Who are the 'Knights Templar'?
The Knights Templar were a religious military order established in 1118 to protect pilgrims and the Holy Sepulcher. The Order’s battle honours in defence of the Holy Land were many, but, following the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, the Templars withdrew to Acre.
They remained at Acre with Grand Master William de Beaujue until 1291 when the city was captured and he was killed. The Order withdrew to Limasol, Cyprus and it had its Headquarters at the Temple Monastery in Paris. The order had become fabulously wealthy through its own banking system which began to attract the envy and greed of others.
The principal malefactor was Phillipe le Bel, King of France, who was financially indebted to the Order. In 1307, Phillipe arrested all serving Templars in France with Grand Master Jaques de Molay and others burnt at the stake in March 1314. In England, Edward II (a patron) at first did not take any action against the Order, but finally allowed the inquisitors to judge the Order and then set about reclaiming English Templar lands and possessions, including the London Temple, or passing them to the Knights Hospitallers.
After Edward’s actions, the Templars sought refuge in Scotland where they were welcomed.