Knights Templar

[maeve]

I would be interested to hear from anyone who has history of the Knights Templar properties and land holdings in Leeds. I know they had an association with Temple Newsam House and several place names in the area suggest association with them. There is also a public house of this name. Any information gratefully received. Regards Maeve

[Mike Hansell]

Ref: BBC At home with the Knights Templar (http://www.bbc.co.uk/leeds/content/articles/2005/04/07/local_history_knights_templar_history_feature.shtm l)
The Knights Templar were a medieval military order, shrouded in mystery and intrigue. They were rumoured to be the guardians of the Holy Grail, as you may have read in Dan Brown's bestselling book, the Da Vinci Code.

Facts
The Knights Templar were formed at the end of the First Crusade to protect Christian pilgrims on route to the Holy Land.

The head of the Templar Knights was the Grand Master, based in Jerusalem. Each country also had its own Master and then there was a Grand Preceptor of Yorkshire would controlled the order's estates in the county.

From humble beginnings the order went on to have the backing of the Holy See and European monarchies. They became very rich and powerful.

This, along with the secrecy of their initiation rites, attracted the anger of Philip IV of France and the order was charged with heresy and immorality in 1307.

After a royal inquest, where torture was freely employed, they were found guilty. Their wealth was confiscated and the order disbanded. The Grand Master and many of his followers were burned at the stake.

In England the Templars (including Geoffrey de Arches, the last preceptor of Temple Newsam) were absolved of their sins and sent to abbeys to do penance. Kirkstall Abbey was one of the places that received disgraced Templars.

But did you know that there was a Templar estate right here in Leeds? We find out about how these crusader knights really lived.

Each of the Templars' estates centred around a preceptory - a combination of a monastery and farmstead. The knights who came there would learn to fight and to pray.

There were several preceptories in Yorkshire including Temple Newsam, Wetherby, Ribston near Knaresborough and Temple Hirst near Selby.

The manor of Newsam (which means 'new houses') was granted to the Knights Templar in around 1155. The 'Temple' was added to the name in honour of the Templars. From the original documents we can see that land at Newsam, Skelton, Colton and Whitkirk was given to the Knights by Henry DeLacy "for the salvation of my soul".


Templars in the area
The Templar farmstead was located about half a mile to the south of the present Temple Newsam House, close to the river Aire.

An excavation of the site was carried out by West Yorkshire Archaeological Service in 1991 and found out about the way of life at Temple Newsam in the 12th century.


Excavation of the site
The dig revealed a huge barn, over 45m long, which may well have been one of the largest of its kind in England in its time. After the harvest, corn would have been stacked and threshed in the barn.

There were also a number of other buildings including a possible granary and the outlines of several pits that may have contained barrels for use in tanning leather.


A knight joins the Templars
When the Knights Templar were disbanded Temple Newsam was handed back to the crown. Agents of Edward II made an inventory of the estate at around this time in 1311. From this we can see that there were no treasures mentioned on the inventory, mostly basic and practical items.

The real wealth of Temple Newsam lay in the farm and its produce. In 1311 the estate had over 1000 sheep as well as cattle and pigs. The granary contained wheat, peas and oats.

Despite the romantic stories and mysteries associated with the Templar Knights, the preceptory at Temple Newsam was very much a working farm, with any profits used to fund the crusades overseas.

[maeve]

Thank you for the above information. I have read the book, the author is obviously laughing all the way to the bank. Seen the film, interesting and dramatic, load of rubbish but entertaining.

After reading extracts from several sources regarding Templars, it would seem that the disbanding of the order was ,as usual, down to money. The Church, the English and French monarchy at that time all vied with each other to get their hands on the vast wealth of the order. The Templars had made huge loans to each of these bodies but had difficulty in getting the three parties to pay the money back. The easiest way for Church and Crown to get their hands on money and property owned by the Templars was to accuse them of Heresey. Many of the Knights Templars fled to Scotland and fought as soldiers but some settled down to raise families, which went against the vow of celibacy they had taken when joining the order.

[Trish]

There's an interesting little book called "The Templars and Temple Newsam" by Dave Weldrake. It's obtainable from the West Yorkshire Archaeology Service in Wakefield and as well as giving info about Temple Newsam, there are pictures of the dig they did there, and general information about the Templars. It only costs £3.50 + 75p postage.

I'm researching for a book I'm writing with my sister about the Templars in Yorkshire. It will be some time before it's published, but if you want me to let you know when it is, email me at trish@specialistcoaching.com and I'll make a note to contact you.

[paul]

From "Illustrated Guide to Nidderdale and a History of its Congregational Churches" by Thomas Whitehead 1932

"THE HOLY LAND OF THE NIDD"

In the time of the Crusades part of Lower Nidderdale, especially around Ribstone, was owned by Knights, who were directly or indirectly interested in the freedom of the Holy Land.
They made, too, great sacrifices of money and lands towards the maintenance of the costly pilgrimages to Jerusalem.
Some of them took the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, and became Knight-monks. These were known as Knights Templars, deriving their name from the fact that Baldwin II., King of Jerusalem, had granted to their Order a home within the Temple area on Mount Moriah.
They were responsible to the Pope alone, with no Bishop as intermediary, and their houses had the right of Sanctuary.
They enjoyed, too, many privileges granted by Royal Charter.
It was common in the 13th Century to see these Knights riding about in the Dale between Marston Moor and Knaresborough wearing a white linen mantle over their armour with the eight-pointed Cross on the left shoulder, and a white linen girdle.
Their seal displayed a Templar and a helpless pilgrim on one horse.
In England they had Houses at Temple Hurst near Snaith, at Temple Newsam near Leeds, and in the Nidd Valley.
They not only provided money for, and acted as escorts to, the pilgrims, but their homes became hospitals and places of convalescence for the distressed.
Effigies of the Templars may still be seen in the Dales.

[paul]

There use to be a pub in Ripon, called "The Saracen's Head", there is also, still, "The Turk's Head"

Paul

[WhiteWolf]

There are still a couple of places in Leeds city center that bare the Templars cross.

I have pictures on my machine at home and will post them when I get in (in work till 21:30).

One is on the wall of 'Break for the Border' (think thats its name) on Briggate and the other is up one of the allyways leading to another public house.

Wil post more info later.

Andy :cool:

[paul]

Hi Andy,

I'm also interested in the Knights Templar, I'm looking forward to your post ...

Although not in Leeds, but not far away ...

In Hampsthwaite parish church (St Thomas a Becket), there are some carvings in the porch which was rebuilt from the original 12th century fabric

photo (http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h169/ljuk/st_thomas_hampsthwaite/0017.jpg)

Hampsthwaite parish church (http://www.yorkshireindexers.co.uk/forums/links/showlink.php?do=showdetails&l=2515&postid=2451#post2451)

Paul

[WhiteWolf]

Hi Knights Templar pictures as promised

http://www.djwhitewolf.net/images/ktx1.jpg
This one is on the Side of Break for the Border

http://www.djwhitewolf.net/images/ktx2.jpghttp://www.djwhitewolf.net/images/ktx3.jpg
These two are shots of a cross from one of the public houses up one of the alleys off Briggate (I can't for the life of me remember what it's called).

Andy

[Mike Hansell]

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e57/yorkshireindexers/Misc/TemplarCrosses.jpg
Ref: The Old Kingdom of Elmet. by Edmund Bogg pub.1902

I'am not sure if these signs still exist, might be worth an investigation, many of the Street's are still there, just off Vicar Lane, in the Centre of Leeds. If anyone spots any please make a note of them on this thread.

[WhiteWolf]

I'am not sure if these signs still exist, might be worth an investigation, many of the Street's are still there, just off Vicar Lane, in the Centre of Leeds. If anyone spots any please make a note of them on this thread.

Mike

The two pictures above were taken at the beginning of 2006, by all accounts there is another somewhere, but I couldn't find it.

Andy

[michsmth6]

Trish .would Like A Book Also Please . Comming From Yorkshire
Myself . Mike