About the Order
The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St. John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta, of England and Wales and its Provinces Overseas has existed in England since at least 1778 and has been organised uder a sovereign body since 1791.
The ceremony of Installation of a Knight is very realistic and the spectacular regalia is based upon that worn by the Medieval Knights Templar.
The Order is made up of Preceptories which are under the direction of the Great Priory which is presided over by the Most Eminent and Supreme Grand Master Paul R Clement GCT.
La Valette Preceptory
The Preceptory was founded on 29th October 2004 just over a year after the founding of its "sister" Preceptory, Waller Rodwell Wright No 640 which always meets the day after La Valette.
The Installation of the new Eminent Preceptor takes place at the May meeting while new Knights of the Order are usually Installed at the October meeting. This is the converse of the schedule for Waller Rodwell Wright Preceptory and thus there is usually the opportunity for knights to experience both ceremonies, Installation of an EP and Installation of a Knight during Malta Masonic Week.
Every few years the Knights meet as a Priory of Knights of Malta to enable newer knights to be Installled in this additional, but closely related, Order. It is particularly appropriate that the ceremony takes place on the Island of Malta itself.
The crest of the Preceptory is divided into four quarters depicting an image of Grand Master La Valette, the heraldic lion from his personal coat of arms under a princely crown, a combined Templar and Malta Cross and a view of Valetta from Marsamxett Harbour showing the area of the English Masonic Hall. Underneath is the motto "Esse quam videri", meaning "To be, rather than to seem".
Jean de Valette Parisot
Grand Master, Order of St John
1557-1568