Raymond Ier de Turenne

Raymond I of Turenne ( – ) was the 7th Viscount of Turenne. He participated along with his vassals in the First Crusade as part of the Army of Raymond of Saint-Gilles. Family Raymond was born around 1074, in the viscounty of Turenne, in Limousin. He succeeded his father, Boson of Turenne, who died during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1091, and thus he became the 7th viscount of Turenne. His mother Gerberge, daughter of Bernard of Terrasson-Lavilledieu, became a nun at the Abbey of Saint-Martin de Tulle in 1103 and died in the same year. First Crusade In 1095, Raymond joined the crusaders led by Raymond de Saint-Gilles, Count of Toulouse. Before his departure, he entrusted the viscounty of Turenne to his mother. However, he prevailed in arms in many sieges, especially in Antioch and Jerusalem. During the Battle of Antioch that followed the siege, Raymond de Saint-Gilles decided to defend the fort of Mahomerie, the most attacked by Kerbogha's army, to put an end to the accusations of “laziness and avarice”. He chose his best captains to defend him: Pierre of Castillon, Raymond of Turenne, William V of Montpellier, William I of Sabran and Gouffier of Lastours, in addition to 500 most valiant men of their troops. The siege was finally lifted by the Muslims on June 28, 1098. Raymond de Saint-Gilles then marched south. Part of the troops arrived on February 12, 1099, in front of Arqa. The Count of Toulouse sent various detachments to fetch supplies in the country, and Raymond of Turenne, accompanied by Pierre, Viscount of Castillon, and more than 14 other knights. That troop having started on February 16, 1099, met another of 60 Turks or Arabs who took away some Christian prisoners and 500 heads of cattle. Despite the inequality in numbers, the Christians attacked the Muslims, killed six of them, took as many horses, and took the booty they were bringing to Tripoli and prisoners were released.