lokiblossom
Bronze Member
How solid are the records that show that a "Templar Fleet" left France in the first place?
Your question is rather ambiguous. What kind of records are you referring too, official government records, or would you accept relatively reliable historical sources? History as written by at least one reliable Templar historian says a fleet of Templar vessels left Cyprus for France in the Spring of 1307. The only port open for them logically was on the Atlantic at La Rochelle. It was a port in which full control was given to them by the Queen of France in an 1139 document. A port from which they also operated a lucrative wine trade with the British Isles and other Atlantic ports. At La Rochelle the Templars were known to have had at least 4 vessels to carry on that trade. Some time before October of 1307 those 4 or 5 vessels along with the ones that had arrived from Cyprus disappeared, or in effect left France. Then there was also the testimony at inquisition of a Templar leader that he had word of the vessels leaving France.
In my humble opinion, this is enough of a record to believe that the Templar Fleet did indeed leave France in the first place!
Cheers to you Dave, your friend Loki