Correspondence between Mr C. William Edelen
and
"The Ancient and Illustrious Knights of Malta, Pennsylvania".

Source: Archives of the British Priory, of the Russian Grand Priory.

First Letter. Mr C. William Edelen to Mr. Lawrence F. Ashton of the Ancient and Illustrious Knights of Malta, Pennsylvania

Post Office Box 2168 Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207 10th January 1984 Mr. Lawrence F. Ashton 565 main, Apt. 6 Stroudsburg, Pa 18360 Dear Sir : The continued existence of the Ancient and Illustrious Knights of Malta have come to my attention in the past few days as a pleasant surprise because I was under the impression that it had ceased to function in the 1930's. I however read "Fifty years in the Malta Order" by R.E.A. Land and am acquainted with the history. Perhaps it would be well to explain that I an the Grand Master Emeritus of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta which is currently under the protection of Prince Vasily Romanov. nephew of Czar Nicholas II of Russia, Saint and Martyr. His father was the Grand Duke Alexander of Russia who married the Grand Duchess Xenia the Czar's sister. I am also former Grand Prior of the United States of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem and held the Grand Cross from both the Autonomous Priory of Switzerland and from the Regent in [Operto], Portugal as well. My interest in writing to you is to explore with you, or your historian, the history of both of these organisations of Knights of Malta for there is some reason to suspect that this Order which is now under the protection of Prince Vasili was once a splinter group of your own Order. I refer to the Knights of Malta in-corporation of 1911 in New Jersey which Charles Pichel claimed many years later in the early 1950's. This corporation proved unsuitable for his purposes, so he incorporated in Pennsylvania Delaware as the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Land described the formation (2) of the New Jersey corporation in 1911 as an attempt by some members of the "Ancient Order" living in New Jersey to revive the organisation under a different name after the New York Charter had been revoked as a result of a scandal involving the insurance fund. The Grand Chancellor committed suicide the day before he was to appear in Albany with his records. The "Sovereign Order" assigned a special task to me, upon becoming Grand Master Emeritus with life membership on the Supreme Council, to investigate the history of the Order as written by Charles Pichel with a view of publishing a better documented book and to eliminate all errors or unsubstantiated claims. I have done so and the trail seems to lead back to the New Jersey Corporation of your own illustrious Order. Perhaps we can establish this as a fact or reject it altogether by putting our common knowledge of the subject together. This would do no great damage to the Order because our current Protector holds the same office over the Hereditary Commanders of Russia organised as an association in Paris about 1928 and, by reason of his age, is the inheritor of the office of Grand Prior of Russia. This makes us proper and correct even if Pichel's account is incorrect and distorted history. Our Supreme Council has a legal action now pending against some of Pichel's associates in the 3rd District Court of Pennsylvania. the entire Order in Europe, Canada, Australia and the Far East is united with us to end this embarrassment and to conduct the Order along proper and acceptable basis. Needless to say that anything you could supply in regard in the history of the Order and any personal knowledge of Pichel's activities would be useful to us. Strange to say there is a gentleman in [Camonillo], California, Mr Robert Formhals who claimed to be the 'Grand Master of your Order. He has written a book called the "White Cross" outlining his line of succession (3) in your Order or, at least, from the New Jersey corporation of the Knights of Malta. While I have his biographical material from a book in the local library more information is needed on Mr. Bullock who was the Archivist of the Order in New York and, from all reports, died in Lancaster Pennsylvania. According to one [cousin], Pichel went to visit him when he was old and blind, using the pretext that he was an historian about to make a book about your Order. He borrowed the collection of minutes and many other documents, following which Mr. Bullock died and the papers were never returned. Then Pichel seems to have altered the minutes to his own purpose and transformed Mr. Bullock into the Grand Chancellor so that he could claim to be in successor in office. Then he produced a "Constitution of 1912" which oddly enough, was signed by Mr. Bullock and members of your Order who signed the papers for the New Jersey Corporation. The thought came to mind that you may have information to help me prove that Mr. Bullock was never Grand Chancellor at all. Suffice to say that I am trying to learn the truth and would appreciate your assistance and cooperation in this matter of mutual interest. Very kindly yours, C. William Edelen

Second Letter.  Mr. Clarence E. Orth, Grand Recorder of the Ancient and Illustrious Knights of Malta, Pennsylvania to Mr. C. William Edelen.

February 17, 1984. Mr. C. William Edelen P.O. Box 2168 Elizabeth, New Jersey, 07207 Dear Mr. Edelen : I received in the mail a letter addressed to Mr. Lawrence Ashton of Stroudsburg by you seeking information regarding history of our Order. He requested that I answer this letter for him. In the late 1950's at the request of a Colonel Thourot Pichel, Shickshinney, Pa. I spent a great deal of time and considerable expense in gathering items for what I then believed would be an authentic history of our Order. I forwarded many historical items of history for his pursuance which were never returned to me. After much correspondence I visited Shickshinney and was greatly surprised of his low standing in his community. Some labeled him a cheat and a con man. When his book was finally published I found that every thing he wrote was distorted and. untrue. Therefore, in your search for items do not accept his writings as authentic. I found at that time that the most complete information I sought came from the Government of the island of Malta or from the Sec'y. of Historical Documents, London, England. I am very sorry I cannot help you with the information you seek. Since there are several branches of our Order I know nothing of the Orders you mention. Our Order is part of the original Order founded in the year 1048 by Sir Peter [Herard]. In the year 1560 under the leadership of Sir James Sandilands, part of the Order accepted the doctrines of the reformation and part remained loyal to the Pope. Up to this point our Order had the same history. From 1564 many splinter groups emerged with claims of direct decendency  (sic) of the original Knights and so we have many groups with different backgrounds and history. The history of our Order is very well described and authenicated (sic) in a book by the Rev. George Wm. Welsh of York, Pa. and found in the library It was Written in 1923 and published by Malta Book Co., York, Pa. Fraternally yours Clarence E. Orth, P.C.C. Grand Recorder

Third Letter.  Mr. C. William Edelen to Mr. Clarence E. Orth, Grand Recorder of the Ancient and Illustrious Knights of Malta, Pennsylvania.

Post Office Box 2168 Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207 21st February 1984 Mr. Clarence E. Orth 646 Fern Avenue Reading, Pennsylvania 19611 Dear Mr. Orth : Thank you for the courteous reply to my letter addressed to Mr. Aston. Your observations about Charles Pichel are all too true. My own investigation of his background over many years reveals that he was a felon out of Atlanta Penitentiary, as well as being guilty of the charges made by members of his community. The fact that you live in Reading is very interesting because our lawsuit is being heard by Judge August of the 3rd U.S. Court of Eastern Pennsylvania in your town. Our Attorney is John J. Speicher, of [Markel + Spring], 528 Washington Street in Reading. We have instituted a second action to have the patent in Washington D.C. voided by the U.S. Patent Office. Pichel secured this in the 1950's and his successors in Pennsylvania and New Jersey seem to feel that none can use the title "Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta", or the insignia of the Maltese Cross, without licence from them. This registration has never been challenged before. This ought to be of interest to you because (2) the Messineos, a father and two sons, have gotten control of the Delaware corporation and feel they also own the patent. If the Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. rejects our petition to have the patent voided there is a possibility that this family will institute legal proceedings against your Order, and all others using the Maltese Cross or using "Knights of Malta" in the title. My own information about Pichel's activities in connection with your Order is that he seems to have contacted Mr. Bulloch, the Archivist of the defunct Order in New York, the one involved in the insurance scandal. Mr. Bullock had the Archives in Lancaster Pennsylvania being old and blind. Pichel visited him under the guise of writing a history of the Order, was given free access to all the files. He helped himself to the most important ones and took them home with him. Mr. Bullock died some time later and he kept the records. Then he took the minutes doctored them up in [make] himself appear as a member and minor officer, also one or two of his cronies were added, then he transformed Mr. Bullock into Grand Chancellor, rather than Archivist, so he could succeed him in office. The important item in that Pichel made oath to secure the patent that the title and insignia had been in continuous use since 1911. That is the year when some survivors of the Order in New York decided to incorporate in New Jersey as the "Knights of Malta". This did not last one year, but Pichel came along in the 1950's claiming that (3) he was the successor in office of Mr. Bullock and secured the Charter for his own use. The charter was issued under old laws and was not tax exempt which did not suit Pichel very well, or his ultimate purpose. He then started a Delaware Corporation of "Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem" and used this and the New Jersey Charter to secure a patent for "Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta." including the symbol of the Maltese cross. He was never successful in getting a Federal Tax exemption because of his criminal record was well known and on [deport] at the Department of Justice. In the event that you wish to learn more of the legal action, Mr. Speicher's telephone number is (215) 874-4085. I am certain that he would be delighted to hear from you. we would all appreciated anything you could do to advise us in this matter to help us put an end to this evil action once and for all. Pichel is dead, but his evil survives. All kind thoughts and best wishes to you. Fraternally yours C. William Edelen. N.B. I have been an officer of the following societies : Lords of Maryland [Manore] Sons of the American [Revolution] Society of Colonial Wars General Secretary of the War of 1812 my Edelen Ancestor came to Maryland in 1664. C/

Fourth Letter.  Mr. Clarence E. Orth, Grand Recorder of the Ancient and Illustrious Knights of Malta, Pennsylvania to Mr. John J. Speicher, Attorney to Mr. C. William Edelen.

November 4, 1985. Mr. John J. Speicher @ P.O. Box 1256 528 Washington Street Reading, Pa. 19601 Dear Mr. Speicher : As per telephone conversation on the 4th, below is a copy of the two items that was mentioned. The Grand Commandery of the Ancient and Illustrious Order, Knights of Malta, is a corporation under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, duly incorporated by a decree of the Court of Common Pleas No. 2 of December term 1883, No. 556, entered on the nineteenth day of January A. D. 1884 and its Charter is of record in the Office for Recording of Deeds in and for the said County of Philadelphia in Charter Book No. 8, Page 375. It was later amended so that it shall be known as the Supreme Grand Commandery of the Continent of America of the Ancient and Illustrious Order, Knights of Malta. Article one, page 6 of the above states - To it belongs the sole power to establish, regulate and control ceremonies, written and unwritten work of the Order, to provide and furnish all warrants of dispensation, charters, rituals, manuels (sic), ceremonies, lectures, certificates, cards, odes and blank forms; to prescribe the form, material and color of Aprons, jewels and emblems, and to furnish the same to prescribe the form, material and color of all uniforms, flags, standards and paraphernalia for all degrees. If there is any further information that I may help you with, please call me. Yours truly, Clarence E. Orth Grand Recorder of Pa.

Created 10th July 2001.

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