There is no evidence of how many people lived at Balsall when Roger de Mowbray made his gift, though it is possible that the two moated sites, Fen End Farm and Oldwyche House Farm, were already settled there.
But by 1185 we have a picture of a largely developed manor with 67 tenants with some 640 acres of arable parcelled out in virgates and irregular enclosed crofts, and with 'customs', those local bylaws that regulated the relationship between the lord of the manor and his tenants.
The Templars also received gifts of land at Cubbington, Harbury, Tysoe, Wolvey, Studley, Warwick, Chilverscoton, Sherbourne, Fletchampstead, Temple Herdwicke and other places. Temple Balsall, as it was soon known, became the Preceptory for all of these. From here all day-to-day farming activities were controlled. Sheep were directed from Studley to Harbury to be fattened and at Balsall stockbreeding was undertaken and cider apples were brought to the press.
The most significant relic of the Templars is their Preceptory, now known as the Old Hall. This was the senior court for the Templars in Warwickshire. From here instruction and punishment was handed out in equal measure.
The original timber framed building was constructed in the thirteenth century, however it was much restored in the 19th Century by Sir Gilbert Scott who encased the structure in red brick. The Hall has one of the few remaining examples of timber aisle pillars, which support the original roof timbers.
In Palestine the tide of battle ebbed and flowed until, in 1244, Jerusalem fell to the Turks, followed by Antioch, Tripoli and finally, in 1291, Acre, the last Christian stronghold in the Holy Land.
The Templars had now lost the very reason for their existence, for pilgrimages were no longer possible, and they had been completely driven out of Palestine with other Christian forces.
Since their poor beginnings they had grown wealthy, had had privileges showered on them, grown arrogant and made enemies, especially in the church, for they were answerable to no one lower than the pope.
Their enemies, including the King of France, seized the opportunity and trumped up charges against the order. Templars in both France and England were suddenly arrested in 1308. They were held in prison for over three years, some of them eventually being tortured. Nothing was proved against them but their spirit was broken. Finally they were forced to plead for the mercy of the Church, as they did not know how to clear themselves.
Five Templars were arrested at Balsall, as well as Thomas de Walkington, Preceptor of Rothley Temple in Leicestershire, who was almost certainly acting as Preceptor for Balsall also. He was the only Templar to declare publicly that the few confessions had been extracted by torture. The order was suppressed and the Brothers were scattered to different monasteries to do penance for their supposed crimes.
In March 1312 the Pope abolished the order of the Templars and in May published a Bull transferring their properties to the Knights of St John (the 'Hospitallers'), forerunners of the modern Order of St John, which maintains the St John Ambulance Brigade. The Hospitallers were another fighting, crusading Order, who also nursed the sick.
An urgent program of asset stripping began - the principal beneficiary being the King. John Mowbray, descendant of Roger, seized the land back, and the Hospitallers were unable to gain possession until 1322.
Few records have survived about the Hospitallers at Temple Balsall, although they possibly built the church, which after several renovations survives today.
