The History of the Knights Templar in relation Scottish chronology
Seal of the Order of the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon,
The History of the medieval Order is so well known, and has been published in so many other places, that there seems little point in providing a comprehensive account here. We have, therefore, opted to provide a ‘time-line’ of Scottish history in order that the place of the Knights Templar within it might be might be more easily understood.
Even that option has limited use as there is a major break in the time-line (1312 – 1804) and therefore it must be considered to be two time-lines, one for the original medieval Order of the Knights Templar and the other for the ‘revival’ of the Order as manifest in the creation of the Scottish Masonic version c.1804. The time line below is relative to Scotland.
We have recently incorporated the dates of the foundation of the Scottish Collegiate Churches. We have done so because Rosslyn Chapel and the alleged connections with the Knights Templar and Freemasonry are nearly always considered in isolation, that is, a subject in its own right. However, history is not ‘compartmentalised’ in little boxes and thus ignoring other Collegiate Churches suggests that Rosslyn Chapel was the only such church in Scotland.
In the list below the date of the foundation of the collegiate church is given together with its’ name and the individual or family responsible for its’ foundation.
| Date | Event |
| 1067 | First Mention of the St Clairs in Scotland (In the Genealogie….) |
| 1099 | Donald III dies. Last king to be buried on Iona |
| 1113 | Selkirk Abbey founded |
| 1118 | Knights Templar founded in Jerusalem |
| 1124 | David I becomes king. Later grants land to KT |
| 1128 | Holyrood and Kelso Abbeys founded |
| 1136 | Melrose Abbey established |
| 1138 | St Magnus Catherdral, Orkney, begun |
| 1138 | Jedburgh Abbey founded |
| 1140 | Dryburgh Abbey established |
| 1142 | Dundrennan Abbey founded |
| 1151 | Founding of Kinloss Abbey |
| 1153 | David I dies |
| 1160 | Founding of Saddell Abbey |
| 1163 | Paisley Abbey comes in to being |
| 1165 | Wiilliam I (‘the Lion’) enthroned |
| 1178 | An abbey is erected at Arbroath |
| 1214 | William the Lion dies, Alexander II king |
| 1227 | Balmerino Abbey founded |
| 1248 | First Collegiate Church in Scotland established at St Andrews
(by the church not a family) |
| 1249 | Alexander II dies, his son, Alexander III become king |
| 1251 | Alexander married Margaret of England |
| 1274 | William Wallace and Robert the Bruce both born in this year |
| 1278 | Alexander visits Edward I in London |
| 1286 | Alexander III dies |
| 1291 | Edward I asked to arbitrate between 13 competitors to the throne |
| 1291 | Knights Templar suffer a defeat at Acre. As a fighting force they cease to exist. |
| 1292 | Edward favours John Balliol who is crowned in November |
| 1295 | The ‘Auld Alliance’ created by a ‘mutual defence’ treaty with France |
| 1296 | Balliol defies Edward who invades Scotland and steals the Stone of Destiny |
| 1297 | Wallace rises and defeats English at Stirling Bridge |
| 1298 | Edward invades Scotland and defeats Wallace at Falkirk. The Grand Master of the Knight Templar and his Lieutenant are killed fight with the English forces |
| 1301 | Scots in Rome to plead Scotland’s case to the Pope |
| 1302 | Robert the Bruce does fealty to Edward I |
| 1302 | The new Knights Templar (recruited after Acre 1291) are wiped out at Raud |
| 1303 | Scots victorious at the battle of Roslin (24th Feb) |
| 1305 | Wallace captured and executed |
| 1306 | Robert the Bruce murders John ‘the Red’ Comyn at Dumfries (10th Feb) |
| 1306 | Robert crowned king at Scone (25th March) |
| 1306 | Battle of Methven, Bruce defeated. (19th June) |
| 1307 | Battle of Loudon Hill, inconclusive (May) |
| 1307 | Edward I dies (July) |
| 1307 | Knights Templar in France arrested by Phillip IV (13th October) |
| 1307 | October – the earliest fugitive KT could have come to Scotland/Argyle |
| 1307 | Battle of Inverurie (24th December) |
| 1308 | Battle of Brander Pass. The MacDougall’s of Argyll defeated (15th August) |
| 1309 | Robert I’s first Parliament, held at St Andrews, Phillip of France’s request that the Knights Templar in Scotland be arrested is discussed. Outcome not known |
| 1312 | The medieval Order of the Knights Templar dissolved by the Council of Vienne
Knight Templar property transferred to the Knights of St John (Hospitallers) |
| 1312 | Medieval Order of Knight Templar extinct |
| 1314 | Scottish forces under Robert I are victorious at the Battle of Bannockburn (23rd – 24th June) |
| 1316 | Edward Bruce crowned king of Ireland |
| 1318 | Last English stronghold in Scotland, Berwick-on-Tweed, retaken by the Scots |
| 1318 | Edward Bruce killed in battle |
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