Battle of Bannockburn and its Masonic Ties

Battle of Bannockburn and its Masonic Ties

Bill Wojtas

There was a battle on a field near Stirling, Scotland where an army of 9000 men loyal to King Robert I (The Bruce) met a force of 38000, the Army of King Edward II of England.  It was a pivotal moment in the history of Scottish Independence.   This was the Battle of Bannockburn and it has a place in Masonic History as well.  According to Clan Sinclair of Rosslyn (their official web site) Robert the Bruce had William Sinclair at the helm of a group of mounted Knights Templar and his Brother,  Henry Sinclair – the 8^th Baron of Rosslyn, fighting by his side at this historic battle on St. John the Baptist’s Day, 24 June 1314.  Henry was also famous for fighting with William Wallace at the Battle of Rosslyn in 1304.  It was these knights and a group of light cavalry who charged at the English over nearly impassable terrain and crushed the archers and heavy horsemen of King Edward II.  (http://sinclair.quarterman.org/sinclair/history/med/battleofbannockburn.html )  It is the famed Sinclair family whom freemasons accept as an integral part of the early beginnings of the Ancient Fraternity.

History is not an exact science and of course this tidbit of history is disputed by some historians and embraced by others.  One argument against this history the fact that Robert needed to stay on the good side of the Pope and the King of France despite his excommunication, so associating with the Templars was not conducive to this need.  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_Templar_legends#Knights_Templar_in_Scotland )  Though other accounts believe  Robert the Bruce welcomed the Templars because of his dispute with the Church.  You can see the disparities between the two schools of thought. 

Reputable Scottish Historians indicate that the legend was constructed to make the defeated English Army look better, others assert that the legend was created by French Freemasons in the 16^th century and romanticized by Victorian English in the 18^th century.  (http://www.bayviewkentallen.co.uk/bannockburn-robert-the-bruce-knights-templar.html ).   In contrast, there is strong circumstantial evidence that supports this history such as the fact that King Edward II confiscated all Templar property in England in 1315.  (Clayton, Alan http://www.siliconglen.com/Scotland/11_21.html)  Did he do it to punish the English Templars because their brothers in Scotland turned against him?   In any case, historians can produce assumptions based on historical evidence against the legend, but others still cling to the idea that there is always some basis in truth for the legends of old.   The reality is probably somewhere in between the two with some evidence backed by historical record and other accounts are pure speculation.   

It is known that after the fall of Acre and the retreat of the Templars to Cyprus, many of the Knights returned to their strongholds or homes in Europe.  Of course we are all familiar of the actions of Phillip the Fair and the Pope on October 13, 1307 and the Subsequent tragedy that befell James de Molay on the 11^th of March, 1314.  In France, the order was finished and the Templars were brought down.  Elsewhere, the Templars were not condemned to death, but they were suppressed and their vast fortunes confiscated and distributed.  In lands, where the Pope had little influence, the Order was still seen as innocent but for the most part, ceased to exist, with the exception of Portugal where they changed their name to the Knights of Christ.  ( The History of Freemasonry, Albert Mackey, 1898 )

With these events known, it is believed, without any record, that many Knights escaped to friendly countries and took refuge.  One such fact was that many Templars were from Scotland and the Order’s possessions there were very extensive.  The Pope having excommunicated Robert the Bruce made it far from the reach of the Pope’s influences and thus a good place for fugitive Templars to hide.   Historical fact supports the claim that the Templars had a start in Scotland when King David I granted the fledgling Order holdings of land in the 12^th century.  Their Temple in Midlothian was the primary Scottish House of the Temple. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/scotland/lothian/article_4.shtml )

From these facts came the Legend of Bruce.   According to Mackey, Most accounts of this Legend concur that,  “A papal inquisition was held at Holyrood in 1309 to try and, of course, to condemn the Templars. At this inquisition only two knights, Walter de Clifton, Grand Preceptor of Scotland, and William de Middleton appeared. The others absconded, and as Robert Bruce was then marching to meet and repel the invasion of King Edward of England, the Templars are said to have joined the army of the Scottish monarch” (Mackey, History of Freemasonry, 1898). 

Beyond this , the different accounts of the Legend vary widely.  One part of the Legend tells the story of how the English were winning the battle until an unknown force of Mounted Knights charged into the battle carrying their white shields with red crosses proudly leading the way.  Some accounts speak of 24 or 48 mounted Knights, but the most predominant Masonic Legends speak of the 63 Mounted Knights who charged into battle.  One major difference in the legend is what happened afterwards. 

One account of the legend indicates that to distinguish the Templars’ valor on the battle field, the Royal Order of Scotland was created and the Templars were admitted.  The second account says that after the battle on the 24^th of June, Robert the Bruce (Robert I) created the Order of St. Andrew of the Thistle to which was added that of Heredom, or the High Degrees of Freemasonry for the Scottish Masons (operative) who had made a major portion of the soldiers fighting the English Army.  Robert I designated himself and his successors the title of Grand Master and founded at Kilwinning the Grand Lodge of the Royal order of Heredom.  They used ritual which was similar to the ritual of the Templars to initiate this new order and for this, they were excommunicated from the Order of the Temple by John Mark Larmenius, who claimed to be the successor of DeMolay.  (Mackey, 1898  http://blog.templarhistory.com/2010/03/the-story-of-the-scottish-templars/)  Of course, none of this can be proven by historical fact and is just a supposition based on circumstantial evidence and various other facts which may or may not lead to this supposition. 

In Modern Masonry, York Rite Order of the Temple (Knights Templar) keeps these legends of the Templars alive.  Also, the Scottish Rite, particularly in the Southern Jurisdiction, by having established the Masonic Order of the Knights of St. Andrew. The legends go into great detail and you will find those who support or deny either side as there are no real means to support the connection.  Authors like Robert Lomas feed the fire with their vivid suppositions of the ties between the Templars and Freemasonry.  It is up to you to read into and research this intriguing alternative history of the Knights and our Craft to see what you believe.