The Knights Templar | The Rosslyn Ground Scans - Part 1

The Rosslyn Ground Scans - Part 1

Interview with John Ritchie

Templar History Magazine Issue No. 7

THM: Readers of our magazine are very interested in the project that you are soon to commence. For many years popular authors have given a plethora of theories as to what might be buried beneath Rosslyn Chapel. Do you have any theories yourself as to what secrets may lie beneath or within the chapel?

JR: First of all recently I have been accused of being an incomer as far as Rosslyn is concerned, by people from all over the world, who do not know me. So I present my natural CV. In the graveyard down from the Chapel, I have more than 9 relations holding up the hill, including my Grandparents. I was born in Roslin, went to primary school in Roslin. My late Grandfather was the caretaker for the Chapel and the Castle during WWII. So I think that takes care of my son of the soil accreditation.

My Knights Templar connection. Militi Templi Scotia, the Scottish Knights Templar, takes its lineage from Alexander Deuchar circa 1790. The Order has been going since this time, and works on a Jacobite archive and philosophy. I have the honour to be a member of MTS and have been for over 20 years. I am the Grand Herald and press spokesman. Our raison d' etre has always been to protect Scotland's Heritage and Culture, and to debunk objects like Stones of Scone becoming the Stone of Destiny, or the monks heart in a piece of lead gutter piping becoming the Bruce heart, even Historic Scotland can be guilty of this, and so the Order has always kept a watching brief, especially on crazy little Belgians that run about calling themselves Prince Michael of Albany.

One of my other hats is secretary to the Midlothian Federation of Community Councils, and we are aware that Rosslyn Chapel Trust Ltd. has received a great deal in money from the Council in Grants. It would be good to see the rest of Roslin and Midlothian benefiting from this, this is simply not happening.

I am afraid speculations have written many books and promulgated too many theories. I once met a chap who was convinced the chapel had been built over an E.T. type spacecraft, and he presented an excellent case, but that's not the most fanciful theory that I have heard. We must start from fact, the operative not the speculative. If we go back to the last time the vault was used, which to our knowledge was 1650. The last Earl Sinclair to be buried in his complete armour, after being killed at the battle of Dunbar. We can say with some authority that any material contained in the vault must be from this date or before. We know that Rosslyn was a scriptorium; indeed the work cells of the monks can still be seen in the castle. This copying of original manuscripts was started by, said to be the greatest European scholar of his time. Sir Gilbert Hay, William (the builder) Sinclair's tutor. We know that soldiers in General Monks (Cromwell's army 1650) removed important manuscripts from Rosslyn castle; some are preserved in the Bodelian Library. I have no doubt that the originals would have been stored in the vault that would include what were called the Anjou papers. We know for example that Mary Queen of Scots mother Mary of Guise visited Sinclair to ask him to return the Holy Rood or Black Rood which was said to be a piece of the true cross, brought to Scotland by Queen Margaret or St Margaret. So from this we can assume that Rosslyn was a depository for important religious items, rather like a wall safe. The Sinclair showed Mary of Guise something very important which convinced her to leave the Holy Rood with Sinclair, and wrote a letter two days later saying thank you for allowing me to see these treasures. Do not worry your secret is safe with me. Therefore the object, or objects must have been of a great status and incredibly important. Most of the references are contained within the Genealogies of the Saintclaires of Rosslyn, which has been republished by Grand Lodge Scotland 2002.

Continue to Part 2