Hierarchy about the Temple in the East

The hierarchy of the Ordre of the Temple in the East was installation to meet the needs for organization of the army of the order in the East. In fact the withdrawals of the Règle inform us about this hierarchy and the role of the various dignitaries who lived in the East.

The Master

Twenty-two articles of the withdrawals of the rule are devoted to the Master of the order. (articles 77 to 98). It resided obligatorily at Jerusalem out of Holy Land because this place was the raison d'être of the Ordre of the Temple and was the capital until 1187 (falls of Jerusalem).
Its election was done by thirteen brothers according to a complex procedure, described in detail in twenty-five articles of the withdrawals. (articles 198 to 223)
The capacities of the Master were limited enough as his role which was mainly " représentatif" at the time of the demonstrations and official visits. It was often dependant on the decisions of the general Chapitre.
It was the only one to decide engagement of the Order in a battle and was accompanied by two brother-knights who served advisers to him and who followed it in all his déplacements
It was provided to the main four mountings including one turcoman (destrier of war).

One found with his service:

1 brother-chaplain
1 clerk with three mountings
1 brother-sergeant with two mountings
1 servant with a mounting (it carried the ecu of the Master and its lance.)
1 marshal-shoeing
1 writer buckwheat, i.e. an Arab secretary who was used to him also as interpreter
1 turcopole
1 hone (cook)
2 stablemen who dealt only with the war-horse of the maître

All this house followed the Master in any place and any time.

In shift, the Master placed in a round tent, pointing out the vault of the the Holy Sepulchre and was always escorted by a knight and the Gonfanon.

The seneshal

He was the second dignitary of the order after the Master. The withdrawals of the Rule devote two articles to him (articles 99 and 100). Its role consisted in replacing the Master when ceui-Ci was absent. But, " in all places where the Master is absent, all the crews of the grounds and the houses and all the houses and the meats (foods) are with the command of the sénéchal."

The order provided him:

4 horses including one Palfrey
2 riders
1 brother knight for " compagnon" , (to advise) with three horses
1 brother sergeant with two horses
1 deacon-writer (secretary and priest)
1 turcopole (Arab soldier)
1 writer buckwheat with a horse (Arab translator)
2 stablemen

Just like the Master, it was to have a companion of row which followed it and the conseillait.
When the Master was absent, it could seal official papers and missives with a seal identical to that of the Master. It was also him which carried the Gonfanon.

The marshal

One knows this rank thanks to the new articles of the withdrawals which are devoted to him (articles 101 to 109). It was about the supreme military authority subordinate to the military decisions of the maître.
In times of peace like in time of war, it was responsible for the discipline and of the maintenance of the weapons and montures.
It distributed the tasks of the day and made the call of the knights at the time of the masses. In shift, the marshal directed all the men-at-arms of the Temple and " provided the pointe" for the load which it carries out while carrying itself the gonfanon.
With died of the Master of the order, it is him which made announce the news in all the commanderies and brought together the dignitaries for the organization of the election of a new Master.

The order provided him:

4 horses including one turcoman for the battles
2 riders
1 brother-sergeant assembled
1 turcopole also assembled

The commander of the ground and the kingdom of Jerusalem

The withdrawals of the Rule devote ten articles to him (articles 110 to 119). It was the large treasurer of the Order and the chief of province Sainte.
the Ground It managed all the financial affairs of the Order which they were carried out in Occident or in Orient. It had the seizure on the fleet of the Temple because all the commercial exchanges forwarded by the port of Acre.
It also dealt to divide the brothers in the fortresses or the commanderies according to the requirements as men with celles-ci.
He was assisted by the clothier of the order.

As a dignitary, it was entitled to:

4 horses of which a palfrey
2 riders
1 brother sergeant with two mountings
1 deacon well-read man
1 soldier turcopole assembled
1 writer (secretary)
2 boys with foot (stablemen)

The clothier

One knows this rank of the hierarchy about the Temple thanks to the two articles of the withdrawals of the Rule which are devoted to him (articles 130 and 131). The role of the clothier of the convent was the very first one importance. This is why it was quoted like the third character of the order after the Master and the marshal. There were in the East two other clothiers, that of the Earth of Antioche and that of the Earth of Tripoli. The brother clothier managed the stock of clothing as all that depended on the bed linen. He supervised itself the arrival of the clothing imported of Europe, and intended for templiers of the East. It controlled the opening of the parcels. It was to take care that all the templiers have a correct clothing and " are equipped honnêtement." It also prepared the white or black dress brothers lately received in the order at the time of the ceremony of reception and recovered their civil clothing.

As a dignitary, the clothier had with his service:

4 horses
2 riders
1 wine waiter (unskilled laborer)
1 aiguillier (large tent)
1 grembeleure (small tent)
a team of parmentiers (cloth-worker)

The commander of the city of Jerusalem

He was hospital House. He ensured the protection and the defense of the frank pilgrims in all the Palestine, sometimes their transport, and ordered, to be done, a squadron of ten knights.
The commander of Jerusalem and his knights had the privilege of the permanent guard of the Holy-Cross. Five articles are devoted to him in the withdrawals of the Rule. (articles 120 to 124)
The order provided him:

4 mountings including 1 turcoman or 1 good roncin
2 riders
1 brother sergeant with two mountings
1 writer buckwheat (Arab secretary) with a mounting
1 soldier turcopole with a mounting

According to, Marion Melville, this rank disappeared starting from the fall from Jerusalem in 1187.

Commanders of province

Five articles of the withdrawals of the Rule inform us about this rank. (articles 125 to 129). The Commanders of the Provinces of Tripoli and Antioche were of the important characters of the Order able to replace the Master or the marshal in their absence. Its function consisted in providing to the fortresses templières of its province, leather, corn, wine, iron, steel and of the sergeants for the guard of the doors. With load for him to provide to its garrisons, horses, mules and any equipment. For that, it could puncture money in the commanderies and the fortresses of its Province.

Their role was rather close to that of the Commander of the Earth and the Kingdom to Jerusalem without however having the function of treasurer.

Their function enabled them to be entitled to:

4 mountings whose 1 palfrey
1 knight (to advise)
1 brother sergeant with two mountings
1 deacon with a mounting
1 turcolpole with a mounting
1 writer sarrazin (Arab secretary) with a mounting
1 stableman
1 round tent
1 gonfanon baussent

Commanders of houses or lords of the manor

Four articles of the withdrawals of the Rule are devoted to them. They had only little to be able because this one does not extend apart from the walls from the Commanderie. Even if they had any authority on the brothers of which they had the load, they could not return justice without the opinion of the chapter.

They could not in no case to make build new houses into hard (out of lime, mortar and stone) without the authorization of the Master. However, they had the duty to make make all repair work being essential in their house or castle.

The order provided them:

4 mountings
2 riders

Commanders of the knights

This rank is known by article 137 of the withdrawals of the Rule. They was to some extent the lieutenants of the marshal. They ordered each one a squadron of ten brother-knights. They could chair the chapter in the absence of the commander of the Earth or the marshal.

Like the knights, the commander of the knights was entitled to:

3 mountings
1 rider

The brothers knights and the brothers sergeants

These men constituted the principal army corps of the Temple. They were combatants of elite, generally recruited in Europe, trained in the commanderies, then sent in the East. The knights came from the nobility, while the sergeants came from the farming community and the middle-class. Ten articles of the withdrawals of the Rule specify their way of living, to behave. (articles 138 to 147) They are supplemented by the articles revealing how the brothers had:

to take the pasture (articles 148 to 155)
to go in the troop (articles 156 to 160)
to go in squadron (articles 161 to 163)

The brothers knights had at their disposal:

3 mountings (4 with the favor of the Master)
1 rider (2 with the favor of the Master)

The military material which was to be to them provided comprised:

1 haubert, of fit iron, 1 heaume, 1 iron hat, 1 sword, 1 ecu, 1 lance, 1 Turkish mass, 1 underskirt of weapon, espalières, shoes of weapons and 3 knives.

The complementary material which was provided to them included/understood:

of the covers of horses, 2 shirts, 1 small belt, 1 underskirt with bosom, 1 fur-lined coat, 2 coats white, one with side, the other without side, 1 cover, 1 coat.

For its bed:

1 straw mattress (bag filled with straw), a shroud (cloth), 1 cheesecloth (cover), 2 small bags to arrange the shirts and the surcot and, 1 bag of leather or mesh to arrange the haubert.

For its meal and that of its horses:

1 fabric (towel) to eat, 1 fabric to wash itself, 1 carpite (sieve for gribler barley, 1 cauldron

The exceptional dignities intended for the brothers sergeants

The turcopolier

He directed all the indigenous cavalry of the Order: the soldiers turcolpoles. It was about a suppletive force locale.
In time of war, in addition to having the turcopoles under its orders, it also ordered all the brother-sergeants.

The under-marshal

The withdrawals of the Rule devote four articles to him. (articles 173 to 176) He had:

2 horses
1 rider

He had the trickle charge of all the harnesses and weapons such as swords, peak, lance, ecus,… He was also responsible for the caravan of horses of replacement at the time of the battles. In the absence of marshal, it orders with the gonfanonier. He took care at the time of recruitment of the riders and of their distribution according to the needs. He could chair the chapter of the riders and return justice among them.

The gonfanonier

The withdrawals of the Rule of the order hold for him three articles from 177 to 179. It ordered all the riders of the order: it engaged them, held chapter to judge the faults which they made and can make them whip in the event of disobedience or of fault.

Being useful knight in the long term

Article 34 of the Rule their is devoted. It were to provide its horse, its weapons and all its equipment. At the end of its service, it was to leave with the order half of the price of its horse.

References

DAILLIEZ Laurent, Rules and statutes about the Temple , (original version and French translation) Dervy editions, 1997 ISBN 2850767336
MELVILLE Marion, Life of Templiers , Gallimard, 1974, republication 1994

Internal bond

Hierarchy about the Temple in Occident

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