Source: “The Knights templar And Scotland”, By Robert Ferguson, The History Press, Brimscombe Port Stroud, Gloucestershire, 2011.
5. The Downfall of the Knights Templar.mp4
5. Friday the 13th - The Templar Escape and the Scottish Connection.m4a
This topic delves into the circumstances surrounding the 1307 arrests of the Knights Templar, particularly focusing on the motivations and actions of King Philip IV of France. It highlights Philip's dire financial straits and his desire to control the Templars' immense wealth as key drivers behind the arrests, rather than genuine concerns about heresy. The text also examines the principal players involved, such as Jacques de Molay and Pope Clement V, and discusses the Templars' declining relevance and growing arrogance after the loss of Outremer. Finally, it analyzes the discrepancies in estimates regarding the number of Templars arrested and the significant number who likely escaped, suggesting a potential exodus to places like Scotland.
Topic 1: The foundational idea that some Knights Templar might have escaped to Scotland before or during their arrests is a simple premise, but its full understanding requires familiarity with the specific circumstances leading up to and surrounding the arrests. A key initiating event occurred on September 14, 1307, when King Philip IV signed the order for the preparation of arrest warrants for the Knights Templar and the confiscation of their property, with the arrests themselves concluding a month later.
Topic 2: The primary figures central to the major events of the Templars' arrests included Jacques de Molay, who served as the Grand Master of the Knights Templar from 1293 until his execution in 1314. King Philip IV, also known as Philip the Fair, reigned as King of France from 1285 until his death in 1314. Pope Clement V, whose papacy spanned from November 14, 1305, until his death in 1314, was sometimes perceived as merely a puppet of King Philip IV, though the reality suggests he faced health problems and lacked political astuteness.
Topic 3: Beyond the primary figures, several other significant individuals played known roles in the Templars' arrests. These included Hugh de Pairaud, who was the Treasurer of the Temple and held the influential office of Visitor General, making him second in command only to Jacques de Molay. Gerard de Villiers was the Preceptor of the Temple of France. Hugh de Châlons was a knight and the nephew of Hugh de Pairaud. Pierre Flote was the Keeper of the Seals and head of the Chandlery from the early 1290s until his death in 1302. Guillaume de Nogaret, an influential lawyer from the mid-1290s, assumed the position of Keeper of the Seals from 1307 until his death in 1313.
Topic 4: To comprehend the situation in 1307, one must consider the distinct goals and agendas of the Templars, Pope Clement V, and King Philip IV. The historical context reaches back to 1265 with the fall of Caesarea and the fortress of Arsuf in Syria, which, along with other defeats, signaled the inevitable decline of Christian presence in Outremer. During this period, the Templars transitioned from widespread acceptance, which they had enjoyed after the Council of Troyes, to a state of alienation and distrust, largely due to their increasingly haughty and insular demeanor.
Topic 5: The problems for the Templars greatly intensified following the fall of Acre on May 25, 1291, a significant city and Templar stronghold. After this defeat, the original purpose of the Knights Templar and other military orders vanished. Their role transformed from that of warriors to managers of their extensive estates, including mills, wineries, tenants, livestock, treasuries, and banks. The continued existence of the Order became contingent upon the future prospect of the Pope authorizing another crusade, which necessitated not only the management of their existing wealth but its continuous accumulation.
Topic 6: The Templars, often comprising poor or barely literate second sons not trained in the exercise of power and authority, faced significant challenges in their new role. This lack of appropriate training, combined with the immense power they had consolidated through numerous papal bulls—which granted them immunity from local and secular authority—led to widespread abuse of their power. The consequence of this unchecked authority was the cultivation of an attitude marked by arrogance and greed within the Order, further alienating them from other entities.
Topic 7: The aggrandizing spirit of the Templar Order and its eventual dire consequences are graphically illustrated through an anecdote found in Sir John Mandeville's Travels. The story describes an ancient castle in Little Armenia where a fair lady of faerie keeps a sparrow-hawk. Whoever watches the sparrow-hawk for a specific period (seven days and nights or three days and nights) without company or sleep is granted one earthly wish. A Knight of the Temple undertook this vigil and wished for a purse that would always be full of gold. The lady granted his wish but warned him that he had, by this request, sought the destruction of his Order, foreseeing that the trust placed in such an inexhaustible purse and the great pride it would foster would lead to their downfall, which, the narrative concludes, came to pass.
Topic 8: Jacques de Molay, upon becoming Grand Master in late 1293, set two primary goals for himself: to re-establish Christian authority in Outremer and to safeguard the integrity of the Templar Order. To achieve the former, he persistently gathered supplies in Italy and France and maintained a strategic base on the small island of Ruad, off the Syrian city of Tortosa. However, a significant setback occurred in 1302 when a large Egyptian force overwhelmed the base on Ruad, forcing the Templars off the island and eliminating their last stronghold in the Mediterranean east of Cyprus.
Topic 9: Between 1296 and 1306, the Templars maintained a complex and fluctuating financial relationship with King Philip IV, consistently serving as his bankers to varying degrees. At times, they were major participants in his financial affairs, while at other times, they were disregarded. For instance, between 1292 and 1295, King Philip moved a significant portion of his treasury to the Louvre, removing it from Templar control. However, following his defeat at Courtrai in 1302, he transferred much of it back to the Templars' Paris Temple and instructed Hugh de Pairaud to collect war subsidies to cover the associated costs.