ABSTRACT
Many of the lesser diocesan clergy of Latin Syria are known by name, but in most cases that is all that is known about them. Chaplains, parish priests, members of cathedral chapters appear as charter witnesses, but they do not come alive as people. There are, of course, exceptions to this general rule. AnseLlus, cantor of the Holy Sepulchre in the reign of Baldwin I, sent a relic of the True Cross to the canons of Notre Dame, Paris. His accompanying letter was preserved because it authenticated the relic, and it affords a glimpse of the character of a man who would otherwise be simply a name:
Evidence of this kind is rare as far as the lesser clergy are concerned, but more is known about the senior clergy, the priors and deans of cathedral chapters, the archdeacons, and, of course, the bishops, archbishops and patriarchs. The patriarchs have already been considered in some detail in the preceding chapters, and this chapter will deal with the bishops and archbishops, who are the best documented group of clergy in Prankish Syria.
