Scottish Knights Templar Totally Explained

Everything about Scottish Knights Templar totally explained

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This article is about the development of the modern Order of Scottish Knights Templar. Information on the early period of the Order is the subject of Knights Templar in Scotland.

Myth and legend

Following the medieval period, dealt with in the Knights Templar in Scotland, there appear myths, legends and anecdotes connecting them to the Battle of Bannockburn. Degrees in Freemasonry, such as the Royal Order of Scotland, allude to the story of Rosslyn and the Scottish Knights Templar . This theme was elaborated in apocryphal stories by Andrew Michael Ramsay and Fr. Hay in the 18th century and was repeated in the pseudohistory book The Temple and The Lodge by Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh, first published in 1989. On the subject of a possible Bruce connection, Masonic Historian D Murray Lyon wrote "The fraternity of Kilwinning never at any period practiced or acknowledged other than the Craft degrees; neither does there exist any tradition worthy of the name, local or national, nor has any authentic document yet been discovered that can in the remotest degree be held to identify Robert Bruce with the holding of Masonic Courts, or the institution of a secret society at Kilwinning."
St Clair - Sinclair speculation
The St Clair, later Sinclair, Earls of Rosslyn or Roslin have also been connected to Templarism in Scotland, but Mark Oxbrow and Ian Robertson in their recent book, 'Rosslyn and the Grail', note that the St Clair of Rosslyn testified against the Templars at their trial in Edinburgh in 1309. Dr. Louise Yeoman points out that the Rosslyn/Knights Templar connection is false, having been invented by 18th century fiction-writers, and that Rosslyn Chapel was built by William Sinclair so that Mass could be said for the souls of his family . The Sinclair well documented connections are with Scottish Freemasonry which has a Templar degree. William St Clair, (William Sinclair) 3rd Earl of Orkney, Baron of Roslin and 1st Earl of Caithness built Rosslyn Chapel. A later William Sinclair of Roslin became the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Scotland. See Masonic Knights Templar and Clan Sinclair.In Michael T.R.B Turnbull's book Rosslyn Chapel Revealed he states that "Eighteen years after the suppression of the Order, Sir William Sainteclaire, in the role of a Crusader(not Templar), made a brave and honourable bid to fulfil the wishes of his late monarch, King Robert The Bruce".. He then explains that he and his wife Lady Margaret Ramsay of Dalhousie produced a son (also Sir William)to succeed him as the 8th Baron of Rosslyn. Turnbull States that "His father could never have been a Knight Templar, as his wealth and marriage would have broken two of the three Templar vows - Poverty and chastity"..
Templar survival in Scotland
John Graham of Claverhouse, "Bonnie Dundee", a Tory and Episcopalian, was killed at the Battle of Killiecrankie on 27th July 1689. He is said to have been the Grand Master of a Jacobite "Convent" the Temple in the Montrose area, appointed on the authority of Dom Calvet and was found to be wearing the Grand Cross of the Order under his breast plate. After his death the Mar is said to have held the office , and then Atholl . However there are references to Templars continuing to the present day in Scotland, including the Medieval Hospice & The Preceptory of St Anthony which suggest that the Order survived.
Eighteenth Century Revival
Templarism experienced a revival of interest in the eighteenth century through Freemasonry with a Scottish influence. The first record of this is in Ramsay's Oration in Paris in 1737. Andrew Michael Ramsay was tutor to the Young Pretender, Prince Charles Edward Stuart. He claimed that Freemasonry had begun among crusader knights and that they'd formed themselves into Lodges of St John. The next development was with Karl Gotheif, Baron Von Hund, and Alten-Grotkau, who had apparently been introduced to the concept by the Jacobite Lord Kilmarnock, and received into a Templar Chapter by a mysterious "Knight of the Red Feather". Baron von Hund established a new Masonic rite called the "Strict Templar Observance". The "Knight of the Red Feather" has been identified subsequently as Alexander Seton better known as Alexander Montgomerie, 10th Earl of Eglinton, a prominent Freemason in the Jacobite movement.,
The modern revival
The modern revival of Templarism in Scotland starts with Alexander Deuchar. The records of one of Scottish Freemasonry's most prestigious lodges, the St Mary's Chapel Lodge of Edinburgh, describe the visit of a "...deputation from the Grand Assembly of the High Knights Templar in Edinburgh… headed by their most worshipful Grand Master, Alexander Deuchar...the first time for some hundred years that any Lodge of Freemasonry had been visited by an assembly of Knights Templar, headed by their Grand Master." This implies that there was an Order in existence 100 years earlier. In 1811 with a Charter from the Templar Grand Master in England, the Duke of Kent, Alexander Deuchar established the Grand Conclave of Knights of the Holy Temple and Sepulchre, and of St. John of Jerusalem. Controversially in 1836 "...it was proposed that non-Masons be admitted to the Order, at the same time the ritual was adapted in order to allow this to happen.,, . Previously only Royal Arch Masons in Good Standing were allowed to join. Only the Royal Grand Conclave was allowed to admit non-Masons and these men were never members of any Encampments, only of Grand Conclave." The modern non Masonic Order Militi Templi Scotia claims descent from Alexander Deuchar who was a Freemason.

Masonic and non-Masonic orders
Templarism in Scotland has been claimed as the root of both Masonic and non-Masonic Orders. The Masonic Movement is the Royal Order of Scotland. There are today a number of small Groups of non-Masonic Knights Templar in Scotland, though not all claim descent from either the medieval Knights Templar in Scotland or Alexander Deuchar. They include The Sovereign military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem, The Confederation of Scottish Knights Templar, The Ancient Scottish Military Order of Knights Templarand Militi Templi Scotia. The recently retired Grand Chancellor for Militi Templi Scotia back in 2002 was quoted as saying "Yes, we believe that Templar Knights fighting on Robert the Bruce’s side swung the balance," says Paul MacGowan, recently retired Grand Chancellor of Militi Templi Scotia. "We think they deserve recognition for that, but we tread a very thin line here...We find Templar history and its influence throughout the ages simply fascinating," says MacGowan. "It crops up in the most unexpected places, like the American Constitution. What we do have problems with is people looking at it from a nationalist point of view, and we don’t associate ourselves with extremist splinter groups who turn up at Bannockburn anniversaries with ulterior motives in mind." . He added Militi Templi Scotia was chivalric, as opposed to Masonic but does admit Freemasons into its ranks.The SKT-SMOTJ Preceptory of St Anthony SKT-SMOTJ(RTM)(Scottish Knight Templars-Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem) doesn't admit Freemasons, nor does any of its associated Orders that fall under the International Federative Alliance-Ordo Christi Militi Templi Heirosolimitanti . evidence of their continued history can be viewed on their web sites.
European influence
In 2006 the "Commandery of St. Clair" No S1, Edinburgh, was chartered by the OSMTH Grand Priory of France. The Commandery recently received affiliation of OSMTH International at Commandery Status under the Mentorship of the Grand Priory of France. Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani - The Grand Priory Of The Knights Templar In Scotland Ltd is registered with Companies House in the UK and is working under the authority of The Commandery of St Clair, Edinburgh, No S1,Grand Priory of France (GPFT), OSMTH International.
The Scottish Templar Cross
Knights Templar Internationally use the Cross pattée, including The Commandery of St Clair in alignment with the International Order OSMTH, The Grand Priory of the Scots (mainly American Scots) a Cross with two branches, and other Scottish Knights Templar Groups use the Eight Pointed Cross coloured red more commonly but not exclusively known as the Maltese Cross, of the Knights Hospitaller or Order of St. John or Cross of Amalfi . The Scottish Templar use of the Maltese Cross probably dates to the 1960s although the Cross itself is much older.
Scottish Knights Templar Tartan
The Scottish Knights Templar of OSMTH International have their own tartan. It was ratified and approved by the Grand Conclave of Militi Scotia S.M.O.J in Perth 28th March 1998. The original name was "Scottish Knights Templar of Militi Templi Scotia International." but it was changed to "Scottish Knights Templar of OSMTH International" in 2006. OSMTH stands for; "Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani".

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