Temple Church, London, City of London, England, British Isles [Map]

Chronica Majora. "Whilst the mutability of time was thus sporting with and deluding the world with its variable occurrences, Earl Gilbert, marshal (age 44), had, with some other nobles, arranged a sort of tilting-match, called by some adventure," but wliich might rather be called a "misadventure;" they tried their strength about a crossbow-shot from Hertford [Map]; where he by his skill in knightly tactics, gained for himself the praise of military science, and was declared by all, considering his small size of body, to have justly distinguished himself for his valour. This was what the said earl chiefly aimed at; for he was, in the first place, destined to clerical orders, and was reported to be weak and unskilful in warlike exercises. He was, at this tournament, mounted on a noble horse, an Italian charger, to which he was not accustomed, accoutred in handsome armour, and surrounded by a dense body of soldiers, who soon afterwards, however, left him, and dispersed, intent on gain. Whilst the earl, then, was amusing himself by checking his horse at full speed, and anon goring his sides with his sharp spurs, to urge him to greater speed, and, as the case required, suddenly drew rein, both the reins suddenly broke off at the junction with the bit. By this accident the horse became unmanageable, and tossing up his head, struck his rider a violent blow on the breast. Some there were who imhesitatingly asserted that the bridle had been treacherously cut by some jealous person, in order that, being thus left at the mercy of his horse, he might be dashed to pieces and killed; or, at least, that he might be taken by his adversaries at will. Moreover, he had dined, and was nearly blinded by the heat, dust, and sweat, and his head was oppressed by the weight of his heavy helmet. His horse, too, could not be restrained by him, or any one else; but he, at the same time, fainted away, began to totter in his saddle, and soon after fell, half-dead, from his horse-with one foot, however, fixed in the stirrup; and in this manner he was dragged some distance over the field, by which he suffered some internal injuries, which caused his death. He expired in the evening of the 27th of June, amidst the deep and loudly-expressed sorrow of those who beheld him, at a house [Map] of the monks of Hertford. When he was about to breathe his last, having just received the viaticum, he made a bequest to the church of the blessed Virgin at Hertford, for the redemption of his soul. His body was afterwards opened, when his liver was discovered to be black and broken, from the force of the blows he had received. His entrails were buried in the said church, before the altar of St. Mary, to whom he had committed his spirit when dying. On the following day, his body-preceded by his brother (age 42), and accompanied by the whole of his family - was carried to London, to be buried [Map] near his father. At this same tournament, also, was killed one of the earl's retinue, named Robert de Saye, and his bowels were buried with those of the earl. Many other knights and men-at-arms were also wounded and seriously injured with maces, at this same tournament, because the jealousy of many of the parties concerned had converted the sport into a battle. The affairs of the cross and the interests of the Holy Land suffered great loss by the death of the said earl, for he had intended to set out for Jerusalem in the next month, without fail, having collected money from all in the country who had assumed the cross; for permission to do which, he had paid two hundred marks to the pope; following the prudent example of Earl Richard (age 32).

Effigy of Knights Templar. Matthew Paris says that William Marshal, the elder Earl of Pembroke, was buried in the middle of the church of the New Temple; and near their father were also interred two of his sons, William and Gilbert, successive Earls of Pembroke. And from other authorities, we learn that Geoffrey Magnavide, Earl of Essex, and William Plantagenet, fourth son of Henry III. [Note. Henry III only had three sons. Possibly fourth son of Henry II?], were likewise buried in this Church [Map]. The effigies, the subject of the present investigation, occupy the centre of the pavement, and are parted off within two enclosures, each surrounded by a low iron railing: the figures are laid side by side, as close to each other as it is possible to place them. In this arrangement it will be seen that there is not that succession in the order of their dates we should have found had this been their original situation. In the South enclosure it may be particularly noticed, where the only three knights, with emblazoned shields are placed together, although of all the figures thus enclosed, they are, in point of date, the most remote from each other. That they have been displaced receives confirmation from a recent circumstance, for during the late repairs of the church, by excavating the ground beneath the S. enclosure, it was discovered that merely these coffin lids (of which the figures, according to ancient custom, were a part) remained, neither the bodies they inclosed, nor the coffins to which they were attached, being found. This want of original locality is probably the cause that we are now unable to identify with certainty any of the persons said to have been here entombed. From the evidence of Camden, Stow, and Dugdale, it appears these changes have taken place since their time. Camden, who does not allude to their situation or arrangement, says, that William Marsha!, the elder, and his two sons, William and Gilbert, were here buried, and that upon the tomb of William the elder, he read on the upper part "Comes Penbrochiae," and upon the sides this verse, "Miles eram Martis, Mars multos vicerat armis was a soldier of Mars, Mars had conquered many by arms]." Stow speaks of "eleven monuments of noblemen in the round walk of this church; eight of them images of armed knights, five lying cross-legged, as men vowed to the Holy Land against the Infidels and unbeleeving Jews; the other three straight-legged; the rest are coaped stones, all of gray marble." Dugdale says, "within a spacious grate of iron in the midst of the round walk under the steeple do lye eight statues in military habits each of them having large and deep shields on their left armes, of which five are cross-legged. There are also three other grave stones lying about five inches above the level ground; on one of which is a large escocheon with a lion rampant^a graved thereon." It is clear from Dugdale's account that the whole of the effigies were in his time within one enclosure, and he likewise agrees with Stow in their number and positions, and also to the number of coped stones. There are now, however, six of them cross-legged, and but one coped stone. This discrepancy is accounted for by a record somewhere existing, which states that the cross-legged figure bearing on his shield the arms of Ross, was brought from Yorkshire, and placed with the other effigies in the Temple Church^b, and it is almost conclusive from the situation of this figure, that whenever its removal took place, the whole of these statues received their present arrangement, and the two coped stones wanting were taken away or destroyed. Upon examining the effigies, to whom the inscriptions given by Camden could possibly be applied, it was found that they were carved in a stone best known under the name of Sussex marble, upon the surface time had effected scarcely any change, and the sides (where inscriptions are sometimes found) buried below the pavement, were ascertained to be as smooth and perfect in most places, as when finished by the sculptor; consequently had the inscriptions ever existed on these coffin lids, they must have been detected. This contradiction to Camden's account cannot readily be reconciled, unless the inscriptions in question were found elsewhere, or on the coped stone wanting, described by Dugdale as having graved upon it an escutcheon, charged with a lion rampant.

Note a. The Marshal Arms Earls of Pembroke were, party per pale or, and vert, a lion rampant gules.

Note b. The note containing the authority for this fact has been mislaid and lost.