ABERNETHY

Another regular victim of propaganda and political correctness in our history, is Freemasonry, especially as its evolution via Scotland was directly influenced by the Knights Templar. Much of our history has been tampered with to hide information that various monarchs and governments chose to remove from the public domain. No more so than hiding the strength of the Knights Templar in Scotland, and their great involvement in defending this country.

One of my problems was tracing Prior Abernethy and I initially presumed him to be the Prior of a monastery at Abernethy in Perthshire and the revelation of his probable true position brought exciting theories which are difficult to prove, but fit in so well with other events: especially BANNOCKBURN.

The town of Abernethy itself still has a 12 th Century “Round Tower” where King Malcolm Canmore met William The Conqueror when he came to visit Scotland.

The legends and verifiable history of the Knights Templar has been and continues to be internationally discussed by all methods of communication and Internet's www proved very useful in researching the battle.

Why were the Templars so big here in Scotland - and in the area of Roslin? They were established in 1118 A.D. by 9 French Knights headed by Hugo De Payen (sometimes spelt as Hugh De Paiens) who left the Holy Land to obtain patronage and financial support from the Pope, in Rome, his King, in Paris, and from his Father In Law.

In Rome, great help was received by the involvement of the Cistercians, with their leader Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux (St Bernard). In France, PAYENS is only a few kilometres from CLAIRVAUX which is a similar distance from TROYES. The Council of Troyes on 13 th January, 1128 was attended by 2 archbishops, 10 bishops, and 7 abbots. It set out the Rules of the new order - the beginning of the worlds first standing army, which also evolved the first international banking system. The honours and riches started to roll in, non the less from Hugo's father in law. Being married to Catherine St Clair of Roslin, he came to Scotland, and Templar Preceptories were quickly established here with the obvious choice of headquarters for Scotland as close as possible to Roslin. The first knights forming the Templars were French, and throughout the years the majority of their manpower and leadership remained French. Before the Norman Conquest of England, France had given up territory to the men from the north (hence Northmen - Norman ). Likewise our Highlands and Islands were often ravaged by North Men we called Vikings, who were finally beaten off at the Battle of Largs in 1263 as previously stated, commanded by William St Clair of Roslin.

One of the “benefits” of the 700 years old “Auld Alliance” with France was dual nationality. That our English rulers chose to do away with this right, after the First World War has not been tested in court - yet. Without going into details as it is the subject of so many books, the demise of the Templars in 1307 a.d. in France sent the many survivors fleeing, having been excommunicated, to a country which had also been excommunicated, as had The Bruce, its King. Seven years later they repaid Bruce's hospitality by helping send the English home - to think again. Did anyone really believe that the “wee folk” at Bannockburn chased the English heavy cavalry off on their own?.

The Battle of Roslin seems to have been similar to Bannockburn in its concluding stages. A small Scots army, said to be between 6 and 8 thousand, against nearly 30,000 English. Similar numbers at Roslin and Bannockburn and yet the powerful invaders ran away. After Roslin it was estimated that only 3,000 English survived the battle and returned alive to their own country. It was known that the Templars and Knights of St John (Hospitallers were available) with both having their Scottish headquarters nearby.

Prior Abernethy appears to have probably not just been a local monk, but has been named as the Prior of Mount Lothian. Mount Lothian was the south western gateway to the Templar estates at Balantrodoch, between the castles of Borthwick and Roslin. Not just a monk, but the leader of a number of similar warrior monks or Templar Knights and men at arms, whose fierce fighting and great discipline was famous , and who's fame was at its height at that time due to the events abroad. What a difference their appearance made, trained disciplined troops, bearing the flags of their Orders, at both Battles! One so famous , one comparatively unknown.

The origins of the ABERNETHY family in Scotland seems to be around ORMISTON (near Tranent) 10 miles from Roslin. It was the practice in the middle ages for 2nd sons of nobility to enter the Church or go on crusade whether as Templars or otherwise. It would be easy to presume, but difficult to find sufficiency of evidence, that a young Abernethy joined the local Templar Preceptory and managed to move up the ladder to be the Prior of the chapel at the western gateway of their Balantrodoch estates at Mount Lothian, and thereby be known by his position and surname: viz PRIOR ABERNETHY.

When the English made their way to Scotland they often used old Roman Roads as in DERE STREET through Yorkshire and Northumberland to Melrose. The Eildon Hills were later made famous by Sir Walter Scott who showed his love for the Borders of Scotland so well in his books. He moved to The Hermitage at the foot of the Eildons , beside the River Tweed at Melrose. This was at the conjunction of Roman roads at the relatively safe ford and Roman bridge across the river, known by the descriptive Latin name of Trimontium. Dere Street continues northwards to SOUTRA and Dalkeith , which route is now the line of the A68 trunk road to Edinburgh.

On the south side of the Pentland hills there are remains of a straight Roman road south -westwards from Edinburgh to Biggar . There are of course many other Roman roads crisscrossing Scotland as a result of their efforts in trading with Scotland as they were unable to enforce “Pax Romana” by military means. The Knights Templar in Scotland had their headquarters at Balantrodoch. The south west approach to that area was covered by the Preceptory and Priory at Mount Lothian. Their Prior, of the Abernethy family, having heard that the English were coming towards Roslin, sent his “monks” riding off to warn the Scots leaders who then met at Biggar. There is some dubiety about whether Mount Lothian was simply a Cistercian Monastery , a Templar Preceptory or some combination of the two remembering that the founders of the Templars involved Bernard of Clairvaux, of the Cistercians, who is now better known as St Bernard.

Prior Abernethy, who's local knowledge must have been a great advantage, met up with Scots troops at Biggar and brought them to Carlops where they were fed. By this time they would know by their actions, that the English were intending to attack three castles at Dalhousie ,Borthwick and Roslin, and immediately made their way towards the invaders despite the dangers of night travel in those times.

To highlight my perception Abernethy's importance to the winning of the battle, please excuse the repetition of some details.

Arriving in the very early hours of a winters morning, they fell on the first division of sleeping English and won, disarmed them, and then became aware of another English division of 10,000. They could not afford to leave so many prisoners at the rear so had to kill them. Then it all happened again. The second English army was defeated and disarmed when the third division of 10,000 was spotted near Polton, and the prisoners had to be killed.

By this time the Scots were exhausted -initially six to eight thousand strong, they had rushed to Biggar, force marched through the winter night 15 miles to Carlops and then 10 miles to Roslin, and having defeated two larger groups of the enemy invaders, were in fear for their souls because of their strong religious beliefs and having been forced through the circumstances to kill so many unarmed prisoners.

Abernethy prayed with them, for them, and exhorted them to fight on- and he did more. The good Prior sent some of his “monks” up the south eastern slopes of the Pentland Hills in the vicinity of Carnethy Hill where they raised a “Fiery Cross” and gave the impression of large numbers of reinforcements arriving. At Roslin the Scots who were recovering from the exhaustion of battle, knelt in prayer, and so appeared to the third English division of 10,000 to be easy meat. But the words and actions of Abernethy roused the Scots. The Fiery Cross and signs of reinforcements encouraged them as much as it worried the English. The last battle of the day , or of the morning to be precise, was again won by the defenders and it was estimated that only ten per cent of the 30,000 English survived to journey home. Much of the credit for the perseverance required for the victory must go to Prior Abernethy.

The Carnethy Hill Race, sponsored by the sports shop business of the family of the late Graham Tiso, of Leith, relives that effort each February with an internationally recognised hill race attracting participants from home and abroad.

A dozen years after the Battle of Roslin, there were similar circumstances and numbers at Bannockburn. After the tactical manoeuvres gave the advantage to The Bruce, the Scots were winning, but were still well outnumbered, and so tired that there could have been a bit of a stalemate. Until the Knights Templar arrived.

A bit late perhaps, after their long journey from their Kilmartin / Argyllshire bases, from the rendezvous at Dumbarton Castle, they too were tired, but their intervention at such a crucial time when the eight thousand lightly armed Scots were fighting so many more English including heavy cavalry and Welsh archers, was not as implied by school history books , just a few camp followers coming over the hill to join in the victors plundering of the English gold, weapons and other goodies. At Kilmartin there are more than 80 Templar gravestones dating from that time. If only that number of Templars took part, plus all their sergeants, men at arms, esquires, and other staff, even at just 10 men each, the appearance of about 800 well armed, disciplined troops, would greatly demoralise any enemy at a vital juncture of the battle.

The Bruce, indeed the whole of the people of Scotland, were excommunicated, and from 1307 the Argyllshire sea lochs must have teemed with Templar shipping sheltering in the deep waters. The same ships brought them to Dumbarton Castle in midsummer 1314 for the short flat march to Stirling. Just in time. Their impact as fresh, trained and disciplined shock troops and fearsome reputation broke the stalemate at Bannockburn and the day was won.

So why were they excluded from the history books. At the risk of being hoist by my own petard, why did English historians and apologists not admit the part the Knights Templar played in freeing Scotland. Again it suited Bruce to accept the plaudits and he went on to do so much to consolidate Scotland's situation for which we owe him so much. The propaganda war tells the story of the winner.

At Roslin the Battle had been won by Scots under the Red Comyn and very much by the influence of the Templar Prior Abernethy so it did not suit The Bruce to have mention made of his rivals victory. The demise of the Templars ( officially) in 1307, especially the excommunication, meant their part was played down, both at Roslin and Bannockburn. Hence the historians have little to write of, and this humble effort came about. The battle description is so obviously short of military detail and of names. Such were the circumstances leading to my own research and frustrations and I hope the search for further details leads others to probe for more light on this subject.

There may be other sources at present untapped on this subject. For example the Vatican Libraries which keep their secrets from the world. The many “Holy Grail” secrets allegedly buried under Roslin Chapel may have been added to by descriptions of the Battle. The loss of so many documents at the “ordinary” fires which damaged both Roslin Castle and Eglinton Castle at Kilwinning and the exclusion of information for propaganda reasons leave a dearth of details causing so many to even be aware that the Battle took place.

Another famous Order was present at Roslin. The Knights Hospitallers of St John had their Scottish Headquarters at Torphichen near Bathgate ( 15 miles north of Roslin). They had worked in partnership as well as in rivalry with the Templars at home and abroad, in the Holy Land and in fund raising at home. They too played their part in our defence at Roslin. Just four years after the Battle of Roslin when the Templars were disbanded and excommunicated , many of them were sheltered by Hospitallers.