The Pocket History of Freemasonry

THE POCKET HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY By FRED L. PICK (P.A.G.D.C., P.P.G.W., P.M. of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 2076 Manchester Lodge for Masonic Research, 5502). & G. NORMAN KNIGHT (M.A., Oxon., Barrister-at-Law, P.M. of Old Bradfield Lodge Member of Correspondence Circle, Quatuor Coronati Lodge, Manchester Association for Masonic Research). CONTENTS Chapter I The Origin of Freemasonry 9 II Medieval Operative Masonry 16 III The Old Charges 28 IV Pre-Grand Lodge Freemasonry 44 V Grand Lodge Period until 1750 73 VI English Freemasonry, 1751 to 1813 94 VII United Grand Lodge Freemasonry, 1813 to 1952 116 VIII History of Irish Freemasonry 136 IX History of Scottish Freemasonry 164 X Freemasonry in the Forces 188 XI Freemasonry Overseas, other than in U.S.A. 199 XII Freemasonry in the U.S.A. 218 XIII The Holy Royal Arch 250 XIV Mark and Royal Ark Freemasonry 259 XV The Additional Degrees 268 Short List of Books Recommended 280 Some Useful Masonic Dates 281 Index 285 PREFACE In its inception this little work was to have been undertaken by the Rev. Herbert Poole in collaboration with the present junior author. On Brother Poole’s premature passing on the 14th February 1951, which deprived Masonic research of one of its foremost lights, he had completes only a few rough notes towards the project. Fortunately Brother Pick was willing to step into the breach. In condensing the whole of the history of Freemasonry in all its aspects into 283 pages, the chief difficulty has beer this very task of compression and much fascinating detail has perforce had to be omitted. The Pocket History is in no sense a mere epitome of any of the larger histories. Although in its compilation all the standard authorities and records have been consulted. A principal aim has beer to achieve accuracy of statement; with the many doubt: and uncertainties in which the earlier part of the story is shrouded it has been impossible to avoid the use of “probably,” “possibly” and “it may have been that. .. “ The authors believe that their work will prove especially useful to the young Master Mason, for whom, should h be tempted to pursue his studies further, they have prepares é a short list of recommended books. They wish most gratefully to acknowledge the help they have received from Brother R. E. Parkinson of Downpatrick, N. Ireland, and Brother Ward St. Clair of New York. Brother Parkinson very kindly read through the Chapter on Irish Freemasonry and made several valuably suggestions. It is good news to learn that he is no’ engaged in preparing a sequel to Lepper and Crossle’s History of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the only published volume of which stopped short at 1813. Brother St. Clair, who performed a similar service for the Chapter on the U.S.A., is a well- known American student and a Past District Deputy Grand Master of New York. He has a remarkable collection of transcripts of Rituals, many of which are no longer worked. His interest in present day Freemasonry is none the less practical. The authors would like also to express their indebtedness to Brother J. Heron Lepper, late Librarian of the Grand Lodge of England, and his Staff, and to Brother J. R. Dashwood, Secretary of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge of Research, No. 2076. The death of Bro. Lepper while this work was in the press has robbed Freemasonry of one of its greatest students. In sending out this brief history the authors trust that they have done justice to their subject —the story of an Order which has numbered among its members monarchs such as Francis I (of the Holy Roman Empire), Frederick the Great, the Emperor Napoleon I, Their Majesties Kings George IV and VI, William IV and Edward VII and VIII: such soldiers as the 2nd Earl of Moira, the 1st Marquess of Wellesley and the 1st Duke of Wellington, Marshal Blucher, General Garibaldi, Lord Garnet Wolseley, Lieut.-General Sir Charles Warren, Field Marshals Earl Kitchener of Khartoum, Earl Haig of Bemersyde and Earl Alexander of Tunis as well as General MacArthur: such statesmen as Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Bolivar the Liberator, Daniel O’Connell, Theodore Roosevelt and Harry Truman: with politicians like John Wilkes: men of letters such as Alexander Pope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, Goethe, Boswell, Horace Walpole, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Rudyard Kipling: architects like Sir Christopher Wren: composers like Samuel Wesley, Mozart and Joseph Haydn: antiquaries such as Elias Ashmole and the Randle Holmes: such artists as William Hogarth, “Old Crome” and John Sell Cotman: such doctors as Sir Bernard Spilsbury and Sir Alexander Fleming: with a host of other celebrities who have adorned and been adorned by the Ancient and Accepted Craft of Freemasonry. CHAPTER I THE ORIGIN OF FREEMASONRY An immense amount of ingenuity has been expended on the exploration of possible origins of Freemasonry, a good deal of which is now fairly generally admitted to have been wasted. In a system, fundamentally ethical, which makes a wide use of symbolism in its manner of imparting instruction, it would be surprising if there were not many points of contact with a variety of religions, old and new, in addition to the classical “Mysteries,” and even ancient Chinese philosophy, in which, for example, the Square is known to have been employed as an illustration or emblem of morality. Many of the doctrines or tenets inculcated in Freemasonry belong to the vast traditions of humanity of all ages and all parts of the world. Nevertheless, not only has no convincing evidence yet been brought forward to prove the lineal descent of our Craft from any ancient organization which is known to have, or even suspected of having, taught any similar system of morality, but also, from what we know of the Craft in the few centuries prior to the formation of the first Grand Lodge in 1717, it is excessively unlikely that there was any such parentage. Indeed, it can be very plausibly argued that a great deal of the symbolism which we find in the Craft today is actually a comparatively modern feature and that some was not introduced until after the beginning of the eighteenth century. Without attempting to give an exhaustive list of ancient bodies or organizations which have at various times been claimed as the ancestors of Freemasonry, it may be said that, roughly, they fall into three groups, which will be shortly reviewed in what appears to be the order of increasing plausibility. Druids, Culdees and Rosicrucians. First come certain bodies such as the Druids and the Culdees, of whom we know nothing, or next to nothing, as to what rites or ceremonies they may have practised; and who thus provide admirable opportunities for guesswork as to any possible or probable ancestorship. Of both these it need only be said that they certainly existed and functioned in the British Isles, but that our knowledge of neither justifies any attempt at establishing a relationship to Freemasonry. Again the Rosicrucians, no less mysterious, have been claimed as among our ancestors. But, whether there ever was such a body at all, and, if so, whether it possessed any peculiar ritual or secrets, are extremely doubtful; and in any case there can have scarcely have been such a fraternity until after the beginning of the seventeenth century, and by that date Freemasonry was widely distributed over Scotland, and probably over England. The Essenes and the Ancient Mysteries. Next must come the “esoteric” moral systems of the past, such as that of the Essenes (who flourished from an early date in brew history until well into our era), the ancient Mysteries of Egypt and Greece, and the Mithraic cult. These, undoubtedly taught morality through symbolism, used elaborate rituals and inculcated such doctrines as that of the immortality of the soul. Here we do in some cases know rather more regarding their tenets and practices; but the differences are more pronounced than the resemblances, and the latter are in such details as might well have developed quite independently in widely separated places or ages. The Collegia, Travelling Architects and Comacine Masters. Thirdly, there are several known or fancied bodies of operative builders or architects, who have been suspected of having handed down and propagated moral teachings and symbolism which finally came into the possession of the medieval operative Masons, to blossom at last into the Craft as we have it today. There are three main “theories” (if such a term is permissible); and, as the technique of operative masonry has undoubtedly been handed down from generation to generation for perhaps several thousand years2 we cannot ignore entirely the possibility that some esoteric teaching has come to us through the same channels. The three main theories will be dealt with separately. The “Collegia” were part-religious, part-social and part-craft “clubs” which flourished, encouraged by the Roman authorities, at the height of the Empire. It is quite likely (but there is no evidence) that such bodies, 7 primarily devoted to the craft of building, accompanied or followed the Roman armies to Britain in mid-first century; and that when the Romans withdrew from this country towards the end of the fourth century, some of the personnel remained behind, so that their teaching survived and was handed down until it found utterance (j~ again among the stone-builders of the Anglo-Saxon period. It is not impossible that this may have been the case; but as there is no evidence that the Collegia possessed any esoteric teaching; as there was an almost complete break of several centuries in stone-building after the departure of the Romans; and as there is no evidence even of craft-organization among the Masons until the to tenth century (and then only very slender evidence), the chances of an inheritance from the Collegia would appear highly remote.

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