Knights of Saint Thomas

Knights of St Thomas Hospitallers of St Thomas of Canterbury at Acre
Active	c. 1191–1538
Allegiance	Papacy and England
Type	Western Christian military order
Locations	including: Acre, Nicosia, Kilkenny and London.
Patron	St. Thomas Becket of Canterbury
Engagements	The Crusades, including: Fifth Crusade Siege of Acre (1291)

The Hospitallers of St Thomas of Canterbury at Acre, usually called the Knights of St Thomas was a Christian military order of the Catholic Church. Membership was restricted to Englishmen.

The emblem of the order was a red cross with a white scallop in the centre and the Knights wore a white habit.

It was established in 1191, at Acre, after the capture of that city by Richard I of England and Philip II of France. After the capture of the city, William, Chaplain to the Dean of St. Pauls Cathedral at London, formed a small religious order, its members taking vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The purpose of the Order was tending to the sick and wounded, and burying the Christian knights who fell in battle in the Holy Land. To that, William, as Prior of the Order, added the purpose of raising funds to ransom captives from the Muslim armies of Saladin. The success of the Order enabled it to establish a church and hospital which was dedicated to St Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket was martyred in 1170 and canonised in 1173.

It was militarised by Peter of Roche, the Bishop of Winchester, during the Fifth Crusade 1217–1221. According to Pope Gregory IX this was done thanks to the indulgence of the existing canons of the Hospital of St Thomas in Acre. Peter of Roche was the crusader Bishop of Winchester who contributed to the defences of Jaffa and Sidon. In 1236, Pope Gregory IX accorded Papal confirmation to the Order, and the Order became known as the Knights of St Thomas Acon (Acre being Anglicised to Acon). The Order adopted the rule of the Teutonic Knights.

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