Sources/Credits:
https://issuu.com/mediaflash/docs/quovadis
https://pglherts.org/2020/08/the-progressive-orders-the-knights-templar/

The Order of Knights Templar is one of the most colorful Ceremonies in Freemasonry and the teachings, symbols, and ritual is rich in meaning, having many layers, and provide the Candidate with much that he can incorporate into daily life. Knightly courtesy and commitment to one’s faith are hallmarks of this prestigious Order.

According to legend, the Knights Templar was founded in 1118 AD to protect pilgrims heading for Jerusalem and the Christian Holy places, where the small band of warrior monks established a headquarters. In the year 1118 AD King Baldwin II granted the Templars quarters on the Temple Mount and this forms the link to the Royal Arch.

Many men, of noble birth, joined the ranks of the Templar Order. Those who were unable to join often gifted the Templars with land and other valuables. Modern Masonic association with these medieval defenders of the Christian Holy places is linked by the ceremony of Installation in which the Candidate takes the part of a Pilgrim who, by symbolically embarking on a Crusade, is elevated to Knighthood.

The Order of Knights Templar Degrees:
• Order of the Temple
• Order of Malta
• Order of Red Cross

The earliest reference to modern Masonic Knight Templar activity in England can be found in the minutes of the Chapter of Friendship (Royal Arch) in Portsmouth, dated 1778, where it was worked as an Appendant Degree. In 1791 a Grand Conclave was formed comprising seven ‘Encampments’ with Thomas Dunckerley as Grand Master. By 1873 ‘Grand Conclave’ was now known as ‘Great Priory’, and ‘Encampments’ were now known as ‘Preceptories’.

The ceremony is very realistic and the regalia spectacular, based upon that worn by the Medieval Knights. Prospective Candidates must be a Master Mason, a Royal Arch Mason, and a Christian.

The title ‘KT’ can be said to be a very short abbreviation of what must be one of the longest titles in existence for a Masonic order; the full title being ‘The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta in England and Wales and Provinces Overseas.’ There are four keywords that I would like to highlight in that title, as they provide an insight into what we are all about:

1. United: The Order actually consists of two separate orders, founded on the medieval orders of the same name – the Knights Templar and the Knights of Malta. These are united under the direction of one Grand Master. Each order has its own distinct ceremonies and regalia.
2. Religious: All candidates for installation must profess the Trinitarian Christian faith.

Whilst claiming no direct descent from the original medieval Knights Templar, modern Masonic association with these defenders of the Christian Holy Places can be found in the very visual Ceremony of Installation as a Knight of the Order. The Candidate takes the part of a Pilgrim who, by symbolically embarking on a Crusade and undergoing various trials, is eventually elevated to the honor of Knighthood and is then entitled to wear the full and impressive regalia of a Knight Templar.

3. Military: As one would perhaps expect of an order based upon military foundations, swords and other drills are an integral part of the many ceremonial aspects of the Degree.
4. Masonic: The Order is administered from Mark Masons’ Hall; although there is no requirement to be a Mark Master Mason in order to join. There are 30 provinces in England and Wales, and we are fortunate in Hertfordshire that our boundaries correspond with those of the Craft Province, which makes administration a lot easier.

The original Knights Templar was founded to protect pilgrims heading for Jerusalem and the Christian Holy places. On Christmas Day 1119, Hugh de Payns and eight other Knights took monastic vows; styling themselves The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Jesus Christ. They were quartered near the remains of the Temple of Solomon, of which only the Western Wall now remains. From these humble beginnings, the Order grew exponentially into a formidable, international organization, with special rights and privileges being granted by Popes and Kings.

The Templars were unusual in that they were brothers of a religious order and also soldiers. They united the knightly and religious roles that were at the very heart of medieval society in the early 12th Century. They played a key part in many battles of the Crusades and built numerous fortifications, many of which can still be seen today; yet they also devised financial innovations that could be considered the basis of modern banking (eg the cheque). Eventually, their fame spread throughout the then-known world, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Interest in the Knights Templar has probably never been higher – a simple Google search for ‘Knights Templar’ alone returns 17,700,000 hits. All sorts of speculation and theory about the circumstances of their spectacular rise to, and fall from, power continue to abound.

What is certainly true is that the rise and fall of the Templars exactly corresponded to the two centuries of the crusading venture in the East which began with the first crusade. In 1291, when the Mamelukes drove the last Frankish settlers out of the Holy Land, the Templars lost the main purpose of their existence and soon fell victim to the rapacious greed and tyrannical ambitions of King Philip IV (‘Le Bel’) of France.

The earliest reference to modern Masonic Knight Templar activity in England can be found in the minutes of the Chapter of Friendship (Royal Arch) in Portsmouth, dated 1778, where it was worked as an Appendant Degree. In 1791 a Grand Conclave was formed comprising seven ‘Encampments’ with Thomas Dunckerley as Grand Master. By 1873 ‘Grand Conclave’ was known as ‘Great Priory’ and ‘Encampments’ as ‘Preceptories’.

The Province of Hertfordshire first came into existence in 1840 with the formation of Watford Encampment, under the guidance of William Stuart Senior, who subsequently ruled the Province as Provincial Grand Commander.

Watford Encampment later became known first as Stuart Encampment and, ultimately, Stuart Preceptory No 28. Following the formation of the Preceptory of St Alban No 266 in 1930 and Temple Chelsin Preceptory No 269 in 1931, the Province was reconstituted in 1933 and has continued in that form ever since.

Prospective candidates wishing to be installed as a Knight must be a Master Mason, a Royal Arch Mason and also profess the Christian Trinity. Membership of the Order is a prerequisite for joining the Holy Royal Arch Knights Templar Priests and Order of Holy Wisdom (‘KTP’) and the Scottish Rectified Rite – Knights Beneficent of the Holy City (‘KBHC’ or ‘CBCS’).

The historic ‘Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem’ (Knights Hospitaller) were founded in Jerusalem during the first Crusade, about the year 1099, by the association of many pious Knights with the Brothers of St John’s Hospital, which had been founded earlier that same century, for the relief of pilgrims traveling to worship at the Holy Sepulchre.

In Masonic terms, the Malta Degree is conferred on Candidates who have already been Installed as Knights Templars. Each Preceptory of Knights Templar in the Province has a Priory of Knights of Malta attached to it; several of whom work the degree of Installation as a Knight of Malta. It is usual practice for the Eminent Preceptor of a Preceptory to also act as the Eminent Prior of the Priory.

Whilst the Malta regalia and ceremony are very different from that of the Knights Templar, it is not a separate sovereign body; but rather a progressive degree within the Order of the Knights Templar.

The ceremony is based on the movement of the Knights Hospitaller from their inception in Jerusalem to their settling on the Island of Malta in 1522 (having traveled via Palestine and Rhodes), where they would remain in control for some 270 years.

The Masonic ceremony of Installation of a Knight of Malta is a very colorful one which includes moments of drama and historic background. The rank structure within the Degree is similar to that of the Knights Templar with a few slight differences. The Officers’ titles are very different and unique to the Degree.

The primary beneficiary of charitable donations from the Knights Templar and the Knights of Malta is the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group, which conduct life-changing ophthalmic surgery and procedures in the Holy Land for those who would otherwise have no chance of receiving it. Great Priory is currently running the ‘20 for 2020’ appeal, whereby it is hoped that every member will be able to make an individual donation of £20 to support this ongoing and vitally important work. Further details can be found on the KT section of the Mark Masons’ Hall website.

Membership of the Order enables one to combine one’s enthusiasm for Freemasonry with my long-held interest in the history of the medieval Knights Templar; the legends of whom continue to fascinate people all over the world hundreds of years after their demise.

The KT and Malta ceremonies are highly interactive and visual, yet, at the same time, they both stimulate personal reflection. This, combined with the military character of the floorwork and the unique and spectacular regalia, make for very enjoyable meetings. Whilst our membership of 300 Knights across the Province means that, in numerical terms, the Order is quite large, we still manage to maintain a sense of close-knit camaraderie amongst our members, and visiting other Preceptories is very much encouraged.

As the Provincial Vice-Chancellor, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to accompany the Provincial Prior and Sub-Prior in visiting other Provinces for their Annual Provincial Meetings. This provides an ideal forum in which to exchange ideas and best practices with my opposite numbers from around the country.

For more information or if you would like to join, please visit the following URLs:
– https://moyorkrite.org/about-the-knights-templar/
– http://www.irishmasonichistory.com/the-order-of-the-temple—a-history.html
– http://www.kt-msw.org/
– https://www.cityofgroveok.gov/building/page/hoc-sigino-vinces-masonic-knights-templar
– https://www.indianaknightstemplar.org/index.php/about/about-knights-templar
– https://www.bedfordshirefreemasons.org/other-orders/knights-templar/
– https://www.knightstemplar.org.nz/other-orders/

Or, go to the MASONIC LODGE LIST and select the appropriate lodge in your jurisdiction.