The order first saw the light of day in Scotland in 1800 in Kilmarnock and extended to Glasgow and Edinburgh.

In 1807, the Early Grand Conclave of Scotland issued a warrant to Joppa Encampment of Knights Templar in Sunderland with authority to work a number of degrees including Knight Templar Priest.  In 1812, members at Newcastle upon Tyne petitioned the Grand Conclave of England for a Warrant. This was granted in the name of Royal Kent Encampment.

Evidence exists of its being worked in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries in England, Scotland, Ireland, Corfu, France and probably the United States and Canada.  The Order then became moribund in the 1890’s, the last known working being in Lancashire.

Prior to 1894, The Order of Knight Templar Priest traced its origins back to the Anahilt Union Band in County Down, Ireland, in 1792.  Over 60 “Union Bands” have been traced in Ireland with only a small number being under the Irish Early Grand Encampment and even fewer being “banded” with one or more Lodges.  During this period there was no ruling body.

On Good Friday, 23 March 1894, Henry Hotham, a Yorkshireman and prominent Mason, was, apparently, the last known Knight Templar Priest.  Being the last Installed Master or High Priest, he admitted nine Knights into the Order (under the authority of one of the Original Rules of the Order).

The revived Tabernacle being conscious of the efforts of the Council of Allied Masonic Degrees in London to found a “Grand Council of Rites”, agreed that, with its then 24 Appendant Degrees, to become the Royal Kent Tabernacle Time Immemorial.  As a consequence, the first of the modern Tabernacles, Royal Kent T.I., was formed.  After a short period of control by the Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees and by mutual consent, it separated and became The Grand College.

The development of the Order was very slow at first, but it soon began to take on its now extensive international form, with the first four New Zealand Tabernacles being between 1930 and 1944 and Australia joining in 1949.

Progress of the Order continued very slowly, but steadily, from 1951 for the next 10 years, but, in the early 1960s, under dynamic new leadership, the pace of expansion increased, and has continued to this day, with the number of Tabernacles now at 240, and on each continent of the World, including England, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, South Africa, The Bahamas, Holland, Germany, Jamaica, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, Spain, Togo, Bolivia and Ivory Coast.

It is sad that there are none in Ireland, where the Order is considered to have originated.

The New Grand Body had its first meeting on 15 May 1924 at Newcastle upon Tyne.

For those wanting to learn more about the inception of the Order the book “The Priestly Order”, available only from Grand College, provides a fascinating insight into the Order’s history.

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The 2011 Ladies Festival Weekend will be held at The Queens Hotel, Bournemouth on Friday 14th to Sunday 16th January.

Places are still available.

Full details have been sent to all Recorders.

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The new book takes the history of the Order from its nineteenth century beginnings to 2008 and beyond.

Expanded to 332 pages and with 50 illustrations, it includes new chapters covering developments since the installation of the present Grand High Priest and in continental Europe and South America.

Other chapters, including those on North America, New Zealand, Australia and Canada, have also been extended.

It is only available from Grand College, Castlegate House, Castlegate, York YO1 9RP.  The price is £25.00 plus p&p (£4.00 – UK; £6.00 – overseas).

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Don’t keep it a secret, submit it for inclusion on the website. We aim to update the site at least fortnightly, but we can’t do that without YOUR news.

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Also present were M.Em.Kt.Pt. Jonathan Terence Crompton, Past Deputy High Priest; R.Ill.Kt.Pt. Anthony Charles Hayes GHP Awd, PGR; R.Ill.Kt.Pt. Alexander Michael Jones, GHP Awd, PGS and R.Em.Kt.Pt. David Harold Scott, Grand Superintendent, Yorkshire North and East Ridings.

Kt. Pt. David John Roach

V.Ill.Kt.Pt. Michael Arthur Hadfield

L-r : Ill.Kt.Pt. Keith Howard Turner, Grand High Priest M.Ill.Kt.Pt. Ernest Peter Donnison, V.Ill.Kt.Pt. Michael Arthur Hadfield.

Ill.Kt.Pt. Paul Crossland Grafton

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The full report of the meeting is currently being compiled and will be available shortly.

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Holder of the Grand High Priest’s Award:

R.Em.Kt.Pt. Michael Daws (Brinkburn No.28)

R.Em.Kt.Pt. John Denton (Mercia No.10)

R.Em.Kt.Pt. Gordon Mark Gentry (St. John No.5)

R.Em.Kt.Pt. David Carr Hooker (Hull No.6)

R.Em.Kt.Pt. William Thomas Hone (Te Ngutu No.73)

R.Em.Kt.Pt. Alexander Michael Jones (White Rose No.24)

R.Em.Kt.Pt. Brian Frank Page (Saxon No.104)

R.Em.Kt.Pt. William Siu Loong Wong (Patmos No.21)

Holders of the Certificate of Merit:

Stephen Michael Ayres (Premier No.1)
Raymond George Fretten (Essex No.46)
Michael Graham (Hull No.6)
Noel Alfred Brian Grout (Premier No.1)
Peter John Hall (St Bernard of Clairvaux No.117)

Holders of the Knight of Holy Wisdom Award:

Geoffrey Birch (All Saints No.101)
Leslie John Bernard Butler (Halsey No.177)
Stephen Clayton-Barker (Ezekiel No.83)
Robert Frederick Wignall Cook (Cliffe Castle No.201)
Thomas Ian Cranston (Melchisedec No.14)
James Peter Croft (Finchale No.3)
John Curtis (Manor of Hallam No.113)
Harry Fry Davenport (Melchisedec No.14)
Roy Hewitt Davies (Zadok No.33)
Ian Kay Dobinson (Cleveland No.53)
Peter Gordon Dunn (Cleveland No.53)
Roy Ellison (Zadok No.33)
Edwin Bryant Goodwin (Guild of Freemen No.156)
Harold Wilford Hampton (Zadok No.33)
Trevor Lancaster Hughes (Manor of Hallam No.113)
Roderick Allan Hume (Royal Kent TI)
Sidney Martin Crawshay-Jones (Trent No.165)

John Knox (Saxon No.104)

Douglass McMeekan (Royal Kent TI)

John Wallace Mitchell (Guild of Freemen No. 156)

Lawrence Douglas Muir (St George No. 22)

Stewart William Noble (Australian No.15)

Patrick Roy Nurse (St Bernard of Clairvaux No.117)

Thomas Joseph Owen (St Mary Magdalene No.90)

Alfred Roberts (St Paulinus No.35)

Dennis Brian Saunders (Essex No.46)

Ronald Walter Shaw (St Thomas a Becket No.55)

Robert Alfred Spence (Wellington No.148)

John Lambert Stokell (Royal Kent TI)

Charles Edward Woodward (Terra Sancta No.131)

Holders of the Companion of Holy Wisdom Award:

Derek Roy Blumsom (Galilee No.48)
Alexander William Cocker (Britannic No.13)
John Cole Donaldson (Corra Linn No.198)
Peter Gordon Ward France (Sant Crallo No.164)
Edward James Wilding Griffiths (Melenydd No.157)
Michael Arthur Hadfirld OBE JP (James Edward Glover No.179)
Trevor John Harrison (Temple Manor No.54)
Brian George Heasman (Tendring No.180)
Raymond Charles Horton (Pride of Surrey No.184)
George Alfred Johnson (James William Turner No.222)
Arnold Long (Surrey No.27)
Joseph McManus (Cliffe Castle No.201)
Robert John Prosser (Salem No.100)
Alexander Simpson Rollo (Fraser No.163)
Colin Sansom (St Salem No.239)
Derek John Smith (Isle of Wight No.206)

Brian Edward Wisbey (Isle of Wight No.206)

Laurence James Young (Saxon No.104)

Holders of the Pillar of Holy Wisdom Award:

Kenneth Bradshaw (St Peter & St Paul No.47)
James Allan Fergusson (White Rose No.24)

Raymond Ody (Chertsey No.195)

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Linton Anthony Andrews (Jamaica No.167)
David Edward Baker (St. Bernard of Clairvaux No.117)
Peter James Baker (St. Peter & St. Paul No.47)
Leslie Norman Bale (Wirral No.60)
Brian Robert Barden (Holywell No.71)
Andrew Dowing Beckingsale (Zadok No.33)
Jack Blanchard (King Edgar No.31)
Peter Christopher Brockbank (Wilmington No.36)
Anthony Roy Clark (Kingsway No.17)
Robert Theo Clarke (City of Hobart No.197)
Clinton Andrew Cook (Salem No.100)
Harold James Croft (Hunter No.162)
Paulo Roberto Couto de Fonseca (Brasil No.226)
Francisco Gomes da Silva (Novo Mundo No.227)
Kenneth Joseph Elmes (Chingford No.91)
David John Elsley (Dewi Sant No.188)
Philippe Andre Gail (Brasil No.226)
Jeremiah Danile Gangadeen (St. John’s Gate No.119)
Graham Arthur Gilbert (Hawkes Bay No.56)
Michael William Guest (Mercia No.100)
Trevor Charles Gulliver (Parsifal No.224)
Julian Keith Gunnell (Guild of Freemen No.156)
Trevor Ernest Hales (Priory No.112)
Phillip Harries (Zion No.166)
Derek Michael Hedges (Aaron No.170)
Kum Moon Ho (Kuala Lumpur No.211)
Frits Arjen Kruis (Star Absolom No.139)
John Liddle  (The Prior’s Haven No.134)
Colin Richard Little (The Holy Rood No.135)
Ian Massey (Hunter No.162)
John William Michael Minshaw (Robert de Sable No.129)
Stephen Charles Neville (St. Thomas a Becket No.55)
Gerald Page (George Hookham No.141)
Kenneth John Pausey (Premier No.1)
James McKean Pettigrew (Saltire No.121)
Christopher Edward Phillips (Cantuar No.26)
David Graeme Phillips (Canberra No.43)
David Scott Pinkerton (Temple Cressing No.221)
Roger Charles Richardson (Essex No.46)
Robert James Richardson (St. Thomas a Becket No.55)
Albert William Robinson (Essex No.46)
Brian Kilburn Robinson (Royal York No.2)
Gerald Bryan Sauder (Victoria No.52)
Colin Frank Smale (Sympathy No.218)
Sergio Luis Pereira Soares (Brasil No.226)
Albert Harry Start (St. Mary Magdalene No.90)
Dirk Carljan Stemmerik (Vellus Aureum No.125)
Allan Stokoe (St. Cuthberts No.174)
Richard John Maurice Syred (Fremantle No.89)
Michael George Taylor (Bromsgrove No.42)
Colin Michael Thompson (Ellan Vannin No.146)
Colin William Thurston (Hertfordshire No.29)
Anthony Leonard Richard Raymond Townsend (Kosmos No.38)
Edwin Richard John Tunbridge (Temple Manor No.54)
Herman van Wijk (Natalia No.64)
Owen Vickers (Queensland No.20)
Jack William Francis White (Anjou No.194)
Robert Edward Lloyd Williams (Chertsey No.195)

Past Grand II Pillar:

Clive Linford Abbott (Cardinal Wolsey No.169)
David Armstrong (Bon Accord No.199)
Keith Dexter Ronald Baker (St. Mary the Virgin No.159)
Edwin John Barella (Pride of Surrey No.184)
Phillip John Bernstein (Perth No.79)
Denis Bernard Best (St. Clement No.70)
Bryan William Bingle (Severn No.39)
Maurice Jules Bone (St. John No.5)
John Weislaw Bukowski (Auckland No.12)
Denis Bunce (Uxbridge No.68)
Robert Frederick Chambers (Royal Kent TI)
Keith Edwin Collcutt (St. Blaise No.57)
Robert Andrew Coleman (Felix of Burgandy No.132)
John Richard Craft (Cumberland No.181)
Alan Keith Peter Cresswell (Chester Cross No.152)
William Andrew Culshaw (Jacques de Molay No.123)
Leonard David Harry Davies (Powhattan No.191)
Douglas Charles Day (Tendring No.181)
Chalres Robert Dillette (Royal Victoria No.76)
William Norman Derek Douglas (Corra Linn No.198)
Cecil John Dreyer (Civic Erin No.62)
James Elton (Fraser No.163)
Ronald Curtis Enerson (Northern Lights No.130)
Donald James Epps (St. Mark’s No.34)
Raymond William Garratt (St. Alphege No.128)
Bryan Denis Giddings (The Three Saints No.196)
Bradbury Goff (Rosae Crucis No.23)
Kenneth George Hall (Perth No.79)
Bruce Harrison (Cleveland No.53)
Kenneth Holley (New South Wales No.16)

Colin Hollingsworth (Twickenham No.172)
Mark Holmes (St. Oswald No.18)
John David Hongisto (Southern Alberta No.103)
Michael Hopkins (Golau Dydd No.187)
Thomas Alexander Houston (Lindisfarne No.81)
Colin Hume (Wudcestre No.140)
John Hylton (Trent No.165)
Ronald David Jakes (Boxley Anney No.136)
Kenneth Johnson (Oxfordshire No.41)
Ian John Keens (Holy Trinity No.212)
Richard Alan Kerry (Derbyshire No.50)
John Michael Petit Kinnison (Venerable Bede No.155)
Athanasios Koroniadis (Wellington No.148)
Raymond William Leather (St. Mary & St. George No.106)
Roger Layton (All Saint’s No.101)
Joseph Edward Lucas (Pax No.214)
Eric William MacGregor (Strathlene No.215)
Anthony Glyn Machin (Saxon No.104)
Arthur Russell Macken (St. George No.22)
Brian Carrie Mackie (Claverhouse No.143)
Stephen John Marlow (Twyford No.217)
James McDonald (Civic Erin No.62)
Ronald James Kelso McEwan (St. George of Throckley No.124)
William McLeod (Am Furan No.144)
Marcel Pierre Monthorin (St. Genevieve No.203)
John Young Moralee (Brinkburn No.28)
Ian Duncan Moseley (Melenydd No.157)
James Murphy (Saint Ninian No.171)
Jan Alexander Olszewski (Kernow No.176)
Edward Charles Garnett Owen (Melchisedec No.14)
Timothy Russell Oxlade (Buckinghamshire No.72)
Donald Russell Pardo (Thames No.108)
Ivor Ronald Pearson (Clare No.74)
Phillip Ray Pearson (St. Peter No.82)
George Albert Peddey (Perth No.79)
Anthony Charles Pointing (Rocheberie No.80)
Kenneth Adrian Priestley (Surrey No.27)
Robert Cecil Reece-Gibbs (Keystone No.114)
William Law Rennie (Andover No.69)
John Richardson (St. Mary’s No.78)
John Riefler (New South Wales No.16)
Norman Rose (Himalaya No.45)
Alastair McInnes Ross (Fraser No.163)
John Spencer Ross (Sherwood of Brisbane No.67)
Gary Neil Rosser (Sant Crallo No.164
John Rowbottom (Lincoln No.49)
Keith Anthony Scott (Jamaica No.167)
Brian Stanley Shopland (James Edward Glover No.179)

Alan Simpson (Leicestershire & Rutland No.122)

Frank George Hood Smith (St. Ann’s No.30)

Michael John Smith (St. Michael No.94)

John Douglas Spencer (Phoenix No.133)

Keith Richard Stevens (James William Turner No.222)

Thomas Andrew Stockman (Forth Valley No.175)

Imre Szerencses (King Richard 1 No.158)

Robert John Tanswell (Salem No.100)

Gary Douglas Taylor (Finchale No.3)

Paul Toller (St. Augustine No. 86)

Robin George Trevett (St. Cecilia No.77)

Athur Tulip (Wallingford Castle No.84)

John Ignatius Turner (Nottinghamshire No.32)

Heinrich Benehoff Uys (Omega No.65)

Neil Harvey Walker (Omega No.65)

Michael Arthur Watkin (St. David’s No. 59)

Gerald William Watson (Torbay No.147)

John Michael Waymark (St. Nicolas No.25)

Maurice Raymond Webb (Langdon Hills No.190)

Richard Ivor Wedgbury (St. Winnold No.95)

Pieter Johannes Wessels (Omega No.65)

Trevor White (Bernica No.183)

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