Hugh was born into a noble family in Burgundy, France. His mother died when he was eight years old, and his father then entered a monastic community.

Hugh entered the monastic life himself at the age of fifteen. Around 1160, he transferred his membership from the Benedictine order to the Carthusians, who practiced a more austere form of monasticism, becoming the procurator of their major house, the Grande Chartreuse.

With reluctance, he accepted the invitation of King Henry II to become prior of a new foundation of Carthusians in England at Witham, Somerset. With even greater hesitation, Hugh accepted the King’s appointment to the See of Lincoln in 1186. He died in London on November 16th, 1200, and is buried in Lincoln Cathedral, of which he laid the foundation.

As a bishop, Hugh continued to live as much as possible under the strict discipline of his order. His humility and tact, his total lack of self-regard, and his cheerful disposition made it difficult to oppose him. His people loved him for his unrelenting care of the poor and oppressed. He worked to improve education in the cathedral school, served as a diplomat in sensitive political negotiations, and strove to protect the Jews of his diocese from persecution.

Steadfastly independent of secular influences, he was never afraid to reprove his king for unjust treatment of the people. Hugh refused to raise money for King Richard’s foreign wars. Yet Richard said of him, “If all bishops were like my Lord of Lincoln, not a prince among us could lift his head against them.”