The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the TempleAddison, C. G. (Charles Greenstreet)
History
The History of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church, and the Temple
Addison, C. G. (Charles Greenstreet)
Templars -- History
The Master at London had his general and particular, or his ordinary and
extraordinary chapters. The first were composed of the grand preceptors of
Scotland and Ireland, and all the provincial priors and preceptors of the
three kingdoms, who were summoned once a year to deliberate on the state
of the Holy Land, to forward succour, to give an account of their
stewardship, and to frame new rules and regulations for the management of
the temporalities.[161] The ordinary chapters were held at the different
preceptories, which the Master of the Temple visited in succession. In
these chapters new members were admitted into the order; lands were
bought, sold, and exchanged; and presentations were made by the Master to
vacant benefices. Many of the grants and other deeds of these chapters,
with the seal of the order of the Temple annexed to them, are to be met
with in the public and private collections of manuscripts in this country.
One of the most interesting and best preserved, is the Harleian charter
(83, c. 39,) in the British Museum, which is a grant of land made by
Brother William de la More, the martyr, the last Master of the Temple in
England, to the Lord Milo de Stapleton. It is expressed to be made by him,
with the common consent and advice of his chapter, held at the Preceptory
of Dynneslee, on the feast of Saint Barnabas the Apostle, and concludes,
"In witness whereof, we have to this present indenture placed the seal of
our chapter."[162] A fac-simile of this seal is given above. On the
reverse of it is a man's head, decorated with a long beard, and surmounted
by a small cap, and around it are the letters TESTISVMAGI. The same seal
is to be met with on various other indentures made by the Master and
Chapter of the Temple.[163] The more early seals are surrounded with the
words, Sigillum _Militis_ Templi, "Seal of the _Knight_ of the Temple;" as
in the case of the deed of exchange of lands at Normanton in the parish of
Botisford, in Leicestershire, entered into between Brother Amadeus de
Morestello, Master of the chivalry of the Temple in England, and his
chapter, of the one part, and the Lord Henry de Colevile, Knight, of the
other part. The seal annexed to this deed has the addition of the word
_Militis_, but in other respects it is similar to the one above
delineated.[164]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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