THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS have shown that besides a constant transfer of money and provisions, the Hospitallers in the East required a continual supply of manpower. Comparing lists of members of the Order serving in the Latin East with those in the French priories between 1187 and 1274 could help to clarify the brothers' places of recruitment and service, as well as the mobilization of forces for the Latin East.

Such a comparison shows that most brothers serving in French houses were locals and were never sent to the East. They usually served close to their places of origin: Gaucher of Amiens (Somme) was a simple brother in the house of Corbeil. Stephen of Gravesons (Bouche-du-Rhône) and Hugh of Albenaz (Aubenaz, Ardèche) were members of the commandery of Trinquetaille in the early thirteenth century. Geoffrey of Albaron (Bouches-du-Rhône) and Pons of Avignon were simple brothers in St. Gilles in 1190s. I have found only a few cases of brothers in commanderies and priories far from their places of origin: John of Monzon (Huesca, Aragon), for example, was a simple brother in St. Gilles in 1207. He may have arrived at the priory around 1205, when Ximen of Labata, former commander of Huesca, held both the priory of St. Gilles and the castellany of Amposta.

Like the simple brothers, the commanders usually also served close to their places of origin. Bertrand of Mornans (Drôme) was commander of Valence in the 1230s and 1240s.