Document generated on 10/02/2021 11:17 a.m. Ontario History “The threat of being Morganized will not deter us”: William Lyon Mackenzie, Freemasonry and the Morgan Affair Chris Raible Volume 100, Number 1, Spring 2008 Article abstract In January 1827 William Lyon Mackenzie applied for membership to in York’s URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1065725ar lodge of Freemasons, an episode in his life totally ignored by his biographers. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7202/1065725ar His action seems incompatible with the character and personality of the radical journalist. As he was re-establishing his printing business in the wake See table of contents of its blatant destruction, why would Mackenzie, an outsider, want to join the Masons, the insiders? And why would the Masons consider welcoming him into their secret circle? Freemasonry was embroiled in sandal over the abduction Publisher(s) and supposed murder of William Morgan, author of a book exposing Masonic secrets. Mackenzie began publishing lurid stories of the Morgan affair. The The Ontario Historical Society Masons rejected his membership application. Mackenzie proceeded to put out his own edition of Morgan’s book. A mutually beneficial bargain, exchanging ISSN editorial silence for social status had failed – and Mackenzie published his version of the drama in the columns of the Colonial Advocate. 0030-2953 (print) 2371-4654 (digital) Explore this journal Cite this article Raible, C. (2008). “The threat of being Morganized will not deter us”: William Lyon Mackenzie, Freemasonry and the Morgan Affair. Ontario History, 100(1), 3–25. https://doi.org/10.7202/1065725ar Copyright © The Ontario Historical Society, 2008 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ “The threat of being Morganized will not deter us”: William Lyon Mackenzie, Freemasonry and the Morgan Affair By Chris Raible illiam Lyon Mackenzie is fa- mous (or infamous) in Cana- dian history as an outspoken Wjournalist, a radical politician, and the in- stigator of the ill-fated 1837 Rebellion in Upper Canada. Although much has been written about him, one incident in his life has been totally ignored: in 1827 he tried to join a York lodge of Freemasons. The idea of Mackenzie as a Freemason does not fit the usual portrayals of the man. Admirers and detractors are agreed that he was vigorously independent, critical of the establishment, distrustful the late 17th Century. It offered its male of authority – in short, not one likely to members intellectual stimulation, mutual accept or adhere to the disciplines of a se- aid and fraternal fellowship, with meetings cret fraternal order.1 marked by solemn oaths, secret signs and Freemasonry, the international secret elaborate rituals. Spreading worldwide, fraternal movement with a mythological its network of local lodges attracted the heritage tracing back to King Solomon’s allegiance of affluent merchants, military temple and a known history rooted in the officers, members of the professions, and guilds of British stone masons of the Mid- even members of the royal family.2 dle Ages, originated in its modern form in The fraternity grew rapidly in the 1 The author would like to express appreciation to Guy St. Denis and to an anonymous reader for their many helpful comments on an earlier version of this paper. For clarity, all references to Masons, in- cluding those in quoted material, are capitalized. 2 See Steven C. Bullock, Revolutionary Brotherhood: Freemasonry and the Transformation of the Amer- ican Social Order, 1730-1840 (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1996), ch. 1: “The Ontario History / Volume C No. 1 / Spring 2008 ONTARIO HISTORYAbstract In January 1827 William Lyon Mackenzie applied for mem- regardless of their wealth, re- bership to in York’s lodge of Freemasons, an episode in his life totally ignored by his biographers. His action seems incompat- ligion, or political opinions. ible with the character and personality of the radical journalist. But, brothers claimed, they As he was re-establishing his printing business in the wake of its accepted only those of high blatant destruction, why would Mackenzie, an outsider, want moral virtue, those commit- to join the Masons, the insiders? And why would the Masons consider welcoming him into their secret circle? Freemasonry ted to the ideals of the new was embroiled in sandal over the abduction and supposed mur- republic. As historian Alan der of William Morgan, author of a book exposing Masonic Taylor noted in his book on secrets. Mackenzie began publishing lurid stories of the Morgan Cooperstown, New York, affair. The Masons rejected his membership application. Mac- kenzie proceeded to put out his own edition of Morgan’s book. Freemasonry served A mutually beneficial bargain, exchanging editorial silence to create a new translocal network for social status had failed – and Mackenzie published his ver- of leading men distinguished by sion of the drama in the columns of the Colonial Advocate. merit and public service rather Résumé: Un épisode de la vie de William Lyon Mackenzie est than by inherited privilege.… [It] totalement ignoré par ses différents biographes : sa demande enabled aspiring men to translate d’adhésion en janvier 1827 à la loge des Francs-maçons de York, their new property and influence une démarche qui semble incompatible avec le caractère et la per- into a certification of superior sonnalité de ce journaliste aux opinions radicales. Au moment où merit and prestige. il s’occupait de rétablir les affaires de son entreprise d’imprimerie, However, a modern study pourquoi Mackenzie, un homme en marge, a-t-il voulu rejoindre les Francs-maçons, les gens en place? Et pourquoi les Francs- suggests, this “public stand- maçons semblaient-ils prêts à l’accueillir au sein de leur société ing was ambiguous.… [It] secrète? À l’époque les Francs-maçons se trouvaient mêlés au scan- could be convivial, benevo- dale suscité par l’enlèvement et le meurtre présumé de William lent, mystical, patriotic, char- Morgan, l’auteur d’un livre qui révélait les secrets maçonniques. Mackenzie avait commencé à publier des informations sur l’affaire itable, pietist, and even re- Morgan, et sur certains de ses aspects les plus scandaleux. Les formist,” but was also marked Maçons ayant refusé de l’admettre parmi eux, Mackenzie décida by “secrecy, secularism, cos- donc de publier sa propre édition du livre de Morgan. Un arrange- mopolitanism, elitism, and ment qui aurait pu être bénéfique aux deux partis – le silence en échange de la reconnaissance sociale – échoua; et Mackenzie publia [an] implicitly anti-egalitari- sa version du drame dans les colonnes de The Colonial Advocate. an urge to provide a model of social order.” By 1825, there United States, especially after the Revo- were nearly five hundred lodges in New lution when the new country was aban- York state alone. 3 doning its old allegiances. Freemasonry Though less affected by American was untainted by notions of an hereditary republican fervour, Freemasonry also aristocracy – admission was open to men spread in Upper Canada. By the mid- Creation of the Masonic Fraternity.” Also Wallace McLeod, ed., Whence Come We? Freemasonry in On- tario 1764-1980 (Hamilton: Masonic Holdings, 1980), ch. 1. 3 See Bullock, Revolutionary Brotherhood, ch. 5: “A New Order of the Ages,” and his “A Pure and Sub- lime System: the Appeal of Post-Revolutionary Freemasonry,” Journal of the Early Republic, 9 (Fall 1989); Alan Taylor, William Cooper’s Town: Power and Persuasion on the Frontier of the Early American Republic (New York, Random House, 1995), 211; Ronald P. Formisano and Kathleen Smith Kutolowski, “Antima- sonry and Masonry: The Genesis of Protest, 1826-1827.American Quarterly, 29:2 (Summer, 1977); Bul- mackenze, freemasonry & the morgan affar 1820s it was well-established with more life. This silence is surprising, since Mac- than two dozen lodges belonging to the kenzie publicly detailed his version of the Second Provincial Grand Lodge, includ- story in his Colonial Advocate newspaper. ing two in York. Masons represented a va- His nearly joining the secret society was riety of occupations: farmers, merchants, hardly a secret. 5 doctors, lawyers and government officials. There is one brief mention: John A number were men like Samuel Peters Ross Robertson’s History of Freemasonry Jarvis, Levius Peters Sherwood, Christo- in Canada, written over a century ago, pher Hagerman and William Dummer quoted minutes of “Lodge No. 762 E.R, Powell – members of the ruling elite that (English Registry)” for January 10, 1827, Mackenzie would later dub the “Fam- noting a petition received from W. L. ily Compact.” Even Lieutenant Governor Mackenzie “praying to become a candi- Sir Peregrine Maitland was a Mason – ar- date for the mysteries of Masons, enclos- riving in Upper Canada in 1818, he was ing £0 10s. 0d.” At a meeting two months nearly named Provincial Grand Master. 4 later, “the ballot for Mr. W. L. Macken- Why would Mackenzie attempt to zie was found unfavorable.” Robertson align himself with Masons? His biogra- added his own wry comment: “the candi- phers are singularly silent on the whole date’s political prominence and predilec- affair. Not one – and there are several in tions no doubt contributed to his non- the 150 plus years since his death in 1861 reception by the lodge.”6 – makes mention of this episode in his To understand why Mackenzie, an out- lock, Revolutionary Brotherhood, 188.