Templar Legacy.

In 1441 King James II Steward appointed William Sinclair to the post of Hereditary Patron and Protector of Scottish Masons. These were not Freemasons but operative, working stone masons, well learned in the application of mathematics and architectural geometry. William of St Clair (or, better, Sinclair from the late 14th century) founded Rosslyn Chapel in 1446; the construction was completed in 1486 by his son, Olivier. There are hundreds of stone carvings in the walls and in the ceiling; they represent biblical scenes, Masonic symbols, and examples of Templar iconography. There are swords, compasses, trowels, squares and mauls with images of the Solomon’s Temple. In addition to the Jewish and esoteric carvings, there are many Christian messages carved in stone. There are also some traces of Islam and Pagan serpents, dragons, and woodland trees. The wild face of the Green Man, the symbol of the earth forces and the life-cycle, is to be found everywhere on the pillars and arches, together with fruits, herbs, leaves, spices, flowers, vines and the plants of the garden paradise. Every carving has a purpose, and each purpose relates to the next, creating a sense of magical harmony. Rosslyn is the ultimate Holy Grail Chapel, and the Knights Templars were the Guardians of the Grail Family. The name Saint-Clair means “Holy Light”. Moreover the esoteric female symbol (V) represents the “chalice” of life, whereas the male symbol (A) symbolises the “blade” of virility and, if conjoined (X), it indicates “Unity”. If the two symbols are indented, or engrailed, it means “Generation”. As a result, an engrailed cross means “Holy Generation”. In the Holy Grail imagery, as in graphic symbolism, the Messianic succession is denoted by the female Chalice accompanied by the male Blade. (4, page 297). Both at Rosslyn Chapel and on the Grail Knights tombs, carvings of these two emblems are frequent. They are portrayed as a tall chalice with in its bowl the Rosy Cross (with a fleur-de-lis design); this means that the vas-uterus contains the blood of Jesus. Alongside, the Blade is shown in the form of a sword

In Britain and, later on in their exile, the Stuart Kings were at the forefront of the Scottish Rite Freemasonry, which was based on very ancient and arcane knowledge, and Universal Law. Their background was largely inspired by the Templar experience. It was under Charles I and Charles II that the Invisible College of the Royal Society emerged to be later on at the base of many arts and scientific discoveries.

It is well documented that many Templars settled in Scotland after their arrest in France in 1307, they also settled in many parts of England including Somerset. Prior to the Norman Conquest the village of Combe was held by Leofwine Godwinson.  One part of the village was known as Abbas Combe which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086–7 as Cumbe, when it was held by the church of St Edward, Shaftesbury.  The other manor within the parish was held by Earl Leofwine but after the Norman Conquest was given to Bishop Odo of Bayeux. It was his descendant Serlo FitzOdo who granted it to the Knights Templar. Today the  United Religious Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of  St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta and provinces of England and Wales is still active in Templecombe. [1]

During WWII Adolf Hitler believed that the Freemasonry Lodges were run by Jews so he rounded up all the Freemasons and executed them. [2]    Many German Templars had settled in Palestine as part of the Ottoman Empire, what was to become Israel, but where forced to leave in 1940.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Templecombe

[2] By: Bro. Shawn M. Gorley  2015  Freemasonry and the Holocaust http://www.thelaudablepursuit.com/articles/2015/2/6/freemasonry-and-the-holocaust