The Knights Templar
Today I was watching Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail (as one does) and it got me wondering what notable Knights I may have had in my tree! While I can't exactly search and verify the Knights of the Round Table, we absolutely know and can follow the Knights Templar!
To be honest I was surprised to see just how many direct line ancestors I had that were Knights! All of them are from the same line, which doesn't really shock me because I am sure these families of Knights were all intermarrying and funneling down to the same line, which in my case all of them run through the Sutton/Dudley's (the same ancestors that give me Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV) to my Wheeler/Weller line on my mom's side.
Knight's Templar:
William de Ferrers - 23rd Great Grandfather
William Marshal - 23rd Great Grandfather
Fulk D'Anjou - 25th Great Grandfather
Robert de Sable' - 26th Great Grandfather
Robert de Craon - 27th Great Grandfather
And just for shits and giggles, my husband also has Templars (through his maternal side), many of whom are the same:
William Marshal - 23rd Great Grandfather
Robert de Sable' - 25th Great Grandfather
William de Ferrers - 26th Great Grandfather
Fulk D'Anjou - 26th Great Grandfather
Robert de Craon - 30th Great Grandfather
Philippe Naplouse - 33rd Great Grandfather
*William de Ferrers, 3rd Earl of Derby
Sir William de Ferrers was born in 1140 in Tutbury England to Robert de Ferrers and Margaret Peverel. He married Sybil Braose in 1167, and died 21 Oct 1191 in Acre, Jerusalem, Palestine.
-William became a Knight and Crusader in 1164.
-William founded a Priory in Breedon, Leicester in 1180. He was an incredibly generous Knight and made many endowments to Breedon and Tutbury Priories, grants to the Hospital of St. Lazarus, the monks of St. Denis in France, and willed a large piece of land to Garendon Abbey, which was later doubled by his son.
-William participated in the 3rd Crusade and was killed during the siege of Acre.
*William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke
William Marshal was born in 1146 in Wiltshire, England to John Marshal and Sybil Salisbury. He married Isabel Clare in 1189, and died 14 May 1219 in Caversham, Oxfordshire England.
-William was one of 6 "Illustrious Men" who were councilors to King John, and was listed on the preamble to the Magna Carta.
-William had a turbulent early life; He was handed over to King Stephen during the Siege of Newbury by his father. King Stephen threatened to catapult William over the battlements into Newbury Castle if his father didn't surrender, but instead was found playing with young William in his tent. Williams father, clearly being an upstanding parent, responded to the threat of the death of his son that 'he had the anvils and hammers to make a finer one. (son)' William remained a hostage for many months, and was returned to his father when the civil war ended, in 1153.
-When William was 12, he became a squire to William de Tancarville, Master Chamberlain of Normandy. Under this tutelage William became knighted in 1166, and was almost immediately involved in frontier war. In 1168 he was captured and his uncle killed while escorting Eleanor of Aquitaine when the convoy was attacked. He was again taken prisoner (by the attacker, Guy de Lusignan) and Eleanor paid his ransom, keeping him afterwards as part of her household. Here William learned to participate in Tournaments; This skill would continue to serve him in life.
- In 1170 Henry II appointed William as tutor-in-arms to his son, Henry The Young King. He traveled with Henry the Young King extensively participating in tournaments where he became a legendary Tournament Champion. When Young Henry died in 1180 after vowing to go on a crusade, he asked William to crusade in his place, which he did after escorting Young Henry's remains to Rouen. This is when William joined the Knights templar.
-When Henry II died, William escorted his remains to Fonteroud. Then, when Richard I was crowned, William carried the gold scepter and cross at the coronation. He was also present at William III coronation, and named Regent.
*Fulk D'Anjou, King of Jerusalem
Fulk D'Anjou was born about 1092 in Anjou, France to Foulques D'Anjou and Bertrande Montfort. He married Ermengarde Maine in 1110, and Melisende Rethel in 1129. He died 13 Nov 1144 in Acre, Jerusalem.
- In 1092, Fulk's mother Bertrade deserted her husband, and bigamously married King Philip I of France. In 1109, Fulk V became count of Anjou upon his father's death.
-Fulk went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1119 or 1120, and became attached to the Knights Templar. He returned, late in 1121, after which he began to subsidize the Templars, maintaining two knights in the Holy Land for a year.
-In 1131, Fulk and Melisende became joint rulers of Jerusalem after her father's death. From the start Fulk assumed sole control of the government, excluding Melisende altogether. He favored fellow countrymen from Anjou to the native nobility (sounds like a stand up guy.)
-In 1143, while the king and queen were in Acre, Fulk was killed in a hunting accident.[3] His horse stumbled, fell, and Fulk's skull was crushed by the saddle, "and his brains gushed forth from both ears and nostrils", as William of Tyre describes. He was carried back to Acre, where he lay unconscious for three days before he died. He was buried in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. For some reason, Melisende did privately and publicly mourn Fulk's death.
*Robert de Sable', 11th Grand master of the Knights Templar
Robert was born about 1155 in Sable'-sur-Sarthe, France to Robert de Sable' and Hersene Anthanaise. He married Clemence Mayenne in 1168, and died 23 Sep 1193 in Palestine.
-Robert was Grand Master of the Knights Templar from 1191 to 1193, and Lord of Cypres from 119 to1192.
- Robert was one of the chosen leaders of the Crusading Fleet of Richard I that departed from Dartmouth in the spring of 1190.
-Despite only having a short tenure, Sablé's reign was filled with successful campaigning. Before his election as Grand Master, he led King Richard I's navy from England and Normandy to the Mediterranean, getting involved in the Reconquista in the passage.
-At the time of Gerard de Ridefort's death, Sablé was not even a member of the Templar Order. However, the senior knights had become increasingly opposed to Masters fighting on the front line, and the capture and beheading of Grand Master Gerard de Ridefort became the final straw. They delayed elections for over a year so that the rules regarding active service of Grand Masters could be reviewed. During this hiatus, Sablé did join the order, just in time to be considered for election. When he was made Grand Master, he had been a Templar knight for less than a year. He died in 1193.
Robert de Sable' coat of arms
*Robert de Craon, 2nd Grand Master of the Knights Templar
Robert de Craon was born about 1070 in France to Renaud Craon and Enoguen Vitre. He married Amelie de Chabanais, and died 13 Jan 1149.
-Robert was engaged to the daughter of the lord of Angoumois but gave up his wedding and travelled to Palestine after learning of the foundation of the Templar Order by Hughes de Payens. He soon showed his military valour and his piety. From 1132-1134, he was the seneschal of the order, and following the death of Hughes, in 1136, he was chosen as the new Grand Master.
-For such a notable Templar, it seems not much is known of his life or death, but was proved to be a brilliant organizer and legislator, and turned the Order into a major force in the Crusader states.
*Philippe Milly Naplouse, 7th Grans Master of the Knights Templar
Phillipe Milly was born about 1120 to Guy Milly and Etiennette of Nablus. He married a woman named Isabella, and died 10 Apr 1171.
-Philip's career started only after Fulk died and Melisende became the actual ruler of Jerusalem. He was first mentioned as lord of Nablus in 1144.
-Philip joined the military order of the Knights Templar in January 1166, passing on to them a significant part of Oultrejordain, including the castle of Ahamant.[7] Acting against the decision of the Templars, Philip joined Amalric's invasion of Egypt in 1167.
-For unknown reasons Philip resigned as Grand Master in 1171, and was succeeded by Odo de St Amand. Philip accompanied Amalric to Constantinople as ambassador to the Byzantine Empire in order to restore good relations with them after the failure of the Egyptian invasion. He probably died on April 3, before reaching Constantinople.
Philip of Milly coat of arms
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