Baldwin I

Baldwin I., King of Jerusalem, born in 1058, accompanied his brothers, Eustace and Godfrey of Bouillon, to the Holy Land. He became Baron of Jerusalem and protector of the Holy Sepulchre, and in 1100 assumed the style of king. His reign was spent in continual warfare with Turks, Arabs, Persians, and Saracens. He took Acre, Sidon, Ascalon, and reduced the whole Syrian coast. He then invaded Egypt, contracted a disease, and returned to Jerusalem to die in 1118. He was buried on Mount Calvary.

Baldwin II., a cousin of the preceding, succeeded him as titular king. He defeated the Saracens in 1120, but in 1124 was captured, and only recovered his liberty by ceding Tyre. The Order of Knights Templars was founded in his reign. In 1131 he abdicated in favour of his son-in-law, Foulques of Anjou, whose son came to the throne in 1143 as Baldwin III., and died at Tripoli in 1162.