Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Pilgrimage To The Preceptory Of St. John's, Torphichen.
knights-preceptors . For such we must seek in the chronicles of the times . Lindsay appears to have been preceded in the command by Sir George Dnmlas , who was chosen Preceptor in 1513 . Sir George was one of the most accomplished scholars and cavaliers of his day , as is testified by his cotemporary and schoolfellow , Hector Boece— " Georgius Dundas Grecas atque Latinas literas opprime doctus , equitum Hierosolymitanorum intra Scotorum regnummagistratum multo sudore
, ( superatis emulis ) postea adeptus . " The blood-red sun of Flodden Field had seen the knightly predecessor of Sir George Dundas laid in the bed of glory , along with his sovereign James IV . and the flower of the nobility of Scotland . This was Sir AYilliam Knolls , who for half a century swayed the crosier-staff of the AAliite-cross Knights . He was ordained by the Grand Master at Rhodes to be Preceptor of Torphichen in 1463 . King James III . appointed him
his Treasurer in 1 AGS , and he took thereafter an active part in the political events of those troublous times . From this situation Sir AYilliam was removed in 1470 , having fallen into discredit with the court . There is too much reason indeed to believe that the King was justified in discarding him , as the political Preceptor soon afterwards ranged himself among those insurgent nobles , who , through intrigues and force , finally effected the destruction of their sovereignon the 18 th of June 1488 .
, , In that very year , however , we find him restored to office and favour , under the new monarch James IA ^ ., who , towards the conclusion of a royal charter still extant entire , of date 9 th October , 1488 , thus praises and privileges the Preceptor of St . John ' s— " Ac insuper , ubi in dictis cartis non clare constat in illo termine ' de tholoneis , ' nos tamen oh
singulares specialesque favorum amorem et dilectionem quos gemmis ergo dilectum familiarem nostrum militem , nostrumque consiliarium dilectum AYilelmum Knollis , modernum Preceptorem ejusdem Loci de Torfichin , nostrum Thesaurarium , volumus concessionus et hoc presenti carta concedimus eidem Preceptori et suis suecessoribus Preceptoribus de Torfichin , ut sint Iiberi a solutione alicujus costumre de quibuscunque bonis et mercantiis suis destinandis per eosdem ad partes extramarinas solutione ipsius Preceptoris responsionisqua ; vero responsio
, pro , extendit ad ducentos ducatos . " The Preceptor of St . John ' s being thus reinstated in place and patronage , was appointed , in February , 14 S 9 , to collect the King ' s revenues in Linlithgowshire , in which county Torphichen is situated . He was slain 11 th September , 1513 , redeeming by his devotion to the son , his revolt against the father . Knoils had succeeded Sir Henry Livingstoneof the family of
Kil-, syth , who was Lord Preceptor of St . John in the reign of James II . At this period Freemasonry flourished greatly in Scotland , and the office of Grand Master Mason , which till then centred in the sovereign , was vested by royal decree in the person and family of AYilliam St . Clair , Earl of Orkney and Baron of Roslin , by whom the beautiful gothic church at Roslin was founded and built . No doubt the Grand Preceptor of the Order of StJohn of Jerusalem would be present with the
atten-. dant Brotherhood , at the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of that celebrated structure . Further we know not of Sir Henry Livingstone . In the reign of Robert the Bruce , Radulp h de Lindesay ruled over the house of the Hospital . He was preceded by Alexander de AVells , whom we find styled " Gardcyn de I'hospital de St . Jean de Jerusalem en Eccosse , " in the year 129 G , in the roll with those caitiff Scots who
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
A Pilgrimage To The Preceptory Of St. John's, Torphichen.
knights-preceptors . For such we must seek in the chronicles of the times . Lindsay appears to have been preceded in the command by Sir George Dnmlas , who was chosen Preceptor in 1513 . Sir George was one of the most accomplished scholars and cavaliers of his day , as is testified by his cotemporary and schoolfellow , Hector Boece— " Georgius Dundas Grecas atque Latinas literas opprime doctus , equitum Hierosolymitanorum intra Scotorum regnummagistratum multo sudore
, ( superatis emulis ) postea adeptus . " The blood-red sun of Flodden Field had seen the knightly predecessor of Sir George Dundas laid in the bed of glory , along with his sovereign James IV . and the flower of the nobility of Scotland . This was Sir AYilliam Knolls , who for half a century swayed the crosier-staff of the AAliite-cross Knights . He was ordained by the Grand Master at Rhodes to be Preceptor of Torphichen in 1463 . King James III . appointed him
his Treasurer in 1 AGS , and he took thereafter an active part in the political events of those troublous times . From this situation Sir AYilliam was removed in 1470 , having fallen into discredit with the court . There is too much reason indeed to believe that the King was justified in discarding him , as the political Preceptor soon afterwards ranged himself among those insurgent nobles , who , through intrigues and force , finally effected the destruction of their sovereignon the 18 th of June 1488 .
, , In that very year , however , we find him restored to office and favour , under the new monarch James IA ^ ., who , towards the conclusion of a royal charter still extant entire , of date 9 th October , 1488 , thus praises and privileges the Preceptor of St . John ' s— " Ac insuper , ubi in dictis cartis non clare constat in illo termine ' de tholoneis , ' nos tamen oh
singulares specialesque favorum amorem et dilectionem quos gemmis ergo dilectum familiarem nostrum militem , nostrumque consiliarium dilectum AYilelmum Knollis , modernum Preceptorem ejusdem Loci de Torfichin , nostrum Thesaurarium , volumus concessionus et hoc presenti carta concedimus eidem Preceptori et suis suecessoribus Preceptoribus de Torfichin , ut sint Iiberi a solutione alicujus costumre de quibuscunque bonis et mercantiis suis destinandis per eosdem ad partes extramarinas solutione ipsius Preceptoris responsionisqua ; vero responsio
, pro , extendit ad ducentos ducatos . " The Preceptor of St . John ' s being thus reinstated in place and patronage , was appointed , in February , 14 S 9 , to collect the King ' s revenues in Linlithgowshire , in which county Torphichen is situated . He was slain 11 th September , 1513 , redeeming by his devotion to the son , his revolt against the father . Knoils had succeeded Sir Henry Livingstoneof the family of
Kil-, syth , who was Lord Preceptor of St . John in the reign of James II . At this period Freemasonry flourished greatly in Scotland , and the office of Grand Master Mason , which till then centred in the sovereign , was vested by royal decree in the person and family of AYilliam St . Clair , Earl of Orkney and Baron of Roslin , by whom the beautiful gothic church at Roslin was founded and built . No doubt the Grand Preceptor of the Order of StJohn of Jerusalem would be present with the
atten-. dant Brotherhood , at the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of that celebrated structure . Further we know not of Sir Henry Livingstone . In the reign of Robert the Bruce , Radulp h de Lindesay ruled over the house of the Hospital . He was preceded by Alexander de AVells , whom we find styled " Gardcyn de I'hospital de St . Jean de Jerusalem en Eccosse , " in the year 129 G , in the roll with those caitiff Scots who