Raymond du Puy de Provence

Raymond du Puy de Provence (1083 - 1160), was a French knight and was Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Knights Hospitaller) from 1118-1160. He was the son of Hughes Du Puy (1060-?), Seigneur de Pereins, d'Apifer, et de Rochefort, Governor of Acre and a general of Godfrey of Bouillon. He was also a relative of Adhemar of Le Puy, the papal legate during the First Crusade. As the second Grand Master he developed the Knights Hospitaller into strong military power. He accepted the eight- pointed Amalfi cross as an official symbol of the Order, which later became known as the Maltese Cross after the establishment of the Order on Malta. Raymond divided the Order into clerical, military, and serving brothers and established the first significant Hospitaller infirmary near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. He was present at the capture of Ascalon in 1153.

According to Le Grand Dictionnaire Historique by Louis Moreri written in 1759

"Raymond du Puy, second grand master of the order of St. Jean of Jerusalem, (later to be known as the Knights of Malta) he succeeded Gerard in 1118, who instituted the order. He came from the province of Dauphine and was of the illustrious house of du Puy... Raymond was elected by the brothers of the order, following the disposition of the bull of pope Paschal II, given in 1113, and was called master of the hospital of the city of Jerusalem to mark his authority. Gerard had only used the name of governor of the hospital. Because in the large number of brothers who joined his order there were many gentlemen and men of arms, he established a militia for the defence of the religion against the enemies of the holy land, while the others would have the care of the poor and sick of the hospital. To better succeed in his pious designs, he held the first general assembly and divided the order into three ranks: knights, men at arms, and chaplains. He also instituted a new constitution to improve the rules that Gerard established. They were approved in 1123 by pope Calliste II and in 1130 Innocent II gave the order their coat of arms, a silver cross (today known as the Maltese cross) in a field of blue (gueulles). Raymond armed his troops and offered them to Baudoin II, king of Jerusalem, to join him and his army against the infidels. From that time on, there was never a battle that this order did not participate in. In the year 1153, the king of Jerusalem was ready to lift the siege of Ascalon; however, grand master du Puy received permission to extend the siege and camp his army in front of the city. The city surrendered within a few days. Because of this conquest he acquired great glory and received the esteem of the pope, Anastase IV, who granted many privileges to the order. Raymond thereafter built a magnificent palace which caused much jealousy among the prelates of Jerusalem and the holy land. But the order was supported by the supreme pontiff in his exemptions and in the privileges granted to them. The grand master died in 1160 and his successor was Auger of Balben. Raymond du Puy was the first to assume, and the first to whom was given, the title of grand master of the order. He never used it except after Roger, king of Sicily, used the title in the letters he wrote to Raymond"

References: [http://blessed-gerard.org/bgt_1_4.htm Raymond du Puy] [http://blessed-gerard.org/bgt_rule.htm The Rule of Blessed Raymond du Puy] [http://smom-za.org/saints/raymond.htm The Blessed Raymond du Puis / Raymond du Puy]