Chevalier
St. George/D’Anville expedition
Who was the Chevalier St. George? 11/14/2018
The Chevalier St. George was a French naval
captain who was captured in the Battle of Cape Finesterre by Admiral Anson of
Shugborough Hall. This is a different Chevalier St. George than the famous
African Frenchman of the same name who was born in 1745. The Chevalier St.
George was famous for his chivalric surrender to Admiral Anson himself in which
he presented the Admiral with his sword personally. It is possible if not likely that the
Chevalier St. George was a Scottish or Irish Jacobite exile who was fighting
against the British in the French Navy. There are many instances of this having
happened in the era during which the Battle of Cape Finesterre occurred.
The
Battle of Cape Finesterre also supplies us with another very surprising link to
a storied family that had a large impact on the development of French Acadia
and another famous mystery on a par with Rennes le Chateau. Another French
naval officer named Jean Jacques Blaise d’Abbadie was also captured from the
same ship as the Chevalier St. George. D’Abbadie would go on to to later be the
governor of French Louisiana prior to the time the United States obtained it.
Both men were officers aboard the L’Invincible that was captured by Admiral
Anson at that time. The d’Abbadie family has a long and storied association
with the exiled Jacobite court of James II. In addition the very same family is
also responsible for the creation of Chateau Abbadia near Hendaye, France that
is sometimes referred to as the “Rosslyn Chapel” of France.
Part of
the mystery of Chateau Abbadia includes what is known of as the Great Cyclic
Cross of Hendaye. This simple monument is located in the courtyard of the St.
Vincent Chapel there. The cross displays what may be considered millennial
themes that are associated with a coming world catastrophe and was likely
created in the late seventeenth century. One of the more interesting aspects of
the cross is its inclusion in a strange book entitled “Mystery of the
Cathedrals” written by the enigmatic individual known of only as Fulcanelli.
Chateau Abbaddia also known of as Chateau d’Abbadie was created by famous
Ethiopian explorer Antoine d’Abbadie who was directly related to Blaise
d’Abbadie which emanated from Audaux, France branch of the family.
The
d’Abbadie family’s association with the Jacobite cause may have come via their
associations with James II directly. When James finally escaped from England he
was even said to have been aided by a man referred to as his “back stairs page”
Abbadie. While in exile French King Louis XV gave James II his summer palace
St. Germaine en Laye as a residence. This estate was managed by the stewards
the d’Abbadie St. Germaine family. With all of this in mind it is terribly
interesting that Blaise d’Abbadie was captured from the same French Ship as the
Chevalier St. George.
Here we
have an overlap of two interesting Jacobite characters that may even infer that
it was d’Abbadie who was the Chevalier St. George. Here we will also examine
other possibilities in the overall scheme of French naval history of this
period. It is just as likely that the Chevalier St. George was an Irish or
Scottish Jacobite exile that was serving in the French armed forces as this was
common at the time. James II “back stairs page” is also an interesting
character who may have even been a kind of spy or liason between James II and
French nobility.
The
d’Abbadie family is also known in association with Jean Vincent d’Abbadie St.
Castin the namesake of Castine, Maine. Jean Vincent was an early Acadian
military commander who actually became an Abenaki Native American Chief. He and
his half Native sons all were just as closely aligned with Native Americans
during their time in Acadia and had a huge influence on the development of the
region in the late seventeenth to mid eighteen century era. Jean Vincent was
even said to have been a Knight of Malta/St. John.
Eventually
Jean Vincent’s son Anselme d’Abbadie would return to France to reclaim his
title of Baron St. Castin. Anselme also played the role of successful privateer
in Nova Scotia and Acadian history. His daughter would eventually marry into
the Bourbon family. All of this is illustrative of the great historical legacy
of the d’Abbadie family which will become even more impressive in the mid
nineteenth century exploits of Antoine and Arnaud d’Abbadie who followed in the
footsteps of James Bruce in their exploration of Ethiopia. Antoine would eventually
be the builder of Chateau Abbadia near Hendaye. Antoine’s extensive collection
of ancient Ethiopian Manuscripts is still housed at Chateau Abbadia today.
It is possible that the Chevalier St. George
was part of the d’Anville expedition. In 1747 just one year after the ill-fated
expedition during which Jean Baptiste de La Rochefoucauld duc d’Anville lost
his life St. George, Admiral Jonquierre, and Blaise d’Abbadie were captured at
the Battle of Finesterre by Admiral George Anson of Shugborough Hall and Moor
Park. Even though Anson was known to possibly have Jacobite sympathies he
stayed loyal to the crown at this time. Anson was also thought to have been a
Knight of Malta. Admiral Anson’s name
does seem to pop up in studies of curious history from Charleston, South
Carolina to the Asian Port of Macao. Anson having captured Blaise d’Abbadie
during this battle adds a great deal of additional information with regard to
any strange goings on between him and the Chevalier St. George after the Battle
of Cape Finnestere. Both St. George and d’Abbadie likely had strong connections
to the exiled Jacobite court and peerage of James II and later Bonnie Prince
Charlie himself.
Other researchers believe the Stone of
Destiny was transferred to Anson at the Battle of Cape Finesterre but those narratives
never mention the presence of the Chevalier St. George or Blaise d’Abbadie who
was also captured by Anson. These stories attempt to relate another strange
tale told by French Canadian explorer La Verendrye to Swedish botanist Pehr
Kalm that involved a strange stone recovered from a Sandstone pillar near what
is today the United States and Canadian border.
The story of this missing stone was later
used by supporters of the theory that the Kensington Rune Stone was
authentically Norse though they were also never able to relocate the stone at a
later date. Interestingly this story was later repeated by non-other than
Alexander Von Humboldt whose name like Admiral Anson’s seems to surface at
different places in the saga of the strange history of North America. Unfortunately
for those that wish both these stones were ancient in both cases the stones or
their resting place was found on the border of French Louisiana indicating they
may have simply been boundary markers.
What is being inferred by this version of the
story is that the French were bringing something to Acadia which Anson had
captured. If this is true then was this unknown item or treasure meant to have
been stashed in the money pit that the d’Anville Expedition had possibly
created? Or had St. George or Blaise d’Abbadie spilled the beans as to what
ever had really happened during the ill-fated d’Anville Expedition? The fact
that the French fleet was leaving to travel to Acadia as part of their mission
does infer that Anson captured something of importance to the exiled Jacobites
but why was it being taken to Acaida if it was so important? Had La Verendrye’s
story been simply a tall tale? He is the only source that even stated the
existence of such a stone which had in turn been related to a Swedish botanist.
There is no note or suggestion in any
historical source that any stone was captured by Anson at this time. What is
amazing and documented is the capture of the Chevalier St. George and Blaise
d’Abbadie. Interestingly “Chevalier St. George” was also the nickname of James
III a.k.a. “the old pretender” son of exiled king James II. James III is too
old to have been this “Chevalier St. George.” It
is not out of the realm of possibility that an exiled Jacobite Irishman or
Scotsman would have used such a name when fighting for the French. St. George
is also a common French name so it is possible that Blaise d’Abbadie was indeed
the Chevalier St. George. There are lots of components of this story that
indicate that the Chevalier St. George was using a alias for his name at this
time.
Though we may more readily think that the use
of this nickname by James III refers to the Knights Templar it more likely
refers to the Order of the Garter whose patron saint is also St. George. It is
possible however that this value of St. George as applied in the Order of the
Garter did originate with the Knights Templar. During this period of history,
it is speculated that the exiled Stewart family had created the Masonic Knights
Templar Strict Observance which also valued the image of St. George as did the
original order. The original English flag also includes the Cross of St.
George.
The exiled Jacobite also had their own
version of the Royal Order of the Garter that has many things in common with
the original Knights Templar. It is also interesting that this French naval
commander had the name Chevalier St. George from a symbolic perspective related
to Jacobites. It is easy to assume that some exiled Jacobite military personnel
had become part of the French armed Forces beginning in about 1708. The KTSO
were likely formed as a kind of intelligence service for the exiled Stewarts in
this era. In addition to any possible
Jacobite association with the Knights Templar Strict Observance it is also
clear that Bonnie Prince Charlie had an association with what may be termed the
Swedenborgian Rite of Swedish Freemasonry which also valued the imagery and
symbols of the Knights Templar.
Was the Chevalier St. George part of the
d’Anville expedition in 1746? A timeline
of specific French naval activities may indicate he could have been present at
many pivotal points in the story of Shugborough Hall and indeed the saga of the
lost Oak Island treasure. There are records that indicate that Blaise d’Abbadie
had not been part of the d’Anville expedition though we may still consider him
a suspect to have been the mysterious Chevalier.
Though to date it is only confirmed that the
Chevalier St. George was at the battle of Cape Finesterre it may be that he was
present at other pivotal moments in this story involving the French Navy. Though St. George is a common French name in
this era it may have meant that he was one of the many exiled Jacobites from
Ireland or Scotland that made their way to the continent after one of the
failed rebellions of James II, James III, or Bonnie Prince Charlie. The
Jacobite Rebellions actually resulted in many of these exiles becoming members
of the French or other European militaries in that time span. Many additional
exiles from these rebellions made their way to either Scandinavia or the
American Colonies.
This is important because after d’Anville
died in Nova Scotia Admiral Jonquierre took over control of the expedition and
elected that the entire squadron return to France. The next year Admiral Anson
intercepted the outgoing French fleet commanded by Jonquierre at the Battle of
Cape Finesterre in 1747 in May just seven months later. The Chevalier St.
George was the captain of one of the ships that surrendered and he surrendered
to Admiral Anson himself and presented him with his sword. At this time Blaise
d’Abbadie was also an officer aboard St. George’s captured ship L’Invincible.
St. George, d’Abbadie and Jonquierre were
then kept as a prisoners for a long period. At this time stories developed that
St. George was said to have even stayed at Shugborogh Hall with Anson and had
even been made a member of a prominent London gentlemen’s club. Some accounts
even have them playing the violin together. This battle is what made Anson Lord
High Admiral and it is said 300,000 English pounds worth of gold was recovered
from the captured French ships. During the battle St. George was said to have
packed the cannons with gold coins from his personal treasure after he ran out
of ammunition. The treatment of St.
George along with what little is known about his activities as a captive are
very strange indeed.
Events
including him while a captive do seem to indicate that he was of great interest
to the English Hanoverian monarchy and to Admiral Anson as well. St George was
said to have had an audience with King George II as well as having been made a
member of a prominent gentlemen’s club in London at that time. This supports
the notion that the Chevalier St. George was either Irish or Scottish and may
have even been from a notable family. This is very curious indeed. What tales
or stories may have St. George shared with the King or Admiral Anson? Did St.
George or d’Abbadie have anything to do with the strange message of the
Shepherds Monument and other architectural follies at Shugborough Hall? Some
accounts of this tale also have St. George visiting Shugborough Hall! What was
he doing there? Is it possible that the Chevalier St. George was Bonnie Prince
Charlie himself?
This genteel treatment of St. George is
curious. Though Admiral Jonquierre had also been captured there is no record of
him being treated in this manner and he was soon released and returned to
France. Scant notations as to the activities of d’Abbadie while captured do
note that he took the time to examine whatever he could about English Naval
operations. Why would they neglect an Admiral and then treat St. George with
such honor and courtesy? There is a great deal of information that suggests
Admiral Anson had some sympathy for the Jacobite cause even though he was part
of their opposition. Part of Anson’s family legacy had sprung from the Earls of
Lichfield that included both members of the Stewart ancestors of the exiled
Kings and the very same Lee family that would produce Civil War General Robert
E. Lee. Admiral Anson is also thought by many to have been a Knight of Malta.
It is also possible that Admiral Jonquierre, the Chevalier St. George, and
Blaise d’Abbdie were also Knights of St. John of Malta.
What may be important in all of this is the
fact that St. George earlier may have been part of the French naval effort to
land and then evacuate Bonnie Prince Charlie from Scotland after the failed
1745 Jacobite rebellion. This would
have included a great amount of gold that was meant to fund the revolution that
has been “missing” ever since. It is possible St. George was present on all
three of these naval operations and had told Anson about the treasure on Oak
Island left by the d’Anville Expedition in part later resulting in the construction
of the Shepherds Monument at Shugborough which in turn led this author to Oak
Island? Even if St. George was not present at each of these historical events
he may have been privy to their details and importance to the exiled Stewart
family. If this version of events is true then it may be that St. George was
indeed an Irish or Scottish Jacobite refugee that had joined the French Navy.
Previous to his capture Blaise d’Abbadie held a position in the French naval
administration that may have also made him privy to the most intimate inner
workings of the navy at that time.
This
obviously is a theory but in fact the all three of these naval operations
including the d’Anville Expedition, The Battle of Cape Finesterre, and Bonnie
Prince Charlie’s Jacobite invasion and later escape all include large amounts
of gold specie that was either lost or had been recovered by Admiral Anson.
Anson in fact had made his original fortune and success based on being the
third Englishman to circumnavigate the globe. In the process of his
circumnavigation Anson had captured the Spanish Manilla treasure galleon and
had made it all the way back to England with the treasure he had captured. It
is this money that may have aided him and his brother Thomas in creating many
works of architecture and art seen at Shugborough Hall including the Shepherds
Monument.
In fact there are several architectural
follies present on the grounds of Shugborough hall that may have some hidden
meaning to the them. The Shepherds Monument is of interest to many treasure
hunters and code crackers. As this story unfolds we will examine how this
authors different approach to analyzing the Shepherds Monument does lead to Oak
Island. Many people are obsessed with the coded portion of the monument and neglected
to properly analyze the artwork present on the piece itself. There is one
researcher who did decode the inscription to include the latitude and longitude
of Oak Island. The added clue of the possible involvement of the d’Abbadie
family may also in many ways link together the mysteries of Oak Island and the
Great Cyclic Cross of Hendaye.
Others have also presented this idea in a
different way than I did. None of the others noted the Chevalier St. George or
the possible influence of Blaise d’Abbadie. My analysis as the monument being a
momento mori for Charles I is what led me to the passage in Philip Sidney’s
“Arcadia” that resembles the original Oak Island story. Not the coded portion
of the Shepherds Monument.
This in
turn led to the fact that the Baron of Nova Scotia William Alexander had later
amended Sidney’s work with what may be considered Scots imagery referring to
Sir James “The Black” Douglas. We are being fed clues here that may also infer
there is information related to all of this at Chateau Abbadia in France. Even
if Blaise d’Abbadie was not the Chevalier St. George he may have become privy
to the entire scheme and may have known of any important relics or historical
items that were captured by Anson at the Battle of Cape Finnestere. His
family’s close relation to the exiled Jacobite court would have in turn made
all of this information available to Bonnie Prince Charlie himself.
It seems possible that if St. George was
involved in evacuating Bonnie Prince Charlie from Scotland he could have ended
up with gold that could have been later brought to Nova Scotia as part of the
d’Anville expedition. Blaise d’Abbdie would have also been privy to this
information. Alternately St. George could have been privy to information of
treasure if he had assisted Bonnie in his arrival in Scotland for the 1745
Jacobite Rebellion. At this point it is clear that the French navy and Vatican
were aiding the Jacobite cause. How did this relate to the political situation
in Nova Scotia in 1745?
He in fact may have been bringing this gold
to Nova Scotia for James III and Bonnie Prince Charlie as part of their plans
to make Nova Scotia part of their domain. Blaise d’Abbadie’s role as an
administrator in the French navy prior to his post aboard L’Invincible may have
also made him privy to the truth of this mystery coupled with his association
with the Comte Maurepaus who was the secretary of the navy at that time. Lakes
Maurepas and Ponchartrain near New Orleans are named for this man. Later Blaise
d’Abbadie would serve as governor of French Louisiana and would die there. He
is entombed at the famous St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.
As we may see that in addition to Chateau
Abbadia this course of reasoning will lead us to one Francis Bannerman builder
of “Bannerman’s Castle” on the Hudson River in New York. As it turns out the
builder of Chateau Abbadia Antoine d’Abbadie and his brother Arnaud were half
Irish from their mother’s Thomson family. So the links here are endless and all
point to Jacobite intrigue over the course of a hundred years.
James II great great grand father James I had
claimed what is today Nova Scotia for England and had later granted it to the
Baron of Nova Scotia William Alexander in 1621. Interestingly the region had also been
claimed in Elizabethan times by Sir Humphrey Gilbert in 1583. At that time
Gilbert had awarded his friend Philip Sidney what is stated as being “3 million
acres” of what Gilbert termed “Norumbega.”
It is no
surprise that Sidney, Maine is named for Philip Sidney. This early involvement
by Phillip Sidney in the Maritime region of what is today Canada may account
for why the original Oak Island folklore resembles a portion of Sidney’s book
entitled “Arcadia.” This explains why the imagery of the legend of the Money
Pit includes a story similar to one seen in Sidney’s book. The mystery lays in
whether this imagery was applied by Sidney himself, the Baron of Nova Scotia
William Alexander or some later individual who wished to apply these themes to
the folklore of Oak Island. It is clear that Alexander the Baron of Nova Scotia
had later amended and edited Sidney’s “Arcadia.”
Just the Chevalier St. George’s name is
interesting as part of this overall scheme. Why was he treated so well even
meeting with King George during his captivity? His story is very strange. He
and Anson were said to even play the violin together and St. George even
socialized with Mrs. Anson during his captivity. To the casual observer it does
sound as if St. George had even possibly tipped off Anson as to the existence
of the Money Pit. It is also entirely possible that Admiral Anson was aware of
any secrets at Oak Island from his time as a captain stationed in Charleston
South Carolina. This patrols and return to England would have taken him close
to Nova Scotia.
If this is true did the English make any
clandestine attempts to find out what had been hidden there? Given the French
and Jacobite political and family ties it is clear that the French would have
or could have assisted the exiled Jacobite monarchs in hiding something
important in Nova Scotia. If so did they hide something else in the money pit
and use the earlier story of Philip Sidney’s as a kind of veiled reference to
what was going on? Or is there more to the story? Records do show that the
French fleet that had been intercepted by Anson at the Battle of Cape
Finesterre did include supplies for Acadia and that at least some of the ships
were bound for Nova Scotia.
Why do so many other researchers ignore the
Chevalier St. George story instead suggesting a stone that is never mentioned
in any narrative as being what was captured by Admiral Anson at the Battle of
Cape Finesterre?
Here we also have a strong link between these
events and a member of the storied d’Abbadie family. Other narratives of this chain
of events place the importance of the Battle of Cape Finnestere in Admiral
Anson having captured the Stone of Destiny from Jonquierre at that time. Why if
the French had found such an item in Canada were they then returning it as
Jonquierre’s fleet was leaving France prior to the Battle of Cape Finesterre
and not arriving in France? None of that story makes any sense at all. It makes
more sense that they were bringing gold to Acadia to aid their efforts there or
to aid the efforts of the Jacobites and Bonnie Prince Charlie as they had done
in the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion.
Could it be that the Shepherd’s monument is
actually relating a story that was told by the Chevalier St. George to Admiral
Anson? Though the Admiral was not the person who had created the monument his
later family did. If there was a stone were they going to deposit it in the
Money Pit? There are many possibilities but this may at least be considered. In
fact, this entire story may have nothing to do with Oak Island at all but may
simply be illustrative of another strange and unnoted part of history. It is
still odd that the same names and families keep surfacing at different points
in this story as related to Jacobites and French interests who seemed to have
some of the same values.
In fact it may be more telling that the
Chevalier St. George, Jonquierre, and d’Abbadie were captured at that time and
this is well documented. The Chevalier St. George and Blaise d’Abbadie is who
we need to find out more about not an imaginary stone that no one has ever seen
except one person (La Verendrye) and only noted by one other (Pehr Kalm). The
St. George and d’Abbadie connection may be the actual route of investigation
that will blow this thing wide open. Some of this indicates that there is no
stone and that portion of the story was told to Swedish Botanist Pehr Kalm on
purpose or that even Kalm and Von Humboldt had knowingly spread a false story
for intelligence service purposes. It is also amazing that later proponents of
the authenticity of the Kensington Rune would try to use La Verendrye’s story
as confirmation of their ideas.
Who was the Chevalier St. George? Not to be
confused with the later African gentleman violinist who was born in 1745 way
too late to play a role here. The use of the name St. George may even infer
that this man was English though this is also a popular French name. Was the
Chevalier St. George an exiled Jacobite from England or Scotland? It is possible that St. George was actually
a member of the Stewart family as he had met with King George who was actually
also closely blood related to the exiled Stewarts? Was St. George actually
Blaise d’Abbadie? King George was also in effect a Stewart descendant of
Elizabeth of Bohemia who was the sister of Charles I. If true all of this is a
very interesting link to the exploits of the d’Abbadie family that are also
closely related to French Acadia, North America, and any missing treasure or
additional mysteries.
The time line would be:
1745(July)
Jacobite Rebellion. Did St. George take part in Bonnie’s evacuation from
Scotland after the failed rebellion including this great amount of wealth? Did
the Chevalier St. George later tell Jacobite or Stewart sympathizer Anson about
this treasure? St. George could have also learned this from other naval
officers even if he was not there. It is interesting to note that this gold
specie brought to Scotland was most likely Spanish coin since they are the ones
who donated it to Bonnie at that time. The Catholic Church had also donated a
large sum. It fell to the French to deliver it and later recover it from
Scotland. This would explain the later
presence of British troops on and around Oak Island. Blaise d’Abbadie’s role as
a high level administrator in the French navy may have also made him privy to
the truth of what ever happened to all of this gold that they had delivered to
Scotland.
1746(June-October) - The d’Anville expedition takes place with Doug
Crowell’s evidence associating the French with the Money Pit. This expedition
could have easily also included the Chevalier St. George. He had not yet been
captured by Admiral Anson. It is possible they were bringing Bonnie Prince
Charlie’s treasure to Oak Island? Admiral Jonquierre who is later defeated by Anson
was also part of this expedition and the Battle of Cape Finesterre. In fact
Jonquierre assumed command of the d’Anville Expedition after the duc d’Anville
passed away during the trip. Jonquierre is eventually released after the Battle
of Cape Finesterre and assumed his governorship of French Canada at that time.
Was d’Anville taking Bonnie’s treasure to Nova Scotia and Oak Island? If true
then the d’Abbadie family had personal knowledge of Nova Scotia and the rest of
the Maritime region via direct family members that were still alive at this
time and likely knew Blaise d’Abbadie.
If this is true were they also bringing
relics of Charles I to Oak Island along with any possible golden horde? It
could also be true that a lost stone that was thought to be part of the
original Temple Treasure was part of the story. These items would have been of
great symbolic importance, similar to that of a Palladium, to the Jacobites and
their French allies at that time. (A
Palladium is a civic relic carried into battle to inspire the troops and bless
their undertaking. For more on the stone see the work of Louis Buff Parry).
One of
the items brought to Oak Island may have included whatever is in the strange
reliquary or box seen in the rendering of Poussin’s “The Shepherds of Arcadia”
seen on the Shepherds Monument at Shugborough Hall that is not present in the
original painting. If this is true then we are seeing a continuation of the
French assisting the exiled King James III and his son Bonnie Prince Charlie at
that time. We will address why they would bring these things to Nova Scotia a
little later in this saga. It is likely that box contained a Palladium as is
inferred in Philip Sidney’s literary work “Arcadia.”
1747(May)-The
Battle of Cape Finesterre happens and d’Abbadie, Jonquierre, and St. George are
captured. St. George had a close relationship with Admiral Anson and this is
strange. Did St. George tell Anson of whatever went on during the d’Anville
expedition and ’45 Jacobite rebellion and Bonnie Prince Charlie’s treasure? Did St. George tell Anson about the
d’Anville expedition and the Money Pit? Even if he was not on the d’Anville
expedition he was now a flag officer of Admiral Jonquierre’s fleet who was
present on the d’Anville expedition. He and d’Abbadie likewise could have been
privy to or part of any naval operations associated with the ’45 Jacobite
rebellion of Bonnie Prince Charlie. It
may have been in fact the Chevalier St. George who ultimately inspired the
production of the mysterious Shepherd’s Monument by one of Admiral Anson’s
daughters and family.
In other words the Chevalier St. George,
d’Abbadie, and Jonquierre were likely privy to whatever had been hidden at Oak
Island. Next they are all captured with St. George even being entertained by
Admiral Anson himself. They are all eventually released in a prisoner exchange.
Then later Admiral Anson’s niece and husband (daughter of his brother Thomas
Anson) built the Shepherds monument that is indeed associated with Oak Island
and in many ways leads one to Oak Island.
This is why the Poussin imagery is on the
Shepherds Monument i.e. “Et in Arcadia Ego” or In Arcadia I Am. The phrase as
interpreted as “In Arcadia I am” is a definite clue pointing one to Nova Scotia
also known of as Acadia; French for “Arcadia.” This memento mori to Charles I
also references his last words from Philip Sidney’s “Arcadia” and why the story
of the Money Pit resembles the one in the book. The crafting of the Money Pit
story to resemble this was totally intentional.
All of this adds up to the fact that St.
George had told Admiral Anson and his brother Thomas about what ever had gone
on with regard to the evacuation of Bonnie Prince Charlie from Scotland after
the failed ’45 rebellion and then at Oak Island during the d’Anville
expedition.
Jonquierre later returned to Canada and
resumes his original post of Governor of French Canada. Even if he knew of a treasure
at Oak Island he wouldn’t have been able to easily recover it. The French had
also likely agreed that it was in their interest not to recover what belonged
to Bonnie Prince Charlie. In addition,
maybe by this time they were contemplating what would become the American
Revolution. Alternately Jonquierre knew that anything that had been stashed at
Oak Island belonged to the Stewart family and this stash may have included
personal items or relics associated with Charles I. Of course Nova Scotia was controlled
by the English at that time. In this saga they are the last people the exiled
Stewarts would have wanted to know about any stash of relics and gold at Oak
Island. We do know that the involvement of France in the American Revolution
contributed a great deal to the victory over the British. Here we may be
exposing some of the deeper connections that helped to cement this alliance.
If even the French considered this Bonnie
Prince Charlie’s money they would have left it alone. Is it possible that relics
and other items were included in what was being brought to Nova Scotia?
Eventually this story may have been known of by upper echelon American
Revolutionaries like Washington, Henry Lee, and Thomas Jefferson, and John
Allan of Nova Scotia. Indeed, Lee was a direct descendant of Earl of Lichfield
Lee and even named his house in Virginia Ditchley after the original Lee estate
in England. Lichfield is where Shugborough Hall is and Admiral Anson’s brother
would eventually be titled Earl of Lichfield. Earlier in history the very
Stewart family of James II, Charles I, and Bonnie Prince Charlie had been Earls
of Lichfield. That is why Shugborough Hall is so important in this entire
scheme. The Anson’s were aware of this
heritage and seemed to admire and value the Stewarts as past kings of their
country. Again, this is the family of famous Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
More
importantly Continental Army General William Alexander sometimes referred to as
Lord Stirling may have had real intimate family knowledge of the truth of Oak
Island. After the time of Charles II the Alexander family of the Baron of Nova
Scotia had come to the American colonies of Virginia, New Jersey, and New York.
General Alexander had returned to Scotland prior to the American Revolution and
had been awarded the titles of this ancestor the original Baron of Nova Scotia.
The Scottish peerage approved this award of titles though the English found a
way to block this naming via legal remedies. Despite this Scottish and American
interests continued to refer to General Alexander as “Lord Stirling.”
Of
course, the promise of great riches and hordes of relics would be a great story
to use to confound your enemy by presenting them with a saga that includes
items they may also value. The Stone of Destiny? The Temple Treasure? I’m sure
that Admiral Anson enjoyed the fact that anyone questing for such items may
find themselves a student of the art of navigation. The entire story could
possibly have been a ploy by the French to convince the English that they now
possessed items like the Stone of Destiny or relics of Charles I or Mary Queen
of Scots. Or had the English and loyalist Scots been behind all this to
confound the French? It could go either way yet it is clear that prominent
Jacobite figures surface too often in this story for there not to a relation
between said events and that sentiment.
So in a very real way this version of events
also illustrates how people and families more associated with American history
may have been part of the Money Pit and Nova Scotia historical stories. The artwork and architectural follies of
Shugborough Hall also illustrate a distinct family tradition at play in which a
small hidden history adds to the prestige and influence of this storied family.
This is something they would have valued very much in both a symbolic and real
way. They were privy to a very inside secret and had left clues in the form of
the Shepherds Monument and other follies on their estate to lead one to the
truth. For instance, were people like Robert E. Lee or Thomas Jefferson privy
to the truth of these stories? Had they later created their own versions of
these lost stone and treasure stories? The Beale Treasure perhaps?
All of this
adds up to the fact that the Chevalier St. George is a figure in the middle of
this story that had the potential to link it all together into an
understandable and coherent story as opposed to the bits and pieces we are generally
left to muddle over. In addition Blaise d’Abbadie also held a family legacy
that may have linked him with Jacobite concerns as well as the mysteries of
Abbadia and the Great Cyclic Cross of Hendaye. Blaise may have known about the
cross as two examples of the same cross pre-date his birth. If these things
were icons of a family tradition linked to the Basque culture than Blaise would
have been aware of this. Blaise d’Abbadie was from Audaux
(Pyrenees-Atlantiques), France just a short distance west of Hendaye and not
far from Sare, France where another similar strange cross is located. Audaux is
also the original home of Ethiopian explorer Antoine d’Abaddie who created the
Rosslyn Chapel of France Chateau Abbadia.
To me this also means there may be a big clue
present at the Anson family crypt nearby Shugborough Hall. The Shepherds
Monument actually “points to” the family crypt of Admiral Anson and other
family members.
No one else has noted any of this prior to
this write up.
Part
II: Admiral Anson, Bonnie Prince Charlie, The Vatican, and the Oak Island
Treasure. Or
the tale of a wonderful maritime painting that tells the story of treasure!!!
Painted by Samuel Scott (1702-1772), the inscription on the lining
canvas, 'Action on the 9th of July 1745 between the Lion of 60 guns, Captain Percy Brett / and the Elisabeth of 64 guns, the Doutelle in the distance making / her
escape with the Pretender on board. / Painted
for Admiral Lord Anson'. Oil on canvas.102.7 x 152.3 cm (401/2 x 60 in).”
(http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~walsh/doutelle.html)
Why
would the Vatican be interested in the Oak Island treasure? The answer to this
is very complex but may boil down to the Catholic sensibilities of the exiled
Stewart family and their Catholic faith.
Shugborough
Hall in England is home to several pieces of interesting artwork, architecture
and sculpture. The influence of Admiral George Anson and his brother are
central to many of the themes of interesting pieces there such as the famous
Shepherds Monument. Many mystery lovers value the Shepherds Monument for the
strange inscription that is included that many insist is a code that may lead
to some hidden aspect of history. Some researchers even link this code to the
famous Oak Island Treasure. Admiral
Anson and his brother Thomas were also associates of Sir Francis Dashwood and
had likely attended his famous “Hellfire Club” at Dashwood’s West Wycombe
estate. West Wycombe is also home to architectural follies that reproduce the
Tower of the Winds of Athens and the hexagonal forecourt of Baalbek. There is also
a monument very similar to the Shepherds Monument at Dashwood’s West Wycombe
estate.
As discussed earlier the artistic theme of
the Shepherd’s monument indicates that it was meant as a momento mori for
beheaded King Charles I whose last words were from Philip Sidney’s “Arcadia.”
Included in the same book by Sidney is a story frighteningly similar to the Oak
Island folklore of the Money Pit. Given this it is also amazing that Sidney was
also awarded claims to Nova Scotia and Maine by his friend Sir Humphrey
Gilbert. Gilbert had claimed the region in 1584 during a trip to St. John’s
Newfoundland. Some narratives of his voyage also have him briefly visiting what
would become Nova Scotia though this is somewhat uncertain.
If the Anson’s knew about the Money Pit
could this help us to determine what is hidden at Oak Island even prior to
finding anything? Possibly.
Admiral Anson himself was in a position to
have captured many treasures during his naval career. He is known to have
captured the Manilla Treasure Galleon during his circumnavigation as well as an
addition large treasure at the Battle of Cape Finesterre off of Northern Spain.
His position as Lord High Admiral would have also included intelligence as to
when certain French ships were coming and going from port. Is it possible Anson
knew that Bonnie Prince Charlie would be going to Scotland for the ’45 Jacobite
Rebellion beforehand? If so had he planned on intercepting the Prince as well
as any treasure he was taking to Scotland to fund the revolution?
We in fact may have an interesting clue
coming from Admiral Anson that has been overlooked by many others. In order to
understand this, we will look into the chain of events leading up to Bonnie
Prince Charlie’s invasion of Scotland otherwise known as the 1745 Jacobite
Rebellion often referred to as the “’45.” Note that Jacobites were so named for
two of the exiled Kings being named James II and James III. This name also
includes the overtones of the crypt of St. James at Santiago de Compostela.
Ultimately all English monarchs that were named James took this moniker as
inspired by James apostle of Christ. This makes sense as the exiled Kings were
all Catholic and had a strong association with the Vatican.
In June of 1745 Bonnie Prince Charlie set
out to invade Scotland using two vessels to facilitate his voyage there; one
owned by a French Privateer named Antoine Walsh the other owned by France.
Walsh was from a long line of Irish Walsh family members that had been exiled
in France starting with the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s
grandfather King James II. In fact it is remotely possible that Walsh or
another exile like him is who we later come to know as “The Chevalier St.
George.”
Two of Walsh’s ships the le Du Teillay and the larger Elisabeth were used to clandestinely bring
Bonnie Prince Charlie to the west coast of Scotland to kick off the ’45
rebellion. The ship Elisabeth had actually been donated by the French to this
cause and was not owned by Walsh as the Du Teillay was. During the trip the
smaller and faster Du Teillay was to carry Bonnie Prince Charlie and some of
his staff while the Elisabeth was to carry one hundred Marines that had been
supplied by exiled Lord Clare as well as a number of muskets and broadswords.
In this story the Elisabeth also was carrying any gold specie that Bonnie
Prince Charlie was bringing to Scotland at that time.
It is interesting that Bonnie’s expedition to
regain his land and crown had been funded not by the French but by Spain and
the Vatican. The French had supplied some material support in the form of the
ship Elisabeth but Spain and the Vatican had pledged 400,000 gold livres a
month towards the success of this rebellion. This is not surprising as the
Vatican had not been pleased that their supporters the exiled Stewart Kings
were ardent Catholics and had supported the Holy See in many ways when they
held the Crowns of England, Ireland, and Scotland. Via a chain of events in
this story we will come to understand that all or some of this gold was
supposed to have been carried to Scotland aboard the ship Elisabeth. This also
leads us to a rationale as to why the Vatican would be interested in Oak
Island.
As the voyage progressed the two ships found
themselves attacked by the English naval vessel “The Lion” commanded by captain
Brett.
“The engagement depicted in this painting took place on 9 July 1745, and
was described as follows: the French man-of-war the Elisabeth (64 guns), carrying arms men to Scotland and escorting
the Sloop Du Theilly (La
Doutelle) with the Young Pretender on board, was sighted by Captain Percy Brett
in the Lion (60 guns), off the
Lizard at four o'clock. Captain Brett made four drawings illustrating the
successive stages of the encounter, and this picture is based on that of the
final phase (in the Sandwich collection, Kingzett, op. cit. pl. 9a). The Elisabeth had seized the opportunity
of a shift in the wind's direction to escape, and the Lion, much damaged and powerless to pursue, is seen firing a
last raking volley.”
(Note: Lord Sandwich was a member of Dashwood’s Hellfire Club and
Dillitante Society).
“After the action was over, Captain Walsh bore up to the Elisabeth to ascertain the state of
matters, and was informed by a lieutenant of the severe loss she had sustained
in officers and men, and the crippled state she was in. He, however, offered to
pursue the voyage if supplied with a main-mast and some rigging, but Walsh had
no spare materials; and after intimating that he would endeavour to finish the
voyage himself, and advising the commander of the Elisabeth to return to France, both ships parted, the Elisabeth on her way back to France,
and the Doutelle on her voyage
to the Western Highlands.”
Via the Jacobite peerage we later learn that
Bonnie Prince Charlie arrived in Scotland without any money or weapons as they
had all returned to France aboard the damaged ship Elisabeth:
Ranald MacDonald was of course kin to the
later builder of a castle on the Hudson River Francis Bannerman IV who was an
established military surplus and arms dealer in mid nineteenth century New York
City. So this is an interesting connection to Francis Bannerman who had built a
bizarre replica of a Scottish Castle on Pollipel Island in the Hudson River in
New York. Pollipel Island is just upstream from West Point, New York. It is
interesting that he is one to note that Bonnie had arrived without any weapons
or money. Note that the above source from the Jacobite Peerage states that
Macdonald was educated at St. Germane en Laye the summer estate of Louis XV
that had been given to exiled Jacobite King James II where of course Bonnie
Prince Charlie also lived for an extended period.
(Note: At some point in the future I will
also explain how the famous mystic the Comte St. Germaine may have also been
involved in Jacobite and exiled Stewart intrigue).
So now we know that a large amount of gold
that was supposed to have come to Scotland with Bonnie Prince Charlie in July
of 1745 never made it there and was returned to France aboard the Elisabeth at
that time. Is it possible that this gold was later brought by the duc d’Anville
to Oak Island to hide it for Bonnie and the Jacobite cause? Could this indicate
that part of the Jacobite plan was to establish a new country in Nova Scotia
which undoubtedly, they considered part of their domain? Indeed the exiled
Stewart monarchy would have also viewed the American colonies as their property
as well. It is possible that Nova Scotia was meant to be a Jacobite state that
also included their French allies.
The timeline of the events including the ’45
Jacobite Rebellion, the d’Anville Expedition and the Battle of Cape Finesterre
all support that this could indeed be true. There are many hints and
suggestions that the exiled Stewarts viewed all the colonies as their property
as their family had claimed and developed them in many ways. They may have seen
that coopting the colonies including Nova Scotia would be an easier task then
regaining England, Scotland, and Ireland. It was for these reasons that
Jacobite and French interests would later support the American Revolution.
The monies captured at the Battle of Cape
Finesterre by Admiral Anson were said to total 300,000 English pounds worth of
gold. This had been taken from Admiral Jonquierre who in fact had taken over
control of the d’Anville Expedition after the duke met his untimely end in Nova
Scotia. Jonquierre had been present at
two of the pivotal points in this saga. It is also possible that the Chevalier
St. George has also been present at these battles and may have even been
Antoine Walsh or another Scots Jacobite exile. We know now that Blaise
d’Abbadie was also present on the same ship as St. George and was also
captured.
In fact it is remotely possible that Admiral
Anson had been to Oak Island as early as the 1730’s. At that time Anson was a
British naval captain that was stationed in Charleston, South Carolina and had
patrolled the waters of the East Coast for Spanish and French targets. He may
have sailed near Oak Island several times during this seven year period
including trips to and from England. It is more likely that an English ship
would go to Oak Island only on the return voyage.
It is almost too much of a coincidence that
“Chevalier St. George” was also the nickname of exiled Jacobite King James III
son of James II the original exile. As we see these Jacobites in France even
had their own peerage of awarded titles and had even formed a Jacobite Order of
the Garter which coincidentally includes the symbols of St. George just as the
fabled Knights Templar valued these symbols. During this period Bonnie Prince
Charlie did have an illegitimate child with his first cousin Marie Louise de La
Tour d’Auvergne. There is a distant slim chance that this illegitimate issue of
Bonnie and Marie Louise was indeed the Chevalier St. George. Marie of course is
also closely related to both Claude and Charles de La Tour of which Charles was
an early French Acadian Governor.
In fact there are other significant relations
between the de La Tour and Stewart families one of which even involves Rosslyn
Chapel and the family of its builder William Sinclair the first Earl of
Caithness. These connections may help to explain just why the bogus narrative
of Henry Sinclair as a Knights Templar had come to Nova Scotia at an early date
not recorded in North American history. Here we do have a very real story
linking Rosslyn Chapel to Nova Scotia as well as two families that did have
direct ties to not only the fabled Knights Templar but also to the development
of American and Canadian history.
William Sinclair (1410-1484) the first Earl
of Caithness and last Sinclair Earl of Orkney built Rosslyn Chapel. One of
William Sinclair’s daughters Catherine married Alexander Stewart (1454-1485)
the Duke of Albany and they had issue. After Catherine’s passing the Duke of
Albany married a woman named Anne de La Tour d’Auvergne with whom he also had
children including the next Duke of Albany John Stewart. John Stewart the Duke
of Albany married a woman also named Anne de La Tour d’Auvergne. It is no
coincidence that later in history Bonnie Prince Charlie would style his
daughter Charlotte as the Duchess of Albany in the Jacobite peerage.
So it appears Bonnie Prince Charlie was
closely related to people who had once been governors of French Acadia. Bonnie
even had an affair with his own first cousin Marie Louise from the very same de
La Tour d’Auvergne family! This explains why both Charles de La Tour and his
father Claude were awarded Baronetcies of Nova Scotia by the Baron of Nova
Scotia Sir William Alexander who had also amended Philip Sidney’s literary work
entitled “Arcadia” that seems to include a story very similar to the original
Oak Island folklore.
Obviously, Charles I and William Alexander
were aware of Charles and Claude’s relation to their direct family members
including elements of the de La Tour family itself. The de La Tour family of
France were also later related to both the Rochefoucauld and Lafayette families
that helped to support the American Revolution in many ways. The Legend of
Henry Sinclair coming to Nova Scotia may be a direct result of these family
relations. These people would have had a great desire to link their family
legacy to that of Nova Scotia.
In fact this relation between Dukes of Albany
and their half-brother Alexander Stewart son of the first duke and Bishop of
Moray could reveal some hidden aspects of Nova Scotia history. Among these
“hidden” aspects may be the reason the entire legend of William Sinclair’s
forebear Henry Sinclair having come to Nova Scotia was ever developed in the
first place. This story could have easily come via the Stewart, de La Tour, and
Sinclair family relations that are reference in many different stories similar
to those of Oak Island and the Newport Tower. It is also possible that the
North American imagery some see at Rosslyn Chapel is a result of the Norse
Sagas and the Sinclair’s family links to Norwegian Royalty.
In fact the story of Henry Sinclair and Nova
Scotia in many ways solidly links to the involvement of the Stewart family
whether it was ruled by French or English interests. Either way they had a
family “in” in Nova Scotia or Acadia.
These connections may also indicate why a legend such as that of Henry
Sinclair was developed in the first place as a rationale as to why the exiled
Stewarts felt that they “owned” Nova Scotia even though they had been deposed
officially as monarchs by their own country. The Stewarts may have been looking
to their Sinclair relatives and the Norse Sagas to rationalize their claim to
North America. Given this we may need a better source than the Zeno Narrative
to prove that Henry Sinclair ever ventured to Nova Scotia at all. This notion
does make some sense but somewhere out there may be evidence or information
that would prove this in a more solid manner. Another possibility would involve
a reason they didn’t want the truth of this notion to be revealed and had
simply made up a story to vouch for their cultural and physical claims to Nova
Scotia.
Now if we break this down to the most
intriguing component we can’t ignore the fact that Admiral Anson had
commissioned a painting of the naval engagement between the English ship Lion
against the French ships du Thiellay and Elisabeth. Why had Admiral Anson done
this? Here we have a very wealthy Admiral in the English Navy commissioning a
painting that shows one of his ship’s attacking someone in the form of Bonnie
Prince Charlie whom he may have had some admiration for even though he was from
the opposing side. The Anson’s including the Admiral were all antiquarians who
had a strong appreciation for art and whose family had later produced the
Shepherds Monument in reverence for Bonnie’s direct forebear and grandfather of
James II; Charles I. Is it possible Anson was sending us a secret message via
his production of this painting? It is clear that Anson himself may have been
distantly related to the earlier Stewart Earls of Lichfield. It is clear that
the artwork and landscaping of Shugborough Hall may constitute a mystery school
path of learning with regard to this hidden history.
There is no indication that the English were
even aware Bonnie Prince Charlie was aboard either of these ships. It is
possible that Anson later became aware of this and had commissioned the
paintings as a result of the sketches of the battle that his friend Lord
Sandwich had possessed. On the other hand, it is odd that the Admiral would
have chosen to illustrate such a minor naval engagement unless he knew there
was some hidden significance to this event. At what point did Anson realize
that Bonnie Prince Charlie was aboard one of these ships compelling him to
commission the painting?
So our earlier analysis of the Shepherds
Monument is that it is a momento mori to Charles I and is designed to lead one
to Oak Island. In a very real way this painting of these ships may also be a
clue that leads one to Oak Island. It is entirely possible that the treasure
aboard the ship Elisabeth was later brought to Nova Scotia as part of the
d’Anville Expedition. It is possible that if one studies the history
surrounding the Shepherds Monument including the Anson and Stewart families
that these two pieces of art could indicate that something had been brought to
Oak Island including this treasure and other relics associated with Charles I
and earlier members of the Stewart family like Mary Queen of Scots herself whom
also had been beheaded for very similar reasons to her grandson Charles I.
Both of them were Catholic and both had had a
great deal of trouble dealing with the Parliamentarian regimes as defined in
England at that time. Mary Queen of Scots with Queen Elizabeth and Charles I
with the parliamentarian regime during his era. Items associated with both of
these monarchs may be viewed as being representative of a Palladium or sacred
relic carried into battle for protection. These items would have been of great
symbolic value to the Jacobite and Stewart cause. Their importance may have
compelled them to attempt to hide them somewhere in their North American
dominions. Some of these items may have been stored in a reliquary very similar
to the strange casket that adorns the Shepherds Monument at Shugborough that is
not present in the original Poussin rendering. It is possible that these items
were moved from time to time or that others had attempted to recover them from
the Money Pit on Oak Island.
The Anson family via their artwork and
architecture were indeed telling an age-old story that does seem to include
knowledge of the truth of Oak Island and beyond. In fact many strange
historical mysteries in America may indeed be linked to this phenomena of the
Stewart family.
Stories like that of Bannerman’s Island, The
Newport Tower, and the Bruton Vault of Williamsburg all may have been crafted
in part so these exiled kings and their history would not be forgotten. None of
this means that real treasures were not left or hidden for us to find but in
the process a true treasure of neglected history is exposed that would
otherwise be missed. It is clear that
the entire life story and legacy of one Francis Bannerman does seem to reflect
these Scots Jacobite and American ideals. What we are being told via this chain
of events is that through this storied history that there was and still are
people who are aware of the location of any items as discussed here.
Note also that there are indications in this
story that may relate to the real reasons Francis Bannerman IV would have built
a castle on the Hudson River then also have created a kind of mystery school
quest to teach his own family and others of this history. In the process, it
appears his gentleman’s prank or learning tool has been subsequently presented
to the public as being much more ancient in origin than it really is. In the
process of people viewing it as an older manifestation many misunderstandings
have surfaced that may all be explained by viewing what Bannerman left as a
tenet of mid nineteenth century American history meant to tell an older tale
which included the rich heritage of his family and the Jacobite cause.
Had Francis Bannerman actually been the
person who had created the Cremona Document in the late nineteenth century era
after to Civil War? Had the original Knights Templar been involved in any of
this? It may be that what Bannerman had created was right in line with
convincing us that the Newport Tower and Oak Island could be associated with
his family and the Knights Templar. It appears as if at a later date some
modern researchers or hucksters had figured some of this out and had added many
elements to the story that must be weeded though to separate them from what
Bannerman alone had done prior.
It is entirely possible that over time other
family members who were aware of the truth of this hidden history had left
other quests or clues to fill people in on the story. Any seeker in this realm
may have traditionally been prompted to figure these things out. Some of the
prompting may have included legends like that of the Money Pit, the Bruton
Vault, or Beale Treasure story. Any number of fake documents and relics may
have also been produced to prod one along via this path of initiation or
learning. In the process, many searchers have been led down wrong rabbit holes
or had manipulated the facts in order to promote themselves or their ideas as
follies of popular history. All of these historical tenets do in fact add up to
a good yarn that can be distorted and manipulated in many ways.
This indeed does extend to the Vatican or
Catholic interests even if some of these people were not Catholics. Only about
20 percent of Jacobites were Catholic. The other eighty percent were comprised
of people who simply thought that this bloodline by law are the ones that
should be king. In addition, many of the protestant Jacobites were from
families that benefitted from the Stewarts being in power via military
contracts or businesses that supported their regime.
As time went on and the American Revolution
occurred Bonnie Prince Charlie was growing older. Eventually the exiled
Stewarts found themselves not as welcome in France as they had traditionally
been. At this point they moved to Rome and became closely associated with the
Vatican and Catholic Church. Via this association the Stewart’s may have shared
their secrets of these clandestine mysteries that may have included fortunes in
gold and important relics the Church would also value in a big way. As the
story goes it was indeed Spain and the Vatican that had supplied Bonnie Prince
Charlie with funds for his rebellion. Charles I and Mary Queen of Scots for
instance were both said to have owned extensive collections of relics the
Church may have also valued.
Given all of this it is very interesting that
after the Revolutionary War there was a very real and viable movement to make
Bonnie Prince Charlie “King of America.” This idea was supported by John Adams
and Senator Gorham. Ultimately the influence of Thomas Jefferson but the kabash
on this bad idea. In the end Bonnie, as well as James II and James III lie at
rest beneath St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. The Vatican as well includes
an extensive sculpted memorial to these men. Coincidentally King George was one
of the subscribers that helped to create this monument even. Even though he had
taken his cousin’s place they were all direct members of the Stewart family
stemming from Mary Queen of Scots.
Why do many people associate the Knights Templar
with what seems to be from this perspective a story about the deposition of the
Stewart Kings and later the American Revolution? The answer again lays within
the story of the Stewart family and their relations to other storied families
such as the de La Tours and Sinclair’s. The exiled Stewart family viewed what
is today the United States and Canada as their domain. In this context Nova
Scotia held a special place in their hearts as their entire family had
originally developed in Scotland.
Though the Knights Templar were not brought
to Scotland by the Stewart or Sinclair family it is clear that members of the
early Stewart family were among their most ardent supporters. Alan Fitzalan one
of the forebears of the Stewarts prior to them even assuming this name was
known to be among one of the greatest supporters of the Templars in Scotland.
Alan and other Stewarts held the title of the Earl of Mentieth among others in
this 12th century time frame.
Given what we have learned about how the de
La Tours, Sinclair’s, and Stewart’s were all related to each other via various
means we can begin to see how this family group would value the Knights
Templar. The Stewart family had patronized and supported the Knights Templar
but it would fall on their Sinclair relatives to be more associated with the
Templars in popular notions such as the Legend of Henry Sinclair coming to Nova
Scotia. With this in mind we must consider that there is no record of any
member of the Sinclair family ever having been a member of the Knights Templar.
It is true that many current authors suggest
a kind of continuation of the Templar ideal and this is why Henry Sinclair was
a Knights Templar. Given Henry’s later family we can see how this may be true
via their associations with the Stewarts and de La Tours but even that did not
happen until the mid-fifteenth century over two hundred years after the
dissolution of the legendary Knights Templar. The Stewarts affinity for the
Knights Templar may also be viewed in their possible creation of a Masonic
organization in France known of as the Knights Templar Strict Observance. This
order was supposedly ran by “unknown and unseen masters” which may point
directly to the exiled Stewarts and their Jacobite supporters.
Given all of these we are in my opinion left
to search for some lost or hidden information that may support the notion of a
voyage by Henry Sinclair to Nova Scotia in the late fourteenth century. Using a
source like the Zeno narrative to prove this is no better than the more modern
Cremona Document or any other of a number of fake stories that have their roots
more in the minds of the modern popular authors who espouse these theories
based on shaky evidence and wishful thinking. Indeed later manifestations of
these quest legends such as what Francis Bannerman may have created to reveal
tenets of history that would be overlooked by following later investigators who
seemed to have created additional elements of the story that has further
confused things in reality.
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