A new discovery in England, referred to as “nationally important” found a church with graves allegedly belonging to members of the secretive group Knights Templar.
A group of Catholic knights, the Templars were founded in the early 12th century and endorsed by the Roman Catholic Church as they fought in the medieval Crusades and provided safety to pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. Roughly 90% of them were not fighting men; they created a sophisticated economic infrastructure in Europe and developed banking practices.
Historian Edward Spencer Dyas discovered eight Knights Templar graves at St. Mary’s Church in Enville, Staffordshire. The graves featured Templar crosses within double circles. One grave had a Crusader cross and a Templar Cross, indicating the knight had served as part of the Templar Order in Jerusalem.
“I believe these discoveries make Enville one of the most nationally important churches in the country,” Dyas said, according to The Daily Mail. “That’s due to its close links with William Marshal, who is considered of the greatest warriors England ever produced. But there is a mystery of why a European Templar is buried at Enville and why they were secretly so prominent there.”
Dyas realized one of the stained glass windows displayed a coat of arms belonging to Hugh Mortimer of Chelmarsh, who married the granddaughter of Marshal, considered England’s greatest medieval knight, and on whom the legend of Camelot’s Lancelot was based.
Marshal, the 1st Earl of Pembroke, also helped draft the Magna Carta. He was called the “best knight that ever lived” by Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury between 1207 and 1228. Marshal was invested into the Templars on his deathbed.
Dyas is convinced that St. Mary’s was built by Roger de Bermingham — a priest whose family owned all Enville land.
“Although records are missing it is clear the de Bermingham family built the Norman church at Enville, using Templar financing,” he stated. “Henry de Morfe, who held land owned by the de Berminghams, sold part of Morfe Forest to the Templars at this time, and the de Berminghams instated Roger de Bermingham as the first priest of St Mary’s Church, Enville.”
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St. Mary’s was built in the early 12th century; at the time, Templars were creating preceptories — provincial communities — in Great Britain.