|
|
An Analysis of Temple (Balantrodach)
In the above I have attempted to
show what Temple (Balantrodach) looked like in the 13th century,
please excuse the walls they were the hardest part to try and
draw. I have also tried to explain what was what, if you wish
just a plain picture without the writing sent please contact me.
Every time I try and write something about the area it changes
due to finding more facts, in 1128 Hugh de Payne visited
Scotland and met with King David, David being well impressed
with this near middle aged Knight granted him and the pending
new Order of Knights Templar the Lands of Balantrodach.
This may have been a bit of a gamble as it was not till a month
later the Knights Templar Order or, Knights of the Temple of
Jerusalem were properly founded, anyway it paid off for Hugh and
David in the end.
Nobody knows exactly when Balantrodach was built but there is
now a tiny piece of evidence that gives us a clue, there is the
first historical documented evidence of the Templar's in
Scotland dated 1160, this was held at St. Andrews. This document
states that there were two witnesses listed, those being Richard
of the Hospital of Jerusalem and Robert Brother of the Temple
(The Knights Templar). It should be noted that the Hospitallers
were also introduced in to Scotland at the same time.
During my research at Temple Village (Balantrodach) I wondered
where the Monks had come from, history again gave me the clue,
in around 1130 Melrose Abbey (Cistercian) was bursting at the
seams with Monks from all over, due to this they had to find
somewhere else to locate them, King David again being a God
fearing man granted them the lands of Newbottle now Newbattle
meaning (New Place), this new Abbey was started around 1140.
So with this in mind I feel that Balantrodach was not started
until around 1150 and completed by the end of 1160, the Monks
may have have been sent from Newbattle or at least Melrose to
work at Balantrodach. How many Monks were there is not known and
the same with the Templar's.
There was of course the Master who was Robert but how many
sergeants I have no idea, there must have been quite a few
between Edinburgh and Balantrodach as it is said, King David had
Templar's with him both day and night, they could have travelled
between the two places as the distance would only be around 15
miles. Roughly about the same time the building of Mount Lothian
would have taken place, again this is supposed to have been
funded by Newbattle Abbey and would have been an outlook post
for Balantrodach.
Where did they get the stones to build the Chapel and Buildings
I thought, the answer was very simple it was right on the
doorstep, see Photo.
It is known after various Archaeological digs and Scans that a
Round Tower had been there, during some digs they found around
five bases for large pillars, in 2006 I discovered a piece of a
Templar's burial slab now in Roslyn Chapel, in 2010 another
complete slab was found after a boundary wall had been taken
down I was told that the remains are still in there and
exhumation was out of the question.
Where this stone slab was found would have been within the
precincts of the Tower and, if the date that they guessed at is
correct then in may be the resting place of Robert the first
Master, at the same time another stone with a cross on it was
discovered but nothing under it, this may have a Monks stone
which is now in the Royal Scottish Museum in Edinburgh.
In around 1450 Temple (Balantrodach) was supplied with a Priest
and at the same time became Parochial, so here is another bit of
evidence that it was still habited by the Templar's or only the
Monks, but having a Priest means that the the population was
growing in the area. Then the crunch came when the Reformation
took over in 1560, Temple (Balantrodach) Chapel for some reason
escaped a lot of damage even when the Covenanters gained
control.
The reason the Tower and buildings were taken down was due to
the first Laird of Temple as it was now known as, Stephen Boyd
decided to build himself a house equal to that of Arniston, the
stones from the Commandery buildings were used for that purpose,
ten years after the house was built Boyd became bankrupt so was
there a curse put on him after his deed.
The same would happen to Patrick Murray of the House of Deuchar
after he became second Laird, after he died Dundas of Arniston
decided to have it pulled down, he offered it as a quarry to
locals to build a newer Temple village upon the hill, the first
two houses were built in 1760.
When I was down recently I looked at where the latest Templar
stone was found as mentioned earlier, standing where the stone
is I looked at the ruined Chapel, judging the height to the base
of the Chapel I was about three feet lower than the base. I
realised that the Chapel we see today may be built on the
original one, I posed the question to the Archaeologist and he
agreed with my findings. So throughout time the Chapel has been
built and rebuilt, the rebuilding work using many of the
original materials, the thing I looked for most was Mason's
Marks, there are none.
Chev. Archie Young. KCTpl. FSA
Scot
|
|
