The Templars, the Francs Metiers, and Freemasonry 99commanders and five knights. In order to avoid recognition, the men
disguised themselves as masons and took refuge on a Scottish island,
where they found the high commander, George Harris and several other
brothers, with whom they resolved to continue the Order. They formed
a chapter on Saint John's Day of 1312 and Aumont was named grand
master. To avoid persecution, they adopted secret signs and passwords
similar to those of masons and called themselves free and accepted
masons. In 1361 the residence of the grand master was transferred to
Aberdeen, and this is how the Order was saved and spread.^19
Despite all that can be said about this direct continuation of the
Templar Order, the entire story is purely hypothetical. It is legend that
sees in modern Freemasonry, or at least in some of its chapters, a direct
survival of the Templars. But it is nonetheless true that the Templar
influence on traditional freemasonry is undeniable as is obvious from
our earlier observations here. History tells us that following the disso-
lution of the Order, the Templars entered the builders corporations. It
is possible to deduce from this that they would have thereby continued
to exert their influence.
Following the abolition of the Order in Germany, England, and Italy,
the Templars were obliged to give up their religious garb and start
earning a living, either as warriors and squires for their noble
friends, or as architects, foremen, craftsmen, and workers accepted
by the guilds according to the duties they had fulfilled in the Temple.
The constant relations between the Templars and labor associ-
ations make it possible to grasp the rapid incorporation of the fugi-
tives into the construction crews that were primarily working on
churches and castles."^20Many Templars fleeing persecution took refuge in Scotland; this
was the case of those belonging to the Douai commandery. Since 1274
the king of Scotland had been Robert the Bruce, whose family was of
Flemish origin and some of whose members had been Templar knights.
This king gave aid and protection to the Templars for this reason.
Furthermore, he had drawn to Scotland a large number of Flemish
craftsmen organized into guilds, with his promise that their customs