Dear Niven:
Dr. Elizabeth Ewan of the School Scottish Studies University of Guelph
(about one hour's drive from my house in Toronto), is one of several
medieval scholars on staff whose expertise is specifically in old Scottish
documents. She sight read for me the 1402 document signed by Henry
Sinclair, son of Prince Hnery and father of Earl William, builder of
Rosslyn, in which he appoints David Menzies Tutor Testimentary to his son
William. It was an impressive performance and although, to be realisitc,
such talent is an arcane art, it is not yet completely lost to us.
This document and six others that comprise the "Rosslyn Collection" at the
University of Guelph, were featured in the Winter 1999 edition of "Roslin O'
Roslin" the newsletter of Clan Sinclair Canada.
Yours Aye........................................Rory
-----Original Message-----
From: Niven Sinclair <niven@niven.co.uk>
To: jsq@mids.org <jsq@mids.org>
Cc: sinclair@mids.org <sinclair@mids.org>
Date: Tuesday, November 30, 1999 10:42 AM
Subject: Celibacy
Celibacy, apart from being very boring, is not the natural order of Man's
make-up.
It was probably the knowledge that abstention was 'unnatural' which led to
the Knights
being accused of homosexuality.
The strict interpretation of the order to abstain from sexual activity
applied when they
were on 'active service'. It would be wrong to take the celibacy rule too
literally. Men invariably fall short of the ideals they set themselves.
Many knights were married. Fathers and sons often served together or
followed each
other in the service of the Order. Some families (including our own) would
have died out
if this had not been so.
Bob Bryden, the Templar archivist in Scotland, confirms that (a) Hughes de
Payen was
married to Catherine St Clair and (b) they both visited Scotland during the
reign of King
David I (1124 - 1153). There is an old document to that effect which I
have seen. Bob
has had part of it translated at £63 per page but the translator died
before being able to
finish the work. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find anyone who
is conversant
with Old Latin or, for that matter, Old Scots. For example, I could make
nothing of the
document which I saw. Neither words nor letters were identifiable as
such. It is a highly
skilled task to decipher such documents and the people who are capable of
doing so
belong to a dwindling band.
Niven Sinclair
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