334 Proceedings of the Boyal Irish Academy. 



Money received in aid, Peter's pence, &c., were often lodged with 

 them to be transmitted to the proper quarters. As an instance of 

 this, we find in the Eeceipt Eoll, Michaelmas, 1301, Walter le Bachelor 

 paying into the Treasury by brother W. de Triminham, 73s. 4^?., 

 which he had received from the collectors of the new custom of 

 Waterford.' On one occasion the Master in Ireland was paid 120 

 marks for expediting some arduous affairs of the King, though what 

 the business was we are not told.^ 



Besides the privileges mentioned above, the Templars enjoyed, 

 under the authority of Papal bulls, freedom from paying tithes, and 

 from excommunication of themselves or interdict on their churches 

 by bishop or priest. They were allowed to visit the churches in the 

 country once a year to make a collection for the Holy Land, and even 

 if such churches were laid under an interdict, they were to be thrown 

 open on their coming, and divine service was to be performed.^ Their 

 dwellings, too, were to be considered as sanctuaries, and any felon 

 flying there was safe from arrest. We have an instance of this on 

 Plea Roll No. 13, m. 45 d. (Edward I), where the mayor and 

 citizens of Limerick were summoned for allowing the escape of a felon 

 who had fled to the Templars' house there. 



Our own and the English records are also full of mandates from 

 the king granting them protection, and freeing them from being 

 impleaded except before the king or his justiciar, and from common 

 summonses before the justices itinerant, as well as regards common 

 pleas as pleas of the forest ; from paying tenths for the Crusades out 

 of their parish churches and other possessions ; and prohibiting any 

 mills being erected to their detriment. 



Their extensive rights were, however, limited in cities, for they 

 were strictly forbidden to have more than one guest-house in a 

 city free from the common customs, as we see in the charters of 

 Dublin and Limerick.* !Nor, free as they were from interference by 

 the archbishops, were they absolved from paying procurations to 

 them, as we learn from a command to Master William de Hothum 

 and others (who, after the dissolution, were appointed farmers of 

 churches belonging to the manor of Kilsaran) to pay the Archbishop 

 of Armagh his procui-ations ''prout temporibus retroactis hujusmodi 



1 Cal. Irish I^ocuments, 1293-1301. No. 825. 

 - Ibid., \2b2-\2M. No. 891. 



3 Rymer's " Federa," vol. i., p. 334. 



4 Cal. Irish Documents, 1171-1251. No. 2101. 



