Thomas Asbridge - Oxford University Press - The First Crusade:

Setting = The Crusaders had split into two contingents when converging on Antioch - after analyzing the situation, the council of princes and nobles realized that they could only take Antioch if they had access to the Mediterranean - St. Simeon provided this access, and although there is....

"...no clear account of [St. Simeon's] conquest or capture...Provencal crusader Raymond of Aguilers tells of a fleet that left England as soon as 'news of the crusaders launched in the name of God's vengence' arrived. It 'dared to sail through the strange and vast surface of the Mediterranean [and] after great trials arrived at Antioch [St. Simeon] and Latakia in advance of our army."

Thomas Asbridge states that only Raymond recorded this, and no other source is known to confirm this at this time. He then explains that two other possible sources of this support could have been:

a. Anglo Saxon mercenaries used by the Byzantine (Greek) fleet

b. a Genoese fleet is recorded as having landed in St. Simeon on November 17 and provided logistic support to the Crusaders in their seige of Antioch.

The contingents from France were led by:

A. - northern France

Raymond of Toulouse

Godfrei de Boullion

Robert of Flanders>
Robert of Normandy> note that both of these locations correspond with migrations from Britain and Scotland when first the nobility and then the monks/clergy fled to mainland France because of the Vikings and Saxons -

B. Southern France

Hugh of Vermandois

Stephen of Blois

Adhemar of Le Puy

and the other contingents making up crusaders from south France.

The Crusades introduced Europe to trade and intrigue Middle Eastern style.

This area - included Cyprus, Tripoli - and was volatile because of pirates and rough seas. Safe passage was a challenge in fall and winter.

Of course - the First Crusade began in 1096 and continued until 1099 when Jerusalem was captured. And the legend of the brothers Caldwell is said to have been in the 1400's.

However, ledgers (grave markers) in Scotland at chapels associated with Templars are known to bear the skull and crossbones = a symbol associated with pirates.

In a documentary about Rennes le Chateau (Langueduc, South France) Henry Lincoln (Holy Blood, Holy Grail) walks through the graveyard. He walks under an arch bearing the skull and crossbones.

More food for thought...........

Question - origin for the name Robert? Scottish??