THE HISTORY OF LEITH
SOUTH LEITH PARISH CHURCH

The Order of the Knights Templar 
and the Order of the Knights of St John

The order of the temple was founded in 1118 by Hugues de Payen and St Bernard. Hugues de Payen came to Scotland during the reign of David I and the Knights Templars became a Scottish Order holding land and property all around Scotland.

The principal houses of the order were at Maryculter and Ballintruduch. However, the presence of the Templars can be found in Leith indirectly. There is a charter dated 1230 in which Gilbert son of Henry of Leith donates land to the Knights of St John Hospitiler of Torphican in which he grants land in Leith to Godfrey de Saulton Grand Master of the Order for the building of a Hospice. The charter is however not used until 1327 (due to Leith being in Templar hands). The Templars and Hospitillers where in competition with one another. However in 1327, 15 years after the abolition of the Knights Templar the two orders came together to form the Order of St Anthony in Leith.