A religious order of knighthood, instituted about the year 1110, and so called because the members dwelt iu a part of the temple of Jerusalem, aud not far from the sepulclier of our Lord. They entertained Christian strangers and pilgrims char- itably, aud their profession was at first to defend travelers from highwaymen and rob- bers. The order was suppressed A. D. 1307, and their substance given partly to the knights of St. John of Jerusalem, and partly to other religious orders. Brown.
Black’s Law Online Dictionary
