Hugh VIII of Lusignan

Hugh VIII the Old of Lusignan or Hugh III of La Marche (French: Hugues le Vieux) was the eldest son of Hugh VII and of Sarrasine or Saracena de Lezay. He became Seigneur de Lusignan, Couhé, and Château-Larcher and Count of La Marche on his father's death in 1151. Born in Poitou, 1106–1110 or some time after 1125, he died in the Holy Land in 1165 or 1171.

He married in 1140/1141 Bourgogne or Burgondie de Rancon, Dame de Fontenay, daughter of Geoffroi or Geoffroy de Rancon, Seigneur de Taillebourg and wife Fossefie (Falsifie), Dame de Moncontour, by whom he also became Seigneur de Fontenay: she died on April 11, 1169. In 1163 or 1164 he went on pilgrimage and on crusade to the Holy Land and participated in the Battle of Harim, where he was taken prisoner.

His children were:

• Hugh de Lusignan, Co-Seigneur de Lusignan in 1164 (c. 1141–1169), married before 1162 Orengarde N, who died in 1169, leaving two sons who were infants at the time of his death
  • Hugh IX of Lusignan
  • Raoul I de Lusignan, Count of Eu
• Robert de Lusignan, died young c. 1150
• Geoffrey I de Lusignan (bef. 1150 – May, 1224), Seigneur of Moncontour and Seigneur de Soubise, Seigneur de Vouvent, de Mervent by first marriage, Count of Jaffa and Ascalon on July 28, 1191 (he relinquished these titles upon his return from the Holy Land in 1193), who fought in the Siege of Acre. According to the Chronicle of Ernoul, when told that Guy had become king of Jerusalem Geoffrey said: "He'll be God next!". Married firstly before 1200 Eustache de Chabot, Dame de Vouvent et Dame de Mervent (d. after 1200), and secondly c. 1202 Humberge de Limoges, daughter of Aimar VI, Vicomte de Limoges and wife Sarra de Cornouailles, and had one son by each marriage:

Seal of Geoffroy II de Lusignan, used in 1225, showing the usual hunting attire shown on the family's seals

• • Geoffrey II de Lusignan, Seigneur de Vouvent, de Mevent et de Montcontour, married 1223 Clémence de Chattellerault, Dame de Chattellerault, without issue
  • William de Lusignan, married c. 1226 Margaret de Mauléon, and had one daughter:
    • Valence de Lusignan, married aft. 1247 Hugues III de Parthenay (d. 1271)
• Peter de Lusignan (bef. 1155 – aft. December, 1174), witnessed a charter in Antioch in 1174, but is otherwise not documented. He died probably as a Priest.
• Amalric de Lusignan, born about 1145, died 1205. He succeeded his younger brother Guy as ruler of Cyprus; later he was crowned King of Cyprus, the first of the Lusignan dynasty, and eventually also became King of Jerusalem.
• Guy of Lusignan, died 1194. He was regent and afterwards King of Jerusalem. After the loss of Jerusalem he became Lord of Cyprus.
• William de Lusignan or de Valence, born after 1163, betrothed to Beatrix de Courtenay, daughter of Joscelin III of Edessa, in 1186. The marriage does not seem to have taken place. He died before 1208.

Bibliography

• Sidney Painter, "The houses of Lusignan and Châtellerault, 1150-1250" in Speculum vol. 30 (1955).
• Sidney Painter, "The Lords of Lusignan in the eleventh and twelfth centuries" in Speculum vol. 32 (1957).