Hamas rejects 4-hour cease-fire extension in Gaza
Yousef Al-Helou and Janelle Dumalaon, Special for USA TODAY 3:09 p.m. EDT July 26, 2014
GAZA CITY — Hamas rejected Israel's four-hour extension of a humanitarian cease-fire Saturday as the Palestinian death toll in the conflict rose to more than 1,000.
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri sent a text message to reporters Saturday, saying: "No agreement to extending the calm for an additional four hours." A short time afterward, the Israeli military said three rockets were fired from Gaza.
The cease-fire rejection came after the Israeli Cabinet agreed to extend the 12-hour truce until midnight Saturday, and Yuval Steinitz, an Israeli Cabinet minister, said a further extension would be considered.
Earlier Saturday, the Israeli military had warned that it "shall respond if terrorists choose to exploit" the lull to attack Israeli troops "or fire at Israeli civilians." It also said that operations to locate and neutralize tunnels would continue.
Meanwhile, at least 100 bodies were recovered Saturday, Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra said, as Palestinians used the cease-fire to move medical supplies and tend to the dead and injured in the Gaza Strip.
As the initial lull in hostilities began at 8 a.m. Saturday, Gazans poured onto the streets to find food supplies, look for missing family members or return to homes they left for shelters. The nearly three weeks of fighting has left swaths of rubble, destroyed roads and damaged power infrastructure in residential neighborhoods across the strip.
More than 1,000 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed since the conflict began on July 8. Another 6,000 have been wounded. In Israel, 43 have died, including 40 soldiers, two civilians and a Thai worker.
Imad Nasrallah, 38, said he and others have made it a point not to forget the living.
"With my brothers and neighbors, we volunteer and go help others, in case their homes were targeted," Nasrallah said. "We transfer the wounded to hospitals or go carry the martyrs and bury them."
A Palestinian man cries at the site of his house, which was destroyed by shelling, in Beit Hanoun, Gaza, on July 26, 2014. (Photo: Oliver Weiken, European Pressphoto Agency) Fullscreen
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Saturday's temporary truce was the second and the longest since the conflict began on July 8. A humanitarian cease-fire on July 17 was quickly overlooked as rocket fire resumed as soon as the set five hours expired.
In Paris on Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met with European foreign ministers to find ways to build off Saturday's lull.
On Friday, Israel rejected a U.S.-backed proposal for a weeklong truce because it would require its forces to interrupt its operation to destroy Hamas tunnels. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon told troops Friday that Israel may significantly widen the Gaza ground operation.
A truce proposed by Egypt last week was rejected by Hamas because the group said it wasn't consulted. Hamas says any peace deal must include the lifting of a blockade against Gaza.
In the northern town of Beit Hanoun, residents — many of whom had fled days earlier — encountered widespread destruction Saturday.
"Nothing is left. Everything I have is gone," said Siham Kafarneh, 37, weeping as she talked about the destroyed home she had spent 10 years saving up for and moved into just two months ago.
The continued hostilities have meant nowhere is safe for Nasrallah and his family as shelters no longer offer the promise of security, he said.
"It's not safe to go out but there is no guarantee our homes are safe," said Nasrallah. "Many houses were hit by Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes while people were inside.
Saturday, 26 July 2014
Friday, 18 July 2014
Lord Neil Gibson's connection toTemple Newsam House
Lord Neil Gibson's connection toTemple Newsam House,
Lord Neil B. Gibson was born and raised in Yorkshire, not many miles away from the House. Growing up he visited the house on a regular basis. Lord Neil Gibson's Grandmother lived at the house in the late 1940s. Although she was not the Lady of the house, she walked with that circle. This again shows the draw of Lord Neil B. Gibson to the house and his regular visits. He as a strong spiritual connection to the history of the house and the Knights Templar.
Temple Newsam (historically Temple Newsham, in legend Templestowe) (grid reference SE357322) is a Tudor-Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The estate lies to the east of the city, just south of Halton Moor, Halton, Whitkirk and Colton.
In the Domesday Book the property is known as Neuhusam and was owned by Ilbert de Lacy. Before that it had been owned by Dunstan and Glunier, Anglo-Saxon thanes. Around 1155 it was given to the Knights Templar. In 1307 the Templars were suppressed and in 1377 by royal decree the estate reverted to Sir Philip Darcy. Between 1500 and 1520 a Tudor country house, Temple Newsam House, was built on the site.[1] It has been described by some as "the Hampton Court of the North".[2] It has also been spelled "Newsham" in the past.
In 1537 Darcy was executed for the part he played in the Pilgrimage of Grace and the property was seized by the Crown. In 1544 Henry VIII gave it to his niece Margaret, Countess of Lennox and her husband Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox. Their son Henry, Lord Darnley was born in the house in 1545. Darnley married Mary, Queen of Scots, and Temple Newsam was again seized by the Crown in 1565. In 1603 James I granted it to his relative Ludovic, Duke of Lennox. In 1622 the estate was bought by Sir Arthur Ingram for £12,000. During the next 20 years the mansion was rebuilt, incorporating some of the previous house in the west wing.
In 1661 Sir Arthur's grandson Henry Ingram was created Viscount of Irvine and he married Lady Essex Montagu, the daughter of the Earl of Manchester. Between 1736 and 1746 Henry, 7th Viscount of Irvine, remodelled the west and north wings of the house, creating new bedrooms and dressing rooms and the picture gallery. In the 1760s Charles, 9th Viscount, employed Capability Brown to re-landscape the park. His eldest daughter Isabella, Marchioness of Hertford was for a time mistress of the Prince of Wales (later George IV), and in 1806 he visited Temple Newsam and presented her with Chinese wallpaper and the Moses tapestries. Lady Hertford inherited the house in 1807. In 1841 the estate was inherited by Hugo Francis Meynell Ingram. Following his death in 1871 his wife inherited the estate and considerably developed it until her own death in 1904 when it was left to her nephew Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax.
In 1909 610 acres (2.5 km2) of the estate were compulsorily purchased by Leeds Corporation at Knostrop to build a sewage plant and coal mining commenced at the edge of the park. In 1922 Edward Wood sold the park and house to Leeds Corporation for a nominal sum, placing covenants over them to ensure their preservation for the future.
Lord Neil B. Gibson was born and raised in Yorkshire, not many miles away from the House. Growing up he visited the house on a regular basis. Lord Neil Gibson's Grandmother lived at the house in the late 1940s. Although she was not the Lady of the house, she walked with that circle. This again shows the draw of Lord Neil B. Gibson to the house and his regular visits. He as a strong spiritual connection to the history of the house and the Knights Templar.
Temple Newsam (historically Temple Newsham, in legend Templestowe) (grid reference SE357322) is a Tudor-Jacobean house with grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The estate lies to the east of the city, just south of Halton Moor, Halton, Whitkirk and Colton.
In the Domesday Book the property is known as Neuhusam and was owned by Ilbert de Lacy. Before that it had been owned by Dunstan and Glunier, Anglo-Saxon thanes. Around 1155 it was given to the Knights Templar. In 1307 the Templars were suppressed and in 1377 by royal decree the estate reverted to Sir Philip Darcy. Between 1500 and 1520 a Tudor country house, Temple Newsam House, was built on the site.[1] It has been described by some as "the Hampton Court of the North".[2] It has also been spelled "Newsham" in the past.
In 1537 Darcy was executed for the part he played in the Pilgrimage of Grace and the property was seized by the Crown. In 1544 Henry VIII gave it to his niece Margaret, Countess of Lennox and her husband Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox. Their son Henry, Lord Darnley was born in the house in 1545. Darnley married Mary, Queen of Scots, and Temple Newsam was again seized by the Crown in 1565. In 1603 James I granted it to his relative Ludovic, Duke of Lennox. In 1622 the estate was bought by Sir Arthur Ingram for £12,000. During the next 20 years the mansion was rebuilt, incorporating some of the previous house in the west wing.
In 1661 Sir Arthur's grandson Henry Ingram was created Viscount of Irvine and he married Lady Essex Montagu, the daughter of the Earl of Manchester. Between 1736 and 1746 Henry, 7th Viscount of Irvine, remodelled the west and north wings of the house, creating new bedrooms and dressing rooms and the picture gallery. In the 1760s Charles, 9th Viscount, employed Capability Brown to re-landscape the park. His eldest daughter Isabella, Marchioness of Hertford was for a time mistress of the Prince of Wales (later George IV), and in 1806 he visited Temple Newsam and presented her with Chinese wallpaper and the Moses tapestries. Lady Hertford inherited the house in 1807. In 1841 the estate was inherited by Hugo Francis Meynell Ingram. Following his death in 1871 his wife inherited the estate and considerably developed it until her own death in 1904 when it was left to her nephew Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax.
In 1909 610 acres (2.5 km2) of the estate were compulsorily purchased by Leeds Corporation at Knostrop to build a sewage plant and coal mining commenced at the edge of the park. In 1922 Edward Wood sold the park and house to Leeds Corporation for a nominal sum, placing covenants over them to ensure their preservation for the future.
Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Lord Neil Gibson's Local History
The history of Lord Neil Gibson is one of great tradition, including his connections to the famous Temple lordneilgibson.comNewsam House. Lord Neil B. Gibson was born and raised in Yorkshire England, where he grew up only a few miles from the house. During his youth, Lord Gibson was a regular visitor to the house, when his grandmother had lived in the house previously in the 1940′s. Though she was not actually the “Lady of the House” she still was an integral part of the circle that were the owners. Lord Neil Gibson was raised with a strong spiritual connection to the Newsam House, and additionally to the history of the house and the Knights Templar.
Temple Newsam was originally “Temple Newsham,” in the legend Templestowe. The house is a Tudor-Jacobean house, and the estate lies to the east of the city, just south of Halton Moor, Halton, Whitkirk and Colton.
In the “Domesday Book” the estate is known as Neuhusam. Ilbert de Lacy is credited in the book as the owner and previously it had been owned by Dunstan and Glunier, Anglo-Saxon thanes. Around 1155, it was presented to the Knights Templar as a gift. For nearly 200 years the estate was owned by the Knights Templar, however in 1307 they were were suppressed and in 1377 by royal decree the estate was siezed and presented to Sir Philip Darcy. Tudor country house known as Temple Newsam House was constructed on the site somewhere between 1500 and 1520. It has been named “the Hampton Court of the North” bu some, and has also been spelled “Newsham” in different publications.
In 1537 the Pilgrimage of Grace resulted in Darcy’s was execution, and the property was seized by the Crown. Henry VIII presented the property to his niece in 1544, and the ownership was listed as Margaret, Countess of Lennox and her husband Matthew Stuart, Earl of Lennox. Lord Henry Darnley was born in the house in 1545. Upon his marriage to Mary Queen of Scots, Temple Newsam was again seized by the Crown in 1565. James I granted it to his relative, the Duke of Lennox in 1608. In 1622 the estate was bought by Sir Arthur Ingram for £12,000. Over the course of the next 20 years the mansion was rebuilt again, this time incorporating some of the previous house in the west wing.
Sir Arthur’s grandson Henry Ingram was named Viscount of Irvine in 1661, and subsequently he married Lady Essex Montagu, the daughter of the Earl of Manchester. During the timeframe of 1736 to 1746 Henry the 7th Viscount of Irvine re-modeled the west and north wings of the house. Through this re-modeling he created new bedrooms and dressing rooms, as well as the picture gallery. In the 1760s Charles, 9th Viscount, contracted Capability Brown to perform the job of re-landscaping the park. His eldest daughter Isabella, Marchioness of Hertford was for a time mistress of the Prince of Wales (later George IV), and in 1806 he visited Temple Newsam and presented her with Chinese wallpaper and the Moses tapestries. Lady Hertford inherited the house in 1807. In 1841 the estate was inherited by Hugo Francis Meynell Ingram. Following his death in 1871 his wife inherited the estate. She continually and painstakingly developed it until her own death in 1904. At that point it was left to her nephew Edward Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax.
In 1909 there was a sale of 610 acres (2.5 km2) of the estate by Leeds Corporation at Knostrop. The Leeds Corporation subsequently built a sewage plant and coal mine, which can be seen from the edge of the park. In 1922 Edward Wood sold the park and house to Leeds Corporation for a nominal sum, placing covenants over them to ensure their preservation for the future. Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson has always found himself attracted to the estate and the associated grounds, understanding even from the time that he was a child that the spiritual connection to the property itself runs deeper than just a personal affinity due to his family’s connections in past generations. The control of the grounds by the Templars over the course of 200+ years resonates with all Templar Knights as sacred ground, and although the preservation of the grounds themselves through contract is ensured, there is still a necessity to purify the soul through return to the area from time to time. Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson is no exception, and as a Templar Knight he feels drawn to the area on a level beyond the typical longings for the past. To the Lord Neil Benjamin Gibson, this is holy ground.
Friday, 4 July 2014
Knights Templar & Lord Neil Gibson
Lord Neil Gibson and his family history were with the
founding father's of the Knights Templar. Gibson is a Scottish and English
surname. The name is derived from a patronymic form of the common mediaeval
personal name Gib, which is a short form of Gilbert. Variant forms of the
surname include Gibsoun, Gipson, Gibbson, Gibbons, Gilson, Gibb, and Gibby
amongst others.
The personal name Gilbert was introduced into Britain by followers of William the Conqueror after the Norman Invasion of 1066. The Norman name was originally found as Gislebert or Gillebert, and is composed of the Germanic elements Gisil, meaning "hostage" or "noble youth", and berht, meaning "bright" or "famous". Gilbert became a very popular given name in England during the Middle Ages. Lord Neil B Gibson's ancestor were rumored to be part of the group who were believed to be related to Hugh de Payens. Some even believe Lord Gibson was a descendent of Hugh de Payens. There are some records of a Templar meeting in Belize South America wherektob.info Lord lordneilgibson.com was regressed, by a member of the High commission. In the experience it was witnessed that Lord Neil Gibson gave the signs of being a descendent of Hugh de Payens. There as been many other people regressed in the same manner, which show there connection to other famous Knights Templar leaders. The history of the Knights Templar is as follows.
The Knights Templar were formed in 1118 by Hugh de Payens in order to protect the road to Jerusalem from the Muslims and Jews. They were a combination of monk and soldier, similar to the Knights Hospitaller formed earlier to treat the sick from the crusades. Both orders spread quickly throughout Europe and it is probably in the reign of David I that both were endowed lands in Scotland. The Knights Templar were granted lands near Drumchapel:- Temple (hence the name, at Anniesland), Jordanhill (named after the middle-eastern land by the Templars) and the surrounding woodland that became known as Knightswood; parts of Knightswood are named North and South Templar. Both Sides of the burn states: 'Most of Knightswood estate was a detached portion of Jordanhill estate though much had an ancient and honourable history of its own. The name commemorates the Knights Templar who had been granted these lands and the wood for their services in the crusades.'
As the fighting in the middle-east worsened, Cyprus became the headquarters of the order. The master of the Scottish templars answered to the English master; who answered to the French master; who answered to the Cypriot grand master. National patriotism came second to the templar vocation, and the templars became a wealthy international agency skilled in banking and shipbuilding. Scottish knights were often found in other European countries and English knights often ran the Scottish templar bases.
The history of the Knights Templar is intertwined with the Wars of Independence between Scotland and England, of stories of Wallace and Bruce. Sir William Wallace is said to have killed Brian le Jay, the English master, and John de Soutre, the Scottish master, after the battle of Falkirk. Yet, the Templar knights are reputed to be present at Bannockburn fighting alongside Bruce. Their switching of allegiance is a story worthy of recount.
King Philip IV of France, 'the fair', became in need of money. He disliked the Knights Templar for a number of reasons:- When he was younger they had refused him entry to become a knight; he owed them money; and the Templars sided with Pope Boniface VIII when Philip was in dispute with the Pope. Boniface later died in 1303, and after the short papal reign of Benedict XI, in 1305 a French cardinal based in Avignon became Pope as Clement V. He was to prove a puppet of the French king.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, Robert the Bruce killed Comyn in a church at Dumfries. For this sin, he was excommunicated by Clement V just 6 weeks after his coronation as King of Scots in 1306. The Scots cause looked weak, ruled by the English, with an excommunicated King with only a guerrilla army of support. But under Bruce's leadership the Scots started gaining the upper hand.
In October 1307, Friday 13th - hence the superstition surrounding the date and the phrase 'Unlucky for some' - Philip IV had every French templar knight that he could arrested. He brought against them charges of denying Christ, sodomy, and worshipping an idol called Baphomet. Through torture he obtained confessions but many knights chose to die rather than lie and impune their order. These confessions he presented to Clement V who issued a bull ordering the templar knights be arrested in every country and their property seized.
Edward II now clung to power in Scotland. He arrested the Scottish templars and they were tried at Holyrood on 17th November 1309. Due to the resistance of the Scottish army, the court returned a not proven verdict but the order was 'abolished' in 1312. In reality, the Templar Knights were merged with the Hospitallers, and the master of the combined order sat in the Scottish Parliament as the Grand Prior of the Hospital and the Temple.
Fleeing knights from France and elsewhere sought sanctuary. Scotland, its king excommunicated by the Pope and in need of trained soldiers, became the obvious refuge. Tradition states that Bruce himself was a Templar Knight. Thus the Templar's switch of allegiance to the Scots side against the English, and their reputed presence at Bannockburn. The defeated Edward II seized the Templar property in England in the following year, strong circumstancial evidence of their helping the Scots.
Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh in their book The Temple and the Lodge identified some templar graves in Argyll, near the Lennox. They write 'most are the work of a group of sculptors working around Loch Awe in the late 14th to 15th centuries.' Left is an effigy of a knight at Old Kilpatrick Parish Church graveyard in the Lennox. Baigent and Leigh further state 'According to the practice of the time, the dead man's sword would be laid on the stone. Its outline would be incised and chiselled. The carving would thus reflect precisely the dimensions, shape and style of the original weapon.'.
The order began to take on a more Scottish character than before and more Scottish knights are found in its membership. The knights acted as clergy in many parishes until the reformation. Families such as the Sinclairs, Hamiltons and Montgomerys all have strong Templar associations. It comes as no surprise then to find Hamiltons in possession of many lands around the area of Drumchapel, Law, Cochno and the rest of the Lennox, considering the close proximity of the Knights at Temple, Jordanhill and Knightswood. Montgomerys are found as priests of St. Mary's Chapel, Drumry - probably as a family concern from Gilbert, the first priest noted, but certainly from Thomas Montgomery to the last priest Bartholomew Montgomery.
The name of the church hints at Templar origins. The dedication to the Virgin Mary is a common one among templar churches; Helen Nicholson's The Knight's Templar: A new history notes that the Virgin Mary was seen as the patron and lady of the order. Graham Hancock in his The Sign and Seal reveals why. He notes that the Virgin Mary is symbollised both with the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant, both of which the Templars are linked:-The knights were originally based in the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem which once held the Ark of the Covenant; and traditionally the Knights Templar were the guardians of the grail. The grail is also linked with King Arthur and brings us back to Nennius' eighth battle..
The eighth battle was in Guinnon fort, and in it Arthur carried the image of the holy Mary, the everlasting virgin, on his shield, and the pagans were put to flight on that day, and through the power of Jesus Christ and the power of the virgin Mary there was great slaughter
Thus it may be that through both the Templar origins and the local history of Arthur that the church was so named. It may even have started as a templar church.
Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, sailing to North America in 1398 - well before Christopher Columbus - adds further glamour to the Templars. A ancient stone found in Nova Scotia with the 14th century etching of the Sinclair crest and map of the coast seem to back this claim (see Scotsman Online for details). Legend has it that Freemasonry was to evolve from Scottish Templars. Whatever, this only adds to the mystery of the Knights Templar.
ktob.com lordneilgibson.com lordneilbenjamingibson.com lordneilbgibson.comktob.comktob.info
The personal name Gilbert was introduced into Britain by followers of William the Conqueror after the Norman Invasion of 1066. The Norman name was originally found as Gislebert or Gillebert, and is composed of the Germanic elements Gisil, meaning "hostage" or "noble youth", and berht, meaning "bright" or "famous". Gilbert became a very popular given name in England during the Middle Ages. Lord Neil B Gibson's ancestor were rumored to be part of the group who were believed to be related to Hugh de Payens. Some even believe Lord Gibson was a descendent of Hugh de Payens. There are some records of a Templar meeting in Belize South America wherektob.info Lord lordneilgibson.com was regressed, by a member of the High commission. In the experience it was witnessed that Lord Neil Gibson gave the signs of being a descendent of Hugh de Payens. There as been many other people regressed in the same manner, which show there connection to other famous Knights Templar leaders. The history of the Knights Templar is as follows.
The Knights Templar were formed in 1118 by Hugh de Payens in order to protect the road to Jerusalem from the Muslims and Jews. They were a combination of monk and soldier, similar to the Knights Hospitaller formed earlier to treat the sick from the crusades. Both orders spread quickly throughout Europe and it is probably in the reign of David I that both were endowed lands in Scotland. The Knights Templar were granted lands near Drumchapel:- Temple (hence the name, at Anniesland), Jordanhill (named after the middle-eastern land by the Templars) and the surrounding woodland that became known as Knightswood; parts of Knightswood are named North and South Templar. Both Sides of the burn states: 'Most of Knightswood estate was a detached portion of Jordanhill estate though much had an ancient and honourable history of its own. The name commemorates the Knights Templar who had been granted these lands and the wood for their services in the crusades.'
As the fighting in the middle-east worsened, Cyprus became the headquarters of the order. The master of the Scottish templars answered to the English master; who answered to the French master; who answered to the Cypriot grand master. National patriotism came second to the templar vocation, and the templars became a wealthy international agency skilled in banking and shipbuilding. Scottish knights were often found in other European countries and English knights often ran the Scottish templar bases.
The history of the Knights Templar is intertwined with the Wars of Independence between Scotland and England, of stories of Wallace and Bruce. Sir William Wallace is said to have killed Brian le Jay, the English master, and John de Soutre, the Scottish master, after the battle of Falkirk. Yet, the Templar knights are reputed to be present at Bannockburn fighting alongside Bruce. Their switching of allegiance is a story worthy of recount.
King Philip IV of France, 'the fair', became in need of money. He disliked the Knights Templar for a number of reasons:- When he was younger they had refused him entry to become a knight; he owed them money; and the Templars sided with Pope Boniface VIII when Philip was in dispute with the Pope. Boniface later died in 1303, and after the short papal reign of Benedict XI, in 1305 a French cardinal based in Avignon became Pope as Clement V. He was to prove a puppet of the French king.
Meanwhile, in Scotland, Robert the Bruce killed Comyn in a church at Dumfries. For this sin, he was excommunicated by Clement V just 6 weeks after his coronation as King of Scots in 1306. The Scots cause looked weak, ruled by the English, with an excommunicated King with only a guerrilla army of support. But under Bruce's leadership the Scots started gaining the upper hand.
In October 1307, Friday 13th - hence the superstition surrounding the date and the phrase 'Unlucky for some' - Philip IV had every French templar knight that he could arrested. He brought against them charges of denying Christ, sodomy, and worshipping an idol called Baphomet. Through torture he obtained confessions but many knights chose to die rather than lie and impune their order. These confessions he presented to Clement V who issued a bull ordering the templar knights be arrested in every country and their property seized.
Edward II now clung to power in Scotland. He arrested the Scottish templars and they were tried at Holyrood on 17th November 1309. Due to the resistance of the Scottish army, the court returned a not proven verdict but the order was 'abolished' in 1312. In reality, the Templar Knights were merged with the Hospitallers, and the master of the combined order sat in the Scottish Parliament as the Grand Prior of the Hospital and the Temple.
Fleeing knights from France and elsewhere sought sanctuary. Scotland, its king excommunicated by the Pope and in need of trained soldiers, became the obvious refuge. Tradition states that Bruce himself was a Templar Knight. Thus the Templar's switch of allegiance to the Scots side against the English, and their reputed presence at Bannockburn. The defeated Edward II seized the Templar property in England in the following year, strong circumstancial evidence of their helping the Scots.
Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh in their book The Temple and the Lodge identified some templar graves in Argyll, near the Lennox. They write 'most are the work of a group of sculptors working around Loch Awe in the late 14th to 15th centuries.' Left is an effigy of a knight at Old Kilpatrick Parish Church graveyard in the Lennox. Baigent and Leigh further state 'According to the practice of the time, the dead man's sword would be laid on the stone. Its outline would be incised and chiselled. The carving would thus reflect precisely the dimensions, shape and style of the original weapon.'.
The order began to take on a more Scottish character than before and more Scottish knights are found in its membership. The knights acted as clergy in many parishes until the reformation. Families such as the Sinclairs, Hamiltons and Montgomerys all have strong Templar associations. It comes as no surprise then to find Hamiltons in possession of many lands around the area of Drumchapel, Law, Cochno and the rest of the Lennox, considering the close proximity of the Knights at Temple, Jordanhill and Knightswood. Montgomerys are found as priests of St. Mary's Chapel, Drumry - probably as a family concern from Gilbert, the first priest noted, but certainly from Thomas Montgomery to the last priest Bartholomew Montgomery.
The name of the church hints at Templar origins. The dedication to the Virgin Mary is a common one among templar churches; Helen Nicholson's The Knight's Templar: A new history notes that the Virgin Mary was seen as the patron and lady of the order. Graham Hancock in his The Sign and Seal reveals why. He notes that the Virgin Mary is symbollised both with the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant, both of which the Templars are linked:-The knights were originally based in the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem which once held the Ark of the Covenant; and traditionally the Knights Templar were the guardians of the grail. The grail is also linked with King Arthur and brings us back to Nennius' eighth battle..
The eighth battle was in Guinnon fort, and in it Arthur carried the image of the holy Mary, the everlasting virgin, on his shield, and the pagans were put to flight on that day, and through the power of Jesus Christ and the power of the virgin Mary there was great slaughter
Thus it may be that through both the Templar origins and the local history of Arthur that the church was so named. It may even have started as a templar church.
Henry Sinclair, Earl of Orkney, sailing to North America in 1398 - well before Christopher Columbus - adds further glamour to the Templars. A ancient stone found in Nova Scotia with the 14th century etching of the Sinclair crest and map of the coast seem to back this claim (see Scotsman Online for details). Legend has it that Freemasonry was to evolve from Scottish Templars. Whatever, this only adds to the mystery of the Knights Templar.
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