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Re: the History of the land ownership of
Templecombe Preceptory
Templecombe was the only Preceptory of the
Knights Templar in Somerset. In 1185, the manor was held by Serlo Fitz Odo, and
was granted in that year to the Knights Templar. After the initial suppression
of the Templars in 1307, the lands were turned over to the Knights Hospitaller
of St. John of Jerusalem. A 1338 inventory shows 368 acres belonging to the
Manor, supporting cattle and sheep.
The Preceptor was responsible for managing
the Templar estates in the West Country, admitting new members to the Order,
and training men and horses for service in the Crusades. Poole (Dorset) was a
port much used by the knights in medieval times.
Then, in 1539, after the Dissolution of the
Monasteries, the Manor was given by King Henry VIII to Wm. Sherrington, and
later bought by Richard Duke, Esq. The major part of the Preceptory buildings
were then taken down, and a substantial manor house built with the stone.
In 1700, it was the seat of Sir Wm. Wogan,
who sold it to the owner of Stalbridge Park, Peter Walter. The property then
passed to the Marquess of Anglesey in the early 19th c. Today, Mr. Geoff Wilson
is the owner of Templecombe Manor, and his neighbour, Mr. Richard Hunt, the
owner of Manor Farm. (1)
Sadly, very little now remains of the
original Templar Preceptory, as is often the case with medieval sites. The
major Templar-related site to see today at Templecombe is St. Mary's Church
(details below).
St. Mary's Church,
Templecombe:
The village of Templecombe was once two
different parishes- Temple Combe and Abbas Combe- which are now one. At the
time of the Domesday records, the Vill of Combe was shared by the Benedictine
Nunnery of Shaftesbury, founded in 888 A.D. by Alfred the Great, of which his
second daughter, Ethelgeda, was the first Abbess. St. Mary's Church is believed
to have been founded during this time; the parent house was the Abbey at
Shaftesbury.- the major convent in England at the time.
Shaftesbury Abbey for many centuries had the
right of appointing the clergy at Templecombe. In 1539, during the time of the
Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII, it passed to Richard Duke,
Esq., who held the manor. "For 126 years (1785-1921) the patronage was in the
gift of the Fox family, who provided the Rector….from 1921 onwards, the
gift has been with the Bishop." (2)
In the existing church today, only the
tower, the nave roof, and transept with piscina and font are old. The tower
probably rests on a Saxon foundation and the nave has a 500 year old waggon
roof. The Normon font in Purbeck Marble is one of the earliest features. In the
church.There are six bells, the oldest of which is of pre-Reformation date, and
bears the inscription 'Sancta Maria, Ora Pro Nobis'.
Unfortunately, during WWII, four bombs were
dropped on the southern side of the church, which caused extensive damage to
the Roof, Tower, Organ, Windows, and Arches in the Nave.
But probably the most intriguing feature to
be seen in the church today is the Panel Painting of Christ's Head. This
painting, believed by many to be a portrayal of the head of Jesus Christ, was
discovered in the outhouse of a cottage in West Court, off the High Street in
Templecombe. The owner of the cottage was Mrs. A. Topp but it was her tenant,
Mrs. M. Drew, who discovered the painting in 1945. She happened to look up at
the ceiling when inside the shed collecting wood for her fire.
The outhouse, which has since been
demolished, was an earth-floored 'lean-to' and the painting had been tied by
wire into the roof and concealed by plaster. Some of the plaster had fallen
away and had thus revealed a face looking down. The Rector at the time, Bishop
Wright, then took the painting away for proper cleaning and restoration, and it
was presented to St. Mary's church by Mrs. Topp in 1956. The painting has hung
on the South Wall of the church since then, and can still be viewed today.
(3)
The key hole and hinge marks on the panel
suggest that it may well have been used as a door at some time. This life-size
painting, medieval in style, was carbon-dated at circa 1280 AD. The painting
may have a possible connection with the Knights Templar, as it has been
suggested that during the Crusades, they obtained the prized possession of the
Holy Shroud, brought it back to Europe, and from it, copied their paintings.
However, upon closer examination, this particular painting and its features do
not match those of the Shroud of Turin, as the eyes and mouth are open. This
has led some to believe that it is a portrayal of a man who was still alive and
well, not crucified or deceased.
But, as others speculate, it may instead be
a copy of the Mandylion of the Eastern Orthodox Church, also an important relic
of Christiandom. The Shroud of Turin is a 14-foot length of linen bearing the
imprint of a full-bodied male who bears a striking likeness to a crucified man,
obviously very similar to descriptions of Jesus Christ. The Mandylion is
generally believed to be a (now) lost cloth that bore only the image of the
face of Christ that was apparently made when he was alive and well, not
deceased., like the Shroud of Turin. Similarly, the Templecombe painting also
bears only the image of a head, and not a full-bodied man, as with the Shroud
of Turin.
It is believed that this unique painting was
originally one of several portraits in the possession of the Templars and
possibly used in their religious rites. Although the top portion of the panel
is missing, the Templecombe painting does not appear to have included a halo.
During the suppression of the Order, the
absence of a halo in their portraits, which the Templars maintained were
paintings of Christ, appears to have been used by their inquisitors as evidence
of 'idolatry'.
An interesting viewpoint is presented by Mr.
George Tull, in 'Traces of the Templars': "It is not beyond the realms of
possibility that the painting may have been imported into England, via Bristol,
and thence brought to this remote Preceptory in Somerset- who knows?'(4)
Indeed, it very well could have been, as it is known that in England- unlike
the case in France and other countries- there was very little evidence obtained
by the inquisitors that the English Templars had actually venerated sacred
heads as 'idols'. But, as others believe, perhaps this was largely because King
Edward II did not initially allow torture to be used when the Templars were
questioned.
This fascinating painting has stimulated
much speculation and is clearly also an important painting in the history of
religious art today. |
