Raymond du Puy de Provence

Who was Raymond du Puy de Provence?

Raymond du Puy de Provence was a French knight and was the first Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem from 1120 to 1160.

A member of a noble and ancient family in Dauphiné, Rochefort and Montbrun, he was the son of Hughes Du Puy, Seigneur de Peyrins, d'Apifer, et de Rochefort, Governor of Acre and a general serving under Godfrey of Bouillon and was also related to Adhemar of Le Puy, the papal legate during the First Crusade. As the first Grand Master he developed the Knights Hospitaller into a strong military force. He made the eight-pointed cross the official symbol of the Order, which later became known as the Maltese Cross after the establishment of the Order on Malta. Raymond also divided the membership of 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 The Great Historical Dictionary written by Louis Moreri in 1759:

"Raymond du Puy, the first grand master of the order of St. John of Jerusalem, succeeded Gerard as rector in 1118.