The order of warrior monks, who became one of the most powerful organisations in European medieval history, were known by many names;
The Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon,
La Milice du Christ or,
more commonly, The Knights Templar.

Specifically how the order was found has never been detailed. However the main source used by historians are the documents written by Guillaume de Tyre some seventy years after the event which are commonly accepted as the true account, although alternative versions do exist.

According to Guillaume de Tyre the Order was founded by a vassal of the Count of Champagne, Hugh de Payen with the collaboration of André de Montbard, the two knights along with seven companions presented themselves to the King Baudoin I of Jerusalem.
They announced to the monarch that it was their intention to found an order of warrior monks to keep the roads safe, with a special regard for the protection of pilgrims.
The new order took vows of personal poverty and chastity and swore to hold all their property in common.
The king granted them accommodations, which included the stables of what was believed to be the Temple of Solomon and he also granted the order the right to wear the double barred Cross of Lorraine as their insignia.

The original nine knights:

Hugh de Payen, a vassal of Hugh de Champagne
André de Montbard, another vassal of Hugh de Champagne
Geoffroi de St Omer, a son of Hugh de St Omer
Payen de Montdidier, a relative of the ruling family of Flanders
Achambaud de St-Amand, another relative of the ruling house of Flanders
Geoffroi Bisol
Gondemare, Cistercian monk
Rosal, also a Cistercian monk
and Godfroi


The Cistercians Monks and the Knights Templar were so closely linked by ties of blood, patronage and mutual objectives that many Templar scholars believe that they were one and the same.
When Hugh de Champagne joined the order, in 1124, and swore obedience to its Grand Master Hugh de Payen he came under the direct control of a man who in the normal social order of things was his own vassal. Something that had disturbing repercussions in medieval Europe’s feudal system.
Even though Hugh de Champagne may not have been among the original nine men to create the order he was however a prime mover behind the scenes and he, as all those involved in both founding and promoting the order, was linked to the other members by a complex web of direct family relationships.