The Knights TemplarsAddison, C. G. (Charles Greenstreet)
History
The Knights Templars
Addison, C. G. (Charles Greenstreet)
Templars
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.[49] 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.” A facsimile of this seal is given
at the head of the present chapter. 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 TESTIS SVM AGNI. The same seal is to be met
with on various other indentures made by the Master and Chapter of
the Temple.[50] 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 Coleville 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.[51]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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