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52-454: The Knights Templar , full name The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta , is a fraternal order affiliated with Freemasonry . Unlike the initial degrees conferred in a regular Masonic Lodge , which (in most Regular Masonic jurisdictions ) only require a belief in a Supreme Being regardless of religious affiliation,

104-450: A decade before Dunckerley's initiation. He published a number of charges, lectures and songs related to different branches of Freemasonry. Together with Grand Secretary Heseltine and William Preston , he campaigned and raised funds for the first dedicated headquarters of English Freemasonry, the first Freemasons' Hall . During his lifetime he held various high Masonic offices: Past Senior Grand Warden of England, Provincial Grand Master for

156-579: A lodge might change the order that it is affiliated to, two orders might merge, or a group of lodges will break away from an order and form a new one. For example, the Independent Order of Foresters was set up in 1874 when it separated from the Ancient Order of Foresters , also called Foresters Friendly Society, which itself was formed from the Royal Foresters Society in 1834. Consequently,

208-442: A national body for Templar masonry. This was made possible by an annuity of £100, rising to £800, which he obtained from King George III by claiming to be his father's illegitimate half brother. In 1735, Dunckerley was articled to William Simpson, a barber and peruke maker of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster, but ran away after just two years to join the navy. He is recorded from 14 April to 4 August 1742 as an able seaman on

260-715: A powerful testimony to the almighty force of Truth. The ritual places the candidate in the role of Zerubbabel and follows him through his journey to King Darius in Persia and his role in the Immemorial Discussion, as found in the apocryphal book, 1 Esdras . The purpose is to bridge the gap between Royal Arch Masonry and the Chivalric Orders as well as between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Illustrious Order of

312-579: A separate Great Priory of the Temple and Great Priory of Malta (as, for example, in England), the Grand Master and other officers of both Great Priories hold simultaneous equal office in both bodies. Three degrees are administered in this system: In England and Wales, the "Great Priory of England and Wales" for the Masonic Knights Templar is administered from Mark Masons' Hall, London . The Order of

364-514: Is In Hoc Signo Vinces , the rendition in Latin of the Greek phrase "εν τούτῳ νίκα", en toutōi nika, meaning "in this [sign] you will conquer". The Knight Templar degree is associated with elaborate regalia (costume) the precise detail of which varies between nations. The ritual draws upon the traditions of medieval Knights Templar, using them to impart moral instruction consistent with the biblical teachings of

416-590: Is the likely source for the introduction of Templarism into Freemasonry. In 1751 Baron Karl Gotthelf von Hund und Altengrotkau began the Rite of Strict Observance , which ritual he claimed to have received from the reconstituted Templar Order in 1743 in Paris. He also claimed to have met two of the "unknown superiors" who directed all of masonry, one of whom was Prince Charles Edward Stuart . The order went into decline when he failed to produce any evidence to support his claims, and

468-654: Is universally associated with the Masonic Knights Templar. In the York Rite system it is conferred before the Templar Degree; in the 'stand-alone' tradition it is conferred subsequently to the Templar Degree. It is known by varying degrees of formality as the Order of Malta , or the Order of Knights of Malta , or the Ancient and Masonic Order of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes, and Malta . In practice this last and fullest version of

520-559: The Hiramic Legend . The York Rite orders are: History and legend concerning the historical Knights Templar also play an important role in the degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, notably in the Rite's 30th Degree, Knight Kadosh . Other Scottish Rite degrees sometimes styled "Templar Degrees" include the 28th Degree (Knight Commander of the Temple, formerly denominated

572-736: The Knights Hospitaller . This is repeated in the earliest known " Moderns " ritual, the Berne manuscript, written in French between 1740 and 1744. Ramsay was initiated as a Templar by his mentor François Fénelon into the non-Masonic French Ordre du Temple with his friend Philippe II, Duke of Orleans as Grandmaster around 1710. After the death of Fenelon and the Duke of Orleans, Ramsay was initiated into Freemasonry around 1730. Since Ramsay's Templarism predated his relationship with Freemasonry by some 20 years, this

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624-700: The Orange Order for Irish Protestants . Some orders have a clear political agenda, sometimes radical or militant - for example, the Nativist and anti-Catholic Order of the Star Spangled Banner and Order of United Americans , active in the 1840s US, or the Ku Klux Klan . Some are associated with professions, such as the Fraternal Order of Police , while yet others are focused on academic traditions. In

676-795: The "Edinburgh Encampment No. 31", then became the"Grand Assembly of Knights Templar in Edinburgh". who then sought a charter from the Duke of Kent, Grand Master of the Order in England. It seems that the Templar degree had filtered into the lodges of the Antients from Ireland about 1780, and was recorded at York about the same time. In the five degree system developed by the York Masons , the Knights Templar degree sat between

728-875: The 18th century in the United Kingdom and the United States . Other examples, which emerged later, include the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks , the Fraternal Order of Eagles , the Independent Order of Rechabites , the Templars of Honor and Temperance , the Independent Order of Foresters , the Knights of Columbus , and the Loyal Order of Moose . Some may have ethnic or religious affiliations, such as Ancient Order of Hibernians or Order of Alhambra for Irish Catholics , or

780-621: The 27th Degree in the Southern Jurisdiction of United States), the 29th Degree (Scottish Knight of Saint Andrew), the 32nd Degree (Master of the Royal Secret), and the 33rd Degree (Inspector General). Despite Freemasonry's general disclaimer that no one Masonic organization claims a direct heritage to the medieval Knights Templar, certain degrees and orders are obviously patterned after the medieval Order. These are best described as "commemorative orders" or degrees. Nevertheless, in spite of

832-709: The Christian tradition. In England and Wales, the teachings of the Order of the Red Cross feature in the Red Cross of Babylon which forms part of the Allied Masonic Degrees . The Order of the Red Cross is often considered a compressed version of the Red Cross Degrees or Green Degrees which make up the Order of Knight Masons . The Order of the Red Cross should not be confused with the Red Cross of Constantine . In

884-805: The Counties of Dorset, Essex, Gloucester, Somerset and Southampton, the City and County of Bristol and the Isle of Wight. In 1785, Dunkerley founded the Lodge of Harmony, Number 255, at the Toy Inn at Hampton Court, presumably as his own home lodge. It was at Dunckerley's request that the Province of Bristol was created, still unique in English Freemasonry as the only province confined to a single city, and having all of its lodges meeting in

936-531: The Doctrine of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, as this goes against the principles of the wider international Order. Local bodies of Knights Templar are known as Preceptories ; local bodies of Knights of St Paul are known as Chapters; local bodies of Knights of Malta are known as Priories; all operate under a Grand or Great Priory , often with an intermediate level of Provincial Priories. Although some jurisdictions maintain

988-547: The Knights Templar is one of several additional Masonic Orders in which membership is open only to Freemasons who profess a belief in Christianity . One of the obligations entrants to the order are required to declare is to protect and defend the Christian faith. The word "United" in its full title indicates that more than one historical tradition and more than one actual order are jointly controlled within this system. The individual orders 'united' within this system are principally

1040-772: The Knights of the Temple (Knights Templar), the Knights of Malta, the Knights of St Paul, and only within the York Rite , the Knights of the Red Cross. Like the Masonic Red Cross of Constantine being inspired by the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George and the Order of Malta being inspired by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , the Masonic order of Knights Templar derives its name from

1092-653: The Master Mason and the Sublime Degree of Royal Arch . Templar masonry in England entered a new era in 1791, with the formation of its first Grand Conclave, with Thomas Dunckerley as Grand Master. At that time, there were eight known Templar encampments in England, the most senior being the Encampment of Redemption at York, and the Baldwyn encampment at Bristol, at whose request Dunckerley began his mission. Under his leadership,

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1144-550: The Mediterranean Pass". The exact status of the 'Mediterranean Pass' has at times led to confusion as to whether this is the 'stub' of a separate degree. The English ritual book clarified this in its 1989 edition (and subsequent editions) by stating: "The Mediterranean Pass is one of the secrets of the Degree of Knight of St Paul". This degree is close to being a true 'side degree', in that a small group (usually three) of members of

1196-591: The Moderns Grand Lodge, he leaned towards the Antients in ritual, making him a natural ambassador for Royal Arch Masonry in his own Grand Lodge. He was one of the signatories on the original charter of the Moderns Grand Chapter. The first evidence of Mark Masonry is in 1769, when Dunckerley, at a Royal Arch Chapter, made several brethren Mark Masons and Mark Masters. It is possible that Dunckerley created

1248-725: The Red Cross continues or reverts to the period of the Royal Arch Degree when the Israelites were returning from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple . Zerubbabel , their leader prevails upon King Darius to restore the Holy Vessels to the new Temple. They had been carried away by the Babylonian armies when the first Temple was destroyed. In presenting his plea before the King, the companion gives

1300-413: The Red Cross teaches the lessons of the triumph of truth. This degree is conferred as a prerequisite to becoming a Knight of Malta, in both the York Rite and independent 'stand-alone' versions of Knight Templar Freemasonry. The "Preliminary Declarations" of the Order of Malta ritual in England state of a candidate for the Order of Malta: "He must also have received the Degree of Knight of St Paul, including

1352-569: The Redemption of York, the Eminent of Bristol, and the Antiquity of Bath. Dunckerley became the Grand Master of the first national Grand Conclave of "The Royal Exalted Religious and Military Order Heredom, Kadosh, Grand Elected Knights Templar of St. John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta". His energy and organisational zeal contributed to the growth of the order until his death in 1795. After this,

1404-708: The Turk's Head in Soho . With the Vanguard warrant, he obtained a roving commission from the Premier Grand Lodge of England to inspect the state of the craft wherever he went, including "to regulate Masonic affairs in the newly acquired Canadian provinces." Under this authority, as Acting Grand Master of all Warranted Lodges in Quebec he installed the first Provincial Grand Master of Canada, Col. Simon Frasier, in Quebec in 1760. In 1767, he

1456-502: The United States, a Knights Templar commandery is traditionally the final body that a member joins in the York Rite after the chapter of Royal Arch Masons and a council of Royal & Select Masters . Some jurisdictions, however, allow members to skip over membership in a council. A local Knights Templar commandery operates under a state-level Grand Commandery, however American commanderies also operate under The Grand Encampment of

1508-577: The United States. This is less common among American Masonic bodies, as many report to the state level alone. While a chapter bestows the Royal Arch degrees, and a council bestows the Cryptic degrees, a Knights Templar commandery bestows three orders and one preparatory degree onto its members. This is opposed to the standard degree system found elsewhere in Freemasonry, and they are the only ones not to deal with

1560-529: The York Rite, membership is by invitation only. Candidates are required to be Master Masons , and Royal Arch Masons , and to sign a declaration that they profess the Doctrine of the Holy and Undivided Trinity . In some Australian States, the requirement of being a Royal Arch Mason no longer applies. Within the British Federation of Le Droit Humain , candidates must be a Holy Royal Arch Mason for at least twelve months. Crucially, they do not have to profess

1612-433: The degree take the candidate "to one side" (i.e. apart on his own) and simply communicate the secrets of the degree to him, without actually working the ceremonial ritual of the degree. The only respect in which the degree fails to meet the definition of a true 'side degree' is that a Chapter of the Order would be formally opened and closed by the presiding officer, on either side of the secrets being communicated. This degree

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1664-497: The degree. In 1790 and 1791, Dunckerley projected the centralization of the rather scattered Templar groups in England. On 24 July 1791 he informed the York Encampment of Redemption that he had been invited to assume the office of Grand Master by the Knights Templar of Bristol. York favored the proposal, and in due course Dunckerley accepted the office. The groups referred to his authority in 1791 included The Observance of London,

1716-664: The fraternity's official disclaimers, some Masons, non-Masons and even anti-Masons insist that certain Masonic rites or degrees originally had direct Templar influence. Fraternal order Fraternal societies are often divided geographically into units called lodges or provinces . They sometimes involve a system of awards , medals , decorations , styles , degrees , offices , orders , or other distinctions , often associated with regalia , insignia, initiation and other rituals , secret greetings, signs, passwords, oaths , and more or less elaborate symbolism , as in chivalric orders. The Freemasons and Odd Fellows emerged in

1768-472: The historic medieval Order of St John, whose story is the basis of the moral teachings of the degree. The original medieval Order of Knights Templar was established after the First Crusade , and existed from approximately 1118 to 1312. There is no known historical evidence to link the medieval Knights Templar and Masonic Templarism, nor do the Masonic Knights Templar organizations claim any such direct link to

1820-426: The histories of some fraternal orders and friendly societies are difficult to follow. Often there are different, unrelated organisations with similar names. Thomas Dunckerley Thomas Dunckerley (23 October 1724 – 19 November 1795) was a prominent freemason, being appointed Provincial Grand Master of several provinces, promoting Royal Arch masonry, introducing Mark Masonry to England , and instituting

1872-452: The institution became moribund until revived by the Duke of Kent almost a decade later. The encyclopedist Albert Mackey blamed Dunckerley for inventing Royal Arch Masonry, and splitting the third degree in the process, removing the true word of a Mason to the new degree, and losing the original "pure" form of the ritual forever. This is unlikely, as the Royal Arch degree was worked for at least

1924-399: The medieval Catholic military order Knights Templar . However, it does not claim any direct lineal descent from the original Templar order. The earliest documented link between Freemasonry and the Crusades is the 1737 oration of the Chevalier Ramsay . He claimed, without supporting historical evidence, that European Freemasonry came about from an interaction between 'crusader masons' and

1976-463: The more social type, each lodge is generally responsible for its own affairs, but it is often affiliated to an order such as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows or the Independent Order of Foresters . There are typically reciprocal agreements between lodges within an order, so that if members move to other cities or countries, they can join a new lodge without an initiation period. The ceremonies are fairly uniform throughout an order. Occasionally,

2028-444: The muster book of HMS Namur . On 6 January 1745, the minutes of Trinity House at Deptford record that 'Mr Thomas Dunckerley being Examin'd & found Qualify'd to be a School Master in her Majesty's Navy & having produc'd a certificate (as usual) of his Sobriety & good Affection to his Majesty, he was certify'd accordingly'. He is first mentioned in Admiralty records on 19 February 1744, when not quite twenty years of age, he

2080-410: The name tends to be reserved to letterheads, rituals, and formal documents. The ceremony for conferring the degree (which is always worked in full) contains a mixture of masonic tradition, historical accounts of the Order of St John, moral teaching, and the communication of modes of recognition between members. A series of banners is employed in the ceremony, each representing one of the great battles of

2132-423: The number of encampments steadily grew until his death in 1795. Dunckerley's successor as Grand Master was Thomas Parkyns, 1st Baron Rancliffe . Stasis then followed, until in 1805 their Royal Patron, Duke of Kent , became Grand Master himself, re-energising the society and launching it into an era of growth and development. Dunckerley laid the foundation for this not only by promoting the order, but by standardising

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2184-421: The original medieval Templar organization. Though it has been said that its affiliation with Masonry is based on texts that indicate persecuted Templars found refuge within the safety of Freemasonry, the order itself states that "there is no proof of direct connection between the ancient order and the modern order known today as the Knights Templar." The official motto of the Knights Templar in the American York Rite

2236-477: The ritual and insisting on proper record keeping. The Grand Conclave went into a period of decline between 1872 and 1895, when it was re-founded as the present day Great Priory of England and Wales. Depending upon the geographical jurisdiction, the Knights Templar exist either as part of the York Rite or as an independent organization. Though the York Rite and the independent versions share many similarities there are key differences which are described below. Outside

2288-457: The same building. In 1790 he was also made Provincial Grand Master of Herefordshire. In 1766, the Moderns who worked the Royal Arch degree formed a Grand Chapter with Lord Blayney at its head. He made Dunckerley his Grand Superintendent, in which capacity he authorised chapters, and toured his provinces creating new chapters and Royal Arch Masons, frequently (according to some historians) exceeding his authority. Although Dunckerley belonged to

2340-504: The son of George II , and provided an annuity of £100, which quickly rose to £800. He also was granted apartments in Hampton Court Palace . Dunckerley's claim of royal paternity was not universally accepted in his lifetime. On his death at least one contemporary cast doubt on his illegitimacy. Recent studies also claim to refute his own version of his parentage, although Arthur Edward Waite certainly accepted it, perhaps based on his resemblance to George III in his portrait. Dunckerley

2392-405: Was appointed Provincial Grand Master of Hampshire. At that time, the office of Provincial Grand Master had fallen into disuse, but Dunckerley would personally revive it in several counties. He is known to have been the Provincial Grand Master for Essex from 1776, Dorsetshire and Wiltshire from 1777, and Gloucestershire and Hampshire in 1784. A document of 1786 appoints him Provincial Grand Master for

2444-431: Was appointed schoolmaster on a seventy gun ship called HMS Edinburgh . In 1746 he was appointed Gunner on a sloop, a term equivalent to Chief Gunnery Officer . He proceeded to posts as Gunner on larger ships, including the 90 gun HMS Prince (ex- Triumph ). From 1757 to 1761 he served on HMS Vanguard as both Gunner and Schoolmaster. On this ship, he saw service at the Siege of Quebec . After service on HMS Prince , he

2496-405: Was initiated into Freemasonry at Lodge No 31, at the Three Tuns in Portsmouth , in January 1754. In 1760, he obtained a warrant for a lodge aboard HMS Vanguard , which he took to form London Lodge (now No. 108) in 1768. After leaving Vanguard , he obtained a warrant for a lodge on HMS Prince , which he later transferred to HMS Guadeloupe . This later became the Somerset House Lodge, meeting at

2548-423: Was of no immediate use to him. However, on his superannuation in 1764, monies owed to him were not paid due to incomplete paperwork, and he was obliged to pay medical expenses after an accident caused his daughter to require an amputation of the lower leg. This left him in debt, and arranging for his pension to be paid to his family, he took ship with the frigate HMS Guadeloupe to the Mediterranean. The next year, he

2600-440: Was put ashore at Marseilles with scurvy. On his recovery, with the help of Captain Ruthven of the Guadeloupe and the financial assistance of freemasons in Gibraltar, Dunckerley managed to lay his case before several persons of rank on his way back to England. Finally, in 1767, his mother's statement was laid before King George III , who accepted Dunckerley's claim to be the half brother of his father, Frederick, Prince of Wales ,

2652-403: Was superannuated in 1764. According to Dunckerley, it was in 1760, while attending his mother's funeral, her neighbour, Mrs Pinkney, told him of her death-bed confession. While her husband was away on the business of the Duke of Devonshire, she had been seduced by the Prince of Wales (later King George II ), who was Thomas' natural father. Being immediately called away to sea, this information

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2704-544: Was wound up shortly after his death. In 1779 the High Knights Templar of Ireland Lodge, Kilwinning, obtained a charter from Lodge Mother Kilwinning in Scotland. This lodge now began to grant dispensations to other lodges to confer the Knights Templar Degree. Some time around 1790 the Early Grand Encampment of Ireland was formed, which began to warrant Templar Lodges, and evolved into the Supreme Grand Encampment in 1836. The Early Grand Encampment chartered several Scottish "encampments" one of which, having been chartered in 1805 as

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