Publisher's Synopsis
Charles Greenstreet Addison (1812-66) was an English barrister and historical, travel, and legal writer. He was born in Maidstone, Kent and was called to the bar in 1842 by the Inner Temple, joining the home circuit and Kent sessions. In 1848 he married Frances Octavia, the twelfth child of the Honourable James Wolfe Murray, Lord Cringletie, with whom he had seven children. In 1838 Addison published his first book, Damascus and Palmyra, in which he described a journey in the Middle East. He then wrote A History of the Knights Templar, the first two editions of which appeared in 1842 and a third in 1852. In 1843 he published another historical wortk on the Temple Church. Aside from these works, Addison was the author of two legal text-books: A Treatise on the Law of Contracts (1845), and Wrongs and Their Remedies, a Treatise on the Law of Torts (1860). Both books went through several editions in the UK and US and it is for these he is best remembered today. Addison's interest in the Knights Templars, sparked during his pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem when he gained admission to the courts of their ancient Temple, and on his visits to the ruined fortresses and castles of the ancient order of the Temple in Palestine and in Syria, was further piqued by the restoration of the Temple Church in the City of London in 1841. Having examined numerous documents and texts, he became an expert on the Templars' history, giving a clear account in this book, starting with the origins of the brotherhood, and the foundations and ideals of the order. He goes on to explain their role in protecting pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land, their feats during the Crusades, and their ultimate downfall, leading to the abolition of the order and disposal of its property. This edition of The Knights Templars is reprinted from the third edition of 1852 and includes a facsimile of the original cover together with five illustrations in black and white.
