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Page No Chapter Section ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5 1 Intro 5 2 P-M Signet Ring 11 3 King Numan 13 4 Prophet Muhammad 16 5 Shrine of Abdullah and Cave of Hira -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------21 6 Hejez location and history 24 7 After the Death of P-M 26 8 Background 28 9 Origins of the Signet Ring 29 10 The Kings account -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------39 11 Bahira 43 12 Nestorians -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------47 13 Writing and Records 50 14 Islamic History 51 15 Quran 54 16 Mekkah 56 17 Origins of the Holy Quran 60 18 The Four Caliphs 62 19 Memorising and Transcription of the Quran 63 20 Uthmans Quran -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------71 21 The Hadith 73 22 New Knowledge 77 23 Jews 78 24 Parchments 80 25 Missing Suras 91 26 Kabah 95 27 Caravans -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------100 28 Macoraba Intelligence 103 29 Macoraba. 109 30 Islamic Secret Society 111 31 Cipher Systems 113 32 Secret Communication Systems 115 33 Influence 118 34 Cairo Booklet on Macoraba --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------121 35 Finding Missing Sura 123 36 Cause for War 128 37 Birth of the Knights Templar 131 38 Knight Templars Code of Conduct 133 39 Jerusalem 134 40 Temple of Solomon 136 41 Regional and Religious Claims to Jerusalem 137 42 True Cross 140 43 Pilgrims 142 44 Templars 144 45 Knights 145 46 Banking 146 47 Assassins -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------146 48 Outremer 147 49 Raynald de Chtillon 155 50 Mustapha the Informer 156 51 Ali Talibs Gold Tablets

ORIGIN OF RING

HEJEZ

BAHIRA ISLAM

BACKGROUND

MACORABA

CRUSADERS

RAYNALD

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159 52 Caravan Attacks 160 53 Guy De Val ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------162 54 Saladin 165 55 Saladins Error of Judgement 168 56 Saladins Legacy 170 57 Richard the Lionheart ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------176 58 Cedric Finding Raynalds Depository -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------185 59 Prophet Muhammads Signet Ring 190 60 Arab Jewellery 191 61 Finding The Ring 194 62 Al-Hira Manuscripts ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------195 63 Robert Purnell Quest for Treasure 203 64 Roberts Early Life 205 65 Pubs & Bolt Court 212 66 Mabinogion 212 67 Heaths Stage Coaches 214 68 Purnell-Skey Family 219 69 Roberts Early Years -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------231 70 Wahhabis 234 71 Retirement 237 72 Reference Sources 238 73 Other Connections 238 74 Mormons 239 75 The League of Arab States -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------76 Dateline 77 Words & Terminology

SALADIN

CATHOLICS JEWELLERY

ROBERT

RETIREMENT

The above notes fall generally under the various headings, which include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. The origin of the Signet Ring The search to find the Signet Ring and Reynalds treasure The Prophet Muhammad and the Caliphs Islamic treasures including the Signet Ring and the Gold Tablets The missing Sura The crusades, Templar Knights and Reynald de Chtillon Macoraba and cipher systems Robert Purnell and his friend David Heathcote The 1804 Hedjez expedition Purnell Family Tree Timeline of events *Further research is required on all Islamic aspects, tracing the routes and excavating the various sites.

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Al-Hira 2011 The Chronicles of Macalabra (Mekkah)

and

The Prophet Mohammeds Al-Hira Signet Ring

It is desirable to be well descended, but the glory belongs to our ancestors. (Plutarch circa 46-120)

Al-Hira
These notes include a collection of Robert Purnells personal and general observations pertaining to the events leading up, and subsequent to the Al-Hira find. They are based on his diaries, journals, possessions and notes and have been compiled by his successors specifically for the benefit of the P-S Trustees and other parties interested in the subject matter generally.

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1. Introduction The Ark of the Covenant, The Holy Grail (Sangreal) The True Cross and The Prophet Muhammads Signet Ring each rank as being some of mankinds most coveted religious items. Of these four Holy objects the whereabouts of only one is known, the Prophet Muhammads Signet Ring . In 2001 the Purnell-Skey Trustees, custodians of the Al-Hira artefacts since 1805 agreed to repatriate the Ring back to Muslim ownership. Pending on-going negotiations with interested parties it is hoped that in the near future a Muslim custodian will be found. Up until that time the Ring along with the Prophet Muhammads Holy Water Phial and Oil Lamp will be held in London vaults in trust.

2.

Prophet Muhammads Signet Ring, Background These notes stem from a mass of data and research material put together by various parties since 1776. In most part the account is based on individual observations, comment and opinions backed up by research carried out by Robert Purnell and others. His personal diaries, reports and journals pertain to an expedition undertaken in 1804 to the Hejez region of Arabia. The Purnell family history (family tree) was started in the 1950s by Ralph Williams. Much credit is to be given to Colin Purnell whose extensive genealogy research into the Purnell family can be seen in the last section of these notes. Roberts primary interest in Islam and the region around Mekkah was triggered by an important piece of research which he funded and carried out in Bristol, England in the late 18 th century. This work centred on a bundle of old parchments which he inherited from his father. These items had formerly been stored for safe keeping within the Purnell family deed box. Amongst the folios were transcripts of what he believed were two of the missing Sura. These documents originated in the Hejez and dated from the time of the Prophet Muhammad. Robert later had these folios and some other loose documents translated into English, copies of which are enclosed. For the benefit of Arab readers an Arabic translation has recently been made. As a result of this academic research and subsequent conclusions Robert commenced a lifelong commitment to study the subject, which culminated in him making an extended trip to the Hejez. During his Arabian expedition he visited several of the sites mentioned and identified in the parchments. Whilst in the environs of Mekkah and Medinah he conducted several elementary archaeological surveys. During this work he recovered various items some of which have been attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. These personal possessions had been concealed beneath stones on the upper terraces of Mt Hira. From discoveries made on this rudimentary dig and through research conducted thereafter it was possible to accurately identify, attribute and date the objects found. In a wider context, his discoveries have added to our knowledge and understanding of early Islam. The circumstances and relevance of what became known as the Al-Hira find along with the two missing Suras is now slowly emerging. The following pages touch on some of the salient issues that Robert Purnell addressed during the planning and execution phases of his trip to the Levant and 5

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Arabia. From the outset Roberts job was difficult in the extreme. As a privately funded individual he lacked either corporate or State backing or for that matter scientific interest. With England on a war footing with France such plans as were made by Robert were, for obvious reasons concealed from the authorities. As such no advance or post publicity was given to the undertaking. Within Roberts academic circles his subject matter was a topic of debate. From these quarters he was pressed to publish an account of his tour and the subsequent finds. Such an article or publication never materialised. From 1805 till his death he and his collaborators set about compiling a mass of related data. This unfinished work was never compiled and as such remained unpublished. Bearing in mind that be by that time he was well into his 60s it is no surprise that either through lack of energy, money or a combination of these factors he never finalised his research. Additionally, at the time there was a limited amount of British interest in the region which included the Arabian peninsula and, as such work any unpublished work that he might have presented to a London publisher would, most certainly have been rejected on the basis that very limited sales would be generated from such a publication. For this reason, at the turn of the century hardly any reliable printed information on either Islam or the Hejez region generally was in print. Without easy access to modern electronic data recovery systems Robert started his investigation from scratch. Leveraging from the mass of information, clues and data that we have since inherited our undertaking is now to fill in these gaps in history. Upon his return to England in 1805 Robert Purnell concluded that his expedition had, in most part been a personal success. He had indeed accomplished his prime objectives and survived the rigours of the extensive journey intact. Being a private man his instinct was firstly to set about learning more about the objects that he had recovered. His practical instincts pointed him towards finding conclusive explanations. He wanted to know the specific relevance of the items and from that put them into a historical context. More particularly he asked himself the question why, in the first place some of the items been secreted in such a manner, and why had they been hidden on that that particular part of the mountainside. Answers to these pertinent questions were forthcoming, mainly from Islamic sources. The Hadith, folk law and Islamic history all contributed, providing him with a clearer picture. In this context he first tested his observations against the historic background, customs and traditions. The physical analysis was relatively easy to ascertain, the transcription of the documents however took much longer. Having assembled and evaluated the myriad of evidence he concluded that the ring along with the other items had been hidden for safe keeping, this event most probably taking place shortly after the Prophets demise. If that assumption was the case then the person or persons responsible would most probably have been members from his immediate family or, failing that very close friends who had access to his personal possessions. The evidence as presented in the Hadith however indicates a later date. The last person who was known to have been in possession of the Prophet Muhammads Signet Ring was Uthman (caliph 644656AD). His term in office spanned some fourteen years. If that is the case then from this we can accurately put the date of the shrine as being between 655-656AD, just prior to his assassination by

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dissident Egyptians who allegedly had a personal grievance against the caliph. Based on these two scenarios the span of time would have been several decades at most. From evidence provided by the Hadith we know that shortly after becoming caliph Uthman was entrusted with the safekeeping of the Prophets Signet Ring along with other items personal to the Prophet. During his fourteen years in office Uthmans position as leader was always in question. Political unrest led to a broadly based power struggle within the leadership of the fledgling religion. Uthamn lacked his predecessors charisma and strong leadership qualities, and as such was always vulnerable to attack. When it finally came it was an external faction, a group of Egyptian dissidents murdered the caliph in cold blood. In those uncertain times it is entirely probable that, to avoid risking the loss of his most prized treasures he hid them himself, or, if not instructed someone else to hide them in a secure place in the hope that when the immediate threats abated he could retrieve the objects. As it was, before he could do so he was murdered, and with his death went his secret. Sound detective work by Robert and his team pieced together a chain of events which provides the reader with convincing circumstantial evidence which includes Hadith, and contemporary eye witnessed reports, which when combined clearly link the caliph to the Ring. Having established a clear cut motive for the action it soon became apparent to Robert that the horde of priceless items, which may well have included a considerable amount of Uthmans personal wealth which included large quantities of gold and silver coinage. We know that his life was in danger and for that reason it is highly probable that some or all of this wealth was secreted on the mountainside for no other reason than temporary safekeeping. Based on this hypothesis Robert then deliberated as to the sequence of events that took place thereafter. Why, he asked himself had these items not been recovered or thieved earlier. Bearing in mind the fact that the location of the site was within scrambling distance from the very cave where the Prophet witnessed his revelations. Robert concluded that there must have been a compelling reason for Uthman or his assigns to plant his treasures so close to the cave. The cave as such has, since the time of the Prophet Muhammad been frequented by an endless procession of locals and countless Haji pilgrims during their time in Mekkah each of which would have been within a matter of 200 m from the shrine. At best we can assume that the items had been expertly concealed and that no third party was then privy to the act. If that was the case then in that terrain, even with a map it would have been difficult to identify the site overwhich were placed a layer of shale, rocks and boulders. It is entirely logical that unless one had inside knowledge to the story it is highly improbable that a third party would have any reason to want to start digging up the mountainside. Robert found no evidence of exploratory excavations or other earth works on that part of the mountainside. He concluded that the terrain as he found it indicated that a naturally occurring landslide had disgorged a top layer of rock and debris which had further concealed the site. The question that he could not answer was when this happened. Over time, the natural forces of erosion would have further sealed the spot with an accumulation of dust and debris. Concerning these issues generally, whilst in the Hedjaz Robert tried, to his best ability to first understand the Mekkan and Arab mindset, a mentality very different to the English, Christian upbringing into which he was born. 7

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Mindful of the fact that that treasure has, over time been buried for various reasons by people from all ranks, countries and civilizations Robert concluded that his was, by no means an exclusive act. But, Robert wanted to determine for himself whether it was commonplace in the Hedjaz to bury ones wealth for safe keeping. In this he got an immediate affirmative. With few stone built buildings in the region those fearful of attack would, naturally secret their wealth and valuables in the ground. The Mekkan history during the period 7 th-15th century AD is sketchy at best. By the turn of the 18 th century libraries, archives, city records, ledgers and other such depositories of public records had all but been destroyed, decayed, plundered or simply lost to time. With limited hard evidence to build his case Robert looked elsewhere for clues. First he scoured the shops, bazaars and market places in the towns and villages that he visited to see if any relevant written or printed material was available, and preferably for sale. In that quest too he also drew a blank. He aborted this line of enquiry and moved on to the less reliable form of historic communication, the spoken word. For this research he sought out the teachers, the elders, and old men who are collective knowledge proved a mine of valuable information. This connection provided an immediate link between the various tribal communities that make up the city, all of whom could trace their origins well beyond the time of the Prophet Muhammad. The focus was then to determine precisely what and where the connections and links were which bound the Prophet Muhammad to Mt Hira and from there to identify the precise connection with the Signet Ring. Robert methodically broke the subject down into many small, manageable tranches. His first list included recorded accounts, hearsay, Hadith, folklore, songs, lyrics, poetry, legends, local customs and documented accounts. When assembled these strands of knowledge revealed what he was looking for and provided the vital clues that confirmed the provenance of the objects that he had found. All available data was carefully analysed to see how, where, and when specific reference(s) were made either regarding the Signet Ring or the other objects within the cache. He then sub-divided his research into two elements and placed them in chronological order against a specific timeline. The first section was devoted to the period commencing at the time of the Prophets journey to Bostra, through to his death and, the second, the period after the Prophets death up until all references to the Ring ceased to be recorded. In this context he examined the records to determine who in fact had been granted custody to the Prophets Signet Ring post the Prophets demise. Fortunately, this data is well chronicled with numerous references from differing sources. As such he was able to pin point the time when it was last seen in public. The former and later accounts are succinctly defined in the Hadith much unsupportable data has over time been culled by religious scholars, chroniclers and Hadith experts. With that hard evidence he then was able to link the caliph with the Ring. During the early 1800s he backed up his preliminary findings with further academic and desk research. He commenced an exhaustive round of enquiries in the UK. This round of research largely centred on his conversations with theologians and other experts. As there were limited academic, historic and religious articles in print this conventional avenue of research was more or less cut off. Regardless, Robert slowly pieced together the bones of his research project. He also augmented his knowledge base by tapping into his social network. From this diverse grouping he was able to gather another valuable layer of material which was in time added to his archive. It must be remembered that England was still at war with the French and, as such had limited social, religious or trading

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connections with the Hejaz generally. Most British, and for that matter European trade was then conducted with the Arab merchants who plied their business from trading centres based on the sea facing Levantine ports. The interior was on the wrong side of the Mediterranean coastal waters and could only be accessed overland or via the Cape. From both a religious and political viewpoint the Hejez region was fractionalised mix of transient nomadic tribes folk and semi permanent village settlers. Small nomadic tribal communities make up the bulk of those thinly spread communities who inhabited the arid Arabian hinterland. Up until 1805, when he was formulating his research the Wahhabi influence was still prevalent and as such any printed matter that was then in circulation invariably bore the distinctive Wahhabi trade mark, a radicalised form of Islam. Robert witnessed firsthand the deplorable state of the regional infrastructure which then barely supported the local economy. Social depravations were apparent wherever he went. Buildings, mosques and water cisterns were nearly all damaged and in a general state of disrepair, all this the result of recent Wahhabi outrages. These religious fanatics freely engaged in an on-going, inter tribal civil war, the opposition being anyone with an alternative religious viewpoint. The damage that he saw went to the very core of the Mekkan society. Against this background little in the way of trade, and in particular printing existed. No serious publishing material in any shape or form occurred at that time in Mekkah. Being a more advanced and stable society, neighbouring Egypt was, at that time the most prolific Arabian publisher of articles, newspapers and books. With the exception of some French language publications the majority of all printed matter was published in Cairo and Alexandria in Arabic for local distribution and sale. The single force that drove Robert forward during this exasperatingly, slow and tedious work was the quest for the what he believed to be a unique prize. Quite what was in his mind is not recorded as such. Whenever, when in his dotage his spirits ebbed he would remove the ring from his old elm sea chest and clasp it in his hands. He said even on the coldest February morning my palms would burn with heat so radiated. He said the aura that surrounded the ring was ever intense, from within its core it emitted a radiant heat which touched my very his heart. When so, I felt as if it too was glowing in equal degrees of pleasure and spiritual warmth. He claimed that almost immediately after finding and handling the Ring the acute arthritis that had plagued him for years almost vanished completely. By the time he was back in Bristol in 1805 he was once again writing freely in his beautiful copperplate style. The acute pain and severe swelling of the finger joints gradually had all but gone away and, as far as we know never returned to plague him. Such was his relief that he claimed that it was a great relief that his writing was once again legible to one and all. In a letter to his best friend, Heath he said at long last my countenance is resplendent and thanks be to God my aches and pains are by now somewhat vanquished. Without so far as resorting to my medicine chest the swelling in my knuckles and joints have miraculously subsided, almost overnight and, by the following morn the bulbous swelling in my arthritic joints had completely cleared up. That, coming from a confirmed hypochondriac was something indeed. From then on Robert never ever complained again about the pain or limitations in his dexterity, particularly as it impacted his immaculate copperplate hand writing. Concerning the dig that he initiated on Mt Hira. His view, from the outset was that the so called shrine as described was never nothing more than a deep hole hewn out of the rocky mountainside. Such a hole, he concluded had probably had been created by 9

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one or two men using a simple pickaxe and shovel. Evidence of wood and ceramic shards clearly indicated that at one time various ceramic jars and wooden planks might have been placed within the hole or holes overwhich the dirt and rocks were replaced. As such, providing the visible rocks were randomly scattered weathered side uppermost over the backfilled site then he concluded that the place would have been extremely difficult to detect by robbers. Within his notes he said that there was evidence of some decayed or carbonised wood ash amongst the sand and dust adjacent to the site. He concluded that the wood may have been used by those who first found the site as fire wood. When later asked his opinion of the site he totally dismissed the view that burrowing animals might have been responsible for the damaged and broken items which he unearthed. He suggested that a moderate landslide could, however have shifted the rock mass and, as such would have damaged the site. With regards the stones and boulders found adjacent to the crag, he said that there was no evidence of any cut or dressed masonry having been used suggesting that the action taken by the person or persons responsible for digging the pit had been a deliberate act of concealment rather than the construction of a formalised edifice or permanent structure. Following his lengthy deliberations he concluded that no attempt had been made by the party or parties to this act to steal the objects. That said, the natural environment so used would have provided as good a hiding place as any. Amongst the observations that he made concerning the site itself he pointed out that the nature of the loose rocks that made up the overload suggested that at some time a landslide or rock fall had occurred adding considerable mass to the load. This, in turn would have added to the depth of the objects concealed below, the base of which was almost 2 m (6ft) in depth. Robert made a reference to the Muslim burial culture which he stated was markedly different to Christian or other faiths who sometimes build elaborate headstones and other ornamentation. From a security point of view a blind cache would have been the preferred option as later retrieval would have been easy to execute. Whether the items that had been interned below the rock face were placed within one or more locations is not known. If the cache was spread over a larger area than excavated by Robert then it is possible that the French or, for that matter, others before them might well have unearthed items from other parts of the mountainside. It is known that Uthamn was an extremely rich man in his own right and as such may well have included some of his personal wealth in the horde. Until such time as the entire site is thoroughly investigated answers to this and other equally perplexing questions will abound. Weather conditions on Mt Hira are, in the main stable, but, periodically strong winds, excessive heat and heavy rainfall can, and do combine to disturb the stability of the friable rock face, particularly the loose and flaky exposed shards of rock found on the upper tiers. Recent observations reinforce this fact. Without much in the way of pedestrian control procedures on the mountainside over time human and animal contact has added to, and created an abnormal rate of environmental erosion. The track way up to the Prophets cave has, for example been responsible for excessive small and medium size rock displacement. Erosion, whether caused by man, wind, water, gravity sand or any combination of these forces has always been a major problem across most of Arabia. During time or war, famine or population

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decline the nomads invariably came out of the desert at the expense of their tribal quarters. When so doing, defences that they had diligently erected and maintained to withstand penetration from windswept and air bound sand storms fell into disrepair. And, as they did the desert seamlessly encroached. Wild and loose animals, particularly the goat would do untold hard as the goat tears out rather than nibbles grass and eats the bark off trees. Ibn Khaldn cited examples of such devastation in the 14th century. For this reason, when we examine the Shrine of Abdullah it is entirely plausible that natural forces alone caused the site to become ever more concealed. This could well of happened following a landslide shortly after the items were interned. If that is the case then it provides a fitting explanation as to why it was not excavated earlier. A landslide would have effectively secured the site from all but the most dedicated predators. The following chapters attempt to stitch together a diverse range of topics and events which span over 1,400 years. The focus mainly centres on the physical objects that Robert found, but, to put the finds into perspective a selective history of key events which occurred in Europe and the Middle East are included. These observations are mainly based on Robert Purnells Journals and attempt to thread a line from the time when the Prophet Muhammads Signet Ring was first recorded to the present. The narrative branches off at various tangents one of which embraces the possibility of other, equally important Islamic treasures being recovered from places of safe-keeping.

3.

King Numan The Prophet Muhammads Signet Ring, though small in size has great significance and perceived value, particularly to religious scholars of Christianity and Islam. From metallurgical analysis the Prophets Signet Ring is apparently made of bronze, an amalgam of copper and tin. Its precise date and method of manufacture cannot accurately be quantified. Its design however provides a vital clue as to its age and purpose. Whether this is a manmade or God given object is impossible to tell. It certainly is a one off, as nothing quite like it has ever been recorded or seen since. The ring takes its place in history alongside other items attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, some of which are now permanently on display in Cairo and other items at the Hagia Sophia, Constantinople. According to ancient Nestorian accounts the ring that we now know as the Prophet Muhammads ring originated in Al-Hira, capital of Hira, then a willing vassal of the Persian King? Between 390AD 418AD Hira was ruled by the charismatic King Noman 1 st. King Numan had no specific religious inclinations, but in later life he was drawn to Christianity. His contact with Christians and Christianity generally was later to influence him in a way few would have predicted. He was scholarly and well read, influential in government and by Roman accounts a wily negotiator. During his reign he brought economic prosperity and political stability to the land even though external insurgency pressures mounted on his extensive borders. The lucrative East West Oriental trade routes that passed through northern Hira needed to be permanently protected. For this he employed a well equipped and professionally trained army made up of a combination of regular soldiers and conscripts which were mainly recruited from the border territories. The Romans considered this body as being an efficient and highly mobile strategic asset. Local knowledge coupled with an effective intelligence network enabled it to deal in a very effective manner against 11

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most forms of attack. This force also collected protection money, toll and taxes from travellers and traders passing thorough the territory. During his youth, and before his coronation Prince Numan travelled extensively in the region and had made at least one recorded visit to Rome. We know this because it was whilst in Rome his chronicler said that he witnessed and marvelled at the grandeur of the city, its fine buildings, and sanitation systems and admired the wonderfully paved streets. Apart from the architecture he also demonstrated his prowess at chariot racing. An experienced horseman since childhood he particularly appreciated the skill of the Roman charioteers. The Hira one and two man chariots were both lightweight units, very mobile and could be used either over rough and smooth terrain whereas the racing chariots that he saw in Rome were much heavier and more ruggedly constructed. He was used to riding pure bred Arabs, with an average height of 14 hands. These compact horses were much prized for their beauty, endurance and speed. Numan visited several liveries and training facilities that supported the charioteers who raced at the Forum Maximus and other stadia. Prior to leaving Rome he was gifted two pairs of four white stallions each of which had been specifically bred to race the heavy, four in hand war chariots. These vehicles had a lot or hand forged ironwork in the wheels and body section making them incredibly strong. Whilst joining in a training session in the Forum in handling and racing techniques he suffered a near fatal accident. A slower moving chariot veered directly into his path and as it did he was thrown out of the reins and into the path of parallel chariot that was then manoeuvring to overtake him. In the ensuing contact his leg was severely crushed by the inside metal wheel rim of the overtaking chariot. The ensuing glancing blow crashed against the tail section of his foot plate and made contact with his body and legs. Within moments of the accident attendants rushed to the scene. Later, he acknowledged that their prompt and professional action was a critical factor which led to a near complete recovery. The resident medical unit on duty on that day were well equipped and properly trained for such an occurrence. These medics were professional, and in comparative terms well paid, their services being in continuous demand for these high profile contests. Much like modern sportsmen the top charioteers were an elite group and commanded great personal followings, particularly amongst the betting community. Wagers placed on such races were often of staggering value. As a result of the accident Numan never regained the full use and mobility of his left leg. This event had a profound and lasting effect on him. He repeatedly acknowledged the fact that had it not been the case that medical attention had been promptly administered by well qualified Christian surgeons and nursing staff his life could well have been lost on that fateful day. Following a period of convalescence in a villa on the coast he and his entourage were escorted home. When reunited with his family he was a changed man, wiser for the experience. Shortly after returning home he set up a medical facility within his palace where the public were given free access to advice and treatment by imported Roman medical staff most of whom were Christian. From about 410AD King Noman 1st was influenced by an austere Christian monk, Simeon the Stylite, born 389AD in Sis, a small village between Syria and Cilicia. His miraculous powers drew multitudes from the region and beyond. The King, formerly a heathen had tolerated increased Christian activity

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in his kingdom but had not yet converted. A marked change occurred in 418 AD when the king had a revelation, a visitation from the Archangel Gabriel. His initial interpretation of the vision was blurred; he likened it to a vivid day time dream. However, immediately following the event he noticed that his splendid gold rings of office and other jewellery had been removed from his body and in its place was a small, far less regal bronze signet ring. Gazing skywards he saw a glowing silver cloud with the distinctive profile of a mans head. He took this as confirmation that it was a sign from God. Immediately thereafter he renounced his throne and all his earthly possessions. That very night he secretly left his kingdom, packing a few personal items and leaving by a side entrance incognito. He then wandered in a westerly direction, finally stopping at a place called Bustra. There he found a cave or cell where they took permanent residence as a hermit monk in a small cave which is located near Neatrajana Bustra. Bustra was capital of the Province of Arabia, later to be called Bostra, now in Syria. This occurrence happened some 23 years after the Roman Empire had been divided, making Bostra then part of the Byzantine, Christian Empire. Successive monks thereafter took up residence in this cave. Nearly two hundred years later the very same cell was inhabited by a middle aged Nestorian monk named Bahira. As incumbent monk Bahira was guardian and custodian of the ancient religious scrolls and artefacts and most importantly of all the Signet Ring which had been passed forward by the preceding inhabitants of the cell.

4.

Prophet Muhammad The Prophet Muhammad (570-632AD) was born in Mekkah (Hejaz) now Saudi Arabia. At the age of six he was orphaned and thereafter was brought up by his uncle, Abu Talib a leader of the Hashimite tribe. Islamic Hadiths recount that at about the age of about nine (circa 581AD) the young man went with his uncle to Damascus. As the Mekkahn caravan approached Bostra the monk noticed a small, low hanging cloud which appeared to be following the caravan as it slowly meandered its way across the desert. When the meandering camel train came to a rest the young boy, Muhammad went towards a tree and as he did so its branches bent around him offering further protection from the sun. All this was witnessed by Bahira who knew that such a portent was of high significance, and on seeing the double miracle he beckoned the travellers over and offered them food and drink. At fist the leaders in the group ventured forward leaving the young Muhammad behind. Later, he too was beckoned forward to join the group. Once there Bahira realised the significance of the boys presence. As Muhammad neared the dwelling Bahira pointed out to the others in the group that the boy had no shadow. They were equally amazed at this revelation. Why they did not notice the fact is not adequately explained within the Hadiths which were produced some time after the Prophet Muhammads demise. Thereafter Bahira called Muhammad the boy without a shadow.

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Bahira meeting the Prophet Muhammad Like Waraqah before him, Bahira too felt that the coming of the Prophet would be in his lifetime. He enquired as to who the group were, where they came from and where they were going. The group engaged for some time in deep conversation, sharing food and beverage. It soon became apparent that the event that he had witnessed was due to the presence of Muhammad. During the conversation Bahira advised the elders within the group that the young man was destined to greater things and as such every effort was to be made to protect him from harms way. Before they parted Bahira went to the back of his cell and withdrew from amongst his prized possessions some scrolls and a leathern pouch containing King Noman 1 st signet ring. This he placed on the young mans finger, the fit was perfect. Upon their departure, Bahira made a solemn promise to the group that he would visit them in Mekkah at his earliest convenience. A small basilica named after the monk now marks this place, its dome replicating the dome shape on the face of the Signet Ring. The nearby al Mabrak Mosque recalls a later visit by the Prophet Muhammad to Bostra; this building can be found outside the city, to the North West. Upon his return to Mekkah Muhammad returned to his domestic duties, tending his uncles goats and sheep and sometimes taking shelter in a cave high up on Mt Hira (Jalab Nor- hill of light). It was here that the Prophet Muhammad witnessed his first revelations. Following his death for reasons more to do with safe keeping than any other close friends and family members interned some of the Prophets childhood possessions within a makeshift site on the upper flank of Mt Hira. The location of this shrine was then apparently lost to Islam. Following an amateur and somewhat hasty excavation in the 13 th century some items of value were deliberately removed from the site which was by then in a ruined state with a heavy overload of loose stones and rubble concealing the pit. This fact coupled with the specific location was recorded in a bundle of 13th century Latin parchments. These documents originated in the Vatican where they had been translated and copied. According to the Hadiths, after the Prophets death the ring along with other personal items were removed by his Companions. The whereabouts of these items was never accurately specified.

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The text within the manuscript and accompanying sketch map within the Latin documents spotlighted the location of what was described as being a desecrated shrine which was located adjacent to and at the base of an inclined gallery located beneath a niche on the upper tier of the South East buttress. By then, some six hundred years after the death of the Prophet all that remained at the place was a weathered heap of dust and dry weathered stones. During the summer of 1803-4 Robert Purnell, a British traveller accompanied by an African Muslim manservant scrambled up the hill and made a detailed excavation of the site. His preliminary excavation was productive. Several tons of stones were removed to a depth of over six feet. A crushed metal box was found amongst other less important and broken items, many of which were immediately discarded. Robert recovered from the ground an uncut yellow diamond, a lead phial, a small ceramic lamp, and most significantly, the Prophets Signet Ring all of which remained within the family collection until the 21st century. A silver broach and some the damaged casket within which some of the objects had been placed have since been lost. Since then, these artefacts, with the exception of the diamond have been retained by the descendants of Robert Purnell in the UK. To verify the provenance of these items along with the two Suras a long and costly exercise of research and study has been carried out by the Purnell-Skey chain of custodians. Following a lengthy and detailed process of due diligence including crypto analysis the Trustees were able to confirm their best hopes. Their findings have since been corroborated by various Islamic experts, each of whom has put their individual theories forward. The work leading up to full authentication demanded the skills of academics, historians and religious experts. Following on from that study a decision was made by the custodians, the Purnell-Skey Trustees to commence a process which, hopefully will lead to the successful and permanent transfer of the three Islamic Artefacts back to Muslim ownership. Much of the data so gleaned to-date will form the basis for a more wide ranging and fully integrated study. It is hoped that such research may later be used as background material for publications, and educational purposes. The Trustees have agreed that the story leading up to and post the finds may, in the near future be presented to a wider audience. At the time of the hand over associated rights and research documentation will be passed over to the incoming custodians. To safeguard the fabric of the find the Trustees have applied some limited pre-conditions to the transfer. These conditions dictate that the new custodian will be a Muslim or an approved Islamic entity. That this custodian shall agree to continue the Purnell-Skey research programme and build upon its findings, and, post the transfer will display the items for public viewing and in the process will take all measures necessary to safeguard the Artefacts from harm or theft. Discussions have been on-going with various Muslims and Islamic parties, all of whom have expressed an interest in this undertaking. It is now merely a matter of time before a suitable person or entity will be appointed as the new Custodian.

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The monastery of Bahira, Bostra From the time of his meeting Bahira the Prophet had a wide ranging sphere of influence and took counsel from many factions. In 628 AD the Prophet Muhammad granted a personal Charter of Privileges to the Christian monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai. This specific edict is topical to-day as it focuses on basic rights, or as one may apply them to-day, human rights. It consisted of several clauses covering all aspects of human rights including such topics as the protection of Christians, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judges and to own and maintain their property, exemption from military service, and the right to protection in war. In essence the wording of the Charter was simple, and to the point. It said: This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate. No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight.

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The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).

The Shrine of Abdullah and Cave of Hira

For those wishing to visit the very site where Robert Purnell recovered the Signet Ring then this is a still a real possibility. The hillside is easily accessed and hikers who are permitted to scramble over the rocks in the vicinity of both the cave and the shrine. The rocky terrace where the shine is located can still be identified by the mass of loose stones which are scattered about the place. To the authors knowledge in recent years no official survey has been conducted on the site. A thorough scientific evaluation would therefore be extremely useful as metal detectors and other sophisticated geo-physical instrumentation, equipment and data interpretation systems would quickly determine whether any additional material is secreted beneath the stones. Such a study could be undertaken by professional archaeologists in an unobtrusive and sensitive manner. Such data, might well include the nearby cave. By combining all available historic and present data in one comprehensive study future researchers into the subject would be provided with an authoritative single source, rather than multiple pieces of fragmented data. Curiously, the location of the shrine is very close to the cave where the Prophet Muhammad witnessed his various revelations. As such one must assume that at the time when those who dug beneath the stones to secrete the horde the area would have attracted pedestrian traffic to the nearby cave and as such would have been relatively open to the casual or inquisitive observer. Chance dictated that this was not the case, albeit until many centuries later when a part of the horde was uncovered. At present there are no restrictions to this area and those who wish to do so may inspect the very site for themselves and draw their own conclusions from firsthand experience. From a conservation point of view it would be preferable if the area was secured until such time as a thorough examination of the site is carried out by the appropriate experts. This small hillside cave is within easy reach from Mecca. Mt Hira or Jabal Nur is about 3km from Masjidil Haram. Upon the mountainside is the cave known as The Cave of Hira. This is a small marked spot on the mountainside about a one hours scramble from the base. It is the place where all agree that the Prophet received his revelations, the first of which came when he was a young shepherd. Seeking shelter from wind and rain Mohammed took cover in what he always referred to as his home, whilst eating a handful of dates from his pocket he felt a presence close to him but in the gloom could not at first discern a the shape of a figure. Only when turning around did he see a glimmering white silhouette of a winged person? His initial reaction was one of great surprise; he fell back against the wall, shaking as he did so. With that he tried to talk but could not utter a word, his tongue refusing to move. The heavenly figure then spoke to him, the words uttered was quite unlike anything that he had ever heard before; simple sentences of great clarity and meaning were then

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delivered. Illiterate, unable to read or write his education whilst lacking in academic learning was already developed in other areas. Since a child he had opposed the concept of idolism. He had made it known to his uncle and others that religion as such would have to change and adapt to new belief. The angel said that the message was the word of Allah and Mohammed was to deliver it to all mankind. With that the angel vanished leaving the stunned Mohammed shaking on the floor of the cave. It was some time before he could collect himself. That night, returning to his home he described the occurrence to his wife, swearing her to secrecy. Whilst he begged she to offer an explanation she refused to be drawn, and rather that present an argument suggested that instead, thinking that her beloved husband was unwell put him bed and administered an infusion to drink. The following morning Mohammed woke, in his mind he could visualise the angel as clear as day, the words he recounted and memorised. The experience was not relayed to others and in all other respects his life continued as it had done previously. Work expanded in the caravan business where he enjoyed the benefit of travel and exposure to different cultures and traditions. Life moves on from the time he was shepherd boy tending his uncles flock on the hillside outside Mekkah. For some time he was frightened of returning to his cave and sought refuge in other places. But, sometime later when passing nearby his curiosity got the better of him and he ventured forth and peered inside. All was quiet save for the buzz of insects. The young man sat down and made him comfortable. A ball of grasses wrapped in his food cloth made a temporary pillow. The mid-day heat was oppressive and from a vantage point near the cave entrance he could keep an eye on his flock and at the same time shelter from the sun. He awoke with a start when a blinding flash struck the darkened cave, there directly before him was the most beautiful image, an archangel who announced herself as being a messenger from God. The young man was petrified and cowered behind the rocks as the archangel approached him. As with the angel the archangels message was clear and concise. Mohammed was too frightened to move but summoned up the courage to talk. He asked why me, why am I the one you speak with I am just a simple man and know nothing of the power of the Almighty. In calming tones the Archangel said that he would, over time be given the words, which he would remember and relate to all others. Each visitation would be delivered by an angel of a higher order. And so it happened, over time Mohammed experienced a series of revelations and through this contact the word of Allah was delivered to mankind. As a young man living and working in the countryside with animals and crops Muhammad would have been very well versed in the husbandry associated with livestock, particularly camels and other beasts of burden. The camel, over and above all other animals provided both the towns folk and Bedouins with transportation, meat and clothing. Over time rudimentary methods had been developed to saddle camels. By about 1,000 BC camels are recorded to having been saddled for both human and freight transportation. Apart from the horse the camel is the only animal capable of travelling long distances over large tracts of barren land. This fact created commercial and transportation opportunities for the people of Saudi Arabian peninsula. Traditionally, the Hejaz region was made up of compote of tribes ruled and led by their respective clan leaders, the sheikhs. The Sabeans of Southern Arabia had their own religious beliefs. Other 18

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areas held communities of Christians, Jews and along the gulf coast were Nestorians while in the Yemen were the Syrian Orthodox Christians. The birth of the Prophet in Mekkah in 570 AD marked a turning point in world history. Born into the influential Quraysh tribe he was well positioned to benefit from the wealth and security offered by this prosperous clan. Their influence in the region was both political and commercial and was largely mixed up with water rights for the pilgrimage and caravan travel to Yemen and Syria. His father Abd Allah died before the child was born and as such his uncle Abu Talib, a leader of the Hashimite clan became his protector. During his youth he helped out with domestic and shepherding duties for his uncle. His schooling was limited, he was never formally taught to read or write. When he was twenty five he married a wealthy widow. At about this time he received a revelation from an angel. His religious beliefs were apparent from an early age when he preached against idolism. Using the knowledge given by the angel and the verses or sura he formulated a new religion based on a social and spiritual order. His preaching went against established customs including killing of unwanted offspring and lax, unregulated marital arrangements. The concept of their only being one God was not particularly welcome by those who practiced idol worship and the associated pilgrim traffic that came with it. Whilst the authorities did not direct their vengeance directly towards him they targeted his followers and rigorously persecuted them. In this hostile environment the Prophet sent his followers abroad to Ethiopia where they sought refuge there. The King, a Christian sympathised and offered sanctuary. In 619AD his uncle and childhood mentor and guardian died and with it he upped sticks and left Mekkah for Yathrib some 320 km away to the north. His departure or Hijra marks the beginning of the Muslim lunar calendar. During the period between 619AD and 630AD he was involved in numerous skirmishes with various tribal groups and the Quraysh. As his strength and following increased he gained confidence and moved first to At Taif and Khaybar both surrendering to his army after prolonged sieges. A process of negotiation and gradual conversion then took place particularly with Pagans who he expected to turn to his new religion. Christians and Jews upon payment of a tax were allowed to remain outside his religious order. Following the Prophets death a close follower Abu Bakr assumed authority until his death in 634 AD. The Prophet had no spiritual successor. As Gods sole messenger there could be no successor as such; however, temporal authority and associated duties were, thereafter assigned to caliphs. Caliphs ruled the Islamic world until 1258AD when the Mongol army descended on Arabia and killed off the ruling class. Subordinate caliphs from Yathrib then re-named Madinat took over the charge. This city became known as Al Madinah al Munawwarah, or the illuminated city. There wealth and influence expanded as unified Muslim armies fought for territory against the Roman and Persian armies, the final span of which stretched from Spain to Pakistan in the East. After the assassination of the third caliph, Uthman the Muslim world split. Power then moved towards the West. After Ali, the Umayyads established themselves in Damascus where a line of caliphs was established. The other power base was Baghdad where the Abbasids held court. The Prophet Muhammad lived in a society which has changed little over hundreds of years. The relationships within families were well structured with very close bonds binding the members 19

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together. To understand the forces that bound the communitys together one must appreciate that necessity was the driving reason. Security, food and water, grazing rights all had to be found and in place and for this communal action were needed. A widely quoted Bedouin saying is " Me against my brother, My brothers and me against my cousins, then my cousins and me against strangers ". This saying signifies a hierarchy of loyalties based on closeness of kinship that runs from the nuclear family through the lineage, the tribe, and even, in principle at least, to an entire ethnic or linguistic group (which is perceived to have a kinship basis). Disputes are settled, interests are pursued, and justice and order are maintained by means of this organizational framework, according to an ethic of self-help and collective responsibility. From this structure grew the Macoraba and other organisations which extended the family reach The individual family unit (known as a tent orbayt) typically consisted of three or four adults (a married couple plus siblings or parents) and any number of children. When resources were plentiful, several tents would travel together as a goum. These groups were sometimes linked by patriarchal lineage, but were just as likely linked by marriage (new wives were especially likely to have male relatives join them), acquaintance or even no clearly defined relation but a simple shared membership in the tribe. The next scale of interactions inside tribal groups was the ibn 'amm (cousin) or descent group, commonly of three to five generations. These were often linked to goums, but where a goum would generally consist of people all with the same herd type, descent groups were frequently split up over several economic activities, thus allowing a degree of 'risk management'; should one group of members of a descent group suffer economically, the other members of the descent group would be able to support them. Whilst the phrase "descent group" suggests purely a lineage-based arrangement, in reality these groups were fluid and adapted their genealogies to take in new members. The largest scale of tribal interactions is of course the tribe as a whole, led by a Sheikh (Arabic: , literally, "elder"). It was at this level that the Macoraba operated. The tribe often claims descent from one common ancestoras mentioned above. This appears patrimonial but in reality new groups could have genealogies either real or invented to tie them in to this ancestor. The tribal level is the level that mediated between the Bedouin and the outside governments and organizations. Bedouins traditionally had strong honour codes, and traditional systems of justice dispensation in Bedouin society typically revolved around such codes. The bisha'a, or ordeal by fire, is a well-known Bedouin practice of lie detection. Bedouins are well known for practicing folk music, folk dance and folk poetry. As such Bedouins made up the majority of all who came and lived in Mekkah. The common bond and understanding that persisted enabled the city to grow in prosperity and size. During this period Mekkah remained the spiritual focus of Islam mainly due to its pilgrim status, this having been established well before the birth of the Prophet. From an administrative perspective Medinah conducted the majority of business, held the judiciary and imposed law. It became both an intellectual and literary centre. The four Orthodox schools of Islam or schools of law are Malik ibn Anas- Africa and Indonesia Sunni Hanafi / Shafii / Hanbali Iraq. Islamic practice in Saudi is generally limited to that of the Wahhabi order, which follows the strict Hanbali School of the Sunni

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branch of Islam as interpreted by its founder Muhammad Ibn Al-Wahab, a puritanical 18 th c religious reformer and zealot. Celebration of the Mawlid (Prophets Birthday) and visits to tombs and shrines of renowned Muslims is a crime and discouraged but in the west the Sufis engage in this practice openly. There is institutionalised discrimination against the Shia. The government is responsible for the maintenance of mosques and pays the imams. The Mutawwain receives central government funding and the General President of the Mutawwain holds the rank of cabinet minister. The spreading of Muslim teaching which is not deemed to be in conformance with officially prescribed interpretation is outlawed and punishable in law. Offenders are either imprisoned or face other reprisals. A concession to the Shia permits them to participate in the annual Ashura celebrations. Shia books are banned and the private construction of Shia Mosques due to their insistence for the inclusion of Shia motifs on the walls. The job of keeping the pilgrimage routes open falls on the caliphs. After the 13th c the overland route to Mekkah declined, pilgrims favouring the sea route in order to bypass Najd and the predatory Bedouin therein. The Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation at the cave on Mt Hira during Ramadan, which was the traditional month of retreat. It was one night towards the end of the period when there came to him an Angel in the form of a man. The Angel instructed him to recite but he refused, saying that he was not a reciter. The Angel said, Recite in the name of thy Lord who created He created man from a clot of blood Recite, and thy Lord is the Most Bountiful He who hath taught by the pen Taught man what he knew not Muhammad then recited the words as instructed. He told his aged uncle Waraqah about the revelation and feared that he would be branded a liar. The second revelation commenced with a single letter and followed by a Divine Oath, sworn by the pen. When produced, the Quran maintained these code letters which were inserted to provide an indication of order. The Angel had told Muhammad that the pen was the primary means of communicating Gods teaching. The Angel said that the first thing that God made was the pen. He created the tablet and said to the pen Write My Knowledge and the pen responded saying What shall I write? He said Write my Knowledge of My Creation till the day of resurrection. The pen traced the words as spoken. The first Oath, the Oath of the pen is followed, by that which they write. And amongst what the Angels write in Heaven with lesser pens on lesser Tablets is the Qumrans celestial archetype. The collective mass of these revelations is referred to as the glorious recitation or, the Quran, written on an inviolable tablet. In total the Quran consists of 114 surahs of unequal length. The longest consisting of 285 verses and the shortest just three. Two missing Sura the Lamb and the Band only surfaced in the early 1600s and as such have been added to the collection only in recent times. These two Oaths are followed by the Divine reassurance. After the first two Messages there was a period of waiting before subsequent revelations were delivered. With the third came the first command. The religion 21

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as such was now established on the basis of ritual purification and prayer. After the Khadihah the first converts were the young Ali, then aged ten years and Zayd and the Prophets close friend Abu Bakr, from the clan of Taym. The Prophet Muhammad would have been aware of the fact that the communal tribal reserve, represented by a significant amount of gold coins and bullion had built up over time by the Mekkan Elders, or Sheikhs had been protected by the nine orders of angels. His confrontation with the Angel who delivered the revelation would therefore have been well within his acceptance range and mental capacity.

6.

Hejez Location and History

The Hejez region is mainly an arid desert, part of which presently occupies the territory now known as Jordan. On the Persian side lay the ancient principality of Hira. Both of these lands were at one time inhabited by a mixed Christian Arab community, but political allegiances were markedly split. In 527AD the Byzantine Emperor Justinian funded a war between these states. To facilitate a harmonious relationship he gave the Ghassan chief adequate resources, including a substantial amount of gold. He was later declared Patrician of the Roman Empire. From Arabia the Roman influences expanded east to include Ethiopia in North Africa. The rulers army was later equipped with military capabilities and an army was mobilised to attack the Yemen. They continued their campaign and also attacked Mekkah, which was then a Yemenite trading post and staging post of the caravan route. They were beaten off and replaced by Persian forces. During the early years of the Prophets life Yemen was under Persian control. This status represented a major inconvenience for the Byzantine merchants as it blocked off their eastern trade route. The early Islamic chronicles tell of a group of people known in Arabic as Hanif who, while abandoning paganism were not prepared to accept any of the other religions or religious doctrines then on offer. They became the earliest converts to the religion of Islam. Christian records are scant when it comes to the former years of Islam. By that time Christianity had been accepted by the Romans and had spread across the Empire and beyond. The age old Silk Road and other major trading routes to the East passed through the northerly section of region and did not touch the central parts of the Arabian peninsula . As a consequence there was minimal trading contact between the seafaring Mediterranean traders in the West and the land based Arab tribes folk in the South and East. Many of these communities were small in number and nomadic in disposition. In general, permanent physical records were rarely made by these nomadic people, their myths and stories passing on from generation to generation verbally until much later they where put down in ink. Songs, verses and lengthy orations of traditions, history and customs were regularly recounted by the elders provided entertainment and continuity for the youngsters in their tribes. As and when records were made they were prized and accessed by the few, the literate. Literacy in the region is still an issue with the nomadic children who are not rooted long enough to specific places of education and learning.

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All this changed with the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. His revelations coupled with the gifting by God of the Holy Quran singularly elevated the region from being a sleepy, regional backwater to becoming the driving force for a major new religion, Islam. The word Quran is an Arabic word which combines the meanings of reading and recitation. Muhammad was born in 571 AD. To a Quraysh Arabic tribe in the Hejaz. In 622AD 13 years after his first Revelation the Prophet entered into an agreement with emissaries from Yathrib, some 218 miles north of Mekkah. The content gave him and his companions made up of 60 families sanctuary against persecution from the Mekkan authorities. Here he became ruler and exerted military and well as religious influence and authority. This, newly formed community formulated a strategy and entered into a war with the pagan inhabitants of Mekkah. The Prophet Muhammad later established a base for himself and his followers in Medinah. From this place his following rapidly spread across the region and beyond. His revelations were collectively encapsulated in a book called the Quran, the text of which was orally transmitted by learned followers. Later the Holy Book was compiled into a formalised publication. This process caused disquiet amongst the faithful as some elements appeared to have been missed out, resulting in what became known as the missing Suras. How many of these verses were not included is not known. The compilation process relied on the receipt of data from numerous sources. As such there were the inevitable discrepancies, repetitions and data overlaps. It is entirely probable that in the process of editing some material could have been deliberately or accidentally omitted. Additionally, it is possible that some matter would only have become available only after the process of compilation had been completed. The fact that there were numerous reports of missing Suras is well documented. We know of the existence of at least two such manuscripts, the Band and the Lamb. Others may well also be in existence. It is entirely plausible that additional material was, at one time in circulation. As with the composition of the Holy Bible editorial licence is the most likely explanation as to what was included and what was cast aside. In the case of the Bible numerous scriptures (Books) were recorded as having been culled during the process when the early editions were first compiled and composed alongside the ancient Jewish Old Testament, copy of which was and is still used by the Jews. Printed versions of the combined Old and New Testaments did not arrive until the 15 th century AD, nearly 1400 years after the event. As with the Koran reliance up to that point in time had been placed on a very limited number of calligraphic editions. These costly and rare works of art varied in content, format and emphasis. As of now, the number and variety of printed and electronically transmitted editions in global circulation may be calculated in the hundreds or even thousands. A major difference between the Quran and the Bible is that the Holy Bible is not perceived as being a definitive work dictated word for word from the mouth of God. As such over the past 2,000 years it has been freely interpreted and printed in many languages. On the other part the Holy Quran is a verbatim account of the revelations as received by the Messenger Muhammad. Most hand crafted calligraphic manuscript and printed versions of the Quran are in Arabic. This fact has helped maintain typographic consistency by limiting editorial licence in the translation process. The melody and rhythm of the Koranic verse is unique and as such helps the reader to vocalise the text in an unaltered, age old fashion.

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The Old and the New Testament of the Bible and the Quran have, since there first recorded publications been the respective fountains of religious learning for millions of followers. Demand for the written word was, from the outset strong. A strong demand from across the fast growing Islamic movement created a flourishing commercial market for scribes and later printers and publishers of religious works. Some of the worlds largest publishers have, over time made their fortunes printing and selling countless editions of the Bible. For over five hundred years, since moveable type was invented by J. Guttenberg in Mainz, Germany publishers and printers alike have deployed their considerable skills to satisfy an ever burgeoning consumer market for print generally and academic, scientific and religious works in particular. As such, publishing enterprises of all sizes have had to compete for market share. In this commercial environment unmarketable, disputed or contentious text matter would generally be discarded well before being sent to the composing department. Early reproductions of the Quran were undertaken by skilled calligraphers whose art and craft skills were greatly prized. As such these calligraphic artists would have commanded commensurate remuneration and status within their respective communities. This cost of bespoke, multi-crafted illuminated books would have been considerable and only within reach of the privileged few.

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Samarkand Quran (Tashkent) With regards the compilation of the definitive Quran the primary editorial adjudication and selective editorial cull was instigated by the highest authority, the Caliph, the editor in chief. The scribe who undertook the initial calligraphic transcription would have done so to his express order As such all of the very earliest publications would have been Authorised. Ibn Abbas was uncertain about some of the attributions and was not sure whether such questionable material was included or not in the Quran.

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Due to the fact that this undertaking was commissioned some time after the Prophet Muhammads demise meant that no one single source could be relied upon. Umar was of the opinion that much of the text of the Quran was missing. A second problem arose and that related to the style of calligraphy used. At the time most of the population were illiterate. Amongst those who could read and write the various scribes tended to personalise their words to reflect the local dialects, much the same as the Chinese have done for over 2,000 years. Clarification of Quranic text content was made by Caliph Mamun (198-218AH) who coincidentally also forbade the use of diacritical and vowel marks. The Band and the Lamb as presented in this document included the vowel marks and as such can accurately be dated. They are not presently, nor have to the authors knowledge been ever been included in the Uthman or any other published codex. The source of these works remains unspecified. Clues abound as to provenance of these important works. For example it is to be noted that the Uthman codex standardised the consonantal text. By deduction The Band and The Lamb follow this style. So as to promote his version as being the sole source and fountain of truth Uthman reportedly destroyed rival variant readings. A scarcity of Quranic literature and high levels of illiteracy meant that most Muslims had no other option but to learn the Quran by rote, meaning that the content of authorised versions of the Holy Quran had to be strictly monitored for consistency and accuracy. Clearly, this feature is much easier using printed word technology where one single manuscript can be repeatedly replicated in full colour in exact facsimile on multiple substrates many times over. It is to be remembered that, as now the practice of learning the Quran by rote is kernel to its understanding and meaning. The beauty of the rhythmic flow of words as they are uttered is unique to the Quran. For that reason alone many say that it can, and should only be read out aloud in Arabic, translations clearly taint the original meaning and lack the vibrancy of the message within. Over three hundred years after the Prophets death Ibn Mujahid finally standardised the Quranic text in the 10th c. He admitted that there were at least 14 written versions of the Quran in existence at that time. By deduction the above Suras may have originated in one or other of these writings. Pre-Islamic scripts in Hiral script were then commonplace in Arabia, Hiral script being the leading and most commonly used script in the 6 th c. This name appears to link Macoraba with the written word, Al-Hiri meaning from Hira (Iraq).

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After the Prophets Death

Within Islam a power struggle developed immediately after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. In 656AD after the third caliph Uthman (of the influential Umayyad tribal family) was murdered. After this outrage Ali put his name forward as being the rightful heir and inheritor of the Caliphate. He based his claim on the fact that he was married to Muhammads daughter, Fatima. Ali also leaned on his particular knowledge and social standing within the fledgling Islamic brotherhood. The Prophets favourite wife, Aisha, also from the Umayyad family would have nothing of this and opposed the idea completely. Ali was later assassinated and the Umayyads were re-installed in the caliphate. When Alis son by Fatima, Hussein led a revolt and was killed the division between the

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Shia and the Sunni resulted, a schism that never healed. From then on the Shia refused to accept as caliph any but Alis descendants, while the Sunnis took the view that that these people should be barred. Once in control of the city caliph Umar commenced the building of a mosque on the Temple Rock, the precursor of the al-Aqsa mosque, which was not started until over fifty years later, and only finished in 715AD. After the death of the Prophet each of a succession of ruling caliphs were responsible for carrying out the word and the letter of the Prophet, upholding his teachings and propagating his word. By 715AD 751 the Abbasid dynasty was at its zenith bringing with it a new age for Islamic civilization. The arts and sciences, mathematics and astronomy all flourished in this new peaceful and dynamic age of learning. As the populace became more sophisticated and more educated so did the power of those who controlled vital communications. The educated scribes and administrators routinely used cryptography to communicate sensitive data amongst themselves. An example of this new art is found in the Adad al-Kuttab or Secretaries Manual which contains a chapter on cryptography. At this time the Islamic scholars were reaching back in time to secure historic and distant knowledge from other civilisations and places. Such knowledge and learning that was gained was translated and stored or filed in what we would now term a library. The Islamic world provided an ideal cradle for cryptanalysts as Islam demands justice in all spheres of human activity. By the 8 th century their ruling classes had reached a state of sophistication in the arts, scholarship and learning. This enlightened period benefited from the newly invented process of paper making. This, new found knowledge of paper making propelled communications generally across the Islamic world. The technical break though created an impetus for educational and religious learning. Here a new industry of warraqin those who handle paper was borne. It was in this environment that Arabic scholars invented cryptanalysis, the science of code breaking. It was they who found a method of breaking the monoalphabetic substitution cipher, a cipher that had remained invulnerable for several centuries. Islamic Cryptanalysts with a capability and capacity to develop and apply state of the art encryption and decryption technology only came into their own when the Muslim civilisation had developed to a point where its scholars were both numerate and literate. Using a secret cipher code system called Macoraba an elite Islamic group (later to be referred to as the Macoraba) was recruited to undertake this task. Practicing scholars were well versed in bureaucratic governance and were, in most cases trained in algebra and advanced mathematics. Using this knowledge as a base they became cipher experts and were paid well to perform encryption and decryption work on their masters behalf. These men were of impeccable standing, the most trusted. The cipher patterns that they created were of a very high standard and in most cases unbreakable. They were far more sophisticated than the various alphabetic systems then in use. This advance brought with it influence and power, which did not go unnoticed amongst the clerics and theologians who studied law and the Hadith, which consist of the Prophets daily utterances. Using their particular skill sets they were able to demonstrate that each statement uttered was indeed attributable to Muhammad. This process was done by studying the entomology of words, sequences and structure of sentences. Having achieved this they could then confirm attribution based on conformity with linguistic patterns as spoken by the Prophet. Scholarship, knowledge and secure communications skills when combined played an important role in Islamic development. The drivers who headed this thrust were these who processed specialist crypto skills.

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A ninth century scientist called Abu Yusuf Ya qub ibn Is-haq as-Sabbah ibn omran ibn al-Kindi wrote a thesis titled A Manuscript on Deciphering Cryptographic Messages. His deductions are as relevant to-day as they were in the 9th century. In effect, his summation was, that first for the cipher to be broken the analyst must know the language and from there is to find a different plaintext of the same language long enough to fill a sheet or so. By deduction one can then count the occurrences of the different letters and or words, a principal recently used to determine the numbers of each of the letters used in the game Scrabble. The group that made this discovery had a long tradition of scientific advancement. Since the earliest times as specialists and advisors to the rulers they held Court in Mekkah where they were called the Macoraba, coincidentally, this being the ancient name for Mekkah. It is entirely probable that the origins of this elite, intellectual class of academics preceded Islam by hundreds of years. What is clear is that they collectively displayed a sophisticated understanding of algebra and mathematics. This elite class acted as advisors to the tribal rulers and Sheikhs generated income by applying their particular skill sets to commerce and trade. Some sources claim that they are able to trace their lineage back to Babylonian times. Whilst their existence pre-dates Islam with a reputed history dating back well over 2,000 years their contribution to science and learning has been on-going ever since. The groups sphere of influence accelerated during the time of Mohammad. Even during the 7th century by adopting new science principles they were able to elevate themselves above the rest. In pursuit of this goal they advanced the evolving science of cryptography.

Background Research

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It was only in the 1950s that research work started in earnest on the Al-Hira artefacts. Since then a diverse group of experts and interested parties have generously contributed to the previous knowledge base. Research work accelerated in 2002 when a more concentrated effort was made. This undertaking injected additional resources, adding pace into to the proceedings. As a consequence the Trustees now have sufficient data to move to the next phase. The research lines that have been drawn are broadly divided into two sections, the minor element focusing on Robert Purnell whilst the main thrust deals with the history and significance of the artefacts. Interleaved amongst these two distinct stories are aspects that may have a direct impact on Islamic history. Much of the second tranche of data pertains to the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the subsequent development and spread of Islam. From the outset the Trustees were never quite sure as to the ultimate direction that the study would take. As more data became available the direction of the research programme fell into clearly defined compartments. This document is a general summary of the task that the author and the Trustees were presented with back in 2002. The work ahead of them at that point in time was made harder due to the fact that none of the volunteers within small group that started the work had any specialist knowledge in the subject and none was professionally trained in this specialist field of research. Nevertheless they started out with good intentions and soon were put in touch with the appropriate authorities and experts. Over the past years the individual and collective contribution of these experts has been particularly helpful. Having said that, there is a limit to the amount of free time and resources that this group can set aside for what are a very serious and worthwhile cause. Headway has nevertheless made. The

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knowledge bank that is now available is growing by the day. Slowly, but surely inroads are being made into the long programme and some breakthroughs have been made which provide a tantalising insight into the Al-Hira conundrum. If, for whatever reason you wish to share in this quest with us then the please read on. This story is based on the ancient, the origins of which can be traced back to numerous sources. The primary reason for our recent research is because it relates directly to a certain Robert Purnell, a Bristolian who died in 1813. He is the link, the one who has provided the tangible evidence upon which these notes are based. We know a lot about Robert and it is with great fortune that many items personal to him and his family survive. Accordingly, until now the data has not been fully chronicled and assembled into a complete unit. From what we now know there appear to be several overlapping leads which when combined will, add weight and importance to the central theme of the research. Whilst this recent development adds considerable new interest to our quest for a complete answer to the many questions posed the work has seriously over stretched the abilities and resources of the founding Trustees. For this reason we now encourage help and assistance from anyone who feels able to contribute, or add value or new insights to the work done so far or that which is planned. So far, all the effort to-date has been conducted on a mutual participation and interest basis. The documents, files, diaries and other material sources that have been used are now being tested to see how they fit together to make a definitive summary. This objective is still some way off and clearly far from complete. The Trustees now wish to expand their understanding of the subject and have thus embarked on some new lines of research one of which is the use of the internet. The reason for this is because they feel that having worked thus far they have almost reached the limits of their personal contributions. Having read through the following manuscript the reader may feel that that there is an element upon which he or she might wish to comment, or add too. If this is the case then please let the Trustees know, their contact details can be found on the last page. Any resource contribution that you can make, no matter how small or apparently irrelevant will be greatly appreciated. As and when there is enough new material available the collective team of researchers and custodians will be in a far better position to catalogue and formalise the historic train of events and from that resource deduce where Al-Hira really fits into the greater scheme of our common history and heritage. That said, the sum total of the work undertaken so far represents merely the bones of the Al-Hira skeleton its full story is yet to be built upon that frame. Having read this account you will see the scope of the content is extensive, covering a very wide range of topics, some of which are presently only loosely connected to the central theme, some, more or less complete. In each case, as we proceed we will continue to endeavour to find the missing links and thus meld such irregularities into a seamless flow of accepted facts. We trust that with the help of our friends we can, sometime in the future unravel the full content of this complex narrative. As you will read this includes various ancient religions, archaeological time zones, historical personalities, a plethora of places, beliefs and theoretical concepts, all of which need to be systematically evaluated and put in their respective place. Whether you are a historian, theologian, archaeologist or time traveller your voice will be heard and your contribution will be much appreciated. The bare facts that have amassed over time provide some tantalising clues as to why history evolved as it did. Contributions 28

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from our readers will, most certainly accelerate the research undertaking. In this regard we hope that you will derive as much pleasure as we have in unearthing and bringing to life the Al-Hira story.

9.

Origins of the Signet Ring

The political impact that the ring had on the tenuous alliance that existed between Hira and the Roman Empire was immediate. Having committed himself to Christianity King Numan 1 st, King of Hira set about to convert his entire kingdom to the Christian faith. Curiously he did this by abdicating and taking on the life of a hermit monk. Nevertheless, his actions ultimately achieved his objective. His conversion from pagan worship to Christianity helped consolidate the political stability of the vassal State but some historians argue that his untimely abdication destabilised the cosy albeit one sided union with the Roman Empire. King Numan, was, by all accounts a wise politician and prudent leader. Even though his legacy and Christianisation policy lived, on his abdication generally created a political vacuum within the buffer State, a peripheral vassal of the Roman Empire in the West. Whilst autobiographic records of the lives and works of Bahira, and his successor Nestor were recorded in both Nestorian and Islamic accounts the full impact of the association with the Prophet did not materialise for several decades after the Prophets demise. It was only after his death when the Prophets fame and influence had already spread across the region that questions pertaining to the Ring surfaced. Since his youth stories about its provenance, ownership and power circulated freely amongst the faithful and across Hirra. Many later attributed the Prophets personal powers directly to the Ring. This debate simmered for centuries thereafter. Some Jewish factions believed that the Ring had originally been taken from the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. Some Hassidic, right wing Jewish factions expand the claim stating that it originally belonged to Moses who decreed that it pass directly to his successors. Their rationale is that this lineage ultimately ended up with King Solomon. On this basis they argue that custodianship should rightly be given back to the Jews and that the Ring should forthwith be repatriated with them at a place of their choosing in Jerusalem.

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The oblique and face-on photographs of the Signet Ring provide the viewer with a clear image of rustic qualities of the ring, which is now at least 1,400 years old.

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The side profile of the frontal lobe is an exact replica of the dome of the Quba Mosque, the worlds oldest mosque.

Quba Masjid (Oldest Mosque in the World)

31 Mosque of Uqba (Tunisia) built 670AD

Mosque of Amr ibn al-As built 642AD (Oldest Mosque in Africa) Each of the above structures are directly based on the frontal lobe of the Al-Hira Signet ring. In the case of the Quba Mosqu its foundations stones were laid by the Prophet Muhammad and as such reflected his design a mirror of the facet of his Ring .

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10 The Kings Account

King Numan 1sts personal account of the event leading to his abdication is both plausible and succinct; it certainly represents the most comprehensive version of regional Hirra history available. The King asserts that when asleep in his palace he was visited by the Archangel Gabriel who put the ring on his finger. When he awoke the following morning his other fingers were bare save but for the simple bronze ring. Such was the impact of the visitation that he committed the rest of his life to God. Many students of this region and those who study ancient Mesopotamian and Persian poetry will be familiar with the King Numan 1 sts famous codex titled A Mesopotamian Kings advice to his son. This timeless advice from an old man has stood the test of time, variations of which have reappeared in many languages and forms throughout the ages. English version of King Numan 1st Codex: Order of Verses: 1. 12. 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57 59 With regards longevity Upon direction Upon knowledge of things and places On debt Upon moderation in all things On the knowledge of history On drinking beverages On responsibility On personal discipline On excess On worry On naivety On personal appearance On poverty On extravagance On shyness Upon the use of money On death On continuity On happiness On listening On beasts of burden On poetry On cruelty On travel On peace of mind On secrets On best practice On courtesy Good counsel 2 Upon accuracy in things and actions 4 On worldliness 6 On independence 8 On wealth 10 On self help 12 On failure 14 On eating 16 On experience of all things 18 On moderation of thoughts and actions 20 On happiness 22 On relative values 24 On prosperity 26 On friends and neighbours 28 On loneliness 30 On moderation 32 On obesity 34 Upon title 36 On the after life 38 On pride 40 On passiveness and reason 42 On dress and dress code 44 On beauty 46 On cleanliness 48 On old age 50 On peregrinations 52 Upon presents and gifts 54 On learning 56 On hospitality 58 Others opinions 60 Good manners

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61 About talking 63 Concerning friends 65 Financial security 67 About parents 69 On love 71 To attack 73 To fight 75 Surveillance 77 On speed 79 Governance 81 Guiding 83 On false security 85 On caution 87 On agility 89 On power 91 Preparation 93 The unknown 95 On order 97 On ambush 99 On skill 101 My Son 62 About listening 64 Lasting friendship 66 About children 68 On generosity 70 On charity 72 On defence 74 Planning 76 Surprise 78 On the spear 80 Preparedness 82 On alertness 84 Security 86 On note taking 88 Foresight 90 On control 92 On fear 94 Health and fitness 96 On war 98 Weapons 100 Your troops

VERSES
______________________________________________________________________ Longevity Accura c y Life turns upon itself A route not often clear Use well time left upon the flame Plan not so far ahead Direction Dont bend or change your course Well set, it guides your line Your vision falters not When clarity prevails Knowledge Seek knowledge from the wise Build up a store of worth Dispense with prudent ease Retain an open mind Count well and weigh your store Take care at work and play False errors turn the tide Against best plans laid Worldlines s Long journeys make the man Who speaks in many tongues Recounts exciting tales Of trades in distant lands Independen c e Balance wisdom earned in youth Upon it build your life Seek counsel from that close To climb the far off hills

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Debt The weight of debt resists Its burden hinders pace Be prudent in your deals An upper hand to keep Moderation Be moderate in what you eat In what you drink and say Digest whats given free Dont bend much either way History Learn well the tales there told Pass on to kith and kin Embrace all what youve learned For good and bad of man Failure The arrows flight not true As quarry races off Re-quiver bow and shoot Recover from whats lost Eating Wealth The wise and skilful man Lives well from treasures gained Desist from using such To gain false friends or power Self help Weigh your options with great care A journey with one pace Then steady march do take To trace your line in time Suc c e s s Heed success and failure both With equal weight of mind A coin may tip or fall Its caste a broken thing Drinking Water and Wine Wayside spring water sweet As any wine or brew To quench your thirst Hasten not your pace Respon sibility

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Learn well the art to make your dish Shoulder burdens placed across your back And savour what is given Shirk not those duties given An appetite is best hard won Your measure in the eyes of man Before a sumptuous feast Depends on how you act Experien c e Discipline

To run, first walk a cautious step Each day the sun it takes its course Accelerate you can And time it beats its drum Experience comes from errors made Use every moment of each day Re-trench and make a plan As best as ever you can Moderation Ex c e s s

In conversation take cautious stance A moderate man need not exceed As when to speak your turn The norm of play or work Hold back your tongue, Neither food nor drink hell waste or leave Keep silent thought No excess words hell speak

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Words, deliver in measured time Happines s Worry

Content is he who lives within Bad thoughts and worry plagues the mind The goals and laws of life A spiral of decline Good home and friends no debt or sin To lift this veil caste off the doubt Happiness will favour him Let actions be your guide Value s Each family line is like a tree Your place in time so marked Your morale values are your roots Abort them at your peril Prosperity In moderation seek your goals And wealth in all its forms Enjoy the fruits of prosperous life Help others so attain Friends One hand count your friends They know your strength and skills Your weaknesses and worries For you they are your core Loneline s s Naivety An unwise man heeds not whats seen And heard about the town Nave he is who knows not what Is now or what has been Appearan c e Keep well your body and your mind Attire your form in style Your countenance is what you are And what your peer group sees Poverty No shame do place on those without The trappings of great wealth The coin of chance may fall on you Embrace those out of luck Extravagan c e 35

Make efforts to befriend the sick The courtly robes that grace a King The poor and lonely man When used fit in their place One day his place may well reverse Dress according to the time and place That man may well be you Extravagance, never unfold Moderation Your enemy will find it hard When you dont boast or brag Be moderate in your actions With generous words of praise Obesity The glutton eats with vigour His table mat well stocked His peers see girth and fatness Shyne s s Dont mock the shy, the meek and poor For they will have their day Bring out their charm and wisdom Lend weight to what they say Use of money All things of value change with time As age and needs pass by Let money be your servant

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A reflection of what hes not Title As king I was a vessel Of all whom I do serve Fear not the Gods and earthly fire Your title, must be earned After life Man knows not what will come With death Make sure your furrows drawn Pray for all that which is given Us mortals here on earth Pride A man and pride go hand in hand Let not it master you But use it as your faithful friend A mark of what is true Pas siv en e s s Actions prompted in great haste Are seldom worth their chance Hold back the spark Let patience be your guide Dress Apparel worn presents the scene Your stature in the class Clean dress, and cut for purpose Let not vanity overcome Beauty Death Your years are marked well in the sand Of time and in the sky Use what is given as you can Tomorrow may never be Continuity Life seasons turn from year to year And with it comes new dawn Dont challenge or resist whats new Accept the flow of change Happines s No cost is greater, no reward more sound Than laughter with your friends See light not dark of things that are Let happiness guide your way Listening Alert with ear and thoughtful mood Deliberate meditation Song and talk and birds in tune Fill vacant minds delight Beast s of burden Tend well your herd and beasts of draught Horses, mules and ox Of caravans of camels Reflect, they are your worth Poetry 36 But never master be

Seek out that beauty which you touch Recite your poetry, remember well Absorb all details seen The turn of every line The morning petals in the shade Add to this mix beyond belief And childrens smiles at play And pass the story given Cleanline s s In all things theres an order A sequence of events Cruelty When beaten with a whip of iron The slave will cry with pain

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Each body it will function best What is the gain for torture? When cleanly brushed and pressed Better teach the tortured brain Old age The circle spins around the top Through the seasonal swing of life 1000 moons God gives to man Account for each one given Travel A caravan to a far off bazaars Well laden for the trip The traveller who ventures forth Accrues great wealth of mind

Peregrinations Dream well at night then cast aside The meanless maze of night First fix your plan deep in your mind Perspectives, keep in sight Present s A gift to friend and kin Draws life bonds close for all False presents do resist They bring not what is given Learning With eyes and ears observe A lifelong quest to be Listen what your Sheikhs say Their counsel wins the day Hospitality The warmth of home with kin Do share with those you love Good kinship there will thrive And lasting friendships made Others opinions

Peac e of Mind The wise sleeps well in his cot Secure in thought and mind Another day thats to be won Comes from a cooling wind Se cr et s A secret shared is all but lost A confidence in the air Store what you know, and use with care Hold fast all secrets given Best practic e Take heed of what is good Aspire towards the best Take note of what to do Achieve a lasting end Courtesy Pay tribute to your host Respect his earthly worth Opinions do resist Until another day Good counsel

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Take note whats said and done to you The fool and dim count not for you Weigh actions in the field Seek wisdom where you can Side not with fleeting mood or doubt Observe and store thoughts so gained Your opinions you must mark Deliver in your stride Manners Talking First read the minds of those you meet

Your peers will rank you in their league

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By how you strike your mark Within this group abide by form Good manners are your prop Listening Let no man doubt your views Use words well chosen, short and neat In language of the tribes Friends

An ear well tuned to sounds and talk A friend well made takes time and trust Is mans most favoured tool One act can ruin all Absorb whats said by friend or foe When balance swings the friendly smile Without a spoken word Turns into ugly glare Lasting friendship Finan cial se curity

Reserve free time for those most close Save a little now of what you sow And cherish bonds conceived Store in your tubs of clay Small tokens, presents given Wise trade brings wealth, security Are those best received Let prudence pave the way Children Parents Your children are your shadow A reflection of what is you And when youre gone, remember Only the shadow will remain Generosity The wise man gives with pleasure Small gifts received with joy The fool exceeds the limit And buys what cant be bought Charity Your fathers line you must support His place within your tribe Take from his hand the rod of time And all that he has taught Love The friendship bond between men of war Is strong as swords and oak But a womans love exceeds this mark For hers embraces all Attac k 38

The weak, the old where luck runs out When all is sound, stalk and attack Give to these causes much Surprise will win the day For in bad times the tables turned Strike enemy lines, regroup And yours is then their luck The foe will flee the day Defence Take position before the foe Use words before the sword Defend your solid core With time, patience and care Planning Good food and clothing keep Secure for certain change The seasons heat and cold Flight When all is to be lost be bold Go fight another ground Retake possessions lost Settle safe in new found land Surveillan c e Observe what is around A stranger in the camp The wild fox in the sand

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And battles that unfold Surprise Surprise can be a foe Or ones best chance to win Take note of what is new Make actions of your own Spear The sharpened nose do hone Do use with skill and power The range may fall a foe When used with expert eye Preparedne s s The glowing ember light Will warm the flesh and bones Keep kindling dry nearby For nights and cold untold Alertne s s The wilderness is strewn with grief The bones of men too slow Wake early, hone your wits and act Be swift to seek your prey Security And change in body and mind Speed The hooves of horses use To move with grace and speed More haste can caste a die To change the throw of luck Governan c e The laws that rule your tribe Drawn up in distant time Use well with equal force For rich and poor alike Guiding Know well the heavenly sky The stars that guide your path The danger of the sand And brigands by the way False se curity The thief he lurks behind closed door To steal your wealth and kin False friends will pry on weakness seen Within the caverns of your store Caution 39

Secure your home, protect your kind A cautious man heeds whats ahead And those most close to you He moderates his gait The treacherous intent of foe and thief Avoids the pitfalls there beyond Resolve to breach your will And covers tracks he makes Taking Note Agility

Notate your thoughts when hatching plans Swift of mind, agile and fleet Rotate your schemes once gained Are tributes man must seek Small steps first take on upwards track So battles may be won with ease The venture to be gained More pleasure then to keep Foresight Experience gained from others And from your own account Strive to see afore your eyes And plan for worst to come Power Your status may be measured In gold and silver plates But power as such, it has no form Just transient state of mind

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Control Control your mind, your means For benefits over time Take stock, recount your troops Mark keen the seeds of time Fear In praise of fear it is a sign For wise men to regroup The fool deflects such warning And sinks without a sight Health & Fitnes s

Preparation Plan well ahead for whats to come For what to do and when to act Adversity and change Such schemes then do retain The unknown Fear not what is not known Prepare for just this day Make plans based on sound sense Tomorrows another day Order

With strength to run, to walk and fight Take firm control your span of worth The victor stamps his mark Attend with care and thought An agile mind refreshed in health Each detail of your daily life From this sound sleep is won Sound pickings of your thoughts War Before you fire your arrows fast Prepare for every risk When life and death count much The same No victory is won Weapons Ambush Assess you plans for siege or war Surprise, attack or stealth Weigh up your risk and seek your spot Were troops can gain their lot Skill 40

Your weapons keep secure and clean Be master of your craft and skill Well oiled and sharp at edge Learn something of all else A dagger rest within your garb A wise man armed with knowledge such And sword in shafted guard Will live a handsome life Troops Your brotherhood will fight to death When led by strong at front Lead with your sword high in the air Let everyman there to see My Son With these scant words remember me Whats said, my hope will be done My crown I pass to thee my son For to-morrow Ill be gone

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11 Bahira

It is not known whether Bahira ever wore the ring that King Numan had left in the cell. As custodian of the Numan ring and other religious artefacts he most probably safeguarded the Ring along with the other relics and books in a place of safe keeping in his cell awaiting the second coming. Regardless, immediately Bahira saw the young Muhammad he was in no doubt that this was that moment. Without further thought he passed on the Gift of God to the adolescent boy, the crest of which was to become the shape of the dome under which the Muslim faithful for all time would pray. This prophecy subsequently played out across the Islamic world as tens of thousands of Mosques were constructed, many replicating the exact form of the rings crest. The dome is a symbolic shape and closely aligned to the architectural style favoured by most Muslim architects when designing new mosques. Whilst it is clear now as to why this particular shape is used many architects do not realise the humble origin of the form. The association between the mosque and the signet ring is obvious. The Prophet Muhammad dictated that the place of prayer, the mosque be of a simple construction and shape and style of the dome being consistent in shape with his ring. Bahiras mother came from a wealthy trading family. She was the youngest of five girls all of which were married off by her father. When her turn for marriage came, her groom, a former Roman legislator, and many years her senior settled down as a merchant in Sham. She was married at the age of 12 or 13yrs and bore seven children the youngest of which was Georgious (Bahira). Her beauty was legend. During an attack on Sham she was carried away as a hostage of war and never returned to see her family again. Her bewitching eyes caught the attention of the commanding general who took an immediate interest in the lady. He, like others was mesmerised by her beauty and particularly her deep green eyes. Rather than succumb to his wishes she gauged out her eyes and offered them on a plate for her fated oppressors satisfaction. Thereafter, the young boy was taken into the care of a fledgling monastic order known as the Nestorians who groomed and taught him the cycle of a life of penitence and prayer. To all accounts his life as a monk was typical of the time and uneventful until the day he met the young Prophet Muhammad. As a practicing Nestorian Christian monk he settled in Sham (Syria). His birth name was Sergius or Georgious. He was opinionated and for that trait expelled from a monastery and to expiate his fall from grace set out as a young, penniless man on a journey to Arabia. He ended up taking residence in a cave or cell near Bostra, Syria where he had his first encounter with the young Muhammad. Sometime later he travelled to Mekkah where he was reunited with the Prophet Muhammad. The couple had met some 10 years earlier when as a boy the young man was passing by his cave in a caravan with his uncle. The relationship was re-ignited and Bahira spent much of his available time with Muhammad. During that period he would have imparted knowledge and ideas about his Christian belief. The Prophets detailed knowledge of Christianity may well have emanated from such conversations. In particular the verses on the Psalms of David may well have come from Bahira. We have sent thee inspiration, as we sent Noah and the Messengers after him; we sent inspiration to Abraham, Ismail, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the Psalms. Fifteen years after the initial

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meeting with Bahira Muhammad re-visited Bostra with Maysarah. They came to the same place as previously. A new monk called Nestor now inhabited the cell. He enquired as to who the other man was . Myasarah told the monk that he was from Quraysh. The monk immediately recognised the ring and said, He is the Prophet. One of the wealthy merchants in Mekkah was a woman named Khadijah, daughter of Khuwaylid of the clan Asad. She was a cousin of a Christian called Waraqah. Muhammad had in the meantime built a fine reputation for himself in Mekkah where he was called al-Amin, the Reliable and Trustworthy. Khadijah heard about the man and enquired as to whether he would take a shipment of goods on her behalf to Syria. Muhammead agreed. She offered him the services of her trusted servant Maysarah. It was when they reached the stopping point at Bostra that Muhammad settled down beneath tree close to the Bahira cell where he had been given the Signet Ring some 15 years earlier. On reaching Mekkah on their return leg they went to Khadijahs house with goods purchased in Syria. Muhammad had negotiated a handsome profit for his mistress. At the time Muhammad was 25 years of age medium stature with fine bones and a broad shoulders long black hair and large oval eyes. He was a very good looking man, the likes of which did not pass Khadijahs notice. Myasarah told his mistress about the meeting with the monk Nestor and the Angels who circled the Prophet whilst travelling. Waraqah confirmed this, and other facts. If this is all true said Khadijah then if Muhammad is the Prophet of our people. Long have I known a prophet is to be expected, and this time hath now come. The reassurance of Khadijah and Waraqah were followed by a reassurance from Heaven in the form of a second Revelation. We know that the Prophet was very specific when it came down to the design and building of his mosques. The distinctive shape of the rings frontal dome, although now coated in a patina compatible to its age depicts a plain, contoured, symmetric dome. One can but imagine the young man pondering the future and what was to become as he spent those countless hours, alone on the hillside observing, and handling this small object between his fingers. During such moments he would have had ample time to reflect on its robust albeit delicate design, and whilst doing so observe its central characteristics and form, the strength of which was later to manifest itself in the thousands of mosques around the world. The impression that it had on his mind must have stuck. Years later, this simple shape was to have a new meaning and relevance. The Faithful who prayed to His God did so within a design of his making. This fact is relatively new to modern Islamic research as it was only when the ring was systematically examined in minute detail that this connection was made. Hitherto experts had nothing upon which to establish the link other than by adding together scant evidence as recorded and projected through the Hadith The association with Bostra is not coincidental. Bostra was a thriving trading point on the North South caravan highway, a route used by the Mekkan, Medinah and Cairo caravans. Muhammad would have been very familiar with both the route and the caravan watering halts. Bostra (Latin) Greek Bosorra is a ruined Nabatean city in Syrian city 67 miles (108Km) south of Damascus. Cornelius Palma, a general of Trajan destroyed the kingdom in 103 AD. It still has many Roman ruins amongst them is the best preserved theatre. It became the capital of the Roman Province of Arabia, where

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the Third Roman Legion, Cyrenaica used the fortress as a garrison. The city was important as a great Roman road connected the city to the Red Sea. The governor of the Province took his residence there and at that time the city had a very large population of over 800,000 people. This was then a very sizable metropolis. Following Roman occupation the city was primarily a Christian city. 16 Bishops are recorded to have resided in the place, the most celebrated being Beryllus. Over time it was suppressed by the Greeks and its citizens became subject to the diocese of Damascus. The Catholic Greeks or Melchites have always maintained this See under the title of Bostra or Hauran. Born about 362AD Sozomen names Titus among the great men of Contantius. In the Al-Hira context the significance of the city was marked by the actions and premonition of a Nestorian monk called Bahira. The citys ultimate demise came much later. Following an earthquake in 1151AD the city was left in ruins. In 930AD the Qarmantians, who made business robbing, looting and applying taxes to pilgrims on the Hajj raided Mekkah. From there they launched a raid and stole the Black Stone from the Kabah. They kept it for 20 years until, thankfully, some wealthy Tunisian Ismailis returned it more, or less intact. The gifting of the Signet Ring to the young Muhammad by Bahira is a popular story, known by most schoolchildren, students and followers of Islam. The event was specifically recorded by his uncle and those who made up the auspicious Syria bound caravan train which included the ten year old Muhammad. The significance of that event cannot be over-stated. This was the first time that a third party outside the Prophets immediate family, other than his mother knew in advance that the young man was destined for greatness. At birth his mother saw a physical sign on her baby sons back. Immediately she realised that her he was special. His mother had also witnessed a miracle, she had seen the clot of blood, the evil inside the infant being removed from his chest and the incision so made miraculously started healing itself. This miracle was related to others by the family and the Quraysh clan members at the Kaba. Even so, those present still had no idea as to the true significance of the fact. It was not until some ten years later when Bahira announced to the boys uncle that he was destined to greatness that the true significance of his being was realised within the then pagan community. Some fifteen years later Nestor the Christian monk re-confirmed this fact. Even then it is unclear as to whether the clans folk in Mekkah fully appreciated the fact that they were then in the company of the Prophet of God. Throughout his early life the Prophet wore the little ring as a symbol of his union with God. Upon the Prophets death, the rings significance increased. Conflicts within the fledgling Islamic community which included his Companions and extended family caused tensions. The third custodian, the caliph Uthman reportedly lost the ring. From contemporary accounts this was not the case. Rather than have it stolen by envious third parties he hid it along with other personal possession in an unassuming stone shrine on Mt Hira. This place was later known as the shrine of Abdallah, close to where the Prophet had received his first revelation. Only now, some 1,400 years after the event can we evaluate the true meaning and value of the ring. Shortly after having secreted away his inherited treasures Uthman was murdered and with his demise went his secret This story commences with the first Christian pilgrims. When King Numan 1 st cast off his robes and his trappings of office he was following a practice popular amongst the emerging Christian sect. This trend was not restricted to men but included a few ladies who likewise, for one reason or another sought out holy places. Between the years 381-4AD the western pilgrim Egeria travelled to and

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around the Holy Land and Egypt. She visited numerous holy shrines and places of biblical interest en-route. Her objective was to identify the places as were depicted in the Bible. During her extensive travels she visited the Holy land and Egypt. In particular she attempted to re-trace the route taken by the children of Isreal as they made their exodus from Egypt to the desert.

The Monastery of St. Catharine The Monastery of St. Catharine is a historic and holy place. It is situated in an isolated spot surrounded by mountains. The Monastery was built in a commanding location at the foot of the mountain where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments. As with Bahira and other hermit monks early Christian hermits, searching seclusion from worldly affairs, was living in the area of the holy mountain since the very earliest of times of Christianity. After her visit to the impressive site of the Burning Bush Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, decided in 330 AD to permit a chapel to be build at the site. This chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Later on pilgrims reported about problems and a particular massacre of some of the monks in the mountain retreat. In 527 AD Emperor Justinian ordered the construction of a fortress to protect the hermits of the High Mountains. Above the heavy wooden entrance wooden frames carry the names of Justinian, his wife Theodora and the architects Stephanos. St. Catherine is among the oldest Christian monasteries, and the smallest diocese in the world. The Monks today are Greek Orthodox and represent many different nationalities. The Church of Transfiguration is built in the shape of a basilica and divided into the narthex, where a collection of icons is exhibited, the main body of the church, and the apses with the altar. Among the most impressive art work of over fifteen centuries are chandeliers each decorated with the egg of an ostrich, and icons, among them the famous iconostasis presenting the huge icons of St. John the Baptist, the Holy Virgin, Christ, and St. Catherine. Amongst the many of its treasure is a 6th century mosaic showing the transfiguration of Christ.

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The Chapel of the Burning Bush is the most sacred part of the monastery. Once it is believed to have contained the Burning Bush itself. This relic was replaced outside of the chapel and fenced behind a stone wall. Every Saturday the monks hold their liturgy in the chapel. According to Greek legend in 634 a Christian priest Johannes of Damascus wrote a Christianised version of the story of Guatama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. The story narrated an account of two men Barlaam and Josaphat. According to the legend King Abenner persecuted Christian which had been founded by the Apostle Thomas. Against this background he was concerned to hear through an astrologer that his own son would one day become a Christian. The son was born and named Josaphat. To prevent contact with the outside world he led a very sheltered life but one day met a hermit called Saint Barlaam. Later he converted under his influence to Christianity. His father resisted the conversion but eventually he too converted and gave up his throne to his son. Like Bahira he retired to the desert and lived in solitude in a cave. The son later followed in his fathers footsteps by abdicating his throne and all the powers and influence that went with it. The Gregorian monk Euthymios of Athos circa 1022 translated the story into Greek. This story was popular across Europe in the middle Ages. The word Josaphat is derived from the Arabic Judasal. 12 NESTORIANS

This religious branch of the Christian church is now united with the Roman Church and is known as Chaldeans. They form the largest of the many small Christian communities in present day Iraq. The Nestorian Church played an important part in the spread of Christianity East. Nestorian missionaries followed the Silk Road to China and established a small Christian community there. The Nestorians have been marginalised over time. In 1934 many Nestorians immigrated to the United States where they still practice their version of Christianity. To best understand the basis and concept of the Theology of the Church the reader needs to understand the origins of the movement. The Theology of the Church of the East has been stated briefly and clearly in the following Hymn of Praise (TESHBOKHTA) Composed by Mar Babai the Great, in the sixth century A.D., (Mar Babai the Great was a noted academic and learned theologian of the Church) One is Christ the Son of God, Worshiped by all in two natures; In His Godhead begotten of the Father, Without beginning before all time; In His humanity born of Mary, In the fullness of time, in a body united; Neither His Godhead is of the nature of the mother, Nor His humanity of the nature of the Father; The natures are preserved in their Qnumas*, In one person of one Sonship. And as the Godhead is three substances in one nature, likewise the Sonship of the Son is in two natures, one person. So the Holy Church has taught.

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Qnuma, is an Aramaic word. The nearest equivalent is the Greek hypostasis, in Latin substantia and in English substance. For most of us our knowledge of the Nestorian Church may be scant, however, Nestorian archive chronicles provide evidence that King Numan (Numan 1 st) had received the precious ring which reputedly descended directly from the Archangel Gabriel. Upon receipt of the ring the King abdicated, left his kingdom and converted to Christianity. From this point in time there is a clear oral and written account of the physical passage via the Hadiths and Islamic folklore. Nestorius, was born in Euphratesian Syria 31 years after Theodore of Mopsuestia (c.381AD). He was destined to have his name permanently linked with the great mepasqana because of his Dyophysite pronouncements and the adoption by the faculties of Edessa and Nisibis of his and Theodore's polemics and commentaries. Together, Theodore and Nestorius served as the wellsprings of the two Mesopotamian schools that carried the banner of Nestorianism. Nestorius used his position as bishop of Constantinople (428AD) to preach against the title Theotokos, "Mother of God," that was given to the Virgin Mary. He claimed a more authentic title should be the Mother of Christ. Although much of Nestorius's sermons and teachings were ordered to be burned, the doctrine of Nestorianism survived and served as the basis for Dyophysite teachings in the fifth and sixth centuries, particularly at Nisibis, which had inherited the mantle of Syrian scholarship from Edessa. Fragments of Nestorius's letters and sermons have been preserved in the Acts of the Council of Ephesus, citations in the works of St. Cyril of Alexandria (Nestorius's creedal adversary), and through the interpolated Syriac text, The Bazaar of Heracleides, an apology, written near the end of his life (c. 436). The Nestorian spirit was redoubtable. Secured in the Persian Church, it continued to flourish in the seventh century despite persecution from the Sassanids, and after the invasions of the Turks and Mongols. Nowhere is its intellectual vibrancy and spirit more apparent than in its theological school, Nisibis, the successor to Edessa. It is here where our narrative leads, and the explication of the environment that produced Paul's Dyophysite text and Junillus's Instituta Regularia Divinae Legis begins. Apart from the Bahira incident the West can thank two Nestorian monks for bringing silk to the West. Since 550AD when these two monks returned from the Emperors court in the Forbidden City, China and presented themselves to the Byzantine, Justinians court with silkworm eggs hidden within the shafts of the bamboo staves the Chinese secret was out. Under severe penalty the monks were instructed to hatch out the worms and create a competing silk industry to the Chinese. In this they were successful and, as instructed they kept the secret to themselves, sericulture or silk production then became a reality. For centuries sericulture in China was the most zealously guarded secret in history. Even the Romans could not create the prized cloth. Ever since 3000 BC when the Goddess of Silk Lady His-Ling-Shih, wife of the Yellow Emperor invented the loom for spinning silk the Chinese Imperial Court strictly controlled all silk production and jealously guarded all aspects secret of production and manufacture. Up until that time silk had been produced in limited quantity but without the technology to cultivate the moth and manufacture the loom the industry never took off. The Chinese, through a process of trial and error developed a sophisticated process to manufacture very high quality silk in volume. For this a dedicated force of workers were deployed. The first challenge was to prevent the moth from hatching out, the second was to perfect a balanced diet on

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which the silk worms would be fed. Temperature control during the pre-hatching period was vital. Starting at 65 degrees the heat would gradually be increased to 77 degrees Centigrade. When this point was reached the eggs would hatch. An intensive feeding programme would then commence with finely chopped fresh mulberry leaves being fed at hourly intervals to the tiny worms. Within the space of 30 days the worms would be fully fattened. By this time their body mass would have increased by 10,000 times. All of this detail was scientifically worked out by the Chinese over 5,000 years ago. At that time the wild silk moth called Bombycidae was used. This lived of leaves from the white mulberry tree, a tree unique to China. This blind, flightless moth is capable of laying 500 minute eggs in four or five days. Once of these eggs will produce over 35,000 worms. Their ravenous appetite is capable of eating over a tonne of mulberry leaves from which 5 kg of pure silk can be produced. By the time the Nestorian monks reached Constantinople they would have been aware of each of the key steps of production. Over the previous millennia the wild moth had been domesticated and its characteristics had greatly altered. Many types of silk worm have been used by the Chinese but in the end one species, Bombycidae dominated Regarding monk cells and hermits generally, men have retreated to the desert sanctuaries for centuries in the search for God, drawn by the quiet and isolation, by the feeling of divine presence in the barren wilderness in the sand and the wind. Monk cells have been adapted or built in Egypt and elsewhere since the 3rd century. When you live in a quiet place like a cell you are alone with God, you start to hear yourself. Coptic monks have inhabited cells near Cairo since early times. The recent find by Maximous Elantony, a Coptic monk from the Apostle Church of St Anthonys Monastery 100 miles southwest of Cairo is a fine example of such architecture. The monastery is breathtaking, rising up from the sand are two tall towers with a Coptic cross. The Monastery presently houses 110 monks. The cells are made of bricks and plaster. The church is an overlay of buildings dating back to the 8th century, and beneath are cells which pre-date the 4 th century. To be a monk is to let you free of everything to connect yourself only with God. The church holds a library containing over 2300 ancient manuscripts. In parallel with both Islam and the Christian faith Judaism is based on the belief that there is but one God. The Jews were not alone in recognizing and worshipping a universal ethical God. In Iran to the east the Medes and the Persians had evolved out of paganism a belief in a single deity, the ultimate power. Zoroaster, a prophet and Persian in the 5 th c BC. With the conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine (311-337AD) Christianity was established across the Roman Empire. This ultimately led to the Christianisation of the entire Roman state. By the time of the great Christian emperor Justinian ( 527-567AD ) the full panoply of Roman power was used to not only to establish supremacy of the state-approved doctrine among the many schools of thought into which Christianity were now divided. The eastern Roman Empire commonly referred to as the Byzantine Empire was always known as being the Roman Empire; they did not however speak Latin romoni but Greek rhomaioi. Both the Byzantine and the Persian empires were overwhelmed by the advancing tide of Islam in the early decades of the 7 th century but there is a significant difference in their respective fates. The Byzantine armies suffered crushing defeats and lost many provinces to the Arabs. The core, the imperial capital Constantinople remained secure in Christian hands. Weakened it did however survive for another seven hundred years until 1453AD. Persia however was totally

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over-run and lost the entirety of its territories. All of which were incorporated within the new Arab Islamic Empire. In 25BC the emperor Augusta decided to attempt to conquer the Yemen. This, to establish a Roman foothold at the southern end of the Red Sea and thus a direct route east to India and beyond. The expedition was a failure never to be repeated by the Romans. During the period 384-502AD when Rome and Persia were at peace there was little interest in Arabia by either of the two great rival powers. The overland trade routes across Europe, Asia Minor and Arabia were then expensive and hazardous to traverse. As a result in Arabia traffic decreased, even settlers in oasis migrated or reverted to a Bedouin existence when trade diminished. Nomadism had always been an important part of Arabian society. It now became predominant. This period is referred to as the Jahiliyya, or the Age of Ignorance. This concept is in direct contrast to the Age of Light, Islam. By the 6th century the world order changed with the resumption of Perso-Byzantine conflict. By this time the southern trade route was more important than the northern route partly because it was possible to get further away from the reach of Persia. The Byzantines opted to secure a direct route to India free from interference from the Persians. In this respect frontier states appeared as client principalities on both the Byzantine and Persian sides. On the Byzantine desert border, there was the Arab principality of Ghassan. This region occupied the territory now known as Jordan. On the Persian side was the principality of Hira. Both were Christian Arab, but political allegiance was markedly split. In 527AD The Byzantine Emperor Justinian funded a war between these states. He gave the Ghassan chief adequate resources, including gold and he was later declared Patrician of the Roman Empire. The Roman influence expanded to include Ethiopia. They were funded to attack the Yemen and in 507AD attacked Mekkah. A Yemenite trading post and caravan route to the north. They were beaten off and replaced by Persian forces. During the early years of the Prophets life Yemen was under Persian control. This status was a major defeat for the Byzantines as it blocked there eastern trade route. The early Islamic chronicles tell of a group of people known in Arabic as Hanif who. While abandoning paganism were not prepared to accept any other the other religions or religious doctrines then on offer. They became the earliest converts to the religion of Islam. Christian records are scant when it comes to the former years of Islam. In general physical records were not made, the stories passing on from generation to generation verbally until alter they where put down in ink. The word Quran is an Arabic word which combines the meanings of reading and recitation. Muhammad was born in 571AD. to a Quraysh Arabic tribe in the Hejaz. In 622AD, 13 years after his first Revelation the Prophet entered into an agreement with emissaries from Yathrib, some 218 miles north of Mekkah. The content of this contract gave him and his companions 60 families sanctuary against persecution from the Mekkahn authorities. Here he became ruler and exerted military and well as religious influence and authority. From this strategic point the Prophet and his fledgling army entered into a war with the pagans in Mekkah.

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13 Writing and Records

The codex Sinaiticus written in the mid 4 th century in vernacular Greek is the oldest complete Bible in existence. This book presently resides in the British Library and represents the earliest complete collection of Christian thoughts. As the fountain of Biblical knowledge all other variations and adaptations of the Bible merely embellish these, age old words. This incredible work includes the Septaugint, the Old Testament and as such provides the reader with an unparalleled overview of knowledge.

Codex Siniaticus Most early written records and communications were made using a pen, quill or writing stick. The medium used was usually a carbon based ink or daub. The alphabet, a Middle Eastern invention was a great improvement on the various systems that preceded it, these included signs and pictures. The Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Arabic alphabets all derived from the mercantile people of the Levant. By the eighth century when Chinese paper making technology was more widespread across the Levant region knowledge was transmitted quickly and much more accurately using the written word in a commonly accepted and understood medium. Shortly before Robert Purnell arrived in Egypt in 1795AD the first newspapers were printed in Constantinople, the first of which was the Gazette Franois de Constantinople. There were said to be plans to print an Arabian newspaper in Cairo at about that time but it did not materialise. The newspaper superseded the age old Islamic tradition of spreading news during Friday prayers in the Mosque and speeches given in public places. Muhammad Ali Pasha of Egypt was the founder of the vernacular press in Egypt starting with a French edition of the official gazette and later printing an Arabic version. It was not until 1840 when the Jeride-Havadis was published in Istanbul that being a non-official paper, printed for sale to the public. Coincidentally, the name Persia or Persis is not strictly the name of the country but rather the name of a province, the south western province of Pars or Fars. Concerning the art of writing the ancient texts which form the Old Testament represent some of the earliest recorded chronicles of early events and happenings. Islam and Christianity incorporate this Book into their religion. Unlike the Holy Quran the Bible is a collection of books written by various authors over time. No one person claims exclusive rights or priority. It is up to the reader to assimilate the contents and 49

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meanings of the verses and then take a consensus view as to the relevance . On the other hand the words that make up the Holy Quran are heaven sent. As the written messages from God were delivered to Earth by an Angel the transfer of these utterances into a form understood by all men is critical in our understanding and appreciation of this central Islamic belief. Sophisticated examples of the calligraphers art evolved in the Middle East and with came the first Qurans, beautifully worked manuscripts of exquisite style and form. By the 7th century writing with quills or stylus was a fully evolved art form and practiced throughout Europe and the Middle East. Ever since the Roman Empire Roman writing had travelled with the army to every corner of the Roman world. The Romans had developed their alphabet from the alphabet created by the Phoenicians . In contrast, the Aramaic people of whom the Phoenicians were a part had settled in Syria 1,000 BC. Their writing disappeared following the Assyrian invasion in 732BC. Aramaic scripts spread throughout the Assyrian Empire replacing cuneiform systems. From this emerged Arabic and Hebrew. The Arabic script as used by Muslims the world over descended from the Nabatean branch of the family of Arabic scripts makes its first appearance in 500AD, over 1,000 years before the birth of the Prophet Muhammad. The writing of the sacred Quran helped standardise Arabic script. Unlike the Romans Arab merchants recorded transactions using the cursive Arabic script for centuries writing from right to left on various substrates. Hebrew scribes also continued to write from right to left, but they had traditionally used leather as a writing surface and were amongst the first to use parchment for the making of records. Both these surfaces were harder and smoother than and considerably more sympathetic to the hard writing instrument than papyrus. Likewise, the rapid spread of Arabic script post the advent of Islam was extensively written on animal skins. Before they were able to benefit from the first of the imported fine smooth papers from China there was no other comparable substrate available. Regardless, their great calligraphic skill flourished. The elaborate cursive flourishes of the Arabic letters present a visual feast for the eye, a combination of pure art and calligraphy combined . Papyrus had been in use since the 3000 BC. Parchment or writing skin evolved between 197 and 158 BC. The development of communication using papyrus meant that simultaneous facsimile messages could be sent across the Empire at great speed. Interception was a worry and for this the Egyptians developed ciphers, complex codes and Nomenclator. Their sophisticated communication system provided secure transmission of sensitive data without any fear an enemy breaking their hieroglyphic ciphers. Such was the commercial and political sensitivity of this material that Ptolemy cut off supplies of papyrus on which Eumenes scribes depended. The Dead Sea scrolls found in 1947 in the desert of Judea have miraculously survived 2,000 years of internment. This much studied fragments have enabled scientists to look deeper, and with more precision into the ancient Jewish mindset. One of the most durable substrates favoured by calligraphers for writing is parchment, a smooth natural, slightly oily surface which is made from sheep or goat skin. Once dry, ink bound onto this material is secure. The natural skin is pliable, robust and impervious to water or most other liquids. It does not perish and is reasonably fire and insect resistant. On the negative side, its preparation is complex and slow making it a costly item. The skins are first steeped in lime and the hair and flesh carefully scraped off. They are then damped and stretched over a wooded frame covered with chalk

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to remove excess fats and sun dried. The surface is then scraped with a moon shaped metal blade until a very flat surface is achieved. The final part of production is sizing. The skins are cut to shape and then written upon. Both sides can be used. Vellum is made from calfskin and is softer, papyrus is far more fragile. Until 273AD the Roman pretender, Firmus Brutus boasted that he could support an entire army on taxes generated from the sale of papyrus. The adoption of parchment as a universal writing substrate had a profound influence on the invention of the codex (ancient, hand written book), as opposed to the scroll form of the book. The reference in the Quran relating to the pen and tablet are at odds with one another. The pen, as such would not have been used on a stone or metal substrate. At best it would have been used on prepared leather. There is no evidence to support the fact that Muhammad ever created a hand written scroll or codex. Some Islamic accounts claim that the Prophet was illiterate, there being no evidence of him ever being schooled. However, a more durable record of the words of God could easily have been produced in Arabic script on soft gold plates, or tablets using a simple metal stylus. His relative and prodigy, Ali would have been well equipped to produce such a work as he was both numerate and literate. This conclusion would support the claim made centuries later by the French Knight Raynald de Chtillon that amongst the horde that he shipped to France were the very same engraved gold plates. His treasurer recorded that within the Macoraba horde that had been hijacked by the errant Knight s army were a collection of such gold plates or tablets, each of which was numerically coded. This explanation holds with the view that the end product was an inviolable tablet. The significance of gold in Islam was important as its association was thereafter directly linked with the gold substrate upon which was etched the Quranic script. This fact may have been the reason why the Prophet Muhammad never used gold as either adornment or ring and forbade his Companions and followers from so doing. Climatic pressures, war and political discontinuities combined to play havoc with many rare and precious documents resulting in a very poor survival rate. Prior to the invention of paper papyrus was the common substrate for written communications. In this respect nothing much had changed since Roman and Byzantine times. This material did not lend itself to codex production. Registers and records were invariably kept in roll format. The use of parchment was more limited in the Hedjaz region. It was not until paper was introduced that record keeping in book form became a more regular feature within offices and record offices. After the Arab Muslim conquests in the seventh century the Persian Empire crumbled and ceased to exist. From the rump of this ancient Empire emerged the new force that became the Arab Islamic empire. Egyptian papyri makers continued to serve this new order as if nothing had changed. The technology that they deployed was exacted the same as had been used for several thousand years. In Egypt the Christian officials continued to collect taxes according to the same rules, to use the same administrative documents and even dated their ledgers by the old era. The transition from Greek to Arabic was slow, until eventually Greek was removed from all official documents and replaced with Arabic. Similarly in Syria and Iraq Arabic replaced the Old Persian script and language. Even with such change, which came gradually not all parties fell in with the new practices. Long after the arrival of the Arabs many old traditions and secrets remained. For example the mechanism of recording commercial and financial affairs was a closely guarded secret. Ancient accounting systems

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devised by wary Persian accountants prevented the Arab newcomers from prying into their affairs. Penetration into government was thus made extremely difficult and in the end the Arabs, who had unchallenged military might finally succumbed to the old clerks and let them get on with their business as they had done for centuries before. By the second century of Arab Islam rule the Arabic language was fully imposed as the language of government. This unification measure was successful in creating a common form of communication but it did not have a total effect on the ousted, old bureaucratic families many of which were Copts, or Christians. The precise location of many ancient places of historical or architectural interest including shrines and ancient mosques in Saudi Arabia are largely unrecorded. Architectural and infra-structure development in the Arabian Peninsula dates back to the earliest civilisations and as such the region has a provenance second to none. However, much of this history is unrecorded. Moveable type and mechanised letterpress printing was only introduced following the Ottoman period. Aggressive weather conditions, unbearable heat, erratic rainfall with seasonal deluges combine to make many parts inhospitable even to the scant nomadic population who inhabit this vast region. Permanent buildings, unless robust in every way inevitably fall prey over time to accelerated degradation due to the combined forces of the elements. The location of water, wells and cisterns are often better recorded than buildings of rudimentary construction. As with other places the practice of enforcing historic heritage conservation programmes is relatively new in the Arabian Peninsula. Even the most revered buildings in Mekkah and Madinah have, over time been repeatedly modified following fire, flooding, tempest and plunder. For this reason it is clear that many buildings that predate the unification of the four provinces in 1932 suffered from the lack of an enforced policy on heritage preservation. The creation of the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia partly helped resolve this issue by creating limited planning and heritage preservation policies which are now in place. Against this back-drop the environment that Robert Purnell entered was far from organised and all but a few buildings and places of outstanding architectural value were preserved. At the time the Wahhabi uprising was in full swing and buildings of all types, especially mosques were under physical threat. Prior to the 18 th century few if any organised archaeological digs were undertaken in the Hedjaz region.

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Islamic history Amongst the early accounts of Macoraba membership was the eminent Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (943AD), an early convert to Islam and very wealthy businessman. He had numerous properties including a lodging house in Bara, Iraq and also property in Alexandria, Egypt. He was a successful merchant and trader and had ships and owned thousands of camels. Another early convert and member was Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf who had over a thousand camels and ten thousand sheep. When he died he left 340,000 gold dinars. Yet another merchant was Yala ibn Munya reportedly left over a million dinars. It would appear that these men were representative of the type and class of people that were invited to join the inner circle. Concerning individual wealth, Al-Mas udi, the tenth century scribe and chronicler said that when Uthman was murdered he reportedly had 10,000 gold dinars and over one million Persian dirhams. Additional, his estate and animals was worth 200,000 dinars. During the early years of Islamic expansion war booty matched by extravagant expenditure was on a scale previously unseen in the region.

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Umar was only fifty three years of age when he died. He made no provision for succession. Upon his deathbed he appointed a committee (shr) of six of his Companions from whom he ordered that from one they elect a new caliph. The choice fell on Uthman, an aristocrat from the Mekkan Umayya clan. He became caliph in 644CE. From the outset Uthamn was under pressure from his opponents. He had no praetorian guard to fall back on and his personality lacked the charisma of his immediate predecessor. His murder was a pre-cursor to a major inter-Arab civil war which broke out in 565CE. Apart from his position of power Uthamn had large gold and silver savings amounting to tens of thousands of dinar the distribution of which is not recorded. It is very probable that part or all of this money was buried alongside the artefacts found on Mt Hira. If that is the case then there recovery is not recorded. We know from what records were then made that during the nine months up until he was murdered he had been repeatedly warned by his advisors that various parties including the Egyptian perpetrators had him in their sights. With this danger in mind he took some precautions which included safeguarding some of his assets. Regardless, his life was lost and with it the power struggle commenced leading to Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophets cousin and son in law occupied a key position. He was also the husband of the Prophets daughter Fatima. As the Prophets kinsman he was a candidate for the title. His followers became known as the Ali, shatu Ali, or more commonly referred to as the Shia. His reign only lasted to 661CE when he too was murdered by an assassin. The massacre of Karbal speeded up the transformation of the Shia from initially being merely a politically motivated party to becoming a full blown religious sect. This bitterness, and open hatred that resulted from the rift had a lasting impact on the two main sides of Islam, a division that can, in many ways be compared with the Protestant breakaway from the Roman Catholic church in the 16 th century. This act prompted by Henry VIII equally resulted in a significant amount of inter-faction bloodshed. The Muslim Empire was first ruled from Medina, in Arabia. By 661AD it had moved to Damascus where the Umayyad dynasty took over. This lasted for 90 years when in 750AD, after a power struggle the Abbasids took over political control and moved the caliphate to Baghdad. Thought-out this period the modus operendi remained more or less the same. The ruling caliphs extracted as much revenues from the those living in conquered territories as they could. Instead of following the western feudal system, which was based on tithes the Arabs generated their income from a poll tax or jizah or sometimes via a land tax called kharaj. The rationale for these levies was that the conquered nation was thereafter protected by the Arabs. As a consolation, the rulers permitted the underclass to continue practicing their religions. As the jizah was imposed solely on the non-Muslims there was no need to convert them to Islam. For centuries Syria, Palestine and Egypt were predominantly Christian but nevertheless paid their taxes to their Arab rulers. This status did have its drawbacks, the underclass could not build any new churches, ring church bells or partake in their religious festivals. In law they could not bear witness against a Muslim, or carry weapons. All in all, the Arabs administration had compete control of their subjects.

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15 Quran

The ongoing arguments as to the authenticity of the words written in both the Quran and Old and New Testaments abound, the problem largely stemming from the fact that these holy of holy documents were complied by scribes and followers decades, or, in some cases even centuries after the events therein. Christians endured persecution under the Romans until 313AD during the reign of Constantine. The pivotal turning point came with the Edict of Toleration which made Christian worship legal throughout the Roman Empire. Jerusalem has always been revered by the Muslims, Jerusalem being their third most holy place after Mekkah and Medina. In former times Muslims prayed in the direction of Jerusalem, this being the spot from which the Prophet went to heaven. Later, the Kabah became the main focal point for prayer. This general direction persists to this day. One of the earliest Islamic texts that have survived was written in 692AD. The mosaic is known as the Sanaa script. In essence, it is a very clear warning to the Christians. It states that Jesus is accepted by the Muslims as being an apostle but nothing more than that. This writing was written at a time when the Muslim armies were on the ascendency making great inroads across the Mediterranean, North Africa and East towards Mesopotamia. The words within the ornate mosaic read: people of the Book, do not transgress the bounds of your religion. Speak nothing but the truth about God. The Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, was no more than Gods apostle and his apostles and do not say, Three. Forebear and it shall be better for you. God is but one God. God forbid that he should have a son. He is all that the heavens and the earth contain. God is all sufficient protector. The copy of the Koran was found in the Great Mosque of Sanaa, Yemen in 1972. The text throws a new light on the content and composition of very early Koranic text. Sanaa, east of Mekkah is one of the closest, and most isolated of the regional capitals. The city is a thriving, integrated, built up cosmopolitan trading centre. This commercial entrepot differs from Mekkah insofar as it relies on trade rather than visitors, hajjis. As such, it did attract the same degree of adverse political and religious attention as Mekkah. Since very early times Mekkah has been ravaged by raiding parties and later by the Wahhabi. Many of its stone built buildings and mosques built in Sanaa have miraculously survived, largely intact. Two versions of the Qurans text appear in the mosaic, one being an overlay of the other. This new evidence provides us with two distinct versions of the holy Quran. These manuscripts date back to the early 8th century. How this came about is not clear but, upon study it would appear that at the time the agreed text matter, content and composition was still in flux. If, and when the Ali Golden Tablets are found and analysed then much of the controversy pertaining to the specific wording of the Holy Quran will be settled, once and for all. In that respect there is every reason why new efforts should be taken to locate the Raynald horde located near Brignole, Provance. Un-invasive, large area geo-physical mapping techniques might be the answer to this problem. Using high definition camera systems, including infra-red, thermal imaging and other photographic techniques

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it should be possible to undertake a detailed survey of the area to identify likely targets for more detailed evaluation. An abundance of sophisticated scientific techniques abound, these include geophysical field research, advanced monitoring systems, EMF, sound and thermal mapping techniques plus and other forms of land based and aerial fused data analysis. By reverting back to the original medieval summaries produced by the Roman Catholic Church it should be able, by a process of elimination to accurately identify the site. If and when the contents of Raynald consignments are known then it would be hugely beneficial if such a search was made. If this line of enquiry is positive then the outcome would be a discovery landmark. Concerning the transfer of data generally. Prior to the advent of moveable type in the 16 th century the only available means of book reproduction was via the laborious copying of every character by hand. This was generally done by the Latin monks and translators in the scriptorium by private sector copiers, many of whom were not necessarily well educated. The academic and scribes employed within religious Orders may well have produced more reliable work but even so, many undertaking this line of work did so because they were so trained, with a good hand and plenty of patience. When undertaking such work the scribes mandate was simple, merely to transfer data from the original copy onto a new substrate, vellum, parchment or handmade paper. Depending on the legibility or otherwise of the mater being copied this could be a straightforward or complex process which depending on the source needed varying degrees of judgement and interpretation. Very often the copyists may not themselves have been conversant with the language that they were copying, and as such the results of their work might well have included errors, these would, thereafter be repeated in subsequent renditions. Such texts could become corrupted sometimes through apathy, poor judgement or simply due to incompetence. As such, regardless of the fact the end result was eventually enshrined as authentic copy of the original. In the case where annotations were adjoined to the original manuscript, usually within the margins these notes were, sometimes, erroneously included within copied text thus confusing the original meaning. Such mixed text deviated from the objective of facsimile reproduction. In the Roman Catholic church such errors were apparent. By the time of Charlemagne it was clear that something needed to be done to regulate and standardise all key reference material. For this a team of academics and specialists were put together to re-appraise the works under review. The outshot of this time consuming undertaking was a set of works which passed muster. The libraries of Monte Cassino and Rome were the two most important libraries of well edited manuscripts, this being due to proper academic due diligence undertaken during the Carolingian period when Emperor Charlemagne ordered the work. Alcuin of York, The Anglo Saxon was sent to undertake this work at the Abbey of St Martins, Tours, France . He was responsible for the recession of the texts of the Vulgate (Latin Bible) and for revising the liturgical books to confirm with the traditions of the Roman Catholic church. He, and a group of scribes, which he referred to as the crowd of scribes ( turba scriptorium) completed the project, the end result of which can still be seen, the books of common in daily use. These comments are accurate only as they apply to the Latin material created and reproduced to the order of the Curia in Rome for the Roman Catholic church. In general and practical terms the process is exactly the same for any other language and as such it should mirror the problem that the Arab Companions of the Prophet Muhammad witnessed. In some respects the

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Muslim calligraphers took the art form to a far higher level than many of their European contemporaries.

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Mekkah

At the time when the Prophet Muhammad was born Mekkah was essentially a place of pilgrimage, the Kabah being the venerated stone for numerous local gods. The tribesmen and passing pilgrims could worship their preferred god or deity freely within the city walls. Amongst those favoured by the Makkans in descending role behind Allah were Manat, Uzza, and Allats. When the Prophet Muhammad received his revelations all this changed. He demanded the destruction of all the pagan gods and idolatry. This edict provoked a certain amount of antagonism within the community as the idols had been worshiped for centuries before. Against this background of open hostility to the Prophet he sought support for his belief elsewhere. In 622AD he along with his closest followers vacated Mekkah and went north to Yathrib, where his ideology was more in keeping with popular sentiment. This portage was referred to later as the Hegira, or migration as it was intended to be a permanent move.

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Having received the revelations from God Muhammad attempted to reconcile the meaning of the messages and establish how it might fit with previous communications between man and God and for this he discussed the matter with the Jews. Muhammad agreed with the Old Testament writings about the prophets Abraham, David, Moses and Solomon. The Jews however rejected his central philosophy and belief which was that he was merely restoring the religion as prescribed by Abraham, who had created the Kabah. From that time the Prophet ordered all his followers to pray towards the Kabah and not Jerusalem. Additionally the Prophet gave his followers, who had been persecuted by the Mekka people permission to wage war against these people. This edict became to be known as the jihad, or holy war. A war based on the principals of oppression and injustice. Soon after this very principal was used by his followers against the Mekkan people, those who formally had chased the Prophet away. Initially this was limited to unprovoked, albeit lucrative raids on their caravans. Later, in AD629 his army took Mekkah by force.

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Old print of built-up Mecca The Prophet Muhammad was born in Mekkah on a Friday the 17 th day of the lunar month of Rabi-I, in 570CE. His mission began when he was 40 years of age in 630 CE on 27 th day of the month of Rajab. It was on this day that he received his first Holy Revelation. For the next 23 years the Prophet Muhammad received a series of further Holy Revelations. These deliverances were structured into one complete entity which we now know as the Holy Quran. The Prophet Muhammad received a single copy of these revelations on Gold Tablets which were later kept in a place of safe keeping in

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Mekkah. The Prophet Muhammad was the son of Abdullah, the son of Abdul-Muttalib, the son of Hashim, whose ancestry reaches back in time to the Prophet Ismael son of the Prophet Abraham. As an infant the Prophet Muhammad was taken care of by Omm Ayman. After his fathers death the young Muhammad was brought up by his grandfather Abdul-Muttalib, who became his legal guardian. At the tender age of 7 years Muhammads mother Aamenah died. The following year his grandfather died and he was taken care of by his uncle Abu Talib, chief of the Quraysh, Bani-Hashim clan. The emergence of a religious leader created a problem for the Sheikhs of the Quraysh . They went as far as trying to kill the Prophet Muhammad. Failing in this quest they put an embargo on him and his followers effectively extraditing them from Mekkan society. The Prophet ensured continuity of his doctrine using Gods word as written in the Quran as the central theme of Islam. Following his untimely death by poisoning on 28 th day of the lunar month of Safar 11th year of the Hijrah circa 630CE. The Prophet Muhammad commissioned Ali son of Abu-Talib to gather together all the notes that he had compiled over a 23 year span. As the Prophet was apparently illiterate such notes would have been produced by scribes and his advisors. Ali was born to Abu Talib and his wife Fatimah bint Assad in 600CE. The Prophet Muhammad took a personal interest in his cousin and played an important role in the young mans upbringing and education. In this regard he ensured that Ali was literate and a man of words. This investment later paid great dividends as Ali became one of the Prophets most loyal followers. Furthermore it was Ali that the Prophet confided in when he instructed him to undertake the task of transcribing each and every one of his revelations. Ali dutifully obliged and from his voluminous records he created a master copy inscribed on gold tablets. The Prophet Muhammad validated and authenticated the calligraphy, order and composition of this compound masterpiece. A copy of this work was made available for public viewing at the mosque. In 628 C.E. Prophet Muhammad granted a Charter of Privileges to the monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai. It consisted of several clauses covering all aspects of human rights including such topics as the protection of Christians, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judges and to own and maintain their property, exemption from military service, and the right to protection in war. This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate. No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to

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be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).

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The Origins of the Quran

When the Prophet Muhammad was formulating the basic concepts of his new religion he would have been mindful of his predecessors in time. In particular he would have reflected back to the role of the Greeks, the great thinkers from ancient time. Within a Mediterranean context their contribution was then as now ever present and had been perpetuated by the Romans and successive political regimes. The history, myths and legends from the past were kept alive in the Hejez largely by oral transmission. This means of communication is in stark contrast to present times were the masses enjoy open access to a myriad of communication formats including the most potent of all, the internet. The Greek philosopher Euhemerus introduced a concept in a book written around 200 BCE based on his observation that myths and legends derive from multiple retellings of events, thoughts and happenings often being transcriptions from foreign languages, hence variations in sense and meaning. His idea reflects the basis upon which the Greek myths were based. Muhammad was born at a time when paganism was rife across the region and Mekkah was dominated by the influence of a myriad of sects and their adherents. Beliefs amongst these groupings ranged from the mildly obscure to the ridiculous making Muhammads task that much more difficult. Satanic worship, evil spirits, magic potions and such like were part of this flourishing trade, a trade which has always thrived on the fringes of polite society. Much later in time, in the 11th century in northern Italy and much of southern France a similar group called the Cathars thrived. Bogomil missionaries from the Balkans brought with them a religion based on an ideology much like that practiced by the Gnostics. They argued that the universe was created by an evil power. Jesus descended into a world of evil from a world of light to guide those therein how to escape. Their doctrines found favour and were taken up in Provance and other regions. By 1200AD the church was established as the majority religion with the credentes (believers) forming the mass. The clergy or the Perfecti , or perfect ones followed a strict vegetarian diet and practiced celibacy, much in the way many Catholics monks did at the time. The Cathars rejected all the Catholic sacraments and replaced them with their own rituals and conventions. The Roman Catholic Church realising the threat from this fast growing group was predictable. At first they tried by persuasion. When this failed, under the direction of Pope Innocent III they launched a crusade upon the Cathars. Using forces loyal to Louis VIII an army descended upon the Cathars and wiped them out. Over half the population of the south of France was slaughtered. By 1244AD when the last Cathars strongpoint of Montsgur fell the population had been decimated many had either been killed or had fled to Italy or Bosnia. What the French army failed to do the Dominican monks did later in the Inquisition that followed. This purge lasted a full half century. 59

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In stark contrast to this Christian development Islam is based on a more grounded concept, the threshold of which being the Holy Quran. The Quran was given to mankind direct from God via Gabriel to Muhammad. This analogy ties in with the account given by King Numan 1st who, similarly witnessed a miracle when, in the deep of night he was also visited by the Archangel Gabriel who bestowed upon him the power of God in the form of a Signet Ring, the very ring that ultimately ended up with the Prophet Muhammad. God is the only source of Islam. Islam retains much from pre-Islamic Arabia including the word Allah, the name for God. The concept of monotheism did exist in the Jahiliyya, even the pagans believed in one supreme God that ruled over all others. The Kaba was the Masjid of many tribes as early as 60 BC. The tradition of kissing the black stone is pagan. Some accounts state that the Black Stone was originally white and only through the repeated process of multitudes of followers kissing the stone and banishing their sins did its colour transform to Black. The Quran provided the Arabs with a common identity. The first written Arabic version of the Quran appeared late in the 7 th century. The style is semi-poetical, rhyme is maintained but rhythm is rarely used. Certain dialectical differences were not a problem, as Arabic script at the time could not differentiate between dialectical variations. This led some confusion due to the lack of diacritical marks. For example Hamza, who later helped invent point notation confesses to having confused la zaiti fihil (no oil in it) with la raiba (no doubt). This remark highlighting the problem of transcription. By the time of the Mamun caliphate 198-218AD a system of pointing had been adopted who forbade the use of both diacritical and vowel marks. There is no evidence that the Prophet Muhammad made any provision for continuing political and religious leadership after his death. Had he done so then this point would have been clarified in advance. In the absence of a Last Will and Testament only the Prophets written legacy remained intact. For this reason the initial copies of the Quran became extremely valuable to the reciters of his teachings. The various Qurra established a power base based on their knowledge and as their influence gained in momentum so the mass became ever more critical of their military and political leadership many of who were ignorant of the Quran. The personal copy of the Quran made to order by Abu Bakr was in the Quraysh dialect and not distributed or copied during his lifetime. After his period in office in 634AD Umar became caliph. He was worried that following the battle of Yamama in Central Arabia many Muslims had been killed and as such much of their Quranic memory went with their demise. The Abu Bakr copy passed to Umar and on his death passed to his daughter Hafsa. This codex was always considered her private property rather than the property of the state. Other versions ascribe the idea to Ali, the forth caliph, and founder of the Shias. The revised edition was completed before the death of Uthman in 656AD. Copies were sent to Basra, Kufa, Damascus and Mekkah. The provenance of this record is open to question and some ascribe the origin back to Ali, the Prophets son-in-law. The Sheikhs, learned elders and tribal leaders that then made up the Macoraba claim that the Gold Quran was written in cipher and that only they understood its full meaning. They support the general view that the inscribed gold leaf form is the only genuine Quran and all others are mere copies. Some historians identify the role of the Macoraba as pre-dating the birth of the Prophet Muhammad by hundreds of years. Others mark their origin as being much later to a the time of the deliverance of the Holy Quran. What is clear, is that from the time the Prophet mobilised his army and started the spread of Islam across the region the Macoraba played a pivotal supporting role. These learned men promoted the

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faith by applying their knowledge, systems, and cultural awareness. By so doing they provided valuable strategic support to the Prophet Muhammad. In this respect their patronage of the arts and culture generally has made a significant contribution to the growth of regional Islamic society. By ensuring that the framework of the Prophets central philosophy was not compromised few deviations to the original concepts and words occurred. By applying a rigid structure, the faith was not polluted or altered. Accuracy of secure communications was key to oral and written transmissions. It was in this area that the Macoraba played such a vital part. As such, this influential group provided the faithful with a valuable base for all other writing and oral communication either in Hadith format or in the transcription of the original Quran. Many historians place doubt on the prodigious memories of the Companions and other ordinary folk. At a time when folk lore was the only means of passing on the legend and history, whilst it is reasonable to assume that a few could remember lengthy dialogues the successive transfer of the exact same words and meaning is more difficult to believe. For example the story of Joseph takes up 11 verses. Oral tradition on face value tends to change and therefore cannot be relied upon to construct a factual record of scientific history. This position was not critical to the early Muslims; they were more flexible in their interpretation. Over time the text has frozen, and is now unchallengeable. In A.H. 25 there was a rebellion against Uthman. His response was immediate. He quickly identified the root of the problem and, fifteen years after the Abu Bakr version instructed the same scribe, Zaid ibn Thabit to compile an up-dated, unified Quran. This was done on parchment scrolls (suhufs). Later these were placed in book form by Abdul Malk and Hajjij b. Yusuf. This recession thus superseded the personal Abu Bakr version. Four copies were made but all were destroyed. Anyone who recited any other version was proclaimed a heretic. This action removed the Qurra monopoly of Quran related knowledge. Ibn Kab was one of the Ansar. He was secretary to Muhammad in Medinah. His codex was dominant in Syria. He worked on the Uthman text but his personal codex failed to surpass that of Ibn Masuds codex and was accordingly destroyed by Uthman. Ibn Masud was a warrior and fought in the battles of Badr and Uhud. He was very close to the Prophet and later became a teacher in his own right. His codex was used in Kufa. Copies then in circulation where deemed by Zaid ibn Thabit as being inferior to his own. His codex omitted Suras 113 and 114 as well as The Band and The Lamb. When Hajjaj b. Yusuf became powerful during the Abdul-Malik caliphate 684-704AD he gathered together all copies of the Quran and produced six revised versions. Some sources refer to him as being the founder of the Macalabra as it was he who produced both coded and cipher messages when communicating confidential data pertaining to the older versions. Whilst the use of cipher text was limited in the Hedjaz at this time the scribes would have been conversant with some quite sophisticated Arab cipher systems. As the nature of this particular assignment was highly contentious any and all inclusions or deletions would have needed to have been jealously guarded prior to final agreement and publication. Since A.H. 322 the text as we now know it was fixed in time by Wazirs Ibn Muqla and Ibn Isa. Older versions were thereafter destroyed or allowed to perish. Following the death of the Prophet Muhammad four of his Companions sequentially succeeded him, the last of which was the Prophets cousin and son-in law Ali. Ali was unable to establish his authority in the north, where the Syrian governor was Muawiya. Reputedly his war cry was "Vengeance for Uthman against Ali. Both

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Uthman and Muawiya were members of the Mekkan clan of Umayyad. They were also related and met in the indecisive battle of Siffin. Ali was murdered in A.H. 661 and Muawiya was elevated to the title of first caliph of the Umayyad dynasty. The rivalry between Ali and Muawiya can be traced back to the time when Ali spent time with the Prophet. Muawiay knew full well that the Prophet had confided in Ali and resented this privileged status. Ali was Muhammads cousin and son-in law and as such was within the close family circle of trust. During the Prophets life Ali was used as both servant and teacher by the Prophet. It is not clear whether the Prophet Muhammad was literate but in this respect Ali oversaw the transcription of the original Quran. This he did with the aid of a trusted servant, called Al-Muzaykayh who hailed from Al-Yemen, a skilled craftsman and calligrapher. A set of wafer thin gold tablets were hammered out and upon them under the eye of Ali the trusted servant inscribed the Suras as precisely as they had been dictated by the Prophet. His Suras are distinct and very different to those of Uthman. Under duress he was ordered to destroy his hand scribed file of scrolls under the order of Uthman but retained the master file finely inscribed on gold leaf. The reference to the tablets is seen in the last two verses of sura LXXXV, Al Buraj, read: (21) hawa quranun majidun; (22) fulawhin mahfuzun/in. the last syllable is in doubt. If it is in the genitive in, it gives the meaning It is a glorious Quran on a preserved tablet- a reference to the Muslim doctrine of the Preserved Tablet. If it is in the nominative ending UN, we get It is a glorious Quran preserved on a tablet. Here the inference relates back to the Prophets gold Quran, the one and only word of God. Muawiya continued his fearsome tirade against Ali. He gave an instruction to Al Mughira, governor do not tire of abusing and insulting Ali and calling for Gods mercifulness for Uthamn, defaming the Companions of Ali, removing them and omitting to listen to them. This is a direct reference to Hadith that they, Ali and his Companions propagated. The Umayyads and their political followers had no scruples in promoting tendentious lies in a sacred religious form and were only concerned to find pious authorities who would be prepared to cover such falsifications. As-Suyuti pointed out that, Aisha, the favourite wife of the Prophet recounted that during the time of the Prophet, the chapters of the Sura, Parties used to be two hundred verses when read. When Uthman edited the Quran only the current 77 verses were recorded. She was well aware of the slimming down process. He also tells the story about Uba ibn Kab, one of the leading, and most trusted of his Companions. This famous Companion asked a fellow Muslim How many verses in the chapter of the Parties? He replied Seventy Three Verses. He (UBA) told him, It is almost equal to the chapter of the Cow. (about 286 verses) and included the verse of the stoning. The man asked What is the verse about the stoning? He (UBA) said, If an old man or women committed adultery, stone them to death. Abu Ubaid al-Qasim. Sallam AH154-244 confirms the disappearance of various chapters from the Ali gold standard version and points to both Aisha and Umar for supporting evidence. Umar is reported to having said that much of the Quran had disappeared and Aisha said that sura 33 had been reduced to 77 verses from its original 200 verses. This was reinforced by Ibn Kab who added that it had included the verses of the stoning. This point was not missed by Uthamn, several Hadith confirm this sentiment. Abi Ayyub b. Yunus refers to a verse in the Aishas codex that has since been removed. He goes on to say that Aisha accused Uthamn of having altered the Quran. Verses confirmed by Zaid ibn Thabit are recoded to have been lost by Adi

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b. Adi. The most telling omission was made by Umar who questioned the loss of another verse, and was informed by Abd ar-Rahman b. Auf that it dropped out among what dropped from the Quran. A plausible reason for these various omissions was that even though historically they might have been recited during prayers they were not passed down be the savants, the memory men because they were considered extra, or very similar to other verses. Different metropolitan areas followed different codices, Homs and Damascus followed al-Aswad, and Kufa-Ibn Masd Basra as-Ashair and Syria ibn Kab. The lost codices are recorded in works undertaken in the 4 th century A.H. by Ibn alAnbari, Ibn Ashta and Ibn Abi Dawud. Whether Muhammad was literate or illiterate is not known. He never authorised any of his Companions to produce a complete version of the Quran. The only version that he authorised was scribed by his favourite wife. The gap in time between the meeting between the Prophet and Bahira and the first major Christian debate on the Quran is about 200 years, i.e. in 830 CE some forty years before Bukhari. It would appear that most Christians were not aware of the Quran until the end of the 8 th century. Abu Nosh, secretary to the governor of Mosul and Timothy, the Nestorian patriarch of Seleucia supported the view that Bahira was an advisor to the Prophet Muhammad on matters concerning the Christian faith. The Medinah sura contains sketches of the histories of previous prophets, laws and the manner and principals by which followers were to live. Quran is written Following the death of the Prophet Abu Bakr was caliphate from 632-634 AD. He was popular at the time. After the Prophets death many Arabs revolted against Abu Bakr and forcibly put him down. A contender by the name of Musailima was executed by Abu Bakr. Some 30 years after the Prophets death Umar sought the services of Zaid ibn Thabit to collate the Quran. This codex was given to Hafsa. To avoid confusion Uthman ordered the destruction of all other codices. Arguments broke out and Ibn Masud opposed the use of Zaids codex, arguing that he ibn Masud had been a Companion of the Prophet longer than Zaid.

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The Four Righteous Caliphs

Muhammad never claimed to be anything more than a mortal, the Apostle of God and leader of Gods people. When the Prophet died his mission on earth was complete. The main purpose of his apostolate had been to restore the true monotheism carrying on the line prescribed formerly by Moses, Abraham and. Accordingly he was the last Prophet, the final Seal. After him there would be no further prophets. However, the mission that the Prophet Muhammad had set in motion needed perpetuating and for this a new leader needed to be appointed. Umar ibn al-Khattab succeeded him in 634AD. In 656AD Uthamn was murdered by mutineers from the Arab army in Egypt who had come to Medina to lodge their grievances. On 17 th June 656AD he was mortally wounded within the caliphs quarters. The Companions then installed Ali as the new caliph. In terms of dynasty the first four caliphs were blood related and as such bonded by family interests. In the fullness of time this tenuous link did little to quell political rivalry between the men. However, against this backdrop many consider them as being the only caliphs who preserved the true tradition of Muhammad as all four were in some way related to the Prophet. Abu Bakr used the term Khalifa an Arabic word meaning successor. Khalifatu Rasul Allah, the successor of the Prophet of God. Another term used was Khalifat Allah, meaning Deputy of God

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The daughters of Abu Bakr were married to Muhammad and three of his daughters were married to Uthman and Ali. Following the Prophets untimely death in 632AD there was great confusion within the Muslim ranks because the Prophet had failed to identify his successor. To rectify matters the Companions appointed Abu Bakr as their first caliph. This action did not meet with general consent and tribal leaders throughout Arabia broke out in open revolt. Within Muslim circles this uprising was referred to as the Wars of the Apostasy which lasted for over 12 months. The reason was fiscal rather than religious allegiance. The tribesmen, having paid taxes to their Prophet Muhammad refused to pay taxes to Medinah. During this period Abu Bakr continued to pursue the Prophets expansionist policy by sending troops to Syria and Iraq. On his deathbed in 634AD he appointed Umar b. al-Khattab as his rightful successor. Umars term in office lasted until 644AD. During this period he achieved success in the battlefield and by negotiation with the tribesmen. He is accredited as having unified the Bedouin Tribes under one banner and using this resource was able to muster large mounted armies. He defeated the Persians at Qadisiyya and after the battle of Nihavand in 642AD took over Iran resulting in the last Sassanid king fleeing to Khurasan where he was assassinated in 651AD. After this Umar turned his attention on the western flank where he attacked the Byzantines in Syria. In 641AD the Byzantines relinquished Egypt to the Muslims. He was widely regarded as being a great administrator and statesman. In the Roman mode, he allowed the conquered people to retain their land and religion providing they paid a special tax known as jizya. In addition, he is credited with fixing a new era based on the year of the emigration from Mekkah to Medinah (Hijar) 1 AH = 622AD. As with his predecessor he was assassinated. Following his death his inner circle of advisors appointed Uthman b. Affan as the third caliph in 644AD. His term ran until 656AD. Umar was perceived to be heavy handed and as such attracted negative attention from rival groups including that led by Ali b. Abi Talib. Two issues created additional friction, favouritism and the issue of state unity. For the later he appointed members from his own clan, the Umayyad to governorship. This action led to charges of nepotism by his detractors. More discontent was created by his policy of diverting taxes to the benefit of his family members. To thwart these grievances he made an innovative move and authorised his own official Quran and in the process destroyed all others in existence. This act was aimed at reducing the power of the reciters, whos power base he sought to quash. He was eventually murdered at the hands of discontented Egyptians. His arch enemy Ali then took over the caliphate. However, his failure to bring the murderers of Uthman to trial created a new tension. As a result civil war broke out under the leadership of Talha and Zubayr, two of Ali's former supporters. This rebellion was suppressed near Basra in Iraq at the famous Battle of the Camel. Aisha, a wife of the Prophet Muhammad is reported to have watched the battle from atop a camel. Alis problems did not stop there. In Syria, Muawiya refused to pay his dues and failed to pay political allegiance to Ali. This led to the indecisive Battle of Siffin, the outcome of which tended to loosen Alis military hold and authority. Many of his soldiers saw this as weakness and deserted him. After the battle Muawiya grew in confidence and the Syrians accepted him as their caliph. Later in the year he took control of Egypt, further strengthening his position as both military and religious leader. Ali was murdered in 661AD and Muawiya became caliph. This marked the beginning of the Umayyad caliphate. And so it was, all

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of the first Four Righteous Caliphs were either murdered or assassinated in cold blood. But such was their influence that from the base that they created an Islamic empire was born. 19 The Memorisation and Transcription of the Quran by Ali, the forth Caliph

It is unclear as to why the Prophet Muhammad placed so much emphasis on the young Ali and helped with his education. On this question no particular theory has been put forward and as such was never explained by contemporary chroniclers. When, in later life the Prophet Muhammad needed someone with exceptional memory skills to recount thousands of hours of word perfect dialogue it was Ali whom he called upon. Why this was the case was and what special skills did Ali possess? Ordinarily, for most part the human brain continually absorbs, retains and recreates masses of data. This occurs in the young, the old, those with high IQs and those of lesser ability. However, it is rare indeed for anyone to be able to recite by rote minute data in a precise format over an extended period of time unless that person is highly trained or has exceptional powers of memory recall. In this regard we frequently use the broad brush stroke of genius to define a person with a photographic memory or one with exceptional arithmetical or numerical skills. In this connection it is common knowledge that very occasionally cases do occur beyond the normal fit. Modern medical science directs us to a minority within the community with powers and ability far removed from the ordinary parameters of reasonable ability. These are now generally referred to as being autistic or having a rare condition called savant syndrome. Savants are people who in some instances suffer serious mental disability have quite remarkable and sometimes spectacular talents. This is an exceedingly rare phenomenon, although there are a few well documented cases. In medical terms the condition is considered to be a spectrum disorder. There are no medical criteria for diagnosing autism; a specific diagnosis is only made when a number of characteristics are noted as being present in the patient. Additionally, there is no particular type of person with autism but it occurs in males more frequently than females in an approximate ration of 6 to1. The ability or skills can appear as quickly as they can disappear. Two general types are listed, Talented Savants and Prodigious Savants, the later being a far rarer condition, the recorded frequency of which is probable less than two or three persons per annum worldwide. In the case of the Prodigious Savant the recorded ability is not only spectacular, akin to genius in the particular field. Such people can for example have superior memory functions. Some have photographic memories and can recall entire complex directories or other random data. In other cases these people can learn numerous languages without any formal training or apparent effort. If these observations are correct then clearly the human brain has the potential to memorise the huge extent of data that is attributed to the caliph Ali. Without any medical records there is no evidence to suggest that Ali was a Prodigious Savant. What is clear is that he had an ability which was on a par with a Prodigious Savant. The hypothesis does not go so far as to support the conclusion that the condition was widespread in the Hedjaz region in the 7th-9th century and thus rules out the possibility for it being a transferable skill. For this the early Muslims must have relied upon repetition and other devices to implant large tracts of data including the verses of the Quran. This skill can be observed to-day in Muslim and other religious communities. It is a standard tool in education and practiced at every level. Our present understanding of the condition is far from complete, but with further research future generations will have a better comprehension of the workings of the brain, and the mechanisms which determine our ability to store and retrieve data. Armed with such knowledge future observers will

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undoubtedly be in a better position to judge the relevance and accuracy of the Hadith. This observation goes part way to explain a possible sequence of event which ultimately led to the production of the first hand written Quran after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Of the many copies of the Holy Quran made some travelled well beyond the existing sphere of Islamic influence. Copies were made when Hunza traders went East on Silk Road to Damascus and then on to Medinah and Mekkah. They met El-Nurdin Al-Hira and copied the Golden Quran and took the Silk copy with them. This beautifully hand crafted piece of work this went as far as Nagir in the Hunza valley where it was buried. This facsimile copy of the golden Quran was written on bhoj patra (bark of the bhoj tree) which doesnt decay or decompose partly because of the low humidity in the Hunza Valley region of Kashmir. The writing is in Prakrit. It was carried within a Camphor lined Stone box and from Mekkah it went to Kashmir. The recovery of this particular copy of the Quran would add greatly to or knowledge and in so doing would answer some outstanding questions regarding textural fact.

20 Uthman Quran.

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The Uthman Quran is reputedly the oldest surviving complete document In response to a request for clarification of content it is reported that Uthman commissioned the writing of a Quran. By the time that he made his decision he was aware that sections of knowledge and content were by then already lost. He was not alone in this view, Aisha and Ibn Kab was also dismayed that key elements were no longer in existence. Various scholars made their own codices including Ibn Masud, Ubai ibn Kab, Ali, and Abu Bakr. Uthmans codex standardised the consonantal text, this measure help resolve the issue presented due to unpointed and unvowelled script. In the process he attempted to eradicate all unauthorised codices which in his eyes were contra dictionary to his central theme. It was not until the time of Ibn Majahid in the 10 th century A.H. that a standardised version was achieved. In AH 322 Ibn Mujahid of Baghdad pronounced that his Hufuf based on the Uthmanic version was the only version to be in circulation and forbade any other ikhitiyar and limited the variations in voweling to seven different systems. Of all the material that was written about the Prophet it is amazing that no written record survived pre 750AD some

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118 years after the Prophets death. The earliest record is the Sura attributed to Ibn Ishaq, but even this has been lost. Having now recovered the two missing Suras The Lamb and The Band it can be argued that these are the oldest of the unrecorded Suras to have survived. Islamic law cannot be traced back further than to about a century after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Islamic law developed out of popular and administrative practice under the Umayyads. Norms derived from the Quran were introduced into Islamic law as part of a secondary process. The life of Muhammad was transmitted via oral tradition for over a century before it was published via the Hadith. Against this development Hajjai, the governor of Iraq (661-714 AD) collected and destroyed much of the written wealth of the early Muslims. The first printed Quran in Arabic was printed in Venice Italy in 1537AD. The discovery of this particular mechanically printed Quran using moveable type was as a result of investigative research into the activities of Alessandro Paganin a Venetian printer. Paganin must have had a prosperous Arabic client as many of his publications were printed in Arabic. The copy of his Quran is located in the library of the Franciscan Friars of San Michele in Isola, Venice. The text is entirely in Arabic. (Excluding the MS marginalia which is in Latin. The important annotation at [224] notes ownership as being Teseo Ambrogio degli Albonesi who died in 1540AD. Also included is the stamp of the Vicar, of Cremona Inquisition can be dated to the second half of the sixteenth century? That said, the reader can deduce that for a period of some 900 years the faithful had to rely solely on hand scripted copies of the Quran. How many of these publications were ever circulated is not known, but the number would be insignificant compared with printed editions which came after the mid 16th century. Robert Purnell picked up on a note that he came across in Medina. It stated that the alignment of some early mosques was northwest of Arabia, not towards Mekkah. He also pointed out that the frontal dome on the Prophets Signet Ring was the forerunner of the design of the standard vaulted dome on the Mosque. Regardless of these facts, the Quran was and remains an Arabic masterpiece and as such the focal point of every student of Islam. Every Muslim therefore had a basic understanding of both the written and spoken word in Arabic. The early Muslim leadership was well aware of this fact and used the Arabic language to establish their respective places in society. The rapid growth of fledgling faith under the guidance and direction of the Prophet and later via His Rightly Guided Companions, Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthman and Ali ended in 661 when Ali was murdered. Thereafter the Umayyads took over their mantle of leadership and continued to expand the Empire until 750AD when Marwan II was assassinated. By this time they had run out of steam having reached a point of over extension. At this point, the mainly Arabic speaking Empire stretched from Spain across to India in the East and from Africa to the Caspian Sea and Iraq in the North. Arabic had extended its reach across most of the Umayyad Empire. Coincidentally, the spread of Islam provided a critical communication advantage for the Arabic speakers. Closely following behind the newly converted populations came an ever expanding network of scholars and clerics who in turn built tens of thousands of Mosques and schools. The Mosque, being the focal point within each community was, by default the community communications centre. As the borders of the Arabian Empire expanded control passed from the hands of the Companions, to the Caliphs, the Umayyads and then to the Abbasids, the latter of which who moved the centre of Islamic governance and power from

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Damascus to a new city called Hashimiya, which was named after the Prophets can. This city stands 50 miles west of the Silk Road to China and some 70 miles south of present Baghdad, the centre of the former Sumarian and Babylonian empires. In 762AD al-Mansur shifted his capital to Baghdad which had been built on the age old East- West trade route. Even though it was the Umayyads who were responsible for building and extending the Islamic Empire it was the Abbasids who reaped the cultural rewards. Theirs, was a golden age. This period lasted from 763AD through to 809AD and marks a high point in human achievement in the art, culture, science and learning. This period of growth and prosperity brought with it wealth and scholarship which, when combined helped consolidate Islam and expand its religious and political influence. Against this background a sophisticated, secure communication system had been created and applied across the great tracts of land under their control. This tool was to be known as the cipher, which provided the rulers with a vital instrument by which to govern. Confidential messages could then be securely relayed across great distances without losing their meaning or content. Hitherto the weakness of all written confidential messages was the risk of alternation, interception, theft or loss. To overcome this drawback the Arabs created a sophisticated, unbreakable cipher system. Over time this encryption technique was used with great effect by the leaders and power brokers to deliver confidential messages and sensitive data. So successful was the system that secure complex coded manuscripts could be sent in complete confidence. The complexity of the ciphers was kernel to this technology. Possession of its composition was jealously guarded by the originators. It is not correct to say that the Macoraba had a monopoly in the traffic of secure data transmission as other groups plied their trade as Cryptanalysts. What differentiated the Macoraba from others was their code braking ability which rendering most other applications vulnerable to attack. For that reason, for centuries almost every transmission in the Islamic world deemed worthy of encryption was handled by the Macoraba. Some examples of Macoraba ciphers still exist, and some of those that survive can be seen in museums but most have been lost to time. Of those that have particular relevance to modern Islam are the missing Suras, The Lamb and The Band. Neither of these works was included in Quranic literature dating from between 623-661AD, those works compiled by the Prophets Rightly Guided Companions. No other examples have survived depicting elements of the Quran in cipher. After the death of the Prophet each of a succession of ruling caliphs were responsible for carrying out the word and the letter of the Prophet, upholding his teachings and propagating his word. By 751AD the Abbasid dynasty was at its zenith bringing with it a new age for Islamic civilization. The arts and sciences, mathematics and astronomy all flourished in this new peaceful and dynamic age of learning. As the populace became more sophisticated and more educated so did the power of those who controlled vital communications. The educated scribes and administrators routinely used cryptography to communicate amongst themselves. An example of this new art is found in the Adad al-Kuttab or Secretaries Manual which contains a chapter on cryptography. At this time the Islamic scholars were reaching back in time to secure historic and distant knowledge from other civilisations and places. Such knowledge and learning that was gained was translated and stored or filed in what we would now term a library. The Islamic world provided an ideal cradle for Cryptanalysts as Islam demands justice in all spheres of human activity. By the 8 th century their ruling classes had reached a state of sophistication in the arts, scholarship and learning. Their knowledge of paper making helped

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propel this advancement. Here a new industry of warraqin those who handle paper was borne. It was in this environment that Arabic scholars invented cryptanalysis, the science of code breaking. It was they who found a method of breaking the monoalphabetic substitution cipher, a cipher that had remained invulnerable for several centuries. Islamic Cryptanalysts with a capability and capacity to develop and apply state of the art encryption and decryption technology only came into their own when the Muslim civilisation had developed to a point where its scholars were both numerate and literate. Using a secret cipher code system called Macoraba an elite Islamic group was trained to undertake this task. Recruited scholars were well versed in bureaucratic governance and were in most cases trained in algebra and advanced mathematics. Using this knowledge as a base they became cipher experts and were paid well to perform encryption and decryption work. They provided services to both the public and private sectors of trade and industry. These men were of impeccable standing, the most trusted. The cipher patterns that they created were, in most part unbreakable and far more sophisticated than the alphabetic, or any other systems then in use. Without the concentrated resources of a de-coding centre such as Bletchley House their communications systems were impregnable. This technological advance in sophisticated use of communications encryption systems brought with it influence and power, which did not go unnoticed amongst peripheral groups including the clerics and theologians, and those academics who studied the Hadith, a massive collection of references pertaining to the Prophets daily utterances. Using their particular skill sets the authors of this collection were able to demonstrate at various levels of certainty that each statement so recorded had been uttered by the Prophet Muhammad. This process of elimination was done over time. The authorities did so by studying the entomology of words, sequences and structure of sentences. Having achieved this they could then confirm attribution based on conformity with linguistic patterns as spoken by the Prophet. Scholarship, knowledge and secure communications skills when combined played an important role in Islamic development. The drivers who headed this thrust were these who processed specialist crypto skills. A ninth century scientist called Abu Yusuf Ya qub ibn Is-haq as-Sabbah ibn omran ibn al-Kindi wrote a thesis titled A Manuscript on Deciphering Cryptographic Messages. His deductions are as relevant to-day as they were in the 9 th century. In the mid 1940s the British code breakers in Bletchley Park used the same principals. Alan Turings summation was, that first for the cipher to be broken the analyst must know the language in which it was written, and from there is to find a different plaintext of the same language long enough to fill a sheet or so. By deduction one can then count the occurrences of the different letters and or words, a principal recently used to determine the numbers of each of the letters used in the game Scrabble. The group that made this discovery had a long tradition of scientific advancement. Since the earliest times these senior advisors and experts in their craft held Court in Mekkah where they were called the Macoraba, this being the ancient name for Mekkah. The group claim to be able to trace their lineage back to Babylonian times. Whilst their existence pre-dates Islam with a reputed history dating back well over 2,000 years their contribution to science and learning has been on-going ever since. The groups sphere of influence accelerated during the time of Mohammad. Even during the 7 th century by adopting new science principles they were able to elevate themselves above the rest. In pursuit of this goal they advanced the evolving science of cryptography. For centuries the Macoraba was and remained an elite, albeit secretive stratum within Islamic hierarchy. The group has traditionally expressed itself though the mediums of politics, religion, commerce and scholarship without the need to put itself

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forward into the public arena in an overt manner. Its Islamic principles are deep set. Its aims and ambitions are firstly to Islam and secondly to itself. As such its objectives often appear nebulous and obscure, but having survived for over 1000 years the organisation has a proven record of longevity. Almost 4,000 years ago, a scribe in the town of Menet Khufu drew out the story of his masters life in hieroglyphics. At the same time, though, he also brought into the world the first documented use of Cryptography. In the tomb Khnumhotep, a nobleman of about 1900 BC, the scribe used a simple code of hieroglyphic substitution, changing one symbol for another, less well-known one. However, this scribe did not use a comprehensive system of encryption; he just substituted hieroglyphs here and there, mostly at the end of his document.

As time went on, Egyptians continued to use transformed hieroglyphs in their writings, in fact they became more common as the civilization matured. The Egyptians had several letter which commonly changed around in written communications. However, the interesting thing about the Egyptians cryptography is that any viewer could figure out what the transcriptions read in a relatively short time, as compared to the millions of years needed to break modern cryptograms. But then, why encrypt? There are several possibilities, but unfortunately we will never know the true answer. First, it is possible that the Egyptians wanted to preserve the secrecy of certain religious rituals from the casual observer. By making the religious texts difficult for an outsider to read, they would make their religion mysterious, but not forbidden. Since the mysterious usually provokes curiosity, encrypting texts could have been a political move to promote their religion. Another, more simple interpretation of Egyptian cryptography is that the scribes just wanted to give a formal appearance to their documents. To an observer 5000 years from now, a bill for consideration in the United States Senate or House could be considered an encrypted document. Using the complicated language of lawyers, any legal document appears to be in a different form of English, just as the Egyptians used a different form of Hieroglyphs. Finally, it may have just been for the Scribe's personal pride. He may have wanted to impress the reader by showing that he could write at a different level. The scribe in this case would simply be showing off, but cryptography then was a far cry from the deadly serious science of today.

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Evidence of early encryption using cipher techniques can be seen in Egypt where the Pharaohs used elaborate techniques using papyrus as the substrate of communication to transmit coded messages. The origins of the Macoraba and their business are less easy to identity as its roots are so widespread. Secondly, its motivation and objectives are largely undefined. However, upon close historic examination its mark is clearly evident across the passage of time dating from 500 BC leading up to and including time of the Ottoman Sultans in the 16 th Century. The evidence as such can be seen when one examines the political, military, commercial and religious development of those nations that make up the Islamic world. Many key players in these sectors played a pivotal role in the nation building process. It therefore takes but cursory examination to see which personalities within the group ere most active. As a starting point, every school boy will know the word Saladin. It takes but a small leap of imagination to see how through his connection to the Macoraba and other networks in the Levant and Africa that he was able to achieve so much in such a short period of time in those regional theatres. An early example of this association projects the group in a positive light. It was at the time when the Hejaz leaders were engaged with many other ethnic groups including the Mandaeans from Iraq. They were members of a Gnostic sect and at the time in conflict with a breakaway group known as the iconoclasts. Their belief being, that John the Baptist was the true Messiah. Their sacred scripts are written in the ancient Aramaic dialect, the commonality being their ancestry, which was geographically adjacent to the geographical territory that they lived in. A group from Nicaea (now called Iznk) sought political support in its quest to support the rise of the iconoclasts. Nicaea was an ancient Asia Minor city, an important Roman trade and commercial centre. Following the fall of Rome it was absorbed into the Byzantines sphere of influence. Its importance was also based on the fact that it was the site of two ecumenical councils of the early Christian Church, the first the Council of Nicaea in 325AD and the second in 787AD. The later condemned the iconoclasts, the Christian dissenters who were against the use of images in religious worship in churches in the Eastern Roman Empire in Europe. The iconoclasts practiced their belief in a Puritanical way, banishing all forms of idolatry and image worship. In this respect a similarity exists with Islam. On this singular point they did not follow the belief that John the Baptist was the Messiah. To avert ochlocracy from occurring Hejaz leaders mediated in the stand-off religious confrontation by co-opting militiamen. This prompt action effectively quelled a potential Christian against Christian uprising in its infancy. This is but one of many religious and secular examples of how, through the ages Hejaz tribal leadership intervention has averted regional strife and suffering. With regards adherence to law. Muhammad drew from both Roman and Arabic law and legal practice. In this respect the Macoraba merely used their knowledge to reinforce the tenants of Islamic law, the Shariah. This system has regulated the lives of all those who profess Islam, its origin predating the birth of the Prophet Mohammed. It includes courts which can administer the full range of penalties including the death penalty. As is occasionally reported, this can in some instances be by stoning or beheading. Shariah law is the only law applied in some Islamic countries, in others it runs in tandem with secular law. Sunnism and Shiism, or Shiah Islam are the two main forms of Islam. The main difference between the Sunni and Shiite Islam lies in the latters belief that the charisma of the Prophet was inherited by

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his descendants, in whom they invest supreme spiritual and political authority. Sunni believe in the consensus of the community. Their caliphs ceased to exist in Turkey in 1924. Macoraba is understood to represent and embrace the interests of adherents from all four main branches of Islam as well as the many sects, circles and minority Muslim groupings. Within the Sunni community there are four main branches. Shiism has produced over time a variety of sects, one of which is referred to as Twelvers Ithna Ashariya. The reason for the twelve being that they believe that the 12th Imam or successor to the Prophet Muhammad in direct linear descent disappeared. This character will, they believe reappear in time as the Mahardi before the end of the world. All Muslims follow the basic belief as expressed in the Shahada, the Muslim confession of faith that there is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his Prophet. The periodic revelation of Angels such as Gabriel is an integral part of the belief. The broadening of global Muslim influence has, over time put immense pressure on the organisational skills of the leadership. Conflicting loyalties, political alliances and disparate commercial strategies have, from time to time fragmented the Arab Islam power base and as a consequence their sources of funding and above their treasury. But, so far nothing has destroyed the age old glue that cements the long standing religiously based unions that go to make Macoraba impervious to persistent external threat. Whilst Macoraba has its foundations in pre-Islamic history it has been difficult to establish its precise conception. In all probability it grew organically in the Arabian Peninsula from necessity and evolved slowly thereafter. The knowledge that is now available to researchers into this subject enables us to delve far deeper into the interlocking matrix of events that made Arabian and Islamic history. Recent developments in science and technology for example provide us with accurate dating techniques for most aspects of Steganography. These techniques have enabled us to accurately trace Macoraba cipher lineage to a time shortly after the overthrow of Mekkah in 630AD. This monumental undertaking by the Prophet Mohammed and his Medinah army marked a watershed in Arabic history. This conquest confirmed his position as both chief and Prophet. Shortly thereafter, the Prophets followers assembled. Due to infighting and squabbling amongst the group their focus of attention needed to address the immediate problems, the purpose, and objective being to extend the Prophets will. Ever since, his descendants and followers have relentlessly continued to follow his example and beliefs by proclaiming their faith through action. Due to the ever present threat of persecution from parties within and outside the Muslim world the factions that supported Macoraba technology and systems prudently decided to adopt a low rather than profile strategy. Acting is support of the religious objectives a parallel network of Macoraba members grew, and as their numbers increased so did their political influence. Early membership consisted mainly of narrow section of regional, tribal leaders but later, as the Muslim faith extended and the sphere of influence widened, their base became more diverse. This fundamental change widened the scope of activity and greatly increased the resource base. This expansion created a hiatus within the group which was only settled later when an extraordinary general assembly was called in AH723. The question uppermost in the minds of the attendees was one of structure, whether to formalise it or remain a virtual organisation with no material base or corporate structure. In effect the structure that was proposed mirrored that which has stood the test of time over millennia in Arabia and elsewhere. To achieve a mutually agreeable settlement representatives from the regions had been put forward to express the will and wishes of their peers.

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This group was then generally called the Sheikhs or leaders. So successful was this basic structure that it remained in place, unaltered for decades to come. We deduce, that from the outset meetings were, and remained on an informal basis and followed an age old custom and formula as set out by the founding Arabian tribal leaders. As such they would have been convened for specific purposes such as settling of disputes as well as conducting social and commercial business. Most probably such meetings would have been scheduled to coincide with annual markets, feasts, major religious events and holidays. Based on their intimate knowledge and use of ciphers the code of secrecy practiced by the group dictated that their activities remained a private organisation. From the outset the reason for the need of secrecy was based on a multi-tiered need for personal and community security. From time to time, as its power base grew Macoraba came under pressure from detractors and opponents attempted to target and dismantle its monopoly over secure transmissions using physical, mechanical or written techniques. Their modus operandi was, in the first instance to challenge its legality and quasi religious standing. For this they tried to win the support of the religious leaders and use their influence to undermine the workings of the Macoraba. Such was the organisations power and influence such attempts were repeatedly thwarted. Nevertheless, from a historic perspective even until recent times such groups, due to their opaque front naturally tend to attract negative political, religious and commercial attention. This model has, in recent years been re-examined by the Israelis. During the time of the George Bush, senior administration, American homeland defence researchers were extremely interested in seeing whether there were any obvious similarities, or for that matter any direct lines of association between the old Macoraba structure and the new regime as created by Al Queda and other such organisations. In addition to this work Israeli Agencies have expended considerable resources trying to track down the roots of the former, and more recent organisational iterations. In all probability there may well be no is no direct link, but from our perspective access to the conclusions of these august, well funded bodies would be more than welcome. Whether it be for national defence reasons, access to oil and gas reserves or simply massive military equipment and systems export revenues both the US and Israel feel that they need answers. The great oil and natural gas finds during the last century catapulted commercial and exploitation interest in Arabia, this, mainly being led by US oil companies. More recently, the US led strategic thrust, instead of being driven solely by commercial objectives has been spearheaded by political initiatives backed up by a military force. The later has been supported by the European and other coalition alliances. The seriously flawed argument for war based on weapons of mass destruction is an argument best forgotten, national defence issues now being the favoured coalition mantra. In recent years this force has been directed towards Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, all of which are Islamic States. Nothing changes, Covertous and envious eyes cannot resist prying into the various strata of past Macoraba activities. Within and without Islam, as custodians of an age old Islamic legacy they are an obvious target, particularly by foreign powers, militants and right wing splinter groups. All such entities see the potential to profit from either association or failing that from gaining an insight into the various mechanisms and networks so deployed.

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For this very reason the leadership has since its inception had to work hard to protect itself from external threat. As their power and wealth increased so did the threat to their very survival. In some instances, in the immediate years after the Prophet Muhammads death entire family units were wiped out in targeted raids and pillages. Of the original twelve family or tribal founding groupings only seven survived. In more recent times the US government has backed the archaic Wahhabi Royal House of Saud, an autocratic, undemocratic Saudi Arabian feudal regime. The Americans have provided the King, who is a absolute monarch with an unlimited array of state of the art defence and offensive capability much of which is operated and controlled by American agencies on the Kings behalf. From a religious standpoint the Wahhabi are protected by Royal decree. This resurging faction is a relatively recent phenomenon in Islamic terms. But, as with other groups its origins are deep seated in the Arabian Peninsula. All that it took to leverage it from the main Islamic body mass was a charismatic leader, in that they found their man, Muhammad Abd Al-Wahhhab. Wahhabism have, since the 1740sAD had a place in Islam and in modern times this place has gained popular support and acceptance in many quarters elsewhere . Divisions within the Wahhabi sect are no different to those of any religious or political party. Radicals take their place on the extreme flanks and the core is, by enlarge composed of moderates. On the extreme right is the ultra orthodox Wahhabism, whose perceptions and opinions are generally not shared by the main body of belief. In this regard most Muslims cannot accept a Wahhabi view that if you dont convert to my way of thinking I have a God-given right to kill you; in fact I have a religious duty to kill you. This extreme view is in fact mostly considered deeply offensive by most Muslims. Wahhabism started in the Hejez in the 1740s by a law giver named Muhammad Abd Al-Wahhab. His friendship with Ibn Saud enabled his to promote his puritanical views by force. During the next 80 years the Wahhabi doctrine spread from tribe to tribe throughout Arabia and beyond. During their ascendancy to power the Wahhabis wilfully destroyed much of what remained of the physical Hejez history including many ancient buildings and their contents. This pressure persists to this day, scant regard being given to artefacts and other material relics from the past. It is therefore not surprising that most of what remains of the regions cultural past has long since been lost to the present ruling regime. In this context some of the Prophet Muhammads personal items survived. However, most of these are now housed elsewhere in the custodianship of more responsible groups. Following his death the Signet Ring was entrusted to close friends, descendants, and Rightly Guided Companions and followers. These included Abu Bakr, Omar and Uthman. Uthman bin Affan who was a member of the Beni Umayya clan, descendants of the founder of the tribe called Qusayy ( Umayyads). It is reported in the Hadith that it was granted to this group for safe keeping. The most likely sequence of events was that the Signet Ring passed from Caliph to Caliph along with other related items, some of which dated from the time of the Prophets childhood. The ring was last seen in Muslim hands in 650AD. The pious Uthman is believed by some scholars to have issued an official text of the Quran and to have others destroyed, arousing hostility. The same scholars report that in 650AD he seems to have carelessly lost the Prophets signet ring causing widespread discontent, which focused on him personally ( Utham :- Caliph 644-56AD). It is clear that Uthman had many enemies. Ultimately these people killed him but not before he had buried the artefacts is a secure and secret place on Mount Hira. His murder in 656AD by a gang of mutinous soldiers from the Arab army of Egypt led by Mohammad, son of the deceased Caliph Abu Bakr (and brother of Aisha, widow of the Prophet). The assassins

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were supporters of the Prophets cousin, Ali, pretender to the throne. From that time the Signet Ring and other items lay hidden amongst the stones and dust that make up the upper flank of the mountain. This spot was highlighted in the parchments.

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The Hadith

Whilst the Hadith might present the reader with clues as to the bond that existed between the ring and the Prophet during his early life it is more difficult to establish the precise point in time when he decreed that the rings shape was to mirror and replicate that of the house of God, the dome above each and every mosque. The particular relationship between the architectural design and the frontal face of the Signet Ring is not clear as no specific designs that may have been made survive. Whether the Prophet ever made a specific order to his Companions relating to the specific architectural detailing of the central roofing structure of mosques is not known. What is clear however is that for over 1,400 years the policy has been followed to the letter by mosque builders across all Islamic States.

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Hadith 35 Imam An-Nawawi Islam as a new religion was initially restricted to Arabia. Its momentum of growth was initially slow but accelerated quickly after the demise of the Prophet Muhammad. Both during and after the Prophets death little if anything was known of his existence outside the Arabian peninsula. Only post his death did external reports start to flow to the ears of neighbouring States. Muslim accounts were orally transmitted and as such slow and unreliable. This mode of communications persisted for generations thereafter before being finally recorded in writing. They are vitiated not only by the fallibility of human memory but also, and more significantly by the personal, familial, tribal, sectarian and party allegiances that then applied across the region. These personal interpretations often contradicted each others accounts of major events were invariably coloured from the In the context of this summary the reader is invited to consider the relevance of the Hadith, the Hadith being a recorded utterance, mannerism , or action made by or attributed to the Prophet Muhammad. In the absence of other contemporary hard evidence we have no other option other than to place great weight on those Hadith which have survived the test of time. A critical investigation of these and any documents produced at the time provide a useful basis for research. Regrettably, there are very few, if any genuine contemporary written records available to us. With scant, hard evidence to support the historic train of events leading up to the production of hard copies of the Quran historians and religious scholars have had to fill in blanks of knowledge based largely on hearsay and vocal transmission. Hadith literally means communication but in a wider context it can mean story. It appears in both Quranic texts and Hadith literature. Generally speaking the Hadith relates to the words or deeds of the Prophet Muhammad. This collection of sayings and doings can be traced back through a series of putatively trustworthy witnesses, such a trail or chain of transmitters is called an isnad. The certainty of these chains remains open to question. Without physical evidence pertaining to the transmitters and the circumstances of transmission the accuracy of each such event cannot

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be quantified scientifically. Many students of Islam take the view that at best such communications can only serve as a reflection of tendencies of the early Muslim community. There are no census records of his birth and no hard evidence to support the date of the birth; however, from all accounts we believe that the Prophet Muhammad died in 632 CE. The earliest material on his life was written by Ibn Ishaq in 750 CE, a hundred and twenty years after the Prophets death. The source of a Hadith can come from any number of people or places. Of the thousands that have, over time been in circulation this number has reduced in recent years to those which stand a higher degree scrutiny. Clearly opportunists and others fabricated and embellished stories over the centuries, some of which may have been based on real observation but in the process of development meandered from the true word or record. Islamic scholars were aware of this confused state of affairs and in an attempt to straighten out fact from fiction created a number of authorities. There are six authorities, collections of Hadith. These are referred to as being those of Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Maja, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nisi. All date from the period 200-300 years after the death of the Prophet. In this respect these authorities underscored data then in the public domain and in so doing time froze eligible Hadith. Since that period very few accepted and authorised new Hadith have been added to the memory bank. The conflicting Umayyads and Abbasids speeded up the process of the Hadith culture, each vying to create its own retrospective historic base. Closely connected to this Arabic term is the Saunnah, a verbal noun derived from the Arabic root verb sanna. This word means to introduce or establish. Again, in modern context this is a reference to the mode of life of the Prophet. The Hadith is a record or collection of thoughts of what the Prophet said or practised. In this regard these actions as reported whilst they may have been influenced by the content of the Quran they are not Quranic as such. Muslim jurists define Sunnah as being what has been transmitted, authorised and approved by the Prophet Muhammad. These accounts go into great detail. For example they define the manner and mode of ibadah (worship) and the Salaah (obligatory prayers) and the rites of the pilgrimage or Hajj. As such the Hadith is intended to be the written authority of the Prophet. The Hadith record pre-dates his prophet hood and reports on his childhood, his mannerisms, sayings, moral characteristics etc. Within the Hadith collection the reader can build up a comprehensive idea as to his views on most topical subjects. For example, amongst the writings is a rule which forbade his Companions (Radhhiallaahu Anhu) from wearing silk or gold rings. This point is of particular interest in the Al-Hira context as it relates to the Prophet Muhammads Signet Ring. The holy ring was bestowed upon him at the age of about ten years by the Christian Monk, Bahira he too took the view that bronze was a preferred metal to gold. The concept put forward by the early Christians that the Bahira ring had previously been given by the angel Gabri-el to King Noman 1 st may be questioned by the unbeliever on the basis that bronze is an alloy of tin and copper and therefore man, and not God made. At face value the entire Quran is a word perfect rendition of the message received from God by the Prophet Muhammad. The most plausible explanation for this extraordinary assessment is that the followers and companions and their descendants were blessed with great powers of erudition, alternatively many may well have developed an acute memory function equal to that of a modern day savant. Only this prognosis would explain the accuracy of fact. Ordinarily, oral communication and personal interpretation of events is a rarely objective. For this reason subjective observations conducted over a very short periods of time will be biased. Alterations to the content and emphasis will invariably occur. Even though the Prophets followers were capable of reciting great tracts of complex data by rote few

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were literate and even fewer were able to communicate in any transferable or reproducible manner. To reduce this element of risk the Prophet tended to select from his Companions educated scribes and could read and write. Of these Ali was most capable.

22

New Knowledge

The Prophet Muhammad encouraged his Companions to acquire knowledge, and teach his Hadith/Sunnah to others, and in this way his word spread. Due to the fact that many observers were present at different times the various records of events would have differed from one to another depending upon what time they entered into or left a conversation etc. The more scholarly of the Companions were thus encouraged to memorise both the Quran and the Hadith as both unfolded. Some are reported to have written down texts on stone-tablets, skin and other substrates. The collective term for these records is Sahifah. At the time the role of scribe was as important as it is today. Legal documents were prepared and signed, treaties and trade letters, and financial records were all recorded. Some of these people are recorded, Abd RafiI,Abd Allah ibn Amr ibn Al-Aas and Zayd ibn Thabit are two of those best remembered. They wrote the Hadith, treaties of the Prophet, laws letters and other documents. During his life numerous disparate records and memories were collected, some recorded others were forgotten, discarded or lost. With the spread of Islam these stories passed from mouth to mouth from tribe to tribe. In this process the text must have changed as it passed from one iteration to another. Colloquial and linguistic variations, regional dialects and translations would have each contributed to modifying the detail if not the main meaning of the message. Of the Companions Abu Hurayrah played a pivotal role. He spent a lot of time with the Prophet and later, after the Prophets death became a fountain of knowledge in his reporting of past events. Unfortunately he could not read or write but he overcame this deficiency by verbally relaying a multitude of Hadith to others. For some unexplained reason the Prophet discouraged his Companions to write down notes of his actions or sayings. Some say that this order was to prevent an overlap of Hadith and the Quranic text. An exemption to this rule was granted to Abd Allah ibn Amr who was cited as having a poor memory. His collection of notes is called al-Sahifah al-Sadiqah or The Truthful Tract. Others such as Hammam ibn Munabbih wrote about ethics and morality. His master was Abu Hurayrah, who was also illiterate, but is to have had a great memory. His Magnus opus is called al-Sahifah al-Sahihah, the Correct Tract. From this we can gather that thousands of Hadith were circulating at the time and shortly after the Prophets death. Anyone who had witnessed an utterance, observed his actions or had been in his presence would have had a personal Hadith. Such accounts thereafter would have been recorded and re-told. To put some sort of order and system into place in 719AD Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz gathered together a group of eminent scholars. Led by Imaam Muhammad ibn Muslim ibn Shibab aZuhr this team was tasked to systematically compile a chronology of Hadith literature. Al-Zuhri had, during his lifetime amassed a substantial collection of written Hadith. This material formed the basis of his study. Some 100 years after the death of the Prophet he relied heavily on the written rather than the spoken word. To expedite his undertaking he called upon the services of many other learned men and through this collaboration they managed to compile a core bundle of Hadith data.

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This undertaking however did not expand upon its basic remit, namely to collect every Hadith that they could. Little else was done to tabulate and systematically evaluate and codify the data. This was done nearly a 100 years later by Imam Malik ibn Anas. His compilation is known as the Trodden Path or Al-Muwatta. This undertaking focuses on different legal topics but in so doing a conscientious effort was made to regiment the Hadith into clearly defined areas of time, place and content. Hadith were compiled in two orders, the Musnad collection which is arranged alphabetically under the names of the Sababah, on whose authority they are reported. These were recorded some 160200 years after the Prophets death. Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Abu Daud al-Tayais are both accredited to having created a Musnad collection. The second system is referred to as the Musannaf collections, here the Hadith are recorded under various headings. Various eminent scholars starting with the Imaam Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ismaiil al-Bukhari (d. 256/870 AH) created tabulated Hadith collections. In his research he discarded over 200 previously accepted Hadith as forgeries. Clearly the content of much of the material was suspect and with the passage of some 200 years little if any hard evidence remained. What writings had survived were merely fragments of the larger picture. The task presented to these early scholars was formidable. Without a central reference point, and with hardly any written evidence their job was complicated enough. Added to this were the obvious and the less obvious discrepancies of account. Political and ethnic spin also played its part and as it did further variances clouded an already fussy picture even further. From the time after the Hijrah political divisions within the Muslim Ummah, community became ever more apparent. As with any form of succession, jealousy and rivalry amongst competing factions will inevitably occur. When the issue involves power and wealth this stress will be proportional to the prize. And so it was when the Prophet died. Within his group factions that had hitherto been united became factionalised. Some forty years on a claim made to the Khilafat (Caliphate) by Hadhrat Ally and Hadrat Muawiyah after the assassination of Hadrat Uthman resulted in warfare and bloodshed. The manipulation of historic oral and written data by scholars appointed by conflicting political and religious groups began from the time the Hadith were created. This process accelerated with time, and to reinforce particular views the opposing factions created new Hadith in order to strengthen their respective claim. The ShiI took the view that the Caliphate should devolve to Ahl al-Bayt, and held that Hadrat Ally was the legitimate successor to the Prophet. Confirmation of the Prophets intention was reflected in various Hadith created under their tutelage and instruction. During the later part of the Ummayyad Caliphate and throughout the Abbasid period new grouping emerged. These included thee Quadariyah, Jabariyah and Mutazilay sects who reinforced their respective claims by projecting favourable Hadith which supported their specific philosophical views. Such divisions are commonplace in all religions, political movements or communal gathering. As leaders emerge and draw support from like minded groups, power bases are created only to be challenged by opposing factions. In the case of Islam the Hadith was a valuable tool which if manipulated had the power to influence the masses by association. In this regard the Hadith had value, and this value was often exploited by the memory men, the story tellers. In an age when illiteracy was the norm the role of the story teller was kernel to public life. The Al-Qussas or storyteller was the entertainer, the newspaper, the television, and the library all rolled into one. As 79

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commercial practitioners their job was to please and entertain the rewards for which could be bountiful in the extreme. Using the Hadith as the platform they would embellish the story to suit their own ends and in the process variations naturally developed. In this bizarre environment religion and religious storytelling moved out of the hands of the Al-Waizan and into the market square. To counter this loss of control the Al-Waizun made a concerted effort to limit the fabrication process by installing what is referred to as the Science of Criticism of Hadith. This loose form of control took some two hundred years to develop, by which time almost all control of the original text or message had been lost. It wasnt until the second century Hijra that a dignified process was in place. To verify each Hadith two sections were created, the Isnad the chain of arrows and the matn the text. The former endeavoured to piece together a written or hearsay link between the times of its creation to the time of verification. The second element the text was analysed to determine whether or not it accurately presented the reported occurrence. Isnads only began to be used after the Abbasid revolution. These chains were by enlarge loosely formulated and created for the sole purpose of supporting a particular line of thought or reason. Without the written or inscribed word no physical record directly links any Hadith with the Prophet, as such reliance is placed on a tentative chain of memory spanning several centuries. The first account of the Quran being used as a legal instrument is in the 9 th century post dating the Fiqh Akbar creed. To reinforce this process a set number of rules were laid down by the nuhaddithan. These scholars of Hadith were the elite amongst the land and as such had the most reliable sources to call upon. Their job was to determine whether the lineage was reliable and upon this matter they adjudicated. Their biographical data was based on the strength and reliability of the ruwat the line of communicators who had passed down the Hadith. The intention was that this body exercise impartiality but it is difficult to quantify how this process could have been achieved bearing in mind that they operated 200 years after the event and had no means of verifying the reliability of all the parties involved in the various transcriptions. A science was developed called Ilm al-Asma al-Rijal to compile the names and personal traits of those involved in the passage of a Hadith. The Isnad as such represented this chain of authority. However, great scrutiny was applied to the matn of each Hadith. The matn is this text matched criteria set by the experts. This was tested by various analysts who examined word patterns, rhythm and content. Providing a Hadith passed such detailed scrutiny it might be considerable for inclusion. The verification process endeavoured to piece together as much data as it could find or create where blanks appeared. By the third century Hijra Ibn Hatim al-Razi created a biographical work entitled Kitab al-Jarh wa al-Yadil which, in his view records all the trustworthy narrators. In this way truthfulness, veracity was thus ascertained. There is no record as to how many Hadith were in circulation during the first two centuries Hijra but it is reasonable to assume that they numbered in the region of tens of thousands. The culling of this mass of unfettered data was thus an onerous but essential task known as Imb al-Jarh wa al-Tadi-l. Thus the Knowledge of Criticism and Justification came about and to substantiate their judgement the Muhammathun developed a set of principles. Two categories or classification were created, Mutawatir and Ahad. The former is a group or mass of people are reported to have heard or reported a happening, conversation or event. In this case, on balance the collective view is regarded as being reliable. The Ahad can be broken down into three

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sub-sections, the Al-Mashhur, where there it has been reported by two or more narrators through its lineage. The Al-Aziz, where it has been transmitted by at least two narrator in each generation and the weakest of the three the Al-Gharib where only one narrator was present. The Imaam Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ismail al Bukhari (d. 256/ 890 AH) is pivotal insofar as his Musannaf collection marks a high water mark for certification purposes and anything within his collection is perceived as being Al-Sahih or authentic. A lesser attribution or Hasan is given where the integrity of the narrator is in doubt. Similarly a Al-Marfu Hadith is one where the linage is broken and thus cannot be relied upon. Unknown reporting, incomplete chains and those going back only so far as the tabi or Sahabi are relegated to the lower classification of Hadith. In Christianity the Codex as illustrated below represents the first complete Bible and as such is the basis of modern theological interpretation of both the Old and New Testaments. This comprehensive work was produced in ink on pared vellum from 350 sheep skins

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Codex Sinaiticus (British Library) mid 4th century Greek Bible. A parallel to the missing Sura is the Secret Gospel of Mark. This story is based on a single letter written in 200AD by Clement of Alexandria to a certain Theodore. This letter was unearthed in 1958 in the library of the monastery of Mar Saba in the Judean desert. Copies of the Secret Gospel eventually came into the possession of Clement.

23.

Jews

At the time when the Prophet Muhammad was alive Jews and Christians coexisted side by side with Arab city dwellers and Bedouins in Arabia. The Jews were not alone in believing in one God. In Iran the Mers and the Persians had evolved out of a paganism belief in a single supreme deity. This religion is known as Zoroaster after the prophet whose teachings are preserved in the ancient

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Zoroastrian scriptures. 6-5th century BC. As with the Jewish records Zoroastrian writings provide historians and academics with a remarkable insight into yet another branch of early theology. The most coveted of all items held precious by the Jews was the Ark of the Covenant. This wood framed chest was constructed from the scented acacia wood. The outer shell was reputedly covered in a sheet of decorated gold. Within the Ark where the Ten Commandment, those given to the Jews by the Lord when they fled Egypt. The wandering tribe of Israelites carried this chest with them during their forty years in the desert. The Ark as such was the embodiment of their religious belief. The similarity of source and religious potency of the Ark, the Golden Quran and the Hoy Grail is striking. During the time of their wandering the Ark along with other precious artefacts were housed within this most prized chest made from acacia wood. When the tribe settled David decided to give the Ark a permanent home, the obvious place was Solomons Temple. In both Jewish and Islamic traditions Solomon is remembered for his amazing, miraculous deeds. Having brought the Ark to Jerusalem David acquired a site for his Temple on Mount Zion. His earnest suggestion was rejected by Nathan. The Ark remained within the Temple for at least 400 yrs secure within the Holy of Holies. At some time prior to the destruction of the Temple by the Assyrians forces the Ark along with other treasures was most probably removed in or about 586BC for safe keeping to another place. A second Temple was built on the same foundations. This was destroyed by the Titus, Romans Emperor in 66AD.

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24.

Parchments

The Al-Hira parchments that carried this story forward from the 7 th to the 15th century travelled an erratic route from the Levant across Europe, until finally resting in the Library of Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries Act was enforced, and under the express order of Henry VIII these documents, and countless other books, manuscripts, ledgers and records were unceremoniously removed from Abbeys and Monasteries across the country. In Europe many such prized objects that had been produced in the scriptoria of the palace schools and in the monasteries suffered a similar fate. Some of the greatest works of Carolingian manuscripts were produced in the years following the death of the Emperor Charlemagnes successors, the Emperor Lothar 1 (84355AD) and Charles the Bald (843-77AD) King of the Western Franks. In 850AD much of this work was plundered by the Normans however, some examples survived in Fountains Abbey. So far as Western writing goes there are two major landmarks which determined the course of its natural development. The first was the consolidation of the alphabetic system which remains as being a phonetic realisation of the written word. First developed by the Greeks and refined later by the Romans. The second high water mark was the creation of the minuscule family of scripts. This is demonstrated by the dominant Carolingian style with its clearly defined shape and form.

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The production and commercial value of printed and bound books increased enormously between the years 1100AD and 1450AD. During this period all the work that went into book production was undertaken by skilled calligraphers, artists, binders and related craftsmen. Such work was regulated and taxed. Each of these artisans and craftsmen would have been taxed and his work controlled by the authorities, the church and the King, all of whom would have had the power of censorship. The original translation of the parchments and subsequent conversion into book format followed a tried and tested process involving many craft skills. These included the decorator of the margins, the illuminator of initials, the engraver, the makeup and gatherers, the sewers, the gilders of trimmed pages, the stud makers, the binders, the gilders and the end coverers and board makers. Add to this the leather work, metal clamps and hinge makers and you get a more complete picture of a complex craft based process which changed little over the centuries, that is until moveable type entered the equation. To put the craft into some sort of perspective, of the 145,000 tax payers in Paris in 1292AD only 13 were illuminators and image makers making this a rare and specialist trade. In London the numbers were slightly higher with 25 illuminators being recorded to being in practice in 1300. Even so their work was highly prized by the wealthy their remuneration was generally low, unless of course they had something special to offer which might earn them a place at Court. These numbers are slightly misleading as much of this specialist work was conducted in Monasteries, many of which were located in remote parts of the countryside. The product of their work generally remained within ecclesiastical circles and was not as such produced for the commercial markets.

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Fountains Abbey Fountains Abbey is a magnificent stone structure situated in an isolated dell. In its time it was amongst the elite of this class but fell to the wayside along with so many other Northern churches and monasteries targeted by Henrys militia. In the process of this act of wonton desecration the Kings henchmen either sold off or destroyed what they could from these venerable places of worship. As with other purges, opportunists would have robbed what they could. Lead was, as a

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matter of course systematically stripped from the roof timbers and, what gold and silverware remained was melted down. Masonry was ripped out of the walls to be used for building homes and other such edifices. Lead lights were ripped out of there frames and the contents of the libraries and offices burnt, vandalised or sold on. Illuminated bound books might well have been salvaged as they would have had a market value attached to them. Against this backdrop perchance, the French parchments later reappeared, more or less intact in the 17 th century. Thankfully, the quarto sized transcripts had indeed been saved for posterity. At some point, prior to the 1620s they had been secreted within an oak box containing a silver clasped 1615AD James 1 st Bible, which later became the property of the Purnell-Skey family. The Latin cipher MSS included notes relating to objects found on Mt Hira plus a rudimentary sketch map which identified the location of what was described as being the holy Shrine of Abdullah or the Prophets horde. The spot was easily deduced from bearings taken from the prominent geological features near the summit, a buttress on the SW flank of Mt Hira had not altered much over time. Then as now this area is on the outer skirt of the city, beyond the controlled zone and accessible by foreigners. In the late 18 th c the vellum pages were examined by Robert Purnell. He took the view that the site, if found might be worthy of a more systematic excavation. What he expected to find is not clear. His interest however was aroused, and from that time he set his sights on locating what he believed were the remains of a Holy Shrine. In his minds eye he was under the impression that the shrine was formerly a large, well crafted masonry structure, similar to that which might be found in Egypt or Athens. As part of his study he researched the subject in more detail during the late 1700s, mainly at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. There, experts assisted him in deciphered the manuscript and supporting documents. This academic contribution enabled Robert to formalise a plan. From this chance encounter an idea for an expedition was borne. His independent study continued for several years during which time he worked on his Arabic and read as much as he could about Islam and its teachings. Of all the available data that he could amass during this period he found that which pertained to Angels as being worth special attention. He read that there were Nine orders of angels, Seraphims, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, and, last of all Angels. When Robert Purnell looked for evidence concerning angels and the various visitations made by Gabri-el he first turned to the Christian Bible. Surprisingly the Old Testament actually only mentions three Angels by name, one of which being the archangel Gabri-el. The Sumerian root for the word Gabri is DBR, guberator, or governor. Some argue that it means Gibor power or hero. Gabri-el is referred to as being Governor of Eden and ruler of the Cherubim and is said to sit on the right hand side of God. Gabri-el or Jibril dictated the entire Quran to Muhammad and is considered the Angel of Truth. Not only did he appear before King Noman I but, as recorded in the Old Testament he previously appeared before Daniel in order to explain the prophets awesome vision of the fight between the ram and the he-goat and also told of the coming of a Messiah. He appeared before Mary to announce the coming of John the Baptist (buried in the Umayyad Mosque) and finally before the Prophet Muhammad to deliver, word by word the full content of the Quran. Years later, in 1803AD, and shortly after the death of his beloved wife Betty in 1802AD Robert Purnell, then in his 70s embarked on the journey of his life. For this he planned to go overland from Cairo to Mekkah following the Hajj route. In this regard he had received ample advance data from 84

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his Muslim contacts in Cairo as to the path the route took, the stations it passed and its average duration. His plan was to follow a route set out by his informer and guide. What he had not anticipated was that due to regional hostilities in the Arabian Peninsula caravans using the overland trail had either been abandoned, essential trade reverted to using the safer sea route as an alternative. 24 Missing Sura

85 The fact that two missing Kufic Suras managed to survive a treacherous journey across continents and through times of unrest and political adversity is remarkable. Luck must have played a small part in this incredible journey. However, the words so written live on, to be revered and appreciated by all who have the time to read and recite them. The first of the missing Sura is called the Band.

(AHE) The Band

In the name of God, the Merciful the Compassionate We made revelation O men, fear your Lord We sent forth the Manifest Book, the word of God Glory Him who sent His word to all mankind and made The heavens and the earth upon which you stand He is All-seeing and All-knowing

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His power is above reproach God is All-giving All-Clement He moves mountains and commands the clouds His power is absolute His word shall not be questioned He will not accept evildoers into His kingdom Believers fear God and repent your failings and seek His mercy Those who defy his commandments will perish and suffer a terrible chastisement Whosoever obeys God and His Messenger has won a mighty triumph They that believe in God and the Last Day shall be enlightened and their burden will be lifted God sent down His Messenger and His Messenger conferred with the people And the Word of God was written in the Holy Quran Venerate His message Man knows well what is so written and is guided to find mercy and forgiveness Cast aside the unbelievers and those that despise the Lord and all his doings Illuminate and magnify the glory of God and rejoice in His presence God and the angels abound in heaven; surely God is witness to everything Gods angels are appointed as the masters of Fire alone Cast your eyes to the stars and witness the glory of the heavens Which God alone commands Within their mass abound the angels that serve their Lord By night the Lord gave the moon to shine and so serve to measure The hours of darkness And by day the sun to provide warmth and light God is the Light of the heavens and His Messenger will shine His lamp And cast His light oer all thing East and West Only God has the power over the heavenly forces Every sole there under is guided by His hand 86

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He sent down to earth a Messenger, a mortal to deliver His Book Glory is to my Lord, am I but a mortal? He is All-seeing All- gracious believers if you help God He will help you win His love God sent His Messenger to fulfil His wish That is because God is the Protector and Saviour of the believers Those that are guided by their hearts God will command to His side His Messenger is graced with guidance and the power to deliver the religion of truth He will circulate amongst all men and deliver the word of God Across the spacious plain The All-mighty, the All-merciful To God belong the Kingdoms of the heavens and from this He creates the cloud mass, rains and storms Surely, this is the work of a wondrous Lord A finger band is placed upon The Messengers hand Let all men witness this gift from the Lord The mark is the union with God and Gods Holy Mosque With it He gives bounty to which He will Beware the power of evil in all its manifestations and behold not what it is God will assail those who defy His ever command The believers will prostrate and bow themselves before their Lord and He will afford them mercy and forgiveness Whosoever shall enter the Holy Mosque will do so in reverence and in fear The places of worship belong to God They shall be many and shall serve Gods commandments across all places There shape and form is prescribed by the Messengers mark Deliverance from evil is granted by God alone God 87

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God is All powerful and All-forgiving The noble Quran has been sent down from the Lord of All-being So that the believers may magnify the name of the Lord, the All-mighty The believers will follow the Lords commandments and when of age will wear their mark as presented by the Messenger The Messenger will pronounce His coming and impart His sign Whatsoever God has given to His Messenger will be given to His kinsmen, Travellers and the needy Let every soul come forth and proclaim himself before the Lord and show penitence and humility God is aware of all things you do and all actions you take He will call the believer forth and command him to prostrate before the Lord, The All-mighty, the All-wise Magnify the Name of the Lord, the All-mighty the Lord of All-being believers obey God, and His Messenger, obey His every word and commandment Observe what is seen even in the darkness of night, in storm and tempest The hand of the Messenger will fall on those who believe And with its touch they will be cleansed of their sins and delivered to God and to the heavens Gods mark touches all men, His eyes see all things By day mortals glance towards the heavens and bathe in the sunlight so afforded by God Be patient under the eye of the Lord and observe only what is good His judgement is final in every detail and every sense Now we have sent down signs and the mark to the believers When evil visits man vexation and ill-temper will be traded for bliss and well-being Cast aside evil and look only to God and His Messenger for guidance and direction For the unbelievers eternal chastisement is their cause believers, obey the Lord and His Messenger 88

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Whosoever obeys God and His Messenger will be lifted to a higher order and be Granted everlasting compassion and forgiveness To God alone belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the angels will serve He is not a jealous God but is fair in His judgement God is ever All-mighty, All-wise The humble and the weak will glory in the kingdom of God Their suffering will be subdued and their wounds healed, that is the bounty of God Gods grace has no limits even when measured against the heavens and the stars We sent our Messenger forth and the believers shall follow his footsteps The pious and the meek shall lead the throng and the believers will glorify the word of God Witness what is good and righteous and obey Gods will and all that flows from the Holy Quran And we sent compassion and mercy to those who witnessed the goodness of God and His Messenger Those who pray and abide by the word of God will find salvation and treasures aplenty They will avert the Lords chastisement for all times 89

The second of the two missing or lost Sura is titled The Lamb. As with the Band it was originally written in Kuffic script and from that converted into ciphertext. The reason for this encryption is not known. What is clear is that it remained in this format for many centuries until at some point in time it was deciphered and re scripted but this time into Latin.

(SVA) The Lamb

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate This book is revealed by God, the Almighty, and the All-wise The Believers will witness what is given and the unbelievers will be turned away When our sign is recited the young and the old will pronounce

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He is the All-forgiving the All-compassionate So our Lords word is perfect and His wonders will be manifest in all ways and Across all lands and all places Perish those unbelievers who doubt the word of the Almighty Those who deny Gods kingdom will be banished for ever God is He who created all things that settle upon this earth He commands the heavens the skies, the oceans and all that is land He made man to hear His word and execute His commandments He is all-knowing and all-powerful. God hath said unto all men; do not be afraid, pray and give alms and obey God and His Messenger and keep on the side of righteousness. God is All-mighty and All-forgiving, God is aware of all things and sees all that is done God sent forth Messengers to present His word and provide knowledge to those believers And all blood-kindred who follow His every command. Our Lord, Thou art the All-mighty, the All-wise believers fear God Let all men know that God has no equal in His love. He is All-gentle, and All-compassionate, obey His every commandment In God let the believers put their trust Take heed and obey the words of the Messenger and cast aside all thoughts and actions which go against Gods will or whatever He forbids, and, Fear God as God is terrible in his retribution As with Abraham, follow a straight course and be lead not into temptation or close association with those who disbelieve; and forgive as God forgives, as he is the All-wise , the All-knowing Believers, when your flocks are cast afield God shall direct your sheep to a safe haven and deliver them from harm. You shall believe in God and your earthly possessions will be secure. 90

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He will forgive you of your sins and grant you peace on earth. The shepherd who believes, and is righteous may tend his flock by day and night We will give succour to the vulnerable amongst them We will shield the lambs and the weak in a place secure from all harm When God lit the sky at night with stars the shepherd rejoiced and said My Lord forgive me and my parents and whosoever enters my household as a believer I will follow your commandments God loves the just, righteousness and good-doers. We sent the Holy Qurn down as His guidance, to forewarn, and lead mortals. Clear signs shall be given so that mankind is directed by God and His Messenger During the fasting month of Ramadan the believers shall pray and observe the Lords wishes as prescribed in the Holy Qurn and when the fasting ceases you shall glory in God and only then freely eat the meats and fruits so given To the humble shepherd God says eat and drink all what God has provided you with, All that is lawful and good God will so proffer a light at night and from that lamp His love will shine. His bounty has no limits; He gives it unto whomsoever He will God is All-knowing and all-wise, and He may admit the believers into His pastures and meadows where sweet waters flow and flowers bloom eternal. He will severely chastise the hypocrites, the foolhardy, the unwise, those who think evil or yield to the power of Satan and those who disrespect God and His Messenger. His Messenger, Muhammad is the Messenger of God and His word is written in the Qurn. God promised those who believe and follow His every word an eternal treasure in heaven Know at all times that the Messenger of God is at your side. By Gods favour and blessing the believers will be saved Those unbelievers who oppose, or otherwise disobey God or His Messenger await a painful and chastising hereafter believers fear God and believe in His Messenger and He will give you His full mercy. Believers who follow the path of righteousness and praise the word of God; the All-giving and All-knowing, they will be gifted with eternal wealth 91

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believers, when proclamation is made for prayer hasten to Gods side and pray, and when the prayer is finished seek Gods bounty and you will prosper The Lord will forgive only those who denounce evil and the work of Satan He is All-forgiving, and All -compassionate God is He who has the power to move mountains, to stir the seas and sweep the clouds across the heavens His goodness will reveal His might, His mercy, and His forgiveness. All things on earth are run by his commandment The Holy Qurn is the word of God Those who disbelieve, and mock or scorn the works of God For them awaits a painful chastisement believers, be patient in your duties; be steadfast; fear God and so you will prosper and live in harmony and in Gods house Know that God is terrible in retribution, and that God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate, and All-vengeful God makes clear His signs to all mankind; accept His gift with open palms Into the hands of the meek and the humble, the pious and the poor God puts His heavenly gifts God gives His kinship to which He wills, there is no god but He God is All-high, All-hearing He alone observes all things in heaven and earth Our Lord gives to those believers what is promised by Thy Messengers; full atonement for their sins and discretions so they can glory Gods word and commandments for all time God will acquit him of his evil deeds only he who obeys God and His Messenger. And, in God let the believers know what is Gods and in Him alone put their trust. God is All-knowing and All-seeing. He sees within your thoughts, within your breasts He is all-aware of all actions in mind and in body 92

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God is your host, your guardian, your companion, ever at your side The Book of God holds all that is good Believers will recite the words therein and venerate God and they shall prostrate themselves before the Lord. Wheresoever you turn you cannot hide from His presence These are the signs of God His word and commandments are gifted by His Messengers and are written in the Holy Qurn for all mankind Recite the truth as it is written and prostrate yourself in prayer before God and His angels He will, thereafter guide and console you at your time of need To God belongs the heavens, the earth and all that stands upon it Unto Him all matters are returned God demands that all injustices are resolved His mercy is heavenly sent He will not forsake the god-fearing believer The true religion with God is Islam and the Book of God is the Holy Qurn The believers who beg Gods pardon will be saved against chastisement in this world and the world to come God bears witness to all that is present, past and in the future His kingdom is for ever He the All-mighty, the All-wise The god-fearing believers who fulfil his covenant will be loved by God 93

This transcription of the two Suras into English provides academics and historians with a tantalising new insight into the creation of these Holy works. It also poses the question as to why these were excluded from insertion into the Quran. With limited contemporary material available the research and verification process relied on a combination of techniques. Both of the texts were put through a series of rigorous tests similar to those applied centuries earlier using Arabic cryptoanalysis techniques. Religious scholarship dictated that practising theologians employed in Basra, Kufa and Baghdad, had scrutinised the revelations of Muhammad as contained in the Quran. As of now

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those theologians were interested in establishing the chronology of the revelations, which they did by counting the frequencies of words contained in each revelation. This basic theory was centred around the fact that certain words had evolved sequentially, hence, if a revelation contained a high number of these newer words, this would indicate that it came later in the chronology. In the case of both the missing Suras the indication is that they were delivered midpoint through the reception of the revelations by Muhammad, placing them at the higher end of the spectrum of delivery. Using modern computer aided techniques it has been possible to compile a register of words as contained in preceding revelations and from this data deduce the frequency and placement of words within a sentence . By so studying the etymology of this particular text matter it was possible to attribute these works as being contemporary with the Suras as contained within the Quran. No conclusive reason has been put forward relating to the source or as to why this particular text matter was not circulated alongside other early written material. On 1st January 2011 Johanis Rahman submitted the following: This contemporary verse touches on some of the key issues which Robert Purnell tried to answer. As such it has been added to the general research notes. THE RING OF SYMBOL The ring of symbol came to surface, With faith and approval of the heavenly grace, Humbled by its aura we seek His wisdom, Interlock in space of this world and heavenly kingdom Neither fame nor power we do seek, In the history of mankind we unavoidably peek, Painted in blood and covered in greed, We prayed to the all mighty to forgive our human deed, To a Robert Purnell we owe this sacrifice, With it, we cherish his wisdom and kind advice, From the land of Lamuria we came to the West, Thus, ending a chapter of human history to rest. In time others that follow will undoubtedly find, The true meaning of seek out those tasks hard to define, We are but a humble servant to the supreme divine To upload truth and justice the best we can for the mankind. And now, the curtain of life is drawing near, The last jigsaw will open a gate we so fear, To see the world as we have never seen, And to walk this earth as we have never been. In the light of new evidence, scholarship and technology modern scholars and researchers have drawn new meaning from the missing Sura. The preliminary research into the Signet Ring for

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example throws new light on the meaning of the Band. From an archaeological standpoint time dating confirms that both of the Lost Suras originated from the time of the Prophet Muhammad. What we know for certain is that both of the missing Suras were first compiled in plaintext manuscript in an alphabet called Kuffic. A monoalphabetic substitution alphabet was used to convert the plaintext into a cipher alphabet. The Cryptanalysts who unlocked the ciphertext then converted it into Latin and from the Latin codex the Suras were translated into English in about 1809AD. It was at this time that the French found the Rosetta stone in Egypt and from the bas relief script were able to decipher the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, a landmark event in archaeological terms. This English language rendition of the Suras is based on Latin vellum manuscripts dating from the 13th c. which are now believed to be held by the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City Utah USA. It is understood that they represent a transcription from an 8 th century un-pointed un-vowelled duplex Kuffic script Codex. Evidentially these scrolls of parchment (suhufs) were in poor condition in the 13 th c. when they were first uncovered. In this instance the cryptanalysts who undertook the code breaking job must have been conversant with, not only cipher cryptanalysis but also the intricacies of the ancient Kuffic script. The relevance of this work was highlighted by Timothy the Nestorian patriarch of Seleucia 840AD who opened a debate regarding the Quran and the association with the Signet Ring (The Band) which in his mind provided confirmation of the linkage with Bahira the Nestorian monk who met the young Muhammad when he was a youth and later on when he visited the Prophet in Medinah. It is thought that the stem the source of the Kuffic Codex material might well have been directly linked with Timothy. This would account for its survival and re-appearance in the 13th c. These Suras were not included in the Codex of Ibn Masud a servant, who work ed for the Prophet and an authority on at least 70 Suras. His version excluded Suras 1.113.and 114. Adi b Adi later confirmed the existence of missing verses/Suras. This point was also acknowledged by Zaid ibn Thabit

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Kufic Koran sold in London 2007 for US$2.3m.

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26 Kaabah

The Muslims, and for centuries before them many of the Pagans who lived in, or visited Mekkah believed that the Kabah was constructed in heaven some two thousand years before the creation of the world as we know it. During this interval it was adorned by angels who performed various rituals around its base. This act is known as the Towaf, or walk. Adam erected the edifice where it is now placed bringing it directly from heaven to earth. On each stone he left an indelible mark to denote his personal work. The source of its material is said to have come from the five holy mountains Lebanon, Mount Sinai, El Djourdy, Mount Hirra and Tor Zeyt. The site was thereafter guarded by ten thousand angels. After a deluge which destroyed part of the building Adam commanded his sons to repair the damaged building. Upon completing this work Adam noted that during the process many of the stones had been re-arranged. Instead of all the dressed work facing outwards many of the ashlars faced inwards and for this he was greatly displeased. His marks now only showed on some of the topper most parts of the building and he was concerned that they would be weathered by rain and wind. On his way to Djebel Kobeys the angel Gabriel consoled Adam and told him that his mark would be forever secure and would last for all times, and so it was. In the 12th century AD when the French Intelligentia visited the site they enquired as to where the mark was. The answer given was that it was, as stated on the uppermost part of the edifice. They were told that a detailed examination of the Kabah masonry had recently been made and during this study it was recorded that what appeared to be a weathered masons mark referred to as being Adams moniker was still in place. This distinctive incision in the rock was graphically recorded within their parchments its source and style being unlike any Cufic or Aramaic imagery. During its lifespan the building has been modified, destroyed, rebuilt and had rebuilt again. The earliest rebuilding took place at the time of Ibrahim. It fell on him, aided by his son Ismayl to reconstruct the building. This tedious work they undertook over foundations laid by Adam. During this work they re-laid the various stones and when finished only one of the topmost stones containing Adams mark remained in view. Ismayl went in search for a missing corner piece and returned with the famous black stone in his hands, this he inserted in position. The black stone has great significance, as on the day of judgement it is said that it will bear witness to all who have touched it. Those so doing will be granted both sight and speech. During its construction Adam similarly placed his moniker on the headstones which stood above the holy well of Zemzem. Ismayl is the first recorded custodian to have taken possession of the well, the fountain of water miraculously created by God and made by Adam. Ever since then this faithful servant of mankind has provided the people of Mekkah with an abundant supply of crystal clear fresh water. The passage of time however debased the original masonry created by Adam. The stonework that is attributed to his hand has long since been lost or replaced as has his masons mark. At the time when Ismayl owned the water fountain it was the only one in the area. He made his living selling water to pilgrims and others including a neighbouring branch of the Amalekites. Over time the popularity of the place increased. The local inhabitants were the tribe of Beni Djorham who lived near the well and Kabah. On the death of Ismayl they took over control of these commercial assets, both of which had significant revenue earning potential due to pilgrim traffic and related trade. Subsequent tribes maintained the Kabah and well including the Khozaa and Kossay Ibn Kelab; the later roofed the building and in doing so secured it from further structural decay and aggressive weathering. 96

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One of the Kossay tribal chiefs named Ammer Ibn Lahay used the Kabah as a platform for a new religion. He introduced idolatry to the region and used the Kabah as a focal point for visiting pilgrims. A Mesopotamian idol was brought to Mekkah and erected above the Kabah. This idol was known as Hobal. Curiously, the Kabah then became a central place for worship not only of Hobal but many other idols. Mekkah thus flourished as the preferred religious centre for Bedouin tribes from distant parts. The Zemzem having fallen into a state of disrepair following floods was cleaned out. Once again this fountain of life provided fresh drinking water for a steady flow of pilgrims. The Beni Kossay at Bekka prospered and built various commercial dwellings around the Kabah. This name was later abbreviated and the B changed to M, hence the word Mekkah. These people distinguished themselves from others by practicing the art of facial tattoos. They applied tattoos to their infant boys when they were 40 days of age with three deep cuts down either cheek and two on each temple. This ritual scarring is called Meshale and differentiates the Mekkawys from the Bedouins. The Bedouins lived outside fixed settlements in tents where they tended their flocks. During his life Mohammed would have been very familiar with all the buildings in Mekkah and in particular with the central edifice, the Kabah, the roof of which was then held up by six pillars. At this time the well had been renovated and cleared by Abd el Motalleb Ibn Hesham but shortly thereafter a devastating fire then burnt the building down. It was about this time that Muhammad decided that his followers pray in the direction of Mekkah and not to a more north easterly direction towards Jerusalem as had hitherto been the practice. When Mohammed finally entered the city of Mekkah he ordered the removal of all the idols and commanded his Mueddin, a Negro boy called Belal to summon all the Muslims to prayer. This event cemented the fortune of the well which has remained a focal point for all Muslim pilgrims. However, its integrity has, over time been subjected to further structural decay and wanton destruction. The fate of the city changed over time. Warring factions vied for supremacy and power and in the course added further damage to the masonry of the buildings. In A.H. 314 an army of the Carmates heretics headed by their leader, a certain Abou Dharer attacked Mekkah and slaughtered its inhabitants and desecrated its holy buildings including various shrines. During this outrage they wrecked many buildings but failed to identify all the hiding places, particularly those which contained precious and historic items of value. During this raid the attackers plundering the city of its wealth and removed the black stone, which, following the fire had split into three parts. The invaders removed the stone to El Hassa where they re-located it at a spot where they had hoped Muslim pilgrims would then visit. Various offers of ransom were made and rejected. The expectation of pilgrim trade proved unfounded and in A.H. 339 after the death of Abou Dharaer the culprit and thief the Carmates gave the stone back. Shortly thereafter it was ceremoniously replaced back in the original position. A further incident occurred in A.H. 413 when Hakem bamr Illah, King of Egypt sent a soldier to Mekkah to destroy the stone. The caravan that escorted him was aware of his intentions any upon reaching the Kabah afforded what assistance they could to their erstwhile companion and lithoclast. Upon seeing that he was about to desecrate the stone with an iron clever the crowds there gathered set about the Yemeni vandal and killed him before setting about all the others in the caravan. The entire encourage were killed and their possessions plundered.

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The Kabah as it was stood in an oblong square two hundred and fifty paces long and two hundred wide its surrounding buildings provided support for all the administration security and religious affairs conducted at the site. Throughout its history the site has attracted more than its fair share of excitement. In the early 19 th century AD the area around the Kabah was completely destroyed during the time of the Wahhabi. They tore down buildings and smashed the domes of the Mosques. Many of these buildings were subsequently rebuilt from reclaimed and imported stone. Part of the buildings includes various sized columns most of which were imported from Egypt in A.H. 163. These include red granite and fine grained red porphyry stonework. With limited knowledge, the local builders were confused with this alien material and made numerous mistakes in re-assembly. Some of the column were placed upside down, others out of alignment and some were simply discarded and left by the wayside. It was observed by the French Intelligentia that stonework had both Arabic and Cufic inscriptions. Most other masonry is local, hewn from a quarry near Shebeyka. During the fire in A.H. 802 considerable damage was incurred requiring plinths and columns to be strengthened by iron bands. An integral physical element of Islam is the Zem Zem well and the Cistern. As has already been stated the Kabah was built from stones that originated from the five holy mountains, one of which was Al-Hirra. The association therefore between this mountain, the Kabah and the Prophet Mohammed is well recorded. The name Hirra or Hira crops up at various times.

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During pre-Islamic times when the Persian and Byzantine empires were at loggerheads with each other Hira was a key Persian buffer state bordering onto an Arab principality named Ghassan which in geographical terms was roughly located in the territory now known as Jordan. At the time both of these principalities were inhabited by a mix of Christians and Arabs. The mythology surrounding the creation of the Kabah and Zemzem well by Adam is recorded in both Jewish and Islamic texts. The conclusive evidence of Adams moniker was established 1000 years later. It was not until the 19 th century AD when experts were able to establish the physical link between it and the Kabah. Inscribed in its masonry was a small stele was the same masons moniker as that found on the Mt Hira site, which coincidentally matched ancient Nestorian masonry markings. With this knowledge it was possible to link the region of Hira, west of Jordan, the Christian monk Bahira, the Kabah, Zemzem and the cistern. These physical observations, combined with regional folk lore, mythology and Hadith records provide a plausible claim of confirmation One can thus deduce that the work of Adam was at play in the construction of both of the holy sites and as such the discovery represents a significant landmark in our understanding of the concept of creation. It is therefore entirely probable that the Prophet and his followers were equally aware of this fact, as in the process of re-using the masons mark they perpetuated a tradition dating back to the birth of mankind. This was the conclusion made by Robert when he notated his diary of events in Mekkah in 1804AD. During his limited stay in and around Mekkah Robert conducted various topographical and architectural surveys. He tried to determine the relative age of the various buildings and assess their respective function over time. He was intrigued by the various forces brought into play during both the pilgrimage period and the times when Mekkah was not so busy. He discussed the matter with traders and the eunuchs who provided security for the site. Assessments of wealth accumulated over time were made and in this respect he was staggered at the amount of money that passed through the hands of the administrators. He was of the view that over time much of these funds had been used for purposes other than those intended. The terms cistern and treasury have consistently used by scholars to refer to various caches and safe places used by nomadic tribes from the Hejaz region. The acquisition of physical wealth that they accrued during the period 700-1,000AD included numerous personal and communal hordes one of which was of considerable size and value. It contained a wealth of precious stones, gold and silver. Without a formal banking system, rather than deposit their assets with third parties their preferred option was to safeguard precious possessions in secure, secret places under their watchful eyes, and within their control. Dry caves, subterranean caverns and such places located in remote and off-beat locations were typically sought. In much the same way as the Knights Templar were able to transmit funds across Europe and the Mediterranean using a primitive, but highly effective banking system using promissory notes and letters of credit they too were able to de-risk the physical transfer of precious objects across the desert highways using promissory notes which would be honoured on a trust basis and thus be accepted by a distant recipient. Ransoms and fines were often paid in this manner. From their inception these financial arrangements were mainly a tool used by the wealthy. Costly valuables and accumulated assets included gifts, legacies and offerings made over decades of time would be stored and appropriately guarded in safe places, much the same as modern day banks hold

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deposits on behalf of their customers. It is therefore no surprise that over the ages covetous eyes have been brought to bear on these assets. As there is a link by association with the financial foundation of Islam numerous factions have successfully tracked down and plundering these assets. Robert Purnell unveiled what he referred to as the 1 st cistern in 1803. His discoverer of one such site confirmed the tradition. In his case the site had long since emptied of its contents. Other such depositories would, presumably have been located across the region. As with the pyramids of Egypt it was clear to him that Saudi Bedouins and other, more organised groups would have plundered any such unprotected trove at the earliest possible time. A parallel can be drawn with the Dead Sea Scrolls finds in 1947 and 1952-5 at Qumran. In that case the cave where the vases were hidden remained so for well over a 2,000 years. Unlike foreign archaeologists, who baulked at the heat and privations of living in the desert, the Bedouin have boundless energy and more importantly an abundance of time on their hands. The potential value of ancient artefacts, particularly those made from precious metals was well known. Finds, as and when they came would be sold through intermediaries, to travellers, collectors and in recent times, museums. In this respect some tribesmen were clearly very successful, evidence of which being witnessed over time with goods filtering into the various Middle East and European markets, auctions and private collections. Whilst such finds have, for various security and religious reasons largely unrecorded international media interest is invariably placed on specific items which either have high value or unique features. This point is reinforced by the prices paid in auction for such material. The overthrow and complete destruction of the Qumran settlement in 68AD by the Romans was a typical instance of how, and why valuable stashes once hidden were never recovered. Rediscovery, by chance or design provides modern historians with a tantalising glimpse into the past. Regrettably, such finds, as and when they occur often result in calamity. Uneducated Bedouins, ignorant of the facts and academic value have, in many instances destroyed or vandalised newly discovered artefacts. The Madinah site was used until the 12 th century AD during which time it housed a massive horde of accumulated wealth. It is reported that the caravan that trans-shipped its contents to a more secure site in the north included over 250 load bearing camels. The value of this treasure can only be guessed at but in modern terms it would be equivalent to that of some of the greatest and most valued collections. When the Medinah site was identified and partially excavated it was found to be bare, all its contents having been removed. An assessment of its weight and volume can be approximated from the record of the caravan size. The exodus occurred during a period of uncertainty. Saladin was asserting his power in the Levant and Egypt whilst Crusader forces were in control of the ports and some major cities. As their power ebbed and flowed so did the potential threat of attack to Muslim controlled Oasis, inland cities and watering holes. Ever since the first Crusade in 1095AD Christian forces had used their collective resources to take control of Jerusalem and with it its wealth. Following the 1 st and 2nd Crusade numerous military engagements ensued. The objectives of the various leaders were often unclear, and the various battle strategies tended to lack cohesion and clear strategy. Internal bickering, rivalry and personal agendas contributed to paint a confusing picture which was further muddied by sporadic injections of funding and neighbouring tribal support. Even so some of the participants were successful in securing for themselves great fortunes; others were less successful and lost

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everything including their lives. A final cessation of action only came about in about 1400AD when the opposing forces melted away. Following the outbreak of hostilities the first real engagement came with the 2nd Crusade. This was well supported and equipped.

27

CARAVANS

For centuries the greatest organised pilgrimages where those conducted by Hajjis visiting Mekkah. Some of the largest and most splendid caravans that were ever assembled trod the Egyptian and Syrian caravan highways, there final destination being the Holy Kabah in Mekkah. Caravans to Mekkah : "Forty easie days journey it is distant from hence: divided by a wilderness of sand, that lyeth in drifts, and dangerously moveth with the wind..." In some areas, caravans continued to flourish through the end of the 19th century. One from Damascus, in whose train marched the famous Charles Doughty, counted 6,000 pilgrims and 10,000 camels. But in Cairo the end was in sight by mid-century. In the context of this account, caravan routes were forever vulnerable to attack. Personal wealth, ransom payments, wages for warriors and mercenaries, war chests and suchlike were often moved over vast distances by cameleers, mostly at night. Each caravan was a complex entity of varying size and purpose. Food and water for the duration of the passage for the animals, caravaneers and passengers, guards and whoever else was engaged in the portage all had to be prepared, packed and paid for in advance. Tradesmen, doctors, cooks, nurses and all the paraphernalia that is needed for a period of extended travel would be carefully listed and then balanced before being packed into the oversize leather saddle panniers.

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A salt trading caravan

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Whilst an Emir, Tribal leader or other may have commissioned the caravan it was for the head caravaneers to regulate the pace and maintain the integrity of the line, which, at any time could extend to several miles . The speed of each caravan was determined by the lead cameleer whose job it was to ensure that the lead group within the train did not separate from the rear section. Obviously, safety and security issues had to be factored into his marching schedule. Many additional factors, terrain, size and weight of freight being carried and the weather conditions along the route needed to be taken into account. Advance warnings of potential trouble, flooding, poisoned wells and grazing availability etc would be provided by outriders, usually on horse. These armed riders would periodically sally forth ahead of the train, making announcements to down route hostelries and provisioners at the next oasis halt. Danger was never far removed from the caravan, particularly when passing though barbaric wastelands or steep, broken terrain. Once having engaged with each tribal chief adequate security provisions would be put in place for the passing convoy. Treatise were, whenever possible pre-negotiated so as to ensure safe passage. Pre-agreed tolls and taxes would apply as the caravans passed though lands belonging to the various tribes, each of which earned its living from passing trade.

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To marauder was considered by many, if not most Bedouin a God given right. As such all caravans regardless of size or purpose were prone to lighting attacks. The main caravan highways were littered with such bandits. From what we know at least three huge hordes were looted from passing caravans by Raynald de Chtillon alone, one originating from Medinah, one from Mekkah and

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another smaller one also from Mekkah. This trove would have come in useful later, when the Kurdish, Muslim leader, Salah Al-Din Yusuf (Saladin) urgently needed substantial funds to pay a ransom demanded following the siege and subsequent fall of Acre by Richard the Lion Heart and Philip Augustus. Caravans were most often very large disjointed, albeit colourful affairs, security in numbers being the general rationale for fellow travellers. Ibn Jubayr, a famous traveller during the time of the Crusades, describes the encampment of the Amir of Iraq on the Plain of 'Arafat as follows: "The encampment of this Amir of Iraq was beautiful to look upon and superbly provided, with large handsome tents ... and wonderful pavilions and awnings, for it was surrounded by a linen screen like a wall, in form a sort of closed-in garden or an ornamental building. Within this were the pitched pavilions, all black on a white background and dappled and variegated as if they were flowers in a garden. ... In these wall-like screens were tall doors, like those of lofty castles, through which one entered into vestibules and mazes ... It is as if this Amir lives in a walled city that moves when he moves and settles when he settles." The return of the pilgrims from Mekkah each year was anxiously awaited by their loved ones, and celebrated with great pomp by the citizens of Cairo and Damascus. George Sandys, the remarkable 17th-century poet, traveller and eventual member of the government of Virginia, left a unique description of the return of the Egyptian caravan in 1610, when he was touring Cairo: "During our aboard here, a Caravan went forth with much solemnity to meet and relieve the Great Caravan in their return from Mecha; which consisteth of many thousands of Pilgrims that travel yearly thither in devotion ... every one with his ban-roll (bedding) in his hand: and their Camels gallantly trickt (decorated)the Alcoran-carried upon one in a precious case covered over with needle-work, and laid on a rich pillow ... guarded by divers companies of souldiers, and certain field peeces. Forty easie (short marches) days journey it is distant from hence: divided by a wildemesse of sand, that lyeth in drifts, and dangerously moveth with the wind: thorow which they are guided in many places by stars, as ships in the Ocean." During the eleventh century the influence of the Macoraba became more evident. By that time they had consolidated both their position and influence within the international Muslim community. Its successes in delivering secure communication services, aid and assurances when needed were recorded by chroniclers including Aziz Othman, a leading mathematician. A case in point is when the Egyptian Fatimids and Syrians Muslim armies required finance. Having been repelled by other funding parties they turned to Macoraba. An immediate response generated urgently needed monies by way of loans and gifts. Donations thus provided helped extend the groups influence and standing within the Middle East. At other times their actions were reciprocated, loans were recalled and favours returned. From its inception banking activities were directed by their ad hoc Council in Mekkah. This location is significant insofar as it is the organisations spiritual birthplace. Macoraba operates autonomously and is supposedly independent of any religious, political or commercial influence or control. Their members refer to themselves as being followers of the truth. The founders reputedly established the organisation in 635 A.D. near Mount Hira, hence the association 103

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with Mekkah. It was on Mt. Hira that Gabriel appeared before the Prophet Mohammed. The Prophet would have been very familiar with the topography of this area and would have known the locals who lived and worked the surrounding land. The untimely death of his father when he was just six years old put a heavy burden on both the family and on the child. It is written that he was of a solitary disposition and spent much time alone. Whilst watching and attending his flock he sometimes took shelter in a small isolated cave under three large boulders several miles from Mekkah. At night his only company were his sheep, these, for security and warmth he would corral close to the opening. At the time this primitive shelter was home, he was secure and comfortable with his own company and that of the sheep. Later on in life he led caravan trains venturing deep into the desert. When returning to Mekkah he would regularly return to the humble refuge to contemplate and reflect on times gone by. Perchance, the location of this small, isolated rocky outcrop was passed on to his friends and followers. The significance of the place was not immediately recognised by those close to him, it was only many years later that the place took centring stage. By this time wind erosion had all but covered up the small aperture that he called home. From the beginning followers met periodically or when summoned by their unelected Mahdi or in modern parlance chairman. The term Mahdi was used affectionately by the Sheikhs who conferred it upon the most senior member of the group at the time. Such deference is bestowed according to Arabic custom, and does not necessarily constitute leadership but rather to the wisdom of age passed on by experience. The Arabic definition for the term is he who is rightly guided. Over time, the members, having built up a regional network recognised the need to expand their programme and develop protocols that would apply in all areas and conditions. Security comes in two parts, the security attached to communications and the security afforded to personal and physical objects. For the later the Macoraba outsourced muscle, relying heavily on the Assassins. By the time this group had disbanded the organisation had equipped itself with all the necessary enforcement and personnel security needed. The forerunner, the Assassins can trace their origin back to an Islamic Ismaili sect in the late 11th century named after their founder Hassan-i-Sabah, a Shiite Persian. He sought permission from the Caliph, who was, coincidentally, an influential policy maker and prime mover within the Macoraba organisation. His primary duty as caliph was to practice and spread his faith across Persia, for this he needed strategic alliances and access to international resources, arms and money being the main lubricants used to accelerate the implementation side of his over-arching strategy. The Caliphs needs matched Hassans ability and as such a curious union of mutual interests was forged. Over time both parties sought what they were looking for out of this tryst of convenience with each enlarging their own personal fiefdom. It is interesting to note that the Macoraba link came when Hassan was carving out the foundations of his empire, a union that lasted throughout his illustrious albeit deadly life. Hassans mission succeeded and with it his following grew. He took over command of a fort at Alamut in Iran and from that operational base used assassination as his preferred modus operendi to deal with opponents. In essence Hassan was a robber and a thief. In 1094AD the Caliph died. His son failed to take over the Caliphate whilst Hassans empire grew westwards to Syria. His organisational strengths were such that he divided his army into ranks, assassins called fidai or devotees. Above these were lasiq or lay brother, above them rafiq or companion and the teacher or dai. A group of

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dais or learned ones formed the inner circle in his court. Orders were strictly adhered to failure to comply was brutally administered. Martial arts training were compulsory. Using wine laced with hashish upon completion of their course the conscripts would be taken to a lovely garden with women etc and in a drunken drug induced stupor would believe them to be in heaven. For them the process of transportation to Paradise was enough to provide Hassan with complete loyalty. Hassan died in 1124AD. His successors continued his work. Hassan II proclaimed himself Mahdi the prophet. His arrival marked the beginning of the millennium. He abandoned Muslim and created his own religion which was based on the concept that nothing is true and everything is possible. After 4 yrs he was assassinated and the assassins continued as before providing arms and security for the Macoraba and generally following the principals of Islam. At the time Syria was divided. The crusaders in the south and the Shiite are in the north. Sinan played these off against each other. When Saladin Salah al-Din al-Ayyabi came to power and took Aleppo Sinan attempted to have him assassinated. He failed. He was more successful with Conrad of Montferret King of Jerusalem who was knifed by two assassins in 1192AD. He was more cautious with the Knights Templars in the south. There he paid an annual tribute amounting to 2000 pieces of gold. Always on the edge of the law the assassins organisation fell apart after the death of Sinan and thereafter they became common thieves and hired knives. Their demise as an independent force came in the form of the Mogul army in the middle of the 13 th c. Alamut caved into the Mogul warlord. Hulagu Khan in 1256AD. Whilst acting as the Macorabas bodyguard there is no evidence to suggest that they were ever permitted to use or had access to Macoraba ciphers. Their job was merely to enforce and ensure that the security of sophisticated codes and ciphers was protected. The Assassins shared a love of the Arabian horse, which they used with great effect when raiding or looting their enemies. In terms of reach the Assassins confined their activities mainly within Arabia. Protection outside this region was afforded by other parties. As such they generated sound revenue streams protecting shipments and camel trains. Fast dromedary and slower camel trains, runners and dhows were the main modes of transport, all of which were susceptible to robbery, accident and delay. The complexity of their communication chains demanded that improved systems were put in place. This process was later to become more regularised as their network grew internationally. Historically, individuals communicating amongst themselves used their own bespoke terminology and linked secure codes, all of which differed slightly making accurate multiple communications impossible. In this case the parties at each end of the communication chain would have had access to the same cipher, one being the encoder the other the decoder. As the group expanded the control and security of information passing amongst individuals grew. The simple process as stated could not apply when numerous parties were involved in the same communication. Thereafter the role of cryptography became an increasingly important element in their lives, and for this Macoraba employed only the finest academics, the best, and most trusted mathematicians. First class cryptographers were ever in demand. Their importance was duly recognised and as such they received commensurate rewards from their eminent masters, the only problem being that in the process they invariably lost their freedom. Once employed the cipher Masters lifestyle was restricted. From that day on they were confined to live in secure quarters, albeit in luxury and enjoyed a life similar in some respects as that of the harem girls. Mastery of secure communications was kernel to their success. In times of emergency their communication system was so effective they could pass written coded messages over distances of

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over 200 miles in a single day even across rough terrain and desert regions. Relay stages were put in place. High speed, fleet footed Bactrian camels were used as express couriers. For freight and passenger transportation purposes heavily armed cameleers were recruited to deliver loads and data day or night. Those with an intimate knowledge of individual stages or sections of the route could evade capture, traverse inhospitable terrain and fight off insurgents, brigands and robbers.

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Macoraba Intelligence MACORABA. Definition: an international group comprised mainly of mainly Arab intellectuals, communication and banking specialists whos existence can be traced back to a time before the Prophet Muhammad. The organisations origins appears to stem from a need to transmit unambiguous information over great distances in a secure manner within a controlled network but without the need for any verbal or other form of supporting communication. The group devised such technology and used their newfound ability to transfer secure communications irrespective of language, composition or distance. Later, by the 8th century AD as their power and influence grew they extended their reach to include monetary transfer, and created a primitive, but highly effective Sharia compliant banking system. As Islam spread so did the need for banking and secure communications increase. This virtual organisation is notable for providing funding for the building of Mosques and administration centres across the ever expanding region then under Islamic control. Type of Organisation. The nearest modern equivalent would be a bespoke Craft Guild or Executive Trades Union with new recruits being taught their secret arts by the Cipher and Banking masters. The printing industry was a parallel case in point with very strict admission policies being practiced in Europe until the 21st century. The other secretive industry included in these notes is the silk industry with its production, and secrets finally being lost by the Chinese to Nestorian monks. Membership: From primary and anecdotal research material (mainly based on the Cairo Booklet) Robert Purnell concluded that the organisation consisted of leading policy makers and tribal leaders. The membership, made up of a coalition of like minded individuals met periodically. At all times they were bound by a set of ground rules, the core of which was secrecy. No definitive organisational structure is apparent. This loosely bound group appears to have used their specialist crypto and monetary transfer and manipulation skill sets over an extended period of time across the ever expanding Islamic Empire.

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Training: As no particular authorised instruction or operational manuals has come to light yet it is not clear as to how, or how many new recruits were trained or elevated through the organisational ranks.

Scale of Operation: What is apparent is that by pooling monetary and other resources the organisation achieved significant economies of scale, a key feature which greatly assisted expansionist strategies and accelerated their various Islamic globalisation plans. By so doing the many small tribal factions in Arabia were, for the first time able to leverage their collective strength by applying their pooled resources for commercial, military and political benefit. Demise: Unlike the Knights Templar whos term came to an abrupt end by royal decree the rise and fall of the Macoraba has no clear beginning nor end, it merely faded away. However, as with the Templars traces of its existence remain to this day. These shadows can be seen across most Islamic States. From a historic perspective the time-line peters out in the 16 th century. It would appear that the organisation was still in operation in more or less its original format up until the time when moveable type was introduced in the 16 th century AD. This technology only came into the Arab world seventy or more years after having been invented in Germany. By the 17 th century political dynamics in the region had altered the former political equation. This fact, coupled with the increasing power from rightwing Islamic factions. Ultra orthodox Muslims shifted the centre ground and in s doing destabilised the age old power base formerly the prevail of the caliphs. This move weakened the Macoraba grip on the commercial, intelligence and political control mechanisms. For centuries they had prudently kept themselves out of the glare of both the social eye and the political arena. With the tacit support of the power brokers there was no need for them to reveal their various agendas to the masses. Instead they focused on their unique functional skill sets in support of Islamic society generally, and in this context they were well protected by their paymasters. By the time the Wahhabi influence had gained strength and increased its influence across the Hejez the role of the Macoraba became more diffused and its effect on society generally eroded to a point where its influence was far less apparent than in former days. New, subdivisions and groupings slowly overtook the historic role. Ghostly shadows of this structure remain, the evidence of which can be seen within most Islamic political party structures. At community level and within the transient Bedouin communities fragments the age old heritage still drifts across the desert. New Organisations: In modern times, with banking and communications being electronically transmitted innovative new data transmission structures, supported by multinational corporations are needed. Hacking into these supposedly secure systems is a new art form generally attributed to government Agencies on one hand and extremely capable rogue techies on the other. The recent boom in electronic technology provides such operators with a golden opportunity to intercept data at all levels, public and private. By harnessing conventional transmission systems and integrating

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them into the new order splinter groups, which may well include terrorist and right wing elements have enhanced interception capability. Such practices are seen at all levels and include national security forces who shield behind the anonymity so provided so as to pry on their adversaries. As a consequence an amalgam of both old and modern systems of communication appears to be practiced by some Arabic related factions in unstable Islamic States. Having developed and honed a complex set of related academic and administrative skills over the centurys independent intelligence units were able to combine and apply their collective resources and knowledge. This strategic application of unified skill sets helped build prosperity, promote trade and create a higher level of inter-State security within Islamic controlled territories. With regards security generally this included both passive and offensive measures. A common denominator in this equation was the use of a well trained and highly mobile camel force. As a beast of burden this animal is perfectly designed for the desert. Prior to the introduction of the railway, and later the motor vehicle to the region at the turn of the 20 th century it was undoubtedly the preferred mode of travel for both commerce, transportation and war. Postal communication intercepts provided the horse cavalry and cameleer commanders with vital information. In this respect they delivered the first fully integrated Arabic intelligence service some four hundred years before the Europeans developed their own national intelligence networks. To further enhance the integrity of their communications the cipher masters embedded within the primary enciphered patterns secondary reverse tier messages, their matrix of codes having been passed down via an unbroken verbal line for over 1,300 years. This unique development provided an impregnable communication system, which until recent time was uncrackable. Bletchley Hall, in Hertfordshire known for its code-breaking successes during 1939-45 managed to break the German enigma code failed in its initial attempt to decode Macoraba encrypted communications. Reputedly, the original Arab master cipher keys are held in or near Mekkah. As most of the ancient, pre-Islamic artefacts were destroyed before the 7 th century AD little is now known about the myriad of treasures and valued objects created by the layers of ancient civilisations that lived in the Hejez. Similarly, much of the most prized and sought after post Islamic art was also lost to wonton destructive powers. As such, in this context the regions linear heritage is filled with gaps. A chest, known as the cask of Ayeshah, Ayeshah being Mohammeds best beloved, and the daughter of Abu Bekr at one time contained relics and precious objects of considerable value. This chest along with its contents have since been lost to time. Following the death of the Prophet Muhammad the tribal rulers consolidated their assets, each vying for regional positions of power. A part of this wealth, reputedly worth a Kings ransom was held secure in vaults a days walk, about 20Km North of Mekkah. Prior to the establishment of a central treasury it had been difficult for tribal and religious leaders , Kings or Emirs to raise large sums of money at short notice. Typically, ransom demands presented immediate problems for the families, friends and associated of the unfortunate victim, the consequence of which would invariably be a rush ft liquidate assets. Whilst in the region Robert was fortunate in being taken to a house within which he was shown something he least expected an ancient strong room, hidden deep below the mud walled

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structure. The modified dry cistern that Robert found and examined was built upon a clearing located well above the flood plain. The architect who over saw the construction had created a simple but highly efficient place within which precious items cold be stored and, if needed defended. The masons employed for the task had built a small, discreet, but very strong, fortified, windowless building in the vernacular style, the shape and size of the strong room resembled that which might be found in a medieval castles dungeon. To avoid drawing unwanted attention the flat roofed building built from dried mud bricks was constructed in a style and on a scale similar to others in the area, the only difference being that its footings were far deeper, and the very bottom floor being some 40 ft below the ground. The shaft to the lower chamber was cut out of solid stone. The masonry joints and angulated surfaces were of the highest order. Within the lower footings of the building was a secret chamber and within that chamber a heavily gated opening. This area contained a depository was large enough to house many tons of valuables. Typically, the precious goods would have been transported and held in wooden travelling boxes specially built to be slung laterally over the camels back. Counter-balanced leather panniers were also used for the same purpose. Matched weight wooden pairs of lockable travelling chests, the type and style as used by the Syrian caravans were a common sight on animals kitted out for long haul journeys. This configuration was the preferred means of transporting valuable and fragile luggage. The original contents and inventory of individual hoards is not known as no records have survived. Some say that items so held had been donated by the Prophet Mohammed in recognition for the work undertaken by the tribesmen living in and around Mekkah. 109

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Macoraba Robert Purnell was fascinated by the illusive Macoraba story, its history and the influence this shadowy organisation had on the Arab world. The body of his findings mainly stemmed from personal observations and through conversations with historians and administrators. Almost all the research material, dates and chronology are from his observations and references particularly, those which he extracted from the Cairo booklet, a relatively small albeit comprehensive leather bound booklet. Before the turn of the century Robert concluded that his ever expanding pool of research material provided him with more than enough basic data to launch his quest. Hard evidence, he knew could only be found in the Hedjaz. Prior to his expedition he conducted as much desk research as he could from the comfort of his home in High Littleton. From his desk he was able to verify the content and accuracy of much of the subject matter that he accumulated . He paid particular attention to the double page spreads which appeared on the Macoraba that appeared in the Arabian Gazette. The picture that he presents in his journals is more than an organisational overview. At the time his review was the only definitive English account available. He goes further than merely sketching an organisational or historical profile, he attempted to trace the organisations foundations and timeline as well as chronicling its expanding sphere of influence across Arabia and beyond. The spark that ignited his interest in this particular subject was

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a smartly bound booklet given to him by his friend Heath and later, when in Cairo the purchase of an Arabic summary which highlighted aspects of this quasi, secret organisation. During his extensive research phase he stumbled on one central issue, this being the constant ebb and flow and transfer of personal and collective wealth within the region. He then examined the regional money supply and distribution chains, which largely replicated those of the former Persian and Roman Empires. Having studied the dynamics of trade and the methodology of commercial transactions, whether they be by barter of cash he deduced that the key factor in all these transfer mechanisms came down to the availability of two metals, gold and silver. The extraction of precious metals, particularly gold and silver played a critical role both encouraging the facilitation of a far ranging, unified distribution system of monetary exchange. At the time, the simultaneous use of two separate coinage systems, gold the preferred metal in the former Byzantine territories and silver in the former Saanid territories created the perfect international monetary system. The need to conduct large scale trade over vast areas naturally created a class of money changers who functioned in almost all Arab Muslim territories. The circumstances of the medieval Islamic world were entirely favourable to monetary harmony insofar to market demands were under Muslim control. For the first time they were bound by the same language, political and cultural systems. All in all the Muslim Empire became a monetarily harmonised international marketplace. The Arab language was the cement that bound the regional communities together. It was against this backdrop that the Macoraba continued to provide a range of complex services long after one would have assumed its sphere of influence would have died out. The significant difference between banking in the non Muslim world and the Muslim banking community was clearly set out in the Quran were it is said that God has permitted the buying and selling, and forbidden usury. This law was as rigidly applied then as it is now across the entire Muslim world. When in Cairo Robert discussed this particular subject specifically with a cross section of senior academics, historians, religious experts and a prominent banker. Whilst all had their respective views on the subject little in the way of formal documentation was available in the marketplace. From these various interviews it was clear that the mist of time had confused or merged reality with fiction and fantasy. However, some common threads repeatedly surfaced. These leads provided him with something more tangible to build his case. From these preliminary discussions he was led to other, more specialist sources some of whom were able to expand on the subject and fill in gaps in his knowledge and understanding. The breakthrough came when an individual offered to sell him an Arabic document copy on the subject. The price requested was beyond his means but, after several days of negotiation and counter negotiation he finally did a deal with the Arab. When translated it was clear to Robert that this document was genuine and based on privileged information including working documents and actual Macoraba records. From all the varied data that he was able to compile he deduced that the Macoraba had, from the outset been structured as an elite, albeit secretive stratum within the upper echelons of Islamic society, an elitist, male only club. The group traditionally expressed itself though the mediums of politics, religion, commerce and scholarship without the need to put itself forward into the public

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arena in an overt manner. Its Islamic principles are deep set. Its aims and ambitions are firstly to Islam and secondly to itself. As such its objectives often appear nebulous and obscure, but having survived for over 1400 years the organisation has a proven record of longevity. Within the Arabian Gazette copy matter were included some interesting woodcuts one of which depicted a silhouette of camels with pyramids beyond. This second hand, half bound book had originally been purchased from a bookstore behind Paternoster Square, St Pauls. London. When Robert went back to see if the dealer had any other related items he was told that his runner had purchased the particular book at an auction, as part of a job lot in Oxford. This 18 th century publication provided a graphic account of the organisation detailing how it operated, who the decision and policy makers were and most importantly where they operated. The network as depicted was immense, stretching from Asia Minor to Spain in the west. From references therein the document appears to have been a transcript of a previous work originally published in Arabic. During his on-going research en route to Mekkah Robert acquired some additional authorised antiquarian material in booklet format on the same subject. This came from another source based in Alexandria, Egypt. Apart from those isolated reference points little more in the way of published material was readily available to him. A more recent search is equally light in content on this rather delicate Islamic centric subject. A simile can be made with the modern astronomer who, when hunting for a black hole has no other option other than to look for the evidence of its existence not from the target object star but from those around it, those within its orbit of influence, those within its gravitational pull. Similarly, we can now deduce historic facts from what we know happened around the time when the Macoraba were most active, and from sources within their sphere of influence. From this we can postulate as to why certain occurrences, actions and reactions might have happened and from that deduce who, or which organisation was orchestrating the stage. Using that logic it is but a short step to tie quantifiable links with the prime instigators. With the benefit of hindsight it is accordingly relatively easy for the modern researcher to piece together apparently random information which, when evaluated and ordered should provide pointers towards how and why particular Macoraba strategies and policies were, or might have been applied. When put into context with European policy making, regal or parliamentary, a clear distinction emerges. Whilst parliaments may last for a decade or two at the most, and Kings and Queens may reign for half a life time or more, the Macoraba, like the Vatican has a timeless lifeline. Policies so created and strategies so delivered can be and were applied across generations. This point seems to have been missed by most modern politicians and military advisors who have engaged themselves in futile Middle East wars. Until they come to terms with their adversary they cannot win. Richard the Lionheart, the most revered Christian war lord realised the error of the Christian ways and paid the ultimate price for the mistake. Only at the time of his death did he acknowledge the fact that the Christian quest to take Jerusalem was an unrealistic ambition which was beyond their means and ultimate desires. He said that in almost every case the Christian pilgrim, whether it be a Knight or humble serf had the same desire, to merely see and touch the sights, and thereafter return home.

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In an effort to place the Macoraba into perspective Robert first looked towards Egypt. Evidence of early encryption using cipher techniques can be traced to the Middle Kingdom in Egypt where the Pharaohs used elaborate techniques using papyrus as the substrate of communication to transmit coded messages. The origins of the Macoraba may well have had a tentative link with the neighbouring State of Egypt. Whilst there is no singular link or association there is a parallel line of logic and reason. Secondly, its motivation and objectives for the use of concealed meaning within communications are much the same. However, upon close historic examination the Egyptian mark is clearly evident across the passage of time dating from 500BC leading up to and including time of the Ottoman Sultans in the 16th Century. The evidence as such can be seen when one examines the political, military, commercial and religious development of those nations that now make up the Islamic world. Many key players in these sectors played a pivotal role in the nation building process. It therefore takes but cursory examination to see which personalities within the group were the most active. As a starting point, every school boy will know the word Saladin. All Muslims follow the central belief as expressed in the Shahada, the Muslim confession of faith that there is no God but Allah and Mohammad is his Prophet. The periodic revelation of Angels such as Gabriel is an integral part of this belief. The broadening of global Muslim influence has, over time put immense pressure on the organisational skills of religious leadership. Conflicting loyalties, political alliances and disparate commercial strategies did, from time to time marginally fragment the Macoraba power base and as a consequence its sources of funding and above all its access to a central treasury diminished. But, so far as we are aware nothing has destroyed the age old glue that cements the long standing religiously based unions that go to make Macoraba impervious to persistent external threat. Whilst Macoraba has its foundations in pre-Islamic history it has been difficult to establish the precise point of conception or, for that matter the time of its ultimate demise. In all probability it grew organically in the Arabian Peninsula from necessity and evolved slowly thereafter. The knowledge that is now available to researchers in this particular subject enables us to delve far deeper into the interlocking matrix of events that made Arabian and Islamic history. Recent developments in science and technology for example provide us with accurate dating techniques. These techniques have enabled us to accurately trace and date most artefacts stemming from the region. Additionally, the development of the Arabic cipher systems and their respective lineage and use can be dated to a time shortly after the overthrow of Mekkah in 630 A.D. An early example of this association projects the group in a more positive light. It was at the time when the Hejaz leaders were engaged with many other ethnic groups including the Mandaeans from Iraq. They were members of a Gnostic sect and at the time in conflict with a breakaway group known as the iconoclasts. Their belief being that John the Baptist was the true Messiah. Their sacred scripts are written in the ancient Aramaic dialect, the commonality being their ancestry, which was geographically adjacent to the geographical territory that they lived in. A group from Nicaea (now called Iznk) sought political support in its quest to support the rise of the iconoclasts. Nicaea was an ancient Asia Minor city, an important Roman trade and commercial centre. Following the fall of Rome it was absorbed into the Byzantines sphere of influence. Its importance was also based on the fact that it was the site of two ecumenical councils of the early Christian Church, the first the Council

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of Nicaea in 325AD and the second in 787AD. The later condemned the iconoclasts, the Christian dissenters who were against the use of images in religious worship in churches in the Eastern Roman Empire in Europe. The iconoclasts practiced their belief in a Puritanical way banishing all forms of idolatry and image worship. In this respect a similarity exists with Islam. On this singular point they did not follow the belief that John the Baptist was the Messiah. To avert ochlocracy from occurring Hejaz leaders mediated in the stand-off religious confrontation by co-opting militiamen. This prompt action effectively quelled a potential Christian against Christian uprising in its infancy. This is but one of many religious and secular examples of how, through the ages Hejaz tribal leadership intervention has averted regional strife and suffering. From a legal perspective Macoraba embraces the tenants of Islamic law, the Shariah. This system has regulated the lives of all those who profess Islam its origin predating the birth of the Prophet Mohammed. It includes courts which can administer the full range of penalties including the death penalty. As is occasionally reported this can, in some instances be by stoning or beheading. Shariah law is the only law applied in some Islamic countries, in others it runs in tandem with secular law. Sunnism and Shiism, or Shiah Islam is the two main forms of Islam. The main difference between the Sunni and Shiite Islam lies in the latters belief that the charisma of the Prophet was inherited by his descendants, in whom they invest supreme spiritual and political authority. Sunni believe in the consensus of the community. Their caliphs ceased to exist in Turkey in 1924AD. This monumental military conquest by the Prophet Mohammed and his Medinah army marked a watershed in Arabic history. This conquest confirmed his position as both chief and Prophet. Shortly thereafter, the Prophets followers assembled as a loose disparate group, their purpose and objective being to extend the Prophets will. Ever since their descendants have relentlessly continued to follow his example and beliefs by proclaiming their faith through action. Due to the ever present threat of persecution from parties within and outside the Muslim world the group prudently decided to adopt a low rather than profile strategy. Acting is support of the religious objectives a parallel network of Macoraba members grew, and as their numbers increased so did their political influence. Early membership consisted mainly of narrow section of regional, tribal leaders but later, as the Muslim faith extended and the sphere of influence widened, the base became more diverse. This fundamental change widened the scope of activity and increased the resource base. This expansion created a hiatus within the group which was only settled later when an extraordinary general assembly was called in 723. The question uppermost in the minds of the attendees was one of structure, whether to formalise it or remain a virtual organisation with no material base or corporate structure. In effect the structure that was proposed mirrored that which has stood the test of time over millennia in Arabia and elsewhere. To achieve a mutually agreeable settlement representatives from the regions had been put forward to express the will and wishes of their peers. This group were referred to as the Sheikhs. So successful was this structure that it remained in place for centuries. From the outset meetings were, and remained on an informal basis and followed an age old custom and formula as set out by the Arabian tribal leaders over time. As such they would have been convened for specific purposes such as settling of disputes as well as conducting social, cultural and commercial business. Most probably such meetings would have been scheduled to coincide with annual markets, feasts, major religious events and holidays. Based on their intimate knowledge and use of ciphers the code of secrecy practiced by the group dictated that their activities remained private to themselves and maintained a strict code of silence or, as with

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the Italian secret societies omerta. From the outset the reason for the need of secrecy was based on a multi-tiered need for personal and community security. As with any newly formed organisation its reach and influence , commercial political or otherwise will depend on how well organised it is. In this respect Macoraba recruited only the finest brains, leading academics, politicians, bankers and merchants formed the organisations core. Their horizon of opportunity lifted in line with their increased power and influence. With this new found confidence they successfully ventured into new and emerging markets.. As its power base grew, from time to time detractors and opponents attempted to target or dismantle the decentralised, and some say disparate power base. Their modus operandi was in the first instance to challenge the Macorabas legal and religious standing. For this they tried to win the support of the religious leaders and use their influence to undermine the workings of the organisation. Such was the organisations power and influence that such attempts were repeatedly thwarted. Nevertheless, even until recent times they have continued to attract negative political, religious and commercial attention. Intelligence and other Agencies in the United States of America and Israel have both expended considerable sums of money and resources trying to build up a more complete data bank of its structure, influence and strategies. Precisely what relevance this research has in to-days political and business environment is unclear. However, the great oil and natural gas finds during the last century catapulted commercial and exploitation interest in Arabia, this, mainly being led by US oil companies. More recently the Western thrust instead of being driven be commercial objectives alone has been led by the military who have directed their resources towards Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, all Islamic States. Covertous and envious Western eyes cannot resist the temptation to pry into the source of Arab wealth, old or new. As the Macoraba power and wealth base increased so did the threat to their very survival. In some instances, in the immediate years after the Prophet Muhammads death entire family units were wiped out in targeted raids and pillages. Of the original twelve family or tribal founding groupings only seven survived after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Co-existence and integration of the right wing Islamic sects was, for a long time resisted by the Macoraba but over time a relationship was built which accommodated the extreme Islamic doctrine that they preached and enforced. This faction is a relatively recent phenomenon in Islamic terms but as with other religions its origins are deep seated in the Arabian Peninsula. All that it took to leverage it away from the main Islamic body mass was a leader, in that they found their man, Muhammad Abd Al-Wahhhab. Wahhabism have, since the 1740s his vision had a place in Islam and in modern times this place has gained popular support and acceptance in many quarters. Divisions within the Wahhabi group are no different to those of any religious or political party. Radicals take their place on the extreme flanks and the core is, by enlarge composed of moderates. On the extreme right of central Islam are the ultra orthodox Wahhabism, whose views and opinions are generally not shared by the main body of belief. In this regard most Muslims cannot accept the dogmatic Wahhabi view that if you dont convert to my way of thinking that I have a God-given right to kill you; in fact I have a religious duty to kill you. This extreme perspective is in fact mostly considered deeply offensive by the Muslim community at large. Wahhab started in the 1740s by a law giver named Muhammad Abd Al-Wahhab. His friendship with Ibn Saud enabled him to promote

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his puritanical views by force. During the next 80 years the Wahhabi doctrine spread from tribe to tribe throughout Arabia and beyond. It was only in 1818, some 14 years after Robert Purnell had left Arabia that the Ottomans finally put down the Wahhabi in a ruthless purge. In their view the emerging power base created by the Wahhabi leaders needed to be suppressed. Wahhabism at the time was a unifying movement which supported the age old tribal way of nomadic life. In this respect it was a reaction to the Byzantine power base, an act of defiance against a superior military power. Even though the superior Ottoman strength stamped out the Wahhabi leadership the religious belief persisted and, from time to time re-ignited in areas as distant as India where the Wahhabi made a holy war against the Sikhs. Once against history repeated itself. The superior Sikh army crushed the Wahhabi force. But far from removing them for good the Wahhabism regrouped and later focussed their attention on the British. As with the Ottomans and the Sikhs the British showed no mercy and whenever they came into contact exerted whatever military pressure as was needed to stamp out the Wahhabi zealots. Their fanatic belief however was resilient to military attack and no more so when they backed off and used the high mountains as their bases. Located in mountainous regions of the North West Frontier, an area now part of Pakistan they enjoyed freedom of movement and a high degree of physical security from attacking foreign forces. This tactic is as relevant to-day as it was a hundred years ago. From these retreats they brought out the Pathans, the local tribesmen and led a number of uprisings. During the next century the Pathans were thoroughly jihadisised. This close knit group of hardened fighters opposed most other factions including the Christians, Hindus and Shia. However, without the need to fight opposing military forces their leadership devised a strategy based on integration rather than confrontation. This tactic worked and over time brought the Wahhabis into mainstream religious society.

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30

Islamic Secret Society

History is made up of successive layers of civilisations, some of which settled in one place or region others preferring to adopt a nomadic lifestyle. From a historians point of view the former are generally easier to place in time and influence. But that is not always the case. As with the Barbarians the Arabs who inhabited the Hejez region were by en large nomadic tribes folk. Accordingly, their leadership had no permanent administration or place of residence. Present day military operations in Afghanistan by well armed professional coalition forces have fought against such an elusive enemy. An enemy like the shadowy Taliban which can move effortlessly across the most testing terrain without fear of capture or ambush. Similarly the Macoraba have, over the centuries taken a similar grey man option, namely maintaining a low, discreet profile. The constitution of this cloudy image has enabled it to seamlessly merge into the distance and by so doing have avoided the glare of multimedia attention and speculation. As a consequence, from an external publicity standpoint, scandals or defections were rarely, if ever made public. Its code of secrecy and integrity was robust and remained so for over a 1,000 years. To-date no Macoraba member or clich has ever been publicly exposed or impeached for wrong doing or brought to justice by any international Court of law. The only visible evidence of their presence was through actions that they instigated. This basic tenant can be traced back to the time of Saladin. It not only

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protected them from detection but ensured that, over time their long term strategies were effectively implemented. This veil of secrecy has provided the perfect fence for actions beyond the reach of international law No ruler or government has effectively sanctioned Macoraba. Such is their communication security that for well over a thousand years the inner workings of the group have never been overtly penetrated or revealed to outsiders. Robert Purnell was one of many who tried to determine the basic tenants and organisational structure of the Macoraba. He tried without success to link individuals to the organisation and attempted, with limited success to determine how their power base operated. In this context he made some casual observations about the city fort of Medinah in his diary notes, as he understood from folklore and hearsay evidence that the organisation had its roots and stored its treasures within the city walls. Once there he conducted a city wide survey and from that and field research deduced where the organisations base might have been. On both counts he failed. The few records that he managed to see or acquire were limited and had little bearing on his quest. He pointed out that at the time of the Prophet Muhammad the city was not fortified, a rubble mound was all that marked its boundary. At that time there were few buildings of any consequence and those that stood were mainly practical in purpose and low in height. The irregular, newly built oval granite and lava walls that he witnessed had been added more recently. He observed that whilst the city was larger than Suez in size and population it was only half the size of Mekkah. He did not venture to estimate a number of inhabitants resided within the city walls. He said that he first entered the city via the Eastern wall, the Bab al-Jumah or Friday Gate that leads to the Nijd road and the cemetery known as Al-Bakia. He records the gates as having been a massive structure which housed rooms below for the guards.

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Medinah city walls The linked walls that joined the four gates had trefoil-shaped crenelles these being built to in order to secure flanking fire. The traders located at the Caravanserais or storehouses were forthcoming and ready to engage in conversation. Whilst in their company and smoking potent Syrian tobacco he

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discussed a range of topics with the local bazaar traders trying to elicit information about the city and in particular about workings of the Macoraba. In this he was only partially successful. Perchance, whilst there he met the Muhafiz (governors) private secretary. From this chance encounter he touched on a subject close to the heart of the old man, who earlier in his career had taught mathematics in Cairo. His historical knowledge of Islam was unparalleled. He narrated the story to Robert about the treasures which the Macoraba reputedly had hidden and the quests made by locals and pilgrims thereafter to find them. Prior to the birth of Islam there is little evidence of Macoraba having a centralised resource or pool of funds at its disposal. It is however, very probable that its members used communal resources and protection services to safeguard their individual and collective assets. During the period from the seventh to eleventh century Macoraba largely financed itself via commerce and contributions, loans, pledges and gifts often donated by travellers and pilgrims in return for communication services rendered. A parallel here can be drawn with the Crusaders who for several centuries provided an effective international banking system, and from these operations became the largest bank in the world.

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Cipher Systems

Prior to the 8th century the link between pure science and natural phenomena was vague with science generally taking second place to common belief that higher forces dictated earthly matter and life form. Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizim (820AD) radically changed this balance when he published the definitive book on arithmetical permutations. This limited edition was intended to be used exclusively by the membership but, for some reason several additional copies were made. Several of these managed to get into the public domain. From a modern perspective it is difficult to equate the value of this work, but it would be fair to say that at the time it was rocket science in a world steeped in ancient traditions and practices. Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizim, was as a leading scientist, he was also a prominent Macoraba member and chairman of an elite group tasked to engineer new cipher systems. He led a dedicated think tank comprised of mathematicians drawn from Persia, Egypt and across Arabia. Lavish accommodation was provided for the group all funded by the Macoraba. The research programme extended to over four years. The culmination of this academic study was later compiled into an extensive thesis. This prodigious work was credited to Muhammad who later condensed it further and published it as a book, titled the Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing. Not only did this work create new thinking on the subject generally but it added weight to the scientific component making for a more advanced cipher system. Having crystallised his theory he went a step further and put his concept into practice. This was a massive step forward for the organisation as it reinforced Macalabra cipher systems by introducing additional arithmetical permutations to previous knowledge. Certain numbers are taken to represent or to predict or control divine actions. Such numbers can be extrapolated from natural phenomena coincidence or pure coincidence. Ancient authorities placed great wealth in such numbers. The alphabetic order of letters was a means of projecting thoughts and associations with the future. Certain numbers had special place in society. For example the number 7 was auspicious because the ancients thought that

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there were 7 planets. The numbers 2, 4, 5 and ten were special as they were the numbers of our eyes, ears, hands, fingers and toes. During the time when the Prophet Muhammad was alive his close friends, advisors were known and referred to as His Companions. Amongst other things they attended to matters of administration, law and order. Religious and military strategies and policies were structured by them in accordance with the Prophets orders. Even during the turbulent conflicts of the time this structure survived intact. Central to all actions as directed by the Prophet was the word of Allah, as delivered to Muslims in the form of the Holy Quran. Muslim leadership, post the demise of the Prophet Muhamad closely followed his guide lines and strategies. Whilst commercial, religious and political tensions pulled at the seams of infant religion these tensions failed to break the central objectives of the early Muslim leadership. This core group was strong enough to resist fragmentation and from the beginning Islam spread like wildfire across the Arabian Peninsula and beyond. Whilst the focus of oral and written learning and academic attention had traditionally rested with the spiritual and religious side of Islam little has since been written about social networks that joined academic, political, commercial, banking and military groups. It is clear from historic accounts that from the earliest times the underlying bond between fellow Muslims was a total and undivided belief and commitment to the main tenants, the pillars of Islam. A nomadic lifestyle and the traditions that go with it are not conducive to a more structured and settled urban lifestyle. As such the communities living in Arabia and in particular Medinah and Mekkah area were generally of a transient type. The Hejaz did not auger well for centralised Islamic government. For centuries Islam developed organically. From structural point of view from the outset there was a divide, with two distinct branches splintering away, the Shia and Sunni. It was not until much later when in 1299AD Osman triggered the creation of what was to be the mighty Ottoman Empire. This development consolidated and structured the diverse Islamic Empire and through this process concentrated its administration in one place, Constantinople. All developed civilisations have in the process of their economic advancement have had to perfect their communication and transportation services. For reasons of convenience, and in some instances self preservation individuals have for all times tended to group together, whether it was for protection, commerce or other reasons the bond between mankind demands such social interaction. A common thread through the course and development of Islam has been the development of various methods of communication between such groups. For the purpose of this observation we commence with the Prophet Muhammads Companions as being the first example of a true Muslim only grouping. This association spawned many others, the common thread being adherence to Muslim principals and a commitment to all that is Islam. As the Islamic sphere of influence expanded across vast geographic regions and cultural and linguistic barriers significant communication demands were placed on those parties engaged in the expansion process. Logistics, then as now were ever a problem. The movement of armies, the feeding of communities and the financing and building of mosques all had to be dealt with and planned in an orderly and effective manner. Against this vibrant and fast moving setting strong, wise leadership at every level was a pre-requisite for success. Out of necessity tentative unions and alliances between tribal leaders grew over time. And from such associations confidential news and views needed be exchanged at all levels irrespective of the over-arching local or regional power structure. This tradition was very much embedded within the nomadic Bedouin tradition where tribal leaders would co-exist with their

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neighbours on one hand but fiercely compete with each other at other times. The etiquette and traditions of co-habitation in a land of extreme contrast was built up over many centuries. Trust, honour and faith are but three qualities that are deeply engrained in the mindset and tradition of such desert communities. Rigidly applied moral and ethical qualities ensured confidentiality within these circles. At the time of the Prophets death in 632AD the Arabic language was a minor global language, confined to the Arabian Peninsula. To the North, Syriac, an Armaic dialect was spoken. Greek and Latin were the languages spoken by the Byzantine ruling classes. The growth of Arabic as the favoured language of Islam acted to unify the people and create a common platform of learning and understanding across the Islamic world.

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Secret Communication Systems

Hijazi Script preceded Kuffi ( from Bosrah and Kufah ) was first recorded as having been seen some 20 yrs after the death of Prophet. Encrypted formula from Bosrah can be dated to 1600 BCE. In addition to ciphers and codes the ancient Mesopotamians used Steganography to transmit sensitive data. This is the art if the hidden message. Many different methods were used including invisible ink, messages concealed within a foreign object or beneath a wax seal or other covering material. The pre-cursor to semaphore were flag sequences. These were used on the battle field when noise made verbal communication impossible. Flags and beacon signals provided a low cost means of transmitting information quickly over great distances. False signals communicated by messengers could be interspersed with real ones to confuse the enemy. Messages sent from ship to ship, ship to shore and from hill top to hill top included complex semaphore signals, again each signal being made up of sequences of flags or at night flares. Since then its use across the pre-Islamic region was widespread. Ciphers, the systems devised to conceal a special meaning or sequence of letters or words evolved over time. On one part the cipher masters developed new cipher systems and on the other part the decoders, the cryptanalysiss who attempted to decipher the messages. Ciphers and codes are often linked, the later being dependent on a code-book which put a special meaning on letters and characters within the code. The general rules that apply within a cipher system are called an algorithm. Gaius Julius Caesar 100BC-44BC devised the Caesar shift. A simple system of transposition of characters using the Latin alphabet as a base. By the 1st century BC the Romans had developed the Caesar Shift. A basic form of letter transfer using a 25 word font. In each case the plan matrix would be aligned against the cipher. For example A = R. The unintelligible message would then be compiled. Unless the receiving party knew the cipher it would be difficult for him to understand the content. More complex forms of conversion were prevalent in Syria and across the Mediterranean. Die cast clay discs containing plaintext on one side and a cipher on the other provided a means by which a large group of people could instantly gain access to a cipher, which when used could easily be broken rendering its content useless. In each of the above systems the use of frequency analysis was the obvious means of cracking a cipher. The analysts job would be made easier when presented with long tracts of text matter where the content had been compiled from a single cipher. The being the most frequent word in the English language might provide a clue as to where the letters t, h and e fit. This is called a trigraph. Ancient Bible and Hebrew ciphers

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had been in common use for many centuries prior to the birth of Islam. The Atbash cipher was based on a transposition of characters within the Hebrew alphabet. The Islamic mathematicians who advised their leaders and generals were skilled in the sciences and published many thesis on cryptography. The scientist Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn al-Sabbah Al-Kindi published a classic called A Manuscript on Deciphering Cryptographic Messages. Arab cryptographic scholarship was not equalled in Europe until sometime later. By the time the French soldiers arrive at Mekkah they might have been familiar with the system known as Nomenclator, a combination of code and cipher, this being a step forward in terms of strength. By the 15 th century cryptanalysts had introduced the homophonic substitution cipher. This system was based on giving plaintext vowels different equivalents. As such the alphabet root was greatly increased. Encrypted messages were used within the Papal Court since at least the 4 th century. A breakthrough was made by Leon Battista Alberti, a Florentine polymath who made significant contributions to the Italian Renaissance in the fields of science and law. In 1467AD he wrote an essay on the frequency analysis providing solutions for de-coding such obscure messages. His breakthrough was to put a centrally located pin through two metal rings of different sizes with a centrally mounted pointer. Each plate had 24 letters. To send a message to operator merely fixed the two discs at a prearranged point and then copied the characters from the lower order of characters. To further complicate the system the primary setting could be changed at will making for a more random enciphered message. The Papal Court welcomed this advance and used the system for centuries thereafter. Polyalphabetic ciphers were proven to be secure but were slow to use and sometimes prone to error. Almost 100 years later a French diplomat named Blaise de Vigenre advanced the science of polyalphabetic ciphers. His thesis titled Traict des Chiffres was written when he was in retirement in 1586AD. The system that he developed was based on a large matrix of characters overwhich was placed a master key. To write a text the operator needed only to write out the plaintext with the Key word repeated above it. In 1626AD a young man named Antoine Rossignol (1600-1682AD) arrived at the French Court. He worked in the cryptanalysis department where he was followed by his brilliant son, Bonaventure. The pair invented the Great Cipher which at the time was resistant to cracking. The basis of their technique was to add substitutions for syllables. Additional complexity was added by degrouping or reshuffling text groups within a message, making it almost impossible to unlock the cipher. In a modern context the role and function of the code breaker can best be illustrated by the British code-breaking operation centred on Bletchley Park. During World War II Bletchley Park, a large country house in Hertfordshire midway between Cambridge and Oxford Universities was chosen by Winston Churchill as the British code-breaking centre. At that time the Germans had already developed sophisticated cipher systems that were then unbreakable. Conventional methods of interception failed to break messages sent from Berlin. As such the British high command put this action high on their priority list. For the duration of the war Bletchley played an important, albeit covert role in intercepting enemy communications. With this insight into the German mindset they were able to relay such critical information to the defence forces and in particular to the navy and Luftwaffe. Disinformation was also created and disseminated by conventional communication systems including radio and Morse

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code messages. The German cipher named Shark was used extensively by the German Navy and Kriegsmarine to track the movement of North Atlantic relief convoys, during WWII. To counter this threat the British government set up what was known as the Government and Cipher School (GC&CS). Hut 8 at Bletchley Park was where the elite Enigma team operated. Alan Turing a brilliant academic and mathematician was instrumental in the early decoding breakthrough. He managed to obtain intermittent code breaks into the Dolphin cipher created on German Enigma three rotors cipher machines. Alan, supported by Gordon Welchman created what they termed as the bombe in 1940. This devise was a new electromechanical machine the size of a large wardrobe, the precursor of the binary computer. The top secret Hut 8 team comprised of Richard Pendered, Joan Murray, Patrick Mahon, Rolf Noskwith, and Leslie Yoxall. During the course of the war the Germans developed ever more complicated Enigma machines, making the task of the code-breaker ever more difficult. The four rotor Shark cipher was introduced in 1942. The Enigma machine had a standard keyboard, much like a typewriter into which the operator wrote messages. Behind the depressed levers was an electronic linkage. The action of the primary lever created an impulse which activated one of the four rotors thus creating an enciphered letter which lit upon a lampboard above the machine. The bombe was designed to run through possible setting at great speed with a suspected stream of plaintext. This was referred to as a crib. Intercepted messages from ships, submarines etc were forwarded to Bletchley Park and converted into meaningful messages, which in turn were passed back to the Ministry of Defence for action. The British codebreakers relied on breakthroughs the most obvious were weather reports. With hindsight they would have analysed the weather patterns which matched the signals and then by deduction would have known whether or not there was a link with the various messages, a pattern not dissimilar to that used 1,000 years earlier by the Macoraba code breakers. 33 Range of Influence

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Prior to the 19th century little was known about the Macoraba other than that it is an elusive, secret, predominantly Arab Muslim organisation. It would appear that right up until the end of the 18 th century few if any published works pertaining to the organisation were in the public domain. One of the limited number of authorised publications that was then in circulation was titled Macoraba. Various editions of this work were printed in Arabic in Cairo circa 1786AD. A copy of one of these publications was purchased by Robert whilst in Cairo. His limited edition was numbered and signed by the author and apparently designed for internal circulation only. Robert qualified the contents and said that the document was printed in Arabic by the letterpress process. He assumed that it was a re-print of a much earlier code of practice book. It included an extensive list of resources, terminology, definitions and contact details. By piecing together numerous contemporary documents it is now possible for researchers to focus with a higher degree of accuracy on this influential, albeit transient account of the organisation. For over 1,500 years a group called the Macoraba engaged in similar activities along with numerous other ethnic groups including the Mandaeans from Iraq. They were members of a Gnostic sect and at the time were in conflict with a breakaway group known as the iconoclasts. Their belief being that

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John the Baptist was the true Messiah. Their sacred scripts were written in the ancient Aramaic dialect, the commonality being their ancestry, which was geographically adjacent to its territory. A group from Nicaea (now called Iznk) sought political support in its quest to support the rise of the iconoclasts. Nicaea was an ancient Asia Minor city, an important Roman trade and commercial centre. Following the fall of Rome it was absorbed into the Byzantines sphere of influence. Its importance was also based on the fact that it was the site of two ecumenical councils of the early Christian Church, the first the Council of Nicaea in 325AD and the second in 787AD. The later condemned the iconoclasts, the Christian dissenters who were against the use of images in religious worship in churches in the Eastern Roman Empire in Europe. The iconoclasts practiced their belief in a Puritanical way banishing all forms of idolatry and image worship. In this respect a similarity exists with Islam. On this singular point Muslims generally agreed, they did not however follow the belief that John the Baptist was the Messiah. To avert ochlocracy from occurring Macoraba members are understood to have offered their advisory services to independently mediate in the stand-off. This potential religious confrontation was perceived to have been counterproductive and as such they intervened, initially via a process of mediation and later, when that failed by co-opting militiamen. This prompt action effectively quelled a potential Christian against Christian uprising in its infancy. This is but one of many religious and secular examples of how, through the ages passive Macoraba intervention has averted regional strife and suffering. From a legal perspective Macoraba embraces the tenants of Islamic law, the Shariah. This system has regulated the lives of all those who profess Islam its origin predating the birth of the Prophet Mohammed. It includes courts which can administer the full range of penalties including the death penalty. As is occasionally reported this can, in some instances be by stoning or beheading. Shariah law is the only law applied in some Islamic countries, in others it runs in tandem with secular law. Sunnism and Shiism, or Shiah Islam are the two main forms of Islam. The main difference between the Sunni and Shiite Islam lies in the latters belief that the charisma of the Prophet was inherited by his descendants, in whom they invest supreme spiritual and political authority. Sunni believe in the consensus of the community. Their caliphs ceased to exist in Turkey in 1924AD. The favoured Ottoman headgear the venerable Fez was an unfortunate fashion casualty of this transition. Macalabra represents adherents to all four branches of Islam as well as the many sects, circles and minority Muslim groupings. Within the Sunni community there are four main branches. Shiism has produced over time a variety of sects, one of which is referred to as Twelvers Ithna Ashariya. The reason for the twelve being that they believe that the 12th Imam or successor to the Prophet Muhammad in direct linear descent disappeared. This character will, in time reappear as the Mahardi before the end of the world. The conquest confirmed his position as both chief and Prophet. Shortly thereafter, the Prophets followers assembled in a loose group to extend the prophets will, and ever since have relentlessly continued to follow his example and beliefs by proclaiming their faith through action. Due to the ever present threat of persecution from parties within and outside the Muslim world the group prudently decided to adopt a low rather than profile strategy. Membership during the early times included regional Tribal leaders but later, as the Muslim faith extended the sphere of influence widened, bringing in new Sheikhs from regions further afield. From the outset meetings were, and remain informal following an age old formula set out by the founding fathers. As such they would have been convened for specific purposes such as settling of disputes as well as conducting social

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and commercial business. Most probably such meetings would have been scheduled to coincide with annual markets, feasts, major religious events and holidays. The code of secrecy practiced by the group dictated that their activities remained private to themselves, and, as with the Cosa Nostra, the Freemasons, P2 and other such shadowy groups they maintain a strict code of silence, or omerta. The difference between the Macoraba and the Mafia was that the former was never knowingly concerned or connected to illegal activities in any shape or form. In the Macoraba case the reason for its existence was based on the need to transmit communications in secret. Cryptography based on an abbreviated adaptation of the Phoenician alphabet was used as a means of communicating over distance. A sophisticated range of signs and symbols were used to augment the written word. This fact lends credence to the popular view that the source of secret communication was created by traders from Byblos, Tyre and Sidon up to 1200 BC. The Phoenician were truly international, trading across the Mediterranean as far as Cornwall for silver, Ireland for slaves and West Africa for ceramics and textiles. These educated, articulate traders were master mariners and as such would have used the numerousy and writing skills with great effect when plying their trade. Since its inception Macoraba has attracted a limited but influential degree of negative political, religious and commercial attention. As custodians of a legacy they were naturally targeted by Arab war lords, tribal militants and aspiring politicians. As their power and wealth increased so did the threat to their very survival. In some instances entire family units were wiped out in raids and pillages. From what we can deduce of the original twelve Hejez family or tribal groupings only seven remained as such by the 12 th century. The link with other closed societies is merely comparative, and in no way links Macoraba with other organisations. A common feature of these groups is that they rarely suffer the unwelcome glare of media attention, defections and imprisonments. Apparently its code of secrecy remains to this day as robust as it was over a 1,000 years ago. This basic tenant can clearly be traced back to the time of Saladin and beyond. A policy of strict adherence to the basic tenants, the most conspicuous of which being secrecy has not only protected the organisation from infiltration but has ensured that, over time their long term strategies have been effectively implemented. Some will argue that this veil of secrecy has provided the perfect fence for actions beyond the reach of international law. During the period from the seventh to twelfth century as the Islamic influence spread across Europe and the Mediterranean huge building and public sector financed infrastructure programmes got underway. This phenomena was evidenced across the entire Islamic Empire. This massive undertaking involved constructing thousands of mosques, schools and places of administration. Much of this work was, in part financed with the aid of Macoraba machinery, who along with the Islamic front troops quickly established themselves, their systems and administration in conquered lands. Monies so needed for these prestigious architectural commitments came from taxes, international commerce augmented by contributions, loans, pledges and advances. This simplistic analysis is often contested as being less than factual. Dues so rendered have, over time found there way into the centralised coffers. Dowries, legacies and spoils of war have also been directed to the same treasury. Notwithstanding the same, charities have been major beneficiaries of organisational largesse. The need to generate a steady flow of funds was necessary then as it is today to maintain

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the status quo, pay for administration and fend off aggression or the threat of attack. Periodically large tranches of money were needed to deal with specific issues such as the cost war and the capital needed to build defences. Regional conflict, tribal unrest and fluctuating economic stability periodically put great pressure on the group. Strong decentralised governance has over time provided stability and continuity. During the formative period most issues were parochial and limited to a relatively small geographic area, the Levant. As the spread of the Muslim faith gained momentum a much wider Islamic audience needed to be addressed. The reach of Islam quickly spread from Spain to China, and Africa to the distant Steppes of Russia. A catalyst for unified Christian action came when the northern European Christians set their eyes on Jerusalem. In 1096AD, some five hundred years after the first evidence of Macoraba initiatives were recorded the First Crusade was launched against the Turks. The Turks immediate response was to muster arms, and for this they sought support from all Muslim groups in the region to fend off the threat of a united Christian attack. Although a predominantly Muslim organisation Macoraba does not limit its membership or governance to Muslims. Its prime objective is to provide its members with economic, political and religious independence and associated power. Ambitious long term strategies have always been preferable to short term opportunism. Shifts and sways in attitudes and fashion count little in the long game. Factions within Islam and other religious groupings are equally discounted. For this reason divisions within Islam, Shiite and Sunnites does not appear to have impeded the group in any way. The multinational composition of their network provided the ideal communication conduit, it was efficient, effective and secure. Resources and revenue generation came from a variety of sources, both public and private. Access to such immediate wealth was key to the Turk defence. In 1098 the Macoraba provided the White Monks, the Cistercians with funding to start their austere splinter group. In the following year 1099AD, shortly after Bohemond 1, Godfrey of Bouillon and Raymond Count of Toulouse captured Jerusalem the Turks, having depleted their fighting funds turned to them for support. Through their intermediaries they presented the Macoraba with a list of requests. The reliance placed on the organisation was for both financial support and political influence. This dependence was to remain for several centuries during which time numerous Crusader attacks were fought off. In July 1100AD the Council of Elders or Sheikhs convened in Mekkah and committed themselves to resist the Infidels at whatever cost. In this respect the pledge that they then made remained in force. Control of the key Outremer ports, Tyre and Sidon, Acre and Tripoli were identified as being critical to the Eastern Mediterranean economy. Caravans from the East, shipping from European and Mediterranean ports all converged on these vital cities. Additionally, the constant flow of North African and Sub Saharan trade passing up and down the Levant trade routes made it one of the most prized commercial thoroughfares in the known world.

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34

Cairo Booklet on MACORABA

Unquestionably, as tribal leaders the Sheikhs are blessed with the highest level of spiritual and political immunity. Through the Prophet Mohammads close physical and spiritual association with

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his legacy they have, since the earliest times sought to preserve the organisations integrity and security. Through such dedication and suffering this group have been granted the highest privilege, and with that came an obligation. The leaders were pragmatic insofar as their interpretation of Islam accommodates a spectrum of believe. Coming from both the academic and political sides of learning they put significant weight in the fact that theirs is a special vocation and as such should be treated accordingly. Some take this a step further inferring that they have been blessed with special rights, rights which have been passed down through their high office through countless generations. It is therefore not surprising that the composition of each leadership group is restricted. Appointments, as and when they occurred appear to have been made by consensus. Much as with the indentured apprentice or clerk those who accepted nomination did so in the knowledge that the skills so transferred were for life, for the benefit of the organisation, and service to the community. When in office they are supposed to remain autonomous and independent and vow not to offer any allegiance to any living man outside the group. They believe that the Prophet Mohammed was a Prophet of God and enlightened by Angels with a series of revelations. His followers were tasked to preserve his identity and worldly possessions and most importantly the fabulous gold Quran. Whilst senior descendants are described as being eligible for election it was for the elder statesman to decide a candidates credentials and suitability. This tried and tested method was deployed to ensure that blood lines remained pure, uncorrupted, many of which could be traced directly to the time of the Prophet and the founding fathers. The conventiculum or meeting place for these august occasions was discretionary and varied from time to time. However, precedent dictated that such meetings were only called to debate fundamental corporate and strategic issues and as such were infrequent. In the early days such conclaves were held in or near Mekkah but, as time went on the favoured, and more secure venue for such meetings was Alexandria, Egypt. For both logistical and commercial reasons the group moved their venue to Constantinople in 1485AD reverting back to Alexandria in the 17th century. A statement within the Cairo booklet claims a list over 6,500 appointees since the time of the Prophet Muhammad. The Cairo booklet provides the reader with a vivid picture of the investiture chest. It stated that central to the inauguration ceremony was a gold laced sandalwood coffer. This investiture chest reputedly held one of the most important of their possessions, its book of records. The metal braided chest is described as being deceptively heavy. It measured some 42cm x 30cm and is 25cm deep. Its ornate surface is embedded with precious and semi-precious stones laid out in a geometric design. The chest is thought to date back to the 4 th century as Aramaic script is seen on the underside, the inscription although very feint is just legible. The colour and intensity of the three dimensional jewels is spectacular being further enhanced by the contrast created against the carbon black aged wood. Four engraved silver hinged clasps are recessed alongside the long edge and positioned on either side of the box. Each hasp snugly fits over a staple secured by a bronze padlock. Within the chest rests the book of Holy book of Keys. The book was reputedly placed on an ermine bed. It is thought that this came from Armenia where the fur from the Arminius mouse is greatly prized. The frontice page is written in the now defunct Kuffic, an ancient script originally used for

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writing the Quran. This upright decorative script identifies the book as being belonging to El Nooma, the first keeper of the Keys. The inner text matter is written mainly in the more familiar Nashki, dating from the 10th century. Every page contains an outer, illuminated panel within which are four, twenty five line columns. Each line denotes the name of an Elder, his date of appointment and the date and place of his death. At each such occasion the coffer is retrieved and the book ceremoniously taken out from its place of safekeeping. The nardos scented chamber releases a unique, fragrance. Having read and studied the content of the Macoraba booklet Roberts initial reaction was one of bemusement and incredulity. Some of the detail made sense but other elements lacked clarity and logic. Nevertheless he tried as best he could to rationalise the basis upon which the author had based his account, which in part was extremely convincing in terms of detail. If true to the word then this was a remarkable breakthrough, if not, a gigantic hoax. On balance Robert tipped to the side of belief, albeit full acceptance being subject to further scrutiny, hard evidence and further debate. In summary, Robert could not help but draw some comparisons between Macoraba and the English Freemasons, who in 1717AD had set up their first Grand Lodge in England, this edifice can be seen in Holborn at the corner of Great Queen Street and Wild Street. Each of these shadowy, organisations have unquestionably exerted a strong global political and commercial influence over time. Both are fraternal, secret societies limiting membership to adult men who believe in a Supreme Being. There is however no evidence that the Macoraba ever indulged in a complex dress code and bizarre ceremonial ritual or for that matter a multi-level hierarchical structure. As with the Masons there is no evidence to link them with any form of external funding. Somehow or other they appear to have managed to minimise taxation in each theatre of their extends operation. There are clues to suggest that Italian secret organisations have in the past and more recently cultivated links with Masonic factions. When P2 (Propaganda Due) emerged as a renegade P2 Masonic Lodge in 1877AD in Italy is was seen as being another private Lodge headed by the Grand Master of Italy. It was set up to serve the interests of members of the Italian Parliament who wanted to become Masons but needed to keep the fact secret from the Roman Catholic Church. It was later re activated in 1946 by the government headed by Mussolini and more recently by Licio Gelli. Gellis stance against communism made it attractive to conservatives and right wing extremists. When the Vatican joined arms with P2 through the offices of Archbishop Paul Marcinkus, who was head of the Vatican bank the stage was set for his associates Sidona and his protg Roberto Calvi to instigate an orchestrated theft of Church funds. The pair set up dozens of fictitious bank accounts through which money was siphoned off from the Church account. In all US$240 million of losses were declared, the actual sum may have been much greater. In comparison Macoraba have not suffered from the glare of this type of adverse media attention. Both the standing of the Roman Catholic Church, and by association their management and control systems were exposed as being flimsy at best. On the other hand the Mafias hands were further tainted. The saga ran on long after Roberto Calis body was found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge in Central London. Throughout time unregulated, unelected secret organisations have operated across most borders. Their respective membership base, objectives, strategies may well vary from time to time and place

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to place but the underlying fact is that they form powerful lobbies and control significant wealth, power and influence. Whilst numerous, internationally acclaimed historians and scholars have successively identified and written about various elements of work undertaken by the Macoraba over time no comprehensive thesis has yet been compiled for public consumption. Only when such a work is published can modern students understand how this illusive group managed over time to retain a cohesive structure above and beyond the reach or control of government or monarch.

35.

Finding the Missing Sura

The heavy earthenware jar in which the finely pared calf leather, vellum parchment sheath was stored was a perfect place for preserving and hiding the Sura scrolls. A near ideal temperature and humidity control was achieved within the vessel by a wax sealing plug. Whether these particular amphora were found by chance or by design is unclear. By deduction the person or persons who found the jar, or jars were most likely to have been shepherds scratching a living off the land. For that reason, the location of the find will never be known. Whatever the case, having found the jar(s) and once having examined the contents they would have immediately seen a commercial opportunity. From the Vatican account the items had been purchased by a group of Christian Frenchmen in either Al-Lith or the Rabegh bazaar. The trader who negotiated the sale was of Egyptian origin . His subsequent written report of the matter states that the Arab trader with whom he was haggling with reputedly demanded a very high price for the parchments along with other items that the French had expressed an interest. After much debate and bluster terms were finally agreed for the consignment which included a highly decorated Arabian ceremonial sword which the group were informed had until recent times been used for execution purposes by decapitation. With regards the purchasers, as far as we know they were disbanded soldiers who had fled East from Egypt along the Red Sea coast. After an undistinguished battle in Egypt an Easterly exit route to freedom proved to be their best option. Their account stated that they had sailed by dhow along the coast with the intention of going as far as the Indian Ocean. This destination they did not make. Instead the sailed down the coast in very hot, uncomfortable weather as far as Rebegh. Prior to a journey to Mekkah they lodged in accommodation near the bazaar at the sea port of Rebegh. As with Jidda, the other feeder port to the Holy City, which is located further south this small trading and fishing port was used by a myriad of cosmopolitan merchants plying all sorts of goods from up and down the Red Sea coastal ports. Its geographic proximity to Mekkah also generated some prized passing and seasonal trade. Aware of the potential re-sale value of their purchases back in France the merchant venturers aimed to recover their investment later on. The scrolls that they had in their possession then entered the Italian market where Giovanni Prescola, a Venetian cloth trader either sold or gifted the consignment to his local Roman Catholic priest. The highly efficient Catholic communication machine then took over. News permeated its way through the corridors of power to the Vatican.

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There, the Curia, administrators of the Roman Catholic Church were unclear as to the real significance of the document but nevertheless accepted the gift. Following receipt the items were evaluated and as such earmarked for further attention. Countless items of comparable pedigree would have passed though these offices with only the selected few being filtered out. Thereafter thy applied their considerable resources to research the manuscripts in greater detail. In 1254AD when the documents were filed the text matter would have been meaningless to all but the experts. Only later when the Kuffic script was analysed and put into a Latin based cipher by the Papal Court scribes was the potency of the Suras meaning fully appreciated. The brittle leather rolls and accompanying research notes pertaining to the find ultimately found their way into the Dark Room deep within Papal Court for analysis and transcription. The incumbent Pope was Pope Innocent IV who held office between 25 th June 1243 7th Dec 1254AD was known as Papa Innocentius ( Genoese). Innocentius who was well aware of the growing influence of Islam across Europe and North Africa. He applied considerable energy to thwart, and head off this encroachment. When his envoy informed him about the archaeological find he instructed an immediate translation. Innocentius was followed by Alexander IV (12 th Dec 1254 25 th May 1261AD). Alexander continued the work previously commissioned by his predecessor. Both of these men saw the need for improved, secure communication services within the Holy See. The dark room department contained the most sophisticated cryptographic and code breaking set-up in Europe. This centralised unit handled all the important Papal cipher transmissions. Dozens of highly trained specialists worked within the unit including analysts, cryptanalysts cryptographers steganographers cipher masters was processed in an orderly and regimented manner. Sensitive and confidential documents were invariably transcribed into cipher and then stored within the library vaults where they remain to this day. The advent of computer technology has provided an opportunity for the Papal Authorities to re-visit these manuscripts and digitally record the content. This process provides the archivists a golden opportunity to cross reference data previously held separately. When the Suras were transcribed from cipher text it is believed that several facsimile copies were made, one of which ultimately found its way the Rheims (1252AD). Another appeared at Fountains Abbey Yorkshire, a centre of learning in Yorkshire England. This Abbey was founded in 1132AD and welcomed new books, and works of reference. This is no coincidence as one of the men who we understand was given the credit for purchasing the parchment was Hugh Algate, a Yorkshire man. The Abbey is located in a remote spot in beautiful rolling countryside. In the 11 th century 13 monks were exiled and taken under the protection of Thurstan Archbishop of York. Within 3 yrs the small community were admitted to the austere Cistercian Order founded in France in 1098AD. They were known as the White Monks their clothing being made of course undyed sheeps wool. The three decommissioned soldiers who ventured as far as Mekkah had previously served their respective Knights each of whom were killed in battle in Egypt. They included two Frenchmen Guy la Val and Jean Claude Mallard. Both of these men had a connection with the French Cistercian Order. The third soldier was an Englishman, Hugh Algate. Ever Covertous of wealth, power and influence the Roman Catholic Church has, over time used its particular resources to secure political and religious advantage.

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This highly organised and secretive organisation has, over the centuries built up one of the worlds most comprehensive libraries, a fabulous art collection and tens of thousands of artefacts, records, documents and religious trivia. However, unlike national and metropolitan museums the Vatican keeps its secrets to itself, rarely letting outsiders near it miles of underground shelving and storage racks. In the Muslim context the Roman Catholic Church failed to resist the Islamic tide which swept across Spain, but, ever resilient, over time it managed to recapture the hearts and minds of the people that make up Spain, and for that matter other similar territories that had been lost to Islam. Whereas Islam is based more or less exclusively upon one Holy Book the Holy Quran the Roman Catholic church is represented by a monolithic organisation, the power centre of which is the Vatican. This church has a self electing monarchy where the monarch or Pope is supreme. The Bishops who appoint each Pope (bishop of Rome Gods representative on earth) control the machinery of State and as such the direction and speed of change. Appointments are for life. The age of each appointment clearly has relevance and bearing on planned policy. In effect the Pope presides over a loose federation of national churches and religious orders. Rome has for the most part been the physical and spiritual home of the Pope except for a period when divisions in the church dictated that the Pope be located in Avignon France. The emergence of new Orders over time has created factions which include the Benedictine Order in the 7 th c, and the Knights Templar in the 12 th c. the Jesuits in the 16th c and the Opus Dei in the 20 th century. Each of these orders was a quasiindependent bloc within the over-arching structure of the Catholic Church. 129 36 Cause for War between Christian and Muslims

The cause or causes which lead to the Holy Land Crusades was triggered by an arousal of public sentiment, a combination of public excitement, political and religious. In modern parlance the church used Jerusalem as a catalyst to weld together a fragmented and following. A pan European propaganda war funded by the Vatican was created. From the pulpits across France the clergy delivered a well orchestrated campaign, the outcome of which was startling in the extreme. A wave of hysteria fanned by the church and political pressure rapidly swept across Europe. A groundswell of popular interest occurred against a background of fear and social unrest. As the Dark Ages slowly came to an end people in France Germany and England looked beyond their natural frontiers for a new dawn. In this respect religion played an important role. Preachers at that time held sway over the minds and hearts of their congregations. The concept of heaven and hell were uppermost in the minds of all who prayed, and in this respect the key to eternal life was firmly in the hands of the clergy. The stories woven by the literate clerics fused fact, myth and fiction so convincingly that all were absorbed by the words and religious teachings. The church thus provided hope and relief for believers regardless of rank or status. It was from this humble platform that the first ideas of pilgrimage were borne. History, in her wisdom informs us that the first Crusaders were, by enlarge ignorant of the facts. Few had any concept of the reality of long distance overland travel and even fewer had any idea as to where it was that they were going. In many minds Jerusalem was a place of fulfilment its whereabouts on the map was of secondary concern. From the earliest

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records the movement which later became known as the 1 st Crusade was triggered from the pulpit, by Peter the Hermit. Many others preached a similar message to an eager and spell bound audience. Humble people sought strength and redemption from their pilgrimages to distant lands was stories abounded of glory and human sacrifice. The pious and impious thus flocked to the Holy Land focussing in on Jerusalem. All classes and divisions of society were, in one way or another caught up in the spirit of adventure offered by the Crusader cause. Villains and thieves, adventurers and charlatans joined the merry throngs as they massed for the long journey to a distant land, the whereabouts of which few had any idea of. During the 8 th to 10th century the numbers who made the sacrifice increased. Word of mouth generated the oxygen and popular excitement did the rest. As groups moved forward their numbers increased. Little or no effort was made with regards planning; the horde merely ambled forth multiplying as it went. The able, inform, young and old joined the throng aided and abetted by the self appointed leaders and opportunists who saw profit through participation. Whilst the pious made up the mass less austere elements supported and egged on the mass as it converged as a multitude. Clearly, without adequate provisions, support and maintenance this rabble carved a swath through Europe. Like locusts they devoured everything in their path. And as they went their savage and ruthless outriders plundering and thieved as they went. The path to Jerusalem was bloody and in its trail laid the bodies of hundreds of thousands of this vagabond army. When, at last the journey was made the pitiful vagrant army was destitute, relying on the charity of others to maintain them during their stay. During the early phases the Syrians received the pilgrims for what they were, passing travellers. Revenues generated from this transient trade were both welcome and profitable. So long as the visitors remained as such and did not make attempts to settle all was well. Contrary to popular myth the reality was far from the romantic or heroic. As the crusade movement passed through its various iterations its scale of operations expanded exponentially. This development generated new expertise and services including banking and the dispensing of medical aid and medicine. Units led by eminent landed gentry and leaders with real military knowledge and experience were assembled from all over Europe. When called upon by their respective monarchs knights and noblemen joined the theatre. These men were trained in the art of war. At the time this involved hand to hand combat protection for which was carefully crafted body armour. Mounted divisions carried heavier armour, spears and maces. Elementary siege and war machines were built to catapult stones, burring oil and other assorted materials. Battering rams, tunnelling technology and towers were used to access or break through enemy fortifications, the scale and complexity of which improved with time. During the crusading period numerous forts were built, many of which are still standing. Masonry and building skills imported by French, German and English craftsmen were deployed along the pilgrim route. These safe havens provided sumptuous accommodation, entertainment and security for passing dignitaries. Far from living a life of austerity the noblemen who partook in the various expeditions carried with them significant military and personal portage including all the other accoutrements and paraphernalia associated with sport, court and battle. Falcons, dogs and gaming trivia were included amongst their favoured pursuits, all of which accompanied them to the Holy land. Their virtue and magnanimity combined with honour and service to Christianity is reflected upon the pages of history. What is now apparent is that individual motives for participation varied considerably.

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37 The Birth of the Knight Templar (1119-1314)

During the Middle Ages the Crusaders were generally referred to as the Franks, a reference to their Northern European origin. The word crusader was coined after their demise and as such is a collective word or meaning which embraces all segments of the general cause. The Emperor Charlemagne (742-814AD) was King of the Franks for 46 years. By conquest he united the Christian Empire. The Franks were a non-Christian branch of the German people who had since the 4 th century settled in the Western part of Germany along the river Rhine and in what is presently Belgium. They were formidable warriors who under the leadership of King Clovis in the early 6 th century had been baptised to Christianity in Rheims became master of Gaul. He founded the Merovingian dynasty which ruled the Franks from 505-751AD, the period when the Hejez came under Muslim control.

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The Templars were founded some four centuries later in Jerusalem. In fact it was on Christmas Day 1119AD. That the ceremony took place within the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem. There, the founding fathers established their head-quarters on the Temple Mount, the site of the original Temple of Solomon. This distinctive Christian army was instantly recognisable by their dress code, a white tunic emblazoned with a red cross. During the course of their various campaigns, called crusades over 20,000 Templar Knights were killed in battle. The European Knights were mainly recruited from France, Germany and England. A groundswell of support ignited by the Church was coupled with the prospect of the unknown. This hysteria propelled many second sons to leave the comparative comfort of home life to venture forth alongside other like minded Knights of the realm. The prize was an odd mixture of travel, adventure, pleasure and financial and spiritual gain. For their commitment the Church stressed the religious undertaking and the pardon that would be granted in Jerusalem. At the back of many of the

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volunteers minds would also have been the thought of gain, a division of the spoils of war. With regards the later some Knights did remarkable well in the Levant, settling down there and enjoying levels of prosperity beyond their wildest dreams. One such Knight was the charismatic Raynald of Chtillon. For whatever reason these brave men signed up as Templar Knights or Knights Hospitaller they did so in the full knowledge that considerable risks lay ahead. From the outset they committed themselves to extraordinary high levels of danger, social depravation and adversity. As such, disease, wounds inflicted on the battlefield and in travel were but routing problems. With little in the way of medical care as we now know it relatively minor injuries could rapidly escalate into life threatening ailments. So was the life of the fledgling Knight. By 1170AD the Templars had over 1,000 knights in the Holy Land. Attrition rates in battle were high to both men and horse and for this a replacement and reinforcement programme was put in place. This came at a significant cost to the Knights Templar Treasury. These were based in Antioch, Jerusalem and Tripoli. Lower orders were known as Squires, Sergeants and Tucopoles, the later being mounted archers recruited from the local population. In total the combined fighting force amounted to over 10,000. Men To this number we must add a support contingence of a further 6,000 men and women. The Knights were divided into two Knight Templars Knights Hospitaller, Teutonic Knights were based on similar Cistercian Order Primitive Rule. This covered the Templars organisation the duties of the officers and members and the penances imposed on those violating its orders and laws. The rule divided the Templars into brother knights who were of noble birth and under ranks which include the squires and sergeants, craftsmen, blacksmiths. The route to the Holy land from France, England and Germany was either by land or sea, the later being the easier and quicker albeit more costly option. On water the risks were limited to piracy and tempest. On land anything and everything was possible. As such the uncertainty of this option created unlimited opportunities for robbers and thieves who lined the route. Against this transient environment all sorts of problems arose, any of which could mar a safe passage over such a long and treacherous route. The French Templars were a significant force drawn from all parts of France. From within these regional regiments under the control and command of prominent French Knights crusading soldiers fought within various allied crusader forces. They were commonly referred to as Templers (The Poor Knights of Christ, a quasi military-religious Order largely funded by France and England, later suppressed by Pope Clement V in 1312AD). The Eighth Crusade was launched by Louis IX France, their standard being the red silk banderole of St James, the or-i-flamme, (Royal Standard of France). Whilst they would have been subject to vows some defecting and de-listed elements may well have discarded their vows of obedience and used their military skills as paid mercenaries or venturers. Various crusades were launched over a period of some 400 years. One of the grandest fleets to set sail, the 7th lifted anchor for Outremer in 1248AD. The French Knights under the direction of Louis 1X of France set sail from his newly built port called Aigues-Mortes. In 1248AD a vast fleet of merchant and military shipping was assembled, and so began the 7 th Crusade. This port has an interesting history. It was built with a sophisticated defence system on reclaimed marshland. Over time, due to its location in the Camargue estuary it silted up and fell into disuse. The ancient town is 132

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situated slightly inland from the sea port, perched on the hill top is a castle. The castle was built in the later part of the 11 th century. It was finally destroyed not by opposing military forces but on the instructions of Cardinal Richelieu as punishment for the towns Protestant leanings. The castle provides an excellent vantage point. From the southern flanks observers had an uninterrupted view across the Mediterranean and would have been able to spot an invading sea force. In 1119AD the Knight Templar. Gibelin de Grimaldi, a Genoese knight was rewarded with the city after assisting Williams the Good of Provence to drive the occupying Saracens out of the area in 973AD. For over 83 years the invading force had been in occupation. The Knights Templars demise was ultimately linked to their wealth, or more to the point the Kings impecuniosities. On Friday 13th October 1307AD Philipe IV of France with tacit support from the Pope targeted the Knights Templar and arrested their leaders, one of whom was Jacques de Molay who was imprisoned and later burned in 1314AD for his alleged crimes. The truth of the matter was that Philippe owed the Knights a considerable amount of money which he could not repay. He believed that by rounding up the Knights on that fateful day he would be able to arrest their leaders and seize their treasure. Forewarned of the attack the treasure was surreptitiously removed just prior to the arrests. Philipe IV never realised his sequestration dream. His precipitous actions did however mark the end of the Knights Templars. In both cases the Knights Templar and the Macoraba had one thing in common a dependable and commercially viable communications network. Using this conduit they seamlessly transmitted a range of banking instruments including promissory notes, pledges and other, more complex banking mechanisms at will. Having removed the risk of moving physical wealth, gold silver and jewellery out of the equation he process of transmission was virtually risk free save for the pledge given by the transmitter being honoured. In both instances there is no evidence to suggest that either the Knights Templar or the Macoraba ever reneged on a deal. A massive, co-ordinated dawn raid was carried out on the Templars on Friday 13 th October 1307AD. This mass arrest across France of Templars from all chapters was efficient and complete. The trumped up charge that was levied was heresy. Over 2,000 brother knights were imprisoned and tortured to extract confessions. Of these most were set free. 70 or so died during torture and in 1307AD the last Grand Master of the Templars Jacques de Molay was burned a stake. As he died he placed a curse on King Philip and Pope Clement both were dead within the year. The target of the charge rested with the initiation ritual, alleging that recruits and novices were made to renounce Christ and stamp upon the holy cross. The Catholic Church went further claiming that the Templars worshiped an idol named Baphomet (a mispronunciation of Muhammad).Baphomet was projected as being a goat symbol of the all powerful Astral light On 29th April 1311 William de la More, the last Master of the Temple in England along with some other Templars were led from the Tower of London to All Hallows Church. There they attempted to tell the world that they were innocent of all charges. William read out a statement as such; We believe that the holy church believes and teaches us, we declare that our religion is founded on vows of obedience, poverty, chastity, and the aiding in the conquest of the holy

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land of Jerusalem. And we firmly deny and contradict one and all of us, all many of heresy and evil doings, contrary to the faith of the holy church. A plea bargain was later agreed and Edward II was seen as having made a suitable accommodation with the Order. Stones from Athlit Castle Acre were brought back by the Knights and still stand in the Templars chapel, All Hallows church. The sword that as used to murder Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury was included in the items logged as being on display at the London Temple when English members of the Order were arrested in 1308. The guilty knights were ordered to do penance by donating land to the Templars and serving time in the Holy Land. Their tombs are situated close to the al-Aqa mosque, the Jerusalem head quarters of the Order The Order was officially dissolved in 1312. This act was perfected by the Pope. Just two years later in 1314 the trumped up charges against the Order were served. The last Grand Master of the Order, Jacques de Molay, having suffered extreme torture was burnt at the stake. The Mater of Normandy, Geoffroi de Charney also suffered the same fate. Charles Addison noted the following lines as being Molays last spoken words; To say that that which is untrue is a crime both in the sight of God and man. Not one of us has betrayed God or his country. I do confess my guilt, which consists in having, to my shame and dishonour, suffered myself, through the pain and torture and the fear of death, to give utterance to falsehoods imputing scandalous sins and iniquities to an illustrious Order, which hath nobly served the cause of Christianity. I disdain and seek a wretched and disgraceful existence by engrafting another lie upon the original falsehood If justice is to be seen, then within a year, the men who ordered his death, King Philip and Pope Clement were themselves both dead. For his part Pope Clement specified that after the Order was dissolved all its properties would be passed over to the Knights Hospitaller. i.e. that this enormous wealth would remain within the power and control of the church rather than fall into the hands of secular rulers. The Knights had built over 870 castles, preceptories and subsidiary houses across Europe and the Middle East. Their finger prints and mark could be seen across all western Christendom. Without doubt the Templars left an indelible mark throughout Christendom, as much in commercial enterprise as in the myriad of buildings they constructed. By 1190 the Templars controlled over 10,000 acres of land in Lincolnshire alone. At Temple Bruer they constructed an elaborate walled preceptor, reputedly with a two mile tunnel linking the village of Wellingore. Templar properties often were associated with such clandestine features, as can be witnessed in Provance where Reynalds elaborate building complex conceals his subterranean cellars within which his massed treasures are stored. The Pope tried as best he could to disassociate himself from King Philips despicable actions. In 2001 the Chinon parchment was unearthed from within the Vatican archives and in this document his treachery and collusion was revealed. Having pardoned the Knights some six years earlier the Pope failed to support them in their hour of need. Pope Cement tried unsuccessfully to expand this action to Germany where Teutonic Knights were tried for the same offences - all were found not guilty. In 1312AD he called a general council of the

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church in Vienna to condemn the Templars but the majority of his Bishops voted against his wish. Caught between a recalcitrant council and an enraged King Philip he summarily dissolved the Templar order on his own authority. The result of this action was that many knights joined new orders, the German Templars joined the Teutonic Knights and the Templars in Spain joined the Montesa and Calatrava orders. The King of Portugal renamed the Portuguese Templar Knights of Christ. In terms of presence, popularity and persona, of all the Crusader Knights, Richard the Lion Heart reigns supreme. A lesser but more controversial figure is Raynald of Chtillon, a notorious and powerful French Knight who established a fiefdom near the Dead Sea where he inhabited one of the finest Crusader castles, Kerak. Following his marriage to Constance of Antioch Raynalds influence in the region increased. Covertous of the lucrative Silk Road business he made various attempts to intercept commercial caravans plying business to and from the Orient as well as those traversing his territory from Egypt and the Hedjaz. Whilst he has been portrayed through time as being ruthless and arrogant he was nevertheless a strong and courageous leader and in this respect presented himself on the battlefield as well as in court in Princely style. He purchased the very best silk and finery for his wife and used a variety of hand woven silk extensively for banners and flags, the colour of which surpassed any other then available. Within this narrative we focus on Raynald as his legacy lives on in the form of a massive, as yet undiscovered horde which he reputedly buried for safe keeping in a fortified refuge near Brignole, Provance. During the later part of his crusade he amassed a war chest of gigantic proportions much of which eventually found its way back to France. His untimely demise, decapitation by Saladins sword shortly after the battle of Hattin prevented him from being uniting with his impressive stash of war booty, the ultimate application of which we understand was to be used to create a personal pan-European power base. The picture presented by history of noble knights in full livery is, in most part only one side of a more complex story. Raynald was by no means extraordinary. He was a fighting knight who took his religious duties very seriously, and remained firm to his principals right up to his premature death. The popular concept of the warrior Knight does not rest easily with the personal deprivations endured by these august Catholics fighting monks. The reality is that both shared a very similar lifestyle and daily schedule of work and prayer. Clearly the warrior Knights focus was primarily directed to defending the faith and the faithful as opposed to managing the seasonal routines of a monastery. These two divisions however shared a common order or prayer and for that the daily cycle was divided into segments prompted by prayer. To understand this concept and the discipline that went with the job the new recruit, having taken his vows was bound to an unbending regime of work, prayer and sleep. St Benedicts Rule provided that certain hours of the day and night should be used to practice craftsmanship, other times were reserved for manual or other forms of work. The craftsmen were expressly forbidden from using their craft or skills to be a source of temptation to pride. Any monk found guilty of this sin or anyone who openly boasted or seeking special recognition for his work would be removed from his work station until such time as he had humbled himself before his peer group. Individuality as such was frowned upon. All work so carried out was for the glorification of

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God and God alone. These monks like their brother Knights created and delivered their skills as an act of piety. The routine of the Knights follows that of their brother monks who lived a more secure lifestyle in the various monasteries dotted around Europe. Monastic life was, and still is a cycle of prayer and work. Each day was strictly divided into clearly delineated segments during time the various activities took place. The daily round of work activities would, in normal circumstances be directed by the Abbot. Various categories of monk would follow their respective specialisations, for example the scribes, the gardeners, cooks, the tailors and other professions needed to service the needs of the monastic community. Regardless, the day inevitably started early, with a call to prayer being given shortly before 4.00 a.m. Thereafter the daily round would not vary much throughout the year. Seasonal changes would by necessity expand the range of work which was light or weather sensitive. Winter time was reserved for such tasks as writing and recording, making, repairing and renovating items needed by the monastery.

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR DAILY TIMETABLE 4.00 a.m. Rise for Matins. Ablutions, clean clothing and dress. Attend to horses and armour. Return to bed. 6.00 a.m. Attend three religious services: Prime, Tierce, and Sext. Between these services the Knights would attend to their horses, train in weaponry and drills and learn or practice new craft skills. 12.00 noon Dinner. This meal would normally be served hot to the assembled Knights who would eat in total silence whilst the chaplain or invited reader read from the Bible. A favoured meal of the fighting troops when travelling was the Acre pie, made from seasonal vegetables, spiced meats and barley. This stew was placed within a crusty pastry shell which was crimped on the sides to retain the juices. These Acres were both nutritious and filling and could be eaten warm or cold. 3.00 p.m. Following dinner the Knights would reengage in useful tasks including attending to their horses, weapons and clothing. Following this work they would attend another church service in the chapel -Nones 6.00 p.m. At 6.oopm all attended Vespers which was followed by supper 136

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9.0 p.m. The final service, Compline would be held at 9.00 p.m. This would be followed by directions given by the Abbott along with instructions for the following day. A small glass of red wine would be taken after prayers. 12,00 midnight At midnight the Knights would repair to their quarters until being woken at 4.00 a.m. Such was the life of a fighting Crusader Knight. A far cry from the romantic notion as promoted on the silver screen.

38.

The Templar Knights Code of Conduct

As Christian monks, the various designations of Knights engaged in the Crusades were all governed by the same strict code of ethics and conduct, the moral basis of which we might to-day refer to as being fair play. The parameters of this general concept of conduct were always open to interpretation and post the moment, retrospective debate. Their lifestyle and daily regime of prayer and meditation was similar in many ways to that which would have been commonplace in any European monastery. Their distinguished and distinctive brand or logo was clearly recognised on the battlefield, a red cross on a white base, or the Beauceant the famous black and white banner of the Knight Templar meaning piebald. Below these ranks were the lay affiliates. The rules of order also define tactics, military strategies and set procedures. For this reason one of the rules stipulated that any information so passed between the Knights having any military significance would be restricted within the ranks. Admittance to the ranks was by unanimous vote by brother knights from the chapter. This was followed by a simple initiation ritual. A new member would, at that ceremony confirm his single status and that he was not from another religion or order and had no debt, had no illness and was not a serf. He was then initiated and welcomed in to the order for life and told of his obligations etc. This ritual mirrors that for monks to Cistercian and other orders and includes admission to various guilds and apprenticeships. Whilst personal wealth was not permitted the Templars became a powerful financial org. a precursor to modern European banking. From the time of King Philip Augustus of France 1165-1223AD until the order was abolished the French royal house banked at the Templar centre in Paris. The fall of Acre in 1291AD removed the last Crusader foothold in Palestine. The Knights Hospitaller moved to the Greek island of Rhodes fighting a rear guard action from there. The German Teutonic Knights returned to northern Germany and from there fought various campaigns against the pagan Balts and Slavs. Their ultimate demise came later when lobbying European courts for new funds to launch new crusades failed. The Templars then without a purpose were seen by the populace as being obsolete and aloof. Sitting of great wealth amassed over time and still under the protection of fiscal rules laid and contained in the Council of Troyes the Templars themselves became a target. Philip IV of France saw the potential. His crony Clement V was elected Pope in

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1305AD. A propaganda campaign was mounted by the Papal machine to debase the French mercenaries. King Louis 1X died in Tunis, north Africa in 1279AD. He led a well equipped force and took control of Damietta on 6th June 1249AD. Later that year in November he moved his troops East towards Cairo. On 8th Feb 1250AD he engaged forces with the Arabs at the Battle of al-Mansurah. The King, leading from the front drove forwards his force of over 70,000 men against the Emir Fakr-ed-din. The battle raged and in the process the King was captured. His battle lines ultimately faltered, and soon after the signal was given to retreat a blood bath then ensued. Disbanded crusader troops fled as best they could, re-grouping on safer soil. Fortunately, the King was able to negotiate terms with the Emir and after a ransom was paid he was released, unharmed. Later that year at the Battle of Fariskur on April 6th many Knights were captured and ransomed in exchange for the surrender of Damietta. In that skirmish the Crusaders launched a brilliant deceptive surprise attack and beat the opposing Arab forces. Robert of Artois brother of Louis IX and Williams of Salisbury, leader of the British contingent was killed in action. To raise funds he sold a charter to the burgesses of Poole in 1248AD. He was renowned for his chivalry Williams fighting force included 280 Knights Templar. The circumstances of the route are debated but the English believed that the French Count dArtois lured the English into attacking the Mamaluke force well before reinforcement from King Louis arrived. As with their European cousins the English Knights played an equally important role in the crusades. The contemporary image of the English fighting Knight is of course Richard the Lionheart, who over time has been personified in poetry, on the stage and in the silver film. As with Saladin, his great adversary these champions of their respective causes have created deeply engraved images of what these great warriors might have looked like. The popular romantic image of their lifestyle, chivalry and enduring loyalty to the Cross and their companions is legend. Behind this theatrical illusion lay a reality far removed from the perception promoted by the recruiting sergeants at arms. Each crusade was made up of thousands of men and women who needed to be defended on their laborious route across Europe to the Holy Land. The Knights who were engaged by the Pope for this purpose fulfilled a critical role. Not only did they build a series of castles along the way but also, over time they developed a sophisticated transportation infrastructure which integrated all the needs of the travelling pilgrim. The end play for these fighting troops was open conflict with the Arab Muslims. Such contact came in varying strength. Some battles involved tens of thousands of troops made up of detachments of foot soldiers supported by the more mobile cavalry and the fearsome heavily armoured Knights. With the announcement of each crusade came a call to arms immediately followed by a request for funds to support the campaign. Taxes were levied across Europe to fulfil this urgent need. When evaluating the relative strengths and weaknesses of the assembled sections that made up each battle group as it massed before setting off to the Levant the commanding officers would have had to make some critical judgements. It was one thing roping in an ad hoc band of warriors but quite another to make them into a credible fighting force. In that regard Richard was unique. He displayed great leadership skills having fought and won countless campaigns in France. He was a truly seasoned fighter. However, with high attrition rates, disrupted supply lines, scarcities of critical supplies and often poor en route accommodation his task was primarily to move his army intact

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half way across Europe and at the same time maintaining the control and respect of all that followed him. In this respect his Knights, many of who were equally experienced would have provided him with first class backup. Divisions within his rank would have followed the banner of their respective Knights. In this manner the general throng was automatically sub-divided into operational units under the management and control of Richards elected divisional Commanders. That said, without recourse to modern communications, accurate dialogue between the commanders and their troop during pitched battles must have been nigh impossible. Whilst Richard spent most of his life fighting in France he was crowned King of England. Over 1,000 English Knight pledged their support to him. Amongst the many such Knights who distinguished themselves on crusade was Sir William II Longespe son of William Longespe 3 rd Earl of Salisbury, the husband of the 3rd Countess of Salisbury. William died a martyr at the Battle of Al-Munsurah in Egypt. He made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 1240AD and in 1247AD and in 1247AD pleaded with the then Pope Innocent IV for more support. He managed to raise a small force of 20 French mercenaries. Following his death in battle his adversary, the Sultan characteristically applied his moral judgement and delivered his remains to Acre for burial at the Church of the Cross Jerusalem. His effigy is seen at Salisbury Cathedral. It is also to be noted that another erstwhile British Knight was Richard 1 st Earl of Cornwall who was born 5 th Jan 1209AD at Winchester Castle second son of King John and Isabella of Angoulme. His brother King Henry III gave him Cornwall as a present. In March 1231AD he married Isabel Marshal widow of Earl of Gloucester. A large English Horse regiment joined Louis on his crusade. To raise funds he sold a charter to the burgesses of Poole in 1248. He was renowned for his bravery and chivalry .

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Jerusalem

Of all the Levantine cities that captured the minds and imagination of Christians, Jews and Arabs Jerusalem stands out above all others. Kind David is reputed to have been the prime architect of the city we now call Jerusalem. Prior to that the Kingdom of Judah was administered from a place called Hebron. This ancient city is thirty Km south of Jerusalem. It has special significance to the Jews as they claim that Abraham was buried in Hebron.

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Al-Aqsa Mosque Jerusalem The emperor Constantine was responsible for pulling down the re-built Temple as he believed that beneath its foundations lay a secret burial chamber. In that he was right. He found the rock- cut tomb in 326AD and proclaimed it as being the burial place of Jesus. Upon this site he then built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In 638AD the Arabs conquered Jerusalem. Up until 938AD the Christians and the Arabs coexisted peacefully but on that fateful Palm Sunday in 938Ad they attacked the unarmed Christians. This outrage culminated in the Muslims building a mosque on the site adjacent to the Temple footprint. On 2nd October 1187AD the Temple Mount fell to Saladins troops. The gold covered metal cross above the dome was ripped from its mountings and dragged through the streets by the conquering forces. The mosque thereafter went through a rebuilding process and to cast aside the Christian taint was purified with rose-water. The loss of Jerusalem was a catastrophe for the Crusaders but their resolve and defiance remained with them to be re-ignited by the 3 rd Crusade launched by Philip II and Richard Ist of England. Acre was later recovered in 1191AD followed by Jaffa and Ascalon. Richard using the Templar troops as his lead thrust won a decisive victory at the battle of Arsuf and came within sight of Jerusalem but withdrew his troops on the advice of the Templars who were of the opinion that without control of the hinterland Jerusalem could not be held.

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40 Temple of Solomon

According to Jewish records and tradition the temple was built in the year 975 BCE by Solomon king of Israel to replace what was known as the tabernacle used to house the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark had been installed at that place by Mosses. The Temple was an elaborate building with an abundance of gold leaf. Within the 9 x 27m building was the Holy Place and an inner room, the Holy of Holies. Sacrificial offerings were made in outer courts by the priests. The Jews worshipped within the court of the Children of Israel. The Temple had previously experienced a troubled history. Various attacks resulted in innovative rebuilding programmes. As such it experiences various architectural and structural iterations. The Babylonian conquest of 586 BCE reduced the Temple to a state of ruin. The fabric of the building was stripped out and the contents looted again. On the same site a new edifice was built by Zerubbabel governor of Judah. Building work took 20 years being completed only in 515 BCE. The third temple was built by Herod the Great in 18 BCE. This construction was part of a master building plan aimed to pay tribute to Rome, project his personal influence within the region, increased trade and commerce and to win Jewish support for his political policies.

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Temple of Solomon Jerusalem The misguided Jewish revolt against Rome in 70 CE resulted in a fierce Roman backlash. The Roman authorities decided to stamp out Jewish influence in the region and first to go was their Temple. It was completely destroyed. Since then the Temple as it is referred has been a potent force in Judaism and Christianity, and the Knights Templar named they after the Temple. During their occupation of Jerusalem the Crusader Knights expended considerable resources to find the illusive Temple treasures. The magnificent Arch of Titus, built a decade later in Rome depicts the Roman soldiers as

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they marched onto Rome bearing their spoils on their shoulders. The Jews were then summarily expelled from Jerusalem and dispersed throughout the world. Between 75AD and the early 5 th century the Treasure remained more or less intact and was on public display in the Temple of Peace in the Forum. The Temple was and remains a potent force in Jewish culture. It is by far the most sacred building in the ancient Jewish faith. In the 5 th century the bulk of the artefacts were shipped from Rome to Carthage, Constantinople and Algeria. From there it was taken to the Monastery of Theodosius in Judea now in the West Bank. Emperor Vespasian. In order to sustain his political and military independence Raynald de Chtillon always had an opportunist eye on easy pickings. Jerusalem for him represented a prize of unparallel wealth the greatest collection of Biblical treasures that include the trumpets, gold candelabra and the fabled bejewelled Table of the Divine Presence. These items were amongst pieces shipped to Rome after the looting of the Temple in AD 70. Emperor Vespasian had ordered the destruction of the Temple after the Jewish revolt and Roman forces took over 50 tonnes of gold, silver and precious art forms back to Rome as the spoils of war. Amongst the many architectural commissions undertaken by Vespasian was one of a magnificent building programme which included a new port, arguably the most advanced of its kind at that time. The Temple Artefacts are a collection of sacred artefacts looted from the Temple of Jerusalem and long suspected as being those now hidden in the vaults of the Vatican. The Vatican authorities deny this hypothesis. A Court historian named Procopius who worked under Emperor Justinian who died in AD562 corroborated the fact that the artefacts had not been melted down. He had witnessed them on display and as being intact. Similarly the Christian monk Theophanes Confessor (760817AD) from Constantinople added his weight to the fact. His account called the Chronographia which spanned the period 284 to 813AD recorded the fact that Gaiseric, King of the Vandals had loaded the treasure on a boat that Titus had brought from Rome after the capture of Jerusalem. And, that the sail boat went out from the port to Carthage and Tunisia in 455AD. In the first Holy Crusade in AD533 the Byzantine Belisarius seized the treasure from the royal fleet fleeing the Algerian harbour of Hippo Regius. It was diverted and routed towards Constantinople, the legendary Byzantine capital. In the 7th century the Persians sacked Jerusalem and in the process killed most of the Christian inhabitants. After that their religious leader Patriarch Zacharias was banished to Persia. His successor Modestus was then responsible to removing the treasures and putting them in hiding. This he did in 614AD. Whilst much of this story would have circulated throughout the region its factual content and detail would have been known to a relatively small group one of which was Raynald de Chtillon. The prospect of finding but a part of the horde was a mouth watering prospect which he speculated was within his reach. According to Jewish records and tradition the temple was built in the year 975 BCE by Solomon king of Israel to replace what was known as the tabernacle used to house the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark had been installed at that place by Mosses. The Temple was an elaborate building with an abundance of gold leaf. Within the 9 x 27m building was the Holy Place and an inner room, the Holy of Holies. Sacrificial offerings were made in outer courts by the priests. The Jews worshipped within the court of the Children of Israel. The Temple had previously experienced a troubled history. Various attacks resulted in innovative rebuilding programmes. As such it

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experiences various architectural and structural iterations. The Babylonian conquest of 586 BCE reduced the Temple to a state of ruin. The fabric of the building was stripped out and the contents looted again. On the same site a new edifice was built by Zerubbabel governor of Judah. Building work took 20 years being completed only in 515 BCE. The third temple was built by Herod the Great in 18 BCE. This construction was part of a master building plan aimed to pay tribute to Rome, project his personal influence within the region, increased trade and commerce and to win Jewish support for his political policies. Whilst Raynald debated how he planned to find the Jewish treasures he never came around to executing a plan. His untimely death putting an end to his expansionist ideas. This account of Raynald colourful exploits is significant as it marked the demise of an errant, pillaging Knights whos cavalier activities incited severe retaliatory actions against his brother Crusader Knights. In summary, his unruly action time put down a marker to other Crusaders who might have been thinking about similar activities. In all this Saladins integrity and chivalry shone though. The loss of the gold tablets was nevertheless regrettable, a true loss to Islam. This single account struck at the financial heart of the Macoraba but as with any other fluid, well organised organisation it was only a matter of time before it redressed its financial balance. Over the centurys regional conflict, tribal unrest and fluctuating economic stability periodically put pressure on the Macoraba regime and its ability to finance future activities. During these times most contentious issues tended to be parochial and limited to a relatively small geographic area. As the spread of the Muslim faith gained momentum a much wider Islamic audience needed to be services and for that a new, greatly enlarged dimension of service was created. 143

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Regional and Religious claims to Jerusalem

The catalyst for unified action to defend the pilgrims passage to the Holy Land came soon after the northern European Christians set their eyes on Jerusalem. In 1096AD, some five hundred years after the death of the Prophet the First Crusade was launched against the Turks. The Turks response was to muster arms and for this they sought support from all Muslim groups in the region to fend off the threat of Christian attack. The multinational composition of the Macoraba network coincidentally provided the ideal communication conduit, it was efficient, effective and secure. Its resources and revenue generation came from a variety of sources, both public and private. Access to such immediate wealth was key to the Turk defence. In 1099AD, shortly after Bohemond 1, Godfrey of Bouillon and Raymond Count of Toulouse captured Jerusalem the Turks, having depleted their fighting funds needed a strategic ally and for this they turned to the Macoraba for financial support. Through their intermediaries they presented Macoraba with a list of requests. The reliance placed on Macoraba was for both financial support and political influence. This dependence was to remain for the duration of all Crusader activity, a span of some 200 years. In mid July 1100AD the Macoraba Council convened near the Mosque of Omar in Medinah. Al-Nabi or the Prophets City is now known as Medinah. There they committed themselves to resist the Infidels at whatever cost. In this respect the pledge that they committed to then remains in force to this day. The core of the problem at the time stemmed from safe access by pilgrims to Jerusalem and the Holy Sepulchre. Ever since, political, religious and physical control of this key city has always been important to various religious groups who have laid claim to several of its key architectural assets and places of worship. The

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Muslims, the Christians and the Jews all put a justifiable claim on their right of unfettered access to Jerusalem. The Jews were not alone in recognizing and worshipping a universal ethical God. In Iran to the east the Medes and the Persians had evolved out of paganism a belief in a single deity, the ultimate power Zoroaster, a prophet and Persian in the 5 th c BC. With the conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine (311-337 AD) Christianity established a foothold across the Roman Empire. This movement rapidly lead to the Christianisation of the Roman state. By the time of the great Christian emperor Justinian ( 527-567 AD ) the full panoply of Roman power was used to establish supremacy of the state-approved doctrine among the many schools of thought into which Christianity were now divided. The eastern Roman Empire commonly referred to as the Byzantine Empire was always known as being the Roman Empires; they did not however speak Latin romoni but Greek rhomaioi. Both the Byzantine and the Persian empires were overwhelmed by the advancing tide of Islam in the early decades of the 7 th century but there is a significant difference in their respective fates. The Byzantine armies suffered crushing defeats and lost many provinces to the Arabs. The core, the imperial capital Constantinople remained secure in Christian hands. Weakened it did however survived for another seven hundred years until 1453AD. Persia however was totally over-run and lost the entirety of its territories. All of which were incorporated within the new Arab Islamic Empire. In 25BC the Emperor Augusta decided to attempt to conquer the Yemen. This to establish a Roman foothold at the southern end of the Red Sea and thus a direct route east to India and beyond. The expedition was a failure, never to be repeated. During the period 384-502AD when The Eastern Roman Empire and Persia were at peace there was little interest in Arabia by the rival powers. The overland trade route was expensive and hazardous. As a result traffic decreased even settlers in oasis migrated or reverted to a Bedouin existence when trade diminished. Nomadism had always been an important part of Arabian society. It now became predominant. This period is referred to as the Jahiliyya, or the Age of Ignorance. This concept in direct contrast to the Age of Light, Islam. By the 6 th century the world order changed with the resumption of Perso-Byzantine conflict. By this time the southern trade route was more important than the northern route partly because it was possible to get further away from the reach of Persia. The Byzantines opted to secure a direct route to India free from interference from the Persians. In this respect frontier states appeared client principalities on both the Byzantine and Persian sides. On the Byzantine desert border, there was the Arab principality of Ghassan.

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True Cross

By the time Arab forces raided Palestine in 636AD the True Cross had already been removed from Jerusalem and sent to Constantinople. The Arabs referred to Jerusalem as al-Quds, meaning the Holy House. It took a seven month siege before Patriarch Sophronius surrendered to the opposing forces. Caliph Umar paid homage to the city by walking into beneath the city leading his camel as he did. The veneration of Christian relics was expanded in the 4 th and 5th centuries in the form of a liturgical cult. Martyrs tombs were desecrated and the contents looted. These items were called brandea and worn as body adornments around the neck. The sale of relics was commonplace with prices graded on depending on authenticity, quality and provenance. Some, particularly those within the ecclesiastical strata of society condemned the sale of such items and the veneration of relics

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generally. Clearly the term idolatry was used as justification. By the time of the Prophet Muhammad the practice of collecting and using relics within and without the church was widespread across the Levant. Such was the interest that a special department was set up in Rome to identify, sell and transport such items across Europe. This proliferation led to multiple claims of provenance relics were collected for pride and revenue earning potential Relic fakery becomes a profitable business, subscribing pilgrims being the target market. Since the 2 nd and 3rd century European Christians have followed a well worn path to the Holy Land to pay homage to the Holy Sepulchre. Jerusalem and the Holy places nearby were the epicentre of the Christian pilgrimage. In parallel the Jews also revered the ancient city not for the same reason but because of the Temple of Solomon. The third group who came to Jerusalem were the Muslims. The reason for their interest being that the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from this place. The True Cross is perhaps the most potent of all Christian relics, the whereabouts of which is now not known. The cross is central to Christianity as a poignant symbol of the crucifixion. Sometime during the reign of Constantine the Great (274-337AD) emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Constantine witnessed a miracle, he saw a vision of a burning cross in the mid-day. With it he heard the words in this sign, conquer. The interpretation that he put on the miracle was to propel him forward in battle. Using this sign he won Rome from the pagans. Following his victory he elected Byzantium as his new capital moving the balance of Roman power East to Constantinople, a great trading entrepot on the Dardanelles As with Bahira and later the Prophet Muhammad God projected his Will via a vision. 145

Templar Knights Seal Constantines mother, Queen Helena, later to be beatified as St Helena reputedly found the True Cross in Jerusalem. She went to Jerusalem in 326AD at the age of 80 years to do penance. It was a man called Judas, a Jew who guided her to the place where the Vera Crux (True Cross) was hidden in a pagan temple, Aelai Capitalina, built by Emperor Hadrian on the site of the Holy Sepulchre. Her excavation of the site revealed three crosses. Not knowing which of the three was the true cross all three were brought out by Bishop Macarius. The Bishop prayed aloud and as he did the wood was passed amongst the congregation. A woman who touched it was miraculously healed of her illness. The Queen witnessed the event and was convinced of its provenance. She then went on a commissioned the building of a magnificent church at the very scene of the happening. The nails

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used in the cross were removed and melted down and cast into a horses battle bridle. And part of a helmet. Some of the wood she removed and same remained within the church for veneration purposes. The titulus, the placard that was placed horizontally to the upright post bore the name of Christ. Pilate wrote on the wood -, Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews written in Latin, Hebrew and Greek. Queen Helena found this section of wood called Titulus Crucis, the inscribed bard or plaques. She cut the wood into three sections, ne she took the largest remained in Jerusalem and the other went to Rome. In 383AD Egeria, a pilgrim made a diary note to the effect that the bishop of Jerusalem kept a part of the wood in a casket. The potion that went to Rome is presently kept in the chapel of relics in the Church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Rome. A main portion of the cross was kept in Jerusalem. In 614AD the Persian army over-ran the city. King Khosroes II and his army reportedly killed 60,000 Palestinians. He plundered the city and took off with the treasury and the True Cross. In 627AD the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius I fought and defeated the Persian army in Mesopotamia. His return with the True Cross to Jerusalem marked a turning point in his life. The cross remained in Jerusalem for a further 500 years, until, in 1187AD when it was lost. This was a great loss to the Franks who by then had occupied Jerusalem for 88 yrs. The manner in which the cross was taken was humiliating indeed, a fact not easily forgotten by Richard the Lionheart. By many it was seen as a direct reprisal for Raynalds blatant theft of the gold tablets. In both instances the act was a stab in the heart for the faithful, a wound that till this day has never fully healed. The Crusader Knights revered the True Cross as their special symbol of power and used the sign as their battle emblem, taking the cross with them as their was banner. After the battle of Hattin Saladin took the cross away from the defeated Knights Templar. Richard tried to recapture the True Cross and offered a considerable ransom to Saladin but the offer was rebutted. Saladins sole condition was the immediate repatriation of the Gold Tablets. This was beyond Richards grasp as the Tablets had long since been removed to France. During the time of its existence the True Cross was a unifying symbol for Christianity. Its desecration by Saladin marked a black day for Christianity. For Christians the most popular symbol of Christ is as he appeared at the time of his death, nailed to a cross. The cross therefore has a powerful place in Christian belief and culture. Saint Paul makes several references to the importance of the Cross of Christ. The graphic image created by Saint Paul is one of sacrifice and suffering. It is therefore quite natural that over time this Cross has been venerated. During the early development of the church through to the middle Ages the Cross achieved cult status with those Christians who believed that they had been saved by it. The cult became more extensive once the Holy Places had been discovered by Macarius, Bishop of Jerusalem in about 327 AD. This endeavour identified Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre and during the excavation the wood of the Cross was revealed. Once it had been authenticated a small chapel was built which was mentioned by Eusebius and by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem. The sacred wood was venerated in Jerusalem in 380 AD at the chapel of the Cross near Calvary. So revered was this Cross that several laws were issued to preserve its status. Theodosius and Valentinian forbade, under the gravest penalty any painting or facsimile carving to be made of the Cross. This also was revised by the Trullan Council 691 AD. Julian the Apostate made it a crime even to adore the object, trace its shape or make such a cross on ones chest or forehead. As a

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symbol of the Saviours death Christians were forbidden making engravings over their homes or on burial tombs. Even the Iconoclasts who had fought so long and hard to desist from creating imagery and idols made an exception in the case of the cross. Coins stuck for Leo the Isaurian, Constantine Copronymus and Leo IV all carried on them a bas relief image of a cross. The second Council of Nicaea 787 AD was set to reform abuses of power and to set the course for the future. In this respect it defined that the veneration of the faithful was due to the form of the precious and vivifying cross as well as to images or representations of Christ, of the Blessed Virgin and the saints. This decree was renewed in Constantinople in 869AD at the 8 th ecumenical Council. Thus the True Cross was described as being part of the Cross of Golgotha. It was encased in gold and studded with priceless gems. When she rested on the True Cross she was immediately healed. The Cross was taken to the Holy Sepulchre, were it stayed until 614AD. During that year Chrosroes II of Persia captured the city and removed the Holy Cross. Some 13 years later Emperor Heraclius defeated Chrosroes in battle and retook the True Cross. First it went to Constantinople and later it was returned to Jerusalem. Such was the power of this symbol to the Christians that in 1009 AD they hid the Cross for fear that the Muslims would seize it from them. It re-emerges only during the 1 st Crusade. The True Cross became the Crusaders battle standard. It was the focal point of the Crusader dream and they believed in its power implicitly. Many eye witnesses record the True Cross as having the power to project a powerful beam of light before it. The Crusaders took the True Cross with them into battle in the belief its power would see them victorious. The True Cross was finally lost at Hattin in 1187 AD when Saladin led forces defeated a strong Crusader force. Following this decisive battle Saladin ruled supreme. In an act of humiliation Saladin ordered his troops to ride through the streets of Damascus with the captured True Cross tied to a horses tail and dragged through the dust. The broken relic never was never again seen in its original state. Its beam disappeared and only fragments were salvaged, some of which were reportedly brought back to Europe. The loss of the True Cross to the Crusader force was greater than anyone could have imagined. Up until that time the Cross was the unifying symbol of their quest. It represented everything that they believed in and with its capture their cause ceased to have any real meaning. In this regard Saladin was well aware of the importance of the Cross and its mesmeric influence on the Christians troops. Saladin was a great warrior and general. He was equally compassionate and chivalrous. For these reasons his decision to desecrate the True Cross appears to be out of character. One can but speculate that this act was triggered by Raynald. If this is the case then it was retribution for the theft of Alis gold Quran and Raynalds reluctance to convert. 147

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Pilgrims

Regardless of the ever present dangers to pilgrimage tens of thousands of Christians went on extended pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Sites associated with Jesus were generally the end goal. Following 313AD revisions of Roman laws granted Christians safety to practice their preferred religion across the length and breadth of the Roman Empire. This legislative easement immediately

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prompted the creation of a flourishing pilgrimage trade. The Emperors mother, Helena visited the Holy Land in 326-8AD. During her pilgrimages her son financed and built many churches at the various sites she visited. In Bethlehem he built the Church of the Nativity, and in Jerusalem the Church of the Sepulchre. Soon after her visit in 395AD the Roman Empire was split into two halves each separately administered, the eastern empire ruled from Constantinople. This was based using the Greek culture and language; alter to be known as the Byzantine Empire. In 325AD Constantine ordered the General Council of the Church at Nicaea where he held a General Conclave to determine the Church policy and set parameters for its administration. 223 Bishops attended, coming from all over the Mediterranean. The creed that came out of this forum was referred to as the Nicene Creed and formed the backbone of the Christian creed to this day. By the time Rome fell to barbarian troops in 476AD, this reign lasted all the way up to the time of Constantinople only to fall to the Ottoman Turks in 1453AD. The pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the pillars of the Muslim faith and as such is a task all Muslims try to fulfil within their lifespan. The Muslims were grateful for the Christian pilgrim trade to the Holy Lands as it brought with it foreign earnings. The Christians that came on pilgrimage generally had a tick list to complete, a rota of places to visit the most popular of which was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Calvary and Golgotha were also places on their must visit list, In 1004AD the caliph al-Hakim launched a ferocious anti Christian campaign. Church property was confiscated, crosses burnt and churches set ablaze. By 1014 over 25,000 Christian churches had been destroyed. And many of the congregations had been forced to become Muslims. Al-Hakim ratcheted up the ante in 1009AD when he ordered the complete destruction of the Holy Sepulchre. Even the tomb of Jesus Christ was hacked to bits; such was the ferocity of the outrage.

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Dhow Thereafter, Muslim pirates randomly attacked undefended Christian pilgrims at sea. Christians were barred from entering Jerusalem and those travelling to the holy city were robbed, murdered and raped. The Bishop of Bamberg led a fateful expedition to Jerusalem. His party was not spared. He and his entourage were robbed and massacred within sight of the City walls. In addition to these outrages pilgrims were heavily taxed and protection money was extorted from them as they passed the along the well trodden pilgrim routes. From these accounts one can deduce that the reasons for the Crusades are many and varied. Economic problems in Germany and France contributed to create internal political and social instability. Religion provided a diversion to mask domestic issues resulting in the birth of the crusading concept. In this respect the concept galvanised the attention of the masses and created a

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hysteria on a scale never been seen before. The realisation of the first crusade was fuelled by hysteria rather than rational thought. As with more recent conflicts the plan lacked an exit strategy, having achieved their goal to reach, and take Jerusalem most crusaders returned from whence they came. Unlike the later colonisation of Australia or North America the indigenous people of the Levant were astute to the purpose of the invasion. Over time they managed to absorb into their society that talent and expertise that was sustainable. From a Christian perspective the core of the perceived problem stemmed from safe access to Jerusalem and the Holy Sepulchre. Ever since political, religious and physical control of this key city has always been important to various religious groups who have laid claim to several of its assets and places of worship. During the eleventh century leadership within the Hedjaz was consolidated. Its position and standing within the international Muslim community was thus enhanced. Its successes were noted and when the occasion arose they were always able to muster the necessary resources and support. A case in point is when some archive records recovered from a monastery were studied they record that a consignment of numbered artefacts previously donated to the monastery had been signed by Ronaldo Simonna, a Venetian trader who sought to purchase English wool for export back to Italy. At the time the Cistercians were some of the largest land owners in the country, with Fountains Abbey controlling over 100,000 acres of grazing land. The Abbey was enormously wealthy with a sizeable bank account, which later was seized by the envious King Henry VIII. The Italian trader conducted lucrative business purchasing English wool for the Italian market. Ronaldo along with other Italians supplied merchants and weavers specialising in the weaving of fine cloth. As such English wool was a prized raw material which would be converted and then re-sold as finished product to international markets. Ronaldo is recorded to having conducted trade with England for over thirty years. He was apparently a regular visitor to Yorkshire where he was feted by the Abbot, who in all probability was well rewarded in kind for his part in this lucrative trade.

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Templars

The Templar administration and hierarchy was well ordered. At the head were five Grandmasters, the Seneschal, the Commander of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the Draper. Collectively these five posts owed their collective allegiance to the Pope alone. It was through the Papal edict that taxes levied would be directly to the Templars for their use alone. In effect the Templars were the Popes private army. At the Head of the organisation was the Grand Master. This was an elected post. Twelve senior Templars made up the electoral quorum. In practical terms decisions made by the Grand Chapter where passed through to the Grand Master its mouthpiece. Senior officials made up what was known as the Grand Chapter. In effect this was the over-arching Executive Council. Its decisions were final. It could decide, as and when the Templars would engage in war, agree peace terms of create alliances or effect commercial or political agreements. The Seneschal Deputy acted as the Counsel and Advisor to the Master. The Draper was in charge of decision making for military, procurement and logistics. Regional Commanders had specific regional authority, for example in Jerusalem, Acre, and Tripoli where they controlled the Templars Treasury budgets. Provincial Masters reported up to the Grand Master. Knights Sergeants were subordinate officers reporting to the above and their deputies. The structure was robust and effective.

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The combined force of the Templar fighting Knights and the Hospitaller provided an integrated and effective support system for the pilgrims who ventured to the Holy Land. This protection extended further to include those who resided within Outremer. It was against this backdrop that at the Council of Clermont Pope Urban 11 made his call in 1095AD. The previous year had been terrible across Europe. Floods and a plague have ravages the harvest and killed off tens of thousands of people. A shower of meteorites had been sighted in 1095AD and this was perceived as being a heavenly message to the Holy. Pope Urban was in fact merely reacting to an urgent plea from the Emperor Alexius Comnenus to provide the Byzantine Empire with reinforcements to thwart further Seljuk advances. This Turkish force originated in Asia Minor. Slowly their influence and ruthless attacks moved steadily West causing serious concern by the Byzantine rulers. Pope Urban passed the mantle of power to Adhemar, the bishop of Le Puy. The bishop was thereafter to be the Popes representative in the field. Adhemar was aware of the power of marketing his cause and created one of the greatest marketing campaigns ever, the red cross as his brand. This simple but highly effective emblem was used to consolidate his disparate force. All that went with him on the crusade had a cross of red material sewn onto the corner of their coat or jacket, a symbol that they too were carrying the cross of Christ, hence the term taking the cross. The First Crusade was proclaimed in 1095AD. Some Spanish and French Christians regard the crusade as having started some ten years earlier when Toledo fell to Arab forces in 1085AD. The reaction across the European States North of Spain to the wave of Islam that was spreading north through Spain created a groundswell of opinion culminating in the call to arms. It was not until 1492AD that Spain was finally able to drive the Muslims out of the Iberian Peninsula altogether. Of the 40,000 or so crusaders who accompanied Adhemar in 1097AD only about 10% were nobles or knights. Adhemar died in Antioch in 1098AD. The following year after the re-conquest of Jerusalem the Crusader barons elected Raymond of Toulouse as their elected leader. This decision was supported by Emperor Alexius, the Byzantine Emperor. Unfortunately Raymond troops wanted to return home and as such he declined the offer which was then passed to Godfrey of Bouillon. He took the title Advocatus Sancti Sepulchi Defender of the Holy Sepulchre. Within a year he died and the crown passed over to his brother Baldwin 1. He duly established his palace within the al-Aqsa mosque. Later on he built a new palace to the west of the mosque and gave the mosque to the Poor Fellow Soldiers as a store house. The under croft was used as a huge stable. The majority of the first Crusader troops to enter Outremer were French Knights whilst the Christian traders who accompanied them were mainly of Italian stock. This section of the Christian society conducted both the sea and overland trade to and from Outremer, this being the name given to the Crusader States which occupied a narrow strip only 70 miles wide running north south parallel to the coast. As such it was always a difficult area to defend with the sea on one side and mountains on the eastern border. Fractions within the Islamic States broke up any potential of a concerted, unified Muslim military force. The rivalry between the Fatimids in Egypt, the Seljuk Turks and the Baghdad caliphate split these groups and so long as they were divided they did not pose a threat to the Crusader Knights who were supported by Emperor Alexius 1 Comnenus who by then had recovered Asia Minor for the Byzantine Empire. The concept of a permanent guard for the pilgrims to the Holy Land was put

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forward. Pope Gregory the Great has commissioned the building of a new hospital in Jerusalem which in turn was manned by the Hospitaller who had previously provided care for the pilgrims... This building was destroyed in 1005AD by caliph Hakim and was not rebuilt until 1170AD as a charitable entity run by Benedictine monks. Later in it was administered by the Hospitaller of St John. Under the sole jurisdiction of the Pope. By this time the Templars has amassed considerable treasures, power and wealth both in Outremer and elsewhere. The Papal authorisation for the wearing of the red cross by the Templars came in 1147AD when plans were afoot to trigger the second crusade. King Louis VII and Pope Eugenius III met in Paris to discuss the matter. Present at the meeting which took place at the Paris Temple were over 100 French Templar Knights and a group of French Bishops and clergymen. Taxes levied to finance the holy war were channelled through the Templar treasury. By 1147AD two Christian armies, one from Germany led by Conrad and the other made up of French troops led by Louis. The Germany contingent was intercepted by Seljuk Turks and beaten in battle at Dorylaeum. After this ignominious defeat the rump of the crusade retreated to Nicaea where they tied up with the French who had travelled under sail. This was a costly crusade in terms of resources and lives lost. Had this or the preceding crusade captured the strategically important city of Damascus then the tide would have been in the Templars favour as it would have divided the Muslim world into two distinct geographical areas. So long as the Arabs controlled Damascus they had direct access between Aleppo, Baghdad, and Cairo. To secure their tentative position in Outremer the Crusaders went on to built fifty castles. These sturdy edifices serve as administration centres as well as forts to retreat into during time s of war. The Outremer land mass was, some 450 miles long and between 50 -75 miles wide, a relatively small slither of land bounded by the sea on one side and mountains on the other.

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The Knights Templar

The commitment in physical and financial terms made by those who fought, or sponsored a Knight was total. These highly trained fighters required a squire, sergeants plus the support of a minimum of six immediate staff. In addition these fully trained soldiers would require transport and specialist equipment including armour, swords, lances and hand crafted protection for the chargers. The Knight would have at least 3-4 trained battle horses, armour, and support staff. All in all, the cost to launch and support a single Knight and his entourage to the Holy Land required the resources of a large urban community. The cost did not stop there, throughout the campaign these Knights and their support team required continuous replenishment, campaign funds, hospitalisation and transportation and accommodation. This burden plus taxes stretched the collective resources of France to the extreme. To augment the money collected by Papal decree the Templars established for themselves a presence across Outremer as bankers. They traded in commodities, built and ran a merchant fleet and exported goods and foods from Outremer to

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France, Spain and Italy. When each Knight entered the Templar service he took an oath and bequeathed his estate and will to the cause. A transcript from the Anonymous Pilgrim translated by A. Stewart in 1894 describes the crusader as being the most excellent soldier. They wear white mantles with the red cross, and when they go to wars a standard of two colours called balzous is borne before them. They go in silence. Their first attack is the most terrible. In going in they are the first and in coming out the last. They await the orders of their Master. When they think fit to make war and the trumpet is sounded, they sing the chorus of Psalm of David, Not unto us, O Lord, kneeling on the blood and necks of the enemy, unless they have forced the troops of the enemy to retire altogether, or utterly broke them to pieces. The origin of these Christian, warrior monks can be traced back to 1119AD when a French nobleman named Hugues de Payens formed the warrior Order. The original group consisted of just eight members. These Knights each pledged to provide pilgrims to the Holy Land with protection as they visited Jerusalem. King Baldwin II of Jerusalem granted them a charter by which they could establish a Head Quarterson the south eastern side of the Temple Mount and within the bounds of the Al Aqsa Mosque. It was this site that led to them being known as the Poor Knights of the Temple of King Solomon, which was later abbreviated to become the Knights Templar. By 1129AD the Order had grown numerically and in importance. Recognition for their work was acknowledged by the church when at the Council of Troyes the Order was given charitable status. An important early patron was Bernard of Clairvaux. His thesis entitled De Laude Noveae Militae In Praise of the New Knighthood cast aside concerns within the church that the newly formed military based religious order could carry weapons. Having legitimised the Order the warrior monks who had each sworn a vow of poverty grew in stature as a force within the Holy Roman Empire. Donations flowed into their coffers. In 1139AD the Pope, Innocent II issued a papal bull titled Omne Datum Optimum. This document effectively made the Knights Templar the Popes personal arm. This supreme status meant that they had free access across all borders and paid no tax. The benefit from these concessions was mutual. The Knight Templar was well funded, well educated and highly trained. A very strict code of engagement and discipline coupled with an equally robust code of chivalry made this unique fighting force. Although in numerical terms the Knights were not a large force their organisation and deployment was exemplary. The flow of funding that came into the Knights Templar treasury redefined the original mandate enabling the administrators to further their cause by engaging in economic activities. Safeguarding the interests of pilgrims created opportunity whereby the Knights offered a services whereby they would guard valuables and transfer monies for and on behalf of the pilgrims. This was a welcome service as pilgrims in the Holy Land could access funds from home. To avoid the problem of charging usury the Knights instead of charging interest simply charged rent. The Knights built fortified buildings, numerous castles, ports and harbours and at one time owned Cyprus. They owned and operated fleets of merchant ships which were used for the supply of provisions and armaments as well as for military engagements. The Templars were predominantly a cavalry troop composed of heavily armed knights mounted on huge, specially bred 16 hand plus chargers. The majority of the English Knights horses were bred for the purpose in Penhill , Yorkshire. Others were bred in various stud farms in Ireland. There they

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would breed and train the horses, which would be sold off to horse traders and shipped to the Levant. The awesome sight of an orchestrated, mounted cavalry charge would have struck fear into the most august Arab warrior. In reality siege tactics were the norm, with battle lines rarely coming into direct contact on the field of battle. When such incidences occurred the carnage was terrible indeed. In so doing the Order gained a reputation of pragmatism and extreme caution. The favoured exit route from frontal attack was always diplomacy with brute force being a less favoured option. Alliances, pacts and treaties with the local Muslim leaders enabled the Order to bind in with the local community and for it to exert its political and commercial objectives through peaceful means. The Order learned the art of the coded message, as used it within their promissory notes, a precurser to modern international banking. This devise was an essential element within their security and added to their reputation for secrecy.

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Banking

From early times monasteries had generated significant revenues by acting as secure places of refuge and security for those wishing to seek refuge or lodge documents or other personal items of value. The Roman Catholic pan-European network was efficient and relatively safe, and as such was used with great effect to transmit secure communications and money from place to place and country to country. The Templar systems expanded this concept and introduced a highly sophisticated system of credit notes which could be traded across Europe and Outremer. Money transfer and exchange proved very lucrative business. This system meant that money could be deposited in France and withdrawn in Outremer saving the cost and risk of transportation by land or sea. Such was the organisations reputation that this trade rapidly great in size and value. Supporting these transactions the Templars kept scrupulous registers. The system that they created is much the same as modern banking practice with customers being provided with regular statement of account. In 1215AD King John of England borrowed a considerable sum from the Templars. Their ships plied there trade from Acre but also used Tyre, Sidon Jeble and Port Bonnel, located north of Antioch. Much of their traffic went directly to Marseilles in France and Brindisi and Bari Italy. From Italy they purchased horses, wine, oil for cooking and light and vast quantities of wheat. Their trade to France and Italy included white slaves many of which were Muslims captured in the East. Such slaves were used by both the Hospitaller in their hospitals and by the Templars as labourers. Much of this trade was supplied by Turkish and Mongol slave traders. The Templars used ships laid at anchor off Acre to held their reserves and treasure. As the Popes private army they acted as his bankers and financiers. Charging fees and collecting interest on loans. Monastic orders were scrupulous in their attention to administrative detail and in particular to the preservation of data and documents. As landlords title deeds leases and property related documentation was key to their considerable property portfolio. After the fall of Acre in 1291AD Cyprus became their last bastion. The Kolossi was a Hospitaller castle which was later used as a Templars Treasury . The rectangular fort was the stronghold for their records and treasures brought form the mainland. Much of the Hospitaller treasures, mortgage and lease documents and archives were transported to Provence. 154

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Assassins

The Assassins were a highly trained and skilled band of brigands. Their home base was the mighty Masyaf castle in the Jebel al-Sariya. This massive fort was situated on a hill top was ruled by the e Assassin leader known as, The old Man of the Mountain. Amongst their many illustrious victims was Reymond II, count of Tripoli.

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Hama (The Assassins Castle) Amongst some of the most prominent figures who suffered under the assassins hands were Reymond II in 1152AD, and later in 1192AD Conrad of Montferrat, king of Jerusalem. The Assassins whilst practising Muslims hated members of the Sunni sect, and in this respect sometimes allied themselves with the Christians against this, their long standing adversary. After the death of Reymond the Crusaders applied pressure to the Assassins, who thereafter paid an annual tribute of two thousand bezants as protection money to the Templars. In the Macoraba context the Assassins played a vital part within their organisational structure as enforcers and hired mercenaries, not that dissimilar to the role played nowadays by the Ghurkhas, a mercenary force employed by the British and other governments and organisations. Another example is the elite French Foreign Legion, an autonomous fighting force operating outside of France.

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48 Outremer

Outremer means land across the sea. This general reference was the term used to describe the land within which the Crusaders controlled, fought over or occupied. In length it was about 450 mile long and from the coast to the extreme easterly point only 70 miles in width. Within this much fought over land mass were the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Country of Edessa, Principality of Antioch. In modern times this land is still subject to political and military conflict. It is now a patchwork of States including Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, and Palestine. The epicentre remains Jerusalem a sacred city with the strongest connections to Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions and history. Ever since the building of the first Temple of Solomon this city has been a symbol of mans desire to worship a single God. The angel Gabriel summoned Muhammad to the Dome on the Rock . It was from that point that he ascended to Paradise. This event was known as the Night Journey. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre represents the place where Jesus was entombed and where the True Cross was found.

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Raynald de Chtillon

A cohort of Raynald was Gerard. Like Raynald he also died by the sword before returning to France. In his case he died during the bloody Siege of Acre in 1189AD. His rise to power can be traced back to 1184AD when he was appointed Grand Master after the death of Arnold Torraja. On 1 st March 1187 at the Springs of Cresson Gerard and Roger de Moulins (Grand Master of Knights Templar 1184-1189AD) led a force of 80 Templers, 10 Knights Hospitaller, 40 Royal Knights and 300 mounted Sergeants against a massive Arab force. This distinguished action goes down in Crusader history as being one of the finest examples of the Templar Knights fighting prowess.

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Of all the French Knights Raynald was in a class of his own. History paints a vivid picture of this ruthless, Muslim hating warrior who reportedly threw live Arab Muslim adversaries over battlement to their death. Facts so recorded tend to support this brutal image, an image at odds with those of chivalry and fair play as demonstrated by his contemporarys Saladin, the great Arab general and war Lord and Richard the Lionheart. Raynald was born in France 1125AD and died in an untimely but predictable manner on July 4 th 1187AD. During his 62 years apart from the years he spent in jail his life was colourful in the extreme. At the age of 28 yrs he married the beautiful Constance of Antioch in 1153AD. She had previously been married in 1149 but was by then divorced. Her second marriage was very much against the wishes of her first cousin King Baldwin III of Jerusalem. By all accounts the marriage was a happy one. Raynald and Constance had two daughters Agnes de Chtillon who married King Bela 3rd of Hungary and Jeanne de Chtillon. From his second marriage to Stephanie de Milly he had two children an infant son who died young called Raynald and Alix de Chtillon who married Azzo V1

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dEste. Stephanie was a true lady, greatly admired and respected by both Christians and Muslims for her wisdom, piety, beauty and above all her sense of fairness. Following her husbands death by Saladins sword she asked for clemency. Saladin immediately granted her wish. From all accounts no retribution was imposed on her by Saladin to recover the massive horde of treasure that he knew Raynald had hidden in France. In all truth it is most likely that she was never aware of its content or relevance. After his death she did not leave the Levantine and did not venture to France to recover her deceased husbands trove which was estimated to include over 15 tonnes of gold and over 27 tonnes of Silver. In total weight records indicate that over 60 tonnes of mixed treasures were deposited in Reynalds safe some miles north of Brignole, Provance. Over and above the smelted bullion there were reportedly many cases of precious stones, jewellery, ceremonial wear, swords, and ivory and inlaid, hand crafted armour. In 2009 when gold peaked at just under 1000 per oz the value of the smelted gold alone was worth circa 530m. The total value if sold in auction could now easily reach 1 billion.

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Reynald tortured Patrioch of Antioch

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In modern terms his actions can be compared with African, and other Heads of State who, in recent years have systematically plundered the State coffers for their own benefit, secreting their accumulated wealth in numbered Swiss bank accounts. From the outset Raynald was a man of some means. He had inherited Chatillon-sur-Loing before joining the 2nd Crusade in 1147AD aged 22 yrs. A dedicated and professional soldier he certainly was. He was fearless in battle having won his spurs in France, and spontaneous in action. Such was his fiery temper that few dared cross his path. This example of his quick silver temper was illustrated when what started out as a simple but unresolved personal argument over some unpaid fees ended up in him taking an army over to ransack Cyprus. In 1156AD he claimed that the Byzantine Emperor Manuel 1 st had reneged on a pledge to fund Raynalds military objectives . He then went to seek redress from the Patriarch and requested that he send funds to mount an expeditionary force to Cyprus. The Patriarch baulked at the idea, but after being humiliated he relented. Later the Emperor took his revenge on Raynald in 1159AD when a defeated Raynald was forced to lead his horse through the streets.

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Kerak showing the scale of this elevated Templar castle

Apart from Kerak the Franks used forts at Montral and Li Vaux Moise near Petra to tax commerce and pilgrim traffic on the road between Syria and Mekkah and Medina and the Hedjaz. Krak des

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Chevaliers, was yet another major defensive fort located in the North of Outremer. This was an impregnable Hospitaller Castle and major administration centre . Whilst he was content to carve out a fiefdom for himself in the Levant it was always his ultimate intention to return home to France for his well earned retirement. To this end quite early in his career in the Levant he started to make provisions for a future life. His ruthless streak was driven by the hunger for power and control over the Arab Muslims. This lifelong trait marked him out amongst his peer group. In retrospect, the timing of his arrival in the Holy Land could not have been timed better. There he could fulfil his wildest dreams, a law unto himself. In 1157 he sent his men to France to identify possible sites for a silk farm. Of those shortlisted he set his eyes on one particular site which many years later he purchased. This site was where he deposited his amassed treasures. In 1160AD he was captured by Arab forces during a daring raid against Syrian and Armenian peasants in Marash. Following a skirmish he was imprisoned in the dungeons of the impregnable fort at Aleppo. There he was detained for 17 yrs. Had it not been for his reputation his incarceration would have been much shorter. As it was the Arabs hung out unit finally the prospect of receiving a massive ransom of 500 Kg of gold convinced them otherwise and with its timely transfer they agree to grant him his freedom. In hind sight this might well have been a big mistake as his release was predictably the spark which triggered off yet another round of atrocious behaviour, never again to be matched in the Levant. 160

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The time he spent in prison hardened his resolve and sharpened his bloodlust. Nevertheless, once free he reengaged in his war against the Muslim Arabs. He soon realised that apart from the moral and religious objectives the physical rewards that flowed from combat were truly spectacular. His ultimate long term strategy was to return to France and build a power base for a European campaign. He deduced that only in France could he expand his personal empire. This he planned to orchestrate from his family home at Chatillon-sur-Loing. From the onset he was an astute investor of money, time and energy. He systematically built a fighting fund, a large part of which he systematically repatriated back to France. Some of the wealth that he had accumulated stemmed from legal trade and commerce, some by imposing taxes and levies and yet more from the spoils of war, of which the greater part came from plundering inadequately and often undefended Arab caravans. His best laid plans however never materialised. Following the Battle of Hattin he was beheaded by Saladin in front of his king. His demise marked the end of a meritorious personal battle against adversity, moral judgement and moderation. In 1182 AD an expeditionary force led by Raynald of Chtillon and supported by the influential Guy of Lusignan who was later proclaimed King of Jerusalem swept south from a fortress called Kerak south east of the Dead Sea. The purpose was to wage war on his old adversary Saladin and attack the heart of Islam, Mekkah and Medinah. Raynald came to the Levant as a mercenary but once ensconced, styled himself as an opportunist, masochist and pirate. His name in history is associated

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with a series of events and actions which would not ordinarily be associated with the code of chivalry associated with a Crusader Knight. He was, by all account brutal, vengeful and ruthless. History does not portray a kinder, or more acceptable side to this entrepreneur who built around himself an empire, power and influence which matched that of most other rulers in the region. Above all he was shrewd and skilful in negotiation and diplomacy. He was a brilliant tactician and strategist and managed almost single handed to recruit and finance sizeable armed forces. He repelled repeated attacks and sieges launched by Saladin on his fortress and won some significant battles. By all accounts, when in ladies company he could be charming and married well, first wife was Constance of Antioch, who died while he was imprisoned in Aleppo. His second marriage was to Stephanie, the widow of both Humphrey III of Toron and Mile of Plancy. During this particular raid was carried out in 1182AD. Once having mobilised an elite force his fully equipped and battle seasoned unit was briefed on the audacious plan. Raynald then posted a section of his personal guard in advance of his main horse mounted battle group. Their surveillance and field craft proved of great benefit as they effectively steered an advancing Arab battalion away from his central force. Then, with a minimum of interference or delay the astute commander drove his troops South to the Red Sea where, at considerable personal cost he sought the services of coastal pirates. A deal was done whereby he had access to both the privateer captains crews and boats. These lightly armed sail boats were loaded and provisioned to take his mercenary force east to Moab. The intention was to strike at both Mekkah and Madinah, raise both cities and destroy the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad and, time and resources permitting destroy the Kabah. News of their sortie went before them and an Egyptian army led by Al-Adil intercepted his army close to Madinah. During the battle most of the pirate army were killed or taken as slaves and slain in Cairo. Raynald escaped via Moab where he had left a small garrison of soldiers and the remnant of pirate mercenaries. This action was in direct contravention to a truce agreed between Saladin and King Baldwin IV. Raylands reputation preceded him. Immediately the Macoraba became aware of the potential threat of crusader attack they took evasive action. They exhumed the entire content of their treasury and boxed all items for immediate transportation to Damascus, Syria. The total weight of the precious metal excluding the boxes in which they were transported can only be guessed at but, by deduction it was in excess of 30 tons. It needed over 250 camels, each carrying balanced panniers for the purpose to transport the load. In addition to the consignment, a further 80 camels were required for escort troops and camp followers. In all, the caravan consisted of almost 350 camels plus an unconfirmed number of horse. Having been routed by Al-Adil the rump of Raynalds battle group retreated to Kerak where he regrouped his greatly depleted troops. No sooner had he arrived at Kerak he received welcome intelligence from paid Muslim informers. This communiqu originated in Mekkah. It predicted that a huge consignment of bullion was being assembled and already in the process of being consolidated into a single load before being moved overland to Damascus. His attack by sea on Arab ports had rattled the Muslim Arabs who feared that further raids were imminent. With the knowledge that any such movement might well pass close to his castle Raynald called a council of war and amassed his elite troops to execute a lighting raid on this caravan. Forewarned, he then awaited further up-dates from his Arab informers, once in receipt of the final plans he commenced to set a trap.

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In order to sustain his political and military independence Raynald always had an opportunist eye on easy pickings. Apart from Mekkah, Jerusalem for him represented a prize of unparallel wealth. Legend had it that the greatest collection of Biblical treasures was hidden there. He had read that the trove included the trumpets, gold candelabra and the fabled bejewelled Table of the Divine Presence where an elusive target forever in his sight. These items were amongst pieces shipped to Rome after the looting of the Temple in AD 70. Emperor Vespasian had ordered the destruction of the Temple after the Jewish revolt and Roman forces took over 50 tonnes of gold, silver and precious pieces of art and jewellery back to Rome as the spoils of war. For years Raynald went on about this treasure which he was convinced was waiting to be taken. Whilst he routinely schemed up plots to plunder easy targets, particularly Arab and Jewish treasures he never came around to executing the grandiose plan to retrieve the ancient Jewish treasures . His untimely death put an end to his expansionist ideas in Europe. This account of Raynalds colourful exploits is significant insofar as it marked the demise of an errant, pillaging Knights whos cavalier activities incited severe retaliatory actions against his brother Crusader Knights. In summary, his unruly action put down a marker to other Crusaders who might have been thinking about similar activities. In all this Saladins integrity and chivalry shone though. The loss of the gold tablets was regrettable, a true loss to Islam. This single act struck at the financial heart of the Arab community but as with any other fluid, well organised body it was only a matter of time before it redressed its financial status.

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Kerak Castle Raynalds home, Kerak castle can still be visited by the enquiring tourist or visitor to the area. This was his operational base, an impregnable stone built Templar castle. The main fortified section was constructed over a period of 20 years this fortress is a remarkable structure, a masterpiece of the masons art. In terms of size and significance this monolithic defence structure was a showpiece statement of defiance to the Muslim Arabs. Located in close proximity to the north south highway linking Cairo to Damascus Raynald was able to monitor and tax all major movements that passed through his territory. Such dues were supposed to be in lieu for protection afforded by Raynald. The Franks built and operated various other such forts at Montral and Li Vaux Moise near Petra to tax commerce and pilgrim traffic on the road between Syria and Mekkah and Medina. Since early 1181AD Raynald had been carrying out sporadic attacks on merchant caravans. However, in 1182AD open hostility was decaled by Saladin who had been alerted by his advisors that an imminent threat of attack to caravans routed in the vicinity of Raynalds stronghold was being planned.

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After his abortive sea based attack on Mekkah and Medinah in 1182AD Raynald retreated back home with his tail between his legs, defeated he may have been in this skirmish but his war was far from over. As Raynald was planning his trap with his confidantes in Kerak, in Mekkah the Arabs were finalising their preparations and plans for the transportation of their treasury to Damascus. With speed of delivery and security issues uppermost in their minds the caravan masters who had been commissioned to effect the bullion transfer were limited in their logistical options due to very tight scheduling requirements. Whilst every effort was taken to mitigate against risk the contingency plans that they put in place amounted to little more than adding a few deviations along the highway. Having been set a starting deadline the caravaneers were ill equipped to defend the entire line and as such opted for a lighter, more mobile infantry unit to defend the lead section and van. Once the full consignment was amassed loading proceeded with haste. This process took a full night to perform , the train only being packed and ready for the off at first light. At first, the Arabs plan went to schedule. Rather than risk running the camels in a single line the officers in charge split the train into two units, a faster and a slower group, the latter of which was more heavily guarded. The departing group were routed in a northerly direction from Mekkah towards Aleppo. At critical choke points, when possible the train veered off the regular highway into more difficult, unchartered terrain. Such were the security measures in place that the caravan commander in charge of logistics was reticent to inform anyone other than his own staff as to his plans. His fear was well placed, once word was out the integrity of the operation would most likely have been compromised. Nevertheless, a combination of subterfuge, greed and desperation ultimately undermined his best laid plans. The Arab informer who had heard of the plan promptly sold on the information pertaining to the consignment, including the route and anticipated timings to his cohort. From receipt of the initial coded message Raynald was anxious to know who his potential adversary was, i.e. who had been appointed to lead the convoy, intelligence being everything for his audacious plan. He was aware that this job would only have been given to a seasoned and trusted leader, the precise character of which Raynald wanted to know. Depending on the answer to this crucial question Raynald would either increase or maintain the designated units operational strength. For this Arab mission the chain of command had been deliberately reduced to a handful of trusted servants. However, once the decision had been made the commander in chief, Abu Zaha bin Osman signed off the various orders and instructions. Such a sizeable train takes time to assemble with animals, guards and outriders being drafted in for the purpose. With such a large group made up of countless camels and horses, and were the manpower and complex support resources needed to manage this great train had to be identified the commanders job was tough indeed. In all there would have been well in excess of two hundred able bodies in the party. Food, clothing arms, all had to be added to the significant weight to be stowed within the boxes and leather pouches. That said, only when all the freight had been sorted, documented and weighed could the laborious task of filled and sealing the matched panniers commence. Then it was down to the cameleer to load the animals. Authorisation to move off was finally granted, albeit without a heavy detachment of guards. Evidently this order was granted on the basis that a disproportionally large guard would be

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counterproductive insofar as it would only draw attention to the convoy and its cargo. The decision may well in part have been based on logistics coupled with an assessment of needs, availability of manpower and speed of engagement. Cost would not necessarily have featured in this list. No record is made of the command structure under bin Osman. It was presumed that Saladin would have overseen administrative, logistics and operational functions such as identifying which water and rest stops would be used. This was not the case. For one reason or another he was not requested to participate in any aspect of the convoy. An advance horse guard was sent ahead to prepare the ground and logistics for each of the planned stops. Where necessary these advance guards would have recruited and paid in advance all the local security guards, porters and cooks needed to support the convoy. This mobile troupe was later a vital resource which enabled speedy turnarounds. Provisions, forage and shelter provided at the halts would have provided valuable, and much needed currency for those who rendered such services. Major caravans brought with them news, tradable commodities, and revenues generated from a wide range of services provided. Like a captain of a ship, it fell on the caravan commander or leader, usually a professional, seasoned cameleer to provide all that was needed for the duration of the long march. These astute men of the desert learnt their trade the hard way, skills and competences being passed down from father to son. Within the travelling community a network of contacts would have provided everything needed to sustain such long and arduous journeys. Long standing relationships were built up between these men and the merchants and traders. Their local knowledge, skill sets and stature within the travelling communities was their stock in trade. Historic personal and tribal alliances invariably enabled safe passage and rights of way. Dues and taxes imposed by land owners and tribal chiefs had to be paid and for this reason alone caravans of all sizes were, forever vulnerable to attack. Money and tradable wares carried provided rich prizes for unscrupulous bandits and roadside thieves. Century old tribal rivalries, unclear demarcation lines, inhospitable terrain and inclement weather famine and drought collectively combined to make Trans desert passage arduous and dangerous. There was little romance to be found during an energy sapping, five hundred mile trading caravan trip. Pilgrim caravans were somewhat different, their composition speed and purpose being dictated by other considerations, mainly centred on the needs of the travellers many of which were old and some infirm. Regardless, these disparate groups would mass at set points and upon hearing the starting gun would commence their laborious march en masse. Often the lead group would be headed by an eminent leader escorted by professional troops who would remain with the caravan through to the destination. These slow moving masses would gather in size as they passed pre-determined staging posts. Enterprising Bedouin raiding parties took it as their God given right to not only plunder the caravan loads. Slaves, particularly castrated Infidels were a prized possession and fetched good sums in the slave bazaars. Caravan leaders sold their services per contract, the terms and conditions of which would be pre-agreed before departure. Bonus would often be paid for speedy and safe passage. In the case of round trips the entourage could be away from base for two to three months.

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It was a profitable occupation as can be seen from the accumulated wealth of those who plied the trade. The caravan was essentially an animal convoy, rarely if ever were wagons included. Due to the terrain and inherent danger there is very little evidence of wagons or carts ever being used in this area. Foodstuffs, such an important commodity in modern commerce was of limited importance within the caravan as a tradable commodity due to its short shelf life, bulk and low profits. Most foods were therefore produced and purchased locally. Long range commerce was primarily concerned with three distinct categories which because of there rarity justified the risks and rigours endured by the overland caravan party. Slaves, luxury goods, gold silver and iron and essential minerals made up the backbone of most such caravans, hence the risk to those who transported precious wares. In hindsight, such questions may now be asked as to why the composition of this particular caravan consisted of only twenty regular guards. Had the commander known that the portage contained the golden Quran it is highly unlikely that he would have been content with only rudimentary military protection. On the contrary, had the caravan been heavily protected it might well have been drawn more interest. All this is conjecture, when the caravan lifted off the lead riders set a demanding pace. It was as much as the cameleers could do to keep up and prevent breakages in the line. Ambushes invariably occurred in closed or restricted passages or when divisions occurred within the line. At the collecting square the dust, noise, smell and heat created by the herded mass of animals, men, horses, dogs and must have been a spectacle in itself. Loading would have been a noisy and arduous physical task. This particular work was critical and as such was conducted by experts who understood the condition and temperament of the animals. A sound, properly loaded camel could carry 1200 lbs, cover 200 miles in a day and travel 17 days without water. The job of the loader was to adjust the loads with careful attention to weight distribution. This calculation would apply according to the strength, condition, age and state of fitness of each beast of burden. Once loaded leather fastening straps were carefully adjusted to allow for unrestricted movement on one hand and support on the other. Shortly after the ensemble moved off the cameleers would tighten the strapping taking in slack created by compression and settlement of the load plus excess air in the camels stomachs at the time of loading. After this temporary halt the camels moved into a timeless rhythmic stride, broken only by terrain, inclement weather, obstacles, sickness or congestion within the group. Otherwise the line stretched out for over a kilometre, heavily armed outriders constantly scampering up and down the ranks urging forwards movement and tight co-ordination. A content flow of information would have been passed down the line by forward and flank surveillance. The task of these riders would have been to survey the route and identify obstacles or any possible threat to the security of the caravan. Whenever such a movement occurred news would move swiftly over the plain. For this reason speed was their most valuable asset. Contact with native and travelling Bedouin would in normal circumstances have added to the information gathering network. Camping up during the daylight hours and marching through the nights the caravan set off on an erratic, meandering path, criss crossing and merging with the main caravan route only at times and places where less conspicuous routes were considered inappropriate. Stops were short and functional. Prayer times were observed and for these the entire caravan would pause. Meals,

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however would be taken on the hoof. The only other times when the caravan stopped was when passing wells and watering places. When arriving at a well the animals would be unloaded hobbled and given time to quench their thirst. Otherwise the line would maintain a constant pace hour after hour. During this ill fated journey the fine line between caution and speed was finely balanced. Nevertheless good distances were covered with limited attrition rates. Along the way some camels were replaced and additional reserve animals inserted into the convoy. The more rocky and steep terrain impeded progress, at such points loads were reduced or shifted to reserve animals. In this way momentum was maintained. After eight days and nights the lead animals engaged a particularly awkward section. The line compressed and outriders were forced into the train by a erratic line of massive boulders which had splintered at the base of a steep incline. Passing through this tricky section was hazardous in the dark of night. A bright full moon provided a soft blue light for the keen eyed camels and their mounts to find their path . The sure footed plod of the soft pads was almost inaudible in the windless, cold night air. Then, out of nowhere came the sound of charging Crusader warriors with the heavy Knights on horseback leading the charge. These horses were the predecessors of the modern shire and stood at over 16.2 hands. With a fully armed Knight on board the ensemble weighed well over a tonne. They came as if from nowhere, flying into the caravan from all angles indiscriminately slicing and hacking through the guard. The ambush was well set and timed to perfection. With less than one hour to go before the end of a long night march the cameleers and security guards would have been relaxed, tired and hungry, certainly not ready for a surprise attack. With their next halt only 6km away they may well have already seen in the far distance the flickering of light from the night fires. The sequence of events leading up to the massacre was thoroughly rehearsed. The head of the caravan was forced to a halt and as it did so the van compressed making the line shorter and even easier for the encircling troops to engage their ambush. The fight that then took place lasted for less than an thirty minutes during which two one hundred Arab lives were lost. Such was the brutality of the action that not one man or women in the travelling group were spared. In the confusion the cacophony of the sound of battle would have been ear-splitting. From eye witness reports the collective sound of grief, agony and pain hung over the scene long after the battle had finished. Maimed animals were butchered, and mercifully some of the lucky ones were put out of their misery with a flash of the sword. The dying and the dead were relieved of their personal possessions, rings and jewellery being randomly ripped from the corpses where they lay. Hobbled animals were then corralled. Portage was re-loaded and secured as before. When necessary their loads were redistributed by size and weight. Anything surplus to requirement was cast off. Only when the first light of morning struck the desert floor could Raynalds jubilant troops fully assimilate the area of abject destruction, with mutilated bodies strewn across the blood soaked sand. By that time they had regrouped, packed and were ready to move off with their prize. 168

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50 Mustapha, the informer.

As with others before, those who chose to sell sensitive information as spies or informers to the highest bidder Mustapha was typical, a menial worker who desperately needed money. From dawn till dusk he had worked since a lad loading and looking after his masters camels and donkeys in Mekkah. During his infancy and adolescence he had built up a certain level of trust with his master, who, regardless of his status regularly abused the boy, beat him and deprived him of all but the most meagre of rations and accommodation. The servant relied on his master for almost all his needs. He later claimed that food would be denied for no apparent reason and indiscriminate scalding was commonplace. For most of their marriage his parents, peasant farmers who scratched out a meagre living near el Buseirah 30 miles South of Kerak in the lordship of Oultrejourdain. Kerak in Moab was close to the shore of the Dead Sea, and on a clear day from that elevated site one could see as far as the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The couple had recently moved north to Hims, West of Krak des Chevaliers. Economic pressure and illness had dragged them down to a point where their very lives were at risk. Upon hearing about their sorry state their only surviving son, Mustapha pledged to support them as best he could. Paid a pittance for his lowly work with the cameleers he was not able to afford the cost of even the journey to his parents in the Levant. A chance conversation outside the mosque with Abdul, a dubious traveller, merchant alerted the young boy to the possibility of making some easy money. He was offered a small fee as an inducement to reveal details about his work, his master, loading schedules and the security conditions at the central market . The money that he was to be paid was enough to temporarily ease his parents plight. Further solicitations were made and more money passed his way. His new friend was a low class merchant who plied his trade mainly in the Hedjaz. As the relationship grew and the grooming process progressed more personal details emerged. Abdul gained in confidence over time and with it his realisation that information had value and his particular information had significant value. His prime customer was an official at the impregnable castle of Krak des Chevaliers. The castle officials were a major customer for silk, cloves and spices the trader purchased from Arabian traders. By repackaging these goods he conducted a lucrative trade with the Franks and others who bought stock in volume. Selling information was his second, and by far his more profitable source of income. Through his fellow merchant connections he knew where best and how to maximise the value from information gleaned in his travels. In this regard his reliability was kernel to success. The associated risk that came with such activates was obvious and for this he charged his clients a premium. When Mustapha heard about the rush to assemble the large caravan he mentioned this fact to Abdul who, in turn immediately passed the message forward to his Christian contact at Kerak. Both Abdul and Mustapha were later executed by the Arabs for their complicity in this act of treachery.

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51 Abi Talibs Gold Tablets

Of all the items that were revealed for inspection in Raynalds impregnable castle on that auspicious day in December 1182AD the fabulous Ali b. Abi Talibs gold tablets were undoubtedly the jewel in the crown. Each of the engraved Tablets that made up the various Sura had been individually recorded and carefully interlaid in heavy silk squares. These bespoke packages had then been carefully assembled within the hand crafted, cedar lined travelling chest. Concerning the objects to be removed to France, Raynalds orders were clear, and to the point. To disguise the source and origin everything that had been plundered was to be smelted down and poured into cast iron shells. Once cool each side of the oblong ingot was carefully stamped, the die of which carried Reynalds family motif. This operation was conducted deep inside the castle in total secrecy. To our knowledge the only exception to this rule concerned the tablets. In this instance wisdom prevailed, he decided not to smelt down the Abi Talib Tablets. His shrewd commercial instinct dictated that it the prudent option was that these objects be retained. He concluded that later on they could be used as a trump card in some future ransom or barter deal with the Arabs. Apart from the compact, heavy duty travelling chests which contained the bullion other containers of various sizes were filled to the brim with gold, and silver, masses of coins, assorted precious stones plus a range of other valuables including, metalwork , armour, ceremonial swords and the bundles of ancient scrolls that accompanied the priceless Gold Quran. The total weight of all this mass is estimated at over sixty tons, with individual boxes weighing between 60lbs and 200lbs. It is estimated that over 800 chests were moved in this fashion. The three, interlinked pairs of barrel vaulted cellars that had been excavated for the purpose had originally been designed to accommodate up to 1,000 stacked cases. It took a team of twenty masons, miners and labourers over one year to complete the extensive excavations, structural engineering and building work. The entrance shaft to the cellar was deliberately small, in keeping with those built to access gold and silver mines. The tunnel leading down to the cellarage was over 300 yards long. Similarly, all excavated stone and waste was carried well away from the site, this to form the footings and walls of the other buildings then under construction. The sketch of the building that Reynald approved indicated a total floor area within each bay as having a capacity of over 300 chests. Taking into account the restricted head room the usable storage space within each section of the interlinked barrel vaults was therefore under 300 sq ft. Each pair of rooms had an irregular footprint measuring some 9ft x 32 ft. As and when this cellarage is finally opened up archaeologists and historians will be provided with a unique insight into a previously hidden corner of medieval history. Whilst it is easy to calculate the volume and weight of the horde the collective value of its contents can, at best only be guessed at. Equally, the religious significance to mankind generally, and the Muslim faithful particularly can, even now can only be expressed in the most general of terms. When asked later about his actions, Raynald acknowledged the fact that he and his force was responsible for the interception of caravans which, in his view routine business and for that he had no regrets. The evidence of his personal wealth supports this sentiment. In that respect Reynald was a rebel, a loose cannon who begrudgingly would, when pressed only answer to the King. He set himself extremely high commercial and political goals. His ruthless streak prevailed right up and until his demise. His quest for power, wealth and influence can be traced back to his arrival on the Levant.

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His marriage of convenience was a pre-cursor of what was to come. This bond catapulted him into the top tier of regional political influence. From then on he set about achieving his various strategies in the shortest possible time. Incarceration in the hands of these Arab captors merely concentrated his impulsive streak. From the outset his fiery temper, impatience and blinkered morals made him a rebel within his own ranks. Whilst many Knights may have prospered during their term of duty of all the Knights who lived and fought in the Levant few managed to extradite themselves from the region and return back to France with their physical wealth intact. In this context Reynald was the exception, or better said, would have been had he survived Hattin? As a Christian Knight who had been incarcerated for many years by his Muslim captors Reynald was well aware of the value of money and particularly ransom money. He figured that the gold Quran alone was worth many times the ransom fee that he had, all those years earlier paid for his freedom. In summary, he concluded that as a Knight he was well within his rights, and nevertheless as a practising Christian it was his duty to deplete the enemys financial resources wherever and whenever possible. Under normal circumstances large caravans require considerable amounts of planning and preparation. Without further reflection Raynalds troops marshalled the pack animals into line and then headed north back to the safety of his fort at Kerak. The manner in which the Abi Talib horde had been acquired deserves further comment. The audacious and unprovoked attack that Raynald led was, by any standard ruthless in the extreme. With the exception of some of the cameleers few, if any of the guards survived. The captured cameleers were escorted back to Kerak where they could be used as slaves or as ransom. This fact coupled with the significance of the goods in transit prompted a predictable fierce and prompt reaction from the Bedouin Sheikhs and tribal leaders. For Raynald this fortune was literally heaven sent. His fighting funds had hitherto been somewhat depleted and the number of transit caravans that he could plunder had, over the past months greatly reduced due largely to his legendary raids. Such incidents whilst commonplace were not everyday occurrences. In most instances the larger caravans were highly organized, reasonably secure affairs. For example, an official, called Amir al-Hajj , who was responsible for the safety of the pilgrims on the Haj caravan had, as standard practice a small troop of guards and soldiers under his command. The administration would have been conducted by a phalanx of officials who would have been responsible for all the day today matters such as welfare, hygiene, security, financial matters and religious compliance. He described the logistics of a caravan as being organized like a moving city, with the Amir, a judge, two notaries, a secretary and an official charged with the care of the animals, another in charge of provisions, a saddler, a chef with a staff of cooks, and even an inspector of weights and measures. Each watering place along the route was provided with a small fortress and a rest house. To ensure order in the lower ranks the humble pilgrims were grouped in the caravan according to their point of originall pilgrims from the same town travelled togetherand maintained the same position in the line. Raynald would have known the form, movement and compositions of each convoy be heart

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Raynald was a well seasoned and efficient commander having fought Saladin in various skirmishes between 1182-87AD. Ever since being released from prison he led an anti-Saladin zealot campaign against his Muslim protagonist culminating in an audacious, quixotic piratical raid in the Red Sea. Here he fought the Red Sea battle at Al-Adil near Medina. For this raid he recruited a pirate mercenary force. Following an attack from the sea he planned to sea attack to follow though his attack with a thrust into the heart of the Muslim Empire, Medinah. By first light, having packed their rich pickings the Knights rapidly repaired back to the sanctuary of Kerak Crusader fort where the booty was secured in strapped chests deep the dungeons. The final act of this account came shortly thereafter. Fearing a knee jerk reprisal from Saladin Raynald instructed Guy to move most of the high value goods to France. One such consignment included the Alis gold Quran Tablets. From Kerak the booty went first west to Acre Then, under heavy escort the metal strapped wooden cases were carefully packed and despatched for deep water freight to France. Raynalds foresight in some part proved a blessing. Immediately the horde had been discharged from his fort he received news that Saladin was indeed mounting a counter attack. His Treasurer having forwarded the consignment to the shipping agents prudently went along to oversee the shipment. Having successfully negotiated the sale of some of the goods he set sail with the cargo intact in the hold. For the record every item had been carefully itemised and valued prior to being packed. This treasure, along with other consignments previously despatched were intended to form the foundation of Raynalds personal pension plan, a grandiose plan which in hindsight never materialised. Much of the gold that had been retained by the merchants in Acre was later to be recycled into coinage or jewellery.

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Saladins spies may well have got wind of Raynalds actions but were incapable of intervening. Once on the high seas the consignment was secure, being well out of Saladins operational reach. Saladin had no navy and as such was incapable of arresting the bounty at sea. As such the Tablets, along with the balance of the massive haul sailed off the Levant shores never to be seen again. When later captured Raynald had been repeatedly asked to convert to Islam and return the Tablets. His blank refusal to this request gave Saladin no option other than to behead his captor. Concerning the offer for Raynald to convert Raynald, Raynald reversed the offer telling Saladin to convert to Christianity and save himself from eternal damnation. Unlike Nur al-Din who let him go after a term in prison Saladin meant business and with the knowledge that Raynald had killed his own sister Saladin had no other option than to behead him. This act however was to have far reaching implications. Whether Saladin thought that with Raynald dead and his brother Knights on the back foot this was his chance to regain control on Outremer and with it the treasures that Raynald had amassed. With regards the second part by that time Raynalds treasury was bare, its contents by then all safely stored in Raynalds cellars in Provance. This explanation goes a long way to explain why Saladin did the unthinkable, when he expressly ordered his troops to drag the True Cross through the streets of Damascus, a blatant act of defiance. This act was totally out of character as was seen when; following Reynalds death, his wife Stephanies pleaded for mercy. Her wish was unconditionally granted. Saladin could well have

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applied pressure on Lady Stephanie to return the Gold Quran plus the other plundered wealth. He would have been aware of the fact that she had overseen her late husbands outstanding personal matters concerning including his wealth. For whatever reason Saladin never pursued Reynalds merchant ships. The most reasonable reason being that he lacked access to such resources. A consequence of Raynalds attacks on lightly armed caravans altered travel plans for many pilgrims. For centuries the Red Sea coastal passage became a safer, albeit more expensive option small groups of Hajji to reach Mekkah. This coastal route, started when the Crusaders blocked the overland track from Cairo. The likes of Raynald and his successors had been luring smaller groups of pilgrims away from their quest since the 12th century. On 3rd July 1187AD the carefully orchestrated Battle of Hattin took place. The Arab forces baited the hapless Knights into a death trap from which most were unable to escape. This battle was on a large scale. The Arab force was made up of some 30,000 troops including 10,000 cavalry against 20,000 crusaders and 1200 Knights. Gerard was one of the few surviving Knights to extract himself in tact from this battle. Both Raynald and Gerard were committed to fighting Saladin and his forces at every given opportunity. In contrast, Raymond of Tripoli was more moderate and it was he that Saladin turned to intervene against the cavalier, Saladin hating Raynald. Raynald came with the 2nd Crusade to the Holy land and never returned. He became Prince of Antioch and later, Lord of Oultrejourdain.

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Major caravans were the sole means of communication into the Arabian hinterland. Such movements were the lifeblood bringing with them news, tradable commodities, and revenues generated from a wide range of services provided. Like a captain of a ship, it fell on the caravan commander or leader to provide all that was needed for the duration of the march. These astute men of the desert learnt their trade the hard way, skills and competences being passed down from father to son. Within the travelling community a network of contacts would have provided everything needed to sustain long and arduous journeys. Caravan leaders were recruited for their local knowledge, skill sets and stature within the travelling communities. Historical personal and tribal alliances enabled safe passage and rights of way. Dues and taxes imposed by land owners and tribal chiefs had to be paid and for this reason alone caravans of all sizes were vulnerable to attack. Money and tradable wares carried out by the traders provided rich prizes to unscrupulous bandits and roadside thieves. Organised and random raids were commonplace across the Hedjaz. Century old tribal rivalries, unclear demarcation lines, inhospitable terrain and inclement weather famine and drought collectively combined to make Trans desert passage arduous and dangerous. There was little romance to be found on a five hundred mile trading caravan. Pilgrim caravans were somewhat different, their composition speed and purpose being dictated by other considerations. Regardless, these disparate groups would mass at set points and upon hearing the starting gun would commence their laborious march en masse. Usually headed by an eminent leader they would be escorted by professional troops who would remain with the caravan through to the destination. These slow moving masses would gather in size as they passed pre-determined staging posts. Enterprising raiding parties took it as their God given right to not only plunder the caravan loads but

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in addition to take the animals and as many of the able bodied travellers as they could. The later being tradable commodities in the local slave bazaars. Caravan leaders sold their services per contract, the terms and conditions of which would be pre-agreed before departure. In the case of round trips the entourage could be away from base for two to three months. Payment would have proportionate to the schedule, speed and value of the cargo. It was a profitable occupation as can be seen from the accumulated wealth of those who plied the trade. In hindsight questions may now be asked as to why the composition of the caravan consisted of only forty regular cavalry guards.

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Guy de Val

Between 1181-87AD Raynalds personal wealth mirrored his military ambitions, both fluctuating in degree wildly. The up-keep of a sizeable military force plus the castle was a constant drain on his resources. To make ends meet he sought funds from wherever he could, legitimate or otherwise. His confident in these matters was his accountant, Guy de Val. Apart from Guy, his wife and immediate family nobody else would have been privy to his financial status, or for that matter the whereabouts of his wealth. From contemporary accounts it has been possible to piece together enough details to create a plausible trail from Acre to France. The most secure route used would have been by sea, port to port using merchant shipping guarded en route by armed militia. This trading route was used by the Crusaders for centuries bringing in arms, horses and manpower on one part and repatriating forces alongside a wide range of goods and merchandise from the Levant. During the period 1160 1175 AD when his friend and master Raynald was incarcerated in a cell in Aleppo Guy had managed Raynalds financial affairs with great skill and honesty. He was primarily responsible for negotiating terms and settling the massive ransom sought by Raynalds captors. For this he was rewarded, and upon Raynalds release the pair devised an ambitious strategy to fund their own lifestyle and Raynalds political ambitions. Tragically, the enduring friendship between Guy and Raynald ended at Hattin. Guy de Val was killed alongside Raynalds son at Hattin Without adequate financial support the pair devised and implemented a strategy based on systematically taxing, or more to the point plundering Muslim wealth. A long term strategic objective was put in place. The plan was, that upon completion of his Crusading career Raynald planned to return to France, and for this he needed funds. Guy was born in St Maximin, Provance. He was a contemporary of Reynalds son and through this acquaintance caught the eye of his father. Since leaving home at the age of just 16 Guy had spent most of his life working in various administrative positions in the Levant. During this extended tour of some 20 years he had not returned home once. His managerial talents were recognised in court. For this he was rewarded. He later became strategist and confidant to Reynald and his court. When it came to money and matters pertaining to his personal wealth Raynald was secretive and, for good reason defensive. Ever conscious of the Arab threat he nevertheless took Guy into his confidence and hatched up a plan whereby he would secrete a significant portion of his accumulated standby funds in France. For this he needed a secure sanctuary, a hiding place. 174

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With this development an opportunity arose for Guy to act in the capacity of envoy, a ticket to return to his homeland. In 1176AD he and a small group set sail from Acre for France. Landing in Marseilles he disembarked and immediately set about equipping an exploratory survey team His compact team headed inland and once past the via Aurelia set about surveying a series of sites in and around the port of Marseilles, the arc of which extended some fifty miles or so from the sea. From Marseilles they headed due north to Aix en Provance and from there east following the Roman road to Trets. From there they headed to St Maximin where the spent time as guests of the Bishop. St Maximin was used as a base for trips north to Banjol and Bras. And south of the valley la Roquebrussand. Far from the sea the mountain air at 1.000 ft above sea level provided a refreshing climate for the visitors. Later that year he and his small escort returned by ship from Toulon and reported back their findings. In this respect Guy was the perfect servant. He was honest, adverse to risk, methodical and not only a keen observer of human traits but expert in anticipating his masters preferences. Having identified several potential sites in Provance Raynald made the executive decision to proceed with his secret building programme on a carefully chosen site in the end fold of a valley some 1150 ft above sea level. The elevated location was chosen by Guy because it was defensible off the beaten track, had good access and most importantly good quality stone for building. An ample supply of ice cold clean water even on the hottest of summer days was provided by the nearby Gros Bsillon Mountain mass which feeds numerous clear water springs across the area. Shortly thereafter Guy returned to Kerak where his master agreed in principal to the plans. The land that had been earmarked consisted mainly of scrub and forest extended over a huge area of rolling countryside was then purchased. Master Plans were immediately drawn up; these included the first French silk farm, a vineyard, olive grove and most importantly the fortified subterranean vault. He then and set about recruiting local labour and handpicked labour and masons for the job. The building site was managed by two trusted master masons that he had recruited and brought back with him from Kerak. During this period they augmented their meat rations by embarking of wild boar hunts which proved very rewarding as the mountainside was home to large groups of boar and deer. Once flat areas had been cleared, cultivated and prepared over 5000 imported mulberry saplings were planted on SW facing tiered steps on the Eastern flank of the main building. Sadly, before these young trees came to maturity Raynald was long since dead. The construction phase of the main set of buildings including three vaults was completed well within the two year schedule. Immediately the security issues were in place and a guardhouse was manned consignments of booty started to flow in from Acre. Each case transported was carefully packed and laced with strong iron security belts. These consignments were covertly packed and shipped out of Acre under maximum security. Tons of precious items, gold and silver were despatched in this manner. The value of the accumulated horde that was amassed by Raynald in the vaulted cellars cannot be quantified. Over a period of 11 years, starting in 1176AD and right up to his death in 1187AD Raynald ordered the despatch of a total of fourteen separate consignments, the final of which being by far the largest. This load arrived in 1187AD some weeks after Reynalds death. In each case Guy personally 175

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oversaw all aspects of shipment. The smelting furnace that he had designed and built in 1177 had been secretly installed within fort. It was regularly put to use over this period to create the marked ingots, each of which weighed about 40ozs. Up to twenty gold or silver ingots were then separately packed in heavy duty wooden cases which when sealed weighed about 60lbs. Up until that point everything was going to plan. Whilst Raynalds fortunes in the Levant fluctuated wildly, at the back of his mind he knew full well that his French reserve was secure and well out of Saladins reach. The battle of Hattin was never planned, and defeat in the hands of Saladin was never contemplated. As such Raynald had no contingency plan for his own demise. With his and Guys untimely deaths the secret of this wealth went with him to his grave. Neither his wife nor his son ever returned to France to reclaim the hidden fortune. Some 70 years after his death a part of the site was converted and with the main structures being rebuilt as a monetary. It would appear that this satellite order was attached to the Pigans Monastery. There is no evidence that the subterranean vaults were ever found or excavated during this phase of work. Thereafter the monastic building cluster fell into disrepair and was finally disbanded. Thereafter the cluster of vernacular buildings survived in various superficial iterations. The tiered walls and carp pond built by the monks for their fish supply survives to this day. The prominent Orsini family lived in the main building for several generations. This building is situated on a broad longitudinal platform. The former monastic undercroft and adjacent cellarage had long since been filled in. By the 20st century the site was once again experiencing serious structural decline. A major renovation programme was scheduled in the 1970s. This work maintained the structural integrity of the main buildings. Since then extensive building and renovation programmes are understood to have been undertaken across the site.

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Saladin

Salah-Ad-din Ibn Ayyub - Saladin was born in Tekrit in September 532/1138AD He came from Duwn, a small town in Adharbayjan. The family was from Kurdish stock from the tribe Rawdiya. His father Najm ed-Din was a commander of Takrin. The family prospered under Zanghs son Nur al-Din. Ayub became governor of Damascus. Between 1157-1161AD Saladins father and uncle Shirkuh led three caravans to Mekkah. For some reason Saladin did not join them on these occasions and, curiously never undertook this pilgrimage. Saladin was an excellent chess player, horseman and polo player. He grew up in Balbek and Damascus and worked under the guidance of his uncle Asad as-Din Shirkuh, a military commander. He rose through the ranks and by the age of 31 was appointed vizier of the Fatimid caliphate in Egypt. In 1171AD he abolished the Shiite caliphate in Egypt and proclaimed a return to Sunni Islam. Following the death of Nu ad-Din in 1174AD Saladin rode north to Damascus where he installed his brother as governor. Saladin married an Egyptian, Asimat ad-Din the widow of Nur-ad-Din. He had a total of one daughter and 17 sons, of these al-Afdal and al-Zahir were both principal lieutenants in his army. He became Sultan of Egypt, Palestine Syria and Yemen and founded the Ayyudib dynasty. He is famous for uniting the Arabs and capturing Jerusalem from the Christians. He was a consummate military tactician and consolidated Muslim control in the interior lands but failed to secure the coastal towns including Tyre. By the time fighting abated in

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1192AD the Crusade influence in the Levantine was greatly reduced. In physical terms he was not of great stature but what he lacked in height he gained in personality. He was generous to a fault and throughout his life he displayed a remarkable lack of pretension. So great was his generosity that it was recorded that upon his death no funds were left for his burial. In physical terms he was short and stout, red faced and blind in one eye. As a soldier he was a genius, a master statistician and greatly loved by his men, and respected by his enemies alike. One of his great regrets was that during all his years of travel he never visited Mekkah. Although he had all the wealth of Egypt and Syria he never succumbed to the trappings of wealth. His temperament and demeanour fitted the role of military commander. A brilliant tactician and strategist he used force only when necessary and when all other avenues had been explored. In this regard his negotiating skills were legend. Even with Kind Richard he had the greatest respect for his adversary it is Saladins adherence to the chivalric ideals of justice and magnanimity as well as his combat expertise that gave him a unique place in the pantheon of chivalric heroes. By the end of 1177AD Saladin crossed into Egypt with a large well equipped army. The Crusaders mobilised their forces in the defence of Gaza but Saladin diverted his thrust and instead headed for Ascalon. The Crusader force wheeled around and with the True Cross as their standard outran Saladin arriving at Ascalon before him. Holed up in Ascalon by a relatively small detachment of Saladins force the Crusaders were outmanoeuvred. Saladin then headed north to the then undefended Jerusalem with the greater part of his army. The crusaders realised their error and promptly upped sticks, broke out of Ascalon and marched at pace to overtake Saladin. When crossing a ravine at Montgisard near Ramleh the advance Crusader guard led by Raynald of Chtillon surprised Saladins troops. The battle that then raged included over 450 Knights and several thousand foot troop. Half of this fighting force was killed in action. In contract over 90% of Saladins force were butchered to death. This battle although extremely costly in terms of lives lost was nevertheless a great victory, sending a clear signal to the Arabs and saving Jerusalem for the time being. Baldwin, then lacking in manpower was unable to drive home his advantage and knock Saladin out with one crushing blow. Instead he went on the defensive and built a castle at Chastellet. Saladin is also erroneously remembered as being a compassionate man. History tells another story. In 1179AD he led an army and on the route south from Damascus massacred unarmed Christians. He then attacked the fort at Chastellet. His initial thrust failed but within eight weeks he breached the castle walls. The ensuing massacre of 700 people at Chastellet by the Muslims as with the earlier massacre of Muslims in Jerusalem in 1099AD by the Crusaders where equally disgraceful and unnecessary. The Mamaluke force demonstrated their ruthless streak when, in 1291AD they stormed Acre. There they beheaded everyone inside. And, later in 1266 Sultan Baybars massacred over 1000 prisoners in Sapher. In Cairo Saladin extracted his revenge on fellow Muslims. He crucified his Shia opponents

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Saladin is remembered for many things, most of them favourable and positive. A great leader and warrior he united the disparate Arab forces and secured Jerusalem for the Muslim Arabs. On a darker note. At the Siege of Acre a captive Frenchman suffered terribly. The Arabs favoured sport was to have them buried with only the head above the ground, this to be used as a pin in a bowling match. As alternatives, the unfortunate captive might be hanged by his feet sawn apart in two planks skinned alive boiled alive impaled and then grilled over a camp fire or crucified upside down. Hospitals were favoured guerrilla targets both patients and medical staff being targets for massacre. Women were usually mistreated and gang raped, this being only the introduction to further torture, even the young children were not be spared such torture and abuse. Saladin was a devout Muslim; he selflessly provided security to many thousands of fellow Muslims to conduct their pilgrimage to Mekkah but never allowed sufficient time for him to make the sacred journey. Having decisively beaten the Crusaders at Hattin and removed Raynald from the equation Saladin settled down to a more orderly pattern of life. The caravan route that passed close to Kerak was later re-opened making the North South highway once more a viable means of trade, commerce and pilgrimage In terms of chivalry the modern concept of the word is probable at odds with reality. Acts of brutality and depravity were repeated across the Levant by both the Franks and Muslim forces. After defeating Raynald and the other Knights at Hattin Saladin did what he could to reign in whatever possessions, wealth and real estate he could from the depleted Crusader forces. In that respect, he saw the big picture and systematically captured most of the remaining Crusader forts, the political value of which far outstripped the value that he put on the Gold Tablets which he knew where by then well outside his reach. After his death his empire imploded and with it his administration crumbled. His leadership qualities were in a league of their own and without a strong and capable deputy rival factions within the dynasty, the Ayyubid retained some of the power but all else was lost. History tells us that Saladin

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used the Macoraba network and infrastructure with skill and efficiency. He initiated a new jihad in 1182AD, following the violation by Reynard of Chtillon of a pre-existing treaty that he had signed with the King of Jerusalem. For this he leaned heavily on the Macoraba for funding and intelligence. Saladins patience snapped because Raynald, not content to plunder lightly armed caravans had expanded his horizon and even attacked shipping in the Red Sea. He raided both Arabian and African shores burning ships in Al-Hawra and Janbu, the ports which served Madinah. By 1183AD he had penetrated as far as Al-Dabigh one of the ports of Mekkah. Under Saladins direction a large Muslim fleet from Egypt was despatched.

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Saladins Error of Judgement

When Saladin was told that Raynald of Chtillon had captured his sister and the coveted Abi Talib Gold Tablets along with other valuables including a huge consignment of gold and silver his initial response was anger, not so much about the theft but more about his own ineptitude for not having adequately defended his sister along with the consignments during the transit to Syria. Anger turned to rage and with it came a plan, a decisive action which he alone would mastermind and execute. For days he wrestled with his strategic misjudgement. Had he acted more decisively then his men could easily have provided a proper caravan escort for his sisters party. However, the deed was done and Saladin knew that the only way he could unravel the situation was through retrospective negotiation. Against this backdrop Saladin took full responsibility for the incident. Rather than blame others he did what he could to salvage what he could from the debacle. Having been made aware of the attack he mobilised his envoy to Kerak and commenced a protracted negotiations with Raynald demanding that he return the goods immediately for face the consequences. But for all his gestures and threats Raynald refused to cooperate. This rebuttal prompted Saladin to take further, and prompt action. Saladin sought counsel with his advisors and as a result the matter was taken to a higher court. The Sultans ambassadors then went to King Guy and reminded him of the Treaty that he had signed up to with Saladin. The Kings response was to the point, he immediately sent an envoy to Raynald ordering him to release the captives and plundered goods and make full reparation to the caravan owners. At this point nobody knew precisely what it was that they were arguing over and the quantum of the plundered horde. The treasure that the caravan moved was later referred to as the Macoraba horde, and the jewel within its crown was the heavily padlocked chest containing Alis Gold Tablets. Having physically removed the loot from the scene its passage back to Kerak was swift. From Kerak the loot was evaluated and carefully packed for onwards shipment to the port and from there by deep water to France. Once on the high seas it was safe from Saladins men. The only threat then was from pirates, but for this the ships were well armed. Aware of the worsening military situation Saladin took the prudent line and ordered that that his troops be moved forthwith. This expedient may well have been prompted by an urgent need for funds as financial support from King Guy could no longer be guaranteed. The Lord of Oultrejourdain ignored the Kings order and the Ambassadors returned to Damascus. At this point Saladin decided to punish the Franks himself. The clouds of war gathered and an unsettling truce was called. King

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Guy took the prudent measure of settling his differences with Raymond of Tripoli. This united the Crusader army which then stood at over twelve hundred knights, one of the largest forces the Latins had ever mustered. On 26th June 1187AD Saladin made his move and crossed the river Jordan on 1 st July. The next day he attacked Tiberius. The city fell but the garrison held out in the citadel. Raymond counselled for caution but Raynald of Chtillon called him a coward and to put the knife even further in said he, Raymond was a friend of the Muslims. On the 2 nd July King Guy was informed that Tiberius had fallen. Following Sephoria the fully armed knights moved towards Tiberius but without water they became dehydrated and the fighting force withered in the heat. As they passed through a mountain pass known as the Horns of Hattin Saladin pounced. As the knights fought their way to a lake the massed forces of Saladin picked off the Crusaders at will. King Guy was captured as was his brother Amaalic, constable of the Kingdom along with hundreds of knights. The Master of the Temple was also captured and the Bishop of Acre was killed. Worst of all the True Cross which had been borne into battle now fell into Muslim hands. Having suffered the indignity of Raynalds contempt with his sister and the coveted gold Tablets Saladin took personal delight when he heard that Raynald was amongst the noblemen captured. He then summoned Raynald to his tent and tried to force a conversion to Islam plus the return of the gold tablets. Raynald countered and told Saladin that unless he wanted to go to hell he should be the one who should convert. Without further dialogue Saladin took his sword from his scabbard and decapitated his adversary in cold blood. Immediately news reached Al Kerak about the route of the Crusader force at Hattin and the subsequent murder of Raynald by Saladin the Tablets along with all the other booty that had been seized was shipped overland to Acre. From there it was dispatched by sea to Provance. The ultimate destination was the same as many before, but this time Raynalds trusted friend was dead. His chief clerk took over the duty and duly executed the commission. The Lady Stephanie of Oultrejourdain, Raynald of Chtillons wife had been in Jerusalem. When she was later freed she asked Saladin to free her son Humphrey of Toron, one of the knights captured in Hattin. Saladin pondered this request and responded with an offer whereby the forts of Kerak and Montreal should surrender to him in exchange. Saladin kept his part of the bargain and released Humphrey but neither of the castles yielded to the pressure. Lady Stephanie responded and offered Saladin her son back. This chivalrous gesture was rewarded and after few months Saladin ordered the release of her son. The capture by Saladin of the Crusaders cross marked a turning point in their commitment to the crusader cause. The True Cross as it was known was believed by be made from the wood used for Christs crucifixion, and as such was believed to house miraculous powers. The True Cross was carried by the Knights into was a both protection and as a symbol of unity. During the time of its existence the True Cross was a unifying symbol for Christianity. Its desecration by Saladin marked a black day for Christianity. For Christians it was the most popular symbol of Christ is as he appeared at the time of his death, nailed to a cross. The cross therefore has a powerful place in Christian belief and culture. Saint Paul makes several references to the importance of the Cross of Christ. The graphic image created by Saint Paul is one of sacrifice and suffering. It is therefore quite natural that over time this Cross has been venerated. During the early development of the church through to the middle Ages the Cross achieved cult status with those Christians who believed that they had been saved by it. The cult became more extensive once the Holy Places had been discovered by Macarius,

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Bishop of Jerusalem in about 327AD. This endeavour identified Calvary and the Holy Sepulchre and during the excavation the wood of the Cross was revealed. Once it had been authenticated a small chapel was built which was mentioned by Eusebius and by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem. The sacred wood was venerated in Jerusalem in 380AD at the chapel of the Cross near Calvary. So revered was this Cross that several laws were issued to preserve its status. Theodosius and Valentinian forbade, under the gravest penalty any painting or facsimile carving to be made of the Cross. This also was revised by the Trullan Council 691 AD. Julian the Apostate made it a crime even to adore the object, trace its shape or make such a cross on ones chest or forehead. As a symbol of the Saviours death Christians were forbidden making engravings over their homes or on burial tombs. Even the Iconoclasts who had fought so long and hard to desist from creating imagery and idols made an exception in the case of the cross. Coins stuck for Leo the Isaurian, Constantine Copronymus and Leo IV all carried on them a cross. The second Council of Nicaea 787AD was set to reform abuses of power and to set the course for the future. In this respect it defined that the veneration of the faithful was due to the form of the precious and vivifying cross as well as to images or representations of Christ, of the Blessed Virgin and the saints. This decree was renewed in Constantinople in 869AD at the 8 th ecumenical Council. Thus the True Cross was described as being part of the Cross of Golgotha. It was encased in gold and studded with priceless gems. The legend began with the discovery by the mother of Constantine I, the Empress Helena. In fact, she is said to have discovered three crosses, but to determine which was the True Cross she relied upon the help of Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem. His solution was simple, the True Cross he proclaimed had special powers and so he sought the services of an ill woman who he asked to lay down alongside each of the crosses. When she rested on the True Cross she was immediately healed. The Cross was taken to the Holy Sepulchre, were it stayed until 614AD. During that year Chrosroes II of Persia captured the city and removed the Holy Cross. Some 13 years later Emperor Heraclius defeated Chrosroes in battle and retook the True Cross. First it went to Constantinople and later it was returned to Jerusalem. Such was the power of this symbol to the Christians that in 1009AD they hid the Cross for fear that the Muslims would seize it from them. It re-emerges only during the 1 st Crusade.

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The True Cross The True Cross became the Crusaders battle standard. It was the focal point of the Crusader dream and they believed in its power implicitly. Many eye witnesses record the True Cross as having the power to project a powerful beam of light before it. The Crusaders took the True Cross with them into battle in the belief its power would see them victorious. The True Cross was finally lost at Hattin in 1187AD when Saladin led forces defeated a strong Crusader force. Following this decisive battle Saladin ruled supreme. In an act of humiliation Saladin ordered his troops to ride through the streets of Damascus with the captured True Cross tied to a horses tail and dragged through the dust. The broken relic never was never again seen in its original state. Its beam disappeared and only fragments were salvaged, some of which were reportedly brought back to Europe. The loss of the True Cross to the Crusader force was greater than anyone could have imagined. Up until that time the Cross was the symbol of their quest. It represented everything that they believed in and with its capture their cause ceased to have any real meaning. In this regard Saladin was well aware of the importance of the Cross and its mesmerise influence on the Christians troops. Saladin was a great warrior and general. He was equally compassionate and chivalrous. For these reasons his decision to desecrate the True Cross appears to be out of character. One can but speculate that this act was triggered by Raynald. If this is the case then it was retribution for the theft of Alis gold Quran. The fate of Kerak and Montreal remained in the balance. Under siege they held out but at a terrible human cost, eventually surrendering. By that time all of southern Palestine belonged to Saladin. Within the next two years Belvoir, Safed, Lattakieh Jabala and other forts surrendered under Saladins relentless pressure. The outshot of the actions meant that two prized symbols had been lost, the True Cross and Alis Quran. What happened to the True Cross is not known but for centuries thereafter Christian pilgrims traded parts of what they believed to be from this source across Europe.

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56 Saladins Legacy

The legacy left by Salah-ad-Din Yusuf ibn-Ayyub, aka Saladin is still uppermost in the minds of most Arabs and as such most of his followers strictly adhered to his principals of honesty and chivalry. Over time the tribal leaders expanded their reach seeking counsel from regional leaders, politicians, clerics and academics. In this respect, as a young man Saladin had heard about the workings of the Macoraba and was curious as to what the group represented. In his mind he would have worked out a strategy to harness this potent resource for his own betterment and military ambitions.

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Saladin As he grew in political and military stature his position was elevated and his power and tactical ability grew with it. Within his war cabinet were military specialists, generals and strategists, one of which, Mohammed bin Affat the second son of a prominent Macoraba Elder. His wisdom and perception was greatly appreciated by Saladin. The pair spent many hours together discussing tactical battle manoeuvres, strategic planning and logistics, and through this connection Saladin linked up with his father. Saladins contribution to Islam was great. His achievements had not gone unnoticed and in 1192AD at an extra-ordinary Council of Keys meeting he was granted plenipotentiary powers and a seat on the Council, the first and only such concession ever granted. The terms of the appointment were limited insofar as the concession was not hereditary. The consequence of this action was far reaching and had significant political value at the time. Following the appointment it is not known whether Saladin ever attended a further Council meeting as he died just a year later. However, during the time before his death he made two significant gestures to Macoraba, the first a gift, the second a pledge. The gift made by Saladin was in gold, over five tons of booty that he had amassed in battle. This pledge gave Macoraba direct access to not only the assets but the power and influence that went with it. By that time Saladin had unified the Arab world, his influence was far ranging, spanning the greater portion of the Middle East as we know it to-day. Without a charismatic successor of equal stature the power base that Saladin had so carefully built

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up and nurtured over time rapidly crumbled into dust. What remained after his demise was a leaderless Empire devoid of direction or fusion. Thereafter political in-fighting motivated mainly by greed and self engrandisment rapidly eroded all that was left. Prior to his death in 1193AD Saladin, sultan of Egypt and Syria had re-conquered Jerusalem from the Christians in 1187AD only to be beaten in battle by Richard the Lion Heart at Arsuf in 1191AD. Upon his deathbed he reportedly prayed for forgiveness for having lost the gold tablets to Islam. By that time he was under the impression that Raynald had, out of spite melted the sheets of precious metal down. A rumour had persisted that Raynald has commissioned his blacksmith to fashion a large, solid gold wine bowl, a deliberate act of defiance. No evidence however exists to support this legend. If it were true then, if and when the trove is found this and many other related questions will be answered. The indelible legacy that he left persists to this day in the Arab mindset. The struggle between Christianity and Islam is well documented and well summarized by a plethora of historians who identify and analyse the major military expeditions made by western European Christians in the 11 th century onwards to recover the Holy Land from the Saracen Muslims. The first crusade (1096-9AD) resulted in the capture of Jerusalem and the establishment of Crusader States throughout the Holy Land. Thereafter a series of eight Crusades were launched at various targets, including the Byzantine Empire and Egypt. The final onslaught was mounted by Louis IX of France which ended in disaster in 1270-1AD when Louis died on his route east. Throughout this period the Sheikhs and tribal leaders collectively supported the Muslim war effort with funds and men. The moral support offered by the group helped in some decisive victories over the better armed, but less organised western mercenaries. The call to arms by the Muslim leaders was well received. Their leadership provided both spiritual and financial support, its operations being seamlessly entwined with those of sultans and their generals. A legacy of the pledge made by Saladin lived on. However, from 1485AD, the year of Henry VIIIs coronation onwards the organisational centre of gravity slowly moved westwards towards the new entrepot Constantinople. For both security and political reasons most top level meetings were convened in an anti-chamber near the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Hagia Sophia being the key monument of Byzantine architecture. It was originally a church in the centre of Constantinople built by emperor Justinian and was inaugurated in 537AD. Its chief feature is an enormous dome supported by piers, arches and pendentives pierced by forty windows. In 1453AD it was converted into a mosque, the interior mosaics which adorned the interior were then covered and minarets were added. This magnificent edifice proved a magnet to travellers and visitors to the city. Nobody could but wonder at its size, particularly those coming from rural parts where multi story buildings were rare. It was therefore not surprising that this was, for a time the Elders preferred meeting place. The Byzantine Empire had by that time already exerted huge regional influence and as a centre of trade and commerce it proved a natural focal point for meetings of minds. Many crucial decisions of State and Empire were made in Constantinople and as such the good, the powerful and the rich were drawn to this vibrant metropolis to make law, conduct business and to plan for war. Accommodation, food and entertainment in Constantinople were of the highest standard. Sheikhs were thus provided with an opportunity to meet, discuss, trade and enjoy the pleasures of the

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thriving and fabulous Bazaars and restaurants. It was a convivial metropolitan setting for a meeting of friends and minds. As spiritual guardians of the Prophets legacy a bond of kindred spirit has been built up over the centuries by the direct male line of Prophets descendants. Geographic dispersion of this group occurred early on with some lines moving north to Persia, west to Egypt and later to all parts of the Byzantine Empire. It wasnt until the Renaissance that individuals, encouraged by the opportunity of trade ventured to distant lands, some going as far north as the Baltic where they traded indigo, silks, spices and precious metals. By the 18th century the remnants of the age old political networks were still just about in place. By this time advanced security technology had long since surpassed the original concepts which created a need for an organisation such as the Macoraba. Unlike the Jews who were restricted in permissible trade the Arabs were the commercial fulcrum between the east and west. The geographic significance was hugely important as the land mass south of the silk route, the Euphrates was largely barren. In this respect great emphasis was played on developing Hajji related trade. Caravans of huge scale and opulence made the extended pilgrimage across established but often precarious routes to the fabled cities of Medinah and Mekkah. The Hedjaz nomadic heritage stretching back to the beginnings of time served to both bind tribal loyalties through marriage and thus prevented dilution of blood lines outside of age old tribal boundaries. In this respect the geographic horizon was land based, and this within the Saudi Arabian peninsula. Knowledge garnered over time was preserved and passed on to successive generations orally. Most historical and religious knowledge was conveyed by the savants, storytellers who plied their trade in the bazaars and coffee shops in the market place. Rarely was the word transferred into writing. For the literate, a small privileged group within the Bedouin society they were able not only whos records largely remain untapped. Written records pertaining to the group, its ideals, beliefs and agendas are scarce. Most knowledge has, over time been passed from father to son, from elder to elder, father to son. Jealously guarded beliefs, artefacts and knowledge have thus been retained within a relatively close circle of family and close friends. 57 Richard the Lionheart

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In 1189AD, after years of combat a battle weary Richard sailed from France to England. The royal procession headed from Portsmouth harbour to London. Plans were rapidly put into place to stage a well orchestrated coronation in Westminster Abbey. A day was set aside and a public holiday announced. The ensuing spectacle took place on Sunday 3 rd September 1189AD. By all accounts it was a truly grand event, a great huge public relations success. Over 1,250 Knights, Dukes, Earls other minor Royally and countless dignitarys attendance the coronation and banquets that followed. In so doing Richard won the hearts and support of the English aristocracy.

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Richard 1st By contemporary accounts the ceremony went off much to plan, the only in part that marred an otherwise text book plan was created by unwanted intervention from a minority of Jews within the burgeoning crowd of on-lookers and well-wishers. Some of the wealthier, London based Ephardi Jews of Spanish origin attempted to ingratiate themselves with the newly appointed King by showered gifts upon him. Some Christians within the crowd saw this as being an act of blasphemy, an insult to the King. At that time Jews were loathed for their ostentatious wealth and conspicuous consumption. They were also despised as bankers, who overtly practicing usury . That reason coupled with the fact that many Christians owed monetary to the Jews was a thorn in their side. The idea that loans would be cast aside once the Jewish bankers were deported from the land was something many wanted to see. Christians had for decades resented the Jews, many still blaming them for the crucifixion of Christ. Some within the crowd believed that the Jews ritually sacrificed

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children. A riot then broke out and many Jews were butchered. To his credit Richard dealt harshly with the mob and order was restored. The worst of all the atrocities committed against the Jews in England came shortly after Richard had left the shores for France. In York in 1190AD one hundred and forty eight Jews, men, women and children were corralled in the castle tower located on an elevated mound close to the city centre, knowing that their lives were in peril rather than face the wrath of the mob they enacted a macabre rerun of the Masad massacre in 73AD. First they killed all the infants and children, then the women and finally the men committed suicide. Those that fled were butchered on the spot. At this period of time few Arabs lived in England and those that did tended to centre their communities around their work places in the main cities, as such they were not targeted as a community. In contrast, the Arab or Muslim threat was seen as being specific to Jerusalem. With the exception of Richard few Europeans made the wider, regional association. Saladins great victory at Hattin had seriously dented the Christian morale and lust war. Notwithstanding Richard focused his eyes on his ultimate prize, to re-take Jerusalem. At a stroke Saladin had taken Jerusalem, Acre, Beirut, Arsuf, Caesarea and Jaffa in quick succession. Even though Guy of Lusignan failed to convince Ascalon to surrender all the ports except Tyre were then in Arab hands. Kerak, Raynalds impregnable fort in the South had fallen. Only Krak des Chevaliers in the North and Magat resisted the enemy attacks. The Crusaders influence on the Hedjaz region generally can be considered in a number of ways. The Muslim leaders, most of whom had strong nomadic contacts were undoubtedly the major contributors of wealth during the period of the Crusades. Their legacy lives on to this day, wealth accumulated at that time provided the foundation of one of the worlds greatest independently managed hordes. Whilst their reasons may have been different from other financial injections the end result is the same. Prior to the fall of Acre few cash or financial demands were placed on the nomad tribesmen. It came like a bolt out of the blue when a summons was made for ransom payment from an Infidel. Having made his outrageous cash demand Richard the Lion Heart had little leeway in terms of time to resolve terms. His Knights were wearisome, unpaid and many just wanted to return home. To placate his troops he urgently needed funds and when pressed cash strapped Saladin had no immediate means to pay the heavy ransom demand. On 12 th July 1191AD Richard led his combined forces and broke through the Acre defences. When his troop entered the city they engaged in ferocious hand to hand fighting. Richard intervened and ordered the captured soldiers into a quadrangle where they were detained. At this stage he made his demand. Pay the ransom or let your soldiers die. The 53 year old Saladin did not have the ready money. He sent messengers out to liaise with the local tribal leaders to secure and transport the ransom demand. Due to communication delays by Saladins couriers and a failure by the Muslim tribesmen to deliver in time Richards patience ran out and as a result his warriors inflicted a brutal massacre. In total 3,122 defending Muslim soldiers were counted dead, all of them slaughtered by the desperate rump of the Crusader fighting force. The failure by Saladin to raise the required funds at short notice was a scar that he had to live with for the rest of his life. Why he was unable to establish contact with Macoraba agents is unclear. To prevent a reoccurrence of this tragic event he later invested a sizeable bullion deposit in trust with the Macoraba.

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Due to the vagaries of Arab historic record keeping it is unclear as to which of the various depositories was used to store this horde. Records aside, a best guess would be that it was the alhakim depository which predated the 5 th century. Of all the safes this was by far the most robust. During the construction phase, archaeological evidence suggests that this site was first cleared and then levelled. This process involved cutting out the high points in the rock and then positioning a sub-base of levelling rubble and ceramic shards across the threshold. Some of the ceramic shards removed from the structure date from the 4 th century. A matched, dressed stone floor was then laid directly over the cavern with the opening located in the NE corner of the main vault. A surface layer of solid stone covering was prepared using dressed blocks of equal size, save for the surrounding panels which were lozenge shaped. Having carefully prepared the site the aperture head was hewn square. Dressed and finished ashlars were used to create an air shaft bringing its height parallel with the foundation footings. When the final course of heavy stone pavers was in place the extra thick keyed trapdoor used to cover the shaft could not, without prior knowledge easily be identified. So thick was this stone that even when tapped no resonance or vibration could be detected. Bored into each side of this paver were four circular holes. These could only be revealed by easing back the interlocking pieces which otherwise made a perfect, almost undetectable fit. To break the seal the occupant would have to gently lever the adjacent slabs apart and in so doing would allow space for four metal pins or hooks to be inserted into each of the holes. Then, using a simple lifting devise the stone would be eased out of its position and swung around revealing a narrow dark shaft below. A standard masons block and tackle or pulley system as would have been available would suffice to perform this task. As tension was created on the draw rope gravity would pinch the pins together in a pincer movement. How many times this operation had been conducted is not known but from a cursory observation the pin holes did not appear to have suffered significant stress damage suggesting limited use. This subterranean room was located beneath a primitive dwelling. As such it was by far the largest in the house. Directly above was a room which was occasionally used as the Majlis or parlour. To further conceal its secret the plain stone floor joints would have been dusted and over decked with carpets and some primitive furniture. Over time, with the constant contact of feet a patina of age had built up on the entrance stonework. The subsequent darkening effect had merged the fine line mortar and stonework. This observation provides a tangible indication that following its closure subsequent occupants clearly had no knowledge of the cavern below. The precise origins of the cavern are not known but shortly after the death of the Prophet Macalabra it is believed that it was remodelled and expanded it in size. The overtop was added and a new dwelling erected adjacent to the site. Additionally, at about that time they built a secondary building above the ravine and used it as a watch tower. Apparently this place remained in continuous use for many centuries. Al that now remains of this site are some scattered stones. Contained within the permanently guarded depository were artefacts, gold, silver and jewellery. By the middle of the 12th century AD the subterranean chamber was decaled to be full, and as a place of safekeeping its vulnerability was in question. Islamic influence had by that time moved westwards, and as most new funding was coming from that direction the natural re-location choice was Damascus where a strong Islamic dynasty had already been established. Up until that time the Crusaders had command of the main Levant sea ports. Access from the coast was therefore not an option. Traffic to and from Damascus was, in the main conducted via overland camel trains operating as Far East and the Yemen. As the influence of regional leaders increased so did their

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wealth which accumulated exponentially. Remittances back to their coffers for political and spiritual support came in great, unscheduled tranches. Outgoings were minimal, minor payments and disbursements occasionally being granted to projects sanctioned by the leadership. Successive Muslim military victories across the entire span of newly controlled Islamic territories meant sudden influxes of wealth being created by seizure. Disbursal of such booty by the victorious Muslim leaders would typically include ten per cent tithe, the rest being divided amongst the leaders and their troops. Sundry battle field spoils would, under normal terms of engagement have been seized by the mercenaries, retainers and other troops. The most influential of these natural leaders were Nur Ed-Din and Saladin. Both are credited to have made significant contributions to the central coffers. The move to relocate the treasury from Mekkah and Madinah to Damascus provides clear evidence of the influence imposed by the Emir and his cohorts. Nur Ed-Din, Emir of Aleppo, was the son of Zangi of Mosel. From 1146AD Nur Ed-Din was ruler of Aleppo and dominated Syria. In 1147AD he defeated the Count of Edessa and then plundered and raised the city. Two years later he won a decisive victory at Inab when Count Richard was killed on the battle field. In 1154AD he captured Damascus and made this his home. Here he married the daughter of the ruler and from that stance fought off the second Crusade. He became Lord of Shirkuh and died in Damascus. His nephew Saladin (1138-93AD) took control of Egypt in 1169. Saladin served his apprenticeship under the tutorage of his uncle, Shirkuh, Asad Ed-Din, a Kurdish general. During the battle of Inab 1149AD he had killed Raymond of Antioch in single handed combat and was involved in the planning and attack on Egypt where his army beat the combined Frankish and Egyptian force at Thermopolis in 1167AD. For a short period he ruled as vizier. The fall of Cairo in 1169 provided yet another opportunity for him to accumulate plundered wealth part of which was summarily remitted to the Arab treasury. The rump of Raynalds personal wealth and possessions were sequestered by Saladin who then forwarded them on to Damascus as a direct contribution to his mentors. From the personal account made by al-Masur, by the following year, the influx of this and other sizable contributions of funds which arrived in the summer of 1196AD the 2 nd cistern in Damascus was full. An anti-chamber was then added to accommodate yet another major influx of treasure, this generous donation by alMansur (the Victorious) himself. Victory at the battle of Alarcos on July 17 th 1195AD by the Moroccan Almohad caliph Abu Yusuf over Alfonso V111 of Castile yielded new wealth, a large part of which was remitted by ship to Damascus. During this decisive battle Alfonso was outmanoeuvred by the caliph who seized the fortress of Alarcos on the southern frontier of Castile. Abu Yusuf consolidated his victory and emptied the castle of its wealth and trappings. Amongst this haul was a consignment of over five tons of gold bullion plus jewellery, silver and weaponry. With the exception of the weapons almost all of the amassed treasure was indirectly controlled by the Macoraba. During the 11th-12th century contributions made by Iberian Muslims were amongst the greatest in terms of value. Ever since the battle of Zalaka near Badajoz in October 1086AD when Yusuf ibnTashfin defeated Alfonso V1 a substantial part of the spoils of victory had been passed back as way of a tithe to Macoraba. The influence of Macoraba spread and can be traced as far west as to the Iberian Muslims in Portugal and Spain and the Almoravids in Morocco. Sea passage from Spain to Egypt provided moderately secure passage subject to pirate attack. From Egypt the overland route to Madinah was always precarious. By land this route could be completed in 37 days but, unfavourable weather, drought and threat of attack could easily double this figure. All such personal

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and movement of goods and valuables required detailed planning and considerable escort security. Over and above the hazards of inclement weather, whip wreck and pestilence these intrepid travellers had to endure the rigours of imposed bureaucracy. Tax demands, dues and import duty and other forms of levy all had to be negotiated and paid. As the power base shifted westwards, a collective decision had been made by the Sheikhs to relocate their wealth and power base. The decision to move the core horde was finally made in about 1147AD. A progressive series of movements of funds gradually depleted the 1 st cistern. Common business sense prevailed. Religious influence, commercial, communication, political and military pressures had by that time altered the old world landscape resulting in the development of a new order. The prime movers in this decision making process were the Kurdish Muslims who by then exercised power over Syria, North Africa and Iberia. Of all places considered the Syrian city of Damashq (Damascus) was chosen as the preferred site for the new treasury. Following the siege of Damascus in 1148 during which the Second Crusade besieged the city from 24 th-28th July of that year. Following the first battles of Dorylaeum (Eskishehir) the Crusaders secured a major victory over the Muslim Seljuks and took much wealth from the Muslim camp. This was later reversed in October 1147AD when a German force led by Conrad 111 was overwhelmed by the Turks, the Crusaders beat a hasty retreat and in so doing the cave-in turned into a major rout. In the process the Muslims regained much of the territory and wealth lost to Christian forces. Wealth so won by the Muslim Turks was repatriated with the mandatory tithe finding its way back to Damascus. The Crusaders army included Conrad 111, Louis V11 of France and Baldwin 111 of Jerusalem, This combined force attacked presumably to save it from Nur al-Din. The disorganised mass failed miserably in their quest, many dying in the process. The result was failure and abandonment of the Second Crusade. As the power base shifted westwards, a collective decision had been made by the Sheikhs to relocate their burgeoning treasury. The decision to move the horde was finally made in about 1147AD. A progressive series of movements of funds gradually undertook this work which was completed by 1150AD. By this time the rooms were depleted of all valuables including scrolls and books. Common business sense prevailed. Religious influence, commercial, communication, political and military pressures had, by that time altered the old world landscape resulting in the development of a new order. The prime movers in this decision making process were the Kurdish Muslims who, by then exercised almost total power over Syria, North Africa and as far as the western flank of Iberia.

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Of all the places considered for the new depository the Syrian city of Damashq (Damascus) was chosen as the preferred site for the new treasury. Damascus had played an important part in the Outremer campaigns. It was a thriving metropolis and crossroads for trade and commerce. The city had suffered a protracted siege in 1148AD. Crusaders from the Second Crusade had besieged the city from 24th-28th July of that year. Following the first battles of Dorylaeum (Eskishehir) the Crusaders secured a major victory over the Muslim Seljuks and took much wealth from the Muslim camp. This was later reversed in October 1147AD when a German force led by Conrad 111 was overwhelmed by the Turks, the Crusaders beat a hasty retreat and in so doing the cave-in turned into a major rout. In the process the Muslims regained much of the territory and wealth lost to Christian forces. Wealth so won by the Muslim Turks was repatriated with the mandatory tithe finding its way back to Damascus. The Crusaders army included Conrad 111, Louis V11 of France and Baldwin 111 of Jerusalem, This combined force attacked presumably to save it from Nur al-Din. The disorganised mass failed miserably in their quest, many dying in the process. The result was failure and abandonment of the Second Crusade. By 1244AD the Egyptians and Khorezmians under the leadership of Emir Baybars united and fought a combined Muslim and Christian army at Harbiya. The Damascus Muslims were entirely financed by Macoraba funds. The soldiers sent to support the Crusaders were ill prepared and when under attack fled resulting in over a 1,000 knights being massacred by the superior numbers of the opposing force. This is one of the few recorded examples of central funds being used to fund direct military action. Having resisted an attempt against it by Saladin Tyre only fell into Muslim hands in 1291AD making it possible for Muslims to gain sea access to Damascus via the Levant. Hitherto all these ports had been under Christian control they overpowered the defending troops who surrendered on 7th July. Greek fire, a new material of war had been invented for the Byzantines by Kallinikos in the 7th century. During the battle to regain Tyre it was used with great effect being shot via a siphon or catapult. The major constituent is naphtha which has sticking properties making this highly combustible substance difficult to remove upon contact. During the time when the Levant sea ports were mainly under Christian control the only way from Madinah to Damascus was via the circumference of the Great Stony Plain. The overland route from Madinah via Tebouk and on to the Dead Sea was thus an option for the transfer of the treasury. However, once the sea option was possible the overland route via Alexandria and from there by sea to Beyrout and Damascus along well trodden trading roads was considered a more secure option. This decision was made partly based on strong support along the thoroughfare and secures hostelry and warehousing installations in Ismailiya, Tanta and Alexandria. As always, unity within the administration was a prime concern not insofar as it might impact upon the leaders, who could be relied on but on peripheral third party contact which might subvert the group by infiltration or ransom. In this respect the balance of internal power within the group was of paramount importance. Internal cohesion had for centuries been assured by common values and ideals. However, as political giants emerged from within their group the balance of power was, at times distorted, no more so than when the caliph made his famous financial injections to the common pot. Rather than split the group the action helped cement the union by bringing together those leaders on the extreme ends of their political spectrum. Intrinsic wealth and the kinetic power that sprang from it never diverted the leaders reasoning or direction. This fact is a great tribute to

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the wisdom and rationality of the central Council of tribal leaders, who must have had to make some fearful decisions, particularly when member interests were under direct military threat. Even following the ransom threat Saladin held the line and instead of blaming others for the catastrophe at Acre took full blame himself. His remarkable personality and the mystic surrounding him followed him to the grave and beyond. Having made the decision to move their treasures an elaborate plan was formulated. As with any such movement the associated risk of exposure, robbery or exposure had to be carefully militated against, and in this respect the leadership prudently decided to divide their treasure into four consignments. Having made this decision a much larger treasury was needed. The physical movement of the horde was another matter. Again, a conservative assessment of risk was made and instead of moving large elements at any time caravans were engaged to transport only small units at any time. Using some of the best of the caliphs personal guard as escort the treasury was systematically moved, first to Alexandria, a 40 days overland camel trek and then by sea to Damascus. Even so the complete transfer took nearly twelve months to complete, but in that time not one piece was lost to theft or robbery. The transfer was staggered to enable adequate provisions to be made at each staging point, each of which was changed for successive transfers. As such the process was expertly organised and executed. Great care was taken to avoid any security breach and those engaged in the conduct of the operation did so under an oath of allegiance. Once vacated the capping stone over the 1 st cistern was sealed for the last time. It remained so until it was located some six hundred years later when, after a period of heavy rainfall a herdsman noticed the chamber though a gap in the rocks carefully opened up a hole amongst the corner slabs. Descending into the chasm below was troublesome as he could not find timbers long enough to make a ladder and instead used a knotted rope. All that remained in the cavern were some small pots, oil lamps and the remains of boxes and shards of clay and some Islamic stele. The later were saved and now are part of a private collection in Constantinople. The stele now in a private collection in Istanbul measured approximately 75cm in height and 20cm wide. The upper surface was carved with a simple line in Arabic. Below was what appeared on first glance an inscription but on more detailed enquiry was a lightly engraved emblem depicting two palm trees. Apart from that nothing of any value was left. During the exodus all items of value had been removed. Later, a more detailed examination of the site found a few markings on the wall. These inscriptions gave little hint as to the authors origin or time of placement. After completing his work he left the site much as he had found it, having carefully replaced the stones he covered the disturbed surface with a copious mound of sand and dirt. The end result was perfect, an almost invisible trace. Empty handed his small band left the site and commenced the long and arduous return trip by camel. That excavation concluded Roberts foray and from there he left the Hejez never to return again. The return trip to Alexandria was largely uneventful.

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58 Cedric. Finding Raynalds Depository From the various accounts that survived intact it would appear that Cedric came tantalisingly close to finding the Raynald treasure. He most certainly located the building complex were Raynalds people had built an elaborate building complex designed to manage a vineyard, a silk farm and guard hidden treasures. Whilst we know that he spent some time digging in and around the site it is highly improbable that he located the actual chambers where the trove had been stored as no specific account was made by him or others to that effect. He described in his journal that moment when he first saw the ruins of the former complex as follows Once within the valley all we had to do was to follow a sheep and animal track through to the head of the dry valley. There, amongst the thicket and oak was a dry stone wall alongside of which was a trickle of water. The water course was hewn out of the rock and coursed its way parallel to the mountain side. Five hundred yards further I found what I imagined was once a glorious but now a dilapidated monastic ruin. Hardly any of the masonry that I saw rose above the highest shrubs. It appeared as though the building had been struck by an earthquake, so random were the fallen stones placed. He goes on to say that part of an adjacent building appeared to have recently been inhabited as the a hearth was covered in fresh ash. He assumed that the inhabitant was perhaps a traveller or shepherd who had used the place as a temporary refuge. For several days thereafter Cedric explored the site and gathered what information he could. He traced the water course, uncovered over a kilometre of ancient irrigation lines, mill stones and a large water tank, which apart from being filled with debris was still relatively water tight. His records detail the outline of the buildings, various paths and a 3km made up driveway, all of which were equally ancient. Various carved capitols caught his interest. These he managed to excavate from beneath a pile of loose rubble. Also in this find he retrieved an exquisite finely carved Roman plaque with the words Ammianus victorinus tribunus and another larger ashlar with the words MEMORLAE FL VICTORI NAETTAM VICTOR CONIVNX POSVIT and cross.

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Templar stonework found at site near Brignole He made drawings and measured up the buildings as he saw them. The masonry blocks used in the construction were rudimentary in the main with simple hewn lintels and pavers in the living areas. There was no cellar in the main building, it appeared to have caved in and filled with rubble. The site was much older than he had imagined, with a history probably dating back to pre-Roman times. During the course of the examination his eye caught some details which he considered of real value. Some masons marks were inscribed into two giant carved ashlars each of which must have weighed half a ton or more. It was much later that he made a connection between these marks and those that he had noted in Krak. If his summary was correct then there was a link between the buildings in Provence and those at Krak des Chevaliers, Acre, Nablus and Jaffa and critically Kerak. The simple, but detailed account made by Cedric was hugely important insofar as he managed, with limited resources and virtually no formal archaeological training to find, by a process of elimination the site which had evaded a far bigger, and better resourced force. The tragedy, however was that, upon his return to Avignon, whilst negotiating a river crossing his horse stumbled and dislodged the rider, who crashed onto rocks. Cedric survived the fall for a matter of only few days. His injury was, most probably a broken upper vertebrae as he was paralysed from the head down. His untimely death, coupled with fragments of uncorroborated hearsay created the basis of what became a local legend. Following his death no further archaeological work appears to have been carried out at the site. If anything was found by subsequent owners then it has certainly not come to the publics attention.

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195 Templar stone masons marks as found on site Five hundred years on, with the benefit of sophisticated detection systems and sensors the modern treasure hunter is better placed to locate such items of historic significance. As such it should be a relatively easy job for a properly equipped and authorised group to find the chamber and unearth the sites hidden secrets. Providing the horde remains intact then the mystery would thus be resolved, once and for all. When a call was made for fresh funds to support the building budget clergymen and priests across France rallied to the Papal summons. The message that was transmitted by the Pope to Christians across Europe was simple. The faithful were told to put their hands in their pockets and stump up enough money to build a grand new Papal edifice. This building was later to be known as the Palais de Papes, the Popes Palace. Following the Papal order to the clergy and congregations across Europe money started to roll in, first in dribbles but, with prompting funds flooded in from all quarters. The building initiative for the magnificent new building programme had been endorsed by the College of Cardinals and sanctioned by the Pope. The Palais de Papes was designed to become one of the greatest of all buildings to be built in the name of Christ. This new building would provide the Holy See with a new administration centre. As such a concerted effort was made by the administrators to raise the necessary funds to commence the programme. All the obvious funding mechanisms were evaluated and, where possible exploited to the full.

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As part of this routine committees were set in place and discussions held by the clergy to structure various funding programmes within their remit. During one such meeting the priests veered off the main stem of thought and turned their attention to the age old chestnut, Raynalds lost treasure, half of which was shrouded in myth the rest conjecture. The idea to try to find the horde had been visited and re-visited many times before but on this occasion a little more thought was given to the subject. The reasoning was simple, if any organisation could do the job then it was the church, the only pan-European organisation in existence and certainly the one with the best resources. The Roman Catholic church was unique insofar as it had records dating back through the centuries. Such archives were routinely cleared out to make space for more recent additions. It was such a clear-out that prompted this novel line of enquiry. A series of ledgers identified the comings and goings to a location in central Provance, the dates of which coincided with Raynalds last days in Outremer. It was widely known that these and other Templar consignments arrived on an irregular basis either at Port-Grimaud or Marseilles where they were unloaded and then forwarded inland. The jigsaw of data took some time to compile, much of this research being conducted by two junior clergymen. As such this particular effort was largely un-coordinated and, apparently came to nothing even though a considerable amount of time had been expended on the subject. The file that the priests built grew but was never summarised, nevertheless it remained intact. Rumours had circulated for decades in Provence that a huge horde of bullion had been secreted somewhere in the vicinity of Brignole to the order of the Raynald de Chtillon. The story would not go away and in the following Spring word about the work previously conducted by the priests came to the attention of the Bishop at Aix. He reopened the file and commissioned a more professional group to re-examine the data. They, in turn drew a blank. By then, the story had leaked into the rural communities thereby. The Bishops appetite had been wetted and upon hearing reports, which in his mind were of varying certainty he decided that the matter should rest no longer. To reinforce his conviction, he ordered his staff and clerics to use all their extensive powers, resources and influence at their disposal to root out the facts of the matter. This took time, but having sown the seed bit by bit pieces of information slowly came to light. Perchance, news of this story filtered its way through the highly efficient Roman Catholic communications machine to Fra Benedict, an Italian priest who, in his youth had written a paper on the very subject. Fra Benedict was an Italian classics scholar from Imperia who had been seconded to a monastery in Provance and from there had not been moved for over twenty years. The thesis which he had so carefully researched all those years ago must of carried some weight as it was passed across to his French brothers of Christ. This document also triggered interest in various quarters outside the reach and influence of the Bishops administration. External help was solicited and additional resources were conditionally sequested. Amongst those commissioned to assist with the enquiry were two middle aged men, the Frascatti brothers. Their involvement later proved crucial to the cause as they were able, through their merchant connections to add a new dimension to the equation.

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The Church struck a deal with the brothers whereby they would pool their leads and if the trove was located by the Italians then, any and all of the proceeds would be proportionately split between the principals. This arrangement provided the Bishop with an ideal way out. No further direct cost would be expended by the church but, if, something came out of the search then he would receive much of the credit and a share in the prize. Thereupon the church maintained a watching brief, contributing advise and data access as needed. This intriguing story caught the imagination of the clergy generally and as new material became available so did the excitement increase. Maps, diary records, ledgers and other material were studied at length by scholars and specialists within the pay of the Church. Much of the material gathered was deemed to be of little value, being either contradictory and inconclusive. The leads as presented were tenuous and inconclusive. However, the prize presented was large enough to prompt the privateers to maintain their interest and pursue their quest. Their cursory observations of the data provided by the church authorities were not that reassuring and as such they decided to structure a strategy based on a combination of fact, record and commercial logic. After almost two years of fruitless search they ran out of money and in the end were forced to abort the mission. The Bishop personally thanked them for their efforts and for having acted in good faith on his behalf. The cumbersome files were subsequently forwarded to the Bishop and then on to Pope John XXIIs treasury. Over two hundred years later in the Spring of 1582AD during the time of Pope Gregory XIII Luc Montpellier, a younger brother of one of the maintenance administration in the Bishops Palace was made aware of the various chest one of which contained the file which had been instigated during term of Pope John XXII and compiled circa 1320AD. He read through the conclusions that had previously been submitted and studied in some detail the mass of Latin notes which had been written by the monks, priests and compiled by the Italian Frascatti brothers. The story that was then circulating in France was that during an emergency clean out of shelving after some flooding in one of the cellars the Bishops chief archivist came across a chest of manuscripts, books and files relating to an earlier search. Once they had dried out he flicked though the parchments. Having read the summary of the contents he and his advisors deduced that the work that had been so commissioned by the Church had been a fruitless exercise and, as such should be destroyed. By that time funding for the Palais de Papes had long since been found from conventional funding sources. The Bishop flatly turned down any suggestion that further resources be deployed as being wasteful and irrelevant. An order was immediately given by the Bishop to destroy the complete set of files. As fate would have it the chests containing the copious files were returned to the cellar were they gathered yet another layer of dust. When they eventually resurfaced a second order for the destruction of the said material was given, this time by the Bishops archivist to one of his servants. Underpaid and overworked the chap in question saw an opportunity to make some easy money, and, instead of burning the pile he secreted the material out of the Palace and systematically gave the contents of the boxes to Luc, a friend of his who agreed to fence the stolen goods. Luc was a studious young man who worked as an accountant and book keeper with a small textile merchant. Once the contents of the boxes were safe in his bedroom Luc painstakingly studied and copied the documents page by page, mostly by candle light, after work. His first task was to arrange

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the vast pile of documents in sequential order and from there compile a meaningful matrix. This operation took forever, as much of the material needed to be re-written, translated or duplicated by hand. His methodical and analytical approach enabled the work to be done in an orderly manner. Immediately, he could see positive results emerging from a bedroom now filled with papers, ledgers and books. Luc must have had little time to himself outside work in the office, running errands for his master or visiting clients. He did not have any cooking facilities and generally ate a warm evening meal in a hostelry just 100 yards from his rented accommodations . Most evenings after an hour or so eating and catching up with the local gossip he would repair back to his room and stay there until 5.30 next morning when he rose for breakfast and the next round of work. As his study progressed so did his level of excitement grow. After several months of concentrated study he announced to two of his closest friends that he wanted to take the project from his bedroom out into the countryside. His entrepreneurial instinct then took over and, without second thought decided that he would mount a quest for the treasure himself. With minimal savings and no alternative means of support he sought the assistance of two very close friends Cedric Percy and Guy de Duc, each of which agreed to be bound by a code of complete secrecy. Ever open for the chance to break out of their restricted circumstances the group had often ruminated on what they could do together in a quest to win them fame and fortune. Of the three Cedric Percy, a local tax collector and Lucs best friend was invited to assist in the research. Luc knew that Cedric was looking for another job; he also knew that he had all the attributes needed to conduct a thorough examination. From the administrative buildings in Avignon Cedric was well positioned to gather key data and when asked readily accepted the challenge. The prospect for a share out and preferential employment terms were enough to convince him that this was a worthwhile assignment, and far more interesting than his former job. He then embarked on the secret project with all the zeal and enthusiasm that could ever have been expected of him by his new employer. Cedric was the perfect candidate for the job. He was young, in his mid twenties, well connected, resourceful and persuasive. With regards the later talent he somehow managed to retain unfettered access to all the files and ledgers in the tax office. In this respect this facility proved to be extremely useful. The terms of engagement were clear and to the point. Whatever information the three could gather they would pool. Having agreed to work together in their spare time they each were allocated particular tasks, one of which was to infiltrate the Bishops administration and gain access to whatever additional material might be available within the church records. With a little inside help this proved easier than they had imagined. Guy the third of the group was a junior surveyor. Cerdic was fully briefed on his particular assignment and threw himself into the project. With this and a moderate travel and accommodation allowance from his day job of the three members he was the most mobile. To accelerate his work he used his position of authority and trust to secure critical data. For this he cooked up a plausible story which involved securing and certain undefined records. His colleagues were thus duped into working for him to undertake the laborious task of filtering through paperwork records and other data that he thought relevant. This, in itself was difficult and dangerous enough.

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Nevertheless, with patience and methodical planning he and his cohorts filtered their way through the ancient files, ledgers and maps. Slowly a picture began to emerge. The boys collective team effort was paying off. Cedrics analytical mind and attention to detail helped reduce the odds. The art of effective tax collection is in understanding the content of the records and in this respect French bureaucracy, even in pre- Napoleonic times was, by enlarge reasonably efficient. Direct access to the records of taxes collected in the region coupled with his local knowledge he was well placed to conduct the task for his friend. For the entire winter Luc worked mainly by himself, periodically meeting up with his friends to up-date them on progress. He meticulously compiled the data provided by his friends slowly but carefully going through the countless archive records, tax return, dues and property taxes. All this he then compiled along with the lists and cross references in shorthand in his personal ledgers. Armed with this information his second quest was the land office. There he once again subjected himself to many hours of study. The second element of his research was to compile an extensive survey of all land and buildings in his target areas. When the group had completed their desk research they tried as best as they could to narrow down the search, but with the best will in the world they seemed to be no nearer to finding the horde than when they started. No clear cut evidence directed them to any one point. A collective decision was arrived at, and that was to retrace the entire path along which the horde might have travelled from the time it was intercepted in 1186AD until it arrived in Port Grimaud three months later. Bearing in mind the fact that 396 years had lapsed since that time it was a big call to find anything of real substance which would link the historic event to the present. Following the grape harvest in late September of 1583AD Cedric left by ship from Marseilles to the Levant. There he visited Krak des Chevaliers and inspected the castle, its defensive systems, masonry and along with all other observations that he could relating to the architecture. Hand drawn sketches were made to record architectural details, including graffiti and masons marks. From Krak he went to Aleppo and Damascus in an effort to extract any literature or other records. In this respect he drew a blank and was not able to garner the data that he had hoped. From Tyre his first port of call was Venice. He knew that at least one, most probably two of Raynalds shipments had been made to Venice with the majority going directly to France. From there the Venetian traders handling the merchandise would have then had two options, either to take the freight overland or, alternatively to freight it onwards by boat to France around the heel of Italy. This was a long and expensive option, but of the two most probably the less risky. With such a valuable consignment both options were fraught with danger. The overland route passed through countless hostile territories each of which would extract a sizeable toll. Once the shipment was underway advance knowledge of its value would have attracted all the brigands and bandits in the land. To thwart such an attack the agents would have had to employ mercenaries but there again they themselves could have been in the pay of the barons and thus would have provided scant protection. This was Cedrics conclusion. He believed that Raynalds orders would have been that his guard would have been maintained throughout the journey and that they would have accompanied the freight right through to its final destination. The troops that accompanied Raynalds staff for the sea crossing amounted to between 50-60 in all. This body was augmented by a contingent of French merchant sailors, all of whom were in the employ of Raynald. The force was

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adequate for the job and when the ship reached the port of Grimaud on 5 th August 1186AD everything was reported to be in order. From this point the scent was lost. Cedric first tried to identify which of the French knights might have been responsible for the various shipments made to Raynalds order. This was not an easy undertaking, but as luck would have it, from Templar records he identified the name of Raynalds chief accountant. He deduced at If any one person in particular had such knowledge and trust then it would have been his accountant, Guy. His family connections, land ownership and other commercial relationships were all checked to see if there were any obvious links stemming from the shipments made in 1182AD. The only commercial activity that he could trace related to what transpired to be Frances first silk farm. During the Levantine visit Cedric picked up a considerable amount of miscellaneous information about the Crusader forces generally and a lot about Raynald de Chtillon in particular. With a tax collectors logic his initial thoughts related to campaign funding, how did Raynald fund his extravagant lifestyle and hugely expensive war machine? In addition, who did he report to and to whom did he pay his dues or taxes? When investigating this subject he stumbled upon some of the nefarious associations that Raynald had entered into with Levant traders and merchants. From this he deduced that Raynald had good connections with merchants plying their trade in the north, the very men who conducted the lucrative overland traffic passing east and west along the Silk Road. From his examination it as clear that Raynalds business activates fell into two separate compartments, legal trade and pillaging. The later encompassed a range of activities including ransoms, wonton plunder, extortion to name but a few. From all accounts it would appear that he dabbled in both in equal measures. During the period 1181-1186AD Raynald became notorious for his treacherous off the battlefield exploits. Plundered goods however did not make up for all his needs, he also practiced conventional trade. He plied his trade along the Levantine coast exporting and importing merchandise and arms as the pull and push of supply and demand dictated. Of the produce that bore the highest value silk ranked with the elite, and as such caught his eye as both a consumer and trader. He was covetous of the trade and wanted to participate on the supply side. For this he managed to secure the expertise needed via association with the Byzantine, Nestorian fraternity. His ambition was to undercut the expensive Chinese silk trade by setting up his own silk manufacturing operation. Up until the time when Raynald began his silk production silk was a commodity which was reserved for royalty. Its relative importance and value by association made it a highly prized possession. Whilst he recognised that he could never compete at the top end of the market the middle quality was hugely lucrative providing that he could manufacture the material in quantity. By that time the secret of silk production or sericulture was abound, with manufacturing bases being set up in Khotan and India the Middle East. Most of this trade was plied to the West via the Silk Road. By the 6 th century Persian weavers had mastered the art of weaving and produced very fine quality silk using sophisticated looms based on Chinese designs. Within the next century silk would be produced in Italy when 2000 skilled weavers were brought in from Constantinople. To get himself established Raynald planned a very large fully integrated silk production operation in France. He estimated that when in full production his immediate labour force would support over

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1,000 weavers; these would be trained by Nestorian monks which he would sponsor. All this information was gleaned from the Byzantine monks. Having set his mind on the subject, with uttermost secrecy he immediately set about producing schedules, logistics, a budget and training courses for the various employees and specialists needed to support this large commercial undertaking. Within a matter of weeks his covert plan to set up a silk production farm in Provence were complete. The next phase was implementation. For this he needed land, buildings, expertise and most importantly thousands of mulberry trees and silkworms. Based on the survey conducted by Guy in 1182AD Raynald put together a team of his best masons, architects and carpenters and instructed them to build the chateau, silk farm, vineyard, olive grove and all ancillary building including a substantial, fortified vault. The group were despatched and returned some 18 months later having completed the main elements of their assignment. Shortly after they left for France he purchased a large consignment of over 5,000 Morus Alba white mulberry saplings. These were later shipped to Port Grimaud direct. The hardy saplings require special care during the early years and must be guarded against wild boar, deer and rabbits but once established soon grow to a height of up to 40ft. When fully grown the tree provides a distinctive broad, dense rustling canopy sweeping to the ground. The Mulberry tree is best planted in an open space and not subjected to the Mistral. For this very reason he located his farm East of the Rhone valley and well away from the fierce seasonal winds. The tree is reasonably drought resistant and long lived making it an ideal choice for his chosen location. Several hundred acres of land were purchased by Raynalds agent; this was then cleared and planted with the young trees staked out. Foresters were employed to guard the young trees from wildfires, deer and wild boar. With this knowledge Cedric thought, rather than look just for a building or group of buildings why not see if there is any evidence of a large tract of Mulberry trees. Such a plantation would provide clear cut evidence from which further research could be developed. Armed with his cursory plans, a walking stick and his basic provisions Cedric set off into the Provence countryside and systematically evaluated one area after another until finally he stumbled upon a site which had all the hall marks of the site which matched Raynalds specification . Within a closed valley he could see, almost hidden amongst the bracken, gorse and heavy undergrowth the giveaway signs of previous cultivation. Several lines could clearly be seen from a vantage point on an adjacent hillside. As he stumbled into the valley his conviction was confirmed. The trees were mulberry and there were a lot of them around. Whilst the Mulberry tree is common to Europe it is rarely grown in plantation format and certainly was never was grown as such in Provence prior to the 12 th century AD. Only later did the trees assume the role that they now do as food providers for the Bombay moth. Having located the spot which matched all the climatic and security criteria Cedric and his group narrowed down their search to four buildings. During their excavations they found what they were looking for, evidence of materials, pottery and tools from the Levant. Amongst the Monastic remains they found Roman and Crusader related inscriptions in masonry which clearly linked the building with that era plus an elaborate watering system which fed the properties and watered the gardens from a spring beyond the valley. From this we can but deduce that having accurately connected the silk farm with the vault the final act was merely to excavate the ruin and find Raynalds horde. The boys spent the better part of two summers in the valley. They worked together, pulling apart some of the massive stone foundations

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which underpinned the stone buildings. With little or almost nothing to show for their efforts they finally gave up and retreated g from the scene before going their separate ways. During their time at the complex they were extremely busy. They dug into various stone wall terraces that acted as giant retaining walls for the olive trees and mulberry bushes. They also did some more serious engineering work adjacent to the main building, then in ruin. The entrance shaft ran alongside a thick supporting buttress overwhich stood the ruined chateaux. This work was strenuous and dangerous and must have consumed much of their energy. During the period that they were on site the summer heat would have been intense. The only saving grace was a cool mountain spring that supplied a continuous trickle of water via a chain of interlinked stone channels to the site where the building stood. This must have been a welcome and much needed thirst quencher. The water system most probably dates from the 2 nd 4th century when a Roman building stood at the neck of the closed, dry valley. They brought water from the hillside though a complex channelling system into a large subterranean holding cistern and from there via a shallow incline to the property, the overflow being diverted into a large circular pond, the base of which was line with imported blue clay. As with dew ponds this would have been puddle either with sheep or cattle before being filled with water. Following Cedrics tragic death there was nothing else to do. The ruins that they found have since been rebuilt several times with newly planted olive trees adorning the tiered retaining buttresses . Some structures have been enlarged and new ones erected on, and around the extensive site. As with monasteries the feeder pond situated several hundred metres from the chateau would have filled with fish, and winter meat would have been provided by a pigeon house and a rabbit warren. The former pageantry located alongside a disused track to the East of the property has been rebuilt and although it is now vacant its condition is such that with minimal effort it could easily be reinstated to perform its former purpose. During the chasse the hunters would have killed wild boar and deer, this practice prevails to this day. The approach to the chateau and adjacent chapel is impressive indeed. The chateau is elevated on a terrace above lawns and ornamental ponds. Below the paved terrace is a long bathing pool fed via an ancient water course. Tiers of immaculate rock terrace flank the main buildings, winery and pigeonary. On either side of the winding driveway is the south facing vines. On the higher terraces are plums, olives and the remnants of the legendary mulberry bushes. The property presently combines a large wine and olive producing estate which is one of the most expensive private homes in the South of France. The legacy of the mulberry trees can still be seen on the terraces and the footings of the silk weaving shed, now almost completely overgrown can still be identified. This complex is located on a small outcrop, a short walk from the main buildings .

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THE PROPHETS SIGNET RING AND GOLDEN DIAMOND

The Al-Hira signet ring weighing just a few grams is a modest, solid bronze object. By any standard it is an impressive work and probably reflects the design and quality of a period pre-dating the 5 th

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century AD. In the 8th century when it was given to the young Prophet Muhammad it would have been an extremely rare and prized object. When the Al-Hira find was made several other items were recovered from the site one of which was a clear yellow uncut diamond. Diamond mining at that time of the Prophet was limited to a very few areas and supply was limited. The relative value of precious stones was then far greater than at present due to limited demand and exceptional extraction cost. As with present commercial production the presence of coloured diamonds in the marketplace was most rare, accounting for less than 2% of the market. Ownership of diamonds and other precious stones has always been the privilege of the rich and in former times generally reserved to the ruling classes. As gold was not used for decorative purposes by Muslims the Al-Hira diamond is remarkable. Some accredit it as having been sent to the Prophet by the Angels of Allah others by the Archangel Gabriel. Typically, in a modern context a large diamond set in a ring or pendant remains a much sought after commodity. Such items have been displayed as trophy statements by men and women over time. The popularity of diamonds for ornamental and, more recently industrial purposes has increased largely due to commercial extraction techniques used by large scale open caste diamond mining activities centred in South Africa and Russia. Marketing monopolies have in recent decades dominated the market for such stones. Sophisticated marketing campaigns coupled with regulated supply have driven up global demand and prices in commercial grade, investment and decorative sectors. Within this market we find the great diamonds some of which are magnificent multi-carat objects the colour and hue of which range from pure white through a rainbow spectrum of yellows, reds and blues. These precious items are prized by collectors and rank amongst the most prized natural elements in the world, each one bringing with it a unique provenance and story. All this is a very different picture to what was available when the Al-Hira diamond and ring first appeared. At that time no diamonds had been found by westerners in Africa. Up until the 20 th century the Al-Hira diamond remained in its original uncut state. Unlike any other exquisite signet ring the Al-Hira form is unique. Designed to fit a young man's finger the elegant band provides a balanced anchor for the domed facial setting. As with a mosque the mount is dome shaped and cast out of solid bronze. In all respects the rugged features of the band, the mount and the facing crest reflect the power that was transmitted within this priceless object. Gods association with Jalab Nur is hugely significant. The mountain itself was created by God from stones which originated on Mt Sinai. Some attribute the diamond as having been found on the mountainside, a fragment of a giant diamond that descended upon the plain from Mt Sinai. From this fact we see the unequivocal link between the Prophet, the Holy Quran and the Prophet Muhammads Signet Ring. From ancient times it is recorded that when the Lord conversed with Moses on Mount Sinai the mountain side was shattered sending elements far and wide. Three parts flew off in the direction of Madinat Al-Nabi (Medinah), the Prophets city which borders the Nijd, a vast plateau in central Arabia. North of the city they formed Jalab Ohod, or Jalab Saur, Jalab Warkan and Radhwah. The

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other elements of grey granite like debris flew further as far as Mekkah. There they created Jalab Hira, now known as Jalab Nur, Jalab Muna now known as Jalab Sabir and Jalab Saur. The significance of this act at the time of Moses is that within a cave on Jalab Hira the Prophet received the message of God whilst resting in a small cave which he, from time to time used as a retreat or refuge. The modern name Jalab Nur means spiritual light of religion stemming from this act of God and the blessing thereafter given to the Prophet. Clearly, the six named mountains have huge significance to the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. The mystery surrounding the birth of these mountains and the delivery of the ring to the Prophet intrigues all who enquire no more so than academics historians and others who seek to explain and rationalise the birth of mankind. The illusive power contained within the ring combined with its mystic qualities may well have reflected a potent force. Some of the Companions cited that upon his death custody of the Prophets personal possessions including the ring were to pass over to his followers. The contemporary anecdotal records narrated that the ring was intended to have been repatriated to the place where the first revelation was made. Others said that it and other personal items should be located adjacent to the holy Prophets tomb alongside the vacant tomb of Isa bin Maryam (Jesus son of Mary, within the site of the Tombs in Medinah) as such the object had a significance to them far greater than its physical state. The Masjid Al-Nabawai, (Prophets Tomb) is reported to house the Tombs of Prophet Muhammad, Abu Bakr, Omar and the Patimahs Tomb, with a place reserved for the sepulchre of Isa bin Maryam. According to Muslim law prophets, martyrs and saints do not die in a physical sense their property and personal effects remain theirs forever. Their bodies do not decompose but remain fresh and perfect for all time. This belief would in itself explain why these God fearing men would have held back on robbing from the dead an item which they believed may well come back to haunt them. Factual data pertaining to the layout and configuration of the various Tombs in Medinah is unclear with some versions saying that Abu Bakrs head is opposite the Apostles feet and that Omars face is on a level with Abu Bakrs left shoulder with that of Isa at a higher position. As and when the ring is finally repatriated to its rightful place it is assumed that the powers that be will, accordingly position it in an appropriate resting place. Precious and semi-precious stones, gold and silver abound throughout the Orient and in particular in Arabia where outward wealth is carried on ones body. Throughout time currency and the division of legal tender has been a problem best solved by physical possession of precious metal. With the exception of side arms and miscellaneous weaponry the nomadic Arab is invariably covetous of another mans personal possessions particularly ornate clothing and jewellery. In this respect the finger ring, along with the horse takes pride of place as being the most visible signs proclaiming particular status. During the 8th and 9th century mens and womens jewellery worn by the tribal communities in the Al-Hijaz were of distinctive style and design. Regional variations in design colour and materials used clearly denoted the source and origin of such artefacts. Externally sourced items often came from areas remote to the Al-Hijaz region, most being brought in by pilgrims and traded on to the host communities. Many examples presently available for inspection in museums and private collections are multi-purpose accessories, such examples are often elaborate and include intricate designs woven into or engraved upon the pieces. The functional aspect is not missed by the keen observer

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who recognises the practical necessities to the wearer. Items originating in India and beyond carry a distinctive regional flavour of design, quite unlike those from Africa, Egypt and material brought by the neighbouring and ever present Ottoman Turks. Traders from Al-Yemen conducted a lucrative trade in jewellery, supplying the Badawin of Al-Hijaz with a myriad of rare and precious objects. To the authors knowledge there is no gold or diamonds presently being extracted in the region. It is however through that in former times gold may have been found but the source is long since lost or exhausted. Of the rocks hornblende is common in Medinah as is greenstone, diorite and actinolite, though the later is not so abundant. Eurite and euritic porphyry can be found in some parts, but in small pieces. Quartz and petrosilex are also common. Some stones are cut and polished by Indian craftsmen but in the main precious and semi-precious stones are imported via the caravan and traded in the bazaar. Curiously, the impact of international trade within the region carries with it a legion of artefacts. Some of these items date back to Phoenician and early Egyptian times. Roman coins abound, as do compote of Syrian and Mesopotamian coinage. In many cases gold and silver coinage was used within jewellery settings, or melted down and recycled. The heterogeneous mass of pilgrims over time reflected every colour, class and costume. Central Asians from Bokharan, Persia, Turkey, Mediterraneans from Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt and Orients from Java and China flooded the Al-Hijaz on their annual pilgrimage. Each group injected their own particular flavour of customs and practice. It is therefore not unreasonable to assume that the confluence of ethnic groupings in a moderately small geographic area modified regional development. Of all the mass of objects identified as having come from or originating from Al-Hijaz no other ring compares with the Al-Hira Signet Ring in terms of quality or design. Its unique form has never been copied or imitated. Whether this is a reflection of the respect granted by the Badawin to the Prophet is unclear. In his diary Robert Purnell was scathing in his comments regarding the Wahhabi and their vehement disregard for objects which they perceived as having idolatry significance. Presumably in this respect he referred to the Al-Hira ring and used this argument to defend his decision to remove it from their clutches. If this assumption is correct then the decision to return the ring to Al-Islam justifies the action. In his Hejez journals Robert pays particular attention to the relationship between Al-Islam and Christianity. When conversing with an East-Indian Sufi or mystic he pried into the old mans knowledge in the hope that he would learn whether his deductions were well founded. This particular character was revered by his fellow Indians in much the same way as the Arabs revere their Prophet. His understanding was that the diamond uncut angular shape was purposely reversed, the bottom half reserved for Al-Malakayn and the upper part for Kiram al-Katibin both being personifications of the powers of good and evil principles. What is not clear is which of the two faces is up and which face down. The tenuous link established during his visit to Medinah between the contrasting faiths was jointly based on the facts as narrated within the Intelligentia manuscripts and the common belief that the final resting place of Isa ( Aysa ) was to be alongside the Prophet making a quartet of within the Tomb, the Prophet, his closest followers and later Isa. If this assumption of physical passage is correct then the Al-Hira ring would provide a demonstrable link between Islam and Christianity. How Al-Hira and their descendants would have identified the second coming is not clear, equally, the means of communication and subsequent transfer of the ring is not recorded. Save for the manuscripts no contemporary Al-Islam record is at present available for

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scrutiny. When assessing the relevance of his conclusions Robert took the view that the general consensus within Al-Islam is that the Bayt Allah or House of God in Mekkah is the most revered of places second only to Madinah. In this respect, to this day the Makkans claim unlimited superiority over their neighbours the Madani. The sanctity of the Prophets Tomb was therefore unquestioned as was the format of its contents. In terms of worship the Masjid Al-Nabawi or the Prophets Mosque is second followed by Masjid-al- Haram (Mekkah) and lastly the Masjid al-Aksa Jerusalem. For a Hajji to have witnessed a visitation or Ziyrat is a taken as being a meritorious action. To him the sitting of the vacant Tomb was poignant in the extreme. A question repeatedly posed by Robert was, in advance of the second coming which particular Christian organisation should hold the ring in trust. He may well have ruminated on the subject but never overtly offered any third party the right of custodianship to his treasure. Religious he may well have been, but in matters personal he tended to keep what he had to himself, the basis of this secretive tendency may well have been because he feared that had he broken cover he would have been deluged with spurious claims. Therefore, on this point no decision was made and when Robert died his chattels were fairly distributed amongst the family with no specific mention of where or to whom specific artefacts should go. Fortunately the key elements were retained within one unit and as such were not lost. Other items personal to Robert were, likewise kept aside, the rump of which have survived the passage of time and are presently available for transfer. It was only in the late 20 th century that a conscious decision was made regarding the transfer of custodianship back to Islam. This decision was made not so much on religious grounds but more on the principle of common law and hereditary rights. In Christian belief Christ is usually presented by artists in humble garb without adornment, jewellery or flamboyant dress. Whether he wore a ring is not known, few depictions or descriptions extend to comment upon personal jewellery. Similarly, with the Prophet Mohammed, without contemporary pictorial or manuscript reference it is unclear as to what the Prophet looked like or how he dressed. Concurrent accounts and references made by his followers, observers and later commentary project a visual commentary of appearance. During both the life of the Prophet and Christ finger and arm bracelets and rings was in common usage. The Romans had perfected elaborate the art, ornate jewellery being worn by many medium and high ranking civil servants, senators, military leaders and merchants. Similarly, nine hundred years later in the 9 th century during the Prophets time rings, bracelets and other body jewellery of various kinds was worn, sometimes as fashion accessories and at other times to reflect status, privilege, power or influence. Ancient Al-Hijaz tribes including the Abs and the Adnan from the region around Taif wore decorative items including gold and silver arm and finger rings. The Banu Harb, the ruling clan in the Muslim Holy Land is divided into two principal groups, the Banu Salim and the Masruh, both nomadic by nature. The native dress within subdivisions of these clans varies as does the dress code and manner of personal adornment. Gold whilst a favoured substance is reserved for the rich and can be seen . In many items of dress. Precious polished stones were then used as neckwear, within rings and elaborate gold, silver or copper settings, often inscribed with script or symbols. No such script appears within the Al-Hira ring. 206

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Equally, no example of a dome shaped ring has been discovered from material plundered by the Wahhabis following their rampage and during the siege and subsequent overthrow of Madinah. Such was the wanton rape of this city that treasures from within were seized and divided amongst the milling throng most of which were never to be seen again. It is reported that when Saud entered the holy city of Medinah with his cohorts he ventured into the Hujrah but fearing the wrath of God dared not penetrate the tomb. Superstition coupled with fear of the unknown fortunately put a break on this barbaric act. The offenders retreating once having secured a priceless cache of treasure, most of which had been bequeathed by Hajji over time. Part of the booty was reportedly sold on to Ghalib, Sharif of Makkah the balance he took with him back to his stronghold at Dari ayah. Gold, at the time was purchased in Abyssinia. Also, on sale were false pearls, rosaries made of aloe, sandal or kalembac wood. Necklaces made of cut cornelians and seal rings. The Wahhabis took Tayf in 1802AD and raised the city many of the buildings being destroyed. The tomb of Ebbas was also destroyed. In his quest to determine the source and provenance of the AlHira ring Robert spend much time when in Mekkah learning about the history and mythology surrounding the place and thereafter tried to disseminate truth and fact from myth. Within Al-Islam mythology the belief is that the Kabah was constructed in heaven some two thousand years before the creation of the world. After this miraculous event the holy well of Zemzem was built to provide water for the believers who would later visit the holy site. Ismayl took this well to be his property, later after his death the well passed over to the Djorham tribe though marriage. Later the Khozaa tribe became custodians, these people to be followed by the Kossay Ibn Kelab who rebuilt the edifice. From the time of its creation the building was permanently accompanied by angels who at the outset the Almighty commanded to perform the Towaf. The stone itself fell directly to its resting place from heaven. The task of building the Kabah was given to Adam who was commanded to erect it using stones from the five holy mountains, Lebanon, Tor Syna, El Djoudy, Hirra, (now referred to as Djebel Nour) and Tor Zeyt. Thereafter ten thousand angels were appointed to guard the building. Over time the sons of Adam maintained the building. Later rebuilding work was accredited to Ibrahim, (Abraham) who also was commanded to do so by the Almighty. He excavated the original foundations put down by Adam. The archangel Gabriel presented a brightly coloured stone to Ismayal, this stone has over time become black due to having been charred by fire, other say it changed colour due to the sins of those who touched it. At the day of witness it is believed that all those who touched it in honesty and sincerity will be blessed and endowed with sight and speech. Apart from some petty vandalism in A.H. 413 when an Egyptian attempted to break the stone with a club and 1674AD when an errant Persian smeared the stone with dirt few acts of desecration are recorded to the Kabah. Fire and water damage caused by torrents flowing from Djebel Nour have plagued the building over time resulting in repeated re-build attempts. In 1659AD a building was erected over the Zemzem well. In 1803AD the building was in a poor state of repair. The Al-Hira connection fits with historic references insofar as Djebel Nour was called formerly called Djebel Hira (mountain of light) during the time of the pagans; it was within the mountainside that the Prophet took refuge in Mogharat el Hira, a small cave out of red granite. Within this cave the angel Gabriel despatched him a short copy of the Quran, called the ninety forth along with the golden diamond. This account is consistent with recorded verbatim accounts and the summary given by the Intelligentia namely that at the same time the archangel gave the

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Prophet the signet ring or seal of faith. The guardians of the place (Mogharat el Hira) were Bedouins of the tribe Laha-yn. Whether they are one and the same as the Al-Hira is unclear. The term mountain of light is significant insofar as it associates the golden diamond and light radiating from this source with the site. From the beginning of time when the mountain was created by the Almighty as his favoured place he placed significant value of this place.

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Arabian Jewellery

During the 8th and 9th century mens and womens jewellery worn by the tribal communities in the Al-Hijaz were distinctive. Regional variations in design colour and materials used clearly denoted the source and origin of such artefacts. Externally sourced items often came from areas remote to the Al-Hijaz region, most being brought in by pilgrims and traded on to the host communities. Many examples presently available for inspection in museums and private collections are multi-purpose accessories, such examples are often elaborate and include intricate designs woven into or engraved upon the pieces. The functional aspect is not missed by the keen observer who recognises the practical necessities to the wearer. Items originating in India and beyond carry a distinctive regional flavour of design, quite unlike those from Africa, Egypt and material brought by the neighbouring and ever present Ottoman Turks. Traders from Al-Yemen conducted a lucrative trade in jewellery, supplying the nomads of Al-Hijaz with a myriad of rare and precious objects. To the authors knowledge there is no gold or diamond mining in the Hejez region now. It is however through that in former times gold may have been found in abundance but the source is long since lost or exhausted. Of the rocks that can be found, hornblende is common in Medinah as is greenstone, diorite and actinolite, though the later not so abundant. Eurite and euritic porphyry is seen in some parts, but in small pieces. Quartz and petrosilex are also common. Some stones are cut and polished by Indian craftsmen but in the main precious and semi-precious stones are imported via the caravan and traded in the bazaar. Curiously, the impact of international trade within the region carries with it a legion of artefacts some in circulation dating back to Phoenician and early Egyptian times. Roman coins abound as do a compote of Syrian and Mesopotamian coinage. In many cases gold and silver coinage was used within jewellery settings, or melted down and recycled. The heterogeneous mass of pilgrims over time reflected every colour, class and costume. Central Asians from Bokharan, Persia, Turkey, Mediterraneans from Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt and Orients from Java and China flooded the Al-Hijaz on their annual pilgrimage. Each group injected their own particular flavour of customs and practice. It is therefore not unreasonable to assume that the confluence of ethnic groupings in a moderately small geographic area modified regional development. Of all the mass of objects identified as having come from or originating from Al-Hijaz no other ring compares with the Al-Hira in terms of quality or design. Its unique form has never been copied or imitated. Whether this is a reflection of the respect granted by the Badawin to the Prophet is unclear. Mekkah and the surrounding territory has, over the centuries been the object of repeated tribal attacks. For this reason it is impossible to ascertain whether natural causes or vandalism caused the degradation of the holy site on Mt Hira. It could well have been soon after the death of the third 208

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Caliph, Uthman . The consensus of opinion points in the direction of rival Hejez factions who had scant regard for what was interned and had little in the way of reverence for the ancient sites of Islam. By the time the French visited the site later the Jalab Nur mountainside would have been a very different place having been restructured partly through the forces of erosion caused by the natural elements and partly by animals and the incursion of man. The ruined site had remained more or less in the same depleted state for several hundred years.

61

Finding the Ring

The account provided to the French authorities paints an explicit picture of the initial find which took place on Mt Hira hundreds of years after the death of the Prophet. What is not clear is whether it was the French or local Arabs who were responsible for extracting the initial find from the ground. The account says only that whilst foraging on Jabal Hira the party stumbled upon the desecrated Shrine of Abdullah and from within extracted various items of jewellery, gold and silver coinage and precious stones. Because the French were specific in their reference to the site, the name that they used must have come from locals or a source nearby who would have known about the ancient site. From this account we can, at best only deduce that they either excavated the items themselves or purchased them from locals some time later. From their account they specifically called the shrine the shrine of Abdullah, and as such must have had some conclusive evidence to link the find with the Prophet. Hadith and other circumstantial evidence, legend and stories nevertheless all point in this general direction. From this verified detail it is clear that local parties knew that at some time previously objects had been located in that vicinity. From Mekkah the French retraced their path back to the port along with their eclectic bag of Hejez artefacts. Prior to leaving the port of Al-Lith amongst other items that they had acquired or purchased was an ancient tranche of scrolls and some larger pieces of decorative metal work with inlaid semi precious stones which they took with them. The idea was to sell this ware in Italy or France where they knew there was a ready market. From their detailed account of the finds and purchases it is clear that whilst they had more than an average understanding of the potential value of the antiques it is equally likely that they were not aware of the specific connections that the items had with early Islam. At that time the Mamaluke dynasty (Sultans of Egypt 1171-1516AD) ruled the Hedjaz region. This largely nomadic, tribal group from the Nedjed were finally defeated by the Ottoman Turks in 1516AD. No record by them is made of the items that had previously been removed from the mountainside site. An account of the French discoveries was later picked up by the French authorities and chronicled in some detail. From Al-Lith they went West by sea eventually arriving at Kyrenia. From there they trod the age old Crusaders path back to Europe passing from castle to castle as they went. Some of their possessions were sold off as they progressed on their route home. By the time they arrived on French soil save for the smaller and lighter objects that they had retained they were penniless. An account of their adventure appeared in 1578, sometime after their exploits. From interviews then carried out the remaining members of the group were summoned to Avignon where they gave an account of their expedition and reported on their finds and purchases to the Authorities in some detail. The Vatican had years earlier received notice from its intelligence agents in the Levant that the Macoraba treasure had been

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removed en masse from Acre. Using their immense resources and networks they then pieced together all the data that they could obtain on the story with a view to tracking down and retrieving the treasure for their own use. When they received news of the Al-Hira find they appear to have reapplied themselves to the quest. One can but assume that someone within the Curia speculated on an overlap of content, fusing the Uthman horde with loot stolen by Raynald and others. Later on, they attempted to sell their story to the French Court. Their Hedjaz foray was predictably then recorded in transcript format by monks based in Avignon (capital of Vaucluse, France and Papal court in exile between 1309-1377AD). Within the transcript they record a summary statement of the find and the state of the shrine as they found it. It was the clarity of a specific reference to the site that prompted Robert to pursue a potential prize left by the Frenchmen. To his utter amazement what he found was not only a large diamond but also a small bronze ring and other objects. He also recovered a damaged lead holy water phial and an unused ceramic oil lamp. From Cistercian Monastic records it has been able to piece together sufficient data to re-construct the most probable path the disbanded French soldiers took on both the outward and homebound legs of their journey to and from Mekkah. In 1582 shortly after Pope Gregory XIII had introduced the Gregorian calendar he was presented with written documents attributed to having been created on the instruction of the Prophet Muhammad. The Vatican have subsequently vehemently denied that they possess or for that matter have ever had sight of such documents. With the knowledge that some items from the shrine had been transferred to France it was natural for the Pontiff to use his extensive resources, as it was his business to seek out more information about its source. For this he employed the services of the worlds most formidable secret service, the Papal network. Using the fear of God and confessionals as his tools of trade he passed word to the various Bishops to garner whatever information they could. Archive records were dusted down and heresy stories checked out. In turn the Bishop, applied pressure on the parish priests to glean whatever information they could. This ground research took over nine months during which time a mass of data was collected. The task of assembling the intelligence fell on a team of clerics and scholars based at the monastery in Trets, south east of Avignon. Their task was difficult in the extreme but piece by piece they reassembled the picture. From this template they drew up a strategy and presented it back to Avignon for approval. Once a budget had been secured the clerics, archaeological experts and builders were then deployed to execute the mission.

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Modern Brignole, Provance With the benefit of cheap labour that had been provided by the monks hours of laborious desk research had been saved. Before engaging on the physical programme they first had to conduct the laborious and painstaking task of site evaluations. Numerous buildings and ruins in the Provance region were identified as having the potential to house a large collection of artefacts, of these they quickly eliminated most off the list. Satisfied that they were working in the general area all they needed now to do was to pin point the precise spot. Like a needle in a haystack this was never going to be easy. Their adversary in this task was, Raynald, a master brigand, a great builder, strategist and planner. They knew full well that he would have used all his guile and cunning to secure his fortune. He had some of the very best connections in France and his closest confidants had access to numerous castles, fortified houses and other places suitable for secure storage. The question now was where? To unravel the puzzle the lead member of the group, a man referred to only by his Christian name, Marcus placed himself in Raynalds shoes and step by step analysed the options. Clearly the task would have fallen only on one who was greatly trusted and accomplished in the art or concealment. By a process of elimination Marcus kept coming back to one name - Claude Levant, and one place le Chteau. Research work undertaken at le Chteau provided him with the intelligence he needed. During the 12 th century the Alps Maritimes region was sparsely inhabited. The commercial network was then based in the less mountainous south. Marcus was convinced that the link between Claude Levant and Raynald was a blood relationship, who outside his immediate family would he have trusted with his fortune? His father, the Count of Gien and brother were removed from the equation, as were members of his first wife, Constance, Princess of Antioch. By deduction he then turned to his friends and of these he finally settled on a childhood friend. Prior to any excavation work the team systematically combed though all the records, sittings, legends and archive records of habitation. The map that was created for this work was well guarded and its details carefully concealed. Work was due to commence in the spring of 1584 he bad weather prevented an early start. Work finally commenced in September of that year. A pilot survey provided

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interesting but false information. When excavating within the church of St Barnabe 4 km west of Salernes they found a hidden chamber. When it was finally opened up all it revealed was a stone sarcophagus. The team was re-assembled the following year and excavated a further five sites, each of which proved fruitless. In 1586AD he had exhausted all the obvious leads and widened the geographic circle of interest. After three years of work reinforcements were called in and with the group came a remarkable individual, Marcus Polli. Marcus had trained as an indentured structural engineer in Rome and later worked building monasteries in Italy and France. He was a Master craftsman, linguist and academic, a rare combination of talents. Marcus. Had an uncanny eye for detail and before engaging further resources to the task he spent several months reassessing his options and analysing the data that was available. Using a process of elimination he revisited each of the sites previously examined before identified several related ruins in an area north east of Aix. One of these he felt sure was the hiding place used by Raynald. His breakthrough came when he was given a copy of a will made by one of Raynalds lieutenants. Andre Lambert came from a remote village north of Digne Les Bains. Close to the village is le Chateau perched high on the hillside in the Fort de Geruen. At 1225 m this small fort was secure and well out of the way of preying eyes. When the initial site study was made they found evidence of ground work and masonry which predated the existing building. Upon closer examination they uncovered a blocked up passage and two small chambers. Each of the chambers was empty but markings on the walls revealed the link that they sought, a roughly carved and dated eagle, graffiti and several Templar six pointed crosses . This was the breakthrough that Marcus had dreamed about. His team engaged in several surveys but for some unknown reason just as he was preparing a site dig he was called off the job. The team disbanded and no further work was undertaken under the express orders of the Vatican. Within this area stories abound about the elusive quest and from time to time various entrepreneurs have tested their wits against the wily Raynald. Treasure hunting in Europe and in France in particular has become a popular week-end hobby with many amateurs, armed with little more than a map and a metal detector taking to countryside in pursuit of a historic find. As a consequence strict laws apply to those lucky ones, particularly those who find gold, and high value items. As no recent accounts have been published which link the Raynald horde it is almost certainly the case that so far this find is yet to some. From Crusader accounts it would appear that that part of the loot which was sold off in Acre would have ultimately found its way to Cairo. We can make this statement with a certain amount of conviction as we know that some of the items forwarded to Egypt survived and are now property of the State. With regards the balance of the consignment, this would have taken a different route. Once in Cairo the gold and silver would have been marketed via a chain of traders some of which might well have ended in the Souk. Cairo, then as now was a vibrant trading entrepot and as such traders from the entire Mediterranean region would have been regular players in the various Souks. The size and value of this consignment is evidenced by the fact that many parts remained either in private hands or circulation right up to the 19 th century when, during the time when Mehemet Ali became Pasha of Egypt in 1805. He managed to secure some remaining artefacts for the nation as part of his modernisation policy. Some of these priceless items are presently on display in the Cairo Museum.

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62 Al-Hira Manuscripts

Information contained within a loosely bound set of medieval quarto vellum manuscripts led Robert Purnell to an improbable and distant place, the territories in Hedjaz region of what is now part of Saudi Arabia. The manuscripts were hand written in Latin on fine vellum. The section in question was apparently within the ninth chapter or element therein of a larger commission. Also, within the package were two separately bound parcels one titled The Band the other The Lamb. The pages that Robert relied on contained a detailed report of a journey made by an expeditionary force of French crusaders in the 13th Century. From their account the Frenchmen passed through Lower Egypt and ventured on by sea to Arabia Tayf and. Having arrived there, amongst other things they identified what they described as a shrine which had been constructed by one or more of his Companions some time after the Prophet Muhammads death and in which were reputedly buried in large jars items personal to the Prophet. The immaculate manuscripts had later been scribed by a Catholic Friar in Avignon, France, probably in the later part of the 13 th century. This work preceded the move of the Papal Court in 1309 and the subsequent building of the Papal Palace between 1332-1342AD. Nevertheless it is possible that the commission was directed following a de-briefing by agents of the Papal Court. The manuscripts did not pass back to Rome but remained in Avignon until sometime in the late 15 th century when a part of the bundle was remitted to the Abbott Friars Minor, Cistercian Order at Fountains Abbey, Ripon, and Yorkshire, England. At the time this was the largest and most powerful Abbey in England. It would have been at about the time when the UK monasteries were under scrutiny and when King Henry VIII and his parliament were first assessing ways and means of curbing the power of the Church (commercial and religious). A record of this Arra transfer was obtained from the church records; Arra being a medieval term used to identify a financial instrument used for the pre-payment of wool, in effect a futures option on forward wool production. This advance would then be used by the church to ease its cash flow. Unfortunately, its use partly contributed to the demise of the Abbey as, having taken forward loans from Venetian merchants a sheep disease, which spread through the Yorkshire Ridings killed off most of their flock resulting in them not being able to meet their financial obligations. The reason for this particular transaction is not clear but it is understood that it represented a barter trade for wool produced by Monks of the Fountains Cistercian Order. One of the most influential personalities that lived and worked at Fountains Abbey was Marmaduke Huby (1495-1526AD). He led a revival as Abbot and under his direction the Abbey and its estates grew in size, value and importance. Following the Dissolution of the Abbeys Act his successor Marmaduke Bradley could do nothing to avert the total destruction of the Abbey and its contents. In that fateful year of 1539AD he saw the ultimate demise of the Abbey when in 1540AD it was sold to Sir Richard Gresham, who in turn sold it on to Stephen Proctor the builder of Fountains Hall. At the time of Abbott Marmaduke Fountains Abbey was the largest wool producer in England. Their wool was prized for its quality, most of which was exported to Italian, and in particular by Venetian traders. The church, being a major purchaser of fine clothing was an active player in this downstream trade as it needed to provide its followers with a wide range of clerics clothing including the alb, amice, chasuble, cope, orphreys, rochet, stole and surplice. The balance of the manuscripts remained in Avignon until much later when they were transferred from France to Italy and the Vatican archives.

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Robert Purnells Quest for Treasure We do not know precisely what prompted Robert Purnell to set his eyes on Mekkah, and in particular why he so desperately wanted to locate and explore the upper reaches of Mount Hira. But, it is within reason to suppose that the prospect of finding treasure on the mountainside was more than just a passing thought. With the two missing Sura in his hand he knew that he had more than a head start on anyone else. And, for that reason alone he saw a competitive advantage over other Muslim and non Muslim explorers, or bounty hunters, the exact definition depending ones interpretation of the sequence of events that ed up to the find. Concerning the Raynald treasure, this is an entirely separate matter. The only reason it has been included in these notes is because it relates to roughly the same geographic region that Robert was interested in. And, if the Arab accounts are accurate holds the key to many questions pertaining to the fantastic horde of Islamic treasures that we know were plundered by Raynald and others from Outremer. Robert never had any inclination to seek out Raynalds particular trove, and even if he had, with France and England at each others throats access to the Provance was, then not an option. This research touches on various loosely related themes three of which centre on objects which have special value and meaning. In the first case we look at the Al-Hira collection of Artefacts, these objects were personal property of the Prophet Muhammad. In the second instance the subject matter relates to two of the missing Sura the verses reputedly delivered to the Prophet Muhammad during one of his revelations. In the third, the subject matter whilst recorded is yet to be quantified. In real terms this trove has yet to be found. It is the booty that was squirreled out of the Levant by the French Knight, Raynald de Chtillon. Many believe that its monetary value can be measured in hundreds of millions and its religious and cultural value priceless. In the first instance some of the important items belonging to the Prophet were recovered in 1804. Raynalds trove remains a mystery but clues abound as to where it most probably is located, and in this respect our research team have been able through detailed examination of thousands of documents and associated evidence to narrow the search area to one specific location in Provance, France. Whilst significant resources, mainly stemming from the Roman Catholic church in the Middle Ages were used to find Raynalds hiding place they fell just short of their quest. If it reveals what historians hope, then the deposit will be one of the major finds of all time. From written and oral accounts the stash is thought to contain the Ali Talib golden tablets upon which the first Quran was written. Over and above those items, if we accept the circumstantial evidence as provided by accounts and chronicled at the time then fourteen shipments of bullion and treasures were made by Raynald. Robert, in contradiction to general Christian practice prayed daily in the direction of Jerusalem, which, from an English perspective would have been an almost identical line as Mekkah. As with the crusaders and the thousands of Christian pilgrims before him his spiritual leaning was towards the

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Holy Sepulchre. Nevertheless, whilst on his expedition he reported that he visited and prayed in over twenty mosques, presumably in the direction of Mekkah. Robert Purnell had his roots in High Littleton, Somerset. His ancestors, the Purnell family can be traced back to 1547 Edward Lewis of Van and then down the Skey line to William Skey 17041767AD and John Purnell 1725 1754AD (29 yrs). His wife Hester was born in 1717AD and died in 1797AD aged 80. In 1731AD Robert, his brother was born. He later married Betty Skey who was also born in 1731AD. She died on Boxing Day 1802AD. An oil painting of Robert Purnell remains within the family collection. It was painted circa 1780-1790AD by an unknown British artist when Robert was in his late fifties. The portrait portrays him as being of corpulent stature with the presence and stature of a wealthy, self assured English gentleman. By the time he had commissioned the artist to paint the picture he had already acquired a modest fortune in trade and was living a comfortable country life style in the heart of Somerset. During his later life he reverted to his hobbies, scientific and academic interests. He was then in a position to spend his fortune on curiosities and interests of his pleasing. Members of the Purnell family were buried in Holy Trinity Church in the village of High Littleton. A wall tablet in the churchyard marks the place and records those family members who were buried in that place. Robert and Betty had five children three of whom died in infancy. Only Sarah and Betty survived, they lived to 74yrs and 93 yrs respectively. The Purnell family later went into shipping and printing and prospered in both. By the 1970s Purnell & Sons become the largest independent UK photogravure and heat-set web-offset printing and publishing company. Photographs of Matthew Freeman Purnell born 1828 and his brother Henry Skey Purnell (1838-1929) and a painting of the Pride of Cardiff, Matthews schooner are within the collection. This water colour painting was executed in 1854AD it depicts the schooner sailing between the Steep and Flat Holmes in the mouth of the river Severn. Henry, the pilot was drowned off Nash Point, Glamorgan when boarding or leaving a ship as pilot. His leather, signed money purse is part of the collection. Having moved from Somerset to Cardiff the family took residence in the Great House Farm, Peckish Manor near Cardiff. They are recorded as having lived there in the 1858Ad census. Henry attended school at Bath and College Green Bristol. Family records and artefacts passed down the Purnell line to Lily Marie Purnell (1873-1968). Lily lived in 42 Heathfield Road, Gabalfa, and Cardiff. She outlived her husband Evan Williams (27-5-1878 2-5-1956) and passed over the artefacts to Ralph Hill Williams (1913 2001). Having finished his education at the age of 15 years Robert, like his best friend Heath was largely self taught. An avid reader of books, articles and news by nature Robert lent away from the manual side of life. Without the benefit of a formal higher or further education he nevertheless set about making his mark out his life. An academic at heart his first preference would have been in some field of research or teaching. His second career option was commerce. This was then a vibrant sector and Bristol provided an ideal platform from which to mount a successful career. The entry point generally as a lowly clerk and from there the path ahead was what you made of it. By all accounts Robert was a generous and thoughtful man who had dedicated much of his free time to the study and translation of business documents. Even as a young man this trait provided immediate returns. Working as an assistant to the manager, owner of a ships chandlers he was detailed to translate sheaths of paper work including bills of lading, export slips and bills of quantities.

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Robert was an 18th century middle class English amateur archaeologist, linguist, and entrepreneur. In 1803 he successfully located the Holy Shrine of Abdallah near Mekkah and from it retrieved some priceless objects, one item being a battered metal reliquary casket containing the Prophets Al-Hira signet ring and large uncut yellow diamond. Since then these and other pieces have been retained by the Purnell-Skey family. Items recovered from the dig were passed down the paternal line of the Purnell-Skey family before jumping over to the maternal side in 1873 when they passed to Lillie Marie Purnell. The rings existence was recorded on 13 th century parchments written in Latin by French Benedictine monks. They describe the whereabouts of the desecrated holy Shrine of Abdullah, Mekkah which was looted in 1248A by a small mercenary breakaway group of French Crusaders. Anecdotal Arabian evidence portrays the ring as having been given to the holy Prophet by the Christian Monk Bahira. The origin is believed to be King Noman 1 st, who it is said received the ring from the Archangel Gabriel. Prior to the Prophets death the ring along with a casket containing a collection of valuable personal items were buried close to the site on Mount Hira were the Prophet received his first revelation. Also within the family collection were ten of the original Latin parchments along with the two Missing Suras survived. They had been carefully interleaved in silk squares within a simple oak box which containing a 1615 James 1 st family Bible, belonging to the Purnell-Skey family. The description provided therein identified the location of what was describes as being the holy Shrine of Abdullah which up until that time had been nothing more than rubble on the upper reaches of the mountain. Islamic myth, legend, stories an poetry however kept the fact alive. The Hadiths provide clear cut evidence that these ancient Islamic legends had weight and provenance. In a modern, post 19 th century context the term Al-Hira relates to the place where the Artefacts were found. Intrigued by the parchment sheets narrative Robert Purnell, took it into his mind to attempt to translate the various manuscripts which include two piles of verse, these being the Missing Suras. Years later, and shortly after the death of his wife Betty in 1802 Robert Purnell, then in his 70s he travelled to Cyprus and later to Alexandria, Egypt. From there he, along with his supporting retinue of Muslim Arab porters, guides and personal servants went overland to Suez where he rendezvoused with a guide who escorted the party by sea to Djidda. Once in Djidda he consolidated his ensemble before going overland to Tayf and on to the Holy City of Mekkah and Madinah. During the period of his travels, circa 1803AD access to the holy city had been restricted even to the hajji. In that year Saud bin Abdul Aziz, provoked by the Sharif of Mekkah formed an army and took the city opening it up once again for free access. In so doing visiting pilgrims were once again able to perform their Hajj. Using the parchments as both reference and guide Robert successfully identified the ruined site and once there his group conducted a preliminary excavation of the site which revealed the priceless cache, parts of which were removed by them for safe keeping. Curiously, the Muslim Arab culture in this region, quite unlike its western counterpart put limited or, in this case no interest or credit in preserving their cultural and religious heritage. Whether this was due to Wahhabi influence or simply that they considered such objects and buildings as being irrelevance to their emotional, religious and cultural needs is unclear. The Bible had stimulated Roberts interest in antiquity. It had taught Robert a lot about the significance of mans past actions. Having heard and read about the Jews and their homeland he 216

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was, as a young man interested in what he saw as being the cradle of civilisation, Jerusalem. From there his interest in Arabia started. Born into a society where contacts mattered his father provided him with a rudimentary social conduit to his country friends and business acquaintances. The townsfolk of Bristol with their distinct accents and enduring work ethic provided employment of a sort for the young man. During this clerical apprenticeship when not perched on top of a high stool and slanting work top he rubbed shoulders with the merchants, captains, traders and bankers whose collective entrepreneurial enthusiasm helped build the British Empire. West facing Bristol was ideally situated to profit from trade with Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. During this period he met Joseph Long, an East India Company man who lodged with the Purnells on his various visits to the port of Bristol. This friendship grew over the years, both men profiting from each others experience and knowledge. With each visit Robert learned more about the workings of the great company, its reach and influence as far off as the distant Orient. For over forty years the pair shared a keen social and business relationship. The Purnells hospitality was reciprocated when Robert travelled up to town. There he met up with Josephs partners, his clients, bankers and others from the same social rank and order. In this convivial company he became aware of trade opportunities with the Ottoman Empire, Arabia and the Orient. Goods imported by the EIC came from ports as far away as the Orient, they included fresh spices, nutmeg, cloves, tonkat ali roots ( said to have health and aphrodisiac properties) and sandalwood from the Moluccas. Silk came from China and camphor, opium incense, copper, sugar and pottery were all traded, freight movements being determined then by the seasonal trade winds. At the time Bristol, along with Liverpool thrived on a combination of slave trading and deep water transportation to the Caribbean and the colonies. From these acquaintances he built up a comprehensive concept of trade and quickly realised the potential of travel and trade East of Suez. He had studied charts, maps and journals presented by his grandfather, a friend of Horsley for inspection. Horsley possessed many fine maps of great antiquity including Britain according to Ptolemy taken from Mercator. In order to gain further enquiry he realised that the mastery of languages was kernel to global understanding. Having studied elementary Latin at school he made a concerted effort to interpret some coded Latin manuscripts that his father had shown him. In this he took the trouble to have the cipher script decoded, the summary of which surprised him somewhat. That small act in itself did not, at the time have any relevance but later it set the scene for his greatest exploit, albeit at the end of a long and fruitful career. At the time he concentrated his efforts on learning as much as possible about the Levant and from that was able to sketch in details of the ports that plied their trade across the Mediterranean. What he had gleaned from the data contained in the manuscripts was that several centuries earlier an expedition had reached a place in Arabia called Mekkah, the spiritual home of Islam. There on a hill side the group had found and partially excavated a site within which they said they retrieved various jars. That was enough to spark an interest in the young mans mind. From that moment he set his heart on re-finding the site. But first he needed to know more and for that his quest for specific knowledge took him in the spring of 1775AD to the Bodleian Library and The House, Oxford where he sought the counsel of leading Aedes Christi academics and Arabists. Their contribution plus that of his friend Heath provided him with the data he desperately sought. Their perspicuous response to his enquiry was cautious albeit welcome. At the time the centre of Arabist learning on this subject was then, as is now based in Cairo and Istanbul. Over the centuries a steady migration of key documents from that

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region had been purchased or stolen by traders, collectors and speculators had over the centuries. Most of these had, regrettably been permanently removed from the Hejaz and as such its historic wealth had been seriously depleted. This depletion of recorded historic knowledge was never fully rectified and to this day the scattered remains of centuries of Islamic and Hedjaz socio-economic knowledge are largely unaccounted for. It is possible that this initiative will act as a catalyst to draw back material and records. The experts preliminary analysis of the hand scribed sheets and other related data propelled the group to seek further knowledge in the field of Arabic study. For this Robert committed to learn Arabic. At the time there were few Arab speaking people in England and even fewer in Bristol. But, lady luck provided an answer. Heath introduced Robert to two Egyptian families, both of whom had settled in London and were engaged in trading activates in the Port of London. Mustaffa, the elder of the two cousins immediately took to Robert, perhaps it was their fondness for the Syrian tobacco which Mustaffa imported. Nevertheless a student master relationship built up and over time Robert expanded his vocabulary and command of the Egyptian language. Not only that but he emerged himself into the culture, the history and lifestyle of this little, isolated Egyptian outpost based just north of Bethnal Green. The base was set and upon it Robert continually added content. In the 18th century little was known about the Egyptian civilisations and far less about Islam. It was not until the French Napoleonic army arrived that the plunder of its heritage commenced. Within less than three years he was linguistically fluent and had mastered the calligraphic art of Nashki cursive script sufficiently to be able to read and write letters to business partners and traders in Egypt. In this respect, at the time he was one of a very small group of self taught English Arabists. A devoted father and husband he desisted from pursuing his ambition to visit Mekkah until after his beloved wife Betty died after a long illness during Christmas 1802AD. His plans by then were fully prepared. Final preparations were made comparatively soon after the demise and burial of his wife in the High Littleton churchyard. At an auspicious luncheon given in his honour shortly before his departure he said I am not venturing forth in the capacity of a frivolous sightseer nor as a serious lunatic, my plans are as yet unspecified and in that respect I cannot fail. The mini expedition was seemingly well planned, properly equipped and adequately funded. For personal security and ease of passage within the Hedjaz region Robert took the prudent option by attempted to partly mask his Anglo-Saxon origins. He recognised that whilst Muslims visiting Mekkah may well have travelled from all parts of the globe few were of these would have had a fair complexion. Blue eyes and pale skin would, from time to time require carefully concealment. Masquerading as an Egyptian trader he managed to complete his journey unscathed. The plan within this document is to publish an account of the man, Robert Purnell. Contributions received from various sources, places he visited, contemporary historical accounts and from experts and historians from the Middle East and Europe. The intention is to present him from a historic perspective, focussing on his personality, ambitions and lifetime achievements, these to be critically appraised against a combination of anecdotal, record and physical evidence. Through collaboration with religious experts, interested parties, Arabists and historians it will be possible to add to and expand existing research and archive material. By so doing gaps in understanding and knowledge will be filled. Following publication a documentary film with broad appeal and interest is planned.

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Up until the 18th century access to Mekkah and Medinah was exclusively overland by caravan. There were three main caravan routes to Mekkah. From the south came the great Egyptian caravan which set off from Cairo. It then moved north east before crossing the Sinai Peninsula. This annual caravan then turned east and followed the coastal plain of western Arabia to Mekkah. Depending on the size of the caravan and weather conditions the journey would take between 35 to 40 days. Pilgrims from North Africa would congregate in advance in Cairo and once assembled with guards and porterage they would move off en-masse this being mainly for social and security reasons. The other great caravan assembled in Damascus, Syria, and moved south via Medinah, reaching Mekkah in about 30 days. From the 13th century on, the Egyptian and Syrian caravans were each accompanied by a Mahmal, a kind of wooden litter, sumptuously decorated, that contained a copy of the Quran. The Mahmal itself was a symbol of political sovereignty over the holy places of Islam, the Quran inside symbolizing the unity of the religious and secular authorities of Islam. For centuries the Egyptian caravan also bore with it, each year, the new Kiswah or draping for the Ka'bah, but this is now prepared in Mekkah itself. Some of the medieval caravans were very elaborate. Arab historians have preserved the memory of a pilgrimage made by Harun al-Rashid and his wife Zubaydah. They are said to have walked all the way from Baghdad to Mekkah wearing the Ihram. Rest houses were specially built for them at each stopping place, and the track upon which they walked was covered with carpets. For his time, Robert was an interesting, if not unusual man. He had some novel ideas concerning science and the creation of mankind one of which related to his perception of time and flight. For Robert he attributed the cosmos as being the driving force which drove him to Arabia. From childhood he had dreamed about flight and the ability to reach out to the stars, which he believed were within the reach of man. He developed many theories about how and why time had been created and how, by slipping back or moving a minute step forward it would be possible for man to transfer from one state of time to another. His concept was based on a simple notion. He saw time as being a permanent line created by God along which all life moved sequentially. On this basis every section of life along the road of time would have been unique and self contained. Anything in advance or behind it would permanently be outside its knowledge and reach. The heavens were a tantalising feature within this model as the stars and heavenly constellations spanned all time and therefore could be accessed by all travellers at any time. Based on his elementary understanding of Hebrew he sought to find links between mankind and God. He was also drawn to the Kabah which he understood was a giant prism that had been created by God to filter life from dark matter the void between heaven and earth. Robert was intrigued by the heavens, time and the power required to energise life. He was of the view that in the beginning there was a cloud. Chaotic patterns generated from that source resulted in mass as we now know it. This transition was only ordered once having passed through Gods lens. He took the view that this process cleans up matter and arranges it in an orderly manner. The assumption was that dark matter filtering through the KABAH created what he described as white energy the earth. Prior to his departure to Arabia Robert constructed various scientific experiments based on his giant lens theory. He was aware that the Black Stone was a solid object but appreciated that only Gods white light only could pass through the mass. All Black energy would be

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arrested in the process and diverted back into the universe as gravity, a force that could not be seen but could be felt. Having once been to Scotland he had there witnessed the spectacle of the aurora borealis lights and from this deduced that these flickering lights which danced across the night sky were to assist Angels as they transited from one place to another. This experience had a profound effect on Robert as he never saw them again. When in Arabia he asked there whether the heavens had revealed such coloured lights. The answers given where unexpected. The Arabs had a great understanding of the night sky and showed him detailed sketches of the various constellations. Most had such an intimate knowledge of the stars that travel by night was second nature to them, the stars acting as their compass and direction finders. The arrival of comets in the night sky was auspicious in the extreme. Experts across Arabia had, over the millennia been able to predict with astonished accuracy when they would arrive and depart and with it there significance, such was there fascination of the mystery of the heavens. He concluded that it is not surprising that the relevance of Angels is central to Islam and why such weight is placed on their function in the great scheme. Robert took all this on board, and from it deduced that his trip and the experiences and knowledge to be gained from it would hopefully, open up and shed new light and understanding of the meaning of life and the workings of God. He believed that all energy generated by the sun including gravity might have come from or through this same source and wanted to examine it in greater detail. Concerning death. His view was that death of any type or form of life marked that moment in time when life slipped back on the line of time. Having fallen back it then enjoyed another existence with all those beings that likewise had died in forward time. He held firm to this oblique theory even into his dotage. He had no fear of death. On the contrary, he saw it in much the same way as he saw his great expedition, a challenge into the unknown. As with all of those who believe in a life after death Robert was no exception. During the course of his long and eventful life he came to some clear conclusions on the subject of life and death. Having been Christened into a God fearing church his view on religion moderated with age and his experience of life. Post his Arabian adventure, unlike the Muslims, Jews and Christians he did not differentiate between a heaven and hell. He fervently believed in there being one God and in that he agreed with those who he had met on his travels whether they were Muslims or Jews or any sub-sect within these main stream Arabian religions. Robert had read about the various tombs buried in Medinah. He took the view that ultimately his ring should be replaced alongside these ancient stones. Factual data pertaining to the layout and configuration of the various Tombs in Medinah is unclear with some versions saying that Abu Bakrs head is opposite the Apostles feet and that Omars face is on a level with Abu Bakrs left shoulder with that of Isa at a higher position. As and when the ring is finally repatriated to its rightful place it is assumed that the powers that be will position it in an appropriate resting place. Robert was aware of some aspects pertaining to Islamic history and culture. For example he knew that in the 9th century the English or Engreez sent an emissary to Medinah with a view to meet the Prophet and enquires into his doctrines. The word as recorded is that this delegation requested that Khalid bin Walid, a Kuraysh noble and friend of the Prophet return with the group to England to proselytise them and their brethren. Unfortunately by the time they arrived in Medinah the Prophet

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had died. Nevertheless the mission was favourably recorded and thereafter the English were duly accredited as having a desire to become follows of Al-Islam and the Prophet. Post the crusades, and for centuries thereafter the British connection with Arabia languished. It did not re-ignite until the 19th century when a few intrepid explorers and venturers entered the Hejez for trade, adventure and travel. It was only in the 20 th and more recently in the 21 st century that the region has caught the Wests political attention. Paradoxically it was in this period that we have witnessed a migration of Muslims to the UK. Not since the Arabs conquered Spain have so many Muslims practiced their religion across Europe. It is therefore fitting that to celebrate the 200 years of English ownership the Prophets belongings are returned to Muslim hands. Under Purnell-Skey custodianship the ring and various artefacts having been dug out of the mountainside largely intact and remain in exactly the same condition to this day. Nevertheless, it is presently accepted that the symbolic power enshrined within the ring remains and as such has huge spiritual and religious bearing within all factions of Al-Islam. Concerning the wearing of personal jewellery. Mekkan men and women in the 7 th century wore some very distinctive ornaments, many of which were imported and traded by specialist, passing traders from afar. At that time precious and semi-precious stones, gold and silver was commonplace throughout the Middle East and in particular in Arabia where outward wealth was often carried on ones body. Throughout time currency and the division of legal tender has been a problem best solved by physical possession of precious metal. With the exception of side arms and miscellaneous weaponry the nomadic Arab is invariably covetous of another mans personal possessions particularly ornate clothing and jewellery. In this respect the finger ring, along with the horse takes pride of place as being the most visible signs proclaiming particular status. From an early age Robert demonstrated traits and interests well beyond his local sphere of influence. He was an enthusiastic amateur historian and archaeologist. He played the piano and became an accomplished self taught linguist and translator. He and his wife shared an interest in botany. Betty was an early collector of seeds, cuttings and roses which she grew and grafted in her garden. Roberts business interests thrived, much of his income coming from trades conducted in Bristol with ship owners and their captains. His various enterprises brought with it modest wealth and security to the family. Having established himself as a modestly successful, entrepreneur he branched out into philanthropic and academic pursuits, in later life he took a passionate interest in the quest for what later became known as the Al-Hira artefacts. During his youth he worked in and around the Bristol and Somerset area. His commercial affairs provided opportunities for travel. From Bristol he regularly went overland by stage coach to London in the capacity of agent of David Heath Heathcote. He visited Heaths trading partners in Liverpool and London from time to time to assist with interpretations, translations and, from his detailed knowledge of day to day port activity to work out commercial strategies for his friends.

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64 Robert's early life

It was against this backdrop that Robert grew up. His father, a devote Methodist brought his son up in a strict, teetotal and God fearing environment. It would appear that in later life when he moved away from home he lived a more liberated life and did frequent what we would now refer to as pubs (public houses), hostelries, taverns or ale houses for social and business contact. As a young man Robert was engaged in a variety of diverse trading activities. His intellect, honesty and astute reasoning powers attracted him to the local luminaries of the time. His robust stature and presence concealed patience and a diligent work ethic. These sterling qualities endeared him to the city fathers and ship owners. From this association he built a reputation of trust and dependability second to none in the local community. Bustling with activity, the trades and services that served the thriving Bristol port and its associate markets created a unique forum for a young, adventurous man of high principals.

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Charles Wesley 1707-1788 Methodist preacher and hymn writer (Bristol) Ships chandlers, sail makers, taverners, carters, ironsmiths, bakers, milliners, candle makers, ship repairers all worked side by side on the quays. Robert had a shrewd nose for business and from this entrepot he created a modest business for himself, mainly centred on trade. He brought his close knit family up in much the same manner as that which he had experienced in his childhood. A doting father he did everything and more to ensure the well being of the family unit. In practical terms Robert was not exactly, the man about the house. His craft skills were limited. He was far more comfortable with a pen and ink or a reference book. Gardening was something he enjoyed greatly. He spent a lot of time cultivating a wide range of plants many of which he

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propagated himself. Seeds mans seed catalogues were yet to come. Friends in the shipping line were useful contacts regarding the importation of rare seeds, plants and trees, all of which he delighted in growing in his garden and grounds. Travel then was expensive and generally limited to businessmen and landed gentry, those who needed and could afford to use private or public transport. In such a flourishing environment friendships with traders, ship owners and sea captains were forged, many of these relationships spanned Roberts lifetime of work coupled with a wide range of church related community service. Hard work, clean living, a good constitution and healthy appetite provided Robert with a sound physique. During his later years weight gain was evident, but even so his corpulent girth failed to deter him from a busy domestic routine, travel and enterprise. He was, above all a family man who put his wife, Betty on a pedestal. He adored her company, wit and humour. For one so close to the Church the loss of three children in infancy must have been created a great emotional strain within the Purnell household. That experience would have tested of his religious resolve, but from what we know neither he nor his wife ever complained about these sad events. During his working life Robert had made a number of sea and overland journeys to North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East visiting Constantinople, Greece, the Levant and Egypt. During these travels he struck up friendships that later provided him with an excuse and legitimate reason to make his final, overdue long distance journey. Only after his wifes death did he convince himself that the time had come to venture forth. The trip that he had planned many years earlier involved first sailing to Cyprus to visit some crusader forts which he was acquainted with and from there on to Alexandria and Cairo. From Cairo he planned to travel mainly overland. His initial thoughts were to follow the well trodden overland pilgrim route as used for centuries by the Hajji caravans. He later modified this idea and decided instead to continue his expedition by sailing boat through the Gulf of Suez and on towards the Red Sea. His cursory research was based on charts and maps then available in Bristol and London. This research material proved less than complete as the detail within his charts and maps were either out of date or at best sketchy with much of the coastal region on the Northern side of the Sea was completely unchartered. However, he accepted that his planning, whilst incomplete in detail was the best available at the time. Prior to the opening of the Suez channel trade with the Orient was mainly land based, using highways to the north of Arabia. The ancient trade routes to the Far East followed what is commonly referred to as the Silk Road, a series of ancient, unmade routes that had, for centuries conveyed a myriad of goods between Venice and Peking and all stations in between. Depending on the seasons this road would traverse mountain sides or follow the plains. As such it was a fluid route rather than a specific track. The Hedjaz region fell short of this major trading thoroughfare and as such only limited volumes of travel ever passed across the vast, vacant desert. The exception was the annual Haj pilgrims who followed various caravan routes linking Medinah and Mekkah with the Levant and North Africa.

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65 Pubs and Bolt Court A little about Public Houses or pubs as they are generally referred to. Since pre-medieval times the English pub has been the beating heart of every village and town. As such, in addition to the basic

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services, food, drink and accommodation these premises often acted as both a drop off and collection point for Royal mail and passenger services. Typically, coaching Inns in the countryside were strategically located at the top of bottom of hills, major intersections, ports, tolls or passes and along the main roads at the changeover points. Here fresh horses would be hired for the next section of the journey. Some of these enterprises went on to become large scale commercial undertakings, many of which are still in business. These places have, over time provided the populace with a forum for debate, a place of entertainment and recreation. In most cases they provided their clientele with a variety of services including drink, food, comfort and companionship. Prior to the newspaper, radio and television the pub was the place where local, national and international news was communicated, digested and analysed by the lay community. The origin of the British pub can be traced back to Roman times (1 st-5th century). Prior to that time travel as such was limited, particularly long distance travel which required the provision of formal, safe and affordable accommodation for the traveller. The Roman road system immediately created such a demand. As a result thousands of Inns of varying size were built alongside these magnificent paved roads. Typically, these dwellings provided and array of accommodation, entertainment, food and beverage for the passing legions and travellers. Pubs as such featured large in Roberts life. He spent a lot of his time, particularly when in London with his friend Heath in the convivial surroundings of his favourite London Taverns. The history of the English pub is a parallel story to the Roman road system and goes back to the time of the 1st century AD. In many respects the business and social model of these establishments has not changed much over the centuries. When the Romans decamped from Britain their national road systems gradually fell into disrepair, and with it a fall in trade along these thoroughfares. Centuries later, the Anglo-Saxons re-visited this commercial opportunity, and, in 965 King Edgar enacted a law which stated that every village should have a pub or meeting place. This Act was reinforced in 1393 when Richard II ordered that all such dwellings should be identified by a dominant, externally mounted sign, a tradition which is evident to this day. The reason for a sign rather than a name was because many of the people were then illiterate. In reality, this Act was more to do with tax collection. The ale inspector had two function, one was to monitor quality control as they applied to weights and measures, and the other was to determine sales and taxation levels. Then, as now taxes were applied at various rates to the sale of ales and liquor sales. When in London Robert periodically rented accommodation in and around Bolt Court. His preferred and most affordable accommodation which at the time was No. 14 Gough Sq, off Fleet Street, adjacent to the shambolic rented accommodation where Dr Samuel Johnson (lexicographer) resided. Dr Johnsons magnum opus the two volumes Dictionary of the English Language published in 1755AD created a milestone in British literary circles. Despite the 22 yr age difference the pair had a remarkable similarity of appearance and outlook.

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Dr Samuel Johnson Dr Johnson, a crucible of talent was without question an incredible and dedicated scholar. Robert relished the few opportunities he had to entertain his less well off but equally influential friend in his local, a pub named Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, this being located in a passage just around the corner from the Square and less than twenty strides from Fleet Street known as Wine Office Court. It has stood, in one form or another on this site since the C16th, and been patronised by Dickens, Johnson, Twain, Beerbohm, Yates, Chesterton and others. It was at the Cheese that Robert was introduced to the Drs favourite vintage clarets, Port-wine and Hollandsch (Genever) or Hollands Gin, the dink which incidentally contributed to the early death of his wife Tetty. She reportedly died of a fatal combination of drink and opium. Since early times the Cheese used to employ idiosyncratic codewords to order spirits. Gin was always referred to as RACK, and Irish whiskey CORK, after the place name. In addition he favoured the famed huge meat pies, some recorded to have weighed over 80lbs. During his various travels Robert made a point of collecting specimen flora and fauna for scientific examination by his wife, and botanist friends in London. Amongst the many plants that he and Betty cultivated at home were roses. In this respect his contribution to posterity came in 1785AD when he produced the Belle de Betty (Hybrid rugosa). Included in his essential travel items was a recently acquired copy of James Hutton Theory of the Earth ( published in 1795AD ) it

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containing valuable information on rocks types and structure. Regrettably, this copy is missing from the family collection. David Heath Heathcote or Heath as he was affectionately called was born in London on or about 10th July 1745AD. The date of his death is not known but by deduction most probably in 1817AD, a few years after his lifelong friend Robert had passed away. As far as we know Heath like most other boys of his time had no formal secondary education. He was born in Bethnal Green and as a 7yr old boy went to work and live in a busy coaching inn off Fleet Street. Long hours of work in all weathers toughened the lad up. Street wise he certainly was. Without parental support he was left to his own devises and generally had to fend for himself. As a child he was under weight and of a weak physical disposition. In adolescence he matured and grew in stature. Even so his quick wit and sharp brain enabled him to extricate himself from the menial work in the stables. Financial promotion for Heath came though his contact with travellers and traders, some of whom he struck up lasting and profitable relationships. As a small boy he managed to secure monies from running errands in and around Fleet Street. This work later extended to include work which took him further afield. As a courier he passes parcels and messages between parties travelling on the established coaching routes many of which started off from Inns located in and around Holborn. This service was both lucrative and enjoyable as it broke the monotony of life in the livery yard. The nature of the couriers job was clear cut, he was to ensure, at all costs that his package was delivered intact and in a timely manner. Whilst the wage he earned from this irregular business was meagre his client would sometimes offer him a small token of appreciation. This might come as a shared meal or better still a monetary tip for services rendered. Having taken a commission to affect a delivery his master, the Inn keeper would take full liability and risk for the said delivery. With only a limited coaching network available, off station deliveries meant secondary coaching changes or more often on-wards transportation by horse, mule or by foot. In each case the courier or traveller if one could be found who undertook the job would need to have been both resourceful and wary. Highwaymen, robbers, common thieves and predators made their living by intercepting mail and parcels whilst en-route to their designation. A young, vulnerable courier was therefore an easy target for the unscrupulous highwaymen. Heath was ever resourceful, and learned by association how best to defend himself, first using a cosh or knife and later, by the age of twelve flintlock pistols. By the time he was just sixteen years Heath was legend amongst the Fleet Street coaching boys. Well travelled he certainly was. Over his brief career he had already established a name for himself along the LondonBristol coaching route as a dependable and honest courier. For this he commanded a premium for his services and from his clientele he gradually built a bespoke courier business. His early days taught him the essential craft skills needed for the job. He built a network of contacts along the length and breadth of his patch the London to Bristol coaching road. His territory linked Bristol and London in length and en-route encompassed Reading, Bath. Newbury Oxford. Within these established coaching roads he plied his trade, promoting himself as being the fastest and most dependable courier service in the land. Arguably, that may well have been the case because speed of service differentiated the successful courier from the pack. By the age of 17 he was running a very profitable business between Bristol and London. 226

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His unique selling gambit was offering prime clients access to the fastest courier network though which they could profit by swift communications. Receipt and despatch of time critical data was then as it is nowadays deemed a commercial advantage. Heath was able to exploit this aspect of his service to his benefit. His clients included commodity traders, politicians, ship owners, stockbrokers and bankers. Each of this group was able to secure market advantages by delivering and receiving data before their competitors. Ever an amusing raconteur and entertaining companion particularly when in the company of this retinue of drinking friends. His social skills were well honed. By all accounts he was a favourite with the ladies his anecdotes legend. His garret suite or sky parlour as he referred to it was of above middling size. Whilst it lacked the womans touch it was an Aladdins cave of valuables, accumulated junk, clothing all piled on some finely crafted Georgian furniture which he was given by an accommodating lady admirer. What was lacking in this bachelor establishment were books. Heath, unlike his chum Robert was not a collector or hoarder of books. This point was recorded many times, especially when asked for his hand to move or carry volumes about for Robert. The sky parlour, or as Robert said, his den consisted of three small interlinked rooms, access of which was by a moderate staircase guarded by a handsome carved door. The second floor was occupied by a French lady of leisure, Miss Marie Blanc. In contrast her accommodation was more elegant, with ample light and high ceilings. On one occasion Heath accompanied Marie to Paris and Lyon where they purchased silk clothing and fine chinaware. The attic rooms had a commanding view over the leads, the rooftops which led down to the Thames past Fleet Street. To the West Heath could just about see the majestic silhouette of St Pauls Cathedral. He told Robert that it is a most pleasing a sight, one could not better, particularly when back lit by a half moon on a clear night. His locking box was a work of art, secured by an impressive solid brass detector lock, the key of which was hung along others on the door rack, hardly a secure place, but that was the nature of the man.

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His narrations encompassing indiscretions, gossip indisbursed with jocularity, merriment and general amusement with whatever company he kept. His generosity, off the cuff poetry recitals, intermixed with solo renditions of age old drinking songs and ribald humour made him a favourite in the many hostelries that he frequented. As his business thrived so did his charisma grow. A ladies man he certainly was, but even so there is no record of a Mrs Heathcote. His height and slender build provided a perfect frame upon which to hang his fashionable attire. A master of his trade Heath built a strong core business based on his personalised brand of secure, high speed coaching. Once having established his credentials with his clients his integrity, dependability soon became apparent. Thereafter, in many instances such acquaintances led to long standing, mutually beneficial business dealings. Later, when he had the financial strength such connections provided a basis for some spectacular deals. As such, when still a young man Heath quickly amassed considerable personal wealth. On a personal note his failing however was drink, gambling and , womanising all propelled by his unsurpassed generosity. As fast as he accrued wealth he somehow managed to fritter away his hard earned spoils. As such his empire had no material base, everything he had centred on his contacts on both the supply and delivery sides of trade. Against this backdrop when Heath met up with Robert Purnell in about 1760 the pair forged an immediate if not unlikely friendship. In physical terms Heath, although tall remained thin and gaunt whilst Robert displayed a portly turn with a ruddy complexion. Both loved their claret and for that Robert had a constant drinking partner coupled with a steady supply of claret from his Bristol merchants. In intellectual terms the pair made a perfect match, Robert with his encyclopaedia brain and Heath with his razor sharp wit and evil sense of humour. To their discredit both men lacked both personal and business organisational skills. Neither had adequate clerical and administrative support to rely upon hence their respective dependence upon each other. Robertss bouts of lethargy indisbursed with sudden bursts of energy made for an erratic lifestyle not best suited for a comfortable family life. The blast of wind and commotion that preceded Heaths most often unscheduled arrival at the Purnell home was felt by all who came in contact with the man. Top hated and dressed in the finest clothes that his London tailors could source he cut a dash in provincial Bristolian society. Standing head and shoulders above most men he attracted the attention of all he met. This illusion of grandeur was however paper thin. Behind this front was little in terms of lasting material value other than, of course his consummate charm. No great mansion or estate lay behind the business that was Heaths domain. His enterprise was a floating mirage, a series of interlocking deals cemented in a handshake, the proceeds of which passed like quicksilver through his well manicured hands. Security was always a priority for the couriers delivering goods from one part of London to another. Longer distance movements were even more risky as the highways were littered with vagrants, robbers and highwaymen. Robert, like Heath was a self taught man, an academic at heart, a generous and thoughtful man who had dedicated much of his life to the study and translation of words. A gifted linguist and scribe Robert found work in Bristol translating and copying letters, legal documents and other materials for chandlers, captains and merchants. His knowledge of languages enabled him to specialise in the more lucrative export business. It was though this work that a connection was made with Heath. In most respects the pair were a mis-match, one an entrepreneur and opportunist the other a lowly country squire. With limited means Robert was never in a position whereby he could emulate his wealthy friend and erstwhile patron. But, a strong and lasting friendship blossomed. Over the years

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the pair shared many happy hours together. Heaths amusing tales delighted Roberts family and friends, all of whom lived on his stories and observations of life in the fast lanes of 18th century fashion and commercial life. Whenever the pair were together Heath would cajole his friend to travel. To this end he would send a coach and four to collect Robert, on some pretext or other. Once he had ensnared Robert in the relative comfort of a fashionable room in London Heath would set about organising meetings, parties and dinners for which he described as his country cousin. Such happenings were almost always amusing albeit exhausting for Robert who repeatedly complained that Heaths entertainment hours and consumption were excessive and as such injurious to both his health and mind. But, having said that Robert thoroughly enjoyed these breaks which inevitable only terminated when Healths money ran out. At that point Robert departed per carriage and Heath reengaged in his nefarious business activities. Of course the business side was ever in the background and when in London Heath welcomed his friends camaraderie, judgement and penetrating insight. As and when appropriate Heath welcomed the opportunity to present his knowledgeable and erudite friend to his commercial clients. The pair sparked off each other and profited by their mutual resources. Their discussions were wide ranging extending way beyond the realms of topical social and commercial issues of the day. In this context Robert was forever willing and able to inject his particular style and wit into the equation, which as usual would be delivered in a considered and well reasoned manner. His presence within any hostelry could be heard well before his image was observed. Like an opera singer he could seamlessly, without any apparent effort project his fine baritone voice across any space. In this manner, whilst simultaneously smoking his pipe, quaffing his Port and nibbling at a plate of game pie and pickles he would spend hours in Heaths company delivering his rambling, quasi academic dissertations and in his pondering delivery would sometimes, when special emphasis was required he would add a classical slant. Having memorised, and researched the Missing Suras and Al-Hira parchments Robert shared his innermost thoughts with Heath on this, and many other topical subjects. The out-shot of which was that Heath, his ever faithful benefactor, friend and mentor kindly offered to sponsor Robert on a trip which he knew had been planning for some time. In all probability Heath intended to be part of, not only the planning phase but also the execution stages of the expedition that his chum had in mind. The plan was to explore the region in and around Mekkah and Medinah in Arabia, an area then almost unknown to the English traveller. For this, a bag of gold coins was presented to Robert on his birthday. A most generous gift from a true and lasting friend. On the other part, Roberts commitments rested at home with his dear wife, who by that time was unwell, her condition deteriorating by the day. He was as such not in a position to leave his home for more than a matter of days, certainly not for an extended period. The course of his dear wifes illness was an unforgiving, line of steady decline. Medication did little to improve her condition or elevate her suffering. For this Robert was greatly distressed. He nevertheless stayed by her side until her inevitable demise. Upon reflection when Robert looked back over his life he saw behind him a mix of simple, thrifty, rather dull country life on one part and excitement and extravagance on the other. Whilst he thoroughly enjoyed his days in London with Heath he remained grounded, a Bristolian at heart. His sojourns to London and other parts with Heath had introduced him to High Society and circles way beyond his wildest dreams. In all this his dear friend ensured that he would 229

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never feel out of sorts or inferior. Heath took particular pleasure in fitting Robert out in the latest of fashionable attire. Much to Roberts amusement the improbable pair would then set out together for a night out on the town. His sojourns to London and other parts with Heath had introduced him in roughly equally measures to high and low Society and at times dubious circles way beyond his wildest dreams. In all this his dear friend ensured that he would never feel out of sorts or inferior. Heath was, by all accounts fashionable and took great pride in his appearance, this at a time when fashionable societys status and social standing was reflected by the clothes they wore, appearance being everything. It was against this backdrop that Heath ensured that Robert would not feel or be seen as being out of place in his company at least. Probably this was just as well as Robert was not a fashion guru, quite the opposite. Appearance was very much a secondary attribute, confined to times of social encounter only. Upon his arrival in London Heath took particular pleasure in introducing his dear friend to his personal tailor, hatter, cobbler and shirt makers to their shops located behind Piccadilly, fitting Robert out in the latest of fashionable attire was a task he not only warmed to but, more importantly paid for, such was his selfless generosity Projecting the confidence of a man with an apparent endless supply of funds Heath would indulge in his excesses and in the process attract the immediate attention of some of the London beauties of the time. The ebb and flow of his fortune was all too apparent but resourceful as ever Heath always managed to turn a sovereign when so needed. During one transaction which involved moving a large consignment of contraband gold and silver between Bristol docks and the Port of London Heath told Robert that his commission was over 1,000, a sizeable fortune then as now. It is not therefore surprising that his generosity knew no limits when it came to personal satisfaction and amusement. Oxford, lying on the main coaching route Westwards from London was a favourite stopping point for Heath. There he had friends and a very special relationship with a lady called Lilly. Lilly Adams was formerly a maid in waiting. She had been in service in Amersham and later worked as a cook in the kitchens of a coaching inn in the town centre. It was there she caught the eye of Heath. For whatever reasons the relationship sadly never fully materialised. In later years Lilly took over the management of the inn and built around it a profitable livery and stagecoach service. Robert like most others who visited the place enjoyed her acquaintance and charm. Surprisingly, Lilly was a consummate reader and was well versed in poetry. Robert encouraged her study and introduced her to his particular brand of literature and art. Lilly reciprocated Robertss favours by introducing him to clients of hers from the Colleges and from there Robert was able to reach into the academic circles that Oxford had to offer. These contacts later proved invaluable. When he focused his attention on the study of Arabic and Latin Robert, through Lillys former introductions he had already secured for himself ready access to a fountain of knowledge second to none, Oxford University. In later years Heath confided in Robert. He expressed his heartfelt sadness at not having married Lilly who similarly never enjoyed the fruits of married life. Following his return to Bristol after his much vaunted expedition some questions arose as to the purpose and result of these endeavours amongst his friends and neighbours many of whom considered him as being mildly eccentric. An answer was provided in part by the content of a personal letter to Lilly Adams in which he wrote:

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My dear Lilly It is with sadness that I heard that you have for some time been suffering from bruising to your body following a riding accident. I trust that you are steadily recovering by now and are being well cared for by Edith. Heath mentioned only yesterday that Edith and Sally are attending to your needs. If there is anything that I can do to alleviate your pain and the misery that goes with it please write to me post haste. Please find enclosed some letters and poems that might be of interest you. Your enquiry about my finds in Arabia did not go without noticed and careful thought on my part. I cannot say that I have come back laden with treasures that you might have expected. Conversely, the discarded items that I managed to purchase in the bazaars and those that I salvaged from the ancient mountainside are mean and of little value in these parts. There significance might be seen by some as being of considerably greater value to the Mussulman, who in their wisdom, rather than secure their tradition and heritage have squandered their lot in a pile of rubble. Having re-opened may little sack, and upon reflection I find the content disappointing. The Holy Prophets tiny signet ring apart has charm but I feel is somewhat lacking in style. That was my opinion until noon time just yesterday. When cleaning out and sorting things about my desk perchance I re-opened the casket and re-examined the contents. As I did so a shaft of ice cold air passed though out my body, my head was filled with a fog of fear and trepidation. With that I knew full well what was before me and with it I closed the casket and vowed on my Bible never to re-open it again................... This letter is telling as it projects a vivid image of how Robert felt at that moment in time. Whether he re-addressed the issue post the event is not known. In all probability he left the parcel as it was, unopened. The much planned trip to Arabia was originally intended to include Lilly, Heath, Robert plus a group of Heaths Oxford and London academic a business friends. As with so many grandiose plans the scale of the endeavour proved beyond the capacity of the group and for one reason or another the plan never materialised. In the end Robert and Heath agreed that they two would commit to travel together. Heath, cut down by sea sickness, prickly heat rash, sunstroke and severe stomach cramps managed to stay the course only to Alexandria. Thereafter Robert ventured on without the comradeship of his dear friend. When parting company Heath said that he intended to return directly to London for medical attention and urgent business commitments. For one thing the cost of the trip had exhausted Heaths available resources and credit lines and for another having experienced the intense Mediterranean heat he decided on balance that his body was more favourably suited to a cool, temperate oceanic clime. The reality was slightly different. He sailed north to Venice where his journey was disrupted. He stayed there for over a month in the company of Greta, a rotund Hanoverian Princess. Only when that relationship started to fade did he think about returning to business and London. His association with commercial thoughts was timely as it coincided with the arrival in Venice of a shipment of mixed produce from China. Chinese merchandise was at the time sought after in London and seizing the opportunity Heath managed a

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sizeable barter trade with the Venetian vendors. This trade financed the rest of his sojourn and in the process, the cash injection negotiated enabled him to re-ignite his interests in courtship. Evidently it did not require that much effort on his part to convince his lady friend to return with him to London where, for some time thereafter they shared quarters in Mayfair. 66 The Mabinogion

Of the many books that Robert kept within his library the one that captured Heaths vivid imagination was the legendary Mabinogion. Amongst the family heirlooms passed down through the Purnell line was an ancient copy of the Mabinogion. This greatly prized, and valuable book came into the family in the 17 th century. It, along with the manuscripts lodged within the James Ist Bible were last seen in about 1950 when it was loaned by Ralph Williams to two Mormon missionaries and never returned. It is a collection of Welsh mythical medieval texts which include the tale of Lludd and Llevelys. This account relates a story of two brothers, sons of Beli the Great, a legendary king of Britain. The elder son became king of Britain and the younger king of France. Following a great plague in the land the two brothers met to discuss the matter and to determine how to overcome the dark forces which induced it including a terrible screeching noise which they attributed to come from a dragon. The solution to the problem that was proffered by the French king was that a giant hole be dug in the centre of the land ( St Margarets Well, Brisey near Oxford) and that it be filled with mead wine . About that spot the two offending dragons would meet, drink the mead, fight to the death finally, when exhausted fall into the broth below and drown. Thereafter they would be buried in a kistvaen, a stone-lined chamber and so long as they lay there the nation would be at peace and no further plague would trouble the peoples. The kistvaen was reputedly built in Dinas Emrys, West Wales.

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Heaths stock in trade was transportation, the stage coach being the primary form of transportation. These vehicles plied their trade across the country transporting passengers, freight and mail. Essentially the stage coach was a public coach which was commissioned and regulated to provide scheduled services on a fixed route between two or more stations (stages). It was first introduced in the 1640s. Private coaches were then expensive to run and limited in application, the same horses having to pull the coach from one livery halt to another. For short journeys this transportation was appropriate but on long hauls it was limited. At the time when Heath was setting up his business coaches travelled at an average speed of between 7-8 miles per hour in summer and 5 miles per hour in winter. The later speed being little over walking pace. By the time Queen Victoria came to the throne these rates had been marginally increased to 10mph. Due, largely to better roads, more efficiently managed change overs and fewer obstacles in the road. Coaching Inns provided the basic infrastructure support to run the services and generally were located 7 miles apart, depending of course on terrain and commercial demand.

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A good friend of both Robert and Heath was John Palmer, the man who changed the English transportation landscape. He was the son of a Bath brewer and theatre owner. He obtained Royal letters patent in 1768AD giving him the right to call his theatre the Theatre Royal the first of such to acquire this right outside of London. In 1782AD John Palmer a Bathonian theatre owner suggested that an organised and integrated coaching service be applied. William Pitt the Chancellor of the Exchequer approved the proposal and an experimental service was started to run between Bristol and London. It started on 2 nd August 1784AD at 4 pm in Bristol and arrived at 8 am in London the next day. This 16 hour service proves the point, clipping the journey time in half. By the next year the service was expanded to include Liverpool, Leeds. Poole, Exeter, Worcester, Holyhead and Carlisle In 1787AD John Besant designed a rugged mail coach suitable for the Royal Mail. He and his partner John Vidler enjoyed a virtual monopoly on this trade and supplied mail coaches for all the main routes. The speed and endurance of these coaches greatly enhanced commerce and communication generally. Secure safe boxes meant that valuables could be couriered across the country with relative security and guaranteed arrival times. Greatly ameliorated road conditions and coach design increased mobility and expanded service and operational efficiency. The need to improve the transportation of goods over roads and pathways was obvious. The packhorse was limited to carrying a weight of one hundredweight. Primitive carts doubled this load but were dependent upon passable roads. By the 18 th Century wide wheeled stage wagons became fashionable. These could carry several tons of mixed merchandise. The turnpike Acts limited the road weight to 6 tons in summer and 4 tons in winter. Reading became a very busy coaching station and by the later part of the 17 th c 55 coach services passed through the town. A religious overtone could be seen when as late as 1787 notices were issued in Reading announcing to coach masters, Waggoners and drovers of cattle on the road between Bath and London, travelling within the district on the Sabbath will be prosecuted with full vigour of the law. Within less than a couple of decades after Heaths demise all had changed. The development of the rail service in the 1830AD spelt the end of the mail coach service. By the 1840s services were being withdrawn. Palmer went on to become Mayor of Bath in 1796AD and again in 1809AD.

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Heath knew many of the Waggoners and coachmen who plied the London Bristol route. In fairness to the man he was as much at ease with a bawdy crowd of ostlers, waggoners and livery boys as he was with merchants and Lords. Some say that his largesse led to his downfall, a fair summary perhaps. Regardless, in his prime his spontaneous arrival at a coaching Inn would immediately ignite a spark even within the darkest of bars. At a time when news was more localised London gossip and scandal then, as now was spread more by mouth than by newspapers, editorial censorship ever present to protect the hoi polloi. In order to secure their undivided service and prompt passage he would bribe these characters of the road with ale and victuals, a ploy which gained his clients time and earned him their respect. In the 17 th century only the better off traveller could afford to take a private coach. Samuel Pepys travelled in this manner from Bath to London in 1668. That journey was completed within three days. The infrastructure required to support this development grew with demand. Post chaises and good horses could be found at the inns strung along the route, the path of which often changed between summer and winter. Stage wagons carried mixed merchandise and were slow and cumbersome objects. Sometimes oxen were used to haul these vehicles. In 1745 carrier service still used packhorses between Bristol and London. The more enterprising carriers employed the services of many horses and all the livery support services needed to keep the service operational.

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Roberts journals describe the build up leading to his famous, albeit improbable journey as being a combination of excitement and trepidation on one hand and great sadness on the other. The later sentiment being due to the fact that he would not be able to recount his exploits to his beloved wife, Betty. He embarked on his journey only four months after Bettys funeral in January 1803 and one month before England declared war on France (17 th May 1803AD). The reason for this outrage was that the French had recently shattering the Treaty of Amiens. In his view the Treaty was so slanted in the French favour that it was only a matter of time before it would be broken. In a letter to a naval friend then stationed in Cairo Robert said that the Arabian journey was possible not only because he was free to travel but because he felt that it would take his mind off the suffering which he felt he would have had to endure had he stayed at home. Stimulated by the prospect of travel he prepared for the journey with earnest energy and a flurry of confused endeavour. Warned against travel due to the Wahhabi of the Nedjed uprising against opposing religious factions in the Hedjaz he argued that time was against him and that unless he made the journey then, old age and infirmity would defeat his desire. His pertinacious stand was justifiable considering his age. The uprising had raged for several decades with intermittent hostilities flaring up as warring factions sought to assert their power and influence. He was of the opinion that one lone traveller could thread a path through the countryside even when hostilities were in progress.

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The Prophets Tomb Then , well into 70s the undertaking that he planned was well outside the mindset and physical capacity of most of his peer group. Central Africa had still not been opened up and much of the Great Arabian Peninsula was unmapped. Whilst the East India schooner masters plied their China and Batavia spice trade around the Cape few Brits had ventured into the Red Sea. It wasnt until Ferdinand de Lesseps built the Suez-Port Said canal in 1859-69 that deep water vessels could take the short cut west to European waters. From a militarily perspective the nine year war between England and France that ended in March 1802AD paved the way for limited free travel and relatively safe passage throughout the Mediterranean. Under the terms of the badly negotiated, short lived Treaty with France Egypt was given up by the British. Following the French revolution in 1789 Napoleon had remained a major threat to England. His naval adversary Vice Admiral Lord Nelson was then commanding his Battle fleet and was in control of the Mediterranean having recently won a decisive victory in the Battle of the Nile. Whilst Napoleon managed to secure his own passage out of the battle zone his army scattered and was left to the mercy pursuing sailors and local brigands. However, on land Napoleon was on the ascendancy having established the Consulate in 1799 he used this instrument to pave the way for the First Empire. Whilst free trade may have restricted movement of British naval craft in the Mediterranean merchant flags were not much affected. The French had recently lost their hold on Egypt and the Western Mediterranean and the Ottoman Turks were the dominant force in the Eastern parts of the Mediterranean. It was in this environment that Robert confidently ventured forth on a solo expedition to a largely unknown and unrecorded destination. He would not have been aware at the time of his departure that tribal hostilities had all but ended in the Hedjaz. Portmanteaus packed and armed with little else than a couple of percussion pistols, an ancient French, military issue Musketoon for self defence, and the confidence of a seasoned warrior. On 14th February 1804AD Robert Purnell left the comfort of his home for Bristol by sea.

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English schooner under sail Having made his domestic preparations which included a revised Will and Last Testament he set about the laborious task of packing. Endless lists had been drafted, modified, reduced and added to before the final bill of lading was compiled. With the support of his close friends and supporters he carefully packed his baggage, provisions, munitions food, two spare wigs, a whale bone corset, medication and other sundry requirement he was ready for a journey into the unknown. The previous day two light wagons had collected all but his immediate possessions, these had been sent forward to Bristol docks for Customs clearance. By the time he had said his farewells his mind was on nothing other than the first leg of his long awaited adventure. With all the final adjustments made he parted company with his immediate friends and neighbours and, late in the morning went off in a coach accompanied by his family and his Wolfhounds. Their prompt departure allowed adequate time to reach Bristol well before the evening high tide. His send off from the Cross Keys was befitting for the man. Gathered there were more friends, family including the Rev David Brown, who said grace. By the time the party had eaten a cold buffet and drunk their way through various beers, clarets and ports all were of a jovial disposition. By now the overfull parlour was thick with tobacco smoke overlaid with the delicious smell of roasting beef. Later in the afternoon more food was served. Kathy the cook had made a special feast of stewed meats and dumplings which Robert washed down with a confusion of brandy, Port wine, snuff and more smoking tobacco. Having bade his farewells, the by now wobbly Robert, heavily laden with his personal effects ambled across the stand to the quayside. With the assistance of some equally merry crew members he and his effects were eased in the general direction of his next transport. A silver sixpence was exchanged and with it he passed over his possessions. Robert then peeled away from his wellwishers and, accompanied by the first mate mounted the gangplank. Under his left arm he was still clutching a leather tube containing his precious charts and in his hand a fine portmanteau which had been given to him a leaving present by his niece. He had, just minutes earlier been told that inside, were some little keepsakes for his travels. Aboard ship he was guided below decks. His tiny cabin was astern, adjacent to the captains quarters. Comfortable it was, but for a man of Roberts stature it was cramped and the bunk far too high off the boards for easy access. His erstwhile friend and travelling companion Heath arrived on board just in time before the gangplanks were drawn up. As the tide came in so did the ship correct itself as it rose with the tide. Having guided the vessel safely into the estuary the Bristol pilot clambered down rope ladder and waved his goodbyes. A light breeze aided the passage into the Straits, and then under full canvas the journey South commenced. Roberts plan was to sail with this vessel across the Bay of Biscay and then to Oporto. From there he planned to take another passage around the Gib and across the Mediterranean to Malta or Cyprus. The outbound journey contained a consignment of British manufactured goods. These were destined for Portugal where they would be discharged in return for wines and fruits. Within the hold were copious deep sea chests, sacking and boxes of all shapes and sizes, all compressed and tied

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secure lest they be torn loose in foul weather, a regular occurrence when crossing the Bay. The transfer in Oporto to a smaller and more buoyant trader was largely unreported. Light winds and a flat sea meant for a comfortable albeit leisurely journey. The passage through to the Mediterranean was pleasant and sunny giving Robert adequate time to play cribbage with Heath and swat up on his notes and read a supply of selected books that he had always wanted to ready but never had time for. Skittish coastal winds along the North African coast made this leg of the journey the most arduous and tiring. The next port of call was Paphos on the South West flank of Cyprus. Strong winds assisted the crew as they rode the tricky waves on the approach into the ancient port. At some time during the period in Cyprus Robert and Heath met another Brit, a London adventurer and, by all accounts rogue trader, who introduced himself as being a certain Capt (R) John Miller, a. k. a. Jolly. The three struck up an immediate friendship. Bad weather delayed their departure but rather than waste time the three used it to explore the immediate countryside and harbour with its age old architecture and crumbling buildings and quays. Whilst stretching their legs on the beachhead John convinced the impressionable travellers to join him on his on-ward journey to Babylon. Both Heath and Robert rose to the challenge and were convinced that their newly found friends idea was sound, a precursor for the major expedition. Their entrepreneurial friend made the cursory arrangements for the passage and all three set sail for the Levant. Both Robert and Heath were of the impression that they might be able to capture some trade via Millers contacts in Babylon, Syria. At the time established trade routes with Babylon took the overland route to Constantinople and then on through various intermediaries to European markets. Istanbul. The first two days of the journey were marred by dreadful weather but on the morning of the third day the passengers awoke to a flat calm, an aquamarine sea accompanied by a welcome, warming breeze. From that point the voyage to Beyrout was pleasurable in the extreme. Prior to clearing the port they prudently arranged for their luggage to be warehoused on the quays pending their return. From the coast the three wise men passed through Antioch. Syria and onwards across the Syrian Desert to Rakka. Rakka provided a grateful resting place. Whilst there they teamed up with a group of traders returning from the coast. The protection and company afforded by these people was much appreciated, and though it real bonds were built. The practical skill sets of these people greatly impressed the fellow English travellers. This part of the journey was arduous and long. Halts were short and infrequent. Bad weather , ferocious winds and dust storms tore at their clothing and penetrated every part of their bodies. The upper stretches of this section of the march were extremely difficult insofar as erosion and steep inclines had to be dealt with on a constant After several days both the weather and terrain eased a little making for a comfortable ride along the gently flowing river Euphrates. This meandering water mass led the camel train all the way down the valley as far as Babylon. The party barely made 15 miles a day over this section. The Baghdad and Babylon expectations presented by Miller were never materialised. The trade that they had hoped to conclude did not happen. It is unclear why they did not return the way that they had come. Instead they joined another small group that was shortly to be leaving Babylon on a more westerly route. Communication difficulties may have been the reason why they went with these people, possibly thinking that they intended to travel on a more easterly route ending up in

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the Persian Gulf. The route that they took went out in the direction of the giant sand desert known as the Stony Plain. Whether they realised what they were in for is not known. The desert route is unmarked and at all times of the year extremely hot. Navigation is difficult and water is very scarce supply. The camel train that they later joined up with was large in number, with groups converging on Meshed Alee for the journey. When all were assembles the line of tribal groups, families, traders and travellers took off and from there trudged off at a steady pace to the distant destination some 400 miles away. Once on the move the train does not stop. Apart from breaks at night and during the intense heat of the mid-day the convoy moves on at a relentless pace. During the infrequent breaks impromptu tents were erected, during the day to protect against the sun and at night to keep out the wind and cold. No sooner had these ad hoc camps been struck fires were lit, food cooked and meals eaten. Having taken the unlikely rout across the desert they first passed by a lake side town of Meshed Alee and then out across the great El Hamed ( Stony Plain ) to Wady Jowf. This journey took them across the desert and finally through the higher mountainous ground. It took them over three weeks to complete this section alone. Contrary to expectation for most of the way they travelled by foot, the camels, on such long journeys being reserved for food, provisions and portage. At Jawf they rested for several weeks, regrouping and regaining strength. Here they met up with another large group coming south from Magoua. These people had originally come from Maan taking the Wady Serhan route to the Owsit Wells. Almost sixty years later in 1862 Palgrave followed a similar route. In retrospect Robert concluded that the younger mans contacts were largely figments of his vivid imagination and the reason for inviting he and Heath along on a spurious perambulation was more to provide company and cover expenses than anything else. Nevertheless, transport was arranged for the return leg. They parted company in good spirits and wiser for the experience and then headed back to the direction of the Mediterranean for the next leg of their adventure, this time in the company of members from another small caravan that were leaving Babylon at about the same time but on a more westerly route. Security in numbers was considered prudent in the light of a recent spate of attacks on lightly armed travellers. Back at the port Heath and Robert paid off the customs officers and forwarding agents who had secured their portage. Having retrieved their luggage they spent a few idle days waiting for a ship which would take them south to Alexandria and Egypt. With the confidence of a seasoned traveller he set off rejoining his original plan at the exotic port of Alexandria where a rambunctious crowd aided him and his fellow travellers the passengers alight the gangplanks. Having set foot on Egyptian soil he was immediately feted by an advance party of Egyptian friends who greeted him in royal style trying to sell whatever they could to the vulnerable tourists. Having completed his disembarkation duties his party immediately went by collective camel train from Cairo. In Cairo he met and stayed with a trading family with whom he had conducted business with over thirty years. Through this connection many doors were opened. His social and business engagements in Cairo seamlessly overlapped. He dined with a British military delegation stationed within the garrison. They provided news and views on military developments and expansionist ambitions in the region. His friends kitted him out with appropriate clothing and provisions for an extended tour. He was briefed by the military on the Ottoman Turks concern about

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and the continuing sporadic Wahhabi uprising in the Hedjaz, Arabia. Since 1744 Imam Abd-elWahhab (1703-92) a fervent precisian, fanatic and native from Nejd had led his ultra-orthodox sect of Muslims into a series of battles and skirmishes with opposing tribes and religious groups. Muhammad bin Saud had ruled the region since 1765. During this period he ruled in concert with the doctrines propagated by the influential Imam. The shrewd ruler had access to military assets and the later a deeply held a strong theological conviction. Regional unification objectives would therefore be achieved by polarising religious ideology and military enforcement. The Imams understanding of the writings within the Holy Quran was that piety should be observed at all times and as such self aggrandisement was forbidden. Some are of the opinion that the Wahhabi orthodox position was that had Muhammad been a Prophet then he would not have worn a ring, their orthodox doctrine forbidding the ownership of jewellery. This controversial view of the status of Muhammad is challenged both within and without Islam. In 1803AD, the year when Robert was in the Saudi peninsular region the charismatic leader Saud bin Abdul Aziz came to power and won a short lived period of control of the Hedjaz region. He died in 1814AD but not before having been beaten by the much more powerful military force of the Ottoman Turks. During their tenure they removed much of the regions treasures which had, over time been amassed by the various tribal chieftains. The reason why the Turkish Empire mobilised its force against Saud was because they took umbrage when they saw the seeds of an emerging nation being built within what they saw as their jurisdiction. To prevent further expansion they comprehensively stamped out the Saud bin Abdul Aziz army. The Byzantine hierarchy considered his expansionistic activities an affront and direct challenge to their influence in land was within the Ottoman sphere of influence. Robert reciprocated his Egyptian hosts hospitality by offering to provide intelligence that he picked up along the way. A punctilious planner and stickler for detail he was the man for the job but whether he did provide intelligence is not recorded. In Cairo he was formerly introduced to a young, 33 year old Turk from Rumelia, later to become the great military leader and Viceroy of Egypt. Some twelve years later Mohammed Ali Pasha led the Ottoman Turks to a victory over Wahhabism and the House of Saud. The pair shared many similar interests including science and enterprise, the later becoming a tobacco trader of some importance. This connection later fostered a thriving tobacco business, the Wills factory in Bristol later becoming one of the largest UK tobacco processing centres. From an early age Mohammed Ali was methodical, an early riser, and of abstemious habits. In this respect the pair shared the former traits but not the later vice. Without divulging his personal interest Robert had been told by eminent Islamic historians that the Bahira meeting was significant landmark in Muslim culture and understanding and that the signet ring had been a gift from the Archangel Gabriel to the Prophet during his adolescence. Possession of this precious object therefore became very meaningful to him. He took the view that any and all powers bestowed upon the recipient of the ring were transferable and accordingly never parted company with the ring. During the later part of his travels he reportedly concealed the ring and water phial in a false compartment within the heel of his shoe. The chance to procure this elusive object was a challenge which he relished, quite unlike any others he had experienced in trade and commerce. Prior to embarking on his mission he was confident that the quest was well within his ambit. To his knowledge no other party had such privileged information and as such no one else was contesting the prize. Possession, when it finally came provided him with both a spiritual and physical asset, an asset which he cherished until his death.

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This sentiment has been passed on down through the family for over 200 years, each generation tentatively concurring with Roberts belief and wish. Perchance, whilst in London he enjoyed a short but fruitful association with Dr Charles Darwin (author of Zoonomia, or the Laws of Organic Life). The pair, being free thinkers and radicals expanded boundaries of knowledge sometimes on the edge of popular acceptance.

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Roberts Early Years

Having been brought up in a modest rural community Robert experienced the comforts of a lower middle class lifestyle which was balanced against the limited social interaction of life in a small hamlet. Robert would have spent most of his early childhood in and around High Littleton. The local mining and farming industries located there have long since supported the rural arable farming activities around Paulton. Demand for food, heat and power gained momentum during the 18 th century as the port of Bristol grew, becoming the third largest city in the United Kingdom. The slave trade flourished in the 18 th century, and in parallel so did the influential Merchant Venturer's society. This prestigious group of businessmen controlled much of the citys decision making, planning, politics and commerce. During the later part of the 18 th century the America facing port of Bristol experienced a sustained period of rapid growth, culminating in the building of a new port. This action was due to ports growth being constrained by a constricted seawards approach from the Severn estuary. This fact, coupled with a very large tidal rise and fall made quayside loading and unloading difficult. To overcome these constraints the Merchant Venturers financed the building of a new dock in the early 1800s. He left school at the age of 14 yrs; thereafter he was largely self-taught. He entered trade as a 16 year old apprentice clerk. His marriage to Betty consolidated his fortune. She was a woman of some means having interests in land and property including ownership of mineral rights in and around Paulton. His mother, Anna died when he was an infant, just one year old. His father John did not remarry. He brought his son up with the help of family and friends. He was said to be a very considerate and doting father, well read and well versed in worldly affairs. He was kind, generous and well meaning and above all a practicing Methodist. With regards his father, John Purnell. In her Will, Joan Fry ( she of the Frys chocolate dynasty) of Hallatrow a close family friend bequeathed all my lands in Midsomer Norton and Child Compton to John Purnell on 20 th December 1734AD. She affectionately refers to him to be a kind husband to his wife, who is my kinswomen. Robert Purnell was born in Somerset in Hallatrow, High Littleton, and a small village six miles from Bristol and later in life lived in Wotton-under Edge, Gloucestershire. In the 18 th century the commute into Bristol would have been less than one hour by a coach and four. He was reasonably well educated and excelled as a self taught linguist. His interests outside business were varied. By all accounts he was a perspicacious judge of people. He periodically traded internationally and though these connections built up an elaborate network of contacts acquaintances many of which he considered as being his personal friends. He used this network with great effect in both fields of commerce and social betterment. He registered the Robert Purnell Charity in 1758 when he was just 27 years of age, accounts thereafter are recorded until 1813, distributions being given to for Bread and Poor.

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His linguistic and persuasive skills enabled him to support his close friends lucrative international trade in commodities and suchlike. His best friend Heath (David Heathcote) was a successful London based trader who later sponsored Roberts travels. Robert had a passionate interest in the Romans and the Romanisation of the British Isles. His Roman Antiquities travels took him all over the country. In this connection his grandfather John Purnell Born 1693AD had formed a close association with John Horsley MA, an authority on the subject and author of three books entitled Horsleys Britannia Romana (published by John Osborne and Thomas Longman at the Ship Paternoster Row London 1732AD). One copy dedicated to James Hustler was printed in about 1730AD and bound in 1732AD some 2 years after Roberts birth is retained within family collection. This fine book along with the 1613AD James 1 st Bible would have been used by Robert during his youth. His fascination for things curious prompted him to explore areas of science and history beyond the normal domain and reach. He inherited various items from his father including a set of old manuscripts. Later in life he succeeded in eliciting meaning from there text.

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Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Off Fleet Street, London During his various English journeys Robert travelled extensively, usually in plain country garb but when with his wealthy pals his finery would be paraded and travel was then often bawdy and in great style. His group led by his dear friend Heath, when away on business in Bristol stayed in some of the very best West Country coaching hostelries and social melting pots. His engaging personality and convivial nature enabled him to effortlessly meet and converse with city and trading folk many from diverse interest groups. A polymath, and linguist he was a seasoned traveller and remarkably well read. The remnants of his extensive library remain within the family. Against this background, his corpulent stature supported in later years by gout ridden feet may well have contributed to limiting his mobility but, aided by a retinue of servants and helpers he was not deterred by his physical countenance and was able to travel by carriage to most parts with apparent ease. A long family seafaring connection existed which continued down the Purnell line to Matthew Purnell.

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Living in close proximity to the thriving port of Bristol the family, by tradition had ample opportunity to live off and travel by sea. He sometimes remarked that a comfortable berth in a sail boat was the most civilised means of transportation. His commodious brass strapped oak sea chest travelled with him wherever he went. This prized chest was used for most journeys either strapped astern his highway coach or stowed aboard his cabin when at sea. The family association with the sea and overseas trade goes back to the early part of the 17 th century when Bristol was still a fledgling sea port. It was not until later that the port thrived as its African slave trade expanded. In 1601 the East India Company was chartered, and thereafter the English merchants began a long campaign to establish their supremacy in the Indian Ocean. The Spice Islands were central to their thinking as spice was a highly prized and fashionable commodity. 1617AD marked the year when the Purnell-Skey Indenture was signed. This important vellum document survived. The Purnell-Skey association with the spice trade was by then established, as in 1617AD when two English driven by the monsoon trade winds sailed east to Banda, now Indonesia. The Hollanders who were by then well established on the island as settlers and traders attacked the British merchantmen, killing most of the seamen and plundering their holds. This event was recorded to have happened between the ports of Batavia now Jakarta and Bantam near the Straits of Sunda. Such disputes were commonplace at the time before the East India Company had consolidated itself as both a merchant and fighting force. In the early 1600s the Hollanders had a much larger available force at hand. On 27 th November they proclaimed war against the English at the Moluccas, Banda and Amboyna. Having failed to dislodge the Dutch from the Spice Islands the English set their sights on India. Earlier, in 1614AD Sir Thomas Roe had been instructed by James 1 st to visit the Court of Jahangir, The Mogul Emperor of Hindustan. The idea was that Sir Thomas would negotiate a commercial Treaty and secure for the East India Company sites for agencies or factories as they were then called. In this matter Sir Thomas was successful. This is the earliest record of a Purnell to having been involved in trade with the Spice Islands. A gifted linguist and scribe Robert found ample work in Bristol translating and copying letters, legal documents and other materials for chandlers, captains and merchants. As he became more proficient his expanding knowledge of languages enabled him to specialise in the more lucrative export and legal business. As a young man he met and befriended a young man called Aaron, one of the few Jews then living in Bristol. Through this friendship Robert was introduced to the Jewish customs, foods, religious ceremonies and above all the language. This awareness drew him towards the history of both Christianity and Judaism. As a child the Bible featured large in the Purnell family. As such the Old Testament was familiar ground to Robert. It was through Aarons father, a moneylender that Robert later met, what was to become his lifelong friend Heath. At one time the Goldstein family had provided Heath with much needed financial support and above all advice when he stated off with his early trades. In most respects the pair were a miss-match, one an entrepreneur and opportunist the other a lowly country boy with an academic turn. From the outset, with limited means Robert was never in a position whereby he could emulate his streetwise London friend. Little did he know that as the friendship matured so the union would grow stronger. What started off as a simple acquaintance blossomed over time. As Heaths commercial stature grew so did his bank balance. Much later, when Robert needed funding it was Heath who volunteered his assistance as Roberts friend and erstwhile patron. Over the years the pair shared many happy hours together. Having settled down to

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married life Robertss life settled down to a routine punctuated with bursts of commercial and trading activity which were invariably only prompted by the arrival of Heath. Heaths amusing tales delighted Roberts family and friends, all of whom lived off his stories and observations of life in the fast lanes of 18th century fashion and commercial life. Whenever the pair were together Heath would cajole his friend towards the delights and mysteries of life in distant parts. To this end he would, on occasions send a coach and four to collect Robert, on some pretext or other. Without a family of his own Health was accepted and welcomed into the Purnell family as one of their own. Once he had ensnared Robert Heath would invariably hatch up an excuse for Robert to return with him to London. For this they had to endure a 16-20 hour journey largely over unmade roads, many of which became impassable in bad weather and in winter. Betty had a soft spot for Heath whose generosity to her knew no limits. Whenever he stepped in through the Purnells front door and before Betty had time to adjust her countenance Heath would take her by the waist and propel her around the room, such was his delight at seeing his little Betty. Flowers and bundles of fine linen bonnets or other items that he had purchased in Mayfair would then follow. Knowing full well that Robert would be in good hands Betty would reluctantly allow her husband time off on such jaunts. Having secured his friend the pair would make the necessary travelling arrangements before setting off for the long and arduous trip to London. There, in the relative comfort of a fashionable hostelry Heath would set about organising meetings, parties and dinners for Bert his favourite country cousin. To all accounts Heath had no relatives or if he did he never mentioned or visited them. These jovial meetings were entertaining in the extreme, albeit exhausting for Robert who repeatedly complained that Heaths antisocial entertainment hours and excessive consumption of fine claret. Robert remarked that such excesses were injurious to both health and state of mind. But, having said that Robert thoroughly enjoyed the buzz and excitement that London society offered the well off. These fleeting breaks would run for days at a time. Sometimes the party would venture out to a country house in Epsom Hampstead Heath and on one occasion Heath took Robert to see friends in Brighton. Two nights playing cards in Brighton wiped out Heaths total monetary worth. As such the London trips invariably only terminated when Healths money ran out. Such occurrences never seemed to have any adverse effect on Heath, he merely plunged himself back into his work and miraculously within days would once again be solvent. The threat of the debtors prison and the shame that went with it was reason enough to wipe his slate clean. As and when the party was over they would, with genuine regret part company, each begging each other to visit soon before going their separate ways. The short ride to the coaching Inn at the rear of Fleet Street was always miserable. There he would check his travelling case was securely lashed aboard before jamming himself into a rear facing seat on the Bristol bound carriage. Once wedged in place with cushions , his legs covered by a thick stiff blanket he prepared himself mentally for the arduous journey home. At such times a deflated Robert would settle down and wait for the horn to announce a timely departure. Once inside the cold, unsprung coach he would brace himself for the pummelling that his body would have to endure for the rest of the journey. Generally too tired to enter into polite conversation with fellow passengers Robert would try, as best he could to catch up on missed sleep. To aid the sleep process he used the contents of a fine silver Brandy flask gifted to him some years earlier by Samuel Goodfellow. A leather Doctors bag contained his medicines, cutlery and food. The later consisted of thick cut slices of cured ham , pickled onions and a loaf of bread and a bottle of claret.

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Cold, bruised and well shuck up he would, out of necessity alight at every stop alight and stretch his legs and by then solidified spine. Only when the Bristol milestones reached single figures did he start to regain some resemblance of composure. Once home, and in the company of his dear wife and children his face would finally light up. Betty, ever anxious to hear his latest news tended to her travel weary husbands immediate needs. Once settled in his high backed Windsor chair and warmed by the heat of the cooking range he would finally relax, a large claret or port in one hand and his favourite pipe in the other. At such times he regaled in telling the most recent stories about his exploits with Heath in London. Heath on the other hand would, without missing a heartbeat simply bound into the next passing carriage and seamlessly re-engage in his nefarious business and social activities. Of course, out of necessity the business side was ever uppermost in his thoughts. The ever present thought of turning a penny or two was what kept Heath going. When in London, depending on the time of day he would frequent a coffee shop, a bar or Tavern for both entertainment and the company of his friends and business associates. In these establishments he presented his latest business ideas and plans with consummate ease. His commercial acumen was legend and for that an inner circle of business acquaintances went out of their way to listen to his views and opinions. The rank of such gathering most favoured, knowledgeable and erudite friends and, of course an eclectic mix of commercial clients and traders. On the infrequent times when the pair was together in London it was to the amusement and delight of their immediate company that they entertained engaging in the most bizarre of conversational topics. The resulting dialogues inevitably started in a modest, earnest tone but, at a turn their competitive natures would be ignited and, in a trice they would be sparking off each other with their rapier wit, each trying to outperform the other. The core content of such discussions invariably extended to Heaths immediate friends and acquaintances. Predictably, the sequence of the ranging dialogues coursed through personal to local matters and then on to those of trade and lastly politics or religion. Ever a romantic Heath often discussed the prospect of foreign travel. In this he found in Robert an ally, a fellow traveller in mind at least. On countless occasions they embraced the possibilities of trade in foreign parts. In Roberts case the Orient and Middle East being were his favours topics, whilst Heaths eyes roamed to the Orient. On both of these topics Robert was able to inject both an academic and historical slant. He had read copious books and articles about trade with the Levant and from there onwards, East across the Silk Road to China. When conversation turned to more serious topics Robert world sometime steer Heath towards his academic interests. Having conducted some preliminary research on the Al-Hira parchments Robert shared his thoughts with Heath on this particular subject. The outshot of this culminated in Heath making the most generous of offers to Robert, namely that he would act as patron and sponsor to his friend if at same time he was mindful of making such a dangerous trip to the Arabian wastes. Possibly Heath thought that at his ripe old age he would never rise to the occasion and if so his largesse would never be called upon. This line of discussion cropped up from time to time until one day, out of the blue Robert said that he had set a date for his long planned expedition to Arabia. No one was more surprised to hear this news than his good chum Heath. With that and without hesitating Heath delved into his portmanteau and proffered a bag of gold sovereigns this my friend is the money that I promised, if you need more just ask. The pair hugged a giant hug before a bemused audience of fellow drinkers. And so the stage was set for the momentous journey to Mekkah and Medinah. Coincidentally, the day when bag of gold coins was presented to Robert was his very birthday. A

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most generous gift from a true and lasting friend. Ever sensitive to his friends personal affairs Heaths gesture was an act of kindness and thoughtfulness. He knew full well that the recent turn of events in the Purnell home had driven his good pal to a state of permanent despair. On a sadder, and more personal note the reason why Robert had acted thus was because his dear wife Betty had recently passed away thus relieving him of his domestic obligations and care duties. Up until that time Roberts commitments rested at home with his dear wife, who had been unwell for some time. During this wretched period he was not in a position to leave his home for more than a matter of days, certainly not for an extended period of a year or more. The course of his dear wifes illness was a steady decline. Medication did little to improve her condition or elevate her suffering. For this Robert was greatly distressed. He nevertheless stayed by her side until her inevitable demise. Upon reflection when Robert looked back over his life he saw behind him a mix of simple, thrifty, rather dull country life on one part and excitement and extravagance on the other. Whilst Robert thoroughly enjoyed his days in London with Heath he remained grounded, ever a Bristolian at heart. Whilst planning the various sections of his tour Robert made various contingency plans and added into his budget provisions for unforeseen purchases and expenditures. In all he added over 500 gold sovereigns to his purse. This he estimated could be used for purchases or, if needed for an extension to his journey. His plans were flexible and almost immediately were modified to take into account a deviation. Instead of heading directly to Alexandria he and Heath went to the Levant only returning back to the planned route to Alexandria. When in Cairo Robert again revised his plans. From intelligence that he picked up he heard that the overland option was out of the question. His maps, parchments and accumulated personal data provided a best case template for the planned peregrination but at best these works of reference were flimsy in the extreme. As such, the accuracy and detail did not extend much further than the initial leg of the expedition. During his short spell in Egypt he learned that once again England was at war with France. North Africa was then still largely under French influence and control. Apart from witnessing firsthand the marvels of Cairo, its statues, buildings, pyramids, and archives he quickly established friendships with traders, merchants and acquaintances. These contacts provided him with valuable assistance and access to sound advice and essential resources. During the following months he planned to travel extensively over land and sea. To reduce stress he intended, if necessary to practice voluntary bloodletting, a practice that he had learnt whilst in London. Evidently an acquaintance of his the venerable Dr Samuel Johnson was well versed in this art. During the period 1795-1803 Robert was very well aware of the political dynamics in both the European and the Mediterranean theatres of war. During this time both Nelson and Wellington were involved in major confrontations with their respective French opposite numbers. The Battle of the Pyramids was still an active topic of local debate, having been fought just 6 years previously in July 1798. During that historic action Napoleon reportedly lost only 30 troops to 2,000 Mamaluke enemies killed. During this engagement 400 camels and 50 cannon were captured by the victorious French .

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The euphoria did not last long. During the following month the British fleet closed in on Napoleon. On 1st August 1798 Admiral Nelson missed the French at Aboukir Bay near Alexandria by a couple of days and then destroyed the French fleet at the Battle of The Nile. Only two of the French fleet escaped. Without shipping to evacuate his army Napoleon not only lost his navy but also his fighting troops who fled the scene of battle. On 25 th March 1802 Britain signed treaty with France ending War of the Second coalition. Napoleons assumption that British India troops were second rate called the sepoy army. On the political front just three years later, Pitt died on 23 rd Jan 1806 the same year that Bony defeated the Prussians at Jena. The European coalitions against France was mainly financed by Britain. From an armament perspective little had changed over the past 100 years. British Muskets used in the battle of Blenheim in 1704 were still used by regular soldiers some hundred years later. Some new technologies had however evolved. For example Bonaparte was slow to use tethered, lighter than air balloons as observation points. The most difficult thing in battle being how best to discern the enemys battle lines and plans. Military intelligence at the time was largely ineffective. It is reported that Bony ordered copies on English newspapers to find out what was happening on the English side. The general plan that he had made was to follow the line of the traditional inland caravan route. This would have involved mainly night marches which, as a rule set off after prayers at about 4.00 p.m. or three hours before sunset. These caravans marched through the night only alighting only at sunrise. From the muster point at Birket el Hadj the first days march would veer eastwards to Dar el Hamra and then to Adjeroud. This was an important staging post for the muleteers and camel drivers as here they would provision up. Water quality was regarded as being poor, having been drawn directly from the Suez. The caravan would then aim for the castle of Nakhel, three forced days march away. The route between these stations was dry, passing through Roos Tyh and Wady Tyh the entrance of the Desert of Tyh. A short rest at the castle and water replenishment would be taken before the next stage to El Alaya via the awkward mountain route to the village of Sath el Akaba before descending to the plain and the castle of Akaba. The regular journey then passes through Thaher el Momar and Shorafa, again waterless legs until reaching Moghayr Shayb which provides travellers with food, sweet water and reasonable accommodation. On the seventeenth day the caravan should then move on towards Ayoun el Kassab and El Moeyleh where fine pasture lands provide dates and good drinking water. From there they would march west to Selma and Kalat Ezlam and on to El Astabel Antar. On the twenty first night the schedule that Robert used indicated that the party would arrive at Kalat el Wodjeh where a short stop would be made before moving forward to Akra, which is dry. The route then passes through the dry valley of El Hank to El Houra. Heading towards Yembo el Nakhel they would pass Nabt and El Khedheyra. On the thirtieth day the party would anticipate arriving at El Kaa. Again a short stop would be made there. The route then gets less arduous. They would proceed towards Mekkah through Rabegh, Djereynat, Akabet e Sukur, Kholeys, Asfan, Wady Fatme finally arriving in Mekkah on the thirty seventh night. That was the plan. In reality it was aborted due to lack of support at the terminal station, and instead of taking this relatively safe option Robert

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combined overland and sea travel to achieve his objective. Instead, along with his retinue he went overland to Suez where he rendezvoused with a guide who escorted the party by sea to Djidda. Due to its terrain and climate the peninsular had always presented logistical problems to travellers and traders and as such most overland trade to India and the Orient went on the northerly Persian routes, following the Silk Road to China. Access to the Yemen was either by land or sea and in this regard Mekkah and Medinah were important staging posts to caravan traffic. The religious significance of these trading stations was clear, they bolstered seasonal Muslim pilgrim movement and from these activities they generated multiple revenue streams from services provided and related commercial opportunities from trade. Jewish and Christian interests in the region although minimal were tolerated. By enlarge these communities lived side by side with their Muslim Arab counterparts. Historically, Medinah and Mekkah have, for centuries attracted seasonal pilgrim trade, the former being less regulated in terms of timing as there is no prescribed season for visiting the tomb. During periods of internal conflict regional access even to Hadjys would, by necessity be restricted. In the year when Robert conducted his expeditionary tour Saud bin Abdul Aziz, provoked by the Sharif formed an army and took the city opening it up once again for free access. In so doing many visiting pilgrims were once again able to perform their Hadj. Using his parchments and copious notes generated from them as both reference and guide Robert planned to conduct a cursory excavation of a site previously identified by the French. For this he was to pack some rudimentary equipment designed specifically for that purpose. Additionally he intended to conduct some elementary meteorological and climatology study. For this he bought a sextant, almucantar, hygrometer, protractor, thermometer and pluviometer to measure rainfall. Whether he ever did make such records is not known as that particular scientific journal is lost. Even as a Giaor (infidel) his archaeological ambitions however are well recorded.

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Once in Djidda (Jeddah) he consolidated his retinue and assembled a mini caravan. Having secured transportation he awaited the arrival of a larger caravan travelling in the same direction. For protection and support his party merged into the assembled mass and went overland to Tayf and then on to the Holy City of Mekkah. Up until 1803 access to the holy city had been restricted even to pilgrims. In that year Saud bin Abdul Aziz, provoked by the Sharif of Mekkah formed an army and took the city opening it up once again for free access. In so doing visiting pilgrims were able to perform their Hajj. Using the maps as both reference and roadmap he successfully identified the various sites that he was interested in. The preliminary excavation on Mt Hira identified various ceramic shards, broken metal ware and various other small objects. Most were broken, damaged or in shards. Of those that were recovered the most valuable by far was the coveted Signet Ring. The ring itself was located within a badly damaged inscribed casket along with a large yellow diamond. An Arabic inscription identified the objects therein. From these examples we catch a glimpse of what the man may have looked like. The ring size indicates a slender hand the size of which complements that of the Prophets foot imprint in Cairo. Apart from the superficial British military and embassy contact in Cairo Robert neither requested nor was offered no special privilege or assurance regarding his adventures or safe-passage thereafter. From then on he was on his own. In this respect his self confidence fortified his actions prompting him thereafter to rely on his own resources, intuition and experience. Having cut the umbilical cord he was a free agent, released form bureaucratic intervention and constraint. Apart from dealing with the vagaries of transportation his movements were largely regulated by the weather, seasons and uncertainties due to sporadic actions by warring factions. Day to day security and personal movement was dealt with by members of his retinue. When all else failed baksheesh payments

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invariably sorted immediate matters out. These small levies were an integral part of daily life and were made throughout all levels of society. His business acumen had, from an early age taught him the discipline of financial control and the importance of regulating outgoing capital flows. Accurate analysis of relative values was another key element which needed continuous monitoring as material and service values fluctuated due to seasonal change, location, availability and place of purchase. For example shipments of goods from the East temporarily flooded the market and in so doing depressed prices for a short while. During extended periods of drought the price of water and fresh food rocketed. For these reasons stocking and provisioning was a task which he gave the highest priority.

Egyptian merchant 1800 The style of clothing Robert wore during his journey 249

For the duration of his Arabian tour Robert dressed generally in the customary Levant style, clothing which he and Heath had originally purchased with Miller. Dressed up the threesome had paraded themselves in these dashing, albeit colourful garments as if going to a fancy dress pyjama party. The loose fitting clothing however was extremely practical for purpose, and as such was their favoured dress option. Dressed according to local custom and style Robert projected an uncanny image of image of an elderly, middling class corpulent Egyptian trader. The loosely fitting attire also provided a degree of anonymity. This newly acquired, versatile wardrobe suited his disposition and his propensity for playacting. Physically more suited to the English climate Robert found it difficult, but not impossible to adjust to the oppressive Arabian heat and humidity. He describes his clothing in some detail identifying his appearance as being of a fashionable turn. His associates in Egypt provided valuable information, books, charts, maps, French requisitioned pistols, shot and powder and other documentation deemed necessary for the journey. Life spent in the relative security and comfort of a splendid architectural gem situated in the centre of Cairo was duly recorded, especially the hookah and the cooling effect provided by an ever present punka-wallah. Having found a suitable tutor he engaged in a period of intense learning , studying the language, dialects, gestures and all that went with the assimilation and integration process.

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His Arabian tutors had educated the elderly traveller as best they could in local practice, etiquette and mannerisms. This new found knowledge and social awareness appears to have assisted in ensuring a seamless transition between two very different lifestyles. In common with Islamic belief he shared the concept of predestination, the doctrine that everything was determined by God from the beginning. As a preventive measure and on his friends recommendation he employed an agent to assist in purchasing two male slaves. Upon his return these were resold into the market at a profit. Whilst the trade was commonplace in England political pressure was then gathering momentum against the practice and in 1807 slave trading was abolished. With these and other key additions to his personal staff he managed to build up a small, close knit group that was to stay with him for the best part of a year. Whether he revealed his motives and hidden agenda to third parties is not known. Team building, meticulous planning and careful attention to detail paid off later. This was evident when his comrades became ill and when he suffered from bouts of malaria or visual impairment. Having purchased over 200 inexpensive pocket watches in Derby, England before he left he was well positioned to trade and barter as he went. Gold coinage augmented his negotiable instruments, these he secured by sewing them into his clothing. Miraculously, he managed to take with him a generous supply of extremely scarce vintage claret purchased in 1794AD from his agent Jean-Claude Bernard in Libourne, France. This, along with one of the first French folding wine corkscrews was clandestinely shipped to Bristol for collection. The war with France had reduced supply of most French product particularly that classified luxury. Contraband imports coming into the country mostly did so via convoluted routes circumnavigating customs and excise control. Evidently Robert purchased enough casks to meet his personal needs for almost the entire journey sharing the final drops with a fellow traveller, a German by the name of Herr Kurt Metz, their paths crossing in Ismailiya on the lake Timsah. This fragile and heavy addition to his baggage was, as he puts it included in his portage strictly on medicinal grounds. In order to conceal the contents identity it was labelled and stored which his medicine. The beverage complemented an array of other body and soul healing lotions, potions, drugs, including opium to soothe pain taken orally or smoked as an intoxicant, embrocating agents, powders and other items of medicine and quackery which he thought prudent to include. Of all the bottles the largest was a deep blue one marked Quinine. This multi-purpose medicine, derived from the bark of the cinchona he used as a febrifuge for antimalarial treatment His bespoke medicine chest was a work of art in itself having been purpose built to his specification in cherry wood by a local Bristol based cabinet maker. Ingeniously crafted compartments concealed almost every life supporting agent known to man, or at least that which was available for purchase in his apothecary. From his journals he expands on his preoccupation for what he describes as medical necessities. A hypochondriac by nature he constantly referred to the acquisition of local remedies for ailments that he thought he had, he had, or anticipated getting in the future. His desire and quest to seek out the elixir of life took him to some obscure locations. From middle age onwards he suffered from parallel inflictions, obesity and gout, the later a debilitating ailment which at times proved as painful as to confine him to bed. This imposition on his mobility proved irksome but never thwarted his desire to complete his mission or for that matter reduce his consumption of claret. In Medinah he sought out an aged sage who claimed special powers in the treatment of gout. The result of primitive intrusive surgery proved to be near fatal. The open wound created by the quacks surgical incision went septic causing blood poisoning and a

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near collapse of his renal system. On that occasion he attributed copious quantities of quinine as being his liquid saviour. Regardless of that near miss he is recorded as having practiced or partaken in numerous local quasi medicinal arts en route. Personal hygiene issues were a constant problem, with water scarce, pricey and more often than not of dubious quality. Numerous ancient cisterns located at well heads or below lead cased down pipes stored water but often these were contaminated and sometimes deliberately poisoned. In Mekkah and Tayf wells and cisterns provided a good source of drinking water but in Djidda wells contained undrinkable brackish, saline water, here cisterns were the only source of supply. The better quality fresh water he described as (light or sweet), being of drinkable quality, the worse (heavy or sour) was relegated to cooking and what was left (brackish) he used for washing and cleaning. In this respect, to mask unpleasant personal odours he reverted to perfumes, eau de Colognes and smelling salts. No scientific reports are presented quantifying the success or otherwise of the myriad of liquids, powders and creams consumed or applied. From his reports we are informed that he religiously took or applied the widest range of health promoting and life supporting concoctions until his death in his 85 th year. In 1803 James Gillray the satirical cartoonist published a lampoon of Robert Purnell setting off on his travels. The rotund, then aged gentleman is caricatured set amidst a multitude of travelling boxes, trunks and his cavernous captains chest. The sketch was published in the same year by H. Humphrey, St James Street, London. Not only was his expedition an ambitious undertaking considering the various modes of travel needed to execute the arduous undertaking but it was also not without its dangers. For most of his journey he planned to travel through the Wahhabi controlled Hedjaz or the Holy Land of the Muselmans territories and as such he blatantly contravened Muslim law, conventions and regulations. Travelling incognito as a Muslim merchant he was always a risk. It is possible that Robert was one of the last of the non Muslim Europeans to visit and be granted access to the holy sites of Mekkah. Added to this fact, the destruction of many wells and cisterns which had either been neglected or ruined during the sporadic tribal confrontations and quasi religious uprisings made long distance travel hazardous. The presence of Infidels in restricted places was punishable by death, particularly at that time when strict Wahhabi influence prevailed. Far from taking the prudent line of reason his behaviour courted controversy to a degree which, at times put his life and wellbeing at risk. Either from arrogance, truculence or simple self belief he repeatedly contested potential adversaries, obstacles, bureaucratic or otherwise with a measure of distain that only the venerable are entitled. That withstanding somehow or other managed to get away with it. Many other travellers in the region before and after fared less well, some never making the return trip home. Upon his departure from Mekkah the dilemma facing him at that time was one of disclosure. Should he or should he not present the trove to the local authorities in Mekkah? In this respect his judgment, like that of most other British explorers of the time aired on the side of fortune. The decision to offer up what he alone had found was never a moral issue for him. His moral perspective was that the local warring tribal factions had, over time repeatedly destroyed much of their heritage and had shown little regard for the sanctity of items discarded in antiquity. In such an unforgiving and prejudicial regional environment he contended that there was no justification or obligation to hand over what he considered discarded historic religious relics.

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One can assume that after months spent in the Hejez the elements would have mellowed his complexion from the delicate English pink to a more ruddy, sun kissed appearance. In this respect the wind and sun would have played their part in the transformation of his features. Whatever the case, his Anglo Saxon complexion, English demeanour and giveaway cobalt blue eyes Robert Purnell is reported to have enjoyed relatively safe and unhindered passage between the various towns and cities that he and his entourage visited. His enquiring mind and inquisitive nature prompted him to met with the learned and in this case his contacts were of the highest order, which speaks volumes for his charisma, style and presence.

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The Great Egyptian caravan 664/1266AD

The practice of travelling in caravan clearly contributed to both group and personal safety. Within such large convoy movements it was possible to maintain a high level of personal anonymity. During his stay in Hedjaz he made several light weight moves with a fast caravan between Medinah, Mekkah and Djidda before returning to the coastal port Djidda. Having secured passage by boat from the entry port his entourage was joined by a group of Egyptian Muslims returning steerage from their pilgrimage. The shallow draught coaster sailed a lazy course close to shore taking advantage of the off-shore breeze, mooring up nightly in small ports or inlets for provisions, water and security. The voyage up the peninsular coast to Suez was slow, hot and uncomfortable. The

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combined effect of erratic navigation, overcrowding, extreme heat and scarcity of good, light (sweet) drinking water failed to make the occasion memorable. In Suez they rested while waiting for a large camel train to assemble. Following a series exasperatingly convoluted negotiations with the organisers they were permitted to join the armed caravan and headed out along the well worn pilgrim route back to Cairo. From there the passage home is largely unreported. Upon his return to Somerset he disgorged the eclectic assortment of goods and presents that he recently acquired. Apart from a few local engagements in Bristol he did little to propagate his experience. Regrettably, apart from adding minor amendments to his journals he never published his experience. The last letter that he wrote to his dear friend Lilly included a small gift, his deceased wifes engagement ring and a poem titled The Ring. Minor excursions were undertaken from Mekkah and Medinah. The journey to Medinah and Tayf was a far greater undertaking and only done so after lengthy negotiations through intermediaries. From there the party returned to Mekkah before repairing to Djidda and the coast. The homeward leg to Suez was largely unrecorded. It would appear that it was merely a repeat of the outward leg and without incidence. Military activity between the British and French in the Mediterranean caused some delays en-route from Cairo. The homeward journey took Robert by sea from Alexandria to Venice, Italy and from there overland via the Alps to Salzburg, Austria, Munich, Bavaria then along the salt road to Ulm and north through Germany and onwards to the Channel and England. Insofar as his personal ambitions go he succeeded in completing the arduous trip to Arabia relatively unscathed. Re-united with his European wardrobe he admitted to having lost a considerable amount of weight during his Arabian exploits but concluded that that loss was largely beneficial. His budgetary allowance had just about held out, having reverted to type he augmented his cash flow by modest trading en-route. Nevertheless his books balanced and reportedly reflected a small profit on the sale of improved slaves and Arabian goods which he traded on in London. Upon his arrival back in England he was met by his old friend and travelling companion, Heath. Much amused by the state of his attire and reduced stature Heath marvelled at his friends stamina and endurance qualities that he never believed existed. The party could not however go on indefinitely and after a time Robert packed his bags and repaired back to Somerset. Once home in Bristol he pronounced to his friends that his body and mind were in all aspects in good shape. Not only that but his dreaded arthritis had faded away and with it came a relief which only the Almighty could explain. Against this remark he did spend a month or so in convalescence under the care and attention of his private physician. During this period his friends and acquaintances regaled him with their seasonal gossip and him in turn reciprocated by narrating tales of the sea passages and his time in Arabia. By that time the physical and mental exertion of the tour seemed to have finally caught up with him. No real effort was ever made to publish an account of his expedition. As a hobby adventurer he never took any steps to commercialise or exploit his finds. Whether this was on legal or political advice is unstated. Possibly failing eyesight proved a hindrance preventing him from reading his copious files and research notes followed by the laborious task of writing copy for a book which he believed, if ever published would have no market value. In that judgement he may well have been correct. Since the early 19th century the greater part of the story thereafter remained locked and secure in his oversize captains travelling chest. The contents of the sea chest shrunk over time with only the smaller of the Arabian items surviving the passage of time. From the wooden chest the portable

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items passed down through various metal boxes, the last of which was the black tin Barclays Bank safe deposit box (No 87) with clasp and lock.

70 Wahhabis Robert witnessed the worst excesses of internal political and religious strife when he arrived in Mekkah. Immediately prior to his visit to the Hejez the Wahhabis had imposed their law and regime on the people and in so doing had systematically destroyed much of what was of physical value there. For this reason it is worth looking into the workings of this strand of Islam and their particular interpretation of the Koran. From firsthand accounts he was made aware of the fear and trepidation so caused and how local, long suffering communities had suffered in the hands of this extremist group. In Saudi Arabia the Wahhabi doctrine had been re-kindled by Abdul Azziz bin Abdul-Rahman a descendant of the founder of the Ibn Saud dynasty. He recaptured Riyadh and allied himself with the tribesmen who had never distanced themselves from orthodox Islam. His group was known as the Ikhwan or brotherhood. In the process of founding the integrated Saudi kingdom Ibn Saud gave the Wahhabi clergy substantial powers and in some areas absolute authority to impose their version of Sharia. Following a number of high profile trials in the 19 th century Wahhabism influence grew, this concept of Islam more or less taking over across the Hedjaz. With public and political support on their side they set up and operated the Deoband madrassah or religious seminary to teach the Wahhabis version of Islam. Over time thousands of young men were drawn to these institutions and by the end of the 19th century Deoband was a leading academic authority in Asia. This movement has evolved and now practices a more moderate form of Islam. It remains a bedrock of Wahhabi teaching and learning and has over 8,000 Deoband centres in Pakistan alone. In the 1930s easy accessible petroleum was found in the Al-Jazira (Saudi Peninsular) in great volumes by the ARAMCO consortium. This massive oil and gas find was to add significant strategic and economic value to the region as never before. Saudi Arabia in the Hijaz remains under the control of the ruling Wahhabi sect and as such its connection to the descendants of the Macoraba has added significant, albeit disproportionate economic weight and importance to those who determine regional political, economic and religious policies. The League of Arab States, also called the Arab League founded in 1945 after the cessation of hostilities in Europe with its headquarters in Cairo whose purpose is to ensure that cooperation amongst its member states and to protect their independence and sovereignty. This new status provided the region with the sovereign identity that it last witnessed when unified by Saladin.

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Added to that it secured military protection from the United States of America. The massive injection of petro wealth that has flowed into the region during the past 80 years has destabilised some of the organisation structures and traditional non aligned objectives. To further exasperate the problem, by the late 1970s Saudi Arabia received an unexpected bonus, a massive hike in oil revenues. Revenues from this source were used by the Wahhabi leadership to finance a policy of expansion, much of which was focussed on Pakistan where military leadership under General Zai-ul-Haq applied the gift to the Islamic extremists and their madrassah. The period of Russian occupation of Afghanistan acted as a further catalyst. Arab Muslim students were actively encouraged to pursue the Wahhabi cause to fight the infidels. The Pathans, as previously mentioned were key to Taliban success. They provided manpower, leadership and resources to the Taliban in its quest for political and religious power. In 1806 Robert Purnell wrote a firsthand account of the problems caused by the Wahhabi reign of terror and the social and humanitarian problems that it caused. Whilst he recognised the common link between the various sects within Islam he abhorred the desecration committed in the name of God by the Wahhabi. Coincidentally, he made a passing comment that he saw a tenuous link with the Freemasons, who, almost a hundred years earlier in 1717 had set up their first Grand Lodge in England. Like the Macoraba both organizations are fraternal secret societies limiting membership to adult men who believe in a Supreme Being. There is no evidence to support the view that the Macoraba ever had a ritual or hierarchical structure. What is clear is that there has always been a tenuous quasi commercial link between the ultra right wing orthodox Islamic sects which include the Wahhabi and the Macoraba. In this regard a parallel can be drawn with the Roman Catholic Church with its dubious association with the Italian Mafia, as was evidenced by the P2 affair and Gods Banker on the other. P2 was made up of a group of influential right wing Italians. It was re activated in 1946 by the government headed by Mussolini and more recently by Licio Gelli. Gellis stance against communism made it attractive to conservatives and right wing extremists. When the Vatican joined arms with P2 through the offices of Archbishop Paul Marcinkus, who was head of the Vatican bank the stage was set for his associates Sidona and his protg Roberto Calvi to instigate an orchestrated theft of Church funds. The pair set up dozens of fictitious bank accounts through which money was siphoned off from the Church account. In all US$240 million of losses were declared, the actual sum may have been much greater. In comparison Macoraba and its derivatives have never suffered from the unwelcome media glare that follows in the wake of such a scandal. Both the standing of the Roman Catholic Church and, by association their management and control systems were seriously exposed as being flimsy at best. The saga ran on long after Roberto Calis body was found hanging under Blackfriars Bridge in Central London. In summary, it appears that over time the movement petered out. Whilst traces of activity can be seen up until the end of the 18 th century the integrity of the Macoraba had, since its inception resisted external penetration. No recorded scandals, defections or imprisonments come to mind, and as such its codes of practice remained intact. 255

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So far as we know individual members may have suffered adverse media and public attention in their own name but there does not appear to be any record of corporate officers having been put in the media spotlight. Secrecy prevailed, this bond of silence being the perfect foil to the ever present threat of intrusion by third parties. This basic tenant can be traced back to the time of Saladin. Robert attempted, with modest success to link individuals to the organisation and assess how their power base operated. In this he made some casual observations about the city fort of Medinah in his diary notes, as he understood from folklore and word of mouth evidence that the organisation had once had its roots and treasury close by the city walls. Once there he planned to conduct a city wide survey and from that and field research deduce where precisely the organisations base was. On both counts he failed. The few records that he managed to see or acquire were limited and had little bearing on his quest. He pointed out that historically, certainly at the time of the Prophet Muhammad the city of Medinah was not fortified, a rubble mound was all that marked its boundary. At that time there were few building of any consequence and those that stood were mainly practical in purpose. The irregular, newly built oval granite and lava walls that he witnessed had been added more recently. He observed that whilst the city was larger than Suez in size and population it was only half the size of Mekkah. He did not venture to estimate a number of inhabitants within the city walls. He said that he entered the city via the Eastern wall, the Bab al-Jumah or Friday Gate that leads to the Nijd road and the cemetery known as Al-Bakia. He records the gates as having been a massive structure which housed rooms below for the guards. The linked walls that joined the four gates had trefoil-shaped crenelles these being built to in order to secure flanking fire. The traders located at the Caravanserais or storehouses were forthcoming and ready to engage in conversation. Whilst in their company and smoking Syrian tobacco he discussed a range of topics with the local bazaar traders trying to elicit information about the city and in particular about workings of the Macoraba. In this he was only partially successful. Perchance, whilst there he met the Muhafiz (governors) private secretary. From this chance encounter he touched on a subject close to the heart of the old man, who earlier in his career had taught mathematics in Cairo. His historical knowledge of Islam was unparalleled. He narrated the story to Robert about the treasures which the Macoraba had hidden and the quests made by locals and pilgrims thereafter to find them. Prior to the birth of Islam there is little evidence of any centralised resources or pools of amalgamated wealth under the control of a bank or similar organisation. During the period from the seventh to eleventh century Macoraba largely financed itself via commerce and contributions, loans, pledges, deposits and gifts. In some instances these were donated by travellers and pilgrims in return for communication services rendered. A parallel here can be drawn with the Crusaders who for several centuries provided an effective international banking system, and from these operations became the largest bank in the world. It was only in 1818 some 14 years after Robert Purnell had left Arabia that the Ottomans finally put down the Wahhabi in a ruthless purge. In their view the emerging power base created by the Wahhabi leaders needed to be suppressed. Wahhabism at the time was a unifying movement which supported the age old tribal way of nomadic life. In this respect it was a reaction to the Byzantine power base, an act of defiance against a superior military power. Even though the superior Ottoman strength stamped out the Wahhabi leadership the religious belief persisted and, from time to time re-ignited in areas as distant as India where the Wahhabi made a holy war against the Sikhs. Once

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against history repeated itself. The superior Sikh army crushed the Wahhabi force. But far from removing them for good the Wahhabism regrouped and later focussed their attention on the British. As with the Ottomans and the Sikhs the British showed no mercy and whenever they came into contact exerted whatever military pressure as was needed to stamp out the Wahhabi zealots. Their fanatic belief however was resilient to military attack and no more so when they were backed off and used the high mountains as their bases. Located in mountainous regions of the North West Frontier, an area now part of Pakistan they enjoyed freedom of movement and a high degree of physical security from foreign forces. This tactic is as relevant to-day as it was a hundred years ago. From these retreats they brought out the Pathans, the local tribesmen and led a number of uprisings. During the next century the Pathans were thoroughly jihadisised. This close knit group of hardened fighters opposed most other factions including the Christians, Hindus and Shia. However, without the need to fight opposing military forces their leadership devised a strategy based on integration rather than confrontation. This tactic worked and over time brought the Wahhabis into mainstream religious society.

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Retirement

Robert was, by any standard an old man when he returned to England. Upon his return to England he equated his experience as being equal to the third of the Labours of Hercules, the Capture of the Hind on Mt. Ceryneia. Since then the signet ring with its numinous aura has captivated the imagination of those who have seen it. Whilst its simple design reflects the origins of its owner it remains a powerful symbol linking the birth of Islam to the present day. The unique design on the face of the ring represents the classic architectural shape of the central dome as built on Mosques across the world. Other artefacts relating to the holy Prophet are held at Husseins Mosque Cairo, the Shrine of Prophet Zakaria at Aleppo Syria and a caste of the Prophets right foot on a marble plaque at the Topkapi museum, Istanbul. From these examples we catch a glimpse of what the man may have looked like. When showing off his finds he often remarked to friends that its size indicates a slender hand. Robert spent the last years of his life in quiet retirement tending his garden and cultivating roses. Regrettably, Ill heath coupled with bouts of extreme anxiety and loneliness terminated what had otherwise been a remarkably active and enjoyable life.

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The Ring This is a symbol Given to you Take hold and grasp it firm Within your hand a power is given To you and all your clan Your finger so anointed A priceless gem thereon Solidified by time and love A tract of life is riven

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And with that wealth Youll share will all The mighty and the brave The humble slave will seek your love The warriors sword is given From Gabriels staff this ring was cast Its ancient form does read A trove from ancient times gone by A linear scar of truth Behold this link, do keep secure For Allah the Almighty Supreme above Our earthly world Sublime the heavenly deity A token of his blessed gift Over time it will endure This spark of life to you is given Its teachings to impart Key knowledge and honed wisdom Transcended from the dark Timeless trials and bleak reasons Embodied in the mind Administer law in fair degrees Bend ear to learned talk Look deep inside the morning mist Aberrations that may appear For there youll walk with staff and bag Your raiments and your food Your countenance will be transformed When all is understood A new found destiny you will find Fulfilled beyond your dreams In solitude you will confess And pray for life so given Replenished, you will see anew With reasoned, balanced scales A store for future use perchance When filtered to your friends Amongst your peers Your head will rise Above the yoke of life Life blood will course within your veins A wonderment of trust Accomplishments will ebb and flow Dont scatter upon the dust Your name emblazoned in the sky Heavenly clouds That brings forth rain And shade for vagrant travellers Whilst lingering on the plain

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Your message will be sent abroad On eagle talons carried The camel and the scorpion Bear witness to whats done The tenets of this perfect state Will last for time eternal Hold fast the trust thats so been given Forgive the errs of time Do tend to those below your rank The weak and the infirm Seek out those tasks hard to define And challenges hard driven Respect youll earn by what is done Sound council freely given When mercy is delivered Only Allah will decide For he alone gave you first breath Venerate this heavenly blessing Your mark on earth is measured neat No place to hide or dwelling Peace, redemption, love and trust Must flow within your heart Draw deep below from yonder well Your thirst for it will quench Keen eyes, sharp wit and humour Straight arrows about your side The tools of work and war and peace At your command reside In manhood you will have the strength Sound lungs will swell with pride The gates of gold will swing ajar As the Prophets words resound His wisdom is untarnished As is his love of man Within this store of wealth anew There is a price youll pay Lifes passage comes at princely price For all the gifts Theres pain The rings allure its beacon bright Will track you past those foes Ferity, subterfuge and other ills And quicksands in your path Your beacon lit Lifes lonesome route Peregrinations that are planned Hold high your princely head aloft Temptations in your way This humble ring links old with new

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A chain of life in state A symbol of whats good and true For eternal Kings of peace Attributed to Robert Purnell June 1810 Following his death his artefacts, diary and journals remained locked within his weathered and much used travelling chest. He was guided by intuition and foresight rather than formal education and training. He had an enquiring and versatile mind capable of accepting great leaps of trust. His fortuitous upbringing combined with a fascinating peer group enabled him to conceptualise and fulfil his dream. Having identified the various links in the chain from the Monk Bahira through to the Prophet Muhammad and beyond was a remarkable piece of detective work. Robert was pragmatic when it came to material values and in this respect he never attempted to exploit his find.

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Reference Sources

The Robert Purnells journals, diaries and notes combine to provide a unique insight into 18th century life of an elderly, amateur traveller in the Hedjaz. This is probably the first such account made specifically from an 18th century British travellers perspective. These documents also give us an idea of what his expectations might have been and how he coped in his old age with adversity and hardship and illness. We know for certain that the challenges of heat , diet and various forms of unconventional travel played heavy on his mind for the greater part of the sojourn. Bearing in mind his advanced years it is understandable that health issues surfaces large in his mind. In addition, the summary gives us an insight into his thinking as well as an account of his Arabian expedition from the planning stage in 1798 instigated in part by Nelsons naval success in the Battle of the Nile to the departure to Mekkah in 1803 and the return journey the following year, 1804. Material within these journals reflects his daily routine, his interactions with the group he hired to accompany him on his travels and more particularly a progressive summary of the Arabian countryside, the desert, travel conditions and the people that he lived alongside. Curiously for a man of his standing his personal privations are trivialised. Apart from the physical aspects his observations of life in the Hedjaz region, the customs and traditions provide an enlightening insight into life and attitudes at the time an account of which being largely unrecorded in western literature. Regional wars, uprisings, nomadic movement and pilgrim migration had the combined effect of dispersing historic knowledge and records. Accurate record keeping is thus difficult in the Hedjaz region and even when records were compiled their physical security could not be guaranteed. The fragmentation of information over the centuries meant that more of these historic records and artefacts presently exist in Egypt and Ottoman Turkey than locally in the Hedjaz region. Of the many pilgrims who have, over time travelled to and from Medinah and Mekkah few Westerners have bothered to record their remarkable journeys and as such hardly any such accounts are were written still exist. 260

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Other Connections

During the last century various third party enquiries have been directed to the P-S Trustees. These have tended to be split between academics and historians on one part, and religious and others generally with mercenary interests on the other. The Jewish interest has been a consistent factor with representatives from Israel and the United States having broached the topic of outright purchase. The Roman Catholic Church has refused to cooperate or answer questions relating to material that the Trustees believe are in within their control and custody. The Nestorian Church has been most helpful and has provided much data pertaining to the time prior to and post the time of the Prophet Muhammad. Concerning the matter of future custodianship on-going discussions commenced in earnest in 2004. By 2011 these are finally drawing to a close. The Trustees have, in the past been lax in some aspects of their management of the artefacts. In the 1950s a representative from the Mormon Church borrowed some manuscripts and books relating to the Al-Hira from Ralph Williams. These items were never returned. All correspondence with the Church has drawn a blank. It would appear that not only does the Mormon church want the Trustees to let them gain custodianship of the Al-Hira Artefacts but it also wants exclusivity to all historic and recent research on the subject. 74 Mormon Background. 261

The history of this sect goes back to 1844 when Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormons was shot dead in Illinois USA. Joseph and his cofounder Brigham Young were both practicing Freemason as where their fathers, brothers and many of their closest friends and neighbours. The coexistence and similarity between the Mormons and the Freemasons is perhaps based on some common beliefs and practices. These include degrees of elevation within the respective ranks, an interest in hidden and secret treasures, symbolic clothing and the belief in a supreme being are but a few examples of common practice and belief. The Smith family held strong ideas concerning the delivery of an incredible find which is kernel to their religion. This treasure included some inscribed gold plates which Brigham holds out as being a result of divine revelation. Mormons hold Brigham as being a prophet and as such his followers take their lead from his words. The Mormon church cites links with Solomons Temple. Without a comparable tradition and heritage it is now surprise that this sect is presently trying to forge links with the seat of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. The inclusion of the Al-Hira Artefacts into their Temple would, in their eyes add provenance to their various claims.

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The League of Arab States

The 19th century did not witness much in the way of either commercial exploitation or military intervention by the British or other western nations in the Hedjaz. The coastal ports in the west

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continued as before plying their trade, supplying fruits and scented woods and an endless overland supply of merchandise from the Levant and beyond. After Roberts departure little, if any interest was taken by the people of Mekkah in securing their heritage as it concerned artefacts, buildings and manuscripts. The present political and commercial thrust seems to be in the areas of finance, commerce, tourism and trade rather than culture, history and heritage. During the past millennia a steady exodus of treasures, valuables and other such material was traded west, mainly ending up in the palaces and bazaars of either Cairo or Istanbul. This trend is still evident with little interest being taken by the Saudi Authorities present or past to preserve their cultural heritage. The recent destruction of architecture in Mecca to make way for new structures around the Kabah is a case in point. Without any specific reason to enter the Red Sea British naval and merchant vessels merely offloaded their cargos and from there they went overland to be picked up on the other Red Sea side. The Suez channel dramatically changed that traffic sequence. It is to be remembered that right up to the time when T. E. Lawrence, a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia visited the region in the 1920s that it was he who almost single handed united the many disparate and warring tribal forces, a task previously undertaken by the great Arab leader, Saladin. T.E. Lawrence, author of the best seller, Seven Pillars of Wisdom accurately recites the events leading up to the creation of the League of Arab States. This graphic, literary account provides the reader with an insight into the Arabian mindset, the values and aspirations of the nation at the time, and the hope and trust imparted by the tribal leaders that T. E. Lawrence had befriended. The fact that his British masters later reneged on promises made by Lawrence to the Arab leaders are not lost in his subsequent observations. Lawrence, like Robert first set about winning the support and ear of the Arabs. By so doing he managed, not only to penetrate the upper echelons of Arab leadership but unified a disparate group of Bedouin tribes under a collective leadership. As such, up until the time when the Suez Canal was opened there were few reasons for British tourists or the international business fraternity to venture into the Hedjaz. For this reason little was known about the region, particularly in England until early in the 20 th century when the Levant once again assumed a pivotal role in Mediterranean political history. During the period when the conflict between English and Turkish forces was escalating. British led forces under the command of T. E. Lawrence made an unlikely alliance with a coalition of Arab forces. Lawrence was a supreme strategist. With minimal available resources he managed to create, almost single handed an efficient army made up mainly of irregular troops. The tactics that he deployed were similar in many ways to those used over time by Bedouin raiding parties. He later formalised the fifteen key elements of his concept in war.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Strive above all to win the hearts and minds of the adversary Establish an unassailable base from which to operate remain strategically diverse make maximum use of mobility operate mainly in small local units remain largely detached from the enemy do not attempt to hold ground operate in depth rather than en face not in battle lines aim to perfect intelligence about the enemy concentrate only on momentary tactical superiority strike only when the enemy can be taken by surprise never engage in sustained combat always have lines ready for retreat make was or material rather than men make a virtue of the individuality, irregularity, and unpredictability of guerrillas 263

Like Richard the Lionheart, when Lawrence of Arabia arrived in the Hejez in 1916 he was witness to a looming disaster. Both displayed similar, unconventional approaches to war. Both were brilliant statisticians and mavericks on and off the battlefield. His observations of the environment, the opposition and the numeric difference prompted to re-appraise the task ahead and from this conceptionalise a different type of battle against a significantly larger and better equipped Ottoman Turks fighting force.

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264 Lawrence of Arabia T.E. Lawrence placed great faith in the guerrillas ability to fade away and advised Prince Faisal to use such techniques against the Turks. These largely independent, self-sufficient, highly mobile individuals had excellent intelligence gleaned from the communities within which they operated. Unlike the regular soldier, when it suited them the guerrillas could melt into the civilian throng in a thrice. Such clandestine operators were thus indistinguishable from the civilian population, of which they were part. Guerrilla warfare is as old as human conflict but Richards and latterly, Lawrences treatises represent a systematic, joined up approach to this stratagem. In Lawrences case The Arab army which he personally stitched together amounted to no more than 5,000 lightly regular soldiers plus an unspecified number or irregulars who were co-opted in as and when the need arose. This transient army was but a percentage of the Turkish army of over 350,000 troops. The imbalance was huge, but, by applying the tenets of his is adopted master plan Lawrences campaigns were, by enlarge successful on all counts. Bedouin tribal raiding parties are a part of Arabian culture. Swift strikes at unprotected targets generated immediate results and often significant plundered wealth.

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Word Meanings: The word catholic means universal. The concept being a fully integrated, all-embracing religion panRoman Empire. The word pilgrim originally meant traveller and as such the pilgrim would not carry arms. The term crusade was first coined in about the 13th c. well after the Holy Land had been most.

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Dateline

BCE
721 560 Jerusalem captured by Babylonians Temple destroyed . Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon captured Jerusalem and in the process destroyed the kingdom of Judah including their holy of holies, the Temple. The Jews were exiled. Jews use Atbash cipher systems as encoded in Old Testament and genatia (Torah analysis) 537 400 332 134 Jews permitted to return to Jerusalem Herodotus of Halicarnassus refers to use of Steganography in his Histories Jerusalem captured by Alexander the Great Temple destroyed . Romans removed the rebellious Jews and, like the Babylonians before them sent a large contingent of the Jewish population of Jerusalem into captivity in exile. The Romans renamed Jerusalem Aelia Capitolina. They built a Temple to Jupiter on the site of the old Temple. At this time they abolished the names Judea and Samaria and called the area Palestine after the ancient tribe who lived there, the Philistines Inauguration of the Silk Road

265

106

100-44 Gaius Julius Caesar invented Caesar shift cipher which was used with great effect across the Empire 62 Pompey the Great captures Jerusalem for Rome 37 0 Herod appointed King of Jerusalem

Jesus born 31 Jesus crucified

AD
46-127 Mestrius Plutarchus detailed use of scytale transposition cipher system as used by Spartans 64? Arrival of first Christians in China (according to tradition)

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66 70 150 214 311 313 Jewish revolt against Rome Destruction of Jerusalem by Roman Emperor Titus First historical records of Christians in Edessa Edessa becomes a Roman colony Conversion of Constantine the Great to Christianity Constantine's Edict of Toleration legalizes Christianity in the Roman Empire First Christian cathedral built in Edessa by Bishop Qona (first bishop mentioned in Edessa) 315 Letter from Constantine to Shapur II urging him to protect Christians in his realm Papa restored as bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon and begins to use the title "Catholicos" St Peter followers establish Christian Church 330 325 Church of Holy Sepulchre built in Jerusalem First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea asserts Christ's deity (James of Nisibis and a Persian bishop from "India" recorded as attending) True Cross found James of Nisibis establishes theological school in Nisibis after the Council of Nicaea 326/7 Death of Papa and succession of Shimun bar Sabbaeas as Catholicos James of Nisibis establishes theological school in Nisibis after the Council of Nicaea 330 334 First Syrian monastery founded by Mar Augin north of Nisibis First bishop consecrated for Merv. Sinaiticus Codex written in Greek vernacular. This is the first complete surviving Bible. It includes the Septuagint the Old Testament 360 363 Julian "the Apostate" becomes Emperor of Rome and invades Persia Persia defeats the Romans, killing Julian, and recaptures Nisibis School of Nisibis moves to Edessa, along with Ephrem the Syrian 373 381 Mawiyya becomes first Christian Arab queen of Tanukh tribe Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople asserts Christ's humanity and declares Rome and Constantinople equal

327

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379/80-401/2 Continuation of the Great Persecution of the Persian church

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380 381 390 True Cross venerated Nestorious Born Nestorian missionary Abdyeshu builds monastery on the island of Bahrain Noman Ist crowned King of Hirra. Consolidates kingdom According to Nestorian records King Noman 1st abdicates his throne. He ruled a vassal State under Roman protection in Mesopotamia. Missionary Abdyeshu builds monastery on the island of Bahrain

420

Al Hirah was an ancient Mesopotamian city located in what is now central Iran As a buffer State abutting the Roman Empire Hira played the role of mediator between opposing, military forces and ideologies. The Sassanian Emperor Baham V became king in 420 AD. During this period up until about the early 5 th-6th century it was a primarily a military base. The fort known as Al-Khoranaq was built in Al-Hirah, the capital of the Lakmids. Historians identify Al-Hira as being the first Arab kingdom outside Arabia.

418

King Noman Ist abdicates and becomes recluse/ monk King Noman 1st receives Al-Hira ring as gift from Christian Romans ( given by Archangel Gabriel ) as a token of thanks for converting kingdom to Christianity The King received a vision which dictated that he cast aside all his earthly possessions, become a Christian monk and banishes paganism across his land. He accepts the heavenly order and receives a gift from God, a bronze ring. His wandering took him East to Syria. He finally resided in a cell, a small cave near Bostra, Syria. There he kept his minimal possessions which included the ring and religious texts. These artefacts were retained within the cell for the benefit of a chain of successor Monks. A poem or collection of thoughts believed to have been written by King Noman 1 st in Al-Hira. It is published and received widespread acclaim. Al-Hira was the, capital of the Kingdom of Hira at the time when he abdicated (circa 418 AD). The verses reflect a warm mixture of sayings, didactic views, beliefs, mythology and most importantly, the Kings moral convictions. Translated into Latin, mid 13 th century. First English translation between1805-1810.

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428

Nestorius ordained as Patriarch of Constantinople Death of Theodore of Mopsuestia

431 451

Third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus condemns Nestorius as a heretic Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon denounces Monophysitism Death of Nestorius in exile in Egyptian desert

431 451

Third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus condemns Nestorius as a heretic Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon denounces Monophysitism Death of Nestorius whilst in exile in Egypt

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476 500 519 522 Rome falls The Arabs of Najran (southern Arabia) become Christians Constantinople repudiates the Henoticon, ending its schism with Rome Beginning of persecution of Christians by Jewish Himyarite kings of Yemen The Himyarites defeat the Ethiopians and massacre the Christians of Najran 523 The Ethiopians invade Arabia in response to pleas for help from Christians in Najran The Himyarites defeat the Ethiopians and massacre the Christians of Najran 526 527 525 Bahira ( the Nestorian Monk ) born al Hira and the Ghassanids engaged in a war. Emperor Justinian Empire (Christian) 527-567. Justinian actively promoted Christianity across the Roman

570

The Battle of the Elephant, in which the Mekkahns defeat the invading army of Christian Ethiopia Birth of Muhammad ( b. 570CE-8th d. June 632CE ? ) Arabic: the Praised One) born Abu-al-Qasim Muhammead ibn Abdallah ibn Abd-al-Muttalib al-Hashimiyy.Muhammad was born in Bani Hashim lane in Makkah on Monday morning the ninth of Rabi Al-Awwal. 22 nd April 571 AD. Ibn SAd recorded the fact that Muammads mother said when he was born there was a light that issued out of my pudendum and lit the palaces of Syria. (The light of God). Abdul-Muttalib his grandfather carried him to Al-Kabah and prayed. He called him Muhammad, an unusual name at that time amongst Arabs. Gabriel came down and ripped open his chest and removed his heart. He then extracted a blood clot and said that was the part of Satan in thee He then washed it in water of ZAMZAM in a gold basin. He then put the heart back into the childs chest and repaired the wound.

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Turkish prisoners captured by Persians discovered to have crosses tattooed on their foreheads Bahira, a Nestorian monk meets the young Prophet Muhammad at his cave dwelling near Bostra ( an account of this meeting is recorded in the Quranic scripts and Hadiths) A Basilica now marks the spot. Muhammad travels with his Uncles caravan to Syria. Bahira witnesses a miracle whereby a cloud is seen to move above an approaching caravan from the South. When it stops the leaves of a palm tree envelope a young man within the group, protecting him from the heat of the day. Bahira, a Nestorian monk who inhabited the King Nomans cave witnesses the happening and beckons the caravan leaders to him for refreshment, and hopefully an explanation. Following discussions with the travellers who included Muhammad and his uncle Bahira gifts King Nomans ring to the young Muhammad (then aged between 10-12 yrs). First Islamic record of Al-Hira ring etc. At about the time of the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632CE the shrine of Abdullah was constructed, or better said dug out of debris on the flank of Mt Hira close to the cave where the Prophet had received his revelations (as recorded in the Hadiths)

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592 Al-Nomon Ibn al-Munthir Ibn Ma al-Soma was last of the Manathira Kings of the pre-Islamic Bedouin tribal dynasty who came to the throne 592 AD and died 608 AD.

597-661 Ali son of Abu Taleb and son-in-law of Mohammed called the Lion of God. His mother called him at birth Al Haidra the Rugged Lion.

597

Muhammad re-visits Bostra with Maysarah and meets Nestor a monk inhabiting the same cell as his predecessor Bahira. Perhaps by that time Bahira had died. Maysarah reported that the monk asked who was this man (Muhammad) He is from Quraysh said Maysarah of the people who have guardianship of the sanctuary. None other than a Prophet is sitting beneath the tree, see his ring said Nestor.. These words sank deep into the mind of Maysarah. He was given added confirmation when travelling with the Prophet when two Angels appeared to shade the Prophet from the sunshine.

602
608 610

Khosrau II deposed Numan III (Noman III) and annexed his kingdom. The mounting pressure of Islam was too powerful for Hira and in the 7th century the Arabs overthrew the Sassanid Empire. Al-Nomon Ibn al-Munthir Ibn Ma al-Soma died Prophet Muhammads first revelation The Angel Gabriel appeared to Mohammed near a cave on Mt Hira near Mekkah

614 622 625 628

True Cross taken to Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem Hegira Prophets uncle killed in battle against Abu Sufiyan The discredited Khosru was murdered by Zoroastrian ministers. Bedouin raiders rode up to the gates of Jerusalem unopposed.. Meccan merchants including the young Muhammad expanded their commercial network to include southern Syria and the Kingdom of HIRA In 628 C.E. Prophet Muhammad granted a Charter of Privileges to the monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai

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630

Mekkah overthrown by the Prophet Muhammads Medinah army Cotton introduced to Arabia Golden Quran produced known as the Ali Quran

632

Prophet Muhammad dies related artefacts buried within a simple shrine on Mt Hira. Ring and Band Sura written in Kuffic / Arab conquest of Mesopotamia. Abu Bakr appointed (caliph) Khalifatu Rasul Allah and Arab conquest of Mesopotamia. Medina becomes set of fist Caliph.

635 634 635

Arrival of Alopen in China as first Nestorian missionary Abu Bakr produces his personal Quran Arrival of Alopen in China as first Nestorian missionary

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638 Six years after Muhammads death Umar enters Jerusalem and visits the Rock, on the site of the Temple of Solomon. Caliph Omar grant covenant of peace to Jews. Jews readmitted to Jerusalem Arabs find up to 500,000 papyrus scrolls in Alexandria Book copying industry in Alexandria destroyed by the Arabs thus reducing circulation of knowledge. Building of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem commences

640 641 643

644-656 Uthman Caliph 650 Uthman (Caliph) issued official text of Quran. In that year he reportedly lost the Prophets Signet Ring. That was the last time it was seen in public. Uthman was Caliph from 644-56 (murdered) the most probable explanation is that he interned it for safe keeping in the shrine on Mt Hira. Caliphs in concert with Macoraba instigate first news service 656 Uthman Quran produced as a copy of the Holy Quran as a complete (definitive) work (see photograph of his Quran above) Wahhabis take Tayf

659

661-714 Caliph Ali murdered. Hajjai, governor of Iraq destroys much of the written Islamic records. 671 Greek fire used against Arabs in siege of Constantinople. Invented by Kallinikos. (Sulphur, rock salt, resin and petroleum) Trullan Council First Arab coinage First mosque built in Bukhara, later the second holiest city in Islam after Mekkah. The architecture of the original dome closely resembles that of the facing section of the Prophets Signet Ring Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz compiles Hadith literature. Arabs learn art f paper making at Samarkand Macalabra Council meets Earliest known Codex Quaan. Ibn Ishag writes first account of Prophet Muhammads life 120 yrs after his death Overthrow of the Umayyad caliphate and beginning of the 'Abbasid caliphate, based in Baghdad 751 The Arabs defeat the Chinese at the Battle of the Talas River and discover the secrets of making paper and silk from captured prisoners. Abu Yusuf Yaqab ibn Ishaq al-Sabbah Al-Kindi wrote Manuscript on Deciphering Cryptographic Messages 8th Ecumenical Council 2nd Council of Nicaea

691 695 712

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800

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790 810 820 St Albans Abbey founded by Offa. Golden age of Arabic learning during reign of Harun al-Rashid Term algebra used by Persian scientist and mathematician Muhammed ibn Musa al Chwarazmi. Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing by Muhammad ibn Ms alKhwrizmi (forerunner of Macalabra cipher systems) St Helena found the True Cross in 825AD. She was consort of Emperor Constantius, mother of Constantine 1st. Saracens capture Port-Grimaud in France and establish a foothold in Provance

825

890 930

The Ismaili a tribe from Al Hufuf in the east sacked Mekkah and stole the sacred Kabah stone and demanded a ransom. They controlled Hijaz in 1,000.
Abu L Wefa mathematician died early Macoraba member. Postal and news services stretch across caliphs Empire with over 1,000 stations. (322AH) Wazir Ibn Mugla and Ibn Isa finalise authorised Quran Saracens driven out of Port-Grimaud. Europe adopts the present arithmetical notation from Arabs Visit of Nestorian monks to China finds no traces of Christian community left

940

960 973 981

1007-1008 Conversion of 200,000 Kerait Turks 1009 1050 1055 1056 True Cross hidden from Muslim invaders for safety. Sacking of the Holy Sepulchre Mabinogion published in Wales The Seljuqs enter Baghdad, overthrow the Buwayhids and become the official protectors of Islam Henry IV 1084-1105. He was the son of Henry III best remembered by his power struggle with Pope Gregory VII Cistercian order founded at Cteaux by Robert Molesme. Metropolitan ordained for Khitai (northern China) Establishment of Nestorian metropolitanate of Jerusalem The Seljuqs defeat the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert, capturing the Byzantine emperor Romanus Diogenes, and establish the Turkish sultanate of Rum in Anatolia The Seljuqs defeat the Qarakhanids March in Piacenza, Italy Pope Urban opened the first Great Council. Comnenus Emperor of Byzantine sends message to Pope Urban II for help. November, Council of Clermont. Objective as stated by Sir Steven Runciman to persuade the quarrelsome knights of the West to use their arms in a distant and holier cause and s the idea of a holy war was born. Pope Urban II issues the call for the First Crusade

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1098 1063 1065 1071

1073 1095

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1096-99 1st Crusade launched. 1097 The first Crusaders arrive in the Middle East under Papal legate Bishop Adhmar of Le Puy. Leaders include: Godfrey of Bouillon, Duke of Lower Lorraine, Reymond of Toulouse, Robert of Normandy and Stephen of Blois The Crusaders capture Jerusalem on 15th July Council of Macoraba Sheikhs hold extraordinary meeting Acre taken by crusader forces Reymond Brenger III Count of Barcelona marries Duchess of Provance Knights Hospitaller of St John given papal privilege by Pope Paschal II

1099 1100 1104 1112 1113

1118-20 Knights Templar established in Jerusalem 1123 1127 Raynald of Chtillon-sur-Loing born Constance, daughter of Prince of Antioch Bohemond II Guiscard de Antioch & Princess of Jerusalem Alice de Rethel born. Fountains Abbey built, Ripon Yorks. The largest English Cistercian monastery, The Qara-Khitai defeat the Qarakhanids (now vassals of the Seljuqs) at Khojent Saladin born. Died 4th March 1193, aged 55 years The Qara-Khitai defeat the Seljuk Sultan Sanjar (possible basis for the Prester John legend) Formal reconciliation between Nestorian patriarch and Jacobite primate. Krak des Chevaliers or Castle of the Knights taken over by the Knights Hospitaller. In 1271 this impregnable fort capitulated to an army led by Mamluk Sultan Baybars Christmas Eve Zangi Imad al-Din, Lord of Mosul and Aleppo (murdered in 1146) captured the crusader city of Edessa In December Pope Eugenius III proclaims a crusade know as the Second Crusade (1147-49) Raynald left for Holy land. Fought with King Baldwin III of Jerusalem. Raynalds grandfather, Gautier de Chtillon had fought as a Crusader before him. Bostra hit by earthquake and never recovered Bahira cave destroyed. Later a small basilica was built in his memory. The roof structure replicates the domed face of the ring Raynald marries Constance Constance has a daughter; Anna (Agnes) of Chtillon-sur-Loing died 1184 aged 30. Nur al-Din enters Damascus Raynald attacks Cyprus

1132 1137 1138 1141 1142

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1153 1154

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1157 Raynald sends team to Port-Grimaud, France to find a site for a silk farm

8th-13th.cNo archaeological records available regarding the precise location or state of repair of the Al-Hira Shrine. 1160 Raynald captured by Nur-ed-Din at Marash and held prisoner by Muslims at Aleppo for 17 years. Imprisonment hardens Raynalds attitude against Islam Constance died Saladin builds Cairo citadel Saladin wins control of Egypt Nur al-Din dies

1163 1166 1169 1174

1174-86 Saladin wins control of Aleppo, Damascus and Mosul 1176 Raynald released from captivity after ransom of 120,000 gold dinars paid. Immediately upon his release Raynald orders his best Levant masons back to France to fortify silk farm complex and construct a secret, fortified vault for his treasure. This directive was a precaution to ensure that any future demand could be paid for in gold. 1177 Raynald marries Stephanie, widow of the Lord of Oultrejourdain. Raynalds surveyor evaluates sites in France for a fortified vault. Mining, tunnelling and masonry work is completed in France on Raynalds vault. Nearby foundation stones are laid out for a small chapel and pigeonary. Treaty signed by Saladin and King of Jerusalem Raynald broke truce with King of Jerusalem, Guy of Lusignan and Saladin by plundering trading caravan(s). Guy tries to mediate but Raynald tells him that it is none of his business and proceeds to mount successive raids on various caravans from his castle (Kerak). He launches attack by sea using pirate force which was defeated at Al-Adil near Medina 1182-7 Raynald commences the process of moving a series of heavily guarded gold bullion (ransom fees) shipments to France. This newly amassed wealth was mainly plundered from Syria bound caravans, his revenge for 17 years of incarceration by the Muslims. Raynald plants over 5000 mulberry bushes for silk production in Provance, France. 400 years later silk production re-introduced in France. 1183 1184 1186 Krak sieges in 1183 and 1184 Raynalds daughter, Anna (Agnes) dies at the age of 30 yrs. Counts of Provence declare Aix its capital. Macalabra Sheikhs fear attack on Mekkah and Medinah and take action to protect their wealth

1179

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1180 1181

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1186 1187 Raynald makes an unprovoked attack on large Cairo-Damascus caravan Raynald of Chtillon forces mounts a fresh series of attacks on caravans from his impregnable Kerak fort. By chance Raynalds troops capture caravan containing Macalabra treasury horde including the Ali Talib Quran gold tablets en-route to Syria Troops plunder another caravan in which a sister of Saladin was travelling First tranche of Raynalds war chest held in the keep on Kerak castle removed to Levant port and shipped abroad to Venice and then overland to France. Largest shipment of war chest made May 10 th 1187 to France May. Battle of Cresson, Muslim army defeat Western Knights, mainly Templars. Raynald killed by Saladin in Battle of Hattin 4th July 1187 Saladin captures Jerusalem 2nd October prompting 3 rd Crusade. True Cross falls into Saladins hands and is lost to Christianity Pope Gregory VIII proclaims a crusade on 29th October, known as the Third Crusade Saladin takes Jerusalem 1188 Last of Raynalds treasure arrive in France. Six major shipments were made between 1178-1188. No record is available of secondary or part shipments. The following consignments are recorded as having been packed for export ex the Kerak Keep. 1st May 1179 20,000 gold Florins, jewellery 10,000 lbs silver 2nd January 1180 42,000 gold Florins, 5,400 lbs silver 3rd August 1182 89,000 gold Florins, 10,500 lbs gold bullion, jewellery, 2,300 lbs silver 4th July 1185 68,000 gold Florins, 22,000 lbs gold bullion, jewellery, 5,800 lbs silver 5th May 1187 240,000 gold Florins, 5,100 lbs gold bullion jewellery, 20,000 lbs silver 6th August 1187 12,000 gold Florins 1,600 lbs gold bullion 16,000 lbs 16,700 lbs silver Totals. 471,000 Gold Florins. 50,200 lbs silver. 37,760 lbs Gold bullion. Misc Jewellery The total amount of bullion jewellery etc that was despatched to France is well in excess of these particular lots. In the event none of this treasure chest was needed as ransom as he was executed by Saladin. 1189-92 Third Crusade led by Emperor Frederick I, Philip II Augustus King of France, Richard I King of England Siege of Acre. 1190 Macalabra Council convene in Jerusalem. Tithe imposed on members to replenish depleted treasury in support of Saladins war effort Richard the Lion heart defeats Saladin at Battle of Arsuf. Siege of Acre ends in capitulation. Having confirmed its status and reputation fighting alongside the King of Hungary against pagan Cumans Pope Innocent II grants Knights Hospitaller military Order of the Church dedicated to the Christian States of Catholic Europe. Treaty of Jaffa signed between Saladin and Richard. Richard fails to take Jerusalem

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1192

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1193 1199 1228 1229 Saladin dies King Richard 1st died in siege in France succeeded by King John 6th crusade launched by Emperor Frederick II Frederick crowned king of Jerusalem Signs treaty with Egypt

1240-42 Richard, Earl of Cornwall launches English Crusade to the Holy Land and Jaffa 1247/8 Low level French and English support troops (Two Knights grooms, a cook and a scribe) flee scene of battle in Egypt North East. They then commence a lengthy foraging perambulation. Arrive at Mt Hira in vicinity of Mekkah. They found remnants of Abdallah (father of the Prophet) Shrine on mountainside near Mekkah. The ancient site had almost been erased due to rock fall and dust overload. The group were harried from the site. Their accounts of the event were some 10 yrs later deposited in the Bishops library, Avignon where the evaluation work had been carried out. 1248-54 7th Crusade. 28th August 1248 Louis IX of France set sail with force of 35,000 soldiers, 1,500 ships from Aigues-Mortes. This 6 yr expedition cost as estimated 1,537,570 livres tournois, which was equivalent to the six times the Kings total annual income. 1249 1250 Capture of Damietta, Egypt. French mercenaries report on Arab (Al-Hira) horde. Account deposited in the Bishops library circa 1260 AD, Avignon. There is confusion as to whether this horde was included in the Templar treasure that later vanished with the brutal demise of the Order by the King of France. Defeat of crusaders and capture of King Louis. King Louis released against massive ransom payment. Once released he repairs to Acre Caliph reign ends. Macalabra meeting in Aleppo to discus use of more robust cipher systems.

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1258 1259

1270-72 8th Crusade 1274 Council of Lyon. The split between Rome and the Orthodox Church took a new twist. Michael VIII, the Byzantine Emperor agreed to submit the Orthodox Church to the authority of Rome. The popular vote went against him and Michaels offer was aborted. The French Pope, Martin IV excommunicated Michael and launched a crusade against the Byzantine State. Relics of Mary Magdalene found at St Maximin-la-Ste-Baume, Provence. Rumours of the Raynald treasure persist to circulate in vicinity of area St Maximin-la-Ste-Baume. These stories having passed down within living memory focusing on the site partially excavated near Brignole. May 1291 reinforcements arrived at Acre Grailly, Grandson, the Knights of the Military Orders and King Henry fought a heroic battle in defence of the city only to lose it to Muslim hands. During the final assault the Marshall of the Hospitallers and the Master of the Temple were dead. All of Palestine was then under Muslim control. Mamelukes take Acre. Crusaders settle in Cyprus Grand Master Jean Molay advised the Pope Clement to launch a new crusade. Papal and French government sought means by which they could secure control of Templar assets.

1279

1291

1303

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1309 Papal Court moved to Avignon where it remained for some 70 years. During this period their main business was conducted in Paris. During this time all Popes were French. The move coincided with French governments brutal suppression of the crusading order. The objective was to appropriate the Knights Templar considerable wealth and land bank. To raise funds for the move the Papal Court launch a search for the Raynald treasure at various sites near Brignole, France based on its collected intelligence. The search is called off in 1311. To raise funds Papal officials trade Al-Hira parchment as an instrument of barter for wool by the Cistercian collecta, from Fountains Abbey, Ripon, and Yorkshire. England. This trade substituted the need for the traders to deliver cash (accounts suggest that this act may have been conducted unofficially, without the consent of the Papal Authorities). Knights Hospitaller establishes a base in Rhodes. Jean Molay (Grand Master of the Templar Knights) burnt to death. Lyons silk industry developed by Italian immigrants. Silk industry in Lyons starts over 150 years after Raynalds attempt to build a silk farm in Provance. Pope John XXII (Jaques Duse) Fundraising to build new Papal Palace - Palais de Papes continues The King of Mali, Mansu Musa launched one of the-most spectacular pilgrimages to Mekkah. In 1324 he set off from Mali across the Sahara with over 500 servitors, each carrying a golden staff weighing over 7 lbs. His camel train made up of over 100 camels, carried gold weighing 30,000 pounds. That, plus personal jewellery and other precious possessions were taken to Mekkah. Mansa Musa was a truly pious and very generous African Muslim. He reputedly distributed much of the aforesaid treasure to charity in Mekkah and Medinah, returning home practically a pauper, but having assured himself of the praises of posterity. In terms of value this consignment equates to the largest recorded shipment of treasure from the region made in 1187 when Raynald emptied the Kerak Fort vaults.

1310

1314

1316 1320 1324

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1332-42 Palais de Papes, Avignon built. Pope. Clemence V resides in Avignon. Sheep wool weaving starts in York to be taken over by monks. 1348 Clement VI bought Avignon for 80,000 gold florins and built Palais Neuf. (A sum considerably less that Raynald paid for his freedom 172 years earlier)

1348-50 Pandemic in Provance France. European pandemic swept through Provence. 1348-50 1352 Ibn Battutu explores the Sahara looking for King Solomons gold mines 1360 Murad I 1360-1389. He was son of Orkhan who led the first Byzantine expedition into Europe. His son Bayezid I 1389-1402 was the first Ottoman sultan. He defeated the Christian crusader force in Nicopolis 1396. 1364 In November Peter I, titular King of Jerusalem prepared a new offensive and ventured to Venice Italy to raise support for a passagium particulare. 1365 In June 1365 Peter I with an army of over 10,000 fighting foot soldiers and 1,400 mounted Knights set sail for Alexandria, Egypt. On 10th October they finally took the city. Their booty was enormous. They stripped the city bare of all its transportable wealth which was taken away by seventy heavily laden ships, a very sizeable feat indeed.

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1377 Papacy returns to Rome

1415 Battle of Agincourt. 1416 15th August Treaty of Canterbury signed a non aggression pact. 1421 Murad II restored Ottoman power base in the Balkans. His elite fighting mercenary force were known as the Janissaries,

1440

Nicolo Conti reports meeting Nestorians in "Cathay" (China) Kurdish massacre of 10,000 Nestorians

1453

Capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks. Syrian caravan began in Istanbul, gathered pilgrims from throughout Asia Minor along the way, and then proceeded to Mekkah from Damascus. Of the three major caravans the one coming from the North, starting in Baghdad was usually the smaller in size. It came south across the Peninsula. This journey took over 40 days. Gutenberg and Johannes Furst print 42 line Bible. Since then circa 2.5billion Bibles have been printed making it the most printed book, the second most printed is the Holy Koran

1463

Construction of Sultan Mohammed IIs mosque Constantinople1512 Selim I 1512-1520 was the acknowledged leader of the Muslim world having taken the Holy City of Mecca. He extended his influence by capturing Syria, Palestine, and Egypt to add to the Ottoman Empire. Spanish Inquisition starts. Ottomans take over Jerusalem peacefully. City walls are rebuilt and in 1542 Damascus Gate rebuilt Suleyman 1 1520-1566 a.k.a The Magnificent defeated the Knights Hospitaller in Rhodes. He later failed to take Malta from the Knights. Hospitaller quit their stronghold on the island of Rhodes after a six month siege led by Sultan Suleyman. Act of Suppression. Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire dissolved four years later in 1540 after dissolution of monasteries by order Henry 8th. Library disbanded, contents burnt, disbursed or sold. Parchments removed from Yorkshire Abbey. Whereabouts between 1540-1615 not known. At some time later (75-100 yrs) interleaved within 1615 James 1st Bible Purnell-Skey family bible Edward Lewis of Van (Robert Purnells predecessor born) Siege of Malta. The Knights repel a siege led by Sultan Suleyman I Leon Battista Alberti Renaissance man and codebreaker extraordinaire invented cipher wheel Burning of Books against the Authority or Rome Earthquake destroys Constantinople along with many of its treasures and relics.

1481 1517 1520

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1547 1556 1467 1501 1509

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1515 Lateran Council decree De impressione librorum forbids printing of books without permission from Roman Catholic Authorities Silk production commences in France English ale house licensed Gregory XIII (Ugo Bouncompagni) 1572-85 200 years after the previous search Pope Gregory XIII, to raise urgently needed funds orders new search for Raynald war chest treasure in Provance. Ralph Fitch and John Eldred lead expeditions to Mesopotamia and Persian Gulf Excavation/recovery work to find vault undertaken at the bequest of the Papal Authorities... Various sites in Provance, France excavated. Funds run out and the authorised work ceases in November 1587. Outbreak of plague in England. Elizabeth succeeded by James VI

1521 1551 1572 1582

1583 1586

1603

1613-15 James 1st Bible printed and bound in England 1615 Silver clasped James 1st Family Bible bound. Later parchments interleaved within 1615 James 1st Bible Purnell-Skey family bible (retained by Trustees) Bleu Mosque in Constantinople built Bible moved from London to Purnell family home near Bristol and retained in skin lined coffer Robert Purnell born. Married Elizabeth. Tulipmania in Holland decimates tulip industry. Johns sister Mary baptized. She married Robert Broadribb in 1668 and had two children Abraham and Isaac born 1661. First coffee shop opens in Oxford. Chocolate drinks introduced in 1567 Baptist elder and author Chief founder of the first Baptist church in Bristol John Purnell born. Married Anna Gay 29th December 1690 Coombehay, Somerset. Died 1712 aged 38 yrs Plaque Pasteurella prestic London Robert Purnell died Anna Gay born. Married. They had three children, the first, John died in childbirth. Anna Hill (1690-1744) Wife of John Purnell John Purnell born - died in same year John Purnell born 29th November. Died 3rd October 1745 (Married Anna) 7th July Anna Purnell born High Littleton. Died aged 34 yrs 1729 (Roberts Mother and Father)

1617 1618 1637 1643

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1704 William Skey born. ? (Bettys father) Died 1767. Wife Martha Broadribb 1702-1767 Married twice. 1717 1728 Sarah Green...............................

Robert Purnell born 13th February. Died aged 5 yrs 10th July 1723 High Littleton. Robert Purnell born 1st September 1728. Died 8 th February 1813 Buried 12th February Hallatrow 1813 His mother died when he was 1 yr old. He was the son of John Purnell and Ann (a) Humphreys (nee HILL). They had 5 children, Betty died 1751, and William Skey baptized 1752, married at Midsummer Norton in 1779 to Jane Salmon. Sarah died 1756, Betty died unmarried in 1849 aged 93 yrs and Sarah died unmarried aged 74. The Purnell family home was Hallatrow House now Brook Farms. Their children: Sarah Betty died 1756 1751 died in childbirth

William died 16th July 1752 Jane Salmon 31st August 1779 1731 Betty Skey born 1th October at Thornburg Gloucestershire. Died 26th December 1802 buried 29th December 1802. She owned land and mineral rights to lands which she owned know as. Rowdens Grip, Paulton. Robert Purnell born Horsleys Romana Britannia bound. This copy purchased by John Purnell (b. 1693) 20th December Joan Fry (spinster and great friend of the family) of Hallatrow bequeaths given lands in Midsomer Norton and Child Compton to John Purnell (Roberts father) who died in 1745. Betty Purnell born. Died 20th October 1849. Buried 26th October. Robert Purnell born 1st September near Hallatrow 1760-2 Robert Purnell sails to Cyprus. Visits two crusader sites 1758 Sarah Purnell born. Died 20th February 1832

1731 1732 1734

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1756

1770s David Heath Heathcote sponsors Roberts academic and research activities regarding Al-Hira. Robert Purnell inspected the vellum parchments studied contents in Oxford. The Napoleonic war restricted movement and passage in the Mediterranean. Regardless he planned an expeditionary tour to Mekkah against a negative backdrop i.e. entry to Mekkah was not possible to Infidels. Feudal war conducted by the Wahhabi restricted regional access. 1763 1764 1765 1770 Boswell meets Dr Johnson Literary Club founded by Dr Johnson, Reynolds, Burke, Gibbben, Goldsmith etc John Purnell Born in Somerset married Elizabeth Hill. (1767-1861) In line with London fashionable society Heath invests in visiting cards

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1789 Portrait of Robert Purnell painted (aged circa 60 yrs) painted in oils with white powdered periwig, choker and Burgundy jacket. Robert Purnell born 10th March at Holcombe Somerset. Christened 30 th September Died June buried 24th June 1857 Melksham Wilts. Father: - John Purnell 1765, Mother Elizabeth Hill (1767-1861) Robert Purnell purchases Japan style long case clock from Charles Howse, London Zemzem well restored and new building constructed over the well Wahhabi uprising terminated

1794

1798 1802

1803

Tour materialised in 1803 based on parchment data. Visited in disguise as elderly Muslim [Egyptian?] Trader. Set off 10-4-1803 arrived Djidda 16-7-1803 Dept Djidda March 1804 Self funded exploration tour materialised 1803. Route based on parchment data. RP then an elderly overweight man reportedly acquired general garb as worn by venerable Muslim [Egyptian- Levant?] traders. Set off 10-4-1803 arrived Djidda 16-7-1803 Dept Djidda March 1804 arrived UK May 1804. First Dahlias imported into the UK. East India Company defeat Holkar of Indias army. Renewal of war between France and England. Battle of Trafalgar. Nelson routes French fleet at Cape Trafalgar. Mehemet Ali made Pasha of Egypt. Two of the missing Sura (Quranic Verse) the Lamb and the Band were translated into English the original was in Kufic which in turn had been translated into Latin and Arabic. 1805/6 Abolition of slavery. Slavery Act passed R Purnell writes Poem regarding the ring The two Suras that he retrieved were printed and bound in Morocco leather casing as limited edition 8 x 4 on stout paper in English, The Band and The Lamb

1805 1806

1807 1810

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1813

Robert Purnell dies on 8th February aged 84rs. His wife Betty died 11 years earlier on 26 th December 1802 aged 71 yrs. 3 children died in infancy. William, Sarah and Betty survived him. Betty was the daughter of William Skey from Falfield Glos. Died 1802 aged 71 yrs on 29 th December. Three of their children died in infancy. Sarah died 20th Feb 1832 aged 74 buried 28th Feb 1832 ........... ? died 20th October 1849 aged 93 yrs buried 26 th October 1849. He bequeathed his son William Skey Purnell 40.00. His son John Purnell all his wearing apparel. Betty and Sarah received all his Freehold, Copyhold and Leasehold Estates, Lands etc. Plus all household effects, furniture Hedjaz artefacts, ring, holy water phial, ceramic oil lamp uncut yellow diamond, 1615 King James 1 st bible, pistol, travelling trunk, portrait, journals, 1613 Indenture parchments and other artefacts, rifles, walking sticks, etc. These items thereafter pass down family line. Records pertaining to other associated items are lost. It is not known what happened to the damaged engraved metal casket in which the Signet ring was found. Last gold guinea coins minted in England. Indian trade monopoly with East India Company abolished.

1815

Robert Purnell dies leaves ring, diamond, lamp, holy water phial, bible, Musketoon, travelling trunk, portrait, journals, parchments and other artefacts.

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1834 1839 Thomas Purnell born 1834 (died 1889) Charles Dando Purnell (Methodist) sets up Purnell the printers in Paulton later to become the largest rotogravure printers in the UK (part of BPC group). Robert Purnell Born Cardiff. His father was Hill Purnell (1801-1884) and Mother Sarah Lewis (18061884) Hill Robert J Purnell (1842-1901) married to Emily Mary Tillett (1850- ? ) 1854 1871 Pride of Cardiff Schooner painted depicting vessel off flat Holmes, Bristol Channel Author of Trinity College Dublin. Well known in London literary society. Edited Lambs Correspondence and Works 1871 The last major camel caravan set out from Cairo in 1883 with 1,170 pilgrims joining it . By then fast, dependable steamships supplanted the overland route Robert Purnell (Robert and Emilys son) Born Ilminster Somerset, Christened 13 th September 1880 Robert R. Purnell born. Died 23rd September 1919. (32 yrs) Private in Battalion Highland Light Infantry. Buried Murmansk New British Cemetery Russia Federation. The Hijaz Railwaycalled the "Iron Camel" by Bedouinswas announced in 1900 by Sultan Abdul Hamid, started a few months later, finished in 1908 and virtually closed down 10 years later by the famous Lawrence of Arabia and his Bedouin raiders after the railway had begun to transport more soldiers than pilgrims. First Zeppelin raid on Paris Saudi Arabia founded The Patriarch and many other Nestorians emigrate to USA and other Western countries Jerusalem is declared capital of the state of Israel Evan Williams (Cardiff) passes artefacts to his son Ralph. Mormon Al-Hira ancestry tracing group enquiry led to England. [Mormons believe that Christ will come again in the USA. In this respect they are preparing by collecting all information / documents and artefacts that they consider relevant for the re-birth of Christ]. RHW loaned Mormon missionaries Mabinogion (Welsh definitive ancient history book) and 10 Al-Hira parchments plus photographs of various artefacts including diamond and portraits - none were ever returned. Mormons in Salt Lake City later denied receipt / possession. A subsequent request by Mormons for loan of ring was refused. An offer to purchase ring and diamond was turned down. The construction of the Hijaz Railway, an 800-mile project designed to provide pilgrims with cheap fast transport as far as Medinah, (Aramco World, September-October, 1967). The railway literally supplanted the caravans; the Turkish engineer surveying for the railroad simply followed a caravan from Damascus and mapped the route, reasoning with some justification that after all those centuries the caravan masters would certainly know the best way.

1842

1883

1877 1886

1900

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1916 1932 1935 1949 1952 1953

1956

1967

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1967 1994 Related Intelligentia parchments are identified as having been filed within the Vatican archives. RH Williams gives artefacts to BL Williams. BW determines options pertaining to the possible repatriation of ring and artefacts with academic parties. Artefacts valued at 25m. by E Briscoe Ass. Bill Gates purchases Thomas Coke, Earl of Leicester Codex in auction for US$30,000,000. Thomas purchase the Leonardo de Vinci work of scientific drawings in 1717. Jerusalem recognised a both capital of Israel and Palestine 1998 2001 2001 2004 December RH Williams gives BL Williams KOBE chest (purchased in Hong Kong in 1937) RH Williams died instruction to repatriate ring and artefacts back to Muslim ownership . Following the death of RHW recommendation options for transfer of artefacts. IIDT discussion 2004. Manuscript copy prepared for book on subject. Islamic International Development Trust (IIDT) receiving org. D Othman led preliminary Malaysian negotiations Negotiations commenced with Malaysian Muslim community to return ring and artefacts. IIDT agree general terms to accept the ring and artefacts and to repatriate same to Mekkah where they were to be put on public display. Temporary export licence granted. Provenance verified by ISTAC KL. Revised Malaysian conditional offer made by Dahalan Dan Othman. Second market valuation for insurance purposes produced by Y&B Ass. For Ring and artefacts @ 30m. For three key items. 2008 Subordinate Malaysian group led by Johanis Rahman expressed renewed interest in purchasing the Artefacts. Met Trustees in London. Regarding insurance valuation. Comparative items including Gutenberg Bible valued at 15m. Door key to Kabah sold in auction 10m. In London. 2009 Trustees dictate that transfer of artefacts to be completed when suitable custodian is identified Detailed academic and archaeological study to commence to fill in the gaps in knowledge and understanding. 2010 Chinese vase fetches 53m in London auction. Order of Hospitallers tradition continues under the auspices of Order of Knights of Malta with its Head Quarters in the Palazzo Malta, in the via Condotti, Rome and via associations with other parallel organisations elsewhere. Israeli prime minister refuses to divide Jerusalem making the East side the capital of Palestine 2011 January. Discussions between Purnell-Skey and Malaysian group finalised to transfer Artefacts for a nominal, discounted sum conditional upon new custodian agreeing to further research and related public access terms and conditions.

2005

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February. Egypt, public revolt leading to break from military dictatorship. Looters steal two priceless Tutankhamen statues from museum.

283

The Popes (who were involved in the various Christian crusades)

All the crusades were launched with a blessing from the Pope rather than from the various European monarchs and Emperors. The political initiative was thus interlinked with central religious objectives. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Gregory VII 1073-1085. Gregory initiated the concept of a crusade some twenty years before the first Christian crusade to the Holy Land Urban initiated the 1st crusade as being a force against Islam in defence of pilgrims visiting the Holy Land.

Urban II

1088-29

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Calixtus II 1119-1124 He offered the crusader force with remission of sins through participation in the crusade movement. He proclaimed the Second Crusade. St Bernard of Clairvaux (his master) was recruited by Eugenius to preach his message. In 1145 he presented King Louis VII with a papal Bull urging the King to marshal arms and engage the nobles and knights of France to support the crusade He urged the nobles to recover Jerusalem and set in motion the resources needed to launch the Third crusade.

Eugenius III 1145-1153

Gregory VIII 1187

Innocent III 1198-1216. He was one of the most influential Popes and supported the crusader cause with vigour Gregory IX 1227-1241. Gregory had a long term personal feud with Emperor Frederick II which ended up in the Emperor being excommunicated. He also founded the papal Inquisition to purge heresies. Innocent IV 1243-1254. He supported the Teutonic Order of Knights special privileges Gregory X 1271- 1276 He applied pressure on the Orthodox Church in the East to submit to the Church of Rome. In this he was partially successful. Martin IV 1281-1285. As with his predecessor Gregory he excommunicated the Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII. In order to secure recruits he promised special crusading indulgences to those who participated in the crusade. Instrumental in wrestling away power from the Templars. Handed over their wealth to the Hospitaller. The papal seat was transferred to Avignon during his term in office. The Avignon Popes were also known as the Anti-Popes

Clement V 1305-1314.

284

Jerusalem Rulers and Co-Rulers

_______________________________________________________________________________________ Godfrey of Bouillon 1099-1100 Godfrey took the title Advocate of the Holy Sepulchre, Baldwin I 1100-1118. Baldwin was Godfreys brother he became King of Jerusalem Baldwin II. 1118-1131. He was a cousin of the above.

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Melisende 1131-1152. As Queen of Jerusalem she reigned for 21 years. Her husband Fulk of Anjou was king. Their son was Baldwin III 1143-1152. He co-ruled with his mother until he deposed her in 1152. As a fighting King he took Ascalon in 1153. He ruled till 1162. Almeric I 1162-1174. Brother of Baldwin. He consolidated the kingdom and allied with Emperor Manuel I - ? The Byzantine Emperor. Baldwin IV. a.k.a The Leper 1174-1185. He died aged 24 yrs. Baldwin V 1183-1185. Died in infancy aged nine years Sibyl 1186-1190 Almeric I daughter and queen of Jerusalem. Married to Guy of Lusignan (1186-1192). Guy led the battle group into the Horns of Hattin where Raynald and many of the other knights were butchered. He surrendered Ascalon to Saladin. Following his deposition the crown passed to Sybils sister Isabella I 1192-1205. She had four husbands, Conrad I, Henry 1 and Almaric II (former king of Cyprus). Mary of Montferrat 1205-1210... She was co-ruler with her husband John 1. 1210-1212 Isabella II. 1212-1225. Married to Emperor Frederick II 1225-1228. Self proclaimed king of Jerusalem. Under the terms of the treaty signed with al-Malik al-kadil, ruler of Egypt he regained Jerusalem for Christianity. Conrad II 1228-1254. During his term in office Jerusalem was lost to Muslim forces in 1244. Conrad III 1254-1268. He spent most of his time fighting Charles of Anjou in Italy and offered little in the way of military or political support to Jerusalem

285

Egypt
______________________________________________________________________________________

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Following the abolition of the Shiite caliphs known as the Fatimids in 1171AD the Ayyubid Dynasty ruled Egypt. Saladin 1171-1193 Saladin consolidated Egypt as an Islamic State. He was crowned king of Egypt and Syria. Al-Adil. 1193-1218. Al-Adil was Saladins brother and as such the two brothers ruled Egypt for nearly 50 years. Al-Kamil, al-Malik 1218-1238. He was the son of Al-Adil. In 1229 he ceded Jerusalem to Emperor Frederick II The sons of the above, Al-Adil II 1238-1240 and Al-Salih 1240-1249 regained Jerusalem for Islam. Turanshah 1249-125 Fought Louis IXs army at al-Mansurah.

286

Some Useful Words & Terminology

Oligarchy - small faction of people Crusade- word first appeared in Oxford English Dictionary in 1757. Know otherwise as: passagium generale, iter, voyage, Reise Word derived from Italian cruzeta, French croisieres or croisades Expeditio crusis expedition of the Cross Peregrination from Latin peregrination Knights also known as crucesignati, those marked with the sign of the Cross, a Red Emblem on white background Fez/tarboosh Wahhabi- puritanical sect

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Kaffiyeh- Arab head dress Cloak - jellaba Prince- sherif sheikh Wahhabi right wing orthodox Islam Juma Islamic Sabbath Ihram white robes worn by pilgrims to Mekkah Hafiz- Muslim who knows the Quran be heart Hadj pilgrimage Giaor- infidel non-Muslim Ghazi Muslim warriors fighting against infidels Cadi- judge interpreting Muslim law Azan call to prayers made by muezzin f five times daily Mihrab notch in wall of mosque denoting direction of Mekkah Mufti- expert in and adviser on laws during Ottoman time Bey - Ottoman governor Vizier- high ranking official ottoman Caliph- ruler in Muslim state Mormons- members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Triumvir- any of three joint rulers Nihil obstat- censors approval of a book certifying that it is doctrinally right Curia- papal court Lunular- crescent Ghazi- Turkish warrior of high rank Khamsin dry north easterly wind blowing off Sahara east March-May Ulema- group of religious scholars or Sheikhs Anus mirabilis year of wonders, great achievements Angels - 9 orders of angels, Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations, Virtues, Powers Principalities, Archangels, Angels

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101

PHOTOGRAPHS

(List of subject matter for consideration and possible for inclusion within brochure) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. Robert Sultan Chief Imam Signing ceremony Kabah Fort Kerak South Keep of Fort French site Script Cairo Red Sea sailing boat Map Camels Mosque shape as per Signet Ring design Route to Medinah Bostra Bahiras church 1615 Bible Schooner - Pride of Cardiff Helmet Romana Roman map of region Hejaz map 1200 Heeds map 1800 Chest Casket Various P-S rifles Purse Angels Ring Diamond Sword Stick Quran Quranic scripts Mosque in Istanbul Alexandria Dress styles and clothing Hira Kingdom of Hira Patriarch of Nestorian church Three door keys

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Al-Hira 2011 Descendants of

Robert PURNELL (d. 1687) and ELIZABETH

1. Robert1 PURNELL. He married (---) ELIZABETH. Children of Robert PURNELL and (---) ELIZABETH were as follows: 2 i James2 PURNELL, died 1687 in High Littleton. Other events: Will 4th April 1687 in Hallatrow; Will: Purnell Family home. Notes: Will of James PURNELL of Hallatrow. In the Name of God Amen, The Seventeenth day of February 1686/7, I James PURNELL of Hallatrow in the parish of high Littleton in the County of Somersett, Clothier, not being well in body but of perfect mind and memory, thankes be given to God for it, calling to mind the mortality my body and that it is appointed for all men once to dye, doe here make and ordaine my last Will and Testament in manner and form as followeth, that is to say, First and principally, I give my soule into the hands of God my maker and Redeemer, And my body to the Earth, to be buried in decent manner. And as touching any worldly Estate, as it hath pleased God to bless me with a small part in this life, I give and bequeath unto Elizabeth SALLMON of Paulton, my intended wife, the ground at Withy Mills, with that which was formerly in the possession of Edward HORT and to enter it in two years time after my decease. Also, I give and bequeath to Cheryty HILL of Masbury [Marks bury], daughter of the Widdow HILL of Masbury, one ground called Custom, formerly in possession of John HILL of Masbury and to enter into it at the end of two yeares after my decease. Also, I give and bequeath unto Hanna HILL, her sister, one little meadow called East Close, former in the possession [of] John HILL aforesaid and to enter into it at the end of two yeares after my decease. Also, all the remaining part of my Estate, I give to my loveing and tender Father Robert PURNELL, whom I appoint to be my sole Executor, to receive my debts and to disburse my funeral charges, the rest to take unto himselfe, not doubting but he will dispose the same where he sees most need. James PURNELL. Signed and sealed in [the] presence of Thomas MOONE, Mary NAISH, the marke of Elizabeth HUISH, the marke of Jone NAISH, the marke of Mary BLACKER, Jonas HUISH. Probate granted at PCC London on 4th April 1687 to Robert PURNELL, father of the deceased and Executor named in the Will. (Q.52 PROB11/387 f.61) 3 ii John2 PURNELL, died 1712. He married Anna GAY. 4 iii Sarah2 PURNELL. She married John DANDO. 5 iv Mary2 PURNELL, born 1643 in Hallatrow. She married Robert BRODRIBB. 6 v Abraham2 PURNELL, born 13 Jan 1658 in High Littleton. 7 vi Isaac2 PURNELL, born 27 Dec 1661 in High Littleton. He married Christian ?.

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+ + + +

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Generation 2
3. John2 PURNELL (Robert1), died 1712. He married on 29 Dec 1690 in Coombehay, Somerset Anna GAY, born 1670. Notes for John PURNELL John PURNELL was the son of Robert and Elizabeth PURNELL. He married Anna and had 3 children, John (born 1691, died young), John (1693) and Anna (1695). Others mentioned in the Will include sister Mary PURNELL, baptized 1643, who married in 1668 Robert BRODRIBB and had Abraham, and Isaac PURNELL born 1661, who had Robert Will of John PURNELL of Hallatrow. In the name of God, Amen, I John PURNELL of Hallatrow in the parish of High Littleton in the County of Somerset, Yeoman, being in a sickly state of health, but of sound and perfect mind and memory, Thanks be to Almighty God for the same, considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof, do make and ordain this my last Will and Testament in manner and form following. Imprimis, I give and commend my soul and spirit into the hands of Almighty God who gave it, hoping to receive pardon of all my sins and to be made partaker of the Eternal Joye of heaven, through the alone merits and intercession of Jesus Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer, and my body I committ to the Earth from whence it was taken, to be buried in decent and Christian manner at the discretion of my Trustees and Executors hereinafter named; and for the disposal of such worldly Estate as it hath pleased God to bestow upon me, I do in the first place revoke all former Wills by me made thereof, and do give, devise and bequeath the same in manner and form following. Imprimis, I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Anna PURNELL the severall goods and things hereinafter mentioned, which was her Mother's, (that is to say) all her wearing apparell, both linnen and woollen, six of the best of her gold rings, one trunk and one cabinet. Item - I give my said Daughter three pieces of old gold and half a dozen of silver spoons, a silver sugar dish and a silver porringer. Item - I give and bequeath unto my Brother Isaac PURNELL my second best suite of woollen wearing apparell. Item - I give, devise and bequeath unto my friends John BRODRIBB of Clutton in the County of Somerset, yeoman, my Nephew John DANDO of Hallowtrow in the County of Somerset, yeoman, and Abraham BRODRIBB of Hallowtrow aforesaid, clothier, my Nephew, and to the heirs and assigns of the said John BRODRIBB, John DANDO and Abraham BRODRIBB forever, all my houses, Lands, Tenements and Hereditaments at Hallowtrow aforesaid, at Paulton in the said County of Somerset and elsewhere in the Kingdom of Great Britain and I give and bequeath unto them, they said John BRODRIBB, John DANDO and Abraham BRODRIBB, their Executors, Administrators and Assigns, all my Chattel Leases at Paulton aforesaid and at High Littleton in the said County of Somerset and elsewhere in the Kingdom of Great Britain and all my goods, Estate and Ready money, Bills, Bonds, Especialties, Securityes for money, writings, debts and other thing and things whatsoever not before by me given, settled or disposed of, Upon the Trustees [?Trusts intended] hereinafter mentioned, That they, the said John BRODRIBB, John DANDO and Abraham BRODRIBB and the survivours and survivour of them, do and shall out of my whole Estate hereby given them, raise the sum of Five hundred pounds of Lawfull money of Great Britain, to be paid unto my said Daughter Anna PURNELL as her portion at the age of one and twenty years, or the Issue of her body or within four years next after her Marriage, which shall first happen, and in the mean time, my will and meaning [is] that the said Trustees and the Survivours and Survivour of them shall, out of the profitts of my said Estate, maintain, educate and breed up my said daughter and my son John PURNELL according to their degree and condition, and the said Five hundred pounds being accordingly paid, or in case my daughter shall happen to die and depart this life, before the said Five hundred pounds shall become due and payable according to the intent and meaning of this my Will, Then my Will and meaning is that my said Trustees and the Survivours and Survivour of them do and

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shall account for and pay, surrender and assign my said Estate and the profitts thereof to my said son John PURNELL and his heirs and assigns respectively, according to my respective Interest therein, when and as soon as my said son John shall attain his age of one and twenty years or any Issue of his body shall attain that age. And in case my said son John shall happen to die and depart this life before he shall attain that age, without Issue of his body, lawfully to be begotten, Then my will and meaning is that my said Trustees and the Survivours and Survivour of them shall account for, and pay, surrender, convey and assigne my said Estate and the profitts thereof to my said Daughter Anna PURNELL and her heirs and assigns respectively, according to my respective Interest therein, when and as soon as my said Daughter shall attain her age of one and twenty years, or any Issue of her body shall attain that age, and in case my said Daughter shall happen to die and depart this Life before she shall attain that age, without Issue of her body lawfully begotten, Then my Will and meaning is That my said Trustees and the Survivours and Survivour shall account for and pay, surrender, convey and assigne my said Estate and the profitts thereof to my right heirs and my next of kindred respectively, according to my respective Interest therein, excepting as hereinafter mentioned (that is to say) and my Will and meaning is that, in case my Son and Daughter shall both happen to die before their respective ages of one and twenty years, without Issue of their or either of their bodys, lawfully to be begotten, that then my Chattle Lease at High Littleton aforesaid, now determinable on the lives of my Brother Isaac PURNELL, Robert PURNELL his son and my said son John PURNELL, shall be by my said Trustees and the Survivours and Survivour of them assigned to my Nephew the said Robert PURNELL, to whom give the same accordingly, and that my Chattle Lease at High Littleton fore said, now determinable on the lives of the said Elizabeth PURNELL my Mother, Mary BRODRIBB my Sister, now wife of Robert BRODRIBB the elder of Clutton aforesaid, yeoman, and of my said son, shall be by my said Trustees and the Survivours and Survivour of them assigned to my said Sister Mary BRODRIBB, to whom I give the same accordingly and I do hereby constitute and appoint the said John BRODRIBB, John DANDO and Abraham BRODRIBB and the Survivours and Survivour of them to be Executors and Executor of this my last Will and Testament, In trust for my said son John PURNELL untill such time as he, my said son, shall attain the age of one and twenty years and from thence I appoint him, my said son, to be Executor hereof, and my Will and meaning is that my said Trustees and every of them shall and may reimburse and pay him and themselves out of my Estate for such trouble, cost and paine as they shall be at about the Execution of the Trust hereby in them reposed; and I do give unto each of them the sum of twenty shillings as token of my love to them and my Willis that each of them shall be answerable for his owne Act, Receipt or Default, and not one for the Act, Receipt or Default of the other of them. In witness whereof I have to this my last Will and Testament, contained in these two sheets of paper, to the first of them set my name, and to this last sheet set my name and Seale, this second day of February Anno Domini 1710, [In Latin] and ninth year of Queen Ann's reign. (sgd.) John PURNELL. Signed, sealed, published and declared by the said John PURNELL, the Testator, to be his last Will and Testament the second day of February1710, in the presence of us, who then in the presence and at the request of the Testator, subscribed our names, as at the request of the Testator interlined these words "or the Issue of her body" witnessed here. Joseph BRODRIBB, John DANDO junior, Sarah HILL. Probate granted at Wells 13th September 1712 to John BRODRIBB, John DANDO & Abraham BRODRIBB, Executors. (SRO DD/S/ET Box 4)

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Children of John PURNELL and Anna GAY were as follows: 8 i John3 PURNELL, born 1691; died 1691. 9 ii John3 PURNELL, born 29 Nov 1693 in High Littleton; died 3 Oct 1745 in High Littleton. He married Anna HUMPHRYES.

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+ 10 iii Anna3 PURNELL, born 7 Jul 1695; died 1729 in Midsommer Norton. She married Fisher PURNELL.

4. Sarah2 PURNELL (Robert1). She married John DANDO. Children of Sarah PURNELL and John DANDO were as follows: 11 i Anne3 DANDO. 12 ii John3 DANDO. 13 iii Martha3 DANDO. 5. Mary2 PURNELL (Robert1), born 1643 in Hallatrow. She married in 1668 Robert BRODRIBB, born 1640 in Clutton Somerset; died 17 Jan 1722 in Clutton Somerset, son of John BRODRIBB and Anne PEPOT. Other events for Mary PURNELL Baptism 1643 in Hallatrow; Baptism: Purnell Family home. Children of Mary PURNELL and Robert BRODRIBB were as follows: 14 i Abraham3 BRODRIBB. Other events: Occupation in Clothier. 15 ii Isaac3 BRODRIBB, born 1661. 7. Isaac2 PURNELL (Robert1), born 27 Dec 1661 in High Littleton. He married Christian ?. Other events for Isaac PURNELL Baptism 13 Apr 1661 in High Littleton. + + + Children of Isaac PURNELL and Christian ? were as follows: 16 i Betty3 PURNELL. She married Thomas CARTER. 17 ii Mary3 PURNELL. 18 iii Robert3 PURNELL. He married Jane PEARE. 19 iv Joseph3 PURNELL, born 1690. He married Sarah ?. 292

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Generation 3
9. John3 PURNELL (John2, Robert1), born 29 Nov 1693 in High Littleton; died 3 Oct 1745 in High Littleton. He married on 12 Oct 1713 in High Littleton Anna HUMPHRYES, born Jan 1690 in High Littleton; died 3 May 1744 in High Littleton, daughter of John HILL and (---) ANN. Other events for Anna HUMPHRYES Widow (1712). Notes for John PURNELL Extract of Will of Joan FRY of Hallatrow in High Littleton, Somerset, and spinster, dated 20th December 1734. Having a great affection for Mr John PURNELL of Hallatrow and finding him to be a kind husband to his wife, who is my kinswoman, I give all my lands in Midsomer Norton to him and all my lands in Child Compton. Joan FRY. Proved at PCC 13 September 1737. (FRY collection Box 2, Special Collections Store A at SOG)

Notes for Anna HUMPHRYES Was a widow her maiden name was Hill. She was married firstly to Charles Humpryes and widowed shortly afterwards The manor of Hallatrow remained in the Hill Family until the early 18th century. When John Hill died his Hallatrow estate was left to his four daughters, whose husbands put it up for sale. Amongst the prospective purchasers was Joseph Langton of Newton Park, Newton St. Loe. Langton commissioned a survey of the estate in 1716, from which it is obvious that coalmining activity was or had been going on before then. Amongst the details were: Survey of Hallatrow Farm 1716 Joseph LANGTON, purchased Hallatrow Farm (later called Manor Farm) with some 125 acres of land and two thirds of the Manor of Hallatrow on 12th April 1717 from Ann PURNELL, James COWARD, Samuel FRY, John LEACH and Mary BENDALL. Joseph LANGTON, the grandson, duly inherited the Hallatrow Estate, together with Newton St. Loe and other Manors and died in 1779.] Children of John PURNELL and Anna HUMPHRYES were as follows: 20 i Hill4 PURNELL, died 1730. 21 ii John4 PURNELL, born 7 Aug 1714 in High Littleton; died 16 Jul 1723 in Recorded High Littleton PR. 22 iii Sarah4 PURNELL, born 13 Mar 1715 in High Littleton; died in High Littleton Somerset. She married James COWARD. 23 iv Robert4 PURNELL, born 13 Feb 1717 in High Littleton; died 10 Jul 1723 in High Littleton. 24 v Richard4 PURNELL, born 30 May 1719 in High Littleton; died 11 Jul 1723 in High Littleton. 25 vi Anna4 PURNELL, born 8 Nov 1720 in High Littleton; died 1720 in High 293

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26 27 28 + + 29 30 31 32 vii viii ix x xi xii xiii Littleton. Anna4 PURNELL, born 1721. She married Samuel WATERFORD. James4 PURNELL, born 9 Dec 1722 in High Littleton; died 1723. Mary4 PURNELL, born 1724; died 1724 in High Littleton. Notes: Died Aged 21 Days John4 PURNELL, born 9 Dec 1725 in High Littleton; died 1 Feb 1754 in High Littleton; buried 3 Feb 1754 in High Littleton. He married Hester LANSDOWN. Robert4 PURNELL, born 1 Sep 1728 in High Littleton; died 8 Feb 1813 in Hallatrow; Purnell Family home; buried 12 Feb 1813 in Hallatrow; Burial: Purnell Family home. He married Betty SKEY. Mary4 PURNELL, born 17 May 1733 in High Littleton Somerset; died 23 Aug 1743 in High Littleton Somerset. Martha4 PURNELL, born 30 Oct 1735 in High Littleton Somerset; died 13 Nov 1735 in High Littleton Somerset. Notes: Died Aged 14

10. Anna3 PURNELL (John2, Robert1), born 7 Jul 1695; died 1729 in Midsommer Norton. She married Fisher PURNELL. Children of Anna PURNELL and Fisher PURNELL were as follows: 33 i Betty4 PURNELL, born 1715 in Midsommer Norton; died 1725 in Midsommer Norton. 34 ii John4 PURNELL, born 1718 in Midsommer Norton; died 29 Jul 1718 in Midsommer Norton. 35 iii Mary4 PURNELL, born 1719 in Midsommer Norton. 36 iv John4 PURNELL, born 1724 in Midsommer Norton. 37 v John4 PURNELL, born 1729 in Midsommer Norton. 38 vi Mathew4 PURNELL, born 1729 in Midsommer Norton; died 1730 in Midsommer Norton. 16. Betty3 PURNELL (Isaac2, Robert1). She married Thomas CARTER. Children of Betty PURNELL and Thomas CARTER were as follows: 39 i Ann4 CARTER. 40 ii Betty4 CARTER. 41 iii Grace4 CARTER. 42 iv Hannah4 CARTER. She married John LOCKYER. 43 v Jane4 CARTER. 44 vi Mary4 CARTER. She married on 28 Mar 1744 in High Littleton Somerset Richard CHALLENGER, born abt 1713 in Clutton Somerset, son of Benjamin Challoner CHALLENGER and Mary HORLER. 45 vii Matha4 CARTER. 46 viii Rebecca4 CARTER. 47 ix Richard4 CARTER.

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18. Robert3 PURNELL (Isaac2, Robert1). He married Jane PEARE. + Children of Robert PURNELL and Jane PEARE were as follows: 48 i Isaac4 PURNELL. He married Hannah WHITAKER. 49 ii Jane4 PURNELL, born 4 Apr 1707 in Clutton Somerset.

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50 51 52 53 54 55 iii iv v vi vii viii Robert4 PURNELL, born 29 Jan 1709 in Clutton Somerset. Joseph4 PURNELL, born 9 May 1714 in Clutton Somerset. John4 PURNELL, born 7 Dec 1716 in Clutton Somerset. He married Betty ?. James4 PURNELL, born 7 Jun 1719 in Clutton Somerset. He married Hester MIREFIELD. Eleanor4 PURNELL, born 2 Apr 1721 in Clutton Somerset. Samuel4 PURNELL, born 22 Nov 1724 in Clutton Somerset.

+ +

19. Joseph3 PURNELL (Isaac2, Robert1), born 1690. He married Sarah ?. Notes for Joseph PURNELL assumed son of Isaac Children of Joseph PURNELL and Sarah ? were as follows: 56 i Abraham4 PURNELL. He married (---) HANNAH. 57 ii Anne4 PURNELL. 58 iii Betty4 PURNELL. 59 iv Issac4 PURNELL. 60 v Joseph4 PURNELL. 61 vi Mary4 PURNELL. 62 vii Sarah4 PURNELL. 63 viii William4 PURNELL.

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Generation 4
22. Sarah4 PURNELL (John3, John2, Robert1), born 13 Mar 1715 in High Littleton; died in High Littleton Somerset. She married on 10 Nov 1737 in High Littleton James COWARD. Children of Sarah PURNELL and James COWARD were as follows: 64 i John5 COWARD. 29. John4 PURNELL (John3, John2, Robert1), born 9 Dec 1725 in High Littleton; died 1 Feb 1754 in High Littleton; buried 3 Feb 1754 in High Littleton. He married in 1745 in Highlittleton Hester LANSDOWN, born 1717 in Woodborough; christened 1717 in High Littleton; died 1 Jan 1797 in High Littleton; buried 17 Jan 1797 in High Littleton, daughter of John LANSDOWN. Notes for John PURNELL John PURNELL died on 1st February and was buried at High Littleton on3rd February 1754, aged 29. He was born on 9th December 1725, the 10th child of John PURNELL and Ann HUMPHREYS (nee HILL), married in 1745 Hester LANSDOWN of Wellow and had 4 children, Ann (1746, died 1747), Ann (1748, who married at High Littleton in 1771 Charles SAVAGE of Midsomer Norton and died in 1772), John (born 1750, died unmarried 1839) and Hester (1753, who married at St. Stephen, Bristol in 1774 Charles SAVAGE, her late sister's husband and died in 1779). John's widow Hester was buried at High Littleton on 17th January 1797.] High Littleton Monumental Inscriptions John of Hallatrow d 1 Feb 1754 age 29. w Hester d 1Jan 1797 age 80bur. 3 Feb 1754 dau. Ann died in infancy d. 26 April 1747 bur. 29 April 1747 Joseph d 1 JUNE 1807. bur. 5 Jun 1807 Notes for Hester LANSDOWN Camerton Church Memorials John Lansdown Esq. of Woodborough d 27 Mar 1731 a 59, Christiana, w of Richard Lansdown Esq. d 9 Aug 1789 a 79, William Lansdown Esq. d 25 Apr 1790 a 66, Hester Purnell, sister of above Richard & William Lansdown, d 1 Jan 1797 a 80, interred at High Littleton Hester LANSDOWN (born c.1719) married John PURNELL (Licence 5 Dec 1745), Sarah married --POW, Ann married William BISHOP at Wellow in 1758 and Betty married John BAINTON at Wellow also in 1758.] Children of John PURNELL and Hester LANSDOWN were as follows: 65 i Ann5 PURNELL, born 2 Nov 1746 in High Littleton; died 26 Apr 1747 in High Littleton; buried 29 Apr 1747 in High Littleton. 66 ii Ann5 PURNELL, born 22 Sep 1748 in High Littleton; died 1772. She married on 29 Apr 1771 in High Littleton Charles SAVAGE, born in Midsommer Norton. Other events: Baptism 11 Oct 1748 in High Littleton. 67 iii John5 PURNELL, born 20 Aug 1750 in High Littleton; died 15 Oct 1839 in High Littleton. Other events: Baptism 2 Sep 1750 in High Littleton. Notes: 16. [relevant to Thomas JAMES? purchase of Whinnox Hill and Little Marsh at Public Auction in 1881]. Close Roll (Chancery) 1863, Part 71, No. 7. 296

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INDENTURE made 3rd June 1863 between Daniel Charles WAIT Esq. of Belluton in the parish of Stanton Drew (1), Daniel Charles Purnell WAIT Esq. of the same place, eldest son of Daniel Charles WAIT (2) & George Frederick FOX, gentleman of the city of Bristol (3). WHEREAS John PURNELL Esq., late of Woodborough House, made his last Will dated 6th October 1830, in which he devised all his messuages, lands, estates & premises at Hallatrow in High Littleton to John WAIT & Thomas Macaullay CRUTTWELL in trust to the use of John Purnell WAIT & after the latter's death to the use of the 1st son of John Purnell WAIT & so on, & in default of issue of John Purnell WAIT to the use of Daniel Charles WAIT for life & then to his eldest son. John PURNELL died on 15th October 1839 & his will was proved at the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 4th December 1839 by his executors Ann Purnell WAIT, William Savage WAIT Daniel Charles WAIT. John Purnell WAIT died unmarried on 19th August 1841. [John PURNELL died unmarried on 15th October 1839. He was born on 20th August 1750, the only son of John PURNELL and Hester LANSDOWN. John had 3 sisters of whom only Hester (married in Bristol in 1774 Charles SAVAGE) had children, namely Ann Purnell SAVAGE (married at Midsomer Norton in 1806 Daniel WAIT), Sarah SAVAGE (died unmarried in 1855, aged 80) and Hester SAVAGE (married at Midsomer Norton in 1818 George Treweeke SCOBELL of High Littleton and died in 1869, aged 91). Of Ann Purnell WAIT's children, John Purnell WAIT (who died unmarried in 1841) and then Daniel Charles WAIT (who married in 1839 Sarah WILSHIRE and had at least 8 children) inherited the Hallatrow property Of Woodborough House Unmarried Will proved at PCC in London (ref: PROB 11/1920 q773 fl86) Camerton Church Memorials John Esq, d 15 Oct 1839 a 89, interred in family vault in this church. He was only son of John Esq. of Hallatrow & Hester his wife, who was sister of Richard & William Lansdown Esqs. both formerly of Woodborough. Extract of Will of John PURNELL of Woodborough House, Esquire. A Legacy of 400 to each of my nieces Hester the wife of George Treweeke SCOBELL Esquire and Sarah SAVAGE, Spinster. I give my Mansion House called Woodborough House, with the Coach house, stables, outbuildings, offices & gardens and my Manor of Woodborough and also Farm lands, cottages, tenements and estate and premises called the Woodborough Estate, situate in the parishes of Camerton & Wellow, unto John WAIT of Newnham, Glos. Esquire, Brother of the late Daniel WAIT of Belluton in Stanton Drew and Thomas Macaulay CRUTTWELL of the City of Bath, Gentleman, upon trust to the use of William Savage WAIT, the eldest son of my niece Ann Purnell WAIT, Widow of the said Daniel WAIT, during his life and after that to the eldest son of William Savage WAIT and his heirs and if none to the second son and so on. In failure of such issue, upon trust, to Daniel Charles WAIT, the second son of Ann Purnell WAIT, and his first son etc. Similarly, on failure of such issue, to John Purnell WAIT, the third son of Ann Purnell WAIT etc. and again if no issue to Sarah Ann WAIT, daughter of Ann Purnell WAIT etc. I give to Daniel Charles WAIT my fourth part of the yearly fee farm charge of 200 payable out of that estate called the Manor of Langford, also my fourth part of a certain messuage, offices, buildings, farm lands and hereditaments at Kennicott in Dunkerton, and also my fourth part of a close of land called No Man's land at Wellow, and also my fourth part of the great tithes arising out of a farm at or near Whiteox in Wellow, late in the occupation of George MARSH but now of (Crispian?) POLLARD as Tenant, and out of pieces and parcels of land called the Three Hullox Hills, Whittle Tyning, the thirteen Acres, close called No Man's land and an acre of land at Double Hill, all in Wellow. I give my fourth part of the farm lands, farmhouse, outbuildings and premises called Wellow Farm to John WAIT and Thomas

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Macaulay CRUTTWELL upon trust to the use of Daniel Charles WAIT and then his eldest son etc. and, if no issue, secondly to John Purnell WAIT or thirdly Sarah Ann WAIT or fourthly William Savage WAIT I give and devise all those my messuages, lands, estates and heredits. and premises at Hallatrow in the parish of High Littleton in the said County of Somerset, with their and every of their rights, members and appurts., unto the said John WAIT and Thomas Macaulay CRUTTWELL, their heirs and assigns, To the uses nevertheless and upon the trusts hereinafter expressed and declared of and concerning the same (that is to say), To the use of the said John Purnell WAIT and his assigns, during his natural life, without impeachment of waste and, from and after the determination of that estate, To the use of the said John WAIT and Thomas Macaulay CRUTTWELL and their heirs, during the life of the said John Purnell WAIT, Upon trust to support the contingent uses and estates hereinafter limited and protect the same from being defeated or destroyed &, for that purpose, to make entries and bring actions as occasion shall require, yet nevertheless to permit and suffer the said John Purnell WAIT and his assigns to hold and enjoy the said messuages, lands and heredits. during the term of his natural life and, from and after the decease of the said John Purnell WAIT, To the use of the first son of the said John Purnell WAIT to be lawfully begotten and the heirs male of the body of such first son lawfully issuing and, on failure of such issue, To the use of the second, third, fourth, fifth and all and every other son and sons of the body of the said John Purnell WAIT to be lawfully begotten, severally, successively and in remainder, one after another, as they respectively shall be in seniority of age and priority of birth and the several and respective heirs male of the body or several and respective bodies of the same son and sons respectively lawfully issuing, every elder of the same sons and the heirs male of his body issuing being always to be preferred and to take before every younger of the same sons and the heirs male of his body issuing and, in default of such issue, To the use of the said Daniel Charles WAIT and his assigns during his natural life, without impeachment of waste and, from and after the determination of that estate, To the use of the said John WAIT and Thomas Macaulay CRUTTWELL and their heirs, during the natural life of the said Daniel Charles WAIT, upon Trust to support the contingent uses & estates hereinafter limited & protect the same from being defeated or destroyed and, for that purpose, to make entries and bring actions as occasions shall require, yet nevertheless to permit and suffer the said Daniel Charles WAIT and his assigns to hold & enjoy the said messuages, lands and heredits. during the term of his natural life and, from and after the decease of the said Daniel Charles WAIT, To the use of the first son of the said Daniel Charles WAIT to be lawfully begotten and the heirs male of the body of such first son lawfully issuing and, on failure of such issue, To the use of the second, third, fourth, fifth and all and every other son and sons of the body of the said Daniel Charles WAIT to be lawfully begotten, severally, successively and in remainder, one after another, as they respectively shall be in seniority of age and priority of birth and the several and respective heirs male of the body or several and respective bodies of the same son and sons respectively lawfully issuing, every elder of the same sons and the heirs male of his body issuing being always to be preferred and to take before every younger of the same sons and the heirs male of his body issuing and, on failure of such issue, To the use of my said Grand niece Sarah Ann WAIT and her assigns during her natural life, without impeachment of waste and, from and after the determination of that estate, To the use of the said John WAIT and Thomas Macaulay CRUTTWELL and their heirs, during the natural life of the said Sarah Ann WAIT, Upon trust to support the contingent estates hereinafter limited and to protect the same from being defeated

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or destroyed and, for that purpose, to make entries and bring actions as occasion shall require, yet nevertheless to permit and suffer the said Sarah Ann WAIT & her assigns toehold & enjoy the said lands & heredits. during the term of her natural life &, from & after the decease of the said Sarah Ann WAIT, to the use of the first son of the said Sarah Ann WAIT to be lawfully begotten &the heirs male of the body of such first son lawfully issuing &, on failure of such issue, To the use of the second, third, fourth, fifth &all and every other son and sons of the body of the said Sarah Ann WAIT to be lawfully begotten, severally, successively & in remainder, one after another, as they respectively shall be in seniority of age and priority of birth & the several & respective heirs male of the body or several & respective bodies of the same son & sons respectively lawfully issuing, every elder of the same sons & the heirs male of his body issuing being always to be preferred & to take before every younger of the same sons & the heirs male of his body issuing and, on failure of such issue, To the use of my Grand nephew the said William Savage WAIT & his assigns during his natural life, without impeachment of waste &, from & after the determination of that estate, To the use of the said John WAIT & Thomas Macaulay CRUTTWELL and their heirs, during the natural life of the said William Savage WAIT, Upon trust to support the contingent uses & estates hereinafter limited and protect the same from being defeated or destroyed and, for that purpose, to make entries and bring actions as occasion shall require, yet nevertheless to permit and suffer the said William Savage WAIT and his assigns to hold and enjoy the said messuages, lands and heredits. during the term of his natural life and, from & after the decease of the said William Savage WAIT, To the use of the first son of the said William Savage WAIT to be lawfully begotten & the heirs male of the body of such first son lawfully issuing &, on failure of such issue, To the use of the second, third, fourth, fifth & all and every other son and sons of the body of the said William Savage WAIT to be lawfully begotten, severally, successively & in remainder, one after another, as they respectively shall be in seniority of age and priority of birth & the several and respective heirs male of the body or several & respective bodies of the same son and sons respectively lawfully issuing, every elder of the same sons & the heirs male of his body issuing being always to be preferred & to take before every younger of the same sons and the heirs male of his body issuing &, on failure of such issue, To the use of my own right heirs forever. And it is my Will and meaning that, any person, who for the time being shall be seized of or entitled unto the last devised premises under this my Will, he or she being then full twenty five years of age, shall and may at his or her discretion grant one or more lease or leases of the mines, veins and seams of Coal already found and discovered or that hereafter may be found or discovered in, upon or under the same premises, for any term not exceeding thirty years from the time of granting such Lease or Leases, Provided always that, the person granting the same shall not waive any sum or sums of money or other consideration whatever by way of premium or fore gift for so doing and that there be reserved by such Lease or Leases unto the person granting the same & such other persons, who after him or her shall be entitled to the same premises by virtue hereof, at least one full tenth part or share of all Coal landed from the said mines, veins & seams of Coal or one full tenth part of the monies produced by the sale of the same, at the option of the person or persons granting such Lease or Leases and such other persons as aforesaid, for the free part or share thereof. The Residue of my real and personal estate I give to Ann Purnell WAIT and her four children, (that is to say) William Savage WAIT, Daniel Charles WAIT, John Purnell WAIT and Sarah Ann WAIT, to be equally divided between them, as tenants in common. I appoint Ann Purnell WAIT, William Savage WAIT and

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Daniel Charles WAIT Executrix and Executors. Signed Jno. PURNELL, 6th October 1830. Witnesses Francis FALKNER, William BANKS, W'm LAND, Clerks to Mr T.M. CRUTTWELL, Sol'r, Bath. Proved at London 4th Dec'r 1839 before the Judge by the Oaths of Anne(in the Will written Ann) Purnell WAIT, Widow, the niece, William Savage WAIT and Daniel Charles WAIT, the Executors, to whom admon. was granted, having been first sworn by Common. duly to adm. (Q.773 PROB11/1920 F.186-90) High Littleton Churchwardens Accounts 1754 & 1755 Parish of High Littleton - The 18th Day of June 1776 Att a vestry this day held in the parish Church of High Littleton aforesaid, ( due notice thereof having been first given), the state of the Bells in the tower belonging to the said parish was taken into consideration and it was then agreed on by us, whose names are subscribed, the majority of the paymasters of the said parish assembled at the said vestry. That the Tenor Bell shall be immediately taken down and new cast by William Bilbie of Chewstoke, Bell founder. And they said Will'm Bilbie hath agreed and undertaken to new cast the said bell and doth engage to furnish the said parish with a new Tenor Bell, equal in weight to the present one, on this being allowed one guinea p. Hundred for new casting the old Mettal and on being paid for one Pound of new Mettal on every twenty pounds according to the weight of the old bell, for waste. And which we, the said paymasters have agreed to allow and pay him for doing the same. And it is further agreed that, if the new bell shall exceed the old bell in weight, the said parish shall allow the said W'm Bilbie after the rate of one shilling p. pound for such overweight, and if the new bell happens to be lighter than the old one, the said W'm Bilbie shall allow the said parish after the rate of one shilling p. pound for such deficiency. sgd. Jacob Mogg, Tho's Read, W'm Skey, Thomas Dando, Step'n Jordan, Joseph Broadribb, John Hart, Thomas Lansdown, Jho. Purnell. William Bilbie. Attested by Thomas Green. Hester5 PURNELL, born 12 May 1753 in High Littleton; died 1779. She married Charles SAVAGE.

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30. Robert4 PURNELL (John3, John2, Robert1), born 1 Sep 1728 in High Littleton; died 8 Feb 1813 in Hallatrow; Puirnell Family home; buried 12 Feb 1813 in Hallatrow; Burial: Puirnell Family home. He married Betty SKEY, born 11 Oct 1731 in Thornbury, Gloucestershire; died 26 Dec 1802 in Hallatrow; Puirnell Family home; buried 29 Dec 1802 in Hallatrow; Burial: Puirnell Family home, daughter of William SKEY and Martha BRODRIBB.

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Notes for Robert PURNELL Robert of Hallatrow d 8 February 1813 age 84 w. Betty (dau of William Skey of Falfield, Glos) d 26 Dec 1802 age 71 3 of their children died in infancy dau. Sarah d 20 Feb 1832 age 74`bur.28 Feb 1832 Elder dau. Betty d 20 Oct 1849 age 93

bur.12 Feb 1813 bur. 29 Dec 1802 bur.26 Oct 1849

This is the last Will and Testament of Robert PURNELL of Hallatrow in the Parish of High Littleton in the County of Somerset, Gentleman.

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I give and bequeath unto my son William Skey PURNELL the Sum of Forty pounds, to be paid him by my Executrixes hereinafter named, as soon as they shall be possessed of sufficient Monies for that purpose, after the full discharge of all my just Debts and Funeral expenses. I Give and Bequeath unto my son John PURNELL, all my Wearing Apparel of every kind, quality and description. I Give, devise and bequeath unto my two Daughters, Betty PURNELL and Sarah PURNELL, All and singular my Freehold, Copyhold and Leasehold Estates, Messuages, Lands, Hereditaments and Premises, with the appurtenances, situate and being in the several parishes of Chilcompton, Midsomer Norton, Paulton and Clutton or elsewhere within the County of Somerset aforesaid and also all and singular my Household Furniture, Plate, Linen and China and all other my Real and Personal Estate, Chattles, Arabian artefacts, Goods, Debts, Property and Effects, whatsoever and wheresoever and of what nature or kind so ever, To hold the same respectively and every part thereof, with their respective Rights and Appurtenances, unto them the said Betty PURNELL and Sarah PURNELL and the Survivor of them and the Heirs, Executors, Administrators and Assigns of the Survivor, for and during all such Estates, Terms, Right and Interest, which I shall or may have claim or be entitled unto, of and in such Freehold, Copyhold and Leasehold Estates and other the Property and Effects aforesaid respectively, To, for and upon the several uses, Trusts, Ends, Intents and Purposes following, that is to say, Upon Trust, that they, my said Daughters and the Survivor of them and the Heirs, Executors, Administrators and Assigns of such Survivor, do and shall, as soon after my decease as they conveniently can, sell and dispose of all and singularly said Freehold, Copyhold and Leasehold Estates respectively or any parts or part of any or either of them, And also all or any parts or part, of my said other property, Estate and Effects respectively, either by public Auction or Private Contract, as they in their discretion shall think proper, and do and shall, out of the Monies to be produced by such Sale or Sales, in the first place, pay and fully discharge all such Debts as shall be due and owing from me at the time of my decease, unto any person or persons whomsoever, either on special Securities or simple contract (particularly the two principal Sums of Money now due on my Bonds to my said Daughters respectively), And from and after full payment and discharge of all such Debts as aforesaid and also the payment of my Funeral expenses, the charges of proving this my Will and the Legacy hereinbefore given and bequeathed, Then upon Trust and to and for the only proper use, benefit and advantage of them, my said Daughters and my said Son John PURNELL, their respective Heirs, Executors, Administrators and Assigns, as Tenants in Common and not as joint tenants, in equal shares and proportions. Lastly, I do hereby Nominate, Constitute and Appoint my said Daughters, Betty PURNELL and Sarah PURNELL, Executrixes jointly, In Trust of this my Will, hereby revoking all former, or other Wills by me heretofore made and declaring this to be my only last Will and Testament. In Witness whereof I have to this my last Will and Testament, contained in Two Sheets of Paper, to the first of such Sheets set my hand and to this second and last sheet, my hand and Seal, the Sixth day of June in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seven. Rob't PURNELL. Signed, Sealed, published and declared by the said Testator Robert PURNELL, as and for his last Will and Testament (the word "named" between the third and fourth lines of the first sheet having been first interlined), in the presence of us, who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of each other, have subscribed our names as Witnesses. R'd LANGFORD, Frances LANGFORD, and Ruth WHERRIT. Probate of the Will of Robert PURNELL deceased was granted in the Consistorial Episcopal Court of Wells on 25th June 1813 to Betty PURNELL of the City of Bristol, Spinster, and Sarah PURNELL of Hallatrow, Spinster, the Executrixes named in the last Will and Testament of Robert PURNELL late of Hallatrow, Gentleman. Effects sworn under 100. (SRO ED Wills Box 7 No. 559)

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[Robert PURNELL died on 8th February and was buried at High Littleton on 12th February 1813 aged 84. He was born in 1728, son of John PURNELL and Ann HUMPHREYS (nee HILL), married Betty SKEY, who died in 1802 aged 71, and had 5 children, Betty (died 1751), and William Skey (baptized 1752, who married at Midsomer Norton in 1779 Jane SALMON), Sarah (died 1756), Betty (died unmarried in 1849 aged 93) and Sarah (died unmarried in 1832 aged 74). The PURNELL family home in Hallatrow was Hallatrow House (now Brook Farm).]

Children of Robert PURNELL and Betty SKEY were as follows: 69 i Sarah5 PURNELL, died Nov 1756 in High Littleton Somerset. 70 ii Betty5 PURNELL, born 1751 in High Littleton Somerset; died Sep 1751 in High Littleton. 71 iii William Skey5 PURNELL, born 16 Jul 1752 in High Littleton Somerset. He married (1) Sarah GREEN; (2) Jane SALMON. 72 iv Betty5 PURNELL, born 1756 in High Littleton Somerset; died 20 Oct 1849 in High Littleton Somerset; buried 26 Oct 1849 in Hallatrow; Burial: Puirnell Family home. Notes: Will proved at PCC and names four nieces (Betty Skey Cox, Martha Broardribb Green, Sarah Breach and Sarah Coventry) Transcript of will of Betty Purnell of Hallatrow, within the parish of High Littleton, Somerset Proved 18th January 1851 at PCC (ref PROB 11/2126 q60 f80) This is the last will and testament of me, Betty Purnell of Hallatrow within the parish of High Littleton in the county of Somerset, spinster. Whereas I am entitled to the mines veins and seams of coal ore, minerals and metals in and under all the piece of meadow or pasture ground variously called or known by the name of Rowdens Grip containing by estimation four acres and a half (more or less) situate lying and being in the parish of Paulton in the said county of Somerset * * said piece of ground was sometime since known * to Rowdens?s Grip and middle Close was also sometime since known open to a close of ground called Withy Mills and which said three pieces of land now form one close and is called Hartrets; ten acres and the same belongs to William Coxeter James esquire, and which said piece of ground called Rowden?s Grip is bound on the east by a piece of meadow or pastures ground heretofore belong to John Watts, but now to David Nookes(?) on the west by two pieces of meadow or pasture ground once heretofore belong to Stephen Plummer also call Rowden?s Grip * * heretofore belong to Samuel Tuber but* now belonging to John Hill esquire and * on the south by the highway leading from Bath to Wells and on the north by the said piece of land heretofore called Riddle Close and which said mines were worked by my later father and mother Robert Purnell and Betty Purnell were* exchanged the said piece of land called Rowdens Grip with John James, Joseph Hill, and Diana Rolpease(?) in or about the year one thousand seven hundred and fifty nine for a * of meadow or pasture land called the Grove otherwise Withy Mills (formerly in * * and then called the Chatwell the Grove and Rudgway) now the property and being intermixed with other lands now or late of the Reverend James Ramball Row * so hereby give and devise unto my nephew Robert Purnell (late of the City of Bristol) all and singular the said mines, veins, seams and strata of coal ore minerals and * together will all such liberties right to privileges, powers and advantages of cuting into and upon the __fare if the same pranises (?) or any part thereof to mine big * for hand and * away the same as shall or may be * and necessary * reasonable satisfaction for the dame done hereto or nearby * the same with the appertenaures until and to the use of the said Robert Purnell, his heirs and assigns forever. I give and bequeath my gold watch with the equipage and appendages belonging to it to my niece Mr Betty Skey Cox. I give and bequeath

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the best of my diamond rings to my relative Mrs Mary Ann Spry. I give and bequeath to other of my diamond rings to her sister Mrs Frances Skey Scobell. I give and bequeath the best of my pearl broaches to my relative Mrs Hest Scobell. I give and bequeath the other of my pearl broaches to her sister Miss Sarah Savage. I give and bequeath all the rest of my jewels, Artefacts, trinkets and personal ornaments unto my four nieces Mrs Sarah Coventry, Mrs Martha Green, the said Betty Skey Cox, and Mrs Sarah Breach to be equally divided between and amongst them by my executor * the appointed. I give and bequeath my sixteen foreign china plates to my relative Mrs Jane Scobell. I give and bequeath all my household goods and furniture, my books and all my plate to my said nephew Robert Purnell. I give and bequeath all my clothes and linen of every description unto my before named four nieces Mrs Sarah Coventry, Mrs Martha Green, Mrs Betty Skey Cox and Mrs Sarah Breach to be equally divided between and amongst them by my said Executor. I give and bequeath a legacy of one hundred pounds to my niece the said Sarah Coventry. All the rest residue and remainder of my real and personal estate and effects not hereinto fore before mentioned legacy all my just debts my funeral expenses and the cost and charges of proving this my will I give devised and bequeath the same and every part and parcel thereof with the appertenments to the belonging unto my said nephew Robert Purnell Trustee and sole executor of this my will and hereby revoke all former and * wills by me at any time heretofore made and do declare this only to be and maintain my last will and testament contained on two sheets of paper set my hand and seal that is to say my * to the preceding* and my hand and seal to the * and last sheet this eighteenth day of November one thousand eight hundred and forty five Betty Purnell. Signed sealed, published and * by the said as * last will and testament in the presence of us and in the presence of said ****** Hannah Evans servant at Mrs Jane Scobell, John Hill Soltr Hallatrow. This is a codicil to the last will and testament of Betty Purnell of Hallatrow within the parish of High Littleton in the county of Somerset spinster whereas by my written will I gave and bequeathed a quarter share of certain my clothes and linen and a legacy of one hundred pounds to my niece the certain named Mrs Sarah Coventry was to be now deceased * to hereby five and bequeath the share of my jewels, trinkets and personal ornaments clothes and linen and legacy intended for the said Sarah Coventry in and by my certain will unto all and every the children of the said Sarah Coventry that shall be living at the time of my decease in equal shares and proportions and * my niece was within name Sarah Breach is now also deceased now I do hereby give and bequeath the share of my jewels, trinkets and personal ornaments and all my clothes and linen that I intended for the said Sarah Breach in my written will unto all and every the children of the said Sarah Breach that shall be living at the time of my decease in equal shares and proportions and in all * report certify and confirm my written will in witness * I have here unto set my hand this thirteenth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty eight. Betty Purnell Signed by the said Betty Purnell in the presence of us being present at the same time who at her request in her presence Hannah Evans (servant living at Mrs Scobell?s Hallatrow) John Hill Solr Hallatrow. Proved at London with a codicil 18th January 1851 before the worshipful Thomas Spints Dorton of Law and Surrogate by the oath Robert Purnell the nephew and sole executor to whom admons was granted having been first sworn duly to administer. Sarah5 PURNELL, born 1758 in High Littleton Somerset; died 20 Feb 1832 in High Littleton Somerset. Notes: Will proved at PCC and names brothers William Skey Purnell and John Purnell Transcript of the will of Sarah Purnell of Hallatrow, Somerset Proved 27th July 1832 (PROB 11/1801 q396 f 359) This is

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the last will and testament of Sarah Purnell of Hallatrow with the parish of High Littleton in the county of Somerset, and spinster. I give and bequeath unto my brother William Skey Purnell the sum of one hundred pounds. Also I give and bequeath unto my brother John Purnell the sum of one hundred pounds. * said two legacies I herby direct shall be paid at the expiration of twelve months next after my decease all the rest residue and remainder of my estate and property as well * as * and also all my monies and securities for money and other effects whatsoever and * I give devise and bequeath unto my dear sister Betty Purnell to * to *** executors and administrator for ever and I do hereby nominate executor appoint my said sister Betty Purnell sole executrix of this my will hereby revoking all other wills and declaring this to be my only last will and testament. In witness * I have to* my last will and testament set my hand and seal this second day of December one thousand eight hundred and fifteen Sarah Purnell. Signed sealed published and * by the said testator Sarah Purnell as * for her last will and testament in the presence of us who in her presence and * her *and in the presence of * as witnesses Richard Langford Hallatrow, Somt; Frances Langford; Jno Hill Clerk to Mr Langford. Proved at London 27th June 1832 before the judge by the Oath of Betty Purnell, Spinster the sister and sole Executrix to whom admon was granted being first sworn (by *) to administer. John5 PURNELL, born 1765. He married Elizabeth HILL.

74

vi

42. Hannah4 CARTER (Betty3 PURNELL, Isaac2, Robert1). She married John LOCKYER. Children of Hannah CARTER and John LOCKYER were as follows: 75 i Abraham5 LOCKYER. 76 ii Betty5 LOCKYER. 77 iii John5 LOCKYER. 78 iv Samuel5 LOCKYER. He married Anne DAGGER. 79 v Mary5 LOCKYER, born 1758; died 1842 in Clutton. She married Jared COOK.

305

+ +

48. Isaac4 PURNELL (Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1). He married Hannah WHITAKER, born 1713. Children of Isaac PURNELL and Hannah WHITAKER were as follows: 80 i Miriam5 PURNELL, born 11 Jun 1741. 52. John4 PURNELL (Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born 7 Dec 1716 in Clutton Somerset. He married Betty ?, born 1718. Children of John PURNELL and Betty ? were as follows: 81 i James5 PURNELL, born 28 Nov 1740 in Clutton Somerset. 53. James4 PURNELL (Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born 7 June 1719 in Clutton Somerset. He married Hester MIREFIELD, born abt 1722 in Somerset, England. + + Children of James PURNELL and Hester MIREFIELD were as follows: 82 i Aaron5 PURNELL. He married Love CHALLENGER. 83 ii Charles5 PURNELL. 84 iii James5 PURNELL. He married Mary MAGGS.

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+ 85 86 87 iv v vi Anne5 PURNELL, born 6 Sep 1748 in Clutton Somerset. Hester5 PURNELL, born 12 Aug 1749 in Clutton Somerset. She married unknown. Mark5 PURNELL, born 28 Feb 1757 in Clutton Somerset.

56. Abraham4 PURNELL (Joseph3, Isaac2, Robert1). He married (---) HANNAH. Children of Abraham PURNELL and (---) HANNAH were as follows: 88 i Abraham5 PURNELL. 89 ii Betty5 PURNELL. 90 iii Isaac5 PURNELL. He married Mary HEAL. 91 iv Jacob5 PURNELL. 92 v Joseph5 PURNELL. 93 vi Mary5 PURNELL. 94 vii Mary5 PURNELL. 95 viii Samuel5 PURNELL. 96 ix William5 PURNELL. 97 x William5 PURNELL.

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Generation 5
68. Hester5 PURNELL (John4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 12 May 1753 in High Littleton; died 1779. She married in 1774 in St Stephen, Bristol Charles SAVAGE. Other events for Hester PURNELL Baptism 10 Jun 1753 in High Littleton. + Children of Hester PURNELL and Charles SAVAGE were as follows: 98 i Anne Purnell6 SAVAGE, born 1772; died 1844. She married Daniel WAIT. 99 ii Hester6 SAVAGE, born 1775; died 1869. She married in 1818 in Midsomer Norton George Treweeke SCOBELL, born in High Littleton. 100 iii Sarah6 SAVAGE, born 1779; died 1855.

71. William Skey5 PURNELL (Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 16 Jul 1752 in High Littleton Somerset. He married (1) Sarah GREEN; (2) on 31 Aug 1779 in Midsommer Norton, Somerset Jane SALMON. Notes for William Skey PURNELL Lady JONES - Mr. (William) SKEY, Life hold [Held by the life of W?m Skey PURNELL aged 76 in 1827] [Lease dated 24th July 1800 for the lives of: W?m Skey PURNELL aged 64 in 1815 Jane (Skey), now wife of Dr. SCOBELL M.D. (aged 45 in 1815)] 160 A Tenement in 3 Dwellings 2 2 2 2 6 15 166) Stephens Hill 4 0 19 8 0 3) 3 Wood 12 41/4 ) 3 3 24 ) 18 Pas. 3 10 21/2 168 Coppice adjoining 3 8 3 8 18 14 43/4 (A great many trees in it, little and big, lately fell by the tenant;ab?t 20 worth) 1 1804 SURVEY OF WILLIAM JONES BURDETT?S ESTATES IN HIGH LITTLETON Lady JONES - Mr. (William) SKEY, Lifehold [Lease dated 24th July 1800 for the lives of: Richard LANGFORD of Hallatrow, attorney at law (he died 4th May 1826)aged 55 in 1815 Jane, wife of Dr. SCOBELL, (aged 45 in 1815)] In Hallowtrough 1 House, Out offices and Garden 2 19 2 19 10 - 2 Orchard adjoining 2 18 2 18 40 1 4 6 3 Cripcroft - orchard 1 1 20 1 1 20 40 2 15 4 Grindstone 1 1 28 1 1 28 33 2 7 01/4 5 Hooked Mead - orchard 3 20 3 20 60 2 12 6 6 Skey?s Greenlane Ground 3 3 3 3 3 3 25 4 14 21/2 11 Little Marsh 2 0 33 2 0 33 25 2 15 2 (New broke up) 12 South Slade 2 1 7 2 1 7 23 2 12 9 (Maiden Oak cut, ab?t 30 feet) Total 8 1 3 4 1 6 2 19 13 0 28 29 1 13/4 1804 SURVEY OF William Jones BURDETT?s ESTATES IN HIGH LITTLETON & HALLATROW

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Lady Elizabeth JONES, who owned the lordship of the manor of High Littleton and a considerable amount of land and property in the parish, died without issue in 1800. Under her Will she devised her manors of Stowey and High Littleton to her nephew William Jones BURDETT. In 1804 BURDETT commissioned Joseph WOLLEN of Wedmore to produce a valuation of his estate in High Littleton and Hallatrow. For the purpose of the valuation WOLLEN used SMITH?s map of 1793, as updated in 1799. Various additions to the schedule have been made afterwards from time to time. There appears to have been some omissions and errors in the schedule and the transcriber has highlighted these by showing them in italics. A SURVEY & VALUATION OF ESTATES SITUATE AT HIGH LITTLETON & HALLATROWIN THE COUNTY OF SOMERSET, THE PROPERTY OF WILLIAM JONES BURDETT ESQ?R. Mr. William SKEY, Lifehold 160 A Tenement in 3 Dwellings - 2 2 1 5 at Stephens Hill (In Ruins and should be taken down) 166 Stephens Hill Pasture 8 0 3 5 - 168 Coppice Adjoining - 3 8 10 (Oak trees not thriving) 159) Hollybush North ( Meadow 6 2 37 40 13 9 161) ( 162 Hollybush South Meadow 6 1 23 45 14 7 6 241 Three Cornered Paddock Arable 1 2 28 30 2 10 238 Paddock by Vowles?s House Pasture 2 0 15 45 4 14 148 Long Paddock Meadow 1 2 11 36 2 16 6 150 Dry Paddock Meadow 4 0 11 42 8 10 6 154 Ham Pasture 4 3 16 50 12 2 6 155 An undivided moiety of Bleat Common Meadow 1 25 50 1 - (Mr. MOGG the other) 37 0 19 66 5 Deduct for Taxes 9 5 57 - Mr. William SKEY?s Lifehold - in Hallatrow 1 House, Out Offices & Garden - 2 19 (10 10 2 Orchard Adjoining Orchard 2 18 ( 3 Crip Croft (Orchard) Orchard 1 1 20 63 4 6 6 4 Grindstone Meadow 1 1 28 45 3 4 5 Hooked Mead (Orchard) Orchard 3 20 70 3 1 6 Skeys Green Lane Ground Arable 3 3 3 30 5 13 11 Little Marsh or Little Chasehills Arable 2 0 33 30 3 6 12 South Slade Bottom Pasture 2 1 7 30 3 8 6 13 0 28 33 9 Deduct for Taxes 3 9 30 - Children of William Skey PURNELL and Jane SALMON were as follows: 101 i William Skey6 PURNELL, born 29 Jan 1807 in St John the Baptist, Croydon, Surry. 102 ii Robert6 PURNELL, born 4 Aug 1809 in St John the Baptist, Croydon, Surry.

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74. John5 PURNELL (Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1765. He married Elizabeth HILL, born 1767 in Kingston Jamaica; died 1861 in Melksham, Wiltshire, daughter of William HILL and Jane WHITE. Other events for John PURNELL Occupation in School Master. Other events for Elizabeth HILL Residencei, ii 1851 in Melksham, Wiltshire, England. Civiliii Melksham. Name (Facts Pg)iv Elizabeth Purnell. Namesakev in Elizabeth Purnell. Notes for John PURNELL Death before 1851 maybe before 1836 Possible but unconfirmed christening from IGI 22 June 1767 Presbyterian, Ashwick, Somerset, England JOHN PURNELL School master according to baptism of his second daughter in 1824; son of Robert Purnell and Betty nee Skey; m. ELIZABETH ???. bc. 1760 (aged 101 at burial) or 1767 (aged 84 for 1851 census) in Kingston, Jamaica; bur. ?? ? 1861 Melksham, Wiltshire; It is possible that this is the same couple as John PURNELL and Elizabeth SALMON, who married 25 September 1792 at St Philip and St Jacob, Bristol; Notes for Elizabeth HILL Elizabeth's birth date is uncertain, as in 1851 she says she is 84, but at her burial in 1861 she is 101. It is possible that this is the same couple as John Purnell and Elizabeth Salmon, who married 25 September 1792 at St Philip and St Jacob, Bristol. 1851 CENSUS Melksham Wiltshire Elizabeth Purnell Robert Purnell Betty Cox Head 84 yrs Born Son 55 yrs Born Granddaughter 6 yrs Born Kingston Jamaica Somerset Somerset

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Children of John PURNELL and Elizabeth HILL were as follows: 103 i John6 PURNELL, born 26 Nov 1792 in Bristol; died 17 Nov 1809 in Holcombe. Other events: Occupation in Apprentice to Linen Draper in Bristol. Baptism 30 Sep 1794 in Holcombe Somerset. Notes: JOHN PURNELL apprentice to linen draper in Bristol; bn. 26 November 1792, bp. 30 September 1794 Holcombe; bur 17 November 1809 Holcombe. 104 ii Robert6 PURNELLvi, born 10 Mar 1794 in Holcombe Somerset; died vii Jun 1857 in Melksham Wiltshire. Other events: Occupation in Melksham Wiltshire. Baptism 30 Sep 1794 in Holcombe Somerset. Notes: bn. 10 March 1794, bp. 30 September 1794 Holcombe; bur. 24 June 1857 Melksham, Wilts. 105 iii Henry6 PURNELL, born 14 Sep 1796 in Holcombe Somerset. Other events: Baptism 2 Oct 1796 in Holcombe Somerset. Notes: The following is a copy of a letter in the possession of Ralph Hill Williams (son of Lily Marie) written by Henry Purnell to his Sister-in-law Sarah Purnell wife of his brother Hill Purnell. The part in the letter " and taking into consideration your own situation" refers to the fact that Sarah was soon to give birth to her son Henry Skey Purnell. Melksham 10 March 1838. Dear Sister I am desired by my mother to answer your letter to her, a few days since. We are extremely sorry to learn by it , the illness of our brother. We sincerely hope he is by this time, better and that

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providence will soon restore him to good health, and taken into consideration your own situation, we hope and trust that he will soon recover. my mother would be glad to come to Cardiff but she is very feeble and has not overcome the violent attack of influenza which she had last winter. We shall be glad to hear from you again when you have a few minutes you can devote to such a purpose, when we trust we shall have a favourable act of yourself and husband, we are all at Melksham, well and desire our love to yourself, my brother and the children. I am , dear sister, very truly Henry Purnell. Fisher6 PURNELL, born 28 May 1798 in Holcombe Somerset; died 5 Nov 1857 in Stoke Lane. He married (1) unknown; (2) unknown; (3) Elizabeth Ann BLACKER. Charles Salmon6 PURNELL, born 8 Aug 1799 in Holcombe Somerset; died 1850 in stoke Lane Somerset. He married (1) unknown; (2) Sarah TREASURE. Hill6 PURNELL, born 1801 in High Littleton; died viii Sep 1888 in Glamorgan Monmouthshire. He married Sarah LEWIS. Martha Broadribb6 PURNELL, born 4 Jan 1803 in Holcombe Somerset; died 31 Mar 1896 in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England. She married Joseph GREEN. Betty Skey6 PURNELL, born 3 May 1804 in Holcombe Somerset; died 14 Oct 1861 in Stoke Lane. She married James COX. Sarah6 PURNELL, born 13 Dec 1805 in Holcome. She married Moses BREACH. Joseph6 PURNELL, bornix 18 Dec 1807 in Somerset, England. He married Ann BRYANT.

+ + + + + + +

106 107 108 109 110 111 112

iv v vi vii viii ix x

78. Samuel5 LOCKYER (Hannah4 CARTER, Betty3 PURNELL, Isaac2, Robert1). He married on 27 Oct 1774 in Clutton Anne DAGGER. Children of Samuel LOCKYER and Anne DAGGER were as follows: 113 i Betty6 LOCKYER. 114 ii James6 LOCKYER. He married unknown. 115 iii John6 LOCKYER. 116 iv John6 LOCKYER. 117 v Samuel6 LOCKYER. He married Ann PERRY. 118 vi William6 LOCKYER. 119 vii William6 LOCKYER.

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79. Mary5 LOCKYER (Hannah4 CARTER, Betty3 PURNELL, Isaac2, Robert1), born 1758; died 1842 in Clutton. She married on 18 May 1778 in Clutton Jared COOK, born 1756 in Clutton; died 1822 in Clutton, son of Samuel COOK and Betty HILLMAN. Children of Mary LOCKYER and Jared COOK were as follows: 120 i Abraham6 COOK. 121 ii Betty6 COOK. 122 iii Hannah6 COOK. 123 iv Jerad6 COOK. 124 v Samuel6 COOK. He married on 16 Jan 1755 in Clutton Betty HILLMAN. Notes: Baptism transcripts state son of Thomas and Mary Cook. But it is not feasible to attribute him to Thomas b 1712 as he married Hannah Bowlesin 1732/33 (age "19"). The register is very indistinct and shows "Samuel son of [ ] and Mary" with the father's name either "Tho" or "Jno". John and Mary had a

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few children in Clutton whereas there seems to be no suitable Thomas to be Samuel's father. John and Mary's marriage in 1728/29 fits too. Thomas6 COOK. James6 COOK, born 1781 in Clutton. He married Christian LOCKYER.

125 126

vi vii

82. Aaron5 PURNELL (James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1). He married Love CHALLENGER, born abt 1750, daughter of Samuel CHALLENGER and Tabitha ?. Children of Aaron PURNELL and Love CHALLENGER were as follows: 127 i Jane6 PURNELL, born abt 1781 in Clutton Somerset. 128 ii Betsy6 PURNELL, born abt 1783. 129 iii Moses6 PURNELL, born 15 Apr 1787 in Clutton Somerset. He married Mary JONES. 130 iv Aaron6 PURNELL, born abt 1790 in Clutton Somerset. 131 v Sarah6 PURNELL, born abt 1791 in Clutton Somerset. 132 vi Anna6 PURNELL, born abt 1794 in Clutton Somerset. 133 vii James6 PURNELL, born abt 1794 in Clutton Somerset. 134 viii Grace6 PURNELL, born abt 1796 in Clutton Somerset. She married Hercules COLLIER.

84. James5 PURNELL (James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1). He married Mary MAGGS, born abt 1757 in Clutton Somerset. + Children of James PURNELL and Mary MAGGS were as follows: 135 i Charles6 PURNELL. He married Harriett COLLIER. 136 ii Ann6 PURNELL, born abt 1782 in Clutton Somerset. 137 iii George6 PURNELL, born abt 1789 in Clutton Somerset. 138 iv Jane6 PURNELL, born abt 1789 in Clutton Somerset.

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86. Hester5 PURNELL (James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born 12 Aug 1749 in Clutton Somerset. She married unknown. Children of Hester PURNELL were as follows: 139 i (---)6 JAMES, born 2 Jan 1752 in Clutton Somerset. 90. Isaac5 PURNELL (Abraham4, Joseph3, Isaac2, Robert1). He married on 8 Jun 1783 in Clutton Mary HEAL. Children of Isaac PURNELL and Mary HEAL were as follows: 140 i Abraham6 PURNELL. 141 ii Anne6 PURNELL. 142 iii Elizabeth6 PURNELL. She married on 25 Dec 1806 in Clutton Charles BANFIELD, son of John BANFIELD and Betty KINGMAN. 143 iv Isaac6 PURNELL. 144 v Mary6 PURNELL. 145 vi Mary6 PURNELL. 146 vii Sarah6 PURNELL.

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Generation 6
98. Anne Purnell6 SAVAGE (Hester5 PURNELL, John4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1772; died 1844. She married on 23 Jan 1806 in Stanton Drew Daniel WAIT, died 21 Apr 1830, son of William WAIT and Elizabeth ?. + + Children of Anne Purnell SAVAGE and Daniel WAIT were as follows: 147 i Sarah Anne7 WAIT. She married Joseph Walter DAUBENY. 148 ii William Savage7 WAIT, born 3 Apr 1808 in Bitton, Gloucestershire; christened 1808 in Stanton Drew; died 11 Aug 1869 in Weston Super Mare Somerset. He married (1) Caroline Savage Hunt Allyn WAIT; (2) Frances Anne St Albyn WAIT (see 231); (3) Caroline St ALBYN. 149 iii Daniel Charles7 WAIT, born 11 Sep 1809 in Stanton Drew, Somerset; died Dec 1881 in Clutton 5C 365. He married (1) (---) ELLEN; (2) Sarah WILSHERE. 150 iv John Purnell7 WAIT, born 17 Nov 1818; died 25 Feb 1841 in Norton Malreward, Somerset. Notes: bp 17 November 1818; d. 19 Aug 1841 [poss died Sept Qtr 1841 Clutton 11 4[58]1 freebmd

106. Fisher6 PURNELLx, xi, xii (John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 28 May 1798 in Holcombe Somerset; died 5 Nov 1857 in Stoke Lane. He married (1) unknown; (2) unknown; (3) on 13 Nov 1829 in stoke Lane Somerset Elizabeth Ann BLACKER, born 1797 in stoke Lane Somerset; died 3 Mar 1876 in stoke Lane Somerset, daughter of Joseph BLACKER and Ann WILLCOX. Other events for Fisher PURNELL Occupation in Lime Burner. Residencexiii 1871 in Mells, Somerset, England. Baptism 10 Jun 1798 in Holcombe Somerset. Notes for Fisher PURNELL FISHER PURNELL Lime Burner at Upper Vobster (1871); bn. 28 May, 10 June 1798 Holcombe; bur 5 November 1877 Stoke Lane; married 13 May 1829 Stoke Lane, Somerset, ELIZABETH ANN BLACKER daughter of Joseph Blacker and Ann nee Wilcox; bc. 1797; bp. 12 April 1800 Stoke Lane; bur. 3 March 1876 Stoke Lane; and had: Children of Fisher PURNELL were as follows: 151 i Sarah Eliza7 PURNELL, born 1844; christened 20 Apr 1845 in stoke Lane Somerset. She married William WATTS. Children of Fisher PURNELL were as follows: 152 i Joseph7 PURNELLxiv, bornxv abt 1837 in Stoke Lyne, Somerset, England. Other events: Residencexvi 1871 in Mells, Somerset, England. Children of Fisher PURNELL and Elizabeth Ann BLACKER were as follows: 153 i Ann Elizabeth7 PURNELLxvii, bornxviii abt 1831 in Somerset, England. Other events: Residencexix 1851 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England. 154 ii Ann Elizabeth7 PURNELLxx, bornxxi 1831 in Somerset, England. Other events: Residencexxii 1851 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England. Name (Facts Pg) Anna Elizabeth Purnell. 155 iii Robert7 PURNELL, born 3 Jul 1832 in stoke Lane Somerset; died 23 Jun 1836 in stoke Lane Somerset.

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156 157 158 iv v vi Eliza Sarah7 PURNELL, born 8 Jun 1834 in stoke Lane Somerset. Joseph Blacker7 PURNELLxxiii, bornxxiv abt 1836 in Somerset, England. Other events: Residencexxv 1851 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England. Joseph Blacker7 PURNELL, born 15 Jun 1836 in stoke Lane Somerset. He married on 17 Feb 1876 in St Mary's Redcliffe Martha GREEN, born 18 Apr 1830 in stoke Lane Somerset. Other events: Occupation in Lime Burner. Residencexxvi 1851 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England. Name (Facts Pg) xxvii Joseph Blacker Purnell. Notes: JOSEPH BLACKER PURNELL Lime Burner of Upper Vobster (1881), living Witham Friary 1891; bp. 15 May 1836 Stoke Lane; m. 17 February 1876 St Marys Redcliffe, Bristol, MARTHA GREEN daughter of Thomas Green Yeoman of The Fosse and his wife Mary nee Cornish; bp. 18 April 1830 Stoke Lane; after 1891. Robert7 PURNELLxxviii, bornxxix abt 1839 in Somerset, England. Other events: Residencexxx 1851 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England. Elija7 PURNELLxxxi, bornxxxii abt 1841 in Somerset, England. Other events: Residencexxxiii 1851 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England. Jane Skey7 PURNELL, born 1841 in stoke Lane Somerset; christened 21 Jan 1844 in stoke Lane Somerset; died 1845 in stoke Lane Somerset. Robert7 PURNELL, born 1845; christened 20 Apr 1845 in stoke Lane Somerset. He married Mary Anne UNKNOWN.

159 160 161 + 162

vii viii ix x

107. Charles Salmon6 PURNELL (John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 8 Aug 1799 in Holcombe Somerset; died 1850 in stoke Lane Somerset. He married (1) unknown; (2) on 30 Jul 1823 Sarah TREASURE, born 31 Mar 1801; died 1839. Other events for Charles Salmon PURNELL Occupation in School Master. Baptism 8 Sep 1799 in Stratton. Notes for Charles Salmon PURNELL CHARLES SALMON PURNELL (the middle name has only been found in his marriage details); School master; bp. 18 August 1799 Holcombe; bur. 4 April 1850 Stoke Lane; married 30 July 1823 Stoke Lane, Somerset SARAH TREASURE daughter of Joseph and Hannah Treasure; born 31 March 1801; buried 20 May 1839; and had Children of Charles Salmon PURNELL were as follows: 163 i Robert John7 PURNELL, christened 30 Sep 1838 in Soke Lane, Somerset, died 1840 in Soke Lane, Somerset. Children of Charles Salmon PURNELL and Sarah TREASURE were as follows: 164 i Anne7 PURNELL, born 29 Aug 1824 in Stoke St Michael; christened 29 Aug 1824 in Stoke St Michael. Other events: Occupation in Cook. Notes: bp. 29 August 1824 Stoke St Michael; possibly alive in 1851, as cook at Kilmersdon, Somerset. 165 ii Hill Broadribb7 PURNELL, bornxxxiv 1828 in Somerset, England; christened 4 Mar 1827; died 1871. He married Thirza HARRIS. 166 iii Amanda7 PURNELL, born 6 Jul 1829 in stoke Lane Somerset. 167 iv Moses Henry7 PURNELL, born 1832 in Stoke Lane; christened 4 Nov 1832 in Soke Lane, Somerset. 168 v Martha7 PURNELL, born 1835 in Stoke St Michael; christened 15 May 1835 in Stoke St Michael. 313

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108. Hill6 PURNELLxxxv, xxxvi, xxxvii, xxxviii (John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1801 in High Littleton; diedxxxix Sep 1888 in Glamorgan Monmouthshire. He married on 17 Jan 1826 in St John and St Mary, Cardiff Sarah LEWISxl, xli, born 10 Apr 1806 in Cardiff Wales; died 14 Jul 1884 in Cardiff Wales, daughter of Thomas LEWIS and Sarah PRIDE. Other events for Hill PURNELL Residencexlii 1871 in Canton, Glamorgan, Wales. Civil xliii Canton. Name (Facts Pg)xliv Hill PURNELL. Namesakexlv in Hill Parmele. Other events for Sarah LEWIS Residencexlvi 1871 in Canton, Glamorgan, Wales. Adoption in Adopted By Matthew Pride. Civil xlvii Canton. Name (Facts Pg)xlviii Sarah Purnell. Notes for Hill PURNELL Hill Purnell came to Cardiff from High Littleton-Paulton area of Somerset. Birds Directory for 1858 records Hill Purnell as living at Great House Farm (Leckwith Manor) Cardiff. ( Hill was English name for name Hira) 1851 CENSUS St Mary's Cardiff 22 Whitmore Street Hill Purnell Head Sarah Purnell Wife Mathew Freeman Son Susan Daughter Catherine Daughter Robert Son 49 yrs Retired Farmer Born Holcomb Somerset 44 yrs Born Cardiff 22 yrs Ship Owner 21 yrs 8 yrs Scholar 7 yrs Scholar

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1861 CENSUS parish of Llandaff 189 Severn Road Hill Purnell Sarah Sarah Elizabeth Mathew Freeman Head Wife Daughter Son 59 yrs 55 yrs 34 yrs 33 yrs Farmer Born Somerset Holcombe House Born Glamorgan Cardiff Born Glamorgan Cardiff Master Mariner Born Glamorgan Cardiff

1881 CENSUS Parish of Llandaff 204 Severn Road Hill Purnell Sarah Sarah Susan Marion Head Wife Daughter Granddaughter Granddaughter 80 yrs 76 yrs 55 yrs 14 yrs 9 yrs Retired Farmer Born Holcomb Somerset Born Cardiff Born Cardiff Born Llandaff Born Llandaff

MARRIAGE: Copy of Marriage Certificate: Hill Purnell of the Parish of St. Johns, Bachelor, and Sarah Lewis of the Parish of St Mary, Spinster, were married in this church by Licence with the consent of Matthew Pride her lawful guardian, this 17th day of January, in the year 1826

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This marriage was solemnised between Hill Purnell and Sarah Lewis In the presence of: John Pride, Thomas Heine, Sarah Purnell, Eliza Alexander. Notes for Sarah LEWIS Birds Ralph Williams wrote: You will note that the name Matthew Pride is on both certificates. I understand Thomas and Sarah died while still quite young and Matthew became Guardian to Sarah, daughter of Thomas and Sarah. The Pride family owned Llandaff Mill and Thomas Lewis was a member of the Lewis of Van family, the old Van mansion is a few miles from Caerphilly Castle. Cousin Mildred would have told you about the Lewis family, a branch lived at "green meadow" Tongwynlias. the arms of the family hang outside the local inn (The Old Ton Inn). Cousin Mildred was the Landlady Birds Directory for Cardiff 1858 : High Sheriffs of Glamorgan were: 1547-55-59 Edward Lewis of Van, Caerphilly 1560-69-86 Thomas Lewis of Van, Caerphilly 1601 Edward Lewis of Van 1630 Thomas Lewis, Llanishen 1757 Thomas Lewis, New House, Thorn Hill 1790 William Lewis, "Greenmeadow" Tongwynlias 1795 Wyndham Lewis, Llanishen. Members of Parliament: 1563 Henry Lewis 1586 George Lewis of Van 1601 William Lewis 1820 Wyndham Lewis MARRIAGE: Copy of Marriage Certificate: Hill Purnell of the Parish of St. Johns, Bachelor, and Sarah Lewis of the Parish of St Mary, Spinster, were married in this church by Licence with the consent of Matthew Pride her lawful guardian, this 17th day of January, in the year 1826. This marriage was solemnised between: Hill Purnell and Sarah Lewis; In the presence of: John Pride, Thomas Heine, Sarah Purnell, Eliza Alexander. Children of Hill PURNELL and Sarah LEWIS were as follows: 169 i Sarah E7 PURNELLxlix, bornl 1827 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales. Other events: Residenceli 1881 in Llandaff, Glamorgan, Wales. Civil lii Canton. Name (Facts Pg)liii Sarah E. Purnell. Notes: Died Unmarried 170 ii Mathew Freeman7 PURNELLliv, born 1828 in St John & St Mary Cardiff; died 1869. Other events: Residencelv 1851 in St Mary, Glamorgan, Wales. Civil lvi Cardiff St Mary. Name (Facts Pg) lvii Mathew Purnell. Namesake lviii in Mathew F Pennell. Notes: Master Mariner Died of Nash Point, in the Bristol Channel while boarding a ship as a Pilot 6th June 1862 The register For new pilots has Matthew Freeman rejected. It reads Matthew Purnell Gimes Cottage Canton age 33 years, Height 5ft 71/2in,Grey Eyes, Dark Brown Hair, Shallow Completion. Rejected Again registered and accepted for 1862/1865 By 1863 the Port of Cardiff was growing rapidly and the number of pilots had increased. Channel pilots. And licence numbers 1. John Harris 16. D.Julian 31. T.Steel 2. W.Jones

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17. W.Allen 32. H.Tucker 3. John Davies 18. D.Samuel 33. T.Richards 4. D.Roberts 19. B.Morgan 34. T.Thomas 5. D.Morse 20. J.White 35. J.Matthews 6. E.Morgan 21. T.Lewis 36. T.Morse 7. J.Tamplin 22. T.Thomas 37. J.W.Symons 8. J.Wright 23. W.A.H.Harvey 38. H.Davies 9. W. Morgan 24. David Owen 39. J.Steel 10. W.Richards 25. E.Kempthorne 40. J.Tamplin 11. W. Morgan 26. P.Evans 41. R.Scudamore 12. E. Head 27. E.Jones 42. W.Grimes 13. John Roberts 28. J.Davies 43. T.Thomas 14. J.Howe 29. B.Morgan 44. D.Denman 15. T.Head 30. M.Purnell 45. A.Harvey Susan7 PURNELL, bornlix 1830 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, Glamorgan, Wales; died 12 Jan 1864 in St John & St Mary Cardiff. She married Edward PAYNE. Mary Anne7 PURNELL, born 1832 in St John & St Mary Cardiff. Clara7 PURNELL, born 1835 in St John & St Mary Cardiff. Robert Broadribb7 PURNELL, born 1836 in St John & St Mary Cardiff. Henry Skey7 PURNELL, bornlx 1838 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales; died 23 Nov 1929 in St John & St Mary Cardiff. He married Mary SMITH. Catherine Jane W7 PURNELLlxi, born 1842 in St John & St Mary Cardiff; diedlxii Mar 1876 in Greater London Surrey. She married in Jun 1868 in Wandsworth Edward PAYNE. Other events: Name (Facts Pg) Catherine Jane White Purnell. Hill Robert J7 PURNELL, bornlxiii 1842 in Cardiff; diedlxiv Sep 1901 in Glamorgan Monmouthshire. He married (1) Emily Mary TILLETT; (2) unknown. Robt7 PURNELLlxv, lxvi, bornlxvii 1844 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, Glamorgan, Wales; died 1917. Other events: Residence lxviii, lxix 1851 in Glamorgan, Wales. Name (Facts Pg) Robert Hill Purnell. Namesake lxx in Robert Purnell. William Hill7 PURNELLlxxi, lxxii, bornlxxiii Dec 1845 in Glamorgan Monmouthshire; diedlxxiv Dec 1845 in Glamorgan Monmouthshire. Other events: Name (Facts Pg)lxxv William Hill Purnell. Notes: Customs Officer retired by 1901 and living in Whitchurch

171 172 173 174 175 176

iii iv v vi vii viii

177 178 179

ix x xi

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109. Martha Brodribb6 PURNELL (John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 4 Jan 1803 in Holcombe Somerset; died 31 Mar 1896 in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England. She married on 25 Jun 1835 in Melksham, Wiltshire Joseph GREEN, born 30 Jan 1802 in Stoke Lane; christened 7 Mar 1802 in Stoke Lane, Somerset; died 14 Jul 1846, son of Edward GREEN and Jane CLAVEY. Notes for Martha Brodribb PURNELL MARTHA BROADRIBB PURNELL bn. 4 January, bp. 10 Jun 1803 Holcombe; d. 31 March 1896 Stoke Lane, bur 6 or 8 April at Stoke Lane; married 25 June 1835 Melksham, Wiltshire JOSEPH GREEN Farmer of Stoke Lane, son of Edward Green and Jane nee Clayey; bn 30 January, bp. 7 March 1802 Stoke Lane; d. 14 July 1846; and had: Children of Martha Brodribb PURNELL and Joseph GREEN were as follows: 180 i Eliza Anne7 GREEN. 181 ii Sarah Betty7 GREEN. 182 iii Jane Elizabeth7 GREEN, born 1837 in Stoke Lane; died 1926. She married Herbert LARGE. 183 iv Edward Richard7 GREEN, born 1839 in Stoke Lane; died 1 Feb 1922. He married (1) unknown; (2) unknown; (3) Ann EMBLIN; (4) Winifred STOKES; (5) Elizabeth Ann BRYAN; (6) unknown.

+ +

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110. Betty Skey6 PURNELL (John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 3 May 1804 in Holcombe Somerset; died 14 Oct 1861 in Stoke Lane. She married on 2 May 1825 in Bathwick, Somerset James COXlxxvi, bornlxxvii 1805 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England. Other events for Betty Skey PURNELL Residencelxxviii 1861 in Somerset, England. Civillxxix Walcot. Name (Facts Pg)lxxx Betsy Cox. Other events for James COX Occupation 1851 in Butcher. Residencelxxxi 1851 in Walcot, Somerset, England. Name (Facts Pg) James Cox. Notes for Betty Skey PURNELL 8BETTY SKEY PURNELL b. 3 May 1804, bp. 20 July 1823 Stoke Lane; bur. 14 September 1861 Stoke Lane; m. 2 May 1825 Bathwick, Somerset, JAMES COX Butcher of Bath; bc 1805 Stoke Lane; and had:Children of Betty Skey PURNELL and James COX were as follows: 184 i Henry7 COX, born 17 Jul 1825 in Stoke Lane. 185 ii John Purnell7 COX, born 1 Jul 1827 in Stoke Lane. 186 iii Joseph7 COX, born 1829 in Stoke Lane. 187 iv Betsy Purnell7 COX, born 1831 in Stoke Lane. 188 v Robert James7 COX, born 1833 in Stoke Lane. Notes: Mason's Labourer 189 vi Frederick Phillips7 COX, born 1836 in Stoke Lane. Notes: Butcher at Walcot in 1881 190 vii Martha Elizabeth7 COX, born 1838 in Stoke Lane. 191 viii Sarah Purnell7 COX, born 1840 in Stoke Lane; died 2 Jul 1845 in Stoke Lane. 192 ix Isaac7 COX, born 1842 in Stoke Lane. 193 x Thomas7 COX, born 1842 in Stoke Lane. 194 xi Betty Skey Purnell7 COX, born 1844 in Stoke Lane. 195 xii Sarah Jane7 COX, born 1847 in Stoke Lane. 196 xiii James Fisher7 COX, born 1849 in Stoke Lane. He married Emma EVERALL.

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111. Sarah6 PURNELL (John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 13 Dec 1805 in Holcome. She married on 28 Feb 1828 in Melksham Wiltshire Moses BREACH. Other events for Sarah PURNELL Baptism 25 Dec 1810 in Holcombe Somerset. Notes for Sarah PURNELL SARAH PURNELL bp 13 December 1805 Holcombe; dead by 1851; married 28 February 1828 Melksham, MOSES BREACH; bc. 1801; bur. 10 October 1829 Melksham, Wiltshire; and had Children of Sarah PURNELL and Moses BREACH were as follows: 197 i Sarah7 BREACH, born 1828 in Melksham, Wiltshire. Notes: Alive 1881 198 ii Hannah Scott7 BREACH, born 1829 in Melksham, Wiltshire; died Mar 1892 in Chippenham. 112. Joseph6 PURNELLlxxxii (John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), bornlxxxiii 18 Dec 1807 in Somerset, England. He married Ann BRYANT, born 8 Jul 1804 in Holcombe, daughter of John BRYANT and Paige (PEGGY) Sheppard.

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Other events for Joseph PURNELL Residencelxxxiv 1871 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England. Baptism 25 Dec 1810 in Holcombe Somerset. Civillxxxv Liverpool. Name (Facts Pg) Joseph Purnell. Notes for Joseph PURNELL JOSEPH PURNELL Draper of Shepton Mallet; bn. 18 December 1807, bp. 25December 1810 Holcombe; married 19 February 1828 Stoke Lane, ANN BRYANT; daughter of John Bryant and Paige (or Peggy) nee Sheppard; bn 8 June, bp. 29 July 1804 Holcombe; and had :Children of Joseph PURNELL and Ann BRYANT were as follows: 199 i Amalie Julia7 PURNELL, born 11 Jan 1829 in Stoke Lane; died 1849 in Stoke St Michael. Notes: Described as Aged 20 "of Bristol" 200 ii Clara Bridget7 PURNELL, born 1830 in Stoke Lane. Notes: Alive 1841 201 iii John Robert7 PURNELL, born 1832 in Stoke St Michael. 202 iv William Henry7 PURNELL, born 1835 in Stoke Lane. 203 v Augusta Ann7 PURNELL, born 1840. 117. Samuel6 LOCKYER (Samuel5, Hannah4 CARTER, Betty3 PURNELL, Isaac2, Robert1). He married on 16 May 1815 in Clutton Ann PERRY. Children of Samuel LOCKYER and Ann PERRY were as follows: 204 i Abraham7 LOCKYER. 205 ii Anne7 LOCKYER. 206 iii Betsy7 LOCKYER. 207 iv George7 LOCKYER. 208 v James7 LOCKYER. 209 vi John7 LOCKYER. 210 vii John Henry7 LOCKYER. 211 viii Mary7 LOCKYER. 212 ix Samuel7 LOCKYER. 213 x William7 LOCKYER. 126. James6 COOK (Mary5 LOCKYER, Hannah4 CARTER, Betty3 PURNELL, Isaac2, Robert1), born 1781 in Clutton. He married on 25 Dec 1807 in Clutton Christian LOCKYER. Notes for James COOK not certain that this James married Christian as there are 2 other contemporaries in Clutton, but their son was Abraham, the name of James brother. His forename is given, erroneously, as Joseph in the marriage record May be father of Gerard Cook, buried at Clutton 15 Feb 1816 aged 6 mths. Children of James COOK and Christian LOCKYER were as follows: 214 i Abraham7 COOK. He married Elizabeth PARFITT.

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129. Moses6 PURNELL (Aaron5, James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born 15 Apr 1787 in Clutton Somerset. He married Mary JONES, born abt 1786 in Stanton Drew, Somerset. Children of Moses PURNELL and Mary JONES were as follows: 215 i George7 PURNELL, born abt 1810 in Clutton Somerset.

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216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix Moses7 PURNELL, born abt 1813 in Clutton Somerset. Elizabeth7 PURNELL, born abt 1816 in Clutton Somerset. James7 PURNELL, born abt 1818 in Clutton Somerset. He married Mary ATTWOOD. John7 PURNELL, born abt 1820 in Clutton Somerset. He married Celia Ann FLETCHER. Aaron7 PURNELL, born abt 1822 in Clutton Somerset. George7 PURNELL, born abt 1823 in Clutton Somerset. Mary Ann7 PURNELL, born abt 1827 in Clutton Somerset. Matilda7 PURNELL, born 1831 in Clutton Somerset.

+ +

134. Grace6 PURNELL (Aaron5, James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born abt 1796 in Clutton Somerset. She married Hercules COLLIER, born abt 1790 in Clutton Somerset. Children of Grace PURNELL and Hercules COLLIER were as follows: 224 i Emily7 COLLIER, born abt 1827 in Clutton Somerset. 225 ii John7 COLLIER, born abt 1831 in Clutton Somerset. 135. Charles6 PURNELL (James5, James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1). He married Harriett COLLIER, born abt 1794 in Clutton Somerset. + Children of Charles PURNELL and Harriett COLLIER were as follows: 226 i George7 PURNELL, born abt 1816 in Clutton Somerset. He married Harriett GOVER. 319

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Generation 7
147. Sarah Anne7 WAIT (Anne Purnell6 SAVAGE, Hester5 PURNELL, John4, John3, John2, Robert1). She married Joseph Walter DAUBENY. Notes for Sarah Anne WAIT bc 1813 Stanton Drew, bp. 17 November 1818 Stanton Drew, Somerset; married 17 December 1839 Stanton Drew, JOSEPH WALTER DAUBENY son of George Daubeny; High Sheriff of Bristol 1851; bc. 1811 Westbury on Trym, Gloucestershire; dead by 1881; and had:Children of Sarah Anne WAIT and Joseph Walter DAUBENY were as follows: 227 i George W8 DAUBENY. Notes: ex-Captain in Militia (1881); bc. 1842 Westbury on Trym, Gloucestershire. 228 ii Lansdown8 DAUBENY. Notes: bc. 1843 Stanton Drew, Somerset. 229 iii Louisa Ann Savage8 DAUBENY. She married Francis Chateris WEMYSS.

148. William Savage7 WAIT (Anne Purnell6 SAVAGE, Hester5 PURNELL, John4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 3 Apr 1808 in Bitton, Gloucestershire; christened 1808 in Stanton Drew; died 11 Aug 1869 in Weston Super Mare Somerset. He married (1) Caroline Savage Hunt Allyn WAIT, christened 1853 in Camerton Somerset, daughter of William Savage WAIT and Frances Anne St Albyn WAIT; (2) Frances Anne St Albyn WAIT (see 231), born 16 Sep 1850 in Camerton Somerset; died 1941, daughter of William Savage WAIT and Caroline St ALBYN; (3) in Sep 1848 in Williton Registration District 10 751 [freebmd] Caroline St ALBYN, born 1818 in Allerton Somerset; christened 1818 in Allerton Somerset; died 28 Jan 1870 in Weston Super Mare Somerset. Notes for William Savage WAIT of Woodborough House Camerton Gloucestershire Notes for Caroline Savage Hunt Allyn WAIT Husband could have been: William Charles A.H. Ash or William C.A. Hargood Ash or Richard Thomas Higgins Children of William Savage WAIT and Frances Anne St Albyn WAIT were as follows: 230 i Caroline Savage Hunt Allyn8 WAIT, christened 1853 in Camerton Somerset. She married (1) William Savage WAIT, born 3 Apr 1808 in Bitton, Gloucestershire; christened 1808 in Stanton Drew; died 11 Aug 1869 in Weston Super Mare Somerset, son of Daniel WAIT and Anne Purnell SAVAGE; (2) in Jun 1883 in Kensington William Charles A.H ASH. Notes: Husband could have been: William Charles A.H. Ash or William C.A. Hargood Ash or Richard Thomas Higgins + + Children of William Savage WAIT and Caroline St ALBYN were as follows: 231 i Frances Anne St Albyn8 WAIT, born 16 Sep 1850 in Camerton Somerset; died 1941. She married (1) William Savage WAIT (see 148); (2) Sir Richard Hungerford POLLEN. 232 ii Caroline Savage Hunt St Albyn8 WAIT, born 1853 in Camerton Somerset; died 9 Aug 1937 in Ashton Park Gardens, Bath. She married William Charles Ash 320

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233 234 iii iv HARGOOD-ASH. Louisa Mary St Albyn8 WAIT, born 1855 in Camerton Somerset; christened 1855 in Camerton Somerset; died 25 Jan 1940 in 12 Rosary Gardens London. Emily Hester St Albyn8 WAIT, born 1857 in Camerton Somerset; christened 1857 in Camerton Somerset; died 1 May 1941 in Barham, Suffolk. She married in 1881 in Kensington Major Henry Pye PHILLIPPS, born 1837; died 25 Jul 1927. Notes: Her husband could also have been Henry Pye Phillips Florence Lansdown St Albyn8 WAIT, born 1859; christened 1859 in Camerton Somerset.

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149. Daniel Charles7 WAIT (Anne Purnell6 SAVAGE, Hester5 PURNELL, John4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 11 Sep 1809 in Stanton Drew, Somerset; died Dec 1881 in Clutton 5C 365. He married (1) (---) ELLEN; (2) on 19 Feb 1839 in Wellow, Somerset Sarah WILSHERE, daughter of William WILSHERE. Other events for Daniel Charles WAIT Baptism 20 Aug 1810 in Stanton Drew. Notes for Daniel Charles WAIT Inherited the Purnell Hallatrow Property Farmer of Bellerton Farm, Stanton Drew (1851), Later of Woodborough House, Camerton Colliery And Landed Proprietor (1881) Children of Daniel Charles WAIT and (---) ELLEN were as follows: 236 i Richard Edward Lansdown8 WAIT. Notes: bc. 1858 Stanton Drew, Somerset Children of Daniel Charles WAIT and Sarah WILSHERE were as follows: 237 i Alfred Lansdown8 WAIT. Notes: b 1850 Stanton Drew, Somerset Mar Qtr 1850 Clutton 11 89; died Dec Qtr 1855 Clutton 5c 396. 238 ii Anne Purnell8 WAIT. Notes: bp. 5 March 1847 Stanton Drew, Somerset Dec Qtr 1846 Clutton 11 90.. 239 iii Daniel Charles Purnell8 WAIT. Notes: Farmer of High Littleton (1881); bc. 1842 Norton Malreward, Somerset; died Mar Qtr 1897 aged 54 Christchurch 2b 457 Kelly's Directory of Somerset and Bristol City 1889 List of the principle seats in Somerset, as living at Woodborough House page 150 240 iv George Lansdown8 WAIT. Notes: bp. 17 December 1845 Stanton Drew, Somerset; died June Qtr 1875 aged 29 Clutton 5c 460. 241 v John Purnell8 WAIT. Notes: bc 1845 Stanton Drew or Norton Malreward, Somerset. 242 vi Matilda8 WAIT. Notes: bp. 6 April 1848 Stanton Drew, Somerset. 243 vii Matlida Savage8 WAIT. Notes: bp. 11 July 1853 Stanton Drew, Somerset 244 viii Pricilla Purnell8 WAIT. She married James WORKMAN. 245 ix Sarah Hester Savage8 WAIT. Notes: bc. 1841 Norton Malreward, Somerset June Qtr 1840 Clutton 11 90; 246 x William Savage8 WAIT. Notes: Mining Engineer (1881); bc. 1844 Norton Malreward, Somerset;

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151. Sarah Eliza7 PURNELL (Fisher6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1844; christened 20 Apr 1845 in stoke Lane Somerset. She married William WATTS, son of Simon WATTS and (---) MARTHA.

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Other events for William WATTS Occupation in Beer house keeper. Notes for Sarah Eliza PURNELL known as Eliza Sarah in Census bp 20 April 1845 Stoke Lane; married WILLIAM WATTS Beer House Keeper of Kilmersdon; son of Simon and Martha Watts; bp. 25 December 1846 Holcombe; Notes for William WATTS Beer House Keeper of Kilmersdon Children of Sarah Eliza PURNELL and William WATTS were as follows: 247 i Theodore Watts8 WATTS, christened 1876 in Kilmersdon. He married in 1911 Mary Anne WILCOX. 248 ii Emma Jane8 WATTS, born 1870 in Kilmersdon; christened 1870 in Kilmersdon. 249 iii William Edward8 WATTS, born 1874 in Kilmersdon; christened 1874 in Kilmersdon. 250 iv Theodore Simon8 WATTS, born 1876 in Kilmersdon. He married in 1911 Mary Anne WILCOX. 251 v Fisher Purnell8 WATTS, born 1877 in Frome. He married Martha Anne DENNING.

162. Robert7 PURNELL (Fisher6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1845; christened 20 Apr 1845 in stoke Lane Somerset. He married Mary Anne UNKNOWN, born 1840 in Lymington, Hampshire; died 1898 in Illminster, Somerset. Other events for Robert PURNELL Occupation in Policeman & Innkeeper. Notes for Robert PURNELL ROBERT PURNELL Policeman and Innkeeper of Ilminster; bp. 20 April 1845 Stoke Lane; m. MARY ANN ????; bc. 1840 Lymington, Hampshire; bur 17 May 1898 Ilminster aged 57 years; and had: + + Children of Robert PURNELL and Mary Anne UNKNOWN were as follows: 252 i Jane8 PURNELL, christened 20 Apr 1873 in Illminster, Somerset. She married Alexander PIKE. 253 ii Mary Anne8 PURNELL, christened 12 Jun 1880 in Illminster, Somerset. 254 iii William Cox8 PURNELL, christened 15 Apr 1871 in Illminster, Somerset. He married Eliza PANES. 255 iv Fisher Robert Benjamin8 PURNELL, born 1866 in Somerset, England; christened 26 Aug 1866 in Illminster, Somerset; died 1898 in Pontepridd. Other events: Baptism 26 Aug 1866 in Ilminster, Somerset, England. Notes: FISHER ROBERT BENJAMIN PURNELL bp. 26 August 1866 Ilminster, Somerset; died Dec Qtr 1898 aged 32 Pontypridd 11a 242; married June Qtr 1894Bedminster 5c 1135 to Selina Bond Ames or Emily Eliza Keen]. 256 v Frances Elizabeth8 PURNELLlxxxvi, bornlxxxvii 1868 in Somerset, England. Other events: Residencelxxxviii 1871 in Ilminster, Somerset, England. Civillxxxix Ilminster. Name (Facts Pg)xc Frances E Purnell. Notes: . 1868 Ilminster, Somerset Mar Qtr 1868 Chard 5c 478; alive 1896 and unmarried. 257 vi Annie Eliza8 PURNELLxci, bornxcii 1870 in Somerset, England. She married

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Gilbert Montagu LAWRENCE. Other events: Residencexciii 1881 in Ilminster, Somerset, England. Name (Facts Pg) Annie Eliza Purnell. Notes: bc. 1870 Ilminster, Somerset; married 14 April 1900 Ilminster 165. Hill Brodribb7 PURNELLxciv (Charles Salmon6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), bornxcv 1828 in Somerset, England; christened 4 Mar 1827; died 1871. He married Thirza HARRIS, daughter of (---) ISSAK. Other events for Hill Brodribb PURNELL Occupation in Agriculture Labourer. Residencexcvi 1861 in Somerset, England. Civilxcvii Doulting. Name (Facts Pg) Hill Broadribb Purnell. Notes for Hill Brodribb PURNELL Agricultural Labourer; bp. 4 March 1827; dead by 1871; married as her first husband THIRZA HARRIS daughter of Isaac Harris, who married secondly 25 January 1872 Doulting, Michael Harris labourer of Henstridge Ash, son of Matthew Harris; bc. 1833 West Cranmore; Hill and Thirza Children of Hill Brodribb PURNELL and Thirza HARRIS were as follows: 258 i Amanda Emily8 PURNELL, christened 22 Apr 1855 in Doulting, Somerset. 259 ii Catherine 'Kitty'8 PURNELL, christened 29 Jul 1860 in Doulting, Somerset. 260 iii Charles Henry8 PURNELL, christened 15 Sep 1857 in Doulting, Somerset. 261 iv Henry8 PURNELL, christened 14 Jul 1860 in Doulting, Somerset. 262 v Margaret8 PURNELL, christened 17 May 1862 in Doulting, Somerset.

171. Susan7 PURNELLxcviii (Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), bornxcix 1830 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales, Glamorgan, Wales; died 12 Jan 1864 in St John & St Mary Cardiff. She married in Sep 1854 in Llandaff Cathedral Cardiff Edward PAYNE. Other events for Susan PURNELL Residencec 1851 in Glamorgan, Wales. Civilci Cardiff St Mary. Name (Facts Pg)cii Susan Purnell. Other events for Edward PAYNE Occupation 1854 in Agent Cyfartha Wharf. Residence ciii 1891 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales. Civilciv, cv St Mary. Notes for Edward PAYNE Agent Cyfartha Wharf Children of Susan PURNELL and Edward PAYNE were as follows: 263 i Susan8 PAYNE, born 1856 in Cardiff Wales. 264 ii Edward8 PAYNE, borncvi 1858 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales. Other events: Civilcvii Cardiff St Mary. Name (Facts Pg) Edward Payne. 265 iii Minnie8 PAYNE, born 1860 in Cardiff Wales; died 21 Mar 1880. 266 iv Beatrice8 PAYNE, born 1862 in Cardiff Wales. 175. Henry Skey7 PURNELL (Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), borncviii 1838 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales; died 23 Nov 1929 in St John & St Mary Cardiff. He married in Jun 1870 in Cardiff Mary SMITH, born 1844 in Coney Hill or Gloster Hill Cheltenham Gloucestershire;

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England. Other events for Henry Skey PURNELL Residencecix 1861 in Glamorgan, Wales. Civilcx Cardiff St Mary. Name (Facts Pg)cxi Henry PURNELL. Namesakecxii in Henry Parmele. Notes for Henry Skey PURNELL Sail maker Henry Skey Purnell was apprentice to sail making with Richard Verity and served for 7 years from 17 July 1855 (aged 17). His pay ranged from 3 shillings per week in the first year to 10 shillings a week in the 7 year. He went to school at Bath and College Green, Bristol. Discharge reference Araby Maid: This is to certify that Henry Purnell has served on board the ship Araby Maid as sail maker on a voyage from Cardiff to China and back to Hamburg. During this time he has conducted himself to my satisfaction so that i have pleasure in recommending to any ships master who may require his services Hamburg January 9th 1872 K. Butler Master The Araby Maid was a three master schooner. Sunk in a collision in 1903, she now rests in approximately 200' of water near the Dry Tortugas. Sitting upright, the large composite vessel is amazingly intact. The damage caused by the collision is easily identified near the bow on the portside. The lower decks are still intact, her wooden planking still sound. Her masts lie off on the sides, as well as other unidentified parts of wreckage. The stern of the Araby Maid is still intact, rising high off the bottom with her rudder easily visible. Numerous portholes were recovered, lying loose on the deck. Her bronze capstan cover and bell were also recovered, helping to identify the previously unknown vessel Ship details from Ben Line Fleet List Entered Ben Line Service 1868 Ended Ben Line Service 1894 Year sunk 1903 Gross Tonnage 863 Net Tonnage 837 Length 195 Beam 32 Depth 19 1868 - completed by R. Steele & Co., Greenock Yard No. 66 1894 - sold to Aktieselskabet, Norway. Name unchanged 1903 - sank after collision with S.S. DENVER off Florida, while on passage from Mobile to Rosario with pitch pine. The Araby Maid, official number 62272, was built in October 1868 by Robert Steele and Company of Greenock. An elegant bark, she was 194.6 feet in length, 32 feet in beam, and displaced 863 tons. Discharge Reference Falkland Bank: I hereby certify that Henry Purnell has served with me on board the ship Falkland Bank as sail maker on a voyage to South America and Sydney and finally return in this past time for 18 months and I can verify he is an excellent seaman in every aspect. J.A. Robbins Master Ship Falkland Bank Liverpool February 14th 1901 324

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Dedicated by Capt: J.A. Robbins to the Officers and Crew of ship Falkland Bank In memory of carrying the first Original Cargo of Argentina Wheat around the world and 8,000 miles over the distance. Great attempts have been made to reach the Arctic Pole, Ships and property have been lost, with many precious souls, But has a ship with the same cargo sailed around the world, If not, I'll here mention one with canvas all unfurled. The Falkland Bank a noble ship, one of the Bank line, Has spread her sails the last ten years, and shortened many a time. Her voyages have been around Cape Horn, at all times of the year, And safely returned to port, in lands both far and near. This cargo mentioned was laden in the Argentine, Her destination being Sydney, a port of great sublime When on the passage to this port a storm she did contend, Which caused this cargo to resift, throwing ship on her beam ends. But by hard work of her brave crew all was again made safe, Again to put her on her course, to battle wind and wave, Arriving safely at her port , and to the dock she went, Her moorings were all made fast, Her sails were all unbent The stevedore had his pennants rigged to land the grain on shore, When orders from the merchant came, you must again unmoor, And on to Europe you must sail, again around Cape Horn, I know you would rather rest, your crew will look forlorn. But this cargo has been sold in London far away, To sea again you must now go; causing no delay, And when you get to England, it's something new to state, A cargo carried around the world, the first one up to date. A fair attempt here I've made to explain it all to you, So now my officers I will thank, likewise my gallant crew. Christmas Day 25th December, 1905 Children of Henry Skey PURNELL and Mary SMITH were as follows: 267 i Beatrice Maud8 PURNELL. Notes: Died in infancy 268 ii Henry Hill8 PURNELLcxiii, cxiv, borncxv Mar 1863 in Glamorgan Monmouthshire. Other events: Name (Facts Pg) Henry Hill Purnell. 269 iii Elgiva Mary Louise8 PURNELL, born 5 Mar 1863 in St Mary Cardiff. She married William Henry ROBERTS. 270 iv Susan Anita8 PURNELL, born 23 Aug 1866 in St John, Canton, Cardiff. She married Edward John WESTERN. 271 v Minnie Rose8 PURNELL, born 31 Oct 1871 in Canton Cardiff. She married James Sykes BOWES. 272 vi Lilly Maria8 PURNELL, born 12 Mar 1873 in St John Canton, Cardiff; died 19 Jun 1968. She married (1) Alfred Even WILLIAMS; (2) Alfred Even WILLIAMS. 273 vii Ivor Hill8 PURNELL, borncxvi 1875 in Glamorgan, Wales; died 1934. He married Elizabeth REES. 274 viii Henry F.8 PURNELLcxvii, borncxviii 1877 in Glamorgan, Wales; died 11 Aug 325

+ + + + +

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1904. Other events: Residencecxix 1901 in Glamorgan, Wales. Civilcxx Canton. Name (Facts Pg)cxxi Henry F. Purnell. John G.8 PURNELLcxxii, borncxxiii 1879 in Glamorgan, Wales; died 1930. Other events: Residencecxxiv 1881 in Llandaff, Glamorgan, Wales. Name (Facts Pg) John Gold Purnell. Tudor Mathew8 PURNELL, borncxxv 1880 in Glamorgan, Wales; died 1921 in 44 Thomas Street, Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. He married (1) Flora CROSS; (2) Emily HARRIES. Mable Rebecca8 PURNELL, born Jun 1881 in Cardiff Wales. Other events: Name (Facts Pg)cxxvi Mabel Rebecca PURNELL. Robert. R.8 PURNELLcxxvii, borncxxviii 1886 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales; died 23 Sep 1919. Other events: Residence cxxix, cxxx 1891 in Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales. Civilcxxxi, cxxxii Canton. Name (Facts Pg)cxxxiii Robert Purnell. Namesake cxxxiv in Robert Purnell. Notes: Private in 2nd Battalion Highland Light Infantry ; Buried Murmansk New British Cemetery, Russian Federations. Commonwealth War Graves Commission In Memory of R. Purnell Private 69865 2nd Bn., Highland Light Infantry Who died on Tuesday, 23rd September 1919. Age 32. Additional Son of Henry Skey Purnell and Mary Purnell, of Cardiff. (buried, Kandalaksha Information: Burial Ground). Commemorative Information Cemetery: MURMANSK NEW BRITISH CEMETERY, Russian Federation Grave Reference/ Sp. Mem. B30 Panel Number: Location: From the main thoroughfare, Lenin Prospect, head south until reaching the main crossroads just before the road rises steeply. Turn left and continue over two junctions into what used to be a state farm. Proceed for another 100 meters and the Cemetery is directly ahead. 326

275 + 276 277 278

ix x xi xii

177. Hill Robert J7 PURNELLcxxxv (Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), borncxxxvi 1842 in Cardiff; diedcxxxvii Sep 1901 in Glamorgan Monmouthshire. He married (1) on 10 Mar 1867 in Cardiff Emily Mary TILLETT, born 1850 in Camberwell, Surry, daughter of William TILLETT and Mary CHAPMAN; (2) unknown. Other events for Hill Robert J PURNELL Residencecxxxviii, cxxxix 1881 in Roath, Glamorgan, Wales. Civil cxl Roath. Name (Facts Pg)cxli Hill R.J. Purnell. Namesakecxlii in Hill R J Purnell. Notes for Hill Robert J PURNELL bp. 25 January 1849 St John and St Mary, Cardiff; Customs Officer living 36 Harold St, Roath, Cardiff; b. 1842; d. 1917; married 10 March 1867 Cardiff Registry Office, EMILY MARY TILLETT daughter of William Tillett; bc. 1850 Camberwell, Surrey; and had descendants who include Seymour Tillet Purnell

Notes for Emily Mary TILLETT Had descendants who include Seymore Tillett Purnell Children of Hill Robert J PURNELL and Emily Mary TILLETT were as follows: 279 i William Hill8 PURNELL, born 1869 in Cardiff Wales. Other events: Residencecxliii 1871 in Glamorgan, Wales. Civilcxliv St Mary. Name (Facts Pg) William H Purnell. 280 ii Seymour S8 PURNELL, borncxlv 1871 in Cardiff. He married Annie Elizabeth BAKER.

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281 282 283 284 285 286 287 iii iv v vi vii viii ix Marion Sophia8 PURNELL, born 1873 in Llandaff. Hill8 PURNELL, born 1877 in Cardiff Wales. Notes: A Twin Ships Officer staying with brother Seymore in 1901 Robert8 PURNELLcxlvi, born 1877 in Illminster, Somerset; christened 13 Sep 1880. Other events: Residencecxlvii 1881 in Ilminster, Somerset, England. Name (Facts Pg) Robert Purnell. Emily8 PURNELLcxlviii, borncxlix 1878 in Cardiff. Other events: Residence cl 1881 in Roath, Glamorgan, Wales. Name (Facts Pg) Emily Purnell. Notes: A Twin Matthews8 PURNELL, born 1880 in Cardiff Wales. Other events: Residence cli, clii 1881 in Roath, Glamorgan, Wales. Civil cliii Roath. Name (Facts Pg)cliv Matthew Purnell. Gwendoline8 PURNELLclv, bornclvi abt 1888 in Roath; Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales. Other events: Residenceclvii 1901 in Whitchurch, Glamorgan, Wales. Jessie8 PURNELLclviii, bornclix abt 1890 in Roath; Cardiff, Glamorgan, Wales. Other events: Residenceclx 1901 in Whitchurch, Glamorgan, Wales.

182. Jane Elizabeth7 GREEN (Martha Brodribb6 PURNELL, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1837 in Stoke Lane; died 1926. She married in 1861 in Streatham Surry Herbert LARGE. Children of Jane Elizabeth GREEN and Herbert LARGE were as follows: 288 i Joseph Herbert8 LARGE, born 21 Jul 1866 in Streatham. He married in Mar 1893 in Bedminster Sophie NICHOLS. Notes: School Master 289 ii Alfred E8 LARGE, born 1867 in Kingsteignton Devon. 290 iii Alexander M8 LARGE, born 28 Sep 1874 in Oakland Park Surry. He married (---) LOUIE. 291 iv Martha Mary8 LARGE, born 1880 in Halesham Surry. Notes: Student of Royal College of Music living in New Cross London

327

183. Edward Richard7 GREENclxi, clxii (Martha Brodribb6 PURNELL, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1839 in Stoke Lane; died 1 Feb 1922. He married (1) unknown; (2) unknown; (3) Ann EMBLINclxiii, bornclxiv 25 Jan 1838 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England; (4) on 20 Oct 1864 in St James, Bath, Somerset Winifred STOKES, born 1836 in Farrington Gurney, Somerset; died 1885; (5) in 1885 in North Wraxall, Wiltshire Elizabeth Ann BRYAN, born 1850 in Cold Ashton; died 1950; (6)clxv on 14 Apr 1885 in North Wraxall, Chippenham, Wiltshire, England unknown. Other events for Edward Richard GREEN Occupation 1901 in Farmer; dairy farmer. Other events for Winifred STOKES Baptism 20 May 1838 in Farrington Gurney, Somerset. Notes for Winifred STOKES RG10 2444 Enu 15 RG11 2406 Children of Edward Richard GREEN were as follows: 292 i Joseph E8 GREENclxvi, bornclxvii 1869 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England. Children of Edward Richard GREEN were as follows: 293 i George Herbert8 GREENclxviii, bornclxix 1877 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England.

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Children of Edward Richard GREEN and Ann EMBLIN were as follows: 294 i Emily Ann8 EMBLINclxx, bornclxxi 17 Apr 1864 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England. 295 ii William8 EMBLINclxxii, bornclxxiii 15 Oct 1875 in Stoke Lane, Somerset, England; diedclxxiv 16 Apr 1960. + Children of Edward Richard GREEN and Winifred STOKES were as follows: 296 i Edward Richard Joseph King8 GREEN, born 1866 in Stoke Oakhill. He married Hedwig DEISLINGER. 297 ii Joseph Ernest8 GREEN, born 1869 in Stoke Lane. Notes: Labourer of Kelston Somerset 1901 298 iii Eliza Agnes8 GREEN, born 1871 in Stoke Oakhill. She married Henry ORAM. 299 iv Winifred Martha8 GREEN, born 1873 in Stoke Oakhill; died 1920. She married Harry HOBBS. 300 v Alick Robert8 GREEN, born 1874 in Stoke Oakhill. 301 vi George Herbert8 GREEN, born 1877. He married Edith Anne RICH. Children of Edward Richard GREEN and Elizabeth Ann BRYAN were as follows: 302 i Albert8 (TED) Edward Green, born 11 Sep 1886 in Stoke Lane; died 21 Dec 1980. He married Lisa Mary MERRETT. 303 ii Theodore Harry8 GREEN, born 4 Mar 1889 in Stoke Lane; died 1960. He married Frances (TILLY) Matilda Lambert. 304 iii Marion Jane Elizabeth8 GREEN, born 1893 in Stoke Lane. She married on 10 Jul 1924 in Stoke Oakhill Leslie GARDENER. Other events: Namesake clxxv in Marion Jane Green. 305 iv Christopher Claud8 GREEN, born 10 Nov 1893 in Stoke Lane; died 27 Apr 1978. He married (1) Ellen GREAVES; (2) Tessa MANTELL.

+ + + + +

328

196. James Fisher7 COX (Betty Skey6 PURNELL, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1849 in Stoke Lane. He married in Mar 1879 in Bath Emma EVERALL, born 1851 in Bath. Notes for James Fisher COX Insurance Agent of South Stoke, Somerset Children of James Fisher COX and Emma EVERALL were as follows: 306 i Henry F8 COX, born 1880 in Monkton Coombe. 214. Abraham7 COOK (James6, Mary5 LOCKYER, Hannah4 CARTER, Betty3 PURNELL, Isaac2, Robert1). He married on 5 Oct 1829 in Clutton Elizabeth PARFITT. Notes for Abraham COOK died of cholera, as did his wife Elizabeth and daughter Mahalah, all buried within 3 days of each other Children of Abraham COOK and Elizabeth PARFITT were as follows: 307 i David8 COOK. 308 ii Elizabeth8 COOK. 309 iii George8 COOK. 310 iv James8 COOK. 311 v John8 COOK. 312 vi Ruth8 COOK.

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313 314 315 316 vii viii ix x Sarah8 COOK. Sarah8 COOK. Thirza8 COOK. Mahalah8 COOK, born 1852 in Clutton.

218. James7 PURNELL (Moses6, Aaron5, James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born abt 1818 in Clutton Somerset. He married Mary ATTWOOD, born abt 1819 in Clutton Somerset. + + Children of James PURNELL and Mary ATTWOOD were as follows: 317 i Edwin8 PURNELL. He married Rebecca HILLMAN. 318 ii Walter8 PURNELL, born abt 1851 in Clutton Somerset. He married Martha CURTIS.

219. John7 PURNELL (Moses6, Aaron5, James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born abt 1820 in Clutton Somerset. He married Celia Ann FLETCHER, born abt 1818 in Birmingham West Midlands England. Children of John PURNELL and Celia Ann FLETCHER were as follows: 319 i Ann8 PURNELL, born abt 1847 in Clutton Somerset. 320 ii Catharine8 PURNELL, born abt 1848 in Clutton Somerset. 321 iii Elizabeth8 PURNELL, born abt 1849 in Clutton Somerset. 322 iv Philip8 PURNELL, born abt 1851 in Clutton Somerset. He married Clara Jane GREEN. 329

226. George7 PURNELL (Charles6, James5, James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born abt 1816 in Clutton Somerset. He married Harriett GOVER, born abt 1814 in Clutton Somerset. + + Children of George PURNELL and Harriett GOVER were as follows: 323 i Mary8 PURNELL, born abt 1836 in Clutton Somerset. She married William PARFITT. 324 ii Mark8 PURNELL, born 1838 in Clutton Somerset. He married Emily STONE.

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Generation 8
229. Louisa Ann Savage8 DAUBENY (Sarah Anne7 WAIT, Anne Purnell6 SAVAGE, Hester5 PURNELL, John4, John3, John2, Robert1). She married Francis Chateris WEMYSS. Notes for Louisa Ann Savage DAUBENY bp. 29 January 1844 Stanton Drew, Somerset; married 20 June 1865 Westbury on Trym, Gloucestershire, FRANCIS CHATERIS WEMYSS; Lt-Col RBG Militia; bc. 1835 Pontefract, Yorkshire; Notes for Francis Chateris WEMYSS Lt-Col RBG Militia; bc. 1835 Pontefract, Yorkshire; Children of Louisa Ann Savage DAUBENY and Francis Chateris WEMYSS were as follows: 325 i Frances Louisa9 WEMYSS. Notes: bc. 1867 Westbury on Trym, Gloucestershire. 326 ii Francis Charteris9 WEMYSS. Notes: bn 1870 [Dec Qtr 1870 Kensington 1a 168 ? freebmd]; died 1901 aged 30[June Qtr 1901 Aberystwyth 11b 47 ? freebmd 231. Frances Anne St Albyn8 WAIT (William Savage7, Anne Purnell6 SAVAGE, Hester5 PURNELL, John4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 16 Sep 1850 in Camerton Somerset; died 1941. She married (1) William Savage WAIT (see 148), born 3 Apr 1808 in Bitton, Gloucestershire; christened 1808 in Stanton Drew; died 11 Aug 1869 in Weston Super Mare Somerset, son of Daniel WAIT and Anne Purnell SAVAGE; (2) in Jun 1875 in Clifton Sir Richard Hungerford POLLEN, born 6 Oct 1846 in Welbeck St London; died 1918. Notes for William Savage WAIT of Woodborough House Camerton Gloucestershire Notes for Sir Richard Hungerford POLLEN 4th Baronet Magistrate for Wiltshire Captain North Glocs Militia of Chirton, Wiltshire (1881) Children of Frances Anne St Albyn WAIT and Sir Richard Hungerford POLLEN were as follows: 327 i Sir Richard Hungerford9 POLLENclxxvi, bornclxxvii Jun 1878 in Gloucestershire; christened 1879 in Clifton Gloucestershire; died 18 Aug 1930. Other events: Name (Facts Pg) Sir Richard Hungerford Pollen. Notes: 5th Baronet 328 ii Sir John Lancelot Hungerford9 POLLEN, born 27 Apr 1884. He married on 14 Jun 1928 Edith Muriel LLOYD, daughter of Rev John Augustus LLOYD. 329 iii Hester9 POLLEN, born 1885; died 8 Oct 1940. 232. Caroline Savage Hunt St Albyn8 WAIT (William Savage7, Anne Purnell6 SAVAGE, Hester5 PURNELL, John4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1853 in Camerton Somerset; died 9 Aug 1937 in Ashton Park Gardens, Bath. She married on 10 Apr 1883 in St Steven, South Kensington William Charles Ash HARGOOD-ASH, born 1844; died 1898 in Kensington.

330

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Other events for Caroline Savage Hunt St Albyn WAIT Baptism 16 May 1853 in Camerton Somerset [Jun Qtr 1853 Clutton 5c 681 freebmd]. Children of Caroline Savage Hunt St Albyn WAIT and William Charles Ash HARGOOD-ASH were as follows: 330 i Caroline Mary St Albyn9 HARGOOD-ASH. She married on 23 Apr 1925 in St Peter Cranley Gardens Bath John Maurice HARPER. + 331 ii George St Albans HARGOOD-ASH. He married Gladys Victoria HOLT. + 332 iii William St Albyn9 HARGOOD-ASH. He married Helen Irene WOODFORD. 333 iv Frances St Albyn9 HARGOOD-ASH, born 1887 in Kensington Registration District. 334 v [daughter]9 HARGOOD-ASH, born 8 Apr 1888 in Bath, Somerset. 335 vi Dorothy St Albyn9 HARGOOD-ASH, born 1891 in Bath, Somerset. 244. Pricilla Purnell8 WAIT (Daniel Charles7, Anne Purnell6 SAVAGE, Hester5 PURNELL, John4, John3, John2, Robert1). She married James WORKMAN. Notes for Pricilla Purnell WAIT bp. 30 May 1849 Stanton Drew, Somerset Mar Qtr Clutton 11 97; marriage Mar Qtr 1870 Holsworthy 5b 817 to JAMES WORKMAN, miller employing 13 men of Cam Gloucester (1881); bc. 1841 Dursley, Gloucestershire; and had:Children of Pricilla Purnell WAIT and James WORKMAN were as follows: 336 i Arthur9 WORKMAN. Notes: bc. 1875 Dursley, Gloucestershire. 337 ii Ellen9 WORKMAN. Notes: bc. 1878 Cam, Gloucestershire 338 iii Frederick9 WORKMAN. Notes: bc. 1876 Cam, Gloucestershire. 339 iv George9 WORKMAN. Notes: Miller (1901) bc. 1874 Dursley, Gloucestshire. 340 v Herbert Edward9 WORKMAN. Notes: Miller (1901) bc. 1873 Dursley, Gloucestershire [Mar Qtr 1873 Dursley6a 242]; married Jun Qtr 1902 Bristol 6a 87 to either Emily Louise Leonard or Mary Elizabeth Workman 341 vi Walter9 WORKMAN. Notes: Miller (1901) bc. November 1880 Cam, Gloucestershire. 251. Fisher Purnell8 WATTS (Sarah Eliza7 PURNELL, Fisher6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1877 in Frome. He married in 1900 in Frome Martha Anne DENNING, born 1879. Children of Fisher Purnell WATTS and Martha Anne DENNING were as follows: 342 i William Fisher Purnell9 WATTS, born 1902 in Shepton Mallet. 343 ii Cicely May9 WATTS, born 1903 in Shepton Mallet. 344 iii Janet Louise9 WATTS, born 1905 in Shepton Mallet. 345 iv Chrissie Eva9 WATTS, born 1907 in Shepton Mallet. 252. Jane8 PURNELL (Robert7, Fisher6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), christened 20 Apr 1873 in Illminster, Somerset. She married on 6 Apr 1896 in Illminster, Somerset Alexander PIKE. Other events for Jane PURNELL Occupation in School mistress. Other events for Alexander PIKE Occupation in Bucher.

331

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Notes for Jane PURNELL School Mistress (1901); bp. 20 April 1873 Ilminster; married 6 April1896 Ilminster, ALEXANDER PIKE, Butcher of Weston super Mare, Somerset, son of Henry Pike Butcher, later Prudential Assurance salesman (1901); bc. 1868 Weston super Mare; Children of Jane PURNELL and Alexander PIKE were as follows: 346 i Marjorie9 PIKE, born 1897. 347 ii Marian9 PIKE, born 1899 in Treborough, Somerset. 348 iii Donald9 PIKE, born 1901 in Treborough, Somerset. 254. William Cox8 PURNELL (Robert7, Fisher6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), christened 15th Apr 1871 in Illminster, Somerset. He married in June 1893 in Taunton, Somerset Eliza PANES. Other events for William Cox PURNELL Occupation in Auctioneer's Clerk. Notes for William Cox PURNELL Auctioneers Clerk (1901) bp. 15 April 1871 Ilminster Mar Qtr 1871 Chard 5c 471; married June Qtr 1893 Taunton RD 5c 573 ELIZA PANES [TBC];bc 1867 Taunton; Children of William Cox PURNELL and Eliza PANES were as follows: 349 i Mildred P9 PURNELLclxxviii, born 1900 in Illminster, Somerset. Other events: Residenceclxxix 1901 in Ilminster, Somerset, England. Civilclxxx Ilminster. Name (Facts Pg) Mildred Panes Purnell. 332 269. Elgiva Mary Louise8 PURNELL (Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 5 Mar 1863 in St Mary Cardiff. She married in 1878 in Cardiff William Henry ROBERTS. Children of Elgiva Mary Louise PURNELL and William Henry ROBERTS were as follows: 350 i David9 ROBERTS. 351 ii Edith9 ROBERTS. 352 iii Elgiva9 ROBERTS. 353 iv Ivy9 ROBERTS. 354 v Louise9 ROBERTS. 355 vi Minnie9 ROBERTS. 356 vii Thomas9 ROBERTS. 357 viii William Henry Hill9 ROBERTS. 270. Susan Anita8 PURNELL (Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 23 Aug 1866 in St John, Canton, Cardiff. She married in 1884 in Cardiff Edward John WESTERN, born 21 Jul 1863; died 1953. + Children of Susan Anita PURNELL and Edward John WESTERN were as follows: 358 i William Edward9 WESTERN. He married Elsie HAYWARD. 359 ii Beatrice Maud9 WESTON. She married (1) John TIPPLES; (2) Mr GABLER. 360 iii Gladys9 WESTON. 361 iv Harold John9 WESTON. He married Ellen Marguerite Susanna PRICE. 362 v Lily Gwendoline9 WESTON.

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+ 363 364 vi vii Minnie Mary9 WESTON. She married Roy BOYCE. Violet9 WESTON, born 1902. Notes: In a Letter from Ralph Hill Williams in 1987 He said Violet was 85 years and that in the Winter she lived in St Petersburg Florida and in the summer lived in North Carolina. Ralph's son Gareth visited her in 1986.

271. Minnie Rose8 PURNELLclxxxi (Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 31 Oct 1871 in Canton Cardiff. She married on 28 Dec 1892 James Sykes BOWES, born 1870 in Cardiff Wales. Other events for Minnie Rose PURNELL Residenceclxxxii 1901 in Glamorgan, Wales. Civilclxxxiii Canton. Name (Facts Pg)clxxxiv Minnie Bowes. Notes for Minnie Rose PURNELL of Somerset in 1975; b. 31 October 1871 Canton, Cardiff; bp. 13 April1873 St John, Canton, Cardiff; married 20 December 1892, JAMES SYKES BOWES, Ships donkey man (1901); b. 1870 Cardiff Notes for James Sykes BOWES Ship's donkey man Children of Minnie Rose PURNELL and James Sykes BOWES were as follows: 365 i Lily9 BOWES. 366 ii Sydney9 BOWES. 367 iii Victor9 BOWES. 368 iv Minnie9 BOWES, born 1894 in Canton Glamorganshire. 369 v Ivy9 BOWES, born 1895 in Canton Cardiff. 370 vi Ada May9 BOWES, born 7 Mar 1896 in Canton Cardiff. She married Frank W TAYLOR. 371 vii James9 BOWES, born 1898 in Canton Cardiff. 372 viii Violet9 BOWES, born 1900 in Canton Cardiff.

333

272. Lilly Maria8 PURNELL (Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 12 Mar 1873 in St John Canton, Cardiff; died 19 Jun 1968. She married (1) Alfred Even WILLIAMS; (2) on 8 Jan 1900 in CADOXTON, BARRY Alfred Even WILLIAMS, born 27 May 1878; died 2 May 1956. Children of Lilly Maria PURNELL and Alfred Even WILLIAMS were as follows: 373 i Doris9 WILLIAMS. 374 ii Leonard9 WILLIAMS. 375 iii Harry9 WILLIAMS, born 4 May 1903; died 16 Dec 1917. Other events: Name (Facts Pg) Harry Reginald Williams. 376 iv Ralph Hill9 WILLIAMS, born 24 Apr 1904; died Nov 2001 in Prestatyn. He married Edna LLOYD. Children of Lilly Maria PURNELL and Alfred Even WILLIAMS were as follows: 377 i Alfred Leonard9 WILLIAMS, born 22 Dec 1900; died 23 Mar 1941 in North Atlantic. Notes: Engineer, Shell Oil Co. Torpedoed North Atlantic 23 March 1941 378 ii Lily Iris Anneta9 WILLIAMS, born 16 Nov 1906; died 29 Jan 1908.

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273. Ivor Hill8 PURNELLclxxxv (Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), bornclxxxvi 1875 in Glamorgan, Wales; died 1934. He married in 1899 Elizabeth REES, died 1943. Other events for Ivor Hill PURNELL Residenceclxxxvii 1901 in Glamorgan, Wales. Civilclxxxviii Llandaff. Name (Facts Pg)clxxxix Ivor H. Purnell. Children of Ivor Hill PURNELL and Elizabeth REES were as follows: 379 i Dorothy9 PURNELL. She married John SMITH. 380 ii Ivor Henry9 PURNELL, died 1903 in Cardiff. He married May ?. 381 iii Lily9 PURNELL. 382 iv Mable9 PURNELL. She married Terence CARPENTER. 383 v Mildred9 PURNELL. She married ? BROOKMAN.

+ + +

276. Tudor Mathew8 PURNELLcxc (Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), borncxci 1880 in Glamorgan, Wales; died 1921 in 44 Thomas Street, Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. He married (1) on 7 Nov 1910 in Merthyr Tydfil Glamorgan Flora CROSS, born 1880 in Wales; died 1971, daughter of Frederick CROSS; (2) aft 1914 Emily HARRIES. Other events for Tudor Mathew PURNELL Residencecxcii 1881 in Llandaff, Glamorgan, Wales. Civil cxciii Canton. Name (Facts Pg)cxciv Matthew Tudor Purnell. Military Servicecxcv 1914. Namesakecxcvi in Tudor Purnell. Notes for Tudor Mathew PURNELL Death certificate of Matthew Tudor Purnell. He died 25 November 1921 aged 41 at 44 Thomas Street, Merthyr Tydfil, from a wound in the throat self inflicted. The place he died was not his home address which was 34 Gresham Place, Treharris, and he is described as formerly colliery labourer. Inquest was held on 28 November 1921 by R J Rhys, Merthyr Coroner. The death was registered on 30 November 1921. There is no mention of his widow but that is probably because the death was notified by the Coroner rather than a relative. Tudor was a miner in Merthyr Tydfil. In 1899 he went to south Africa as a member of the Natal Carabineers from 1899 -1902 in the Boer War He married Flora Cross in 1910 and had 2 children. He enlisted in the army for the Great War. First in the Territorial Army in the Welsh Horse in August in1914. Then in October 1914 signed up to the Army Service Corps .20th Divisional Train ASC (160, Coys ASC) Tudor sent to his mother a piece of Khaki Cloth from his uniform and had written on it a note at Christmas 1902 which read. A Piece of khaki, All tattered and torn, Cut from a coat a soldier has worn ,It's not gilt edged, Nor a highly framed card, But it conveys my best wishes, And kindest regards. Wishing you a merry Xmas. from Tudor to Mother

334

Children of Tudor Mathew PURNELL and Flora CROSS were as follows: 384 i Frederick9 PURNELL, born in Merthyr Tydfil. 385 ii Emily9 PURNELL, born abt 1910. Children of Tudor Mathew PURNELL and Emily HARRIES were as follows: 386 i Edward9 PURNELL. 387 ii Henry9 PURNELL. 388 iii Leonard R9 PURNELL, borncxcvii, cxcviii Sep 1921 in Glamorgan, United Kingdom; died 1 Jun 1968 in Nelson, New Zealand. He married Jean SANDWELLDAVIS.

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280. Seymour S8 PURNELLcxcix (Hill Robert J7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), borncc 1871 in Cardiff. He married in Sep 1893 in Cardiff Annie Elizabeth BAKER, born 1862 in New Tredegar, Monmouthshire, and Wales. Other events for Seymour S PURNELL Residencecci 1901 in Glamorgan, Wales. Civilccii Roath. Name (Facts Pg) Seymore Skey Purnell. Notes for Seymour S PURNELL Marine Engine Fitter + Children of Seymour S PURNELL and Annie Elizabeth BAKER were as follows: 389 i Philip John S9 PURNELL, borncciii Jun 1894 in Glamorgan Monmouthshire. He married May OSBORNE. 390 ii Mary9 PURNELL, born 1897 in Cardiff. Other events: Residencecciv 1901 in Glamorgan, Wales. Civilccv St Mary. Name (Facts Pg)ccvi Mary Purnell. 391 iii Robert9 PURNELLccvii, born 1899 in Cardiff. Other events: Residenceccviii 1901 in Glamorgan, Wales. Civilccix St Mary. Name (Facts Pg) Robert Purnell.

290. Alexander M8 LARGE (Jane Elizabeth7 GREEN, Martha Brodribb6 PURNELL, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 28 Sep 1874 in Oakland Park Surry. He married (---) LOUIE, born in Germany. Notes for Alexander M LARGE Emigrated to Australia Children of Alexander M LARGE and (---) LOUIE were as follows: 392 i Mary9 LARGE. 393 ii A9 SON. 296. Edward Richard Joseph King8 GREEN (Edward Richard7, Martha Brodribb6 PURNELL, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1866 in Stoke Oakhill. He married on 31 Oct 1889 in Ashwick Hedwig DEISLINGER, daughter of Gottard DEISLINGER. Other events for Edward Richard Joseph King GREEN Baptism 26 Aug 1866 in Stoke Oakhill, Somerset. Namesake ccx in Edward Richard Green. Notes for Edward Richard Joseph King GREEN Nursery Gardener of Twerton Children of Edward Richard Joseph King GREEN and Hedwig DEISLINGER were as follows: 394 i Edward9 GREEN. 395 ii Hedwig9 GREEN. 396 iii Goulthard Richard9 GREEN, born 1880 in Ashwick. 397 iv Oscar9 GREEN, born 1892 in Stoke Oakhill Somerset. 398 v Victor9 GREEN, born 1897 in Stoke Oakhill Somerset. 298. Eliza Agnes8 GREEN (Edward Richard7, Martha Brodribb6 PURNELL, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1871 in Stoke Oakhill. She married on 24 Dec 1895 in Stoke Oakhill, Somerset

335

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Henry ORAM, and born abt 1853. Other events for Eliza Agnes GREEN Baptism 28 May 1871 in Stoke Oakhill, Somerset. Notes for Eliza Agnes GREEN Living in Stoke Lane in 1901 Children of Eliza Agnes GREEN and Henry ORAM were as follows: 399 i Alfred9 ORAM. 400 ii Edward9 ORAM. 401 iii Alec Robert9 ORAM, born 1900 in Stoke St Michael. 299. Winifred Martha8 GREENccxi (Edward Richard7, Martha Brodribb6 PURNELL, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1873 in Stoke Oakhill; died 1920. She married in 1920 in Wells Harry HOBBS. Notes for Winifred Martha GREEN Living in send & Ripley Surry in 1901 Children of Winifred Martha GREEN and Harry HOBBS were as follows: 402 i Gladys9 HOBBS. 403 ii Mary9 HOBBS. 404 iii Winifred9 HOBBS. 301. George Herbert8 GREEN (Edward Richard7, Martha Brodribb6 PURNELL, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1877. He married in 1903 in Keysham Edith Anne RICH. Children of George Herbert GREEN and Edith Anne RICH were as follows: 405 i Jack9 GREEN, died 1996. She married Peggy ?. Notes: Named in will of Edward Richard Green, as the child of his son George Herbert Green date 9 March 1920. 406 ii Frances Jane9 GREEN, born 1904 in Stoke St Michael. Other events: Baptism 17 Apr 1904 in Stoke St Michael. 407 iii Betty Winifred Joyce9 GREEN, born 1906. Other events: Baptism 20 Jan 1907. Notes: Dec Qtr 1906 Shepton M. RD 5c 373 Named in will of Edward Richard Green, as the child of his son George Herbert Green date 9 March 1920. The lifeline view plots the events you have entered in the information view for your relation plus census data you have merged in to your tree. Roll over an event to view details 302. Albert8 (TED) Edward Green (Edward Richard7, Martha Broadribb6 PURNELL, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 11 Sep 1886 in Stoke Lane; died 21 Dec 1980. He married on 1 Jul 1919 Lisa Mary MERRETT. Notes for Albert (TED) Edward Green Civil Servant in Burton 1901 Children of Albert (TED) Edward Green and Lisa Mary MERRETT were as follows: 408 i Alan Richard John9 GREEN, born 6 Oct 1923. He married Dorothy 336

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409 ii COCKSHOOT. Philip Bryan9 GREEN, born 16 Oct 1927; died 16 Sep 2001. He married on 7 Oct 1957 Jane PURSET.

303. Theodore Harry8 GREENccxii (Edward Richard7, Martha Broadribb6 PURNELL, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 4 Mar 1889 in Stoke Lane; died 1960. He married Frances (TILLY) Matilda Lambert, died Jun 1959. Notes for Theodore Harry GREEN Farmer of Dudwell Farm Chewton Mendip Children of Theodore Harry GREEN and Frances (TILLY) Matilda Lambert were as follows: 410 i Kathleen9 GREEN. Notes: Died Age 2 411 ii Bryan9 GREEN, born 4 May 1917. He married Nan JAMES. Notes: Farmed East End Farm Chewton Mendip 412 iii Claude9 GREEN, born 7 Jan 1920. He married Margaret TITCHETT. 413 iv Arthur9 GREEN, born 10 Feb 1923. Notes: Farmed at Dudwell Farm Chewton Mendip 414 v Harold9 GREEN, born 1925; died 2 Oct 1988. Notes: Emigrated to Western Australia And Farmed at Waterloo WA 305. Christopher Claud8 GREEN (Edward Richard7, Martha Brodribb6 PURNELL, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 10 Nov 1893 in Stoke Lane; died 27 Apr 1978. He married (1) in Sep 1917 Ellen GREAVES, born 19 May 1890; (2) in Sep 1957 Tessa MANTELL. Other events for Christopher Claud GREEN Namesakeccxiii in Martha Mary Emblin. Notes for Christopher Claud GREEN Council Officer at Shepton Mallet in 1930's Children of Christopher Claud GREEN and Ellen GREAVES were as follows: 415 i Audrey9 GREEN, born 19 Oct 1925. She married Richard WATTS. 416 ii Heather Susan9 GREEN, born 26 Feb 1929. 317. Edwin8 PURNELL (James7, Moses6, Aaron5, James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1). He married Rebecca HILLMAN, born abt 1844 in Somerset, England. Children of Edwin PURNELL and Rebecca HILLMAN were as follows: 417 i Martha9 PURNELL, born abt 1870 in Clutton Somerset. 418 ii Mary9 PURNELL, born abt 1870 in Clutton Somerset. 419 iii Alice9 PURNELL, born abt 1872 in Clutton Somerset. 420 iv James9 PURNELL, born abt 1875 in Clutton Somerset. 421 v Ellen9 PURNELL, born abt 1876 in Clutton Somerset. 422 vi George9 PURNELL, born abt 1877 in Clutton Somerset. 423 vii Bertie9 PURNELL, born abt 1879 in Clutton Somerset. 318. Walter8 PURNELL (James7, Moses6, Aaron5, James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born abt 1851 in Clutton Somerset. He married Martha CURTIS, born abt 1856 in Monmouthshire Wales. 337

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Children of Walter PURNELL and Martha CURTIS were as follows: 424 i Austie9 PURNELL, born abt 1878 in Somerset, England. 425 ii Mary9 PURNELL, born abt 1879 in Somerset, England. 426 iii Edwin9 PURNELL, born abt 1880 in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. 427 iv Walter9 PURNELL, born abt 1885 in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. 428 v Robert9 PURNELL, born abt 1887 in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. 322. Philip8 PURNELL (John7, Moses6, Aaron5, James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born abt 1851 in Clutton Somerset. He married Clara Jane GREEN, born abt 1852 in Somerset, England. Children of Philip PURNELL and Clara Jane GREEN were as follows: 429 i John9 PURNELL, born 1876. 430 ii Clara C.E.9 PURNELL, born abt 1879. 431 iii Emma L.9 PURNELL, born abt 1880. 323. Mary8 PURNELL (George7, Charles6, James5, James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born abt 1836 in Clutton Somerset. She married William PARFITT, born 1833 in Clutton Somerset. Children of Mary PURNELL and William PARFITT were as follows: 432 i George9 PARFITT, born 1853 in Clutton Somerset. 433 ii Keziah9 PARFITT, born 1858 in Trevethin Monmouthshire Wales. 434 iii Edward9 PARFITT, born 1864 in Trevethin Monmouthshire Wales. 435 iv Henry9 PARFITT, born 1866 in Trevethin Monmouthshire Wales. 436 v Rhoda9 PARFITT, born 1869 in Trevethin Monmouthshire Wales. 437 vi William9 PARFITT, born 1873 in Abersychan, Monmouthshire, Wales. 438 vii Harriett9 PARFITT, born 1876 in Abersychan, Monmouthshire, Wales. 324. Mark8 PURNELL (George7, Charles6, James5, James4, Robert3, Isaac2, Robert1), born 1838 in Clutton Somerset. He married Emily STONE, born 1838. Children of Mark PURNELL and Emily STONE were as follows: 439 i Henry George9 PURNELL, born 1860 in Clutton Somerset. 440 ii William9 PURNELL, born abt 1862 in Clutton Somerset. 441 iii Charles9 PURNELL, born abt 1864 in Clutton Somerset. 442 iv Annie9 PURNELL, born abt 1865.

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Generation 9
331. George St Albyn9 HARGOOD-ASH (Caroline Savage Hunt St Albyn 8 WAIT, William Savage7, Anne Purnell6 SAVAGE, Hester5 PURNELL, John4, John3, John2, Robert1). He married on 10 Aug 1909 in Vancouver British Colombia Canada Gwladys Victoria HOLT. Children of George St albyn HARGOOD-ASH and Gwladys Victoria HOLT were as follows: 443 i [son]10 HARGOOD-ASH, born 12 Apr 1911 in Duncans, Vancouver Island British Colombia. 332. William St Albyn9 HARGOOD-ASH (Caroline Savage Hunt St Albyn 8 WAIT, William Savage7, Anne Purnell6 SAVAGE, Hester5 PURNELL, John4, John3, John2, Robert1). He married on 22 Sep 1909 in St Mary Abbots, Kensington Helen Irene WOODFORD. Children of William St Albyn HARGOOD-ASH and Helen Irene WOODFORD were as follows: 444 i [daughter10 HARGOOD-ASH, born 2 Jul 1910 in Sandon Hill, Chelmsford, Essex. 358. William Edward9 WESTERN (Susan Anita8 PURNELL, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1). He married Elsie HAYWARD, born 1891; died 1968. Children of William Edward WESTERN and Elsie HAYWARD were as follows: 445 i Harry10 WESTERN. 446 ii Elsie10 WESTON. 447 iii Violet10 WESTON. 448 iv Gwendoline10 WESTERN, born 1914. She married Raymond LIDDINGTON.
9 8 7 6 5 4 3

339

361. Harold John WESTON (Susan Anita PURNELL, Henry Skey , Hill , John , Robert , John , John2, Robert1). He married Ellen Marguerite Susanna PRICE. Notes for Harold John WESTON Emigrated to USA before 1914 Children of Harold John WESTON and Ellen Marguerite Susanna PRICE were as follows: 449 i Bud10 WESTON. 450 ii Harold10 WESTON. 451 iii Lilly Gwendolin10 WESTON. She married (1) Mr RENO; (2) Mr OLINGER. Notes: Emigrated to USA in 1914 363. Minnie Mary9 WESTON (Susan Anita8 PURNELL, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1). She married Roy BOYCE, born in Canada. Children of Minnie Mary WESTON and Roy BOYCE were as follows: 452 i Edward10 BOYCE. He married Mary ???. 370. Ada May9 BOWES (Minnie Rose8 PURNELL, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 7 Mar 1896 in Canton Cardiff. She married on 3 Sep 1921 in CADOXTON, BARRY Frank W TAYLOR.

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Children of Ada May BOWES and Frank W TAYLOR were as follows: 453 i Taylor10 C. 454 ii Mavis10 TAYLOR. 455 iii Minnie10 TAYLOR. 456 iv Fraser10 TAYLOR, born 2 Nov 1929 in Cardiff Wales. He married Loretta G WORGAN.

376. Ralph Hill9 WILLIAMS (Lilly Maria8 PURNELL, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 24 Apr 1904; died Nov 2001 in Prestatyn. He married Edna LLOYD. (Born 1915 died 2010) Ralph inherited the A-H Artefacts from his mother and father Evan Williams in July 1950. He survived his sister and brothers. Notes for Ralph Hill WILLIAMS Genealogist contact and a researcher of Purnell's in Wales + + + + + Children of Ralph Hill WILLIAMS and Edna LLOYD were as follows: 457 i Bryn ( Hill in Welsh) Lloyd10 WILLIAMS. He married Doris Renate Schebdat. 458 ii Gareth Vaughan10 WILLIAMS. He married Barbara Nutt. 459 iii Glenys Mona10 WILLIAMS. She married David Dean. 460 iv Lynn Purnell10 WILLIAMS. She married Yan LIM. 461 v Sian Anita10 WILLIAMS. She married Frank MASTRANUNZIO.

380. Ivor Henry9 PURNELL (Ivor Hill8, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), died 1903 in Cardiff. He married May ?. Children of Ivor Henry PURNELL and May ? were as follows: 462 i Christine10 PURNELL. She married Donald JONES. 382. Mable9 PURNELL (Ivor Hill8, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1). She married Terence CARPENTER. Children of Mable PURNELL and Terence CARPENTER were as follows: 463 i Mavis10 CARPENTER. 383. Mildred9 PURNELL (Ivor Hill8, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1). She married ? BROOKMAN. Children of Mildred PURNELL and ? BROOKMAN were as follows: 464 i Andrew10 BROOKMAN. 388. Leonard R9 PURNELLccxiv (Tudor Mathew8, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), bornccxv, ccxvi Sep 1921 in Glamorgan, United Kingdom; died 1st June 1968 in Nelson, New Zealand. He married on 28 Jul 1945 in Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff, Wales Jean SANDWELLDAVIS, born 1 Jan 1922 in Richmond, London; died 10 Apr 1992 in Nelson, New Zealand, daughter of William H C SANDWELL and Mary R WHITE. Other events for Leonard R PURNELL

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Namesakeccxvii in Leonard Roy Purnell. Notes for Leonard R PURNELL After Matthew Tudor Purnell death Roy Leonard Purnell was raised and adopted by uncle Ivor Purnell Copy of an entry of marriage: Marriage solemnized at Llandaff Cathedral 28th July1945 Roy Leonard Purnell: Age 24 years: Bachelor Rank or profession: Sapper R.E Address: 40 Copplestone Road, Llandaff. Adoptive Parent: Ivor Henry Purnell Jean Sandwell: Age: 23 years Spinster: Rank or Profession: A.C. W.A.A.F Address: 25 Hudson Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surry Adoptive Parent: William Henry Sandwell. Children of Leonard R PURNELL and Jean SANDWELL-DAVIS were as follows: 465 i Colin Hill Skey10 PURNELL, born 18 Apr 1946 in Cardiff Wales. He married Susan NESBITT. 466 ii Dale Janice10 PURNELL, born 24 Jan 1949 in Cardiff Wales. She married William Michael BOURKE. 467 iii Jill Lindsay10 PURNELL, born 29 Jan 1952. She married Peter Francis Knyvett GOSCOMB. 468 iv Mandy Jean10 PURNELL, born 11 May 1955 in Nairobi, Kenya. She married Stanley HILL. 469 v Rebecca10 PURNELL, born 31 Aug 1965 in Nelson, New Zealand.

+ + + +

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389. Philip John S9 PURNELLccxviii (Seymour S8, Hill Robert J7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), bornccxix Jun 1894 in Glamorgan Monmouthshire. He married May OSBORNE, born 1901. Other events for Philip John S PURNELL Residenceccxx, ccxxi 1901 in Glamorgan, Wales. Civilccxxii, ccxxiii St Mary. Name (Facts Pg) Philip Purnell. + Children of Philip John S PURNELL and May OSBORNE were as follows: 470 i Allen10 PURNELL, born 1927. He married Pamela PRATT.

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Generation 10
448. Gwendoline10 WESTERN (William Edward9, Susan Anita8 PURNELL, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1914. She married Raymond LIDDINGTON, born 1914. Children of Gwendoline WESTERN and Raymond LIDDINGTON were as follows: 471 i Paul11 LIDDINGTON, born 1953. 456. Fraser10 TAYLOR (Ada May9 BOWES, Minnie Rose8 PURNELL, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 2 Nov 1929 in Cardiff Wales. He married on 26 Mar 1952 in Radyr, Church, Cardiff Loretta G WORGAN, born 4 Aug 1931 in Radyr, Cardiff. Children of Fraser TAYLOR and Loretta G WORGAN were as follows: 472 i Ian Fraser11 TAYLOR. 473 ii Jill11 TAYLOR. Notes: Auckland New Zealand 457. Bryn Lloyd10 WILLIAMS (Ralph Hill9, Lilly Maria8 PURNELL, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1). He married Doris Renate Schebdat . Children of Bryn Lloyd WILLIAMS and Doris Schebdat were as follows: 474 i Andrea11 WILLIAMS. 475 ii Annika11 WILLIAMS. 476 iii Nicola11 WILLIAMS. (Andrea married Philip James. Daughter Emily Morgan James born 7th July 2010) 458. Gareth Vaughan10 WILLIAMS (Ralph Hill9, Lilly Maria8 PURNELL, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1). He married Barbara Nutt. Children of Gareth Vaughan WILLIAMS and Barbara Nutt were as follows: 477 i Annalee11 WILLIAMS. 459. Glenys Mona10 WILLIAMS (Ralph Hill9, Lilly Maria8 PURNELL, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1). She married David Dean. Children of Glenys Mona WILLIAMS and David Dean were as follows: 478 i Ceri11 Dean. 479 ii Craig11 Dean. 480 iii Jacqueline Glenys11 ?. 481 iv Mark11 Dean. 482 v Paul11 Dean. 460. Lynn Purnell10 WILLIAMS (Ralph Hill9, Lilly Maria8 PURNELL, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1). She married Yan LIM. Children of Lynn Purnell WILLIAMS and Yan LIM were as follows: 483 i Colwyn11 Williams. 484 ii Edwyn11 LIM. 342

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485 486 487 iii iv v Eilwyn11 LIM. Selwyn11 LIM. Teckwyn11 LIM.

461. Sian Anita10 WILLIAMS (Ralph Hill9, Lilly Maria8 PURNELL, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1). She married Frank MASTRANUNZIO. Children of Sian Anita WILLIAMS and Frank MASTRANUNZIO were as follows: 488 i Bronwyn11 MASTRANUNZIO. 489 ii Glenys11 MASTRANUNZIO. 490 iii Rhian11 MASTRANUNZIO. 465. Colin Hill Skey10 PURNELLccxxiv (Leonard R9, Tudor Mathew8, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 18 Apr 1946 in Cardiff Wales. He married on 20 Aug 1965 in Nelson New Zealand Susan NESBITT, born 11 Dec 1949 in Harrow, England. Other events for Colin Hill Skey PURNELL Vitalccxxv London (Sep 1984). Name (Facts Pg) Colin Hill Skey Purnell. Children of Colin Hill Skey PURNELL and Susan NESBITT were as follows: 491 i Paul11 PURNELL, born 25 Mar 1966 in Wellington New Zealand. 492 ii Karen11 PURNELL, born 6 Aug 1967 in Nelson, New Zealand. 493 iii Joanna11 PURNELL, born 26 Sep 1969 in Nelson, New Zealand. She married Lance GOODMAN. 494 iv Theresa11 PURNELL, born 17 Jul 1972 in Christchurch, New Zealand. She married unknown.

+ +

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466. Dale Janice10 PURNELL (Leonard R9, Tudor Mathew8, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 24 Jan 1949 in Cardiff Wales. She married in Nelson New Zealand William Michael BOURKE, born 17 May 1954 in Nelson, New Zealand. Children of Dale Janice PURNELL and William Michael BOURKE were as follows: 495 i Melissa Tamsin11 BOURKE, born 10 Jun 1971 in Nelson, New Zealand. 467. Jill Lindsay10 PURNELL (Leonard R9, Tudor Mathew8, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 29 Jan 1952. She married on 4 Sep 1971 in Nelson New Zealand Peter Francis Knyvett GOSCOMB, born 7 Dec 1949 in Nelson, New Zealand. Children of Jill Lindsay PURNELL and Peter Francis Knyvett GOSCOMB were as follows: 496 i Jesse Jonathon11 GOSCOMB, born 30 Aug 1974 in Nelson, New Zealand. 497 ii Amber Jane11 GOSCOMB, born 24 Oct 1976 in Nelson, New Zealand. She married Simon Jon WILLIAMSON. 498 iii Alexander Peter11 GOSCOMB, born 9 May 1985 in Nelson, New Zealand.

468. Mandy Jean10 PURNELL (Leonard R9, Tudor Mathew8, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 11 May 1955 in Nairobi, Kenya. She married Stanley HILL, born 30 Jun 1955 in New Zealand.

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Children of Mandy Jean PURNELL and Stanley HILL were as follows: 499 i Stanley Ben11 HILL, born 4 Mar 1979. 500 ii Oliver James Roy11 HILL, born 24 Jun 1983. 470. Allen10 PURNELL (Philip John S9, Seymour S8, Hill Robert J7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1927. He married Pamela PRATT, born 1930. + Children of Allen PURNELL and Pamela PRATT were as follows: 501 i Alexandra11 PURNELL, born 1954. She married Simon DAWSON. 502 ii Robert11 PURNELL, born 1958.

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11
493. Joanna11 PURNELL (Colin Hill Skey10, Leonard R9, Tudor Mathew8, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 26 Sep 1969 in Nelson, New Zealand. She married Lance GOODMAN, born 13 May 1963 in Timaru, New Zealand. Children of Joanna PURNELL and Lance GOODMAN were as follows: 503 i Judas12 GOODMAN, born 24 Sep 1991 in Nelson New Zealand. 494. Theresa11 PURNELL (Colin Hill Skey10, Leonard R9, Tudor Mathew8, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 17 Jul 1972 in Christchurch, New Zealand. She married unknown. Children of Theresa PURNELL were as follows: 504 i Jason12 PURNELL, born 4 Nov 1995. 505 ii Hamish12 PURNELL, born 24 Jun 1998. 506 iii Keiran12 PURNELL, born 26 Jul 2001. 507 iv Sinead12 PURNELL, born 26 Jul 2001. 497. Amber Jane11 GOSCOMB (Jill Lindsay10 PURNELL, Leonard R9, Tudor Mathew8, Henry Skey7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 24 Oct 1976 in Nelson, New Zealand. She married on 28 Feb 2004 in Nelson New Zealand Simon Jon WILLIAMSON. Children of Amber Jane GOSCOMB and Simon Jon WILLIAMSON were as follows: 508 i Poppy Jean12 WILLIAMSON. 509 ii Isabella Grace12 WILLIAMSON, born 19 Nov 2004. 501. Alexandra11 PURNELL (Allen10, Philip John S9, Seymour S8, Hill Robert J7, Hill6, John5, Robert4, John3, John2, Robert1), born 1954. She married Simon DAWSON. Children of Alexandra PURNELL and Simon DAWSON were as follows: 510 i Emily12 DAWSON, born 1990. 511 ii Sam12 DAWSON, born 1992. 345

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i 1851 England Census.

ii1851 England Census. iii1851 England Census. iv1851 England Census. v1851 England Census. viEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Index: 1837-1983. viiEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Index: 1837-1983. viiiEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. ix1871 England Census. x1871 England Census. xi1851 England Census. xii1841 England Census. xiii1871 England Census. xiv1871 England Census. xv1871 England Census. xvi1871 England Census. xvii1851 England Census. xviii1851 England Census. xix1851 England Census. xx1851 England Census. xxi1851 England Census. xxii1851 England Census. xxiii1851 England Census. xxiv1851 England Census. xxv1851 England Census. xxvi1851 England Census. xxvii1851 England Census. xxviii1851 England Census. xxix1851 England Census. xxx1851 England Census. xxxi1851 England Census. xxxii1851 England Census. xxxiii1851 England Census. xxxiv1861 England Census. xxxvEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Index: 1837-1983. xxxvi1871 Wales Census. xxxvii1851 Wales Census. xxxviiiEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1983. xxxixEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. xl1861 Census Parish of Llandaff Hamlet of Canton. xliEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index: 1837-1983. xlii1871 Wales Census. xliii1871 Wales Census. xlivEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. xlv1841 Wales Census. xlvi1871 Wales Census. xlvii1871 Wales Census. xlviii1871 Wales Census. xlix1871 Wales Census. l1871 Wales Census. li1881 Wales Census. lii1871 Wales Census. liii1881 Wales Census.

liv1861 Census Parish of Llandaff Hamlet of Canton. lv1851 Wales Census. lvi1851 Wales Census. lvii1851 Wales Census. lviii1861 Wales Census. lix1851 Wales Census. lx1861 Wales Census. lxiEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. lxiiEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. lxiii1881 Wales Census. lxivEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. lxv1851 Wales Census. lxvi1851 Wales Census. lxvii1851 Wales Census. lxviii1851 Wales Census. lxix1851 Wales Census. lxx1861 Wales Census. lxxiEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. lxxiiEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983. lxxiiiEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. lxxivEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. lxxvEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. lxxvi1851 England Census. lxxvii1851 England Census. lxxviii1861 England Census. lxxix1861 England Census. lxxx1861 England Census. lxxxi1851 England Census. lxxxii1871 England Census. lxxxiii1871 England Census. lxxxiv1871 England Census. lxxxv1871 England Census. lxxxvi1881 England Census. lxxxvii1881 England Census. lxxxviii1871 England Census. lxxxix1871 England Census. xc1871 England Census. xci1881 England Census. xcii1881 England Census. xciii1881 England Census. xciv1861 England Census. xcv1861 England Census. xcvi1861 England Census. xcvii1861 England Census. xcviiiEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. xcix1851 Wales Census. c1851 Wales Census. ci1861 Wales Census. cii1851 Wales Census. ciii1891 Wales Census. civ1871 Wales Census. cv1891 Wales Census. cvi1861 Wales Census. cvii1861 Wales Census.

cviii1861 Wales Census. cix1861 Wales Census. cx1861 Wales Census. cxiEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. cxii1841 Wales Census. cxiiiEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. cxivEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983. cxvEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. cxvi1881 Wales Census. cxvii1881 Wales Census. cxviii1881 Wales Census. cxix1901 Wales Census. cxx1901 Wales Census. cxxi1881 Wales Census. cxxii1881 Wales Census. cxxiii1881 Wales Census. cxxiv1881 Wales Census. cxxv1881 Wales Census. cxxviEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. cxxvii1891 Wales Census. cxxviii1891 Wales Census. cxxix1891 Wales Census. cxxx1891 Wales Census. cxxxi1891 Wales Census. cxxxii1891 Wales Census. cxxxiii1891 Wales Census. cxxxivBritish Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920. cxxxvEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. cxxxvi1881 Wales Census. cxxxviiEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. cxxxviii1881 Wales Census. cxxxix1881 Wales Census. cxl1891 Wales Census. cxli1881 Wales Census. cxlii1901 Wales Census. cxliii1871 Wales Census. cxliv1871 Wales Census. cxlv1881 Wales Census. cxlvi1881 England Census. cxlvii1881 England Census. cxlviii1881 Wales Census. cxlix1881 Wales Census. cl1881 Wales Census. cli1881 Wales Census. clii1881 Wales Census. cliii1891 Wales Census. cliv1881 Wales Census. clv1901 Wales Census. clvi1901 Wales Census. clvii1901 Wales Census. clviii1901 Wales Census. clix1901 Wales Census. clx1901 Wales Census. clxiOneWorldTree.

clxiiOneWorldTree. clxiiiOneWorldTree. clxivOneWorldTree. clxvOneWorldTree. clxviOneWorldTree. clxviiOneWorldTree. clxviiiOneWorldTree. clxixOneWorldTree. clxxOneWorldTree. clxxiOneWorldTree. clxxiiOneWorldTree. clxxiiiOneWorldTree. clxxivOneWorldTree. clxxvOneWorldTree. clxxviEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. clxxviiEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. clxxviii1901 England Census. clxxix1901 England Census. clxxx1901 England Census. clxxxiEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. clxxxii1901 Wales Census. clxxxiii1901 Wales Census. clxxxiv1901 Wales Census. clxxxvEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. clxxxvi1881 Wales Census. clxxxvii1901 Wales Census. clxxxviii1901 Wales Census. clxxxix1881 Wales Census. cxcEngland and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983. cxci1881 Wales Census. cxcii1881 Wales Census. cxciii1891 Wales Census. cxciv1881 Wales Census. cxcvBritish Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920. cxcviBritish Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920. cxcviiEngland and Wales, Birth Index: 1837-1983. cxcviiiEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983. cxcix1871 Wales Census. cc1881 Wales Census. cci1901 Wales Census. ccii1891 Wales Census. cciiiEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Index: 1837-1983. cciv1901 Wales Census. ccv1901 Wales Census. ccvi1901 Wales Census. ccvii1901 Wales Census. ccviii1901 Wales Census. ccix1901 Wales Census. ccxOneWorldTree. ccxiEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983. ccxiiOneWorldTree. ccxiiiOneWorldTree. ccxivEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983. ccxvEngland and Wales, Birth Index: 1837-1983.

ccxviEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index: 1837-1983. ccxviiEngland and Wales, Birth Index: 1837-1983. ccxviiiEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Index: 1837-1983. ccxixEngland & Wales, FreeBMD Index: 1837-1983. ccxx1901 Wales Census. ccxxi1901 Wales Census. ccxxii1901 Wales Census. ccxxiii1901 Wales Census. ccxxiv1861 Census Parish of Llandaff Hamlet of Canton. ccxxv1861 Census Parish of Llandaff Hamlet of Canton.