The International Masonic Union Catena is an international organization of Masonic organizations.
92-586: The organization was created in 1961 by the Nederlandse grootloge der gemengde vrijmetsalerij , Humanitas – Freimaurergroßloge für Frauen und Männer in Deutschland and Österreichischer Universaler Freimaurerorden - Humanitas . It is only for mixed masonic organizations . The Catena is open only to lodges that acknowledge a Supreme Being ( Great Architect of the Universe ). This Freemasonry -related article
184-419: A Talmudic scholar. His reward for his labours was the copyright on the work. In time, and to Anderson's dismay, it was condensed into "pocket" editions over which he had no control and from which he received no income. It was expanded, updated, and re-published in 1738. The historical section, which comprises almost half the book, has already been described. This is followed by the "Charges", general rules for
276-432: A Charter granting to Sir William St Clair of Rosslyn the right to purchase patronage over the masons of Scotland. Kilwinning is noticeably absent from the list of lodges appending their endorsement. The charter seems to have lapsed when St Clair fled following a scandal, and a second charter was granted to his son, also William St Clair, in 1628. This patronage was surrendered by their descendant, another William St Clair, on
368-659: A Conspiracy, an anti-Masonic polemic accusing Freemasonry of being infiltrated by Weishaupt 's Order of the Illuminati . The lack of scholarship exhibited by Robison in that work caused the Encyclopædia Britannica to denounce it. A German bookseller and Freemason, living in Paris, working under the assumed name of C. Lenning, embellished the story further in a manuscript titled "Encyclopedia of Freemasonry" probably written between 1822 and 1828 at Leipzig . This manuscript
460-534: A Freemason, omitting only the ritual. Although the historical section was attacked at the time, and ever since, as being a work of obvious fiction, the work remains a milestone in masonic history. The "Antient Charges" published in the current Book of Constitutions of the United Grand Lodge of England have altered little from those originally published by Anderson. In common with other trades or mysteries, medieval masonry recognised three grades of craftsman;—
552-631: A brief history in its introduction, stating that the "craft of masonry" began with Euclid in Egypt, and came to England in the reign of King Athelstan (924–939). Shortly afterwards, the Matthew Cooke Manuscript traces masonry to Jabal , son of Lamech (Genesis 4: 20–22), and tells how this knowledge came to Euclid, from him to the Children of Israel ( while they were in Egypt ), and so on through an elaborate path to Athelstan. This myth formed
644-587: A build in silverpoint on a prepared parchment or board. These would be realised on the ground by using a larger compass than the one used for drafting. Medieval architects are depicted with much larger compasses and squares where they are shown on a building site. Fine detail was transferred from the drawing board by means of wooden templates supplied to the masons. The Master Masons who appear in record as presiding over major works, such as York Minster, became wealthy and respected. Visiting Master Masons and Master Carpenters sat at high table of monasteries, dining with
736-518: A clergyman, an eminent scientist, and a Fellow of the Royal Society . The last commoner to serve as Grand Master was George Payne in his second term of office in 1720/21, when he wrote The General Regulations of a Free Mason [ sic ] which were later incorporated in Anderson's Constitutions. Thereafter, in what appears to be a deliberate attempt to raise the profile of the organisation, all
828-488: A large number of formal problems in geometry. Three years as a journeyman would often finish with the submission of a masterwork dealing with a set problem in construction or design. At this point, he was considered qualified, but still had a career ladder to climb before attaining the status of Master Mason on a large project. In his function as architect, the Master Mason probably made his plans for each successive stage of
920-670: A set of regulations for the governance of masons and their lodges now known as the Schaw Statutes. These state "They shall be true to one another and live charitably together as becometh sworn brethren and companions of the Craft." They mention wardens, deacons, entered prentices and cowans. The second Schaw statutes, a year later, included in their negotiations a representative of the Lodge of Kilwinning (now Lodge Mother Kilwinning No 0) in Ayrshire, which
1012-402: A worker in freestone, a grainless sandstone or limestone suitable for ornamental masonry. In the 17th century, building accounts of Wadham College the terms freemason and freestone mason are used interchangeably. Freemason also contrasts with "Rough Mason" or "Layer", as a more skilled worker who worked or laid dressed stone. The adjective "free" in this context may also be taken to infer that
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#17328990121141104-409: A writing table and six English books, making him comfortably well-off and literate. The following century and a half produced few new manuscripts. The Dowland manuscript , whose original is now lost, and Grand Lodge No 1 , for the first time locate Edwin's assembly of Masons at York. The Lansdowne , originally dated to this period, is now thought to date from the 17th century. During this period,
1196-780: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Nederlandse grootloge der gemengde vrijmetsalerij Continental Freemasonry , otherwise known as Liberal Freemasonry , Latin Freemasonry , and Adogmatic Freemasonry , includes the Masonic lodges , primarily on the European continent , that recognize the Grand Orient de France (GOdF) or belong to CLIPSAS , SIMPA , CIMAS, COMAM, CATENA, GLUA, or any of various other international organizations of Liberal, i.e., Continental Freemasonry. The larger number of Freemasons, most of whom live in
1288-516: Is better recorded than in England, where there are no known internal records of lodge proceedings. The first recorded admission of non-masons was on 3 July 1634 at Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel) No. 1 , in the persons of Sir Anthony Alexander, his elder brother, Lord Alexander, and Sir Alexander Strachan of Thornton. Sir Anthony was the King's Principal Master of Work, and the man who had effectively blocked
1380-511: Is prevalent in most of the continent (as its name suggests), although there are smaller numbers of members following the Anglo-American tradition in those nations also. Liberal Continental Freemasonry is present in the majority in most European countries. However, in Germanic states, Anglo-American and Swedish Rite traditions predominate. Although some Continental style organizations exist in
1472-538: Is probable that architects started to join the lodges of the masons they worked with. It is also possible that, along with other professional bodies (including the East India Company ), operative masonic lodges began to raise money by charging the gentry for admission to their "mysteries". Another opinion states that masonic lodges deliberately recruited the rich and powerful in an attempt to improve their pay and working conditions. On 20 May 1641, Sir Robert Moray
1564-652: Is uncertain, since no minutes were taken until 1723. It is known that the four lodges mentioned above held an assembly at the Goose and Gridiron, in St Paul's Churchyard, on, 24 June 1717 (the Feast of St John the Baptist ). They agreed to restore their "Quarterly Communications," four meetings a year for the transaction of masonic business, and an annual assembly to elect the next Grand Master. At this meeting, they elected Anthony Sayer , Master of
1656-752: The 1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State can be credited to the Grand Orient de France, based on Masonic documents. In Italy, the Church linked the anticlerical and nationalist secret society, the Carbonari , to Freemasonry and blamed the anticlerical direction of Italian Unification, or Risorgimento , on Freemasonry. Into the 1890s the Church would justify its calls for Catholics to avoid dealings with
1748-523: The Druids , while Anderson's description of masons as " Noachides ", extrapolated by Albert Mackey , put Noah into the equation. Following Ramsay's introduction of Crusader masons, the Knights Templar became involved in the myth, starting with Karl Gotthelf von Hund 's Rite of Strict Observance , which also linked in the exiled House of Stuart . The murder of Hiram Abiff was taken as an allegory for
1840-584: The Grand Lodge of Scotland , which are empowered to confer the Mark Master Mason degree on Master Masons, as an extension to the second or Fellowcraft degree. (see main article, Freemasonry ) Anderson's 1723 constitutions seem to recognise only the grades of Entered Apprentice, and the Fellowcraft/Master. Hence the third degree emerged sometime between 1723 and 1730, and took some time to spread within
1932-610: The Reformation occurred. It was at one time assumed that the church was the major employer of masons, and, with the Dissolution of the Monasteries , the lodges disappeared. It was also believed that the craft "guilds" were abolished in England in 1547. On the death of Henry VIII, Archbishop Cranmer sought to advance the reformation by the abolition of guilds and fellowships. In 1548, "The bill of conspiracies of victuallers and craftsmen"
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#17328990121142024-608: The Republic of the Congo belong to Masonic lodges allied with Continental Freemasonry. Anderson%27s Constitutions The history of Freemasonry encompasses the origins, evolution and defining events of the fraternal organisation known as Freemasonry . It covers three phases. Firstly, the emergence of organised lodges of operative masons during the Middle Ages, then the admission of lay members as "accepted" (a term reflecting
2116-611: The Rosicrucians , while Christopher Wren 's connection with the craft was omitted from Anderson's first book of constitutions, but appeared in the second when Wren was dead. The seed or the myth of Stuart Jacobite influence on Freemasonry may have been a careless and unsubstantiated remark made by John Noorthouk in the 1784 Book of Constitutions of the Premier Grand Lodge of London. It was stated, without support, that King Charles II (older brother and predecessor to James II )
2208-543: The 19th century, and the misinformation generated by masons and non-masons alike from the earliest years. Freemasonry's long history includes its early development from organised bodies of operative stonemasons to the modern system of speculative lodges organised around regional or national "Grand Lodges". The earliest masonic texts each contain some sort of a history of the craft of masonry. The oldest known work of this type, The Halliwell Manuscript, also known as Regius Poem , dates from between 1390 and 1425. This document has
2300-494: The Anglo-American tradition. Continental Freemasonry has been concentrated in traditionally Catholic countries and has been seen by Catholic critics as an outlet for anti-Catholic disaffection. Many particularly anti-clerical regimes in traditionally Catholic countries were perceived as having strong Masonic connections. The 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia credited Freemasonry for the French Revolution and its persecution of
2392-485: The Church, citing a claim made in a document from the Grand Orient de France . The Encyclopedia saw Freemasonry as the primary force of French anti-clericalism from 1877 onwards, again citing official documents of French Masonry to support its claim. According to one historian, Masonic hostility continued into the early twentieth century with the Affaire Des Fiches and, according to the old Catholic Encyclopedia,
2484-894: The George Washington Union (GWU), and Le Droit Humain , that belong to the Continental or Progressive Universal Tradition. The Women's Grand Lodge Of Belgium (GLFB or WGLB), and the Feminine Grand Lodge of France also have liberal lodges in North America. Continental Freemasonry holds the majority in some nations, especially in French and Portuguese speaking areas (but is minority in English speaking areas). It tends to originate from former colonies of France, Portugal and Belgium and Belgian. African leaders such as Pascal Lissouba of
2576-534: The Grand Masters have been members of the nobility. Desaguliers is often described as the "father" of modern freemasonry. It was Desaguliers who inscribed the dedication to Anderson's Constitutions, headed the committee which directed and approved them, and supplied the "Gothic Constitutions" from which they were formed. Although he only served one term as Grand Master, he was twice Deputy Grand Master under figurehead Grand Masters, and at other times behaved as if he
2668-658: The Italian state with a reference to the state's supposed "Masonic" nature. Mexican Freemasonry was also seen as following the pattern of Continental Freemasonry in other Latin-speaking countries, viewed as becoming more anti-clerical during the nineteenth century, particularly because they adopted the Scottish Rite degree system created by Albert Pike , which the Catholic Church saw as anti-clerical. The president of Spain's Union of Catholic Professional Fraternities blamed
2760-733: The Mexican civil war. Continental style Freemasonry originated in France and its members make up the overwhelming majority of Freemasons in the nation. The Grand Orient de France is the largest Masonic jurisdiction, with the Grande Loge de France (also within the Continental tradition) second in membership. The third largest Masonic body is the Anglo-American style Grande Loge Nationale Française . The International Order of Freemasonry for Men and Women Le Droit Humain founded in 1893 has 32,000 members in more than 60 countries. Continental style Freemasonry
2852-764: The Monk . William Preston's Illustrations of Freemasonry enlarged and expanded on this masonic creation myth. In France, the 1737 lecture of Chevalier Ramsay added the crusaders to the lineage. He maintained that Crusader Masons had revived the craft with secrets recovered in the Holy Land , under the patronage of the Knights Hospitaller . At this point, the history of the craft in Continental Freemasonry diverged from that in England. Anderson's histories of 1723 and 1738, Ramsay's romanticisation, together with
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2944-540: The Templars, and Rosslyn before arriving at modern Freemasonry. These claims are challenged by Robert Cooper, the curator of the Grand Lodge of Scotland 's library and museum, in his book The Rosslyn Hoax . The first rational study of masonic history was published in Germany, but Georg Kloss 's 1847 work, Geschichte der Freimaurerei in England, Irland und Schottland was never translated. When Findel's History of Freemasonry
3036-544: The United States of America, they are a tiny minority there and have substantially larger (but still minor) numbers in Canada. In Mexico, however, Continental Freemasonry dominates. These Grand Lodges, Grand Orients and Masonic Orders usually belong to international organizations such as CLIPSAS , SIMPA , CIMAS, COMAM, GLUA and others. Within the United States of America there are scattered Masonic Orders and Grand Lodges, such as
3128-625: The United States –where Regular Freemasonry holds a virtual monopoly–belong to Masonic lodges that recognize the United Grand Lodge of England and do not recognize Continental Freemasons, regarding them as " irregular ". Freemasonry has two branches "not in mutual regular amity": In Latin American countries, Continental Europe, and much of Africa, the GOdF-style, or European Continental Freemasonry, predominates, although those nations may also have smaller Grand Lodges and Grand Orients that are part of
3220-663: The Volume of the Sacred Law (which in France was the Bible) from its ritual. These elements had been present in French freemasonry before 1849. Instead, the Masonic Constitution is often used in replacement. Another difference between Continental and Anglo-American Freemasonry is that political discussion is allowed in Lodges following the Continental tradition, while it is strictly banned in
3312-421: The abbot. The historical record shows two levels of organisation in medieval masonry, the lodge and the "guild". The original use of the word lodge indicates a workshop erected on the site of a major work, the first mention being Vale Royal Abbey in 1278. Later, it gained the secondary meaning of the community of masons in a particular place. The earliest surviving records of these are the laws and ordinances of
3404-557: The anti-clerical measures of the Socialist government on a "tremendous crusade by Masonry against the Church." Freemasons attached to the more mainstream branch of Freemasonry, affiliated with the United Grand Lodge of England and the 51 US Grand Lodges, have often claimed that the anticlericalism of the Continental Branch of Freemasonry is a "deviation" from proper Freemasonry. Continental style Lodges exist in most regions of
3496-400: The apprentice, the journeyman, and the master. An apprentice who had learned his craft became a journeyman, qualified to do all manner of masonic work. The master was also qualified as a project manager, often functioning as architect as well. He would sketch the day's work on a tracing board for execution by the journeymen and apprentices. The Schaw Statutes of 1598 show how this had evolved in
3588-514: The basis for subsequent manuscript constitutions, all tracing masonry back to biblical times, and fixing its institutional establishment in England during the reign of Athelstan. Shortly after the formation of the Premier Grand Lodge of England , James Anderson was commissioned to digest these "Gothic Constitutions" in a palatable, modern form. The resulting constitutions are prefaced by a history more extensive than any before, again tracing
3680-474: The ceremonial "acception" process that made non-stone masons members of an operative lodge) or "speculative" masons, and finally the evolution of purely speculative lodges, and the emergence of Grand Lodges to govern them. The watershed in this process is generally taken to be the formation of the first Grand Lodge in London in 1717. The two difficulties facing historians are the paucity of written material, even down to
3772-400: The conduct of Freemasons, and Payne's Regulations, the specific rules by which Grand Lodge and the lodges under its control were to be governed. The ceremony for dedicating a new lodge was briefly outlined, and the work finished with a section of songs. For the first time, the old hand-written charges and constitutions was replaced by an accessible, printed condensation of all there was to being
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3864-508: The craft, there were now disillusioned ex-masons willing to make money out of "exposures" of freemasonry. The Constitutions of the Free-Masons , "For the Use of the Lodges" in London and Westminster, was published in 1723. It was edited by the presbyterian clergyman, James Anderson , to the order of John Theophilus Desaguliers , and approved by a Grand Lodge committee under his control. This work
3956-409: The craft. After a brief blessing, these documents describe the seven Liberal Arts , assigning predominance to Geometry, which is equated with Masonry. They then proceed to a history of masonry/geometry, finishing with King Athelstan, or Edwin, his brother or son depending on source, assembling England's masons to give them their charges. The regulations or charges follow, usually with instructions as to
4048-497: The craft. The fact that it did spread seems to many scholars to indicate that the tri-gradal system was not so much innovation, as the re-organisation of pre-existing material. The Mason word, once given to the Entered Apprentice, was now conferred in the third degree with the five points of fellowship, and the two linked words formerly bestowed on a fellowcraft were split between the first two degrees. The new Master Mason degree
4140-478: The death of Charles I of England . Oliver Cromwell emerges as the founder of Freemasonry in an anonymous anti-masonic work of 1745, commonly attributed to Abbé Larudan . Mackey states that "The propositions of Larudan are distinguished for their absolute independence of all historical authority and for the bold assumptions which are presented to the reader in the place of facts." The anti-masonic writings of Christoph Friedrich Nicolai implicated Francis Bacon and
4232-502: The derivation therefrom of the five points of fellowship, which appears in the Graham Manuscript of 1725, where the body being sought and exhumed is that of Noah. The origin of this re-organisation is unknown. The earliest reference to the conferment of a third degree is from London, from the minutes of "Philo Musicae et Architecturae Societas Apollini", a short-lived musical society composed entirely of Freemasons. These minutes record
4324-465: The entered apprentice ritual and the fellowcraft/master were sometimes condensed into one ceremony. In Pritchard's Masonry Dissected , an exposure of masonic ritual written in 1730 by a disillusioned ex-mason, we see for the first time something recognisable as the three degrees of modern Freemasonry. On being admitted to a lodge, a new mason naturally progresses through the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. There still remains
4416-416: The first use of the word "freemason" in English. It was immediately struck out, and replaced with the word "mason". The poem claims that these assemblies were ordained by King Athelstan and that he also linked the wages of a mason to the cost of living. The Cooke Manuscript, dating from about 1450, set the pattern for what Anderson called the "Gothic Constitutions", the older histories and regulations of
4508-449: The formation in London of Quatuor Coronati Lodge , the first lodge dedicated to masonic research. The earliest official English documents to refer to masons are written in Latin — " sculptores lapidum liberorum " (London 1212), " magister lathomus liberarum petrarum " (Oxford 1391) — or Norman French — " mestre mason de franche peer " ( Statute of Labourers 1351 ). These all signify
4600-445: The formation of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1736, in spite of the fact that it never won the royal approval that would have made it valid. The lasting effect of the Schaw Statutes arose from the 1599 directive that the lodges should employ a reputable notary as secretary, and that he should record all important transactions. The Scottish lodges began to keep minutes, and therefore the appearance of "accepted" (non-operative) masons
4692-399: The history of what was now freemasonry back to biblical roots, again forging Euclid into the chain. True to his material, Anderson fixes the first grand assembly of English Masons at York, under Athelstan's son, Edwin, who is otherwise unknown to history. Expanded, revised, and republished, Anderson's 1738 constitutions listed the Grand Masters since Augustine of Canterbury , listed as Austin
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#17328990121144784-460: The initiation and passing to the degree of Fellowcraft of Charles Cotton. Then, on 12 May 1725, the society took it upon itself to "pass" Brother Cotton and Brother Papillion Ball as Master Masons. This would nowadays be regarded as highly irregular. In March 1726 Gabriel Porterfield received the same degree in lodge Dumbarton Kilwinning in Scotland. That he was not the first is attested by the minutes of
4876-422: The installation of the new Grand Master was the occasion for a parade, originally on foot, later in carriages. This became the subject of some ridicule, until starting in 1740 there were also mock processions by anti-masonic groups, leading to the discontinuation of the practice in 1747. The rapid expansion of freemasonry also led to many new lodges failing after only a year or two. In addition to attacks from outside
4968-534: The internal allegory of masonic ritual, centred on King Solomon’s Temple and its architect, Hiram Abiff , have provided ample material for further speculation. The earliest known ritual places the first masonic lodge in the porchway of King Solomon’s Temple. Following Anderson, it has also been possible to trace Freemasonry to Euclid , Pythagoras , Moses , the Essenes , and the Culdees . Preston started his history with
5060-646: The largest and oldest Masonic body, the Grande Oriente do Brasil is recognised by Anglo-American jurisdictions. Nevertheless, when its membership numbers are compared to the members of all of the Continental style Masonic Bodies, it remains a minority. In many Latin American countries, the Masonic split has mirrored political divisions. Rivalry between two factions in Mexican Freemasonry is said to have contributed to
5152-570: The lodge at York Minster in 1352. These regulations were imposed by the Dean and Chapter of the Minster . Nineteenth-century historians imposed the term " guild " on the "fellowships" of medieval tradesmen as an analogy with the merchant guilds . The masons were late in forming such bodies. The major employer of masons in medieval England was the crown , and the crown frequently employed masons by impressment . In other words, they were forcibly recruited when
5244-545: The lodge at the Apple Tree, of whom little else is known, and the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster was born. At this stage, it is unlikely that they saw themselves as anything more than an association of London lodges. This perception was to change very rapidly. The next year, George Payne became Grand Master. He was a career civil servant with the commissioners of taxes. In 1719, they elected John Theophilus Desaguliers ,
5336-501: The lodge system of Scottish masonry. An apprentice, after serving his term of seven years, could elect to pay to join a lodge, becoming an "entered apprentice". (Alternatively, he could elect to freelance on the lower grades of building work as a "Cowan".) The journeymen were referred to as "fellows" or "fellows of the craft", which accords with the Regius poem's injunction (line 51) that masons should "calle other felows by cuthe". The members of
5428-419: The lodge were "Brithers" (brothers), a Scottish legal term for those bound to each other by oath. The Master was simply the mason in charge of the lodge, or one who had held that distinction. While the swearing of some sort of oath goes back to the earliest records of organised masonry, the first recorded ritual is not until 1696, in the Edinburgh Register House manuscript. From this, and from other documents of
5520-414: The majority in the north and in Scotland. In 1716, four lodges and "some old Brothers" met at the Apple Tree Tavern in Covent Garden and agreed to meet again the next year to form a "Grand Lodge." These were the Goose and Gridiron, the Crown, the Apple Tree, and the Rummer and Grapes. The "old Brothers" were probably from the Cheshire Cheese and at least one other lodge. The early history of Grand Lodge
5612-417: The manner in which a new mason should swear to them. Also around 1450, the will of a mason from Beverley gives a tantalising glimpse into the emergence of masonic regalia. An inventory of John Cadeby's possessions mentions several zonae (girdles). Two were silver mounted, and one of these had the letters B and I in the middle, indicating Boaz and Jachin , the twin pillars of Solomon's Temple. He also owned
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#17328990121145704-420: The mason is not enslaved , indentured or feudally bound. While this is difficult to reconcile with medieval English masons, it apparently became important to Scottish operative lodges. A medieval Master Mason would be required to undergo what passed for a liberal education in those days. In England, he would leave home at nine or ten years of age already literate in English and French, educated at home or at
5796-410: The means to be themselves, to have the freedom of choice, to be responsible for their own maturity and masters of their destiny." In sum, the GOdF would admit atheists, while the lodges in the Anglo-American tradition would not. The United Grand Lodge of England then withdrew its recognition, and declared the GOdF to be "irregular." As other jurisdictions tended to follow the lead of either GOdF or UGLE,
5888-412: The moral Law, and if he rightly understands the Art, he will never be a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious Libertine." The GOdF required belief in God from 1849 until 1877, and then reversed its position. The difference was not limited to the requirement in belief. Following the 1877 changes, the Grand Orient also removed all references to the Grand Architect of the Universe from its rite, and removed
5980-408: The need arose. The Halliwell Manuscript, also called Regius Poem , is the oldest known document of masonic origin. It was published in 1840 by Shakespearean scholar and collector James Halliwell who dated it to 1390. A. F. A. Woodford , the pioneering Masonic scholar and a founder of Quatuor Coronati Lodge , agreed with this dating. More recently, historian Andrew Prescott has dated the text to
6072-399: The other in Lyon. In Scotland, the lodges of masons were brought under the control of two crown-appointed officials, the Warden General and the Principal Master of Work to the Crown, the latter being in existence from 1539 at the latest. Towards the end of the century, William Schaw held both these posts. In 1598, in conference with the masters of lodges in south east Scotland, he produced
6164-400: The petty (junior) school. From then until the age of fourteen, he would attend monastery or grammar school to learn Latin, or as a page in a knightly household would learn deportment in addition to his studies. Between the ages of fourteen and seventeen, he would learn the basic skills of choosing, shaping, and combining stone and then between the ages of 17 and 21, be required to learn by rote
6256-417: The rank of Installed Master, which comprises the Master in charge of the lodge and its past masters, and involves its own ritual, words and signs, but entails being elected to take charge of the lodge for a year. These are the regular degrees and ranks of "craft" masonry, common to all constitutions. Other, "higher" degrees are optional and require a mason to join a side-order, except in lodges constituted under
6348-404: The request of GLL, several other American Grand Lodges also withdrew recognition. There is evidence that racial motivations may have played a part in this derecognition. The GOdF had recently passed a resolution stating that "neither color, race, nor religion should disqualify a man for initiation" and the Grand Lodge of Louisiana strictly excluded blacks and those of mixed race. The initial schism
6440-404: The ritual. More recently, several authors have attempted to link the Templars to the timeline of Freemasonry through the imagery of the carvings in Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland, where the Templars are rumoured to have sought refuge after the dissolution of the order. In The Hiram Key , Robert Lomas and Christopher Knight describe a timeline starting in ancient Egypt, and taking in Jesus ,
6532-408: The same period, such as the Trinity College, Dublin manuscript of 1711, we can form an idea of the ritual of an operative lodge at the end of the 17th century. On taking of the oath of an Entered Apprentice a mason was entrusted with appropriate signs, a "Mason's Word", and a catechism. This was accompanied by much horseplay, which was probably excised as the craft became more gentrified. The fellowcraft
6624-516: The schism widened. There is some debate about when Anglo-American Freemasonry began requiring a belief in Deity. It may have dated from the earliest days of Freemasonry: the Regius Manuscript , the oldest known Masonic document dating from 1425–50, states that a Mason "must love well God and holy church always." James Anderson's 1723 Constitutions state that "A Mason is oblig'd by his Tenure, to obey
6716-405: The second St Clair charter, the lodges of Scotland being his own responsibility. The reasons that his brother and their friend were also admitted are unclear. The reasons and mechanisms for the transition of masonic lodges from operative communities to speculative fellowships remain elusive. As the responsibility for design shifted from the Master Mason to the architect in the sixteenth century, it
6808-546: The second quarter of the fifteenth century. The poem may be seen as a response to a stream of legislation dating back to the Black Death , and the Statute of Labourers 1351 , in which Edward III attempted to fix wages at pre-plague levels. The earlier date follows the 1389 ordinance ( 13 Ric. 2. Stat. 1 . c. 8) of Richard II requiring the guilds and fellowships to lay before him their charters and letters patent. In 1425, during
6900-695: The story forward and even claimed that King Charles II was active in his attendance at meetings—an obvious invention, for if it had been true, it would not have escaped the notice of the historians of the time. Similarly, attempts to root Freemasonry in the French Compagnonnage have produced no concrete links. Connections to the Roman Collegia and Comacine masters are similarly tenuous, although some Freemasons see them as exemplars rather than ancestors. Thomas Paine traced Freemasonry to Ancient Egypt , as did Cagliostro , who went so far as to supply
6992-596: The sudden expansion of speculative masonry, with a corresponding rise in anti-masonic groups and publications. Initiations began to be reported in newspapers. The noble grand masters were often fellows of the Royal Society, but the Duke of Wharton (1722–23) had just had his Hell-fire club shut down by the government, and joined, or possibly formed, an anti-masonic group called the Gormagons almost as soon as he left office. From 1721
7084-593: The third Parliament of Henry VI , the Labourers Act 1425 ( 3 Hen. 6 . c. 1) banned the annual assemblies of masons. In 1356, the preamble to regulations governing the Trade of Masons specifically states that, unlike the other trades, no body existed for the regulation of masonry by masons. Finally, in 1376, four representatives of the "mystery" or trade are elected to the Common Council in London. This also seems to be
7176-415: The various crafts, enacting plays about their various patron saints, were however suppressed. Robert Cooper, the archivist of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, believes that the lost mystery play of the masons may survive in the ritual of contemporary masonic lodges. An early continental history quotes a 16th-century source that, by 1535, there were two Scottish masonic lodges recorded in France, one in Paris and
7268-646: The world. Throughout Continental Europe, Latin America, most of the Caribbean and most of Africa, they are the predominant tradition of Freemasonry, while in the United States of America, the British Commonwealth, and those nations colonized by these powers they are virtually non-existent. Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, both Continental and Anglo-American, conservative jurisdictions exist but Continental style Masonic Bodies predominate. In Brazil, for example,
7360-573: The “Regular” tradition. There are several reasons for the schism in Freemasonry, and why it persists. The first instance of derecognition occurred in the United States shortly after the American Civil War . In 1869, the Grand Orient de France (GOdF) recognized a Masonic group in Louisiana which was not recognized by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana (GLL). This was seen by GLL as an invasion of its jurisdiction, and it withdrew its recognition of GOdF. At
7452-448: Was Grand Master, forming irregular lodges to conduct initiations. It seems to have been Desaguliers who insisted that ritual be remembered rather than written down, leading to a dearth of material on the development of English ritual until after the formation of United Grand Lodge. These considerations cause many masonic historians to see him as the guiding intelligence as the new Grand Lodge embarked on an era of self-publicity, which saw
7544-409: Was assigned jurisdiction over the west of Scotland. Edinburgh became the "first and principal" lodge and Kilwinning the "second and head" lodge of Scotland, attempting to appease all parties. Since neither the King nor the master of Kilwinning was present, the document was not regarded as final or binding. It was assumed that the King's warrant for the regulations would be obtained. In 1602, Schaw wrote
7636-475: Was centred on the myth of Hiram Abiff , which itself consists of three parts. The first is the biblical story of the Tyrian artisan with a Northern Israelite mother who became a master craftsman involved in the construction of King Solomon's Temple. The second is the story of his murder by subordinates, which is similar to one of the legends of the French Compagnonnage . Lastly, the story of the finding of his body, and
7728-462: Was initiated into Freemasonry by several Freemasons who were members of the Lodge of Edinburgh. Although he was initiated into a Scottish lodge, the event took place south of the border: this is earliest extant record of a man being initiated into speculative Freemasonry on English soil. While lodge records show a gradual development of mixed lodges in Scotland, it is evident that the lodge which initiated Elias Ashmole at Warrington on 16 October 1646
7820-557: Was later revised and published by another German Freemason named Friedrich Mossdorf (1757–1830). Lenning stated that King James II of England, after his flight to France in 1688, resided at the Jesuit College of Clermont, where his followers fabricated certain degrees for the purpose of carrying out their political ends. By the mid-19th century, the story had gained currency. The well-known English Masonic writer, Dr. George Oliver (1782–1867), in his Historical Landmarks , 1846, carried
7912-540: Was made a Freemason in the Netherlands during the years of his exile (1649–60). However, there were no documented lodges of Freemasons on the continent during those years. The statement may have been made to flatter the fraternity by claiming a previous monarch asa member. This folly was then embellished by John Robison (1739–1805), a professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh , in his 1797 work Proofs of
8004-445: Was made to take a further oath, and entrusted with two further words and the "five points of fellowship", which in 1696 were foot to foot, knee to knee, heart to heart, hand to hand, and ear to ear. The distinction between a fellowcraft and a master is unclear, and in many documents they appear to be synonymous. As accepted masons became initiated, where the various words and signs could no longer be regarded as professional qualifications,
8096-445: Was mainly or entirely composed of speculative or accepted masons. In 1686, Robert Plot 's "Natural History of Staffordshire" contains a passage about persons of quality being admitted to the society of free-masons, whose history Plot finds invented and ridiculous. At the start of the Grand Lodge period, there appears to have been a predominance of purely speculative lodges in the south of England, with operative and mixed lodges still in
8188-519: Was not unanimous in the U.S.; many American Grand Lodges continued to recognize the GOdF well into the 20 century. The schism widened in 1877 when the GOdF changed its constitutions to allow for complete religious " laïcité ". While the Anglo-American tradition had long required candidates to acknowledge a belief in deity, the GOdF removed that requirement, stating that laïcité "imposes that all men are given, without distinction of class, origin or denomination,
8280-476: Was passed, revoking their monopolies. In 1549 it was repealed, presumably because they were too useful to the government. The government continued to be a major employer of masons, who in London had moved from a fellowship to a corporation. While this was not chartered until 1666, the state used it in the sixteenth century to procure and indent masons for building projects. In addition, masons were increasingly employed by private individuals. The Saints day parades by
8372-733: Was reprinted in Philadelphia in 1734 by Benjamin Franklin , who was that year elected Grand Master of Masons in Pennsylvania. It was also translated into Dutch (1736), German (1741), and French (1745). Anderson was minister of the Presbyterian church in Swallow Street , London, which had once been Huguenot church, and one of its four Deacons was Desaguliers' father. At the time of his meeting with Desaguliers, he seems to have passed himself off as
8464-601: Was translated from German to English in 1866, Woodford in England and Murray-Lyon in Scotland were already active writers on the subject. Woodford was Findel's guide when he visited York to inspect manuscripts, and would shortly collaborate with Hughan in collecting, dating and classifying the old manuscript constitutions. Albert Mackey was no less active in America. The list of his published works start in 1844 with "A Lexicon of Freemasonry", and extend to his monumental Encyclopedia of Freemasonry in 1874. Increasing interest, and participation, in masonic studies led, in 1886, to
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