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The impact of the crusading movement in Scotland, 1095-c.1560

The impact of the crusading movement in Scotland, 1095-c.1560

By Alan Macquarrie

PhD Dissertation, University of Edinburgh, 1982

Godefroy de Bouillon and Four Knights - image courtesy Walters Art Musuem

Abstract: The involvement of Scots in the Crusades has never been studied in detail either by historians of Scotland or of the Crusades, but it is hoped that the present thesis will show such a detailed study to be worthwhile.

The present study is divided into three parts. Part One, “Scottish Participation in the Crusades”, explores the participation of individuals or groups of Scots who took part in crusades from the eleventh to fifteenth centuries, and in the aftermath of the crusades. It consists of four narrative chapters (numbered 1 to 4), each covering approximately a century, with the final chapter stretching into the sixteenth century and down to the Reformation. Part Two, “Institutions with Crusading Origins or Connections”, consists of two chapters. The first of these (Chapter 5) is a history of the development of the Military Orders of the Temple and the Hospital in Scotland, with particular reference to the relationship of the central organisations of these orders with their branches in Scotland. Chapter 6 discusses two orders which had their origins in the crusading movement, the Canons of Bethlehem (who had a hospital at St Germains in Tranent) and the Trinitarians “for the Redemption of Captives” (who had a number of Scottish hospitals); again, the emphasis is on the relationship between the centre and the Scottish branches. Part Three, “Attitudes to the Crusades in Scotland”, contains a single chapter. This explores Scottish historical writings, examining passages describing the crusades, to see if it is possible to determine what Scottish writers thought about the crusading movement.

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These seven chapters are preceded by an Introduction, which sets out the main lines of argument pursued in this study, contains a discussion of the source material used, and explains the scope and limitations of the work. They are followed by two Appendices. Appendix I contains edited texts of selected documents, mostly hitherto unpublished, illustrative of points raised in the text. Appendix II is a calendar of material relating to Scotland preserved in the Archives of the Knights of St. John, now held in the National Library of Malta.

Click here to read Part 1 of this thesis from the University of Edinburgh

Click here to read Part 2 of this thesis from the University of Edinburgh

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