The Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon is an independent English Christian military order. Membership is restricted to those who are subscribing members of a Preceptory (Commandery) in amity with the Great Priory of the United Religious, Military and Masonic Order of the Temple of England and Wales and Provinces Overseas (commonly referred to as the Masonic Knights Templar). Membership is by invitation only. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ whom they believe is the saviour of the world. ... A military order is a Christian order of knighthood that is founded for crusading, i. ... Masonic Knights Templar is an international philanthropic templar organization and is a part of the York Rite in Freemasonry. ...

History

The first translation of the Order

The Hospitallers of St Thomas of Canterbury at Acre, was established in 1191 (during the Third Crusade, 1189-92) at the seaport city of Acre, following its capture from the Saracens by Richard I (1157-1199) (Richard Coeur de Lion) of England and Philip II (1165-1223) of France. The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by European leaders to reconquer the Holy Land from Saladin. ... The Old City of Acre in the 19th or early 20th century, looking south-west from atop the Land Wall Promenade, the open space now a parking lot. ... Richard I (September 8, 1157 – April 6, 1199) was King of England from 1189 to 1199. ... Philip II (French: Philippe II), called Philip Augustus (French: Philippe Auguste) (August 21, 1165 – July 14, 1223), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. ...

After the capture of the city, William, Chaplain to the Dean of St. Pauls Cathedral at London, formed a small religious order, its members taking vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The purpose of the Order was tending to the sick and wounded, and burying the Christian knights who fell in battle in the Holy Land. To that, William, as Prior of the Order, added the purpose of raising funds to ransom captives from the Muslim armies of Saladin. The success of the Order enabled it to establish a church and hospital which was dedicated to St Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket was martyred in 1170 and canonized in 1173. The Siege of Acre was the most important event of the Third Crusade, lasting from August 28, 1189 until July 12, 1191, and the first time in the history of the crusades that the king was compelled to personally see to the defense of the Holy Land. ... For alternative meanings see St. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... A religious order is an organization of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with religious devotion. ... A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ whom they believe is the saviour of the world. ... A statue of an armoured knight of the Middle Ages For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... The phrase The Holy Land (Arabic الأرض المقدسة, al-Arḍ ul-Muqaddasah; Hebrew ארץ הקודש: Standard Hebrew Éreẓ haQodeÅ¡, Tiberian Hebrew ʾÉreá¹£ haqQāḏēš; Latin Terra Sancta) generally refers to Israel, otherwise known as Palestine (sometimes including Jordan, Syria and parts of Egypt). ... Prior is a Latin adjective, meaning coming before, as earlier (as in a priori, regardless what comes next). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Saladin. ... Saint Thomas à Becket (or Thomas Becket) (ca. ... Arms of the see of Canterbury The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior clergyman of the established Church of England and symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ...

The second translation of the Order

During the Fifth Crusade (1217-21), the members of the Order were pressed into military service to fill the ranks of the crusader army. As a result, in 1227-28, the Order of St. Thomas of Acre was militarised by Peter des Roches, the crusader Bishop of Winchester. The Order adopted the rule of the Teutonic Knights. In 1236, Pope Gregory IX accorded Papal confirmation to the the Order, and the Order became known as the Knights of St Thomas Acon (Acre being anglicised to Acon). The Fifth Crusade (1217–1221) was an attempt to take back Jerusalem and the rest of Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Muslim state in Egypt. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... Peter des Roches (died 1238) was bishop of Winchester in the reigns of John of England and his son Henry III. Roches was not an Englishman, but a Poitevin. ... Arms of the Bishop of Winchester The diocese of Winchester is one of the oldest and most important in England. ... The Teutonic Order (German: Deutscher Orden, German Order; Latin: Ordo domus Sanctæ Mariæ Theutonicorum Ierosolimitanorum, Order of the Teutonic House of Mary in Jerusalem; Hungarian: Német Lovagrend, German Knighthood; Polish: Zakon Krzyżacki, Order of the Crossbearers; Lithuanian: Kryžiuočių Ordinas, Order of Crusaders) was a German crusading... Papal Arms of Pope Gregory IX. Gregory IX, né Ugolino di Conti (Anagni, ca. ... The Hospitallers of St Thomas of Canterbury at Acre, usually called the Knights of St Thomas Acon was a Christian Military order. ...

For the next 100 years, the crusaders held and defended the city of Acre. During this period, about the year 1279, as the purposes of the Order shifted from that of religious hospitallers to a more military role, the position of Prior, the Order's religious head, lost its pre-eminent position. After that, the pre-eminent position was accorded to the Master of the Order. At the fall of Acre, 12 May 1291, the Master and nine knights of the Order were killed. Following the battle, the Holy Land lost to the Saracens, the Order of St Thomas, along with the Order of Knights Templar, moved their Priory to the island of Cyprus where they erected the beautiful St. Nicholas Church at Nicosia. The ruins of the Church are still standing and have been recently restored. Prior is a Latin adjective, meaning coming before, as earlier (as in a priori, regardless what comes next). ... Master is a term that indicates a person from stanton). ... The Siege of Acre took place in 1291 and resulted in the fall of Acre, the last territory of the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. ... This article is about the medieval military order. ... A priory is an ecclesiastical circumscription run by a prior. ... Nicosia, Cyprus For the Italian town, see Nicosia, Sicily Nicosia, known locally as Lefkosia (Greek: Λευκωσία , also colloquially Khora, Χώρα or Turkish: Lefkoşa ), is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. ...

After leaving Cyprus, the Order returned to England and acquired the property of the Becket family on Ironmonger Lane, in Cheapside, where it built a hospital, chapel and headquarters. From the 14th century, the Order was headquartered in London. The Order was dissolved in 1538, along with the other monastic orders in England, by Henry VIII. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population – Total (mid... A view of Cheapside published in 1837. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... The Dissolution of the Monasteries (referred to by Roman Catholic writers as the Suppression of the Monasteries) was the formal process, taking place between 1538 and 1541, by which King Henry VIII confiscated the property of the Roman Catholic monastic institutions in England and took them to himself, as the... Monasticism (from Greek: monachos—a solitary person) is the religious practice of renouncing all worldly pursuits in order to fully devote ones life to spiritual work. ... Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ...

The Worshipful Mercers' Company of London

After the dissolution of the Order, the King offered the hospital and chapel for sale. It was purchased by the Worshipful Company of Mercers in recognition of the association of Becket's father, Gilbert, with the Mercer's trade. But the buildings were destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The Mercers Company is the premier livery company of London, ranking first in the order of precedence of the "Great Twelve City Livery Companies". The Worshipful Company of Mercers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. ... London, as it appeared from Bankside, Southwark, During the Great Fire — Derived from a Print of the Period by Visscher The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the City of London from September 2 to September 5, 1666, and resulted more or less in the... Livery Companies are trade associations based in the City of London. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England and is the most populous city in the European Union. ... An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of people; it is used by many organizations and governments. ...

The second hall, opened in 1676, was destroyed in 1941 during the Blitz. The present-day Mercer's Hall and Chapel, opened in 1958, are built on the site. It incorporates some of the fixtures, 17th-century woodwork and Victorian stained glass from the second hall. All that remains of the original Chapel is the recumbent statue of Christ which lies at the entrance to the Mercer's Chapel. The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the only London livery company to have its own private chapel. German bomber over the Surrey Docks, Southwark, London The Blitz was the bombing of the United Kingdom by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 16 May 1941, during World War II. It was carried out by the Luftwaffe across the UK, but their attack was concentrated on London. ... Strictly speaking, stained glass is glass that has been painted with silver stain and then fired. ...

The modern revival

The Order of St. Thomas of Acon was revived in 1974 as a result of twenty years' research in the Guildhall Library in London by John E. N. Walker, who for many years was the Secretary General of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. The ancient records of the Order, written in medieval French and Latin, had been deposited in the Guildhall Library and escaped the Great Fire of 1666. The revived Order now operates under the official title of The Commemorative Order of St Thomas of Acon. The Guildhall The Guildhall is a building in the City of London, off Cheapside near Bank. ... Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia is a Masonic Christian order whose members are drawn from the ranks of subscribing Master Masons of a Grand Lodge in amity with United Grand Lodge of England. ... Old French is a term sometimes used to refer to the langue doïl, the continuum of varieties of Romance language spoken in territories corresponding roughly to the northern half of modern France and parts of Belgium and Switzerland during the period roughly from 1000 to 1300 A.D... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ...

As of the year 2006 there were about fifty Chapels of the Order in England, Wales, Scotland, Australia, and the United States of America.

Regalia

The regalia of the Order is similar to that of a Knight Templar, that is, a stone white tunic, on the front of which is a Latin Cross, Medici Crimson, four inches wide, the full length of the tunic, on which is superimposed a white Latin Cross one-third the width. The intersection of the Cross is charged with a Bronze Escallope Shell, four inches diameter. Over the tunic is worn a stone white mantle with hood; on the left breast, a Greek Cross of ten inches length, upon which is a smaller white cross, the intersection of which is charged with a Bronze Escallope Shell. Knights also wear a crimson velvet cap, the front of which is charged with a Bronze Escallope Shell. Knights, with the exception of the Prior and Almoner, wear a sword belt and sword with scabbard. This article is about the medieval military order. ... The traditional form of the Christian cross, known as the Latin cross The Christian cross is a familiar religious symbol of most Christianity. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

The banner of the Order depicts the Arms of the Order and comprises: Argent, a Cross Rouge extending to the edge of the Banner, upon which is superimposed a smaller Cross Argent. In the first quarter of the Banner is an Escallope Shell Or, fimbriated Rouge.

Organisation and administration

The basic organisation of the Order is a Chapel which may consist of no more than 40 knights.

The officers of a Chapel consist of the following:

• Master (styled "Worthy")
• Prior (styled "Imminent")
• Marshal
• Treasurer
• Secretary
• Deputy Marshal
• Almoner
• Four Working Knights
• Herald
• Organist
• Doorkeeper
• Cellarer(s)
• Sentry

Grand Officers

The Grand Officers of the Order, in order of precedence, are:

• Grand Master (styled "Most Worthy")
• Grand Prior (styled "Most Imminent")
• Grand Preceptor(s) (styled "Right Worthy")
• Grand Marshal
• Grand Treasurer
• Grand Registrar
• Grand Secretary
• Grand Historian
• Deputy Grand Marshal
• Grand Almoner
• Grand Sword Bearer
• Deputy Grand Secretary
• Grand Banner Bearer
• Assistant Grand Marshals
• Assistant Grand Secretary
• Grand Herald
• Grand Organist
• Grand Doorkeeper
• Grand Cellarar(s)
• Grand Sentry

Provincial Grand Officers

Provinces of the Order are governed by a "Grand Preceptor's Council." The Provincial Grand Officers, in order of precedence, are:

• Grand Preceptor (styled "Right Worthy")
• Provincial Grand Prior
• Provincial Grand Marshal
• Provincial Grand Treasurer
• Provincial Grand Registrar
• Provincial Grand Secretary
• Provincial Deputy Grand Marshal
• Provincial Grand Almoner
• Provincial Grand Sword Bearer
• Provincial Deputy Grand Secretary
• Provincial Grand Banner Bearer
• Provincial Assistant Grand Marshal
• Provincial Assistant Grand Secretary
• Provincial Grand Herald
• Provincial Grand Organist
• Provincial Grand Doorkeeper
• Provincial Grand Cellarer(s)
• Provincial Grand Sentry

See also

• Knights of St Thomas
• St Thomas Becket
• Archbishop of Canterbury
• Richard I
• Religious Order
• Canons Regular
• Crusade
• Military Order
• Teutonic Knights
• Knights Templar
• Masonic Knights Templar
• Freemasonry
• United Grand Lodge of England
• Worshipful Company of Mercers
• Guildhall
• Cheapside

The Hospitallers of St Thomas of Canterbury at Acre, usually called the Knights of St Thomas Acon was a Christian Military order. ... Saint Thomas à Becket (or Thomas Becket) (ca. ... Arms of the see of Canterbury The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior clergyman of the established Church of England and symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... Richard I (September 8, 1157 – April 6, 1199) was King of England from 1189 to 1199. ... A religious order is an organization of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with religious devotion. ... A canons regular is a body of Canons (Priests) living under a rule. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... A military order is a Christian order of knighthood that is founded for crusading, i. ... The Teutonic Order (German: Deutscher Orden, German Order; Latin: Ordo domus Sanctæ Mariæ Theutonicorum Ierosolimitanorum, Order of the Teutonic House of Mary in Jerusalem; Hungarian: Német Lovagrend, German Knighthood; Polish: Zakon Krzyżacki, Order of the Crossbearers; Lithuanian: Kryžiuočių Ordinas, Order of Crusaders) was a German crusading... This article is about the medieval military order. ... Masonic Knights Templar is an international philanthropic templar organization and is a part of the York Rite in Freemasonry. ... The Masonic Square and Compasses. ... The United Grand Lodge of Englands Coat of Arms Headquarters of The UGLE. The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is the main governing body of Freemasonry within England, and certain jurisdictions overseas (normally ex-British Empire and Commonwealth countries). ... The Worshipful Company of Mercers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. ... The Guildhall The Guildhall is a building in the City of London, off Cheapside near Bank. ... A view of Cheapside published in 1837. ...

External links

• The Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon
• The St. Nicholas Church at Nicosia, Cyprus, 14th-century headquarters of the medieval Order.
• Texas Chapel No. 54, Order of St. Thomas of Acon, San Antonio, Texas
• The Order of St. Thomas of Acre, by Dr. Alan J. Forey
• Worshipful Company of Mercers, London

Bibliography

• Forey, Alan J. The Military Order of St Thomas of Acre, "English Historical Review", (1997), pp. 481-503.
• Vincent, N. Peter des Roches: An Alien in English Politics, 1205-1238, Cambridge, 1996.
• Watney, J. Some Account of the Hospital of St. Thomas of Acon, in the Cheap, London, and of the Plate of the Mercers' Company, London, 1892.
• Bray, J. H. Order of St. Thomas of Acon.
• King, E. J. Official History of the British Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, pg. 32 (1934).
• Demurger, Alain A Brief History of Religious Military Orders - Hospitallers, Templars, Teutonic..., Tiralet (1997).

Also see:

• Bartlett, W. B. God Wills It! - An Illustrated History of the Crusades, Gloucestershire (1999).
• Benvenisti, Meron The Crusaders in the Holy Land, New York (1970).
• Cross, Peter The Knight in Medieval England, 1000-1400, Gloucestershire (1993).
• Payne, Robert The Dream and the Tomb: A History of the Crusades, New York (1984).
• Riley-Smith, Jonathan The Atlas of the Crusades, New York (1991), pp. 106-107.
• Tyerman, Christopher The Invention of the Crusades, Toronto (1998).
• Upton-Ward, J. M. A translation of The Rule of the Templars, Suffolk (1992).
• Walsh, Michael Warriors of the Lord: The Military Orders of Christendom, Cambridge (2003), pg. 203.