Prince
Henry was reputed to be one of the most remarkable men of the
14th Century in Scotland, a Knight Templar, and, like so many
of his clan throughout their history, a devout Christian. The
Sinclair commitment to defend the faith was expressed in their
motto, "Commit thy work to God." This is a brief history
of Prince Henry and the Templars.
In
1118 AD the Templars were established to protect the Christian
Pilgrims as they travelled to the Holy Land in Jerusalem. They
served under the sole direction of the Pope. They remained in
this capacity for two centuries, until Pope Clement V moved
his seat from the Vatican to Avignon in France. Some say he
was an impostor. There, he came under the strong influence of
his nephew, King Philip "le Bel" of France. This was
also the time when France had borrowed vast sums of money from
the wealthy Templars. So huge was this indebtedness that King
Philip chose to exterminate the Templars, rather than to pay
back his obligations. This triggered the fateful Suppression
Order, supported by the Pope.
All
nations were asked to capture the Templars. Scotland refused
to obey the Suppression Order; because its King Robert the Bruce
had been excommunicated from the Church for murdering John "the
Red" Comyn in a church. Consequently, many Templars fled
to safety with their treasures to Scotland firstly stopping
at the Solway Firth to reprovision. Following their arrival
in Scotland they went to Balantrodoch, their ancient outpost,
located on the Sinclair estates near Edinburgh. The Sinclairs
had been members of the Knights Templar ever since its founding
in 1118. Were these Templars following the Catholic faith? They
most certainly were! Ritual used by the modern day Templar groups
today attests to their firm religious beliefs. Of course the
division of the Papacy between Rome and Avignon, underscored
by the Suppression Order, disrupted their lines of affiliation
with the Avignonese Pope. Bear in mind, Protestantism had not
yet been born. The Templars maintained their Catholic faith.
During
the 14th century, England under King Edward I (known as "the
hammer of the Scots") was constantly attacking Scotland.
It began with the Battle of Rosslyn in 1303 when the Scots beat
the English decisively in three separate engagements. The English
army had advanced in three columns, with 10,000 men in each.
They were engaged and decisively defeated by the 6,000 strong
Scottish army. This infuriated Edward I. Finally, in 1314 his
son Edward II marched North with a highly trained army, intent
upon getting revenge in a battle at Bannockburn. The Scots won
the battle, largely due - it has been said but never proved
-to the intervention of the Knights Templar on the side of King
Robert the Bruce, assisted by Sir William Sinclair and his two
sons, William and Henry.
In
appreciation of the role played by the Templars at the Battle
of Bannockburn, and in an effort to disguise the presence of
the Templars within his kingdom, he created the Royal Sovereign
Order of Scotland. Robert the Bruce also appointed William Sinclair
as the Grand Master of the Crafts and Guilds of Scotland. This
became a hereditary position with the Sinclairs until another
William Sinclair resigned the hereditary post of Grand Master
for himself and his heirs. He was then immediately elected as
the first Grand Master in the Scottish Grand Lodge of Speculative
Masons in 1736.
In
this hereditary chain, Prince Henry Sinclair became the Grand
Master of the Crafts and Guilds of Scotland, as well as being
a Knight Templar, pledged to protect the Christian ideals. He
was known as Henry "the Holy" St. Clair. It is said
he was a true leader and was chosen as the Commander of a Templar
inspired expedition to the New World in 1398. The Templars had
found a temporary refuge in Scotland, but Scotland had neither
the space nor the scope to accommodate them. They wanted a new
land where their ideals could take root and flourish. They knew
about the New World. Trade was already taking place. The New
World beckoned.
His
Venetian admiral, Antonio Zeno, said Prince Henry was a man
"worthy of immortal memory because of his great bravery
and goodness." He is said to have reached America 94 years
before Columbus. He treated the indigenous people with respect,
understanding, and consideration. He called them his "beloved
sons", as he recognized they had the same underlying beliefs
he had himself, namely that God and Nature was One. There is
no doubt, Henry St. Clair practiced his faith in everything
he did. Before he ended his stay in the New World, it is thought
that he applied his experience and religious beliefs in building
the Newport Tower, following the design lines of the Church
of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Henry
was 13 years old at the time when he inherited the barony of
Rosslyn. This youth was trained in martial arts with sword,
spear, bow and arrow. Speaking Latin and French, he became a
knight at the age of 21 years. His first wife, who died young,
was the great-grand-daughter of King Magnus of Sweden and Norway.
His second wife, Janet Halyburton of Dirleton Castle, bore him
thirteen children. He was rewarded by Scotland's King David
for a successful raid into England with the title of Lord Sinclair
and the position of Lord Chief Justice of Scotland. Sinclair
excelled in a furious time.
Henry
Sinclair associated closely with the Scottish Masons. He was
the Grand Master of Scottish Masons, an organization that had
evolved from the suppressed Templars. Many of its members lived
in the area near Sinclair's Rosslyn Castle. Their meeting place
was Balantrodoch, a distance of only 15 miles. Ever since their
forefathers, seventy years earlier, were exiled from the Holy
Land and Europe, they had hidden their Templar origins. They
eagerly wanted to find a land that was free from suppression,
free from the fear of being put to death.
Sinclair
was installed as the Jarl of Orkney and Lord of Shetland when
he was only 24 years old. The earldom included the Faeroes,
the Orkneys, the Shetlands. Sinclair held his appointment at
the pleasure of King Hakon VI of Norway. Norway had ruled the
islands since the ninth century. But, as "Jarl", he
was next to royalty; there was almost no supervision from the
Norwegian throne. Thus, he was called "Prince". He
had authority to stamp coins, to make laws, remit crimes, wear
a crown, and have a sword carried before him.
Before
he was 35 years old, he constructed Kirkwall Castle for his
headquarters in Orkney. A fleet of ships was built, larger than
Norway's navy. Henry set out to affirm his rule the Faeroe Isles
in the name of the King of Norway. Norway was hard-pressed to
defend itself from Baltic pirates without Sinclair's assistance.
It is interesting to note that Prince Henry brooded over his
lack of guns. This was a new technology, developed at that time
by the naval powers in the Mediterranean area. Cannons had proven
effective for Carlo "the Lion" Zeno in defending Venice.
Henry
Sinclair employed the services of Nicolo and Antonio Zeno, brothers
of the most famous admiral of the time, Carlo Zeno. Nicolo had
been an elector of the Doge and was one of the twelve Orators
sent by the Venetian Senate with five galleys to Marseilles
to carry the Pope and his court to Rome. Nicolo had also been
captain of a galley in the war to protect the Genoese, and he
was the Venetian ambassador to Ferrara in 1382. The Zenos brought
to Sinclair the design of the first cannon used on ships.
Nicolo
died in 1395, and Antonio became captain and navigator of Henry's
fleet. They maintained the ship's log, the "Zeno Narrative".
It told about a survey to make a map of Greenland in about 1393
by Nicolo Zeno. This Zeno Map of the North proved to be the
most accurate map in existence for the next 150 years! And this
"Narrative" has helped to prove that Sinclair sailed
to America.
Henry
Sinclair, his trusted friend, Sir James Gunn, Antonio Zeno,
and his Templar friends planned a voyage to find this rich new
land. After fitting out their thirteen barks, they took to the
sea around April 1, 1398. with 200 - 300 men. Day after day
they sailed. The Zeno document suggests they saw land at Newfoundland,
but natives drove them away. Sailing farther, they came to Chedabucto
Bay in Nova Scotia. They dropped anchor on the first of June
in Guysborough harbor.
The
Zeno Narrative provides only a limited description of the party's
exploration. A hundred soldiers were dispatched to explore the
source of smoke they saw swirling above a distant hill. It came
from a great fire in the bottom of a hill, where a spring from
which issued a certain substance like pitch ran into the sea.
They also saw many people, half-wild, and living in caves. This
was their first contact with the Micmac Indians. Geographical
detective work, archaeology, modern science and various documents
have pinpointed the burning hill as the asphalt area at Stellarton,
about 50 miles direct from the head of Guysborough harbor.
The
Zeno brothers called Prince Henry by the name of "Zichmni".
This is an ancient translation of "Orkney", a shortened
form for Prince of Orkney. >From the Zeno Narrative we read
the following translation by Richard H. Major:
``So
we brought our barks and our boats in to land, and we entered
an excellent harbor, and we saw in the distance a great mountain
that poured out smoke. .... there were great multitudes of
people, half-wild and living in caves. These were very small
of stature and very timid; for when they saw our people, they
fled into their holes. .... When Zichmni heard this and noticed
that the place had a wholesome and pure atmosphere, a fertile
soil and good rivers and so many other attractions, he conceived
the idea of staying there and founding a city.''
Some
men, led by Antonio Zeno, returned home to Europe. The rest
chose to remain with Prince Henry with two oar-powered boats.
It is thought they wanted to establish a settlement. At last
the Templars might have a home, free of suppression!
Prince
Henry persuaded the Micmac Indians to act as guides in his exploration
of Nova Scotia. He first thought it to be an island. The narrow
isthmus at Bair Verte changed his mind. It was navigable by
canoe to Cumberland Basin with a portage of only three miles.
The trip along River Herbert toward Parrsboro included only
one portage of just 400 yards in its 22-mile length. Sinclair
may then have traveled on to Annapolis Basin and across the
Micmac canoe route to Liverpool. By October, he was back on
Green Hill, southwest of Pictou harbor, to attend a gathering
of the Micmacs. "Twas the time for holding the great and
yearly feast with dancing and merry games."
Next,
he doubled back to Spencer Island, Minas Channel, and did some
hunting. The meat of the animals was sliced and dried. The bones
were chopped up and boiled in a big iron pot to extract the
marrow.
Historians
and investigators have discovered other sites in Nova Scotia,
where Henry Sinclair probably visited. Evidence is not complete,
but it is highly suggestive. A few locations include the Castle
at the Cross, Oak Island and its Money Pit, and the Cannon of
Louisburg Harbor.
The
Castle at the Cross is atop Cadbury Hill and Gastonbury Tor,
17 miles from Chester, Nova Scotia. Only a mound of earth and
stone remains today of the suspected ancient structure. Researchers
believe 14th Century Norsemen and Scots built it, based on designs
in the rubblework masonry. Several items were found around these
ruins, including a much corroded pin, portion of a sword blade,
wooden cones, and pieces of iron tools. From the scanty ruins,
it is thought that the Castle had guard towers, main gate with
pillars, and a dome or cone. Some historians believe this was
a settlement by Prince Henry Sinclair, as shown in the lower
left of the famous "Zeno Map" of the North. The Micmac
legends describes Prince Henry's winter quarters in the vicinity
of Advocate Harbor and Parrsboro. It was there, near Cape D'Or,
that the explorers are thought to have built a new ship for
their return voyage. The exact location is uncertain, however,
mounds of dirt and stone formations have given archaeologists
some clues. Here the Christian explorers would have celebrated
Christmas, perhaps the first Christmas ever on American soil!
It
is more than coincidence that a unique, primitive cannon was
found about 1849 at Louisburg Harbor on Cape Breton Island.
Presumably, this gun was from Prince Henry's fleet in 1398.
It had eight rings around its barrel, and a detachable breech
with a handle. Several very similar cannons are on display at
the Naval Museum in Venice. These are the same type as those
used by Carlo Zeno at the Battle of Chioggia. They became obsolete
by the end of the 14th century. Later cannons were made in a
single piece without that kind of barrel rings.
Oak
Island in Mahone Bay of Golden River, Nova Scotia, is one of
only two islands, in a group of 350, where oak trees can be
found! These oaks are thought to have been planted by ancient
mariners to serve as a navigational aid to find the Castle at
the Cross. From Oak Island, looking toward the mainland of Nova
Scotia, the river leading to the Castle is to the right. The
Celtic word for "oak" also means both "right"
and "door".
This
island on the Atlantic side has captured much attention because
of its Money Pit, which is shrouded by mystery. It is a deep
hole at the center of Oak Island. An elaborate security system
was devised, whereby anyone exploring its depths would trigger
the flood tunnels. Is this the hiding place for gold panned
from Golden River? Or did Prince Henry deposit some Templar
treasures in this hiding place? Was the Holy Grail placed there
for safekeeping?
The
Pit was discovered by three boys in 1795. At a depth of two
feet there was a layer of stones. At 10 feet lay the first of
many oak log platforms, set at 10-foot intervals as the depth
increased. In 1802, Onslow Company discovered more log platforms,
going down 93 feet. In 1849, the Truro Company drilled augur
holes near the existing cavity. At the 154-foot level the drill
went through a 5-inch oak platform and dropped another 12 inches
farther until it struck another oak platform. Then it went through
22 inches of metal scrap, including an ancient watch chain!
Oak timbers reappeared at a deeper depth, followed by another
22-inch layer of metal fragments. After the next layer of oak,
they found 6 inches of spruce wood. Still other digs produced
some scraps of parchment, with letters that looked like "vi"
in hand script. At the 171-foot level an iron plate appeared.
Coconut fibre, not native, was dated to be of 14th century origin!
Then in 1909, the famous treasure hunter, Franklin D. Roosevelt
had many shares in Old Gold Salvage & Wrecking Company,
which did more exploring at the Money Pit, but to no avail.
More than $2 million has been expended on this Money Pit!
The
Micmac Indians have a custom of preserving their history, and
passing it along to the next generations, by their legends.
This tradition continues today. Historians have studied these
Legends. There are seventeen striking similarities between Glooscap
and Prince Henry. Even the name "Glooscap" in Indian
tongue, sounds like the combination of "Jarl Sinclair"!
References to his personal features and qualities are too coincidental
to be by accident. Until then, the Indians did not know how
to fish with nets. Europeans were introduced to corn at this
time in history. The large sailboat of Prince Henry was called
"floating island" by the Indians. A quotation from
the Micmac legends follow:
"Kuloskap
was the first,
First and greatest,
To come into our land -
Into Nova Scotia, Canada,
Into Maine, into Wabanaki,
The land of sunrise, or Light.
Thus it was Kuloskap the Great
Made man: He took his arrows
And shot a tree, the ash,
Known as the basket-tree.
From the hole made by the arrow
Came forth new forms, and these
Were the first of human kind.
And so the Lord gave them a name
Meaning "those born from trees".
Kuloskap the Lord of Light
Made all the animals.
First he created
All of giant size;
Such was the beginning."
In
the springtime, the European explorers loaded up in their ships
and traveled southward, perhaps carried by a northeaster, to
the New England Coast, just north of Boston. Perhaps their southward
voyage was planned, seeking more evidence of the peacefulness
of this "rich and populous land".
Evidence
indicates they travelled up the Merrimack River to Stony Brook,
which they followed as far as possible. The party landed and
explored this new land, meeting peacefully with the Algonquin
Indians. To the west they could see a hilltop, from which the
Indians may have sent smoke signals.
In
the springtime, the European explorers loaded their ships and
traveled southward to the New England Coast, just north of Boston.
Evidence indicates they travelled to the Merrimack River, then
upstream to Stony Brook to its source. The party landed and
spent the winter, living peacefully with the Algonquin Indians.
While
hiking toward Prospect Hill, one of Prince Henry's companions
by the name of Sir James Gunn died. In memory of their lost
companion, the party carved a marker on the face of a horizontal
stone ledge. Various sized holes were punched into the stone
by a sharp tool, driven by a mallet. The image was that of a
Scottish Knight, with a 39-inch long sword and shield, bearing
the Gunn family insignia. Where glacial scratches or rock colorations
existed, they were incorporated into the manmade picture.
Located
beside this ancient rock carving are four stone posts with heavy
iron chains. A recent granite monument was erected by Allister
MacDougall, the Town Historian, to honor Prince Henry Sinclair's
companion. The inscription on the granite stone reads;
"Prince
Henry First Sinclair of Orkney born in Scotland made a voyage
of discovery to North America in 1398. After wintering in
Nova Scotia he sailed to Massachusetts and on an inland expedition
in 1399 to Prospect Hill to view the surrounding countryside,
one of the party died. The punch-hole armorial effigy that
adorns this ledge is a Memorial to this Knight."
If
you take a very close look at the rock ledge, you will see the
punched holes. They are very weather-worn. Someone has painted
a shield on the rock surface, and this painting helps you see
the punched holes. Natives in this town of Westford are familiar
with their Westford Knight. Historian Frederick J. Pohl heard
of these revelations and visited Westford to see the discovery
for himself. He reported, "The following are undeniably
manmade workings: the pommel, handle, and guard of the sword;
below the guard the break across the blade suggests the death
of the sword's owner; the crest above the pommel; a few holes
at the sword's point; the punch-hole jess lines attached to
the legs of the falcon; the bell-shaped hollows; the corner
of the shield touching the pommel; the crescent on the shield;
and the holes that form a decorative pattern on the pommel."
Archaeologist James P. Whittall, among many others, has also
studied the Westford Carvings extensively and he confirms these
findings.
