Introduction To The History Of The Knights Templar
On this page you will find a brief synopsis of the history of the original Order of the Knights Templar, which lasted just short of 200 years, from 1119 to 1314 when the last Grand Master was executed. For anyone interested in a detailed examination, we would recommend:
| 'The History of the Knights Templar' by Charles G. Addison |
| 'The New Knighthood' by Malcolm Barber |
There has been much speculation as to whether the Order continued "underground" in the ensuing years, with various theories and speculations for example, that they had chapters in Scotland, America (before Columbus), helped to form what is now known as Switzerland and were responsible for the birth of Freemasonry, to name but a few. However there is no concrete evidence that the Order did manage to survive in the form which it enjoyed at the height of its influence.
Our Order does not claim to be a direct descendant in the strict sense but it was formally registered in Jerusalem where the original Knights Templar were legitimised and, so far as we are aware, is the only Order originally so registered and which was also empowered to grant hereditary Knighthoods. It is the intention of this Order to modernise and refine the codes of conduct of the original Templars, so as to be of relevance in the modern world. The militarism is not part of our remit; rather we prefer to concentrate on the philanthropic aspects on a worldwide basis.
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