Gone Medieval – The Hospitallers: Warrior Monks

Host: Matt Lewis
Guest: Rory McClellan (Author, Warrior Monks)
Date: January 23, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Gone Medieval dives deep into the history and evolution of the Knights Hospitaller, one of the most influential and enduring military orders of the Middle Ages. Host Matt Lewis is joined by historian Rory McClellan to explore the Order's founding, unique dual mission, spread to Western Europe, political involvements, brushes with scandal and suppression, and its surprising survival into the modern world. The conversation unpacks the often overlooked complexity and duality of these "warrior monks," tracing their journey from humble caregivers in Jerusalem to major political and military players across Europe.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Early Purpose of the Hospitallers

• Founding Pre-Crusades:
  • The Hospital of St. John was founded circa 1070 by merchants from Amalfi (Italy), even before the First Crusade, in Jerusalem as a place for Western pilgrims to find care and hospitality.
  • "Medieval hospital doesn't necessarily mean you go there because you're sick... it could also be more like sort of a hostel where you stay whilst you're traveling." (Rory McClellan, 04:28)
• Dual Mission:
  • Unique among medieval orders, the Hospitallers always balanced their caring role with military responsibilities—growing into the latter after the First Crusade when permanent armed orders became necessary to defend Crusader states.

2. Transformation into a Military Order

• Slow Militarization (after the Templars):
  • While the Templars embraced a military function from the start, Hospitallers evolved more gradually, maintaining a primary focus on care and charity well into their early years.
  • "They are always trying to provide some forms of charity and medical care... that's what really sets them apart from the Templars." (Rory, 07:44)
• Expansion of Care:
  • The Jerusalem hospital could host up to 1,000 patients, including special wards (even maternity), and was known for religious tolerance in care (providing sugared water instead of wine for Muslim patients).

3. Rise in Power and Reach in Europe

• Papal Recognition & Growth:
  • The Order gained official papal recognition in 1113, catalyzing its expansion in the West.
  • Centralized structure—unlike most monastic orders of the era.
• Western Landholdings:
  • Extensive donations allowed the Order to amass vast estates across Europe, especially in England where Hospitallers became wealthier than Westminster Abbey or Glastonbury Abbey.
  • “Just the Hospitallers in England and Wales... are richer than Westminster Abbey and Glastonbury Abbey.” (Rory, 15:18)
• Role of ‘Preceptories’:
  • Local manors sent a third of their income east to fund military and charitable efforts in the Holy Land (13:00-14:00).

4. Integration into Political Life

• Political Landlords:
  • Their status as large landowners inevitably drew them into political life, particularly in Ireland and the British Isles.
  • "It's almost hard for them not to become political figures as significant landowners." (Matt, 16:21)
• Conflicts of Loyalty:
  • Balancing obligations to both the crown and the Order’s international hierarchy often put local Hospitallers in tricky positions, especially during wars between England, Scotland, and France.
  • “How much do they see themselves as being Hospitallers first, or being English subjects first?” (Rory, 16:47)

5. Financial & Administrative Influence

• Banking and Government Roles:
  • Like the Templars, the Hospitallers developed early banking systems (money transfer for pilgrims and royals) (21:32).
  • Hospitallers served as royal treasurers and tax collectors in England and Ireland, some rising to bishoprics and acting as de facto governors.
• Notable Case: Stephen of Fulbun—The Corrupt Bishop (27:00–36:16):
  • Misused office in Ireland, executed extrajudicial killings, embezzled funds, and still received royal favor.
  • "He just hires a minor knight to murder the pair, even though this is supposed to be incredibly illegal.” (Rory, 32:09)
  • "He actually gets a promotion after!" (Matt, 35:01)

6. The Hospitallers in Major English Conflicts

• Wales, Scotland, and the Hundred Years War:
  • Played active roles in suppressing Welsh rebellions and supported the English in Scotland, leading to repercussions such as the sacking of their Scottish headquarters by William Wallace (37:00–39:00).
  • During the Hundred Years War, their international nature (many French members, international headquarters) made direct conflict with France complicated.

7. The Templars’ Suppression and the Hospitaller’s Survival

• Potential for Suppression (46:00):
  • The Hospitallers survived the fate of the Templars (1312) by establishing a visible frontline base in Rhodes, keeping alive their martial and charitable activities.
  • "If the Hospitallers hadn't established Rhodes, they might have ended up being suppressed like the Templars." (Rory, 48:11)
• Acquisition of Templar Lands:
  • Inheriting most of the Templars’ lands brought expansion but also legal, political, and financial headaches (51:58).
  • “They basically spend the next several decades having to fight all these legal battles, try and persuade the King to actually do what the Pope has said.” (Rory, 52:00)

8. From Establishment to Target: The Peasants’ Revolt

• Robert Hales (Prior & Treasurer) Executed, 1381:
  • His role in the unpopular poll tax made him a target during the Peasants’ Revolt; he was dragged from the Tower of London and executed by rebels (55:33–64:01).
  • "Robert Hales is treasurer, so he’s in charge of collecting the Poll Tax. He’s very unlucky to basically have been holding the parcel when it explodes.” (Rory, 55:33)
  • His own servants joined the mob against him.

9. Late Medieval Political Entanglements

• Wars of the Roses:
  • Priors actively took sides, including John Langstrother, who became Treasurer of England under the Lancastrian restoration, later executed after the defeat at Tewkesbury.
  • Hospitallers supported both Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck—pretenders against the reigning monarch (71:03).
• Secularization and Decline:
  • Increasingly secular and political in late medieval England; began to fade as a strictly religious-military order.

10. The Reformation and the Order’s End in England

• Suppressed in England, 1540:
  • Despite Henry VIII's personal admiration, the Order was suppressed as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, mainly due to its papal allegiance (72:55).
  • "Henry seems to think, I can't trust these guys... And so he then suppresses them. He ends up seizing all their lands." (Rory, 76:11)
• Brief Afterlife & Final Fade:
  • Some members became royal officials; revival attempts under Tudors and Stuarts never succeeded; last remnants dissolved in Scotland by 1564.

11. The Modern Legacy

• Malta and Survival:
  • After the fall of Rhodes, the Order moved to Malta, becoming fabled for their heroic defense against the Ottomans in 1565.
  • "They managed to defeat the Ottomans and drive them off. And it becomes this massive success across Europe." (Rory, 77:17)
• Today:
  • The Sovereign Military Order of Malta and other successor branches remain, known for global charity, ranking only behind the Red Cross and Oxfam in humanitarian efforts.
  • "They’ve basically returned to their original hospitaller, non-military role." (Rory, 80:03)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the Hospitaller’s dual mission:

  • "You can do hospitaller but military, rather than just having to do your knights." (Rory, 09:09)

• On political entanglement:

  • "You can't really turn up in a country and buy up a whole chunk of it without also then becoming quite an important political figure as well." (Rory, 15:18)

• On treasurers and corruption:

  • "He just hires a minor knight to murder the pair... and splits the reward with him." (Rory, 32:09)
  • "He actually gets a promotion after!" (Matt, 35:01)

• On their survival after the fall of the Holy Land:

  • "If the Hospitallers hadn't established Rhodes, they might have ended up being suppressed like the Templars." (Rory, 48:11)

• On the Order’s transformation and legacy:

  • "They’ve basically returned to their original hospitaller, non-military role." (Rory, 80:03)

Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Discussion | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:33 | Introduction to Episode & Rory McClellan | | 04:28–08:12| Origins & Early Mission of the Hospitallers | | 10:10–12:18| Impact of the First Crusade on the Order | | 12:31–16:21| Rise in Europe: Expansion, Land, and Political Power | | 21:32–36:16| Financial Role & Administrative Power; Notable Case of Corruption| | 37:00–39:48| Military Involvement in Wales, Scotland; 100 Years War | | 46:02–54:58| Suppression of Templars; Hospitaller Inheritance and Survival | | 55:33–64:01| Peasants’ Revolt: Robert Hales' Demise | | 64:28–72:35| Wars of the Roses & Political Intrigue; Move Toward Secularization| | 72:55–77:01| Dissolution under Henry VIII and the Order’s End in England | | 77:17–80:17| Siege of Malta and the Order’s Modern Evolution | | 80:17–80:36| Conclusion and Return to Origins |

Conclusion

This episode offers a nuanced, engaging exploration of the Knights Hospitaller, challenging the simplistic notion of “warrior monks.” By tracing their transformation from a caregiving institution to a leading military and political force—and ultimately to a modern humanitarian organization—Matt and Rory illuminate the Order’s adaptability, complexity, and enduring legacy.

Recommended for:

• Anyone interested in the Crusades, medieval religious history, military orders, or the intersection of faith, politics, and warfare in European history.

References:

• Warrior Monks by Rory McClellan
• Additional episodes on the Templars and Crusader criminals in the Gone Medieval back catalogue

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