Description: In October 1307 all the brothers of the military religious Order of the Temple in France were arrested on the instructions of King Philip IV and charged with heresy. In November, Pope Clement V instructed King Edward II of England to do likewise. These two volumes provide the first full edition and translation of the four surviving texts of the trial proceedings that followed in Britain and Ireland. Detailed introductions to each volume describe the manuscripts and how the material was compiled and arranged, and discuss the course of the proceedings and the value of the evidence they contain.
Review Quotes: 'Both editor and publisher are to be congratulated on publishing these volumes, which are works of significant scholarship and an addition to the printed corpus of medieval texts.' Catholic Historical Review 'This excellent edition has once again confirmed Helen Nicholson's status as a foremost authority on the history of the Crusaders' Military Orders... the present edition is an absolute delight in its unravelling of the rich and colourful textual material that shaped the 'prosecution's case' against the Order.' Oxford Journal of Law and Religion 'With these two volumes, Helen Nicholson confirms and enhances her reputation as the foremost historian of the Templars' activities within the British Isles... The appendices and footnotes constitute in themselves almost an encyclopaedia of the British Templars as they were on the eve of the Order's dissolution. Hers is work that will never need to be done again.' English Historical Review '... the present edition and translation is a much welcome addition to the growing body of edited Templar sources, and one for which the editor must be congratulated... This is an edition of the highest standard, thoughtfully executed and provided with a translation that remains close to the original text. It can be expected that it will inspire new research into a religious order that never ceases to fascinate.' History '...Nicholson's monumental work is of enormous value to scholars working on the Templar trial, medieval Latin texts, and medieval society in general. This work is a welcome addition to the corpus of medieval texts available in transcription and translation.' Ordines Militares