l'ORDRE du TEMPLE
"The Order of the Temple" emerged in France in the first years of the 19th century and claimed to be a secret continuation of the original Order which had gone underground upon its disolution in the 14th century.
Amongst those early members was Bernard-Raymond Fabre-Palaprat, a leading figure in the Masonic world, as well as a one-time Catholic Priest turned Chiropodist after the Revolution.
Palaprat and his Templar associates brought forward various items which had been maintained within the Order's archive throughout the centuries. These included the Statutes of 1705 said to be published by Philip, Duke of Orleans, the then Grand Master, and the "Charter of Transmission," better known as the "Larmenius Charter," which delineates a hidden descent of Grand Masters from Johannes Marcus Larmenius, to whom, it recites, the ill-fated Jacques de Molay conveyed his office of Grand Master in secret up to and including Fabre-Palaprat. Along with this particular document various other artefacts were mentioned in the 19th century revised Statutes but their whereabouts nowadays are unknown and, as such, cannot be graded and judged by experts for authenticity.
Left: The Larmenius Charter Right: The title page of the 1705 Statutes
The newly re-emerged Order expanded throughout the French empire and even obtained the approval of Napoleon Bonepart. A promising start, though, was quickly dashed and the Order became beset with internal strife as Fabre-Palaprat agreed intially to become Grand Master on 4th of November, 1804, for one year on account of their not being able to locate anyone of suitable note for the position only for him to continue in office and alter the Statutes in 1813 giving himself absolute power. Schism ensued and for a time there were two Grand Masters until the intervention of the Grand Prior of England, Sir William Sidney-Smith who managed to effect a reconciliation which allowed Fabre-Palaprat to remain in office. Despite this attempt at peace and cohesion Palaprat continued to be as contentious an individual as ever and his creation within the Order of a branch of his self-invented Johannite Church of the Primitive Christians, initiated another schism in 1833. With his health failing, his opposition led by Charles Antoine Gabriel, Duke of Choiseul, and Sir William Sidney-Smith, implemented "La Commission Executive du Convent-General" in 1837 which restored the Catholic tradition and reformed the Order back to its original purposes. Upon the death of Fabre-Palaprat in February of 1838 Sir William Sidney-Smith was chosen Regent and was later installed as Grand Master although this resulted in yet another fracture with those who were of the Palaprat persuasion. At length both factions continued but not even one hundred years lapsed until the main body was in disarray and all but defunct.
An original page from the Order's Statutes, signed by the senior officers
and sealed with the Great Seal.
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Non Nobis Domine, Non Nobis, Sed Nomini Tuo Da Gloriam !
Copyright: The Grand Priory of Scotland OSMTH/SMOTJ 2011
