Order of Saint Thomas of Acon

The Commemorative Order of St. Thomas of Acon is an independent English Christian military order. Membership is restricted to those who are subscribing members of a Preceptory (Commandery) in amity with the Great Priory of the United Religious, Military and Masonic Order of the Temple of England and Wales and Provinces Overseas (commonly referred to as the Masonic Knights Templar). Membership is by invitation only.

History

The Medieval Order

The first translation of the Order: The Hospitallers of St Thomas of Canterbury at Acre, was established in 1191 (during the Third Crusade, 1189-92) at the seaport city of Acre, following its capture from the Saracens by Richard I (1157-1199) (Richard Coeur de Lion) of England and Philip II (1165-1223) of France.

After the capture of the city, William, Chaplain to the Dean of St. Pauls Cathedral at London, formed a small religious order of Canons Regular to tend to the wounded and bury Christian knights who fell in battle in the Holy Land. To that, William, as Prior of the Order, added the purpose of raising funds to ransom captives from the Moslem armies of Saladin. The success of the Order enabled it to establish a church and hospital which was dedicated to St Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket was martyred in 1170 and canonized in 1173.

The second translation of the Order: During the Fifth Crusade (1217-21), the members of the Order were pressed into military service to fill the ranks of the crusader army. As a result, in 1227-28, the Order of St. Thomas of Acre was militarised by Peter des Roches, the crusader Bishop of Winchester. In 1236, Pope Gregory IX accorded Papal recognition to the Order, and the Order became known as the Knights of St Thomas Acon (Acre being anglicised to Acon).

For the next 100 years, the crusaders held and defended the city of Acre. It was during this period, about the year 1279, that the Prior of the Order lost his pre-eminent position as its head. Since then, this position has been accorded to the Master of the Order. At the fall of Acre, 12 May 1291, the Master and nine knights of the Order were killed. Following the battle, the Order of St Thomas was temporarily merged with the Order of Knights Templar.

In England, the Order acquired the property of the Becket family on Ironmonger Lane, in Cheapside, where it built a hospital, chapel and headquarters. From the 14th century, the Order was headquartered in London. The Order was dissolved in 1538, along with the other monastic orders in England, by Henry VIII.

The Worshipful Mercers' Company of London

After the dissolution of the Order, the King offered the hospital and chapel for sale. It was purchased by the Worshipful Company of Mercers in recognition of the association of Becket's father, Gilbert, with the Mercer's trade. But the buildings were destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The Mercers Company is the premier livery company of London, ranking first in the order of precedence of the "Great Twelve City Livery Companies".

The second hall, opened in 1676, was destroyed in 1941 during the Blitz. The present-day Mercer's Hall and Chapel, opened in 1958, are built on the site. It incorporates some of the fixtures, 17th-century woodwork and Victorian stained glass from the second hall. All that remains of the original Chapel is the recumbent statue of Christ which lies at the entrance to the Mercer's Chapel. The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the only London livery company to have its own private chapel.

The Modern Revival

The Order of St. Thomas of Acon was revived in 1974 as a result of twenty years' research in the Guildhall Library in London by John E. N. Walker, who for many years was the Secretary General of the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia. The ancient records of the Order, written in medieval French and Latin, had been deposited in the Guildhall Library and escaped the Great Fire of 1666. The revived Order now operates under the official title of The Commemorative Order of St Thomas of Acon.

As of the year 2006 there were about fifty Chapels of the Order in England, Wales, Scotland, Australia, and the United States of America.

Regalia

The regalia of the Order is similar to that of a Knight Templar, that is, a white tunic and mantle, but members also wear a badge consisting of a large escallop shell (the sign of a pilgrim) on the tunic, and smaller badges on the mantle and cap.

Organisation & Administration

The basic organisation of the Order is a Chapel which may consist of no more than 40 knights.

The officers of a Chapel consist of the following:

Master (styled "Worthy")
Prior (styled "Imminent")
Marshal
Treasurer
Secretary
Deputy Marshal
Almoner
Four Working Knights
Herald
Organist
Doorkeeper
Cellarer(s)
Sentry

Grand Officers

The Grand Officers of the Order, in order of precedence, are:

Grand Master (styled "Most Worthy")
Grand Prior (styled "Most Imminent")
Grand Preceptor(s) (styled "Right Worthy")
Grand Marshal
Grand Treasurer
Grand Registrar
Grand Secretary
Grand Historian
Deputy Grand Marshal
Grand Almoner
Grand Sword Bearer
Deputy Grand Secretary
Grand Banner Bearer
Assistant Grand Marshals
Assistant Grand Secretary
Grand Herald
Grand Organist
Grand Doorkeeper
Grand Cellarar(s)
Grand Sentry

Provincial Grand Officers

Provinces of the Order are governed by a "Grand Preceptor's Council." The Provincial Grand Officers, in order of precedence, are:

Grand Preceptor (styled "Right Worthy")
Provincial Grand Prior
Provincial Grand Marshal
Provincial Grand Treasurer
Provincial Grand Registrar
Provincial Grand Secretary
Provincial Deputy Grand Marshal
Provincial Grand Almoner
Provincial Grand Sword Bearer
Provincial Deputy Grand Secretary
Provincial Grand Banner Bearer
Provincial Assistant Grand Marshal
Provincial Assistant Grand Secretary
Provincial Grand Herald
Provincial Grand Organist
Provincial Grand Doorkeeper
Provincial Grand Cellarer(s)
Provincial Grand Sentry