruler of Jerusalem, known only as Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri.
