Military Orders

Hospitallers

• Formed in the late 11th century

• 300-500 members

Templars

• Formed 1120

• 500 members

How did the orders start out?

• As care-givers and protectors of pilgrims

What were Hospitallers given in 1136?

• The Castle of Bethgibelin by king Fulk

• They began to play an important role in the defence of Outremer

Hospitallers in the 1160s

• Greater militarisation - given around 12 castles and asked to defend the entire city of Sidon

Templars in 1129

• Given formal approval at the Council of Troyes

• This meant the members were permitted to commit violent acts in God’s name

Templar role in military campaigns

• 1149 - supported when Antioch was threatened by Nurredin, sent 120 knights and 1,000 soldiers

• 1177 - 80 Templars joined other Frankish forces to defeat Saladin at Montgisard

Hospitaller role in military campaigns

• 1167 - offered to provide 500 knights for the campaign in Egypt

• Campaign resulted in the order going bankrupt - owed 100,000 bezants

• Continued involvement in battles between 1170 and 1187

Defence settlements

• Tortosa given to Templars to govern in 1152

• Sidon granted to Hospitallers in 1160

Outremer’s dependence on the orders

• End of the 12th century - expected to come to the aid of crusader states

• Battle of Hattin - Templars lost around 230

Control of castles by orders

• 1178 - Baldwin IV gave the Templars the castle at Jacob’s ford - they were expected to garrison it with 80 knights

• When Raymond of Tripoli became regent for Baldwin V in 1185, the castles were put under control of the military orders

1180s

• Hospitallers had 25 castles

• Templars had 17 castles

• By the close of the decade they had lost control of most of their castles due to Saladin’s incursions

Support for military orders

• 1133 - Lauretta, from southern France gave all her inheritance to a Templar agent

• 1139 - Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of Louis VII, gave the Templars a house in the port of La Rochelle

• 1141 - Duke of Brittany have the Templars an island

Charter from Toulousain, late 1120s

• lists 44 individual donations

Post Second Crusade donations

• 1172 - Henry II of England promised to pay for 200 knights to spend a year in J

• 1186 - £20,000 sent to the orders by Henry II and Phillip II of France