Oak Island: The Knights of Oak: The Possible Fate of the Knights Templars After 1307

By N. Beetham Stark

The Knights of Oak presents yet another theory concerning the fate of the Knights Templar after their initial arrest by the King of France, Philip IV in 1307. No one knows for certain what happened to the vast treasure that they had accumulated and especially to the Golden Menorah of King Solomon, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Holy Grail which they are thought to have kept hidden for centuries. This book describes one logical path that these treasures might have taken and how they might have ended up on Oak Island. It also ties the Templars to the mysterious tower in Newport, RI, and to the Kensington Stone in Minnesota. While these connections are only theoretical, they do beg attention because they explain some events which other theories cannot and they make good sense given the pressures of the times and the circumstances of the Templars. No other group of men, not pirates nor sea captains, would have had access to the vast knowledge of architecture and building coming from the east except the Templars who lived there during the Crusades. No other group of men would have had the patience and knowledge to build tunnels 150 feet below the ground, and booby trap them. And no others would have had anything worth burying so deep.

• Language: English
• Publisher: N. Beetham Stark
• Release date: Feb 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9780984631667

N. Beetham Stark

Nellie Beetham Stark was born November 20, 1933, in Norwich, Connecticut to Theodore and Dorothy Pendleton Beetham. She attended the Norwich Free Academy and later Connecticut College in New London, CT before graduating with a MA and a Ph.D. degree in Botany (Ecology) from Duke University.Stark worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a botanist for six years and then joined the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada where she worked on desert and forest ecology and later tropical nutrient cycling. She has consulted in many countries, working for some time in Russia, Australia and South America. She developed the theory that explains why tropical white sand soils cannot grow good food crops and described the decline processes of soils. She has also developed a science of surethology, or survival behavior which describes how humans must adapt to their environments if they hope to survive long term. She has 96 professional publications and has published in four languages.Her life long hobby has been English history, with emphasis on naval history. Her family came originally from Tristan Da Cunha in the South Atlantic in the early 1900’s. Her grandfather was a whale ship captain for a time which spurred her interest in naval history. She also paints pictures of sailing ships which she has used as covers for her historical novels. She has built several scale models of sailing ships and does extensive research on ships and naval history, traveling to England once yearly.Stark was awarded the Connecticut Medal by Connecticut College in 1986 and the Distinguished Native Daughter Award for South Eastern Connecticut in 1985. She was named outstanding Forestry Professor three times by the students of the University of Montana, School of Forestry.Today she writes historical novels, mostly set in England. She has published some 21 novels in the past twenty years, mostly on the internet. She lives on a farm in Oregon and raises hay and cows.Stark's two most popular book series are:Early Irish-English History1. The Twins of Torsh, 44 A.D. to 90 A.D.1. Rolf "The Red" MacCanna, 796-8462. An Irishman's Revenge, 1066-11124. Brothers 4, 1180-12165. Edward's Right Hand, 1272-13076. We Three Kings, 1377-1422The Napoleonic Wars at Sea (Benjamin Rundel)1. Humble Launching - A Story of a Little Boy Growing Up at Sea, 17872. Midshipman Rundel - The Wandering Midshipman, 17953. Mediterranean Madness - The Luckless Leftenant Rundel, 17974. The Adventures of Leftenant Rundel, 1797-17995. Forever Leftenant Rundel, 1800-18036. Captain Rundel I – Trafalgar and Beyond, 1803-18067. Captain Rundel II – Give Me a Fair Wind, 1806-18098. Captain Rundel III – Bend Me a Sail, 1810-18139. Admiral Rundel – 1814-1846

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Oak Island:

The Knights of Oak

The Possible Fate of the Knights Templars After 1307

by N. Beetham Stark

Published by N. Beetham Stark at Smashwords

Copyright © 2015 by N. Beetham Stark

Published in The United States of America

ISBN 978-0-9846316-6-7 0-9846316-6-6

This book was published in Oregon in the United States through Smashwords and Amazon.com. All rights are reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced without the written permission of the author or the agent. Paid downloads are permitted.

Cover art is by N. Beetham Stark.

The symbols are of Oak Island, the sword of the Templars, their ships which sailed in search

of a place to bury the world’s most treasured artifacts, and the Templar cross which

they were forced to abandon.

Acknowledgments

The following sources were of great help in researching for the writing of this book.

The Knights Templar by Sean Martin, 2004.

Knights Templar - A Secret History by Graeme Davis. 2013.

The Secret Societies of All Ages and Societies by C.W. Hackerthorn. 2005

The Templars - History and Myth. by Michael Haag. 2009.

Grail Knights of North America. by Michael Bradley, 1998.

The Lost Colony of Templars by Steven Sora. 2004.

The author is indebted to Marty and Rick Lagina and their partners who have hosted the TV show on ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ - The History Channel. They provided many insights into the nature of the island and helped immeasurably in firming up the plot. They filled in a few holes in my theory about the mystery of this magnificent island which has imprisoned my interest for nearly fifty years.

This book is dedicated to Marty and Rick Lagina and their team for their courage and determination in unlocking the secrets of Oak Island. The mystery of Oak Island has piqued my curiosity for most of my life.

This book is also dedicated to Tarsie, and Picotso and our mutual friend PP for their wonderful insights into history.

This story is fiction, but much of the events are based on history, or what might logically have happened at that time and place.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Untimely Arrival

Chapter 2 Scotland

Chapter 3 Westward, Ever South Westward

Chapter 4 Exploration

Chapter 5 Home At Last

Chapter 6 Digging To Heaven The Hard Way

Chapter 7 Hunting for Oak

Chapter 8 An Impossible Challenge

Chapter 9 The Beacon

Chapter 10 The New Jerusalem

Chapter 11 Parting

Chapter 12 A Templar’s Death

Ignore history and the evil from its pages will come back to bite you!

— N. Beetham Stark

Introduction

This story has to be classified as fiction, but much of what happens here is so compellingly logical that one is tempted to treat it as true history. Since there is no way to prove that these events occurred as represented here, fiction creeps through the door and we will be forced forever to guess at what really happened. Nonetheless, the ride from fiction to truth can be gripping and at times frightening.

In October of 1307, King Philip IV of France was frantic for money. He had already seen how much wealth the Templars had in their Preceptory in Paris during an earlier visit when he was beset by angry crowds of his own people. He had drained the Jews dry of their monies and the Italians as well. There was little left for him but to attack the Templars at dawn on 13 October, 1307, arresting, torturing and even killing many of them as they were aroused from their sleep. These Templars were no ordinary men. They were well educated, intelligent and highly successful in the world of commerce. Fortunately, some of the Templars did escape. This is a highly viable theory of what became of some of them and their treasure.

Most scholars believe that Oak Island has treasure buried by pirates or by captains of Spanish ships. While there are coins and artifacts on the surface suggesting that the Spanish and others were there on the Island in the 1500’s or before, one has to wonder how they could have dug a pit that is close to 235 feet deep and accurately set booby trap tunnels that would flood the pit if the treasure seekers did not know how to access the treasure. Surely no one would bury treasure so deep that it could never be retrieved by themselves. That would be senseless. The Templars are thought to have spent the first nine years of their existence in the Holy Land tunneling under the stable and other portions of the Temple Mount. Historians are quite certain that valuable writings of early Phoenician, Jewish, Muslim, and possibly Egyptian and Roman builders were buried on parchments in a repository somewhere beneath the Temple Mount. With them were other treasures such as the Golden Menorah of King Solomon and other early artifacts of great value. We do know that the night that the Templars were given rights of refuge in the Temple of Acre, the Templar Commander, Theobald Gaudin, sailed in his galley from Acre with the treasures of the Templars, headed for France. The Holy Grail could well have been with them as well as the Ark of the Covenant and the Golden Menorah. It would have made sense to trust these priceless religious relics to the warrior Templars. This would have happened about sixteen years before King Philip’s attack on the Templars. With their thick-walled Preceptories, the Templars could easily have protected these treasures for sixteen years. There is evidence that the treasures were stored at either Rennes-Le-Chateau or Montsegure. But with Philip on a killing rampage, the treasures would no longer be safe in France, especially if the Templars were arrested. There is good reason to believe that the Templars were able to find and read the ancient manuscripts on architecture and building as well as early accounts of travel by sea to the west. This would have given them knowledge far above that of any of the European architects and would have made it possible for them to have built many of the finest cathedrals and chapels in Europe and the Middle East. They would have known about building graceful arches and buttresses from these ancient records. Accounts of early sea voyages would have given them knowledge to sail west.

Besides the wealth of knowledge concerning building, those who learned to read and speak Arabic would have had access to writings of early travelers who are thought to have braved the Atlantic Ocean and found a wondrous new land on the other side. Foremost of the early travelers were the Phoenicians who were able to build large ships powered by oars and capable of traveling great distances. This scarcely populated far-distant land would have been attractive to the escaping Templars who were in desperate need of hiding their many treasures from the French King and all others who might seek them out.

Consider the challenge of digging a pit 140 to 235 feet deep. It would take considerable knowledge of tunneling to accomplish such a fest without the walls caving in. It would take years to make such an excavation. And there were challenges of getting light and air into a deep tunnel. Even more challenging would be planning the booby trap tunnels so they would intersect the main pit, but hold in place until someone removed the critical bit of soil that would allow the ocean to come rushing in. How does one aim a tunnel so that it will approach the pit without either missing the pit all together or breaching the pit walls by accident? That is a challenge for even a modern-day architect. But most certainly no pirate would have such knowledge or skills. They also lacked time and discipline for such activity. The tunneling at Oak Island could easily have taken several years. What pirate would be willing to give up pirating and plunder for such a long time just to bury a few chests of gold? Although the pirates were active on Oak Island in the early years of piracy, it is hard to believe that they possessed either the skills or patience to have buried treasure so deep and so well protected by booby traps.

This leaves us with several other theories, such as the Phoenicians who might have had the expertise to sail across the Atlantic to find Oak Island. But how could they have known about Oak Island, let alone the great continent that lay thousands of miles across the sea? I can believe that the Phoenicians might have sailed across the Atlantic and found land, but I have trouble believing that they ever found Oak Island let alone Nova Scotia. Coins from that era could have been dropped in the last few hundred years from collections which were misplaced. If they were not buried deep, then they were almost certainly dropped recently. Coins of bronze or precious metals tend to settle deep into the soil over a few years time under the influence of rainfall and freezing and thawing and gravity.

Another consideration is that if the Phoenicians were somehow able to obtain the treasures from King Solomon’s Temple, then where were they stored for all those tumultuous years before they were buried? At that time (580 BC) the Holy Grail and Ark of the Covenant might not have been among the treasures. Legend says that all three treasures were buried at the same time. The Holy Grail did not exist until Jesus came to the last supper about 30 AD, while the Ark of the Covenant should be much older. Where were these treasures of different ages kept together so that they could have been transported by the Phoenicians? But if the treasures were stored in a secret vault under the Temple Mount, it is entirely possible that the Templars in their early explorations, could have found them. Their secret operations would make it possible for them to keep the whereabouts of the treasures unknown to anyone else. There were many wealthy Templar families that would have been glad to protect such priceless relicts until 1307 when the Templars were able to secret them away. And by that time, all of the three most valuable treasures would have been in existence. And where did the 18 Templar ships go?

The Spanish sea captain theory is hard to believe also because few sea captains would have had the expertise to have engineered such a deep burial site. And they would not have had access to the Holy relics which are thought to have been buried at Oak Island. When they buried treasure, it was with the idea that they would return someday soon to retrieve it. Burial at 140 to 235 feet or more is not likely if one wants to retrieve the treasure quickly. It would have served the purpose of the Templars who wanted to hide the religious treasures so that no one but themselves could ever find it.

The idea that corn could be used to block the flooding tunnels is hard to accept at least for this time period (1310). First, corn was not yet known in Europe. Secondly, the only corn grown in the New World at that time was grown in small garden plots kept by the native Indians. There would be no source of supply to fill the tunnels. And once blocked, how would one dig around the corn to reach the treasure? There has to be another explanation.

There is good reason to believe that several others may have buried treasure on the Island and there is record of mining for iron pyrite requiring a good number of tunnels. It is quite possible that the pit at 10X which goes to 235 feet in depth has reached an old tunnel from the mining days. Oak Island is most complex and if you do believe in curses, then it is quite possibly cursed.

The theory presented here takes some of the most logical ideas and information and weaves them into a possible scenario that explains what might have happened at Oak Island.

Chapter 1 — Untimely Arrival

Note: I am telling this story because I am the only one left of the original 102 souls who fled from La Rochelle in 1307. — Justin McMinn (Brother Wolf)

I vow never to go anywhere again without a horse under me, said Justin.

I share your sentiment, cousin. My feet are burning and my shoes are nearly worn through, said Will.

We have walked now for eleven days and should soon be in sight of Paris. Apparently Master Roger Cronin has no qualms about walking his team of the best stonemasons, architects and builders in all of Europe until their feet are worn out. Is it true that the Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, wants to build a mighty chapel to honor King Philip IV of France, and so that is why we plug along?

I doubt that a chapel in his honor will pacify that greedy king. He will stop at nothing to get his hands on money.

Then where is Pope Clement V in all of this? He is suspect of wanting to curb the power of the Templars and yet he has vowed to protect our Order.

I cannot answer that. I think that we arrived from Cyprus earlier than expected. Roger told me that there would be horses here to meet us.

I doubt that would do you and I much good. We are still Templars in training and are not eligible for horses to transport our lazy carcasses.

Look! I see a dim light in the sky. Could that be the outskirts of Paris?

Let us hope that it is for my feet will barely carry me that far, said Justin.

They trudged on, all 102 of them, towards the beckoning light.

As they walked, Justin said, I am amazed at the talent that follows us. That fellow in the rear is famous for his construction of great steeples and domed churches in Outremer (The Holy Land.) And this fellow near me is a master carver of stone. I am but a beginner in the art, and can never hope to equal his talents. And we come from all corners of the earth. Surely the Grand Master has some noteworthy building for us to build.

They passed several small houses, a few farms and then entered into what appeared to be a sleeping city.

I see the light of torches ahead. We are approaching some huge building with high towers surrounded by a high stone wall.

I am sure that is the Preceptory of the Paris Order of the Templars, replied Will.

They drew up to the gate, which was of finely wrought iron. Roger, their leader, stepped forward and addressed the guards who stood by the gate.

I am Roger Cronin. I have brought with me 102 of the most talented builders in all Europe as instructed by our Grand Master. I wish to speak with Grand Master Jacques de Molay in person.

Wait here. I will contact him for you, replied the first guard.

It was a Thursday, the twelfth of October and a cold wind was blowing through the city, scattering weeds and grass before it. It was already dark, about six in the evening and no one was about. The men huddled together for warmth, blowing on their hands. They had just come from Cyprus where its was much warmer. They waited silently seeming to have little to say to one another.

When the guard returned, he had a torch and at his side a tall fellow, slightly bent, with long white hair and a long white beard streaked with black. His nose was such that any bird would have envied him. He drew Roger aside and the two cousins, Will and Justin, could hear bits of conversation drifting through the darkness. Danger...must post guards...no one knows... barracks...several miles...treasure...La Rochelle…long ways off…must be secure…Scotland…sail west. Justin whispered to Will that he would love to hear more.

We will know more soon enough, I am afraid.

After half an hour, Roger returned to the now anxious group of men. He spoke in muted tones to the tired men We must march back a few miles to a barracks that belongs to the Order. We must march several miles where we can spend the night. There they have food and sleeping pallets for us. We must be on guard for any unusual activity. There is danger here. Keep your swords handy. Come, we depart at once!

They were perhaps a quarter of a mile from the Paris Preceptory. They were dragging along almost too tired to stand.

No sooner had Justin uttered a sigh than a rustling in the bushes beside the track caught his attention. His hand went automatically to his sword. Suddenly the bushes erupted with about a dozen masked men, screaming and shouting loudly. Will whirled around and joined Justin and a handful of the other Templars who were close by. A skirmish followed with much noise. The clash of steel on steel rang clear in the cold night. Only the vanguard of the procession was involved because the rest were not near enough to enter the fighting. Curses and groans filled the night air and they were rolling in the dust and slashing with all of their strength. Justin dove forward and injured one man who was dressed in black. Another advanced towards him and he managed to dispatch him quickly. Will was fighting alongside Roger, their leader. The two of them had killed several of their assailants. Suddenly the men in black turned and raced back into the bushes and disappeared from sight without uttering a word.

It was over in about ten minutes. Roger turned towards his fellow Templars and said, I guess that these fellows misjudged who we were and how many of us there are. We have sent them racing for safety with empty pockets. Is anyone hurt?

At first no one spoke. Then a groan from the side of the track caught their attention. The men looked at a prone body and discovered that it was Brother Hugh, one of their number. Justin bent to examine him. Then he called for Abin Hamid, their Muslim surgeon. He came on the run and he and Roger examined the stricken man.

He is Brother Hugh, a Frenchman. He is hired as our cook’s helper and also helps with the laundry. We need to get him quickly to a safe lighted place where we can examine his wounds more closely, said Roger.

I will bind his leg wound with this neck kerchief. It will stop the bleeding for awhile, said Abin Hamid.

While he was tending to the man’s wounds, Roger took off his tabard with the red cross over the heart and, borrowing two poles from the flag bearers, he made a quick stretcher. Eager hands reached for the fallen man and lifted him onto the stretcher.

They managed to march several miles down the track that they had come by and then, to the left, was a long low barracks, now lighted with candles. Several men stood guard by the door and several were posted on the roof. Justin and Will stepped into a warm building, contented finally to be at their destination. The aroma of freshly roasted meat greeted them and the roar of a fire in the fire ring was inviting. The men rushed down the long table grabbing handfuls of roasted meat, cheese and goblets of wine. They had not eaten for at least a day. Just as inviting were the sleeping pallets to the side. There were just enough for 100 men. Roger singled out several of the younger men and asked them to stand guard for two hours. Within minutes the men fell onto the pallets fully dressed, grabbed the warm blankets and were sound asleep.

Justin and Will slept near the door and were certain that as junior members of the Order, they would soon be asked to stand guard.

Towards dawn the chorus of snores was interrupted by the sound of horses hooves crashing onto the gravel outside. A tall, young Frenchman dismounted and shouted loudly, Awaken my friends! We are under attack! You must flee for your lives! Go Now!

Roger was on his feet in an instant and he spoke briefly with the young courier. Then he raised his voice. Up, men! We leave at once! The Templars at the Preceptory and other parts of Paris are under attack by King Philip’s soldiers. They may not know about us yet, so if we run in small groups we may be able to reach LaRochelle before they can find us. We are only 102 men and cannot fight the entire French army. He paused for a second. Every man had heard his strong voice and all were rising hastily.

Then he continued, Templars are being arrested, imprisoned and tortured in Paris. We cannot be among them. There are thousands of French soldiers roaming about. Be wary. Leave your heavy chain mail behind and burn your tabards with the red cross in the fire pit. I will meet you all in twelve days at the church in LaRochelle. Go now, at once! Go with God!

Then he turned to the injured man. You, my brother, must remain behind. We can never carry you, but Templars here will care for you. Go with God!

Within seconds Justin had thrown his tabard in the fire. He had no chain mail. He and Will headed out towards a pasture that lay beside the track on which they had arrived. Roger was close behind. He and Justin were distant cousins, but Roger was fond of his talented relative and had taken him under his wing as soon as he agreed to join the Templars. His other cousin, Drew, followed close behind.

They ran for much of the day, at least as long as their legs would hold out. They edged from thicket to thicket, hiding as much as they could, but forging ever westward. It was the 13th of October and a cold day, but no one had time to think of cold. They had to move on westward. By ten the next night, they decided to rest in a bed of ferns. All four men crawled in and were instantly asleep. Roger wanted to post a guard, but could not stay awake himself, and so thought better of it. By five the next morning, as the sun was creeping into the sky, they arose, found a stream from which to drink, and headed off again. There had been no alarms during the night, although they had heard horses pass near by. They could see others of their Order moving stealthily through the woods and fields as they went.

By the next afternoon they spotted a local market. Roger bade his friends to stay where they were. He went into the market and purchased enough bread and cheese to carry them for several days. They ate quickly and drank water and then were on their way for the night to seek shelter in haystacks by dawn.

The four men were awakened the next morning by the sound of horses, many walking slowly to the east. Roger stood up and immediately reached for Justin’s shoulder. My son, we have horses that are being sent to Paris for our use. I say we intercept them and save them the long trip to Paris. My feet could use a bit of rest and a horse’s back would feel wonderful, even without a saddle. At those words, the three younger men sprung up and all four raced after the horses. Each man managed to grab a horse by its’ mane, except for Will. He insisted on boarding from the rear, which proved to be a source of amusement for everyone. A mile down the track he was finally mounted and smiling broadly. They traveled slowly so as not to arouse suspicions that they were fleeing Paris.

They would be able to reach La Rochelle now in about seven more days, if they could avoid the French soldiers. They began now to