William of Tyre [key], b. c.1130, d. before 1185, historian and churchman. Born in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem and possibly of French extraction, he received his education at Antioch and in Europe. In 1167 he was appointed archdeacon of Tyre, an important Christian city in the Middle East. He was employed on various embassies by the king, Amalric I, and became (c.1170) tutor of Amalric's son and heir (later Baldwin IV). After Amalric's death he became (1174) chancellor of the kingdom, and in 1175 he was made archbishop of Tyre. His chief importance lies in his historical work, which is especially accurate in dealing with his own time. His only extant work, the History of Deeds Done beyond the Sea, is a detailed account of the Crusades and the Latin Kingdom from 1095 to 1184.
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