The Proceedings Against the Templars in the British Isles

Abstract

In October 1307 all the brothers of the military religious order of the Temple in France were arrested on the orders of King Philip IV and charged with heresy. In November, King Edward II received orders from the pope to do likewise. This book provides the first full edition (vol. 1) and translation (vol. 2) of the four surviving texts of the trial proceedings that followed, together with analytical introduction and annotation. The trial of the Templars is now regarded by most scholars as a political trial, and its proceedings and the propaganda which accompanied it are seen to be of considerable significance in the development of such trials; the trial in the British Isles is particularly illustrative of this. The trial of the Templars was also the first heresy trial in the British Isles, and the proceedings reveal the English episcopate’s attempts to deal with this unprecedented situation, the procedures that were followed and the efforts made to ensure that everything was done correctly. Some differences in procedures can be noted between the provinces of Canterbury and York, and between England, Ireland and Scotland. The testimonies given during the trial contain a wealth of information about religious beliefs among the lay population of the British Isles (both the Templars and outsiders who gave evidence during the trial), national and international mobility of lay religious, the social function of the order of the Temple in the British Isles and its relations with society at large, and the organisation and operations of the order of the Temple at a local, national and international level. Volume 1 contains an introduction to the manuscripts and editorial procedures, and the edition of the latin texts with critical apparatus.