Did royal records from 1290 to 1307 show the king owing Templars money?
Research question: Can the claim that the Crown owed the Templars a specific sum be checked against royal accounts from 1290 to 1307, and were those debts repaid, cancelled or transferred to others?
The verified facts say the Templars lent Philip IV a substantial sum in 1299 for the Franco-Flemish War, but they give no figure 1. They describe the debt as receipts for massive loans tied to the Templars' treasury work 4, and the document presents it as a motive for Philip's actions against the Order 3. None of the facts refer to royal accounts from 1290 to 1307, so the specific sum cannot be checked against them. The facts say nothing about the debt being repaid or cancelled. They do describe transfers of assets: the papal decree Ad providam moved Templar property to the Knights Hospitaller 5, and Philip personally took the treasury proceeds after the arrests 6.
Sources
"In 1299, the Templars loaned Philip a substantial sum in order to fight the Franco-Flemish War"Crusades after the fall of Acre, 1291–1399
"Thus, the Order of the Knights Templars received 22,000 hectares, 393 houses, 54 shops and 525 horses."Conquest of Majorca
"By another happy coincidence, the king owed the Templars money – a lot of money."The Trial of the Templars - Medieval History
"Serving in roles related to royal finances up until this point, the Templars had managed many of Philip’s treasury operations and were now holding the receipts for the massive loans that he owed."Why King Philip IV Destroyed the Knights Templar
"Another decree, Ad providam , also transferred Templar property to the rival group, the Knights Hospitaller. Following the declarations, the Knights Hospitaller received the bulk of the Templars’ property, though Philip managed to extract significant wealth to cover government expenditure."Why King Philip IV Destroyed the Knights Templar
"while he personally assumed the proceeds of the Templar treasury. In theory, and by Papal order, the Templars’ treasury was supposed to go to the Knights Hospitaller"Today in European history: the Knights Templar order is purged (1307)