Knights of the Holy Sepulchre
Preserved but no longer current.
An order of military knights founded by Godfrey of Bouillon, in 1099, to guard the Holy Sepulchre. Since 1342 it has existed only as a religious body, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem being its Grand Master.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Knights of the Holy Sepulchre” mean?
An order of military knights founded by Godfrey of Bouillon, in 1099, to guard the Holy Sepulchre. Since 1342 it has existed only as a religious body, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem being its Grand Master.
Is “Knights of the Holy Sepulchre” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.