William Longespée the Younger
On 10 June 1240 he left England in the service of Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall with roughly a dozen English barons and several hundred knights.
Longespée and Richard's men saw no combat there, but this group did complete the negotiations for a truce with Ayyubid leaders made by Theobald I of Navarre just a few months prior during the first wave of the crusade.
On 13 April 1241 they exchanged Muslim prisoners with Christian captives who had been seized during Henry of Bar's disastrous raid at Gaza five months earlier.
He proceeded to Rome and made a plea to Pope Innocent IV for support: "Sir, you see that I am signed with the cross and am on my journey with the King of France to fight in this pilgrimage.
"[2]Having succeeded in gaining the favour of the Pope, Longespée raised a company of 200 English horse to join with King Louis on his crusade.
In 1252, the Sultan delivered Longespée's remains to a messenger who conveyed them to Acre for burial at the church of St Cross.
Please God, the son of my father shall never fly from any Saracen I would rather die a good death than live a base life'.
And then, after sustaining many blows and wounds, with blood gushing out, and overwhelmed by the stones of his assailants, he, a most glorious martyr, breathed out his soul, that sped forth to assume its crown.
And with him died his Standard Bearer, Robert de Vere, an excellent knight, and many other English, who had followed in his tracks, guided by the trail he left behind him.
The Count of Artois on his great charger had neither heart nor stomach to tarry longer, the first man he encountered he threw to the ground, then he turned towards the river and betook him to drown; His soul is in hell -in great torment.- The Master of the Temple was named William, A felon heathen came up, pierced him with the sword through the body below the arm, and his soul St. Michael bore away singing.
He prays to Christ that he may be avenged on this hateful race, and on fighting with his left hand Then fell to earth the gallant Longsword, who could no longer stand upon one foot.
