100 THE ORIGINS OF FREEMASONRY FROM ANCIENT TIMES TO THE MIDDLE AGES
and traditions would be safeguarded. Documents remain from this time
attesting to the favors and privileges granted to weavers, wool carders,
masons, and carpenters. These Flemish guilds that, emigrated to
Scotland primarily consisted of natives of Bruges. It is significantly
noteworthy that in Bruges itself, where the Templars had an important
commandery, the guilds and others had welcomed fugitive Templars
The legend extends much further than does the historical data to
support it. As recorded and handed down by several authors,^21 Robert
the Bruce is said to have founded in favor of the Freemasons, the Royal
Order of Heredom of Kilwinning. At this same time he is said to have
raised the lodge founded in 1150 (concurrent with the founding of the
Kilwinning Abbey) to the rank of Grand Royal Lodge of Heredom of
Kilwinning. Ancient chronicles also say that the fugitive Templars in
Scotland enlisted under the flag of Robert the Bruce, where they con-
tributed mightily to the successful outcome of the Battle of
Bannockburn, in which 30,000 Scots defeated 100,000 English. This
can be taken as fact, but legend goes on to add that King Robert
rewarded the Templars by creating, at their request, the Order of the
Knights of St. Andrew of the Thistle, reserving for himself and his suc-
cessors the title of grand master. Initiations into the Order were sup-
posedly performed according to the style that had been practiced
among the Templars. During the time of the Reformation, the Order
was suppressed and all its goods confiscated. In 1685 the Stuart
monarch James III restored it. In accordance with the king's intent, it
was to be a sign of distinction and reward for Freemasons.
Just what value can be ascribed to these legends? Are they more
likely to be true given the protection and favor showed the Templars by
Robert the Bruce? Or should we think, to the contrary, that they were
imagined after 1685 by partisan supporters of the Stuarts in order to
give, for political purposes, titles of credence and nobility to the
"Scottish" masons whom they governed? Historically speaking, it is
impossible to answer these questions. Any explanations that can be
made belong to the domain of hypotheses.
In the interest of sticking to verifiable facts and the probabilities
they justify, we can summarize as follows the role attributable to the
Templars in the formation of freemasonry: