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The grand master of the Knights Templar was the supreme commander of the holy order, starting with founder Hugues de Payens. Some held the office for life while others resigned life in monasteries or diplomacy. Grand masters often led their knights into battle on the front line and the numerous occupational hazards of battle made some tenures very short.

Each country had its own master, and the masters reported to the grand master. He oversaw all of the operations of the order, including both the military operations in the Holy Land and Eastern Europe, and the financial and business dealings in the order's infrastructure of Western Europe. The grand master controlled the actions of the order but he was expected to act the same way as the rest of the knights. After Pope Innocent II issued the bull Omne datum optimum on behalf of the Templars in 1139, the grand master was obliged to answer only to him.[1]

List of grand masters

No. Arms Name Time in office Seat
1 Hugues de Payens c. 1119–1136 Jerusalem
(Kingdom of Jerusalem)
2 Robert de Craon 1136–1147
3 Everard des Barres 1147–1151
4 Bernard de Tremelay
(KIA)[a] 		1151–1153
5 André de Montbard 1153–1156
6 Bertrand de Blanchefort 1156–1169
7 Philip of Milly 1169–1171
8 Odo of St Amand
(POW)[b] 		1171–1179
9 Arnold of Torroja 1181–1184
10 Gerard of Ridefort
(KIA)[c] 		1185–1189 Acre
(Kingdom of Jerusalem)
11 Robert of Sablé 1191–1193
12 Gilbert Horal 1193–1200
13 Philippe du Plessis 1201–1208
14 William of Chartres 1209–1219
15 Peire de Montagut 1218–1232
16 Armand de Périgord
(KIA/POW)[d] 		1232–1244
17 Richard de Bures[d] 1245–1247
18 Guillaume de Sonnac
(KIA)[e] 		1247–1250
19 Renaud de Vichiers 1250–1256
20 Thomas Bérard 1256–1273
21 Guillaume de Beaujeu
(KIA)[f] 		1273–1291
22 Thibaud Gaudin 1291–1292 Cyprus
(Kingdom of Cyprus)
23 Jacques de Molay 1292–1312

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Notes

Footnotes

  1. ^ Bernard de Tremelay was killed at the Siege of Ascalon.
  2. ^ Odo of St Amand was captured at the Battle of Marj Ayyun.
  3. ^ Gerard of Ridefort was killed at the Siege of Acre.
  4. ^ a b Armand de Périgord was either killed or captured at the Battle of La Forbie; authorities differ. Richard de Bures commanded the Templars until the election of Guillame de Sonnac; whether he was Grand Master is disputed.[2]
  5. ^ Guillaume de Sonnac was killed at the Battle of Fariskur.
  6. ^ Guillaume de Beaujeu was killed at the Siege of Acre.

References

  1. ^ Burman 1990, p. 40.
  2. ^ Armand de Perigord (1178–1247). www.templiers.org. Retrieved February 7, 2021.

Bibliography

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