Samuel de Holdene, Duke of Surrey

Samuel de Holdene born 1238, died 1311, was a Norman noble who became Duke of Surrey and later Lord Protector of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Samuel became a founding member of the Kings Council, during the infancy of William I, King of Normandy and led the Loyalist nobles during the Norman Civil War. He spent much of his life in the Holy Land, putting down revolts in Egypt and leading a Crusader army during the Tenth Crusade. Samuel became one of King William's most trusted nobles and is remembered for being a calming influence on the sometimes tyrannical King.

Early life
Samuel was born in 1238, in Nonsuch, the eldest son of Edmund de Holdene, Earl of Nonsuch and Mary of Boulogne. Samuel grew up at Nonsuch Palace and at 17 was sent by his father to serve in the defence of Damietta, Egypt, which suffered regular attacks and revolts. Samuel served with distinction and in 1258 was made Earl of Rosetta. He founded the Riders of Rosetta, a heavy cavalry group tasked with the defence of the supply lines between Alexandria, Rosetta and Damietta.

Whilst in Rosetta, he married Saladora de Harlcourt, daughter of a minor Norman noble and Egyptian mother who had converted to Christianity. In 1260 he founded a fort 60 miles west of Alexandria to protect the western lands of the Duchy. The fort was named Saladoria, in honour of his half-Egyptian wife.

He served for around 8 years in Egypt before returning to Normandy in 1263. Upon his return he was bestowed with the lands and title of the Duke of Surrey in recognition of his service in Egypt. Samuel returned to Egypt in 1270 with an army 5,000 strong, to put down a revolt in Alexandria. During this period the city was again suffering from attacks by the Mamluk's.

Norman Civil War
At the outbreak of the Norman Civil War, Samuel was in Egypt putting down Mamluk attacks and upon hearing the news, he traveled back to Normandy. By the time he had returned to Normandy, the young King had been taken captive in Brittany and half of the Kingdom was under control of rebel forces, supported by the French.

De Holdene set about organising the Loyalist army along with Godwyn de Costencourt, Duke of Saint Malo and was successful in establishing an alliance with England and Burgundy. De Holdene led the main Loyalist army to a number of victories and 1276 was successful in freeing King William from captivity in Morlaix.

After the war it is said that de Holdene convinced the King not to treat all rebel nobles to harshly.

Tenth Crusade
Samuel returned to Egypt in 1283 and effectively retired in Rosetta. However, Samuel was convinced to join the Tenth Crusade in 1290. He raised an army of Egyptian's loyal to Normandy and was joined by a number of Norman Knights from Egypt, including his long term friend, Nicholas de Kaneborg.

The Tenth Crusade was to become the most successful campaign in crusading history, with the cities of Jerusalem, Tyre, Acre and Ascalon falling to the Crusaders. By the end of the war in 1299, William I, King of Normandy made Samuel Lord Protector of Jerusalem.

Later life
Samuel was a popular ruler amongst the population of Jerusalem, the Holy Land and Egypt. He was a fair and tolerant ruler and demanded that the Norman nobles show fairness and restraint to the Muslim population living in the Norman cities. He agreed to allow safe passage for Muslim pilgrims travelling through Norman lands and kept peace in the region after the Crusade.

He 1308, with his health suffering, he traveled back to Egypt and lived out his final years in Saladoria. He died in 1311 and his body was buried in Saladoria as per his wishes. Upon his death a large number of Mamluk leaders traveled to Saladoria to pay there respects to there fair and noble enemy.