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Helen Nicholson

Helen Nicholson

A former Head of the History Department at Cardiff University, I am a world-leading scholar in research into the military religious orders and the Crusades. I have very extensive experience in teaching students at all levels, and a strong record in impact and engagement with the wider public.

Latest posts

Calculating acreages: the problems of working from manuscripts

Posted on 30 September 2015 by Helen Nicholson

I have been blogging again about the Templars' estates at Gislingham: here. The two copies of the estate accounts for 1308 differ in the acreages sown with grain: one gives 35 acres […]

The Templars in Gislingham

Posted on 8 September 2015 by Helen Nicholson

I have been blogging about the Templars at Gislingham again: here.

Banks, beehives and cooking pots: the Templars’ estates in Norfolk and Suffolk

Posted on 20 January 2015 by Helen Nicholson

When King Edward II's officials arrested the Templars early in January 1308, they did not find any Templars in Norfolk and Suffolk. The Templars owned a number of manors in these […]

Charity, alms and the English Templars

Posted on 15 January 2015 by Helen Nicholson

With help from Dr Paul Webster, I've continued my blog on the English Templars' charitable giving and support for the poor: https://gawainsmum.wordpress.com/2015/01/15/almonries-and-almsgiving-the-templars-at-gislingham-continued/

Templar almshouse at Gislingham in Suffolk

Posted on 9 January 2015 by Helen Nicholson

Although the records from the Templars' estates in 1308 to 1313 indicate that the brothers gave regular aid to the poor, it's very difficult to identify buildings associated with this […]

Reproduction of old articles on the Templars and Hospitallers

Posted on 8 January 2015 by Helen Nicholson

Earlier this week I put on to Academia.edu some of my early papers from the international 'Military Orders' conferences at St John's Gate in London: 'Knights and Lovers'  (from the 1992 conference); […]

Glorious Devon

Posted on 6 November 2014 by Helen Nicholson

I have uploaded a draft transcription of the sheriff's accounts for the Templars' (meagre) properties in Devon here. This is the account of the late Thomas de Ralegh, recently sheriff […]

Transcriptions: Some accounts for Northumbria and Essex

Posted on 5 September 2014 by Helen Nicholson

Dr Myra Born and Mrs Valerie Rudd have generously transcribed some of the records from the Templars' estates. Myra's translation of the accounts for Northumbria from 1308-9 are here: and […]

The 700th anniversary of the Templars’ demise: continued

Posted on 2 May 2014 by Helen Nicholson

In yet another event commemorating the 700th anniversary of the final end of the Templars, next week Theresa Vann, Paul Crawford and I are giving papers on 'The Aftermath of the Templars' […]

The Templar Economy in Britain and Ireland: Workshop report

Posted on 2 May 2014 by Helen Nicholson

The workshop last Saturday at Blaydes House in Hull went extremely well. First point: Blaydes house is a beautiful old merchant’s house, with beautiful high-ceiling’d rooms, perfect for a workshop […]