Hugh de Puiset
Hugh de Puiset, also called Hugh de Pudsay (franz Hugues du Puiset; * before 1128, † March 3, 1195 ) was a Bishop of Durham and Earl of Northumbria. He was a son of the French castle lord Hugh III. Le Puiset and Agnes of Blois.
Life
His father was a leading figure in a Fronde against King Louis VI. of France and had to take his exile in the Holy Land. Apparently Puiset grew up in his mother's family environment, which put her interests focus on the British Isles due to kinship ties with the English royal family. His uncle, Bishop Henry of Winchester, Puiset initially served as archdeacon, in the following years he was also archdeacon and treasurer of the Archdiocese of York. In 1135, another uncle, Stephen of Blois, seized the English throne.
Puiset was sponsored by his relatives elected in 1153 to the Bishop of Durham, but fell into a conflict with the Archbishop of York, Henry Murdac, which refused to recognize the election. However Puiset received the accepting episcopal consecration in December 1153 by Pope Anastasius II. His parish was in the county of Northumbria, which was then owned by the Scottish king Malcolm IV was. In the following year King Stephen and his rival Henry died II Plantagenet ascended the throne. To this habit Puiset a distant relationship, even after Northumbria had to be paid back in 1157 to the British Crown. During the revolt of the young King Henry (1173-1174) is Puiset behaved largely neutral to the outside, but granted the invasion of William I of Scotland in the north of England free passage through his church area and took a contingent of Flemish knights under his nephew Hugo IV of Le Puiset on. But King Henry II eluded him later some of his strongholds, leaving the grind of Northallerton.
Due to the vacancy of the archbishopric of York since 1181 Puiset became the most powerful prince of the church of northern England. At the accession to power of Richard the Lionheart, 1189, he bought the Sheriff Office of Northumbria and received for his active support for the preparation of the third crusade the investiture with the county Northumbria. From King Richard Puiset was also 3rd Earl of Essex, determined jointly with William de Mandeville Co- Justiciar of England. Mandeville died but even in 1189, after which William of Longchamp replaced him. This Puiset got into quarrels competence, which is why he got into a power struggle in the King's absence on the crusade immediately with him. After he fell into captivity Longchamps in April 1190 he had to abandon his Earldoom and deliver several castles. 1191 was still appointed by the Pope with the King 's brother Geoffrey, a new Archbishop for York, which Puiset had to make from now on. But when in 1193 Prince John revolted against the government set up by his brother, to Puiset behaved loyal to Longchamp and supported the fight against the prince.
Family
Hugh de Puiset was known of his time for his scandalous private life. He had several mistresses, one of which Adelisia de Percy was the best known, which in turn was an illegitimate daughter of Baron William de Percy. They had at least two sons:
- Henry de Puiset: took part in the Fourth Crusade and died about 1222 in England
- Hugh de Puiset: 1179-1185 Chancellor of the French king Philip II Augustus
See also: House Le Puiset
Find out more
In exchange for the manor Hertburn ( in Stockton -on-Tees ) was Hugh de Puiset the former owner William a piece of land near the village of Wessyngton. Was Arrested this barter in the Bolden Book, a land register of the bishop, which was summarized in 1183. William de Hertburn built in Wassyngton a manor house ( Old Hall ) and named himself and his descendants after the new family home. Thus, the Washington Family was founded, whose most famous member of the first U.S. President George Washington was.