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{{Short description|Chivalric Order}}
{{cleanup|February 2007}}
{{Knights Templar}} {{Knights Templar}}
The history of the '''] in England''' began when the French nobleman ], founder and ] of the Order, visited the country in 1128 to raise men and money for the ].
{{main|Knights Templar}}
The history of the '''Knights Templar in England''' began when the ] nobleman ], the founder and ] of the order of the ], visited the country in 1118 to raise men and money for the ].


==History== ==History==
{{refimprove section|date=May 2022}}
King ] (1133–1189) granted the Templars land across ], including some territory by ] on the ], where they built a ], patterned after the Knights Templar headquarters on ] in ].
King ] (1154–1189) granted the Templars land across ], including some territory near ] on the ], where they built a ], patterned after the Knights Templar headquarters on ] in ]. The Templar estate at ] in ] was one of the very earliest and largest Templar estates in England.<ref>Haag, Michael (2014) The Tragedy of the Templars. Published by Profile Books Limited ({{ISBN|978-1-84668-451-7}})</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=House of Knights Templar: Preceptory of Cressing {{!}} British History Online |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol2/pp177-178 |access-date=2022-08-26 |website=www.british-history.ac.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitparks.co.uk/places/cressing-temple/ |title= |website=www.visitparks.co.uk |access-date=9 October 2014}}{{title missing|date=May 2022}}</ref>


The Order was also given the ] (right of use) of ]. The Order was also given the ] of ].


In 1184 the Templars' headquarters was transferred to the ] (Temple Church) in London where once again they built a round church, this one patterned after the ] in ]. It was consecrated in 1185, and became the location for initiation rituals.<ref>''Lost Worlds: Knights Templar'', July 10, 2006, '']'' video documentary</ref> In 1184, the Templars' headquarters was transferred to the ] (Temple Church) in London where once again they built a round church, this one patterned after the ] in ]. It was consecrated in 1185, and became the location for initiation rituals.<ref>''Lost Worlds: Knights Templar'', July 10, 2006, '']'' video documentary</ref>
In ], Pope ] issued a ] declaring the immunity of persons and goods within the houses of the Knights Templar from local laws. This ensured that the New Temple became a royal ] as well as the repository for the order's accumulated revenues. These financial resources provided the basis for the development of the Templar's local banking facilities.


In 1185, a hospital was founded at ] and granted to the Knights Templar.
King ] (1157&ndash;1199) confirmed the Templars' land holdings and granted them immunity from all pleas, suits '']'' and from '']'' and '']''.


An inventory by Geoffrey Fitz Stephen reveals that by 1185, the Order of the Knights Templar had extensive holdings in London, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. The involvement of ] in financial matters is highlighted by ]'s story of Gilbert de Ogrestan, the Knight Templar accused of embezzling taxes collected in the ] of 1188.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Memoriale fratris Walteri de Coventria: The Historical Collection of Walter of Coventry|last=de Coventria|first=Gualterus|publisher=Nendeln Kraus|year=1965|editor-last=Stubbs|editor-first=William|volume=I|pages=360}}</ref> He was severely punished by his contemporary Master.


In 1200, ] issued a ] declaring the immunity of persons and goods within the houses of the Knights Templar from local laws. This ensured that the New Temple became a royal ] as well as the repository for the order's accumulated revenues. These financial resources provided the basis for the development of the Templar's local banking facilities.
King ] (1199&ndash;1216) had substantial financial dealings with the Knights Templar. At the time of ], not only was ] present, but King John was also resident at the Temple when the Barons first presented their demands. He awarded them the ] as well as land at ], ], ], ] and ].


King ] (1189–1199) confirmed the Templars' land holdings and granted them immunity from all pleas, suits '']'' and from '']'' and '']''.
King ] (1207&ndash;1272) also had substantial dealing with Templars, the king's ] being located there in 1225. He entrusted Templar knights with military, financial and diplomatic commissions, and even considered being buried in the Temple. He did in fact establish a ] there in 1231.


King ] (1199–1216) had substantial financial dealings with the Knights Templar. At the time of ], not only was ] present, but King John was also resident at the Temple when the Barons first presented their demands. He awarded them the island of ] as well as land at ], ], ], ] and ].
The first Templar House in England was in London. Early patrons included Earl ], ], King ] and ].

An inventory by Geoffrey Fitz Stephen reveals that by 1185, the Order of the Knights Templar had extensive holdings in London, ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

The involvement of ] in financial matters is highlighted by ]'s story of Gilbert de Ogrestan, the Knight Templar accused of embezzling taxes collected in the ] of 1188. He was severely punished by his contemporary Master.


King ] (1207–1272) also had substantial dealing with Templars, the king's ] being located there in 1225. He entrusted Templar knights with military, financial and diplomatic commissions, and even considered being buried in the Temple. He did in fact establish a ] there in 1231.


The first Templar House in England was in London. Early patrons included ], ], King ] and ].


==Persecution and dissolution== ==Persecution and dissolution==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2011}}


] ]
King ] (1239&ndash;1307) had accorded the Knights Templar a slighter role in public affairs, financial issues often being handled by ] merchants and diplomacy by ]s. Indeed Edward I raided the treasury in 1283. King ] (1239–1307) had accorded the Knights Templar a slighter role in public affairs, financial issues often being handled by ] merchants and diplomacy by ]s. Indeed, Edward I raided the treasury in 1283.


When Philip IV, King of France suppressed the order in 1307, King ] at first refused to believe the accusations. But after the intercession of Pope Clement V, King Edward ordered the seizure of members of the order in England on ], ]. Only handfuls of Templars were duly arrested however. Their trial ran from ], ] until ], ] in front of ] and ]. Most of the Templars acknowledged their belief that the Order's Master could give ] was heretical, and were then reconciled with the church. However, Willian de la More refused to do so and remained a prisoner in the ] until his death. When Philip IV, King of France suppressed the order in 1307, King ] at first refused to believe the accusations. But after the intercession of Pope Clement V, King Edward ordered the seizure of members of the order in England on 8 January 1308. Only handfuls of Templars were duly arrested, however. Their trial ran from 22 October 1309 until 18 March 1310 in front of ] and ]. Most of the Templars acknowledged their belief that the Order's Master could give ] was heretical, and were then reconciled with the church. However, Willian de la More refused to do so and remained a prisoner in the ] until his death.


In 1312, under furterh pressure from King ], ] officially disbanded the Order at the ]. In 1314, the remaining Templar leaders in France were executed, some by being burned at the stake. Clement issued a Papal Bull which granted the lands of the Templars to the ], but this was ignored until 1324. Starting in 1347, the priests started letting (renting) part of the Temple to lawyers, from which the evolution of the ] and ] as ] derives. In 1312, under further pressure from King ], ] officially disbanded the Order at the ]. In 1314, the remaining Templar leaders in France were executed, some by being burned at the stake. Clement issued a papal bull which granted the lands of the Templars to the ], but this was ignored until 1324. Starting in 1347, the priests started letting (renting) part of the Temple to lawyers, from which the evolution of the ] and ] as ] derives.


==The Templars in Hertfordshire== ==Templar Survival in England==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2011}}
] in ] was a town founded by the Knights Templar and between 1199 and 1254 it was their English headquarters. There was great public support for the Templars in England and nowhere more so than in Hertfordshire where they held extensive lands and where, around the time the persecution began, the Templars of ] in particular were greatly respected as holy men and supporters of the local community.


Between 13 October 1307 and 8 January 1308, the Templars went unmolested in England. During this period many fugitive Templars, seeking to escape torture and execution, fled to apparent safety there. But after repeated pressure from Philip IV and Clement V on Edward II, a few half-hearted arrests were made. During a trial running from 22 October 1309 until 18 March 1310 most of the arrested Templars were forced to acknowledge the belief that the Order's Master could give absolution was heretical, and were officially reconciled with the church, many entering more conventional monastic Orders.
When six Templars from the Temple Dinsley ] were imprisoned in the dungeons of ] Castle, there were incidents of public unrest and disobedience in protest, perhaps illustrating why, according to tradition, Hertfordshire became a place of refuge for fugitive Knights Templar from all over Europe. (One of the most prominent and powerful organisations in the world suddenly became one of the most secret.)


Most Templars in England were never arrested, and the persecution of their leaders was brief. The order was dissolved due to damaged reputation, but given the pope and church's judgement of the order as free from guilt, all members in England were free to find themselves a new place in society. Templar lands and assets were given to the ], a sister military order—though the English crown held onto some assets until 1338. The largest portion of former Templars joined the Hospitallers, while other remaining members joined the ], or lived on pension as lay members of society. The loss of the ] as a base for war against the Muslims had removed the primary reason for Templar existence, and the dissolved order now faded into history, in England as well as the rest of Europe.
], though obscure now, has not been entirely insignificant in the past. During the plague parliament, the law courts and the Privy Council were moved to the town, which has also been a royal residence more than once. Intriguingly the official date of Easter was decided in Hertford, in the first general synod of the English Church in 673 AD. So, tradition has it, the Templars survived in the town where the festival of life after death was fixed in the calendar.


==Templar Survival in England== ==The Templars in Hertfordshire==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2011}}


] in ] was established by the Knights Templar <ref>{{cite web |url=https://baldockhistory.org.uk/history-of-baldock-the-knights-templar/ |title=History of Baldock: The Knights Templar – Baldock Museum & Local History Society }}</ref> and between 1199 and 1254 it was their English headquarters. The ''Hertford Mercury'' newspaper reported a warren of Templar tunnels beneath the town of Hertford, centering on ], where in 1309 four Templars from Temple Dinsley near Hitchin were imprisoned after their arrest by Edward II, who believed that they were holding a lost treasure.
Between ], ] and ], ] the Templars went unmolested in England. During this period many fugitive Templars, seeking to escape torture and execution, fled to apparent safety there. But after repeated pressure from Philip IV and Clement V on Edward II, a few half-hearted arrests were made. During a trial running from ], ] until ], ] most of the arrested Templars were forced to acknowledge the belief that the Order's Master could give absolution was heretical, and were officially reconciled with the church, many entering more conventional monastic Orders.


===Royston Cave in Hertfordshire===
Most Templars in England were never arrested, and the persecution of their leaders was brief. The order was dissolved due to damaged reputation, but given the pope and church's judgement of the order as free from guilt, all members in England were free to find themselves a new place in society. Templar lands and assets were given to the Order of the Hospital of Saint John, a sister military order--though the English crown held onto some assets until 1338. The largest portion of former Templars joined the Hospitallers, while other remaining members joined the Cistercian order, or lived on pension as lay members of society. The loss of the holy land as a base for war agaist the heathen had removed the primary reason for Templar existence, and the dissolved order now faded into history, in England as well as the rest of europe. No clandestine secret-keeping, hiding, or underground organizations were necessary, though stories from later centuries often make use of the idea of a continuing, secret Templar presence.


]
==Royston Cave in Hertfordshire==
Modern tradition has it that after the persecution began the Templars were forced to meet in caves, tunnels and cellars in Hertfordshire and elsewhere in southeast England. However, the brief and modest persecution in England is unlikely to have necessitated this, as remaining members could, even around 1310, met at the house or room of a friend not under arrest—which would have been most Templars.


But after lying undiscovered for at least 300 years, workmen accidentally stumbled upon ] (August 1742), hidden under a heavy millstone and a covering of soil. The cave's discovery created much excitement. Today, it still awes and inspires visitors who can see carvings depicting, among other images, knights, ] and ]. Before the brief persecution, the Templars, assuming the cave was theirs, had no reason to hide below the ground, and they had wealth and access to stonemasons if they required religious carvings. It is thus suggested by storytellers and a few historians that Royston Cave is evidence 'fugitive' Templars continued to meet and worship in secret after the disbandment.
]

Tradition has it that after the persecution began the Templars were forced to meet in caves, tunnels and cellars in Hertfordshire and elsewhere in southeast England. However, the brief and modest persecution in England is unlikely to have necessitated this, as remaining members could, even around 1310, met at the house or room of a friend not under arrest--which would have been most Templars.

But after lying undiscovered for at least 300 years workmen accidentally stumbled upon Royston Cave (August of 1742), hidden under a heavy millstone and a covering of soil. The cave's discovery created much excitement. Today it still awes and inspires visitors who can see carvings depicting, among other images, Templar knights, ] and ]. Before the brief persecution, the Templars, assuming the cave was theirs, had no reason to hide below the ground, and they had wealth and access to stonemasons if they required religious carvings. It is thus suggested by storytellers and a few historians that Royston Cave is evidence 'fugitive' Templars continued to meet and worship in secret after the disbandment.


There have been some highly questionable claims made about Royston Cave and its history, including the suggestion that its Templar builders may, in effect, have been early Freemasons. However, no evidence of this link has been produced at this time. There have been some highly questionable claims made about Royston Cave and its history, including the suggestion that its Templar builders may, in effect, have been early Freemasons. However, no evidence of this link has been produced at this time.


==The Templars in Rochester==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2011}}


Much of ] was a royal manor until Henry II gave it to the Knights Templar around 1159. The Templars had assembled a range of buildings in Strood by 1185, which included a timber hall, barns, kitchens and stables. The stone building, which has survived to the present day, was added around 1240. It consists of a vaulted undercroft supporting a large, undivided first-floor hall, approached by an external staircase. This was probably a part of the range of facilities designed for the temporary accommodation of travelling Templar dignitaries.


Over the years, this hall was altered and enlarged as it passed through the hands of a number of owners. Many additions have been lost but two fine, 17th century brick extensions can still be seen today. These and the massive internal chimney were built by the Blake family, perhaps the richest in Strood at that time.
==The Templar Legacy==
]


The estate was inevitably sold off bit by bit until the ] acquired what was left and decided to use the site for industrial development. The debate over the future of the house was interrupted by a gentleman named Mr. Willis (a local councillor) in 1913 just 2 weeks after purchasing an 8.4 acre (3.4 hectare) plot of land directly East across the River Medway for a facility of what was to become known as the Seaplane Works. It was not until 1951 that work began to save the building and preserve it in the condition in which it can be seen today.
It is claimed that some symbols associated with the Templars have evolved into modern terms and symbols.


==Templar legacy==
* The ] is ], shown above. ] was styled as the Crusader Saint.
Nearly any site in England which uses the name "Temple," can probably be traced to Templar origins.


The ] still stands on the site of the old Preceptory in London, and effigies of Crusading Templars can still be seen there today. The land was later rented to lawyers who use it today as ] and ].
* The Templar Cross is the main feature of the coat of arms of the ] where it appears alongside a Templar sword (which is tapered so that it can stab through the weak points in enemy armour.)


==Modern Templar organisations in England==
* The Templars' land in London was later rented to lawyers who still use it today, at "]" and "]".
Several modern organisations claim links with the medieval Templars. Some, such as the ] (SMOTJ), also known as the "Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani" (OSMTH), have attained ] ] (Non-Governmental Organisation) status. The SMOTJ admits that their group was founded in 1804, "based on the traditions" of the medieval order, which legacy they use to promote humanitarian causes.<ref>: "The Order of the Temple is a Christian ecumenical organisation founded in 1804 by the physician Fabré-Palaprat with the support of Napoleon, and officially recognised in 1853 by Napoleon III. The Order operates on the basis of the traditions of the medieval Knights Templar. It reclaims the spirit of, but does not assert any direct descent from the ancient Order founded by Hugues de Payens in 1118 and dissolved by Pope Clement V in 1312."</ref> However, there is often public confusion about the gap in time between the 14th century dismantling of the medieval Templars, and the 19th century rise of more contemporary organisations.


According to a 2004 article in '']'', one modern group in Hertfordshire (not affiliated to OSMTH) claims that although the medieval order officially ceased to exist in the early 14th century, that the majority of the organisation survived underground. There is, however, no verifiable evidence to support this claim. The ''Times'' article states that the group has written to the Vatican, asking for an official apology for the medieval persecution of the Templars. In Rome in 2004, a Vatican spokesman said that the demand for an apology would be given "serious consideration". However, Vatican insiders said that ], 84 at the time, was under pressure from conservative cardinals to "stop saying sorry" for the errors of the past, after a series of papal apologies for the Crusades, the Inquisition, Christian anti-Semitism and the persecution of scientists and "heretics" such as Galileo.<ref>, November 29, 2004, '']''</ref>
* The ] still stands on the site of the old Preceptory in London, and effigies of Crusading Templars can still be seen there today.


==Templar locations in England==
* The Templars pioneered international banking and introduced the practice of writing ] to transfer money perhaps, in a sense, inventing the cheque. (The Persians under the Sassanid Empire had, however, already begun to issue letters of credit known as '']'' during the 1st century CE.)


==Templar locations in England==
===Churches=== ===Churches===
<!-- This section is linked from ] -->
]
].]]
* ], Berkshire
* ], Shropshire
* ]
* ], London * ], London
* ], Cambridgeshire ()

* Holy Sepulchre (Round Church), Cambridgeshire ()

* ], Herefordshire (Templar church with carvings and part of original round church excavated and fully visible) * ], Herefordshire (Templar church with carvings and part of original round church excavated and fully visible)

* ], Essex * ], Essex

* ] & Church, Warwickshire * ] & Church, Warwickshire
* ], Cornwall

* ], ]

* ] & Church, Kent * ] & Church, Kent
* ] ''(Rothley Preceptory)'', ]

* St. Mary's Church, Baldock, Hertfordshire.
* ] Templar Chapel, Rothley Court, Leicestershire, (and Templar window)
* ], West Sussex

* ] Church, Shipley, West Sussex

* St. Mary's House, Bramber, West Sussex * St. Mary's House, Bramber, West Sussex
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010074614/http://www.somptingparish.org.uk/ |date=2007-10-10 }}, Sompting, West Sussex

* , Sompting, West Sussex * Poling Church, ]
* ], on the ], discovered in 1806 during construction of the fortifications there, according to ] the site of ]'s submission to the ] ] in May 1213

* Poling Church, Poling, West Sussex

*Templar Church, Dover, on the ], discovered in 1806 during construction of the fortifications there, according to ] the site of ]'s submission to the ] ] in May ]


===Place names=== ===Place names===
* ] city centre is rich in Templar place names and history such as ], Temple Bridge, Temple Gate, Temple Street
* ], Lincolnshire, village and Templar ruins
* ], Somerset
* ], near Sherborne
* ], Oxford
* ], Hertfordshire (now the village of Preston) * ], Hertfordshire (now the village of Preston)
* ], Kent

* ], ]
* Templecombe, near Bath
* ] (a post-industrial part of ], to be incorporated into the ] * ], a post-industrial part of ], incorporated into the ]
* ], Leeds
* ] City centre is rich in Templar place names and history such as Temple Cloud, Temple Bridge, Temple Gate, Temple Street...
* ], ]
* ], ]


===Other locations=== ===Other locations===
* ], Hertfordshire. It lies beneath the crossroads of the ancient ] and ]. * ], Hertfordshire. It lies beneath the crossroads of the ancient ] and ].
* ], Hertfordshire (a town founded by the Templars) {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426011603/http://www.baldockhistory.org.uk/history-of-baldock-knights-templar.html |date=2012-04-26 }}

* ], Lincolnshire. The only full, preserved, knights templar preceptory within the whole of Europe.
* ], Hertfordshire (a town founded by the Templars)
* ], Cambridgeshire. Preceptory of the Knights Templars from 1169.

*Hertford
** ], ], Hertfordshire (where the famous Temple Dinsley Templars were imprisoned. The King searched in vain for the treasure he believed they had hidden in Hertfordshire.)
** ] ]: the "ancient subterranean tunnel" network beneath Hertford is said to have been used by fugitive Knights Templar long after the disbandment. (Part of the network was shown on the sale documentation of Bailey Hall in 1898, a copy of which can be seen in Hertford Museum.) In 2005 ] began an investigation of the tunnels and caves but the investigation was aborted after the group received mysterious anonymous threats.

* ], Lincolnshire. The only full, preserved, knights templar precepetory within the whole of europe.


==Masters of the Temple, London== ==Masters of the Temple, London==
* ], 1160

* ],
]
* ], 1180 to 1185

*], 1160 * ],
* ], 1200
*],
*], 1180 to 1185 * ], 1200,1205 and 1228
* ], 1220 and 1228
*],
*], 1200 * ], 1229
*], 1200,1205 and 1228 * Robert Mounford, 1234
*], 1220 and 1228 * Robert Saunforde, 1231 to 1247
*], 1229 * Rocelin de Fosse, 1250 to 1253
*Robert Mounford, 1234 * Amadeus de Morestello, 1254 to 1259
*Robert Saunforde, 1231 to 1247 * ], 1267 to 1269
*Rocelin de Fosse, 1250 to 1253 * William de Beaulieu, 1274
*Amadeus de Morestello, 1254 to 1259 * Robert Turvile, 1277 to 1289
*Imbert Peraut, 1267 to 1269 * Guy de Foresta, 1290 to 1294
*William de Beaulieu, 1274 * ], 1297
* Brian de Jay, 1298

*Robert Turvile, 1277 to 1289 * William de la More, 1298 to 1307
* Philip Gregory,
*Guy de Foresta, 1290 to 1294
*], 1297
*Brian le Jay, 1298
*William de la More, 1298 to 1307


==Notes== ==Notes==
Line 152: Line 144:


==Sources== ==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
<div class="references-small">
* Evelyn Lord, ''Knights Templar in Britain'', Longman, 2004. ISBN 1-4058-0163-8 * Evelyn Lord, ''Knights Templar in Britain'', Longman, 2004. {{ISBN|1-4058-0163-8}}
* Helen Nicholson, ''The Knights Templar'', Sutton Publishing, 2004. ISBN 0-7509-3839-0 * Helen Nicholson, ''The Knights Templar'', Sutton Publishing, 2004. {{ISBN|0-7509-3839-0}}
* British Academy, London / Periodicals Service Co, ''Records of the Templars in England in the Twelfth Century: The Inquest of 1185 With Illustrative Charters and Documents: 009 (British Academy, London, Re)'', Periodicals Service Co, 1991. ISBN 0-8115-1249-5 * British Academy, London / Periodicals Service Co, ''Records of the Templars in England in the Twelfth Century: The Inquest of 1185 With Illustrative Charters and Documents: 009 (British Academy, London, Re)'', Periodicals Service Co, 1991. {{ISBN|0-8115-1249-5}}
* {{cite book | last = Brighton| first = Simon | title = In Search of the Knights Templar: A Guide to the Sites in Britain| date =2006-06-15 | url =http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/HB-38882/In-Search-of-the-Knights-Templar.htm | format = Hardback | publisher = Orion Publishing Group| location = London, England | id =ISBN 0-297-84433-4}} * {{cite book| last = Brighton| first = Simon| title = In Search of the Knights Templar: A Guide to the Sites in Britain| date = 2006-06-15| url = http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/HB-38882/In-Search-of-the-Knights-Templar.htm| format = Hardback| publisher = Orion Publishing Group| location = London, England| isbn = 0-297-84433-4| access-date = 2006-06-28| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100308041627/http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/HB-38882/In-Search-of-the-Knights-Templar.htm| archive-date = 2010-03-08| url-status = dead}}
* ''The Closed Rolls of Henry II'' * ''The Closed Rolls of Henry II''
* George Smart, ''The Knights Templar: Chronology'', Authorhouse, 2005. ISBN 1-4184-9889-0 * George Smart, ''The Knights Templar: Chronology'', Authorhouse, 2005. {{ISBN|1-4184-9889-0}}
* Malcolm Barber, ''The New Knighthood: A History of the Order of the Temple''. Cambridge University Press, 1994. ISBN 0-521-42041-5 * ], ''The New Knighthood: A History of the Order of the Temple''. Cambridge University Press, 1994. {{ISBN|0-521-42041-5}}
* Moses W. Redding, ''The Persecution and Martyrdom of Knights Templars in England'', ISBN 1-4253-0009-X * Moses W. Redding, ''The Persecution and Martyrdom of Knights Templars in England'', {{ISBN|1-4253-0009-X}}
* Sylvia P. Beamon, ''The Royston Cave: Used by Saints or Sinners?'', Cortney Publications, 1992. ISBN 0-904378-40-3 * Sylvia P. Beamon, ''The Royston Cave: Used by Saints or Sinners?'', Cortney Publications, 1992. {{ISBN|0-904378-40-3}}
* F. M Page, ''History of Hertford'', Hertford Town Council, 1993. ISBN 0-9522390-0-0 * F. M Page, ''History of Hertford'', Hertford Town Council, 1993. {{ISBN|0-9522390-0-0}}
{{refend}}
</div>

==Further reading==
* BBC Website ''. News Magazine 2007-10-19
* BBC Radio 4 '' Program audio, first broadcast 2007-06-18
* Leeds Local History - On the trail of the Templars ''
* Baldock History ' {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426011603/http://www.baldockhistory.org.uk/history-of-baldock-knights-templar.html |date=2012-04-26 }}'.


==External links== ==External links==
* Official Website of the Grand Priory of Knights Templar in England and Wales * {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181225175513/http://www.knight-templar.org.uk/ |date=2018-12-25 }}
*


{{commons category|Knights Templar in England}}
]
]
]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Knights Templar In England}}
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Latest revision as of 00:26, 27 September 2024

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The history of the Knights Templar in England began when the French nobleman Hugues de Payens, founder and Grand Master of the Order, visited the country in 1128 to raise men and money for the Crusades.

History

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King Henry II (1154–1189) granted the Templars land across England, including some territory near Castle Baynard on the River Fleet, where they built a round church, patterned after the Knights Templar headquarters on Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Templar estate at Cressing Temple in Essex was one of the very earliest and largest Templar estates in England.

The Order was also given the advowson of St Clement Danes.

In 1184, the Templars' headquarters was transferred to the New Temple (Temple Church) in London where once again they built a round church, this one patterned after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It was consecrated in 1185, and became the location for initiation rituals.

In 1185, a hospital was founded at Newark-on-Trent and granted to the Knights Templar.

An inventory by Geoffrey Fitz Stephen reveals that by 1185, the Order of the Knights Templar had extensive holdings in London, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Salop, Oxfordshire, Cornwall, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. The involvement of Templars in financial matters is highlighted by Walter of Coventry's story of Gilbert de Ogrestan, the Knight Templar accused of embezzling taxes collected in the Saladin tithe of 1188. He was severely punished by his contemporary Master.

In 1200, Pope Innocent III issued a papal bull declaring the immunity of persons and goods within the houses of the Knights Templar from local laws. This ensured that the New Temple became a royal treasury as well as the repository for the order's accumulated revenues. These financial resources provided the basis for the development of the Templar's local banking facilities.

King Richard I (1189–1199) confirmed the Templars' land holdings and granted them immunity from all pleas, suits danegeld and from murdrum and latrocinium.

King John (1199–1216) had substantial financial dealings with the Knights Templar. At the time of Runnymede, not only was Aymeric de St Maur present, but King John was also resident at the Temple when the Barons first presented their demands. He awarded them the island of Lundy as well as land at Huntspill, Cameley, Harewood, Radnage and Northampton.

King Henry III (1207–1272) also had substantial dealing with Templars, the king's Wardrobe being located there in 1225. He entrusted Templar knights with military, financial and diplomatic commissions, and even considered being buried in the Temple. He did in fact establish a chantry there in 1231.

The first Templar House in England was in London. Early patrons included Robert de Ferrers, 2nd Earl of Derby, Bernard de Balliol, King Stephen of England and Queen Matilda.

Persecution and dissolution

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Templars being burned at the stake

King Edward I (1239–1307) had accorded the Knights Templar a slighter role in public affairs, financial issues often being handled by Italian merchants and diplomacy by mendicant orders. Indeed, Edward I raided the treasury in 1283.

When Philip IV, King of France suppressed the order in 1307, King Edward II of England at first refused to believe the accusations. But after the intercession of Pope Clement V, King Edward ordered the seizure of members of the order in England on 8 January 1308. Only handfuls of Templars were duly arrested, however. Their trial ran from 22 October 1309 until 18 March 1310 in front of Deodatus, Abbot of Lagny and Sicard de Vaur. Most of the Templars acknowledged their belief that the Order's Master could give absolution was heretical, and were then reconciled with the church. However, Willian de la More refused to do so and remained a prisoner in the Tower of London until his death.

In 1312, under further pressure from King Philip IV of France, Pope Clement V officially disbanded the Order at the Council of Vienne. In 1314, the remaining Templar leaders in France were executed, some by being burned at the stake. Clement issued a papal bull which granted the lands of the Templars to the Knights Hospitaller, but this was ignored until 1324. Starting in 1347, the priests started letting (renting) part of the Temple to lawyers, from which the evolution of the Inner Temple and Middle Temple as Inns of Court derives.

Templar Survival in England

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Between 13 October 1307 and 8 January 1308, the Templars went unmolested in England. During this period many fugitive Templars, seeking to escape torture and execution, fled to apparent safety there. But after repeated pressure from Philip IV and Clement V on Edward II, a few half-hearted arrests were made. During a trial running from 22 October 1309 until 18 March 1310 most of the arrested Templars were forced to acknowledge the belief that the Order's Master could give absolution was heretical, and were officially reconciled with the church, many entering more conventional monastic Orders.

Most Templars in England were never arrested, and the persecution of their leaders was brief. The order was dissolved due to damaged reputation, but given the pope and church's judgement of the order as free from guilt, all members in England were free to find themselves a new place in society. Templar lands and assets were given to the Order of the Hospital of Saint John, a sister military order—though the English crown held onto some assets until 1338. The largest portion of former Templars joined the Hospitallers, while other remaining members joined the Cistercian order, or lived on pension as lay members of society. The loss of the Holy Land as a base for war against the Muslims had removed the primary reason for Templar existence, and the dissolved order now faded into history, in England as well as the rest of Europe.

The Templars in Hertfordshire

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Baldock in Hertfordshire was established by the Knights Templar and between 1199 and 1254 it was their English headquarters. The Hertford Mercury newspaper reported a warren of Templar tunnels beneath the town of Hertford, centering on Hertford Castle, where in 1309 four Templars from Temple Dinsley near Hitchin were imprisoned after their arrest by Edward II, who believed that they were holding a lost treasure.

Royston Cave in Hertfordshire

St Catherine & Christ carved in Royston Cave by 'fugitive Templars'

Modern tradition has it that after the persecution began the Templars were forced to meet in caves, tunnels and cellars in Hertfordshire and elsewhere in southeast England. However, the brief and modest persecution in England is unlikely to have necessitated this, as remaining members could, even around 1310, met at the house or room of a friend not under arrest—which would have been most Templars.

But after lying undiscovered for at least 300 years, workmen accidentally stumbled upon Royston Cave (August 1742), hidden under a heavy millstone and a covering of soil. The cave's discovery created much excitement. Today, it still awes and inspires visitors who can see carvings depicting, among other images, knights, Saint George and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Before the brief persecution, the Templars, assuming the cave was theirs, had no reason to hide below the ground, and they had wealth and access to stonemasons if they required religious carvings. It is thus suggested by storytellers and a few historians that Royston Cave is evidence 'fugitive' Templars continued to meet and worship in secret after the disbandment.

There have been some highly questionable claims made about Royston Cave and its history, including the suggestion that its Templar builders may, in effect, have been early Freemasons. However, no evidence of this link has been produced at this time.

The Templars in Rochester

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Much of Strood, Kent was a royal manor until Henry II gave it to the Knights Templar around 1159. The Templars had assembled a range of buildings in Strood by 1185, which included a timber hall, barns, kitchens and stables. The stone building, which has survived to the present day, was added around 1240. It consists of a vaulted undercroft supporting a large, undivided first-floor hall, approached by an external staircase. This was probably a part of the range of facilities designed for the temporary accommodation of travelling Templar dignitaries.

Over the years, this hall was altered and enlarged as it passed through the hands of a number of owners. Many additions have been lost but two fine, 17th century brick extensions can still be seen today. These and the massive internal chimney were built by the Blake family, perhaps the richest in Strood at that time.

The estate was inevitably sold off bit by bit until the City of Rochester acquired what was left and decided to use the site for industrial development. The debate over the future of the house was interrupted by a gentleman named Mr. Willis (a local councillor) in 1913 just 2 weeks after purchasing an 8.4 acre (3.4 hectare) plot of land directly East across the River Medway for a facility of what was to become known as the Seaplane Works. It was not until 1951 that work began to save the building and preserve it in the condition in which it can be seen today.

Templar legacy

Nearly any site in England which uses the name "Temple," can probably be traced to Templar origins.

The Temple Church still stands on the site of the old Preceptory in London, and effigies of Crusading Templars can still be seen there today. The land was later rented to lawyers who use it today as Inner Temple and Middle Temple.

Modern Templar organisations in England

Several modern organisations claim links with the medieval Templars. Some, such as the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (SMOTJ), also known as the "Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani" (OSMTH), have attained United Nations NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) status. The SMOTJ admits that their group was founded in 1804, "based on the traditions" of the medieval order, which legacy they use to promote humanitarian causes. However, there is often public confusion about the gap in time between the 14th century dismantling of the medieval Templars, and the 19th century rise of more contemporary organisations.

According to a 2004 article in The Times, one modern group in Hertfordshire (not affiliated to OSMTH) claims that although the medieval order officially ceased to exist in the early 14th century, that the majority of the organisation survived underground. There is, however, no verifiable evidence to support this claim. The Times article states that the group has written to the Vatican, asking for an official apology for the medieval persecution of the Templars. In Rome in 2004, a Vatican spokesman said that the demand for an apology would be given "serious consideration". However, Vatican insiders said that Pope John Paul II, 84 at the time, was under pressure from conservative cardinals to "stop saying sorry" for the errors of the past, after a series of papal apologies for the Crusades, the Inquisition, Christian anti-Semitism and the persecution of scientists and "heretics" such as Galileo.

Templar locations in England

Churches

Marble effigies of medieval knights in the Temple Church.

Place names

Other locations

Masters of the Temple, London

Notes

  1. Haag, Michael (2014) The Tragedy of the Templars. Published by Profile Books Limited (ISBN 978-1-84668-451-7)
  2. "House of Knights Templar: Preceptory of Cressing | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-08-26.
  3. www.visitparks.co.uk http://www.visitparks.co.uk/places/cressing-temple/. Retrieved 9 October 2014. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. Lost Worlds: Knights Templar, July 10, 2006, History Channel video documentary
  5. de Coventria, Gualterus (1965). Stubbs, William (ed.). Memoriale fratris Walteri de Coventria: The Historical Collection of Walter of Coventry. Vol. I. Nendeln Kraus. p. 360.
  6. "History of Baldock: The Knights Templar – Baldock Museum & Local History Society".
  7. OSMTH website: "The Order of the Temple is a Christian ecumenical organisation founded in 1804 by the physician Fabré-Palaprat with the support of Napoleon, and officially recognised in 1853 by Napoleon III. The Order operates on the basis of the traditions of the medieval Knights Templar. It reclaims the spirit of, but does not assert any direct descent from the ancient Order founded by Hugues de Payens in 1118 and dissolved by Pope Clement V in 1312."
  8. "The Last Crusade of the Templars", November 29, 2004, The Times

Sources

Further reading

External links

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