Manasses of Hierges

Hierges

1142

Manasses, lord of Hierges, succeeded to his lordship in 1131. After 10 ten years spent solidifying his rule, he seems to have felt secure enough to head east to Jerusalem, where his uncle Baldwin had been king. While Manasses was preparing to travel east, his cousin Melisende was ruling as Queen of Jerusalem with her husband Fulk.

In the East, aided by his family connections and the death of King Fulk, Manasses was elevated to constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and was married to a widowed heiress. Jealous of his favor with the Queen and his quick rise to prominence, rebellious barons of the kingdom exiled Manasses to the west where he lived out the rest of his life.

Cartulaire de l'église Saint-Lambert de Liége, eds. E. Poncelet, É. Schoolmeesters and S. Bromans, 6 vols. (Brussels, 1893-1933), 1: 63 no. 39.

H. E. Mayer, 'Manasses of Hierges in East and West', Revue belge de philologie et d'histoire 66/4 (1988), 757-66; G. Roland, 'Un croisé ardennais: Manassès de Hierges,' Revue historique ardennaise 14 (1907), 197-212.