328 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 



lands and goods, together with the report of the Prior of the Hospi- 

 tallers in England in 1327 (Camden Series), in which he sets out the 

 lands of the late Order which had come into his possession, will render 

 the historian's task comparatively easy whenever an exhaustive 

 account of the Templars' lands there comes to he written. 



The late Bishop Reeves, as early as 1857, had formed the inten- 

 tion of investigating the subject, but he left it incomplete. It was 

 probably with this idea that he copied out, or obtained a copy of, the 

 Certificate and Receipts sent by the Irish Exchequer to England, 

 1 Edward III, at the King's desire to be carefully informed of what 

 goods and possessions the Templars had in Ireland on their suppression . 

 This copy will be found amongst the Trinity College Manuscripts 

 (!N"o. 1061). However, the Certificate and Receipts do not give a full 

 account of the lands, as the Treasurer and Barons of the Irish 

 Exchequer acknowledged that the state of the country prevented an 

 accurate list being made. I have accordingly been obliged to try 

 to supplement these facts from other sources, such as the Patent and 

 Plea Rolls, and the Pipe and Memoranda Rolls of the Irish Exchequer, 

 which contain valuable information as to the history of the Order, 

 though the satisfaction afforded by such material is somewhat marred 

 b}? the conviction that the loss of many of these rolls has prevented 

 us from obtaining a more full and perfect knowledge on the subject. 



In order to introduce my subject, it will be necessary to give a 

 slight sketch of the events in the history of the Order which preceded 

 the arrival of the Templars in Ireland. 



The capture of Jerusalem by the Turcomans in 1065 a.d., and 

 their harsli treatment of pilgrims to the Holy Sepulchre, outraged the 

 religious feelings of Christendom to such a degree that, at the preach- 

 ing of Peter the Hermit, everyone from prince to peasant was fired 

 with an extraordinary enthusiasm, which culminated in the First 

 Crusade, and the recapture of Jerusalem by the Crusaders in 1099. 

 The flow of pilgrims recommenced with fresh ardour, but though the 

 infidels had been driven out of Jerusalem, they still infested the 

 country round about, and lost no opportunity of pillaging and slaying 

 the unfortunate travellers. To remedy this state of things, nine 

 noble knights, under Hugh de Payens and Geo&ey de St. Aldemar, 

 formed themselves into a company for the protection of the pilgrims 

 on their way from the coast to the Holy City. They styled them- 

 selves Fauperes Cornmilitones Christy and bound themselves together 

 under the rules of the Augustinian canons, with vows of chastity, 

 poverty, and obedience. 



