The Origin of Freemasonry and Knights Templar ... - Lodge Prudentia

SUPPLEMENTAL ENCYCLOPEDIAcountries of the world, and the mythvariously modified by different peoples.of Bacchus wasBaldwyn Encampment An original Encampment ofKnights Templar at Bristol in England, said to havebeen established from time immemorial. (No doubt theMasonified [excuse the term] lineal descendant of the Preceptoriesof the thirteenth century. See Knights Templar,Masonic, page 152.) Four other Encampments of the samecharacter are said to have existed in London, Bath, Yorkand Salisbury. The Knights of Bristol were well-to-doand had large possessions in that ancient city. In theeighteenth century the Duke of Sussex received from the"Order of the Temple," at Paris, the degree of KnightsTemplar and the authority to establish a Grand Conclavein England. He did so; and convened that body once,only once. His authority came from the Templars ofFrance, who professed to have continued the Order byauthority of a charter given by James de Molay to Larmenius.During the remaining years of his life as GrandMaster, Templarism had no activity in England, for he, forsome cause or other, discountenanced all Christian andchivalric Masonry. After his death some of his officersand followers resolved to rescue the Order from its degradedposition, and several of the Encampments met andformed the Grand Conclave of England.In the meantime, of the five original Encampments ofEngland, who claimed to be the genuine representativesof the Knights of the Temple, four had expired, leavingBristol the sole relic of the Order, with the exception ofthe Encampments that had been created in various partsof the country, not holding under any legitimate authority,but raised by Knights who had been created in the BaldwynEncampment at Bristol.Under these circumstances the Knights of Baldwyn, feelingthat their place was at the head of the Order, wouldnot yield precedence to the Encampment of Observance16;