Did the Knights Templar name get tarnished from false accusations?

Yes, the king owed them a lot of money and saw a way to get out of the debt. He had them all charged as heretics and executed.Most were as they refused to confess and repent .They had done nothing wrong. A few managed to escape, it is believed, and today are known as Masons. That is the rumor anyway, the symbols of both are identical , as well as many other convincing factors.They do a special on the History channel it's interesting you should check their schedule for it...