The History of the Provincial Priory of Surrey at the Advent of the Third Millenium 1864-1999 David de Ville, 156pp (soft cover), Provincial Priory of Surrey (Private Printing), £11 plus p+p.

It is always pleasing to have histories and collections of records published of degrees beyond the Craft, but especially useful to have this History of the Knight Templar Province of Surrey, which brings together a large body of information from a whole host of sources.
    For those new to the United Orders, there is a useful synopsis both of the two crusading orders, but also a resumé of the history of their Masonic counterparts to the present day. However, the choice of start date, 1772, being stated as the formation of the Baldwyn Encampment in Bristol, can be questioned.
    Moreover, there may well have been Knights Templar in Bristol and elsewhere prior to that date, as some forms of Masonic Templar degrees were probably being conferred in lodges under the Antients before that time.
    Records do not exist to prove that hypothesis beyond doubt. However, this is a small quibble in a most useful 22-page introduction to the United Orders. There is also reference to the banners and pennons that were formerly permissible for preceptors and knights, with an artist's impression of what they might have looked like.
    This is clearly wrong. My own Preceptory, Coeur de Lion No. 29, stationed at Oxford, has 21 of these dating from 1849 to 1868, and their style is quite different. There are one or two other errors of fact, but these should not be allowed to spoil what is otherwise a most useful work.
    Following the background material, the history then moves on to chart the Provincial Priory of Surrey, combined with that of Kent until 1956, up until the present day. The main subject matter – the history of the Province – is fully documented with plenty of detail, such as the poisonous 1938 press report of Knights Templar in the habit of the Order during evensong at Rochester Cathedral, as well as the reaction of Provincial Priory. How much things seem to have changed.
    The foundation of each of Surrey's 17 Preceptories is marked with a colour plate of current officers or members, while that of Praesidium Legati Preceptory No 570 has its members in the all too rarely seen Malta regalia. In addition, each of the Province’s Commanders/Priors has a separate biography with a picture where possible, each one giving a host of personal and Masonic information.
    There are lists of provincial officers and an index, although as tool for reference it is woefully incomplete, which seems such a pity when one has gone to the bother of producing one in the first place.
    This is a useful publication, both for anyone interested in KT and also for all Masons in Surrey, and indeed Kent, looking at masonry in their provinces as a whole.
    While I cannot help but feel that the huge amount of work put in by the author should have been supported by the help of an editor, the author, his collaborators and the Knights of the United Orders of Surrey are to be congratulated.
    I hope that other Provinces, and indeed other Orders will follow this idea. The History of the Provincial Priory of Surrey can be obtained by writing to the author at 22 Trotsworth Avenue, Virginia Water, Surrey GU25 4AN.
    Matthew Christmas