It is possible that his elder brother Eustace briefly held the lordship before joining the Order of Saint Lazarus for lepers.

According to William of Tyre, he was "a young man of admirable wisdom and discretion far beyond his years" when Amalric sent him to negotiate with the Egyptians in 1167.

[1][3] In the war against Nur ad-Din, Hugh was captured at the Battle of al-Babein (Lamonia) by the forces of Saladin after his men abandoned him.

When Nur ad-Din sued for peace, his general, Shirkuh, requested that Hugh, whom he called "a great prince of high rank and much influence among your own people", act as an intermediary, but the latter refused—"lest it might seem that he was more interested in obtaining his own liberty than concerned for the public welfare".

[1] In 1160, Hugh bestowed land and revenues on Santa Maria Latina for the benefit of the souls of his father and grandfather, who were buried there.

[1] In 1166, Hugh sold land at Feissa (Khirbat al-Dafīs) and confirmed his father and grandfather's gifts to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in return for 400 bezants.