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History

The Order of Knight Templar Priests as we know it today goes back to the Anahilt Union Band in County Down, Ireland, in 1792.

So far, over 60 Union Bands have been identified in Ireland with only a small number being identified as being under the Early Grand Encampment and even fewer being “banded” with one or more Lodges.

During this period, there was no ruling body for these Union Bands.

In the early days it was known as the Priestly Order and was referred to in the ceremonies of the High Knights Templar in Ireland, in 1755.

In 1800, it appeared in Kilmarnock, Scotland. Evidence exists of its being worked in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in England, Scotland, Ireland, Corfu, France, the United States of America and Canada.

In 1807, the Early Grand Conclave of Scotland warranted the Joppa Encampment of Knights Templar in Sunderland, England. This Encampment was also authorised to work a number of other degrees, including the Knight Templar Priest.

In 1812, the Newcastle upon Tyne members petitioned the Grand Conclave of England for a warrant.

This was granted in the name of the Royal Kent Encampment. The Order of Knight Templar Priests appears only to have been worked spasmodically, as did the Royal Kent Encampment, eventually coming under the aegis of the Council of Knights Grand Cross of the Holy Temple of Jerusalem, formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1845.

Henry Hotham, a Yorkshireman, being the last Installed High Priest, of the independent Chapter of Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests, on Good Friday, 23 March 1894, admitted nine Knights into the Order.

A fortuitously timed event, as Henry Hotham died on 17 May 1895.

The revived Tabernacle, in conjunction with the Knights Grand Cross, being conscious of the efforts of the Council of Allied Masonic Degrees, in London, to found a “Grand Council of Rites”, agreed that, along with its then 24 appendant degrees, would become the Royal Kent Tabernacle, with ‘time immemorial’ status.

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, on 15 May 1924, at Newcastle upon Tyne.

Expansion was very slow for the first few decades of the Order’s existence but in recent times expansion has increased worldwide as more Freemasons have become aware of its existence as well as the beauty and significance of its ceremonial.

Regalia

A Knight Templar Priest wears a white tunic with a red cross on the front, a plain white mantle and a mitre with a cross on the front and back.

A High Priest wears a taller mitre with a patriarchal cross while holders of grand rank are distinguished by additional detail on the mitre appropriate to their status.

Rank within the Order of Holy Wisdom is denoted by the colour of a cordelier worn by members at meetings.