Roderick L. Jones 330 The 150th Anniversary of The A. & A. S. R. of Freemasonry in Canada: A View From the Ground “A Mason is obliged, by his Tenure, to obey the moral Law, and not to be a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious Libertine; that is, Masons are to be good Men and true, or Men of Honour, by whatever Denomination or persuasion they may be distinguished; whereby Masonry becomes the Centre of Union and the means of conciliating True Friendship among persons that must otherwise have remained at a perpetual distance.”Pennell's Book of Constitutions, Dublin, 1730 The establishment of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in Canada may be attributed to the indefatigable zeal of Colonel William James Bury McLeod Moore. Colonel Moore was born on January14th, 1810 in Kildare, Ireland, the eldest son of Captain N. J. Moore. He received his early education in Aberdeen, Scotland, and 1825 attended the Military School at Sandhurst. In 1831, he received an Ensign's commission in the 69th Regiment of Foot, in which he served for twenty years, in 1852 being appointed Staff Officer of Out- Pensioners to Canada. His first place of residence here was Kingston, followed by Ottawa, and Laprarie, Quebec. In 1884 we find him in Prioral (Knights Templar) House, Prescott, Ontario where he lived until his death in 1800. Col. Wm. J. B. MacLeod Moore Colonel Moore was made a mason, passed and raised on the 17th of August 1827 at only seventeen years old. This was a special meeting of Glenkindel Lodge No. 333, held in the house of the Master, Major General Sir Alexander Leith, K. C. B. at Aberdeen, Scotland. In 1831, he was made a Mark Master grew further when his regiment was in Dublin, and became an authority on Christian and Chevalier Masonry establishing the Malta Encampment, under a warrant from the Supreme Grand Conclave of England and Wales when he was stationed in Malta. When he arrived in Canada in 1852 he continued Masonic networking and leadership including shepherding of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite until he closed his earthly career and was laid to rest in Mount Royal The 150th Anniversary of the A.&A.S.R. Page 1 Roderick L. Jones 330 Cemetery, Montreal. Colonel Moore was twice married had four children and when his son, Captain William MacLeod Moore was accidentally killed in Belgium, in April 1919 his death broke a line of family soldiers going back almost two hundred and sixty years. While on a visit to the United States in 1863, Col. Moore visited New York and there received the degrees of the Rite and Honourary Membership in the ‘Cerneau’ Council being named by that body as its ‘Deputy for Canada’. In 1868 the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, with which the Cerneau Council had since merged, Ill. Bro. Josiah Hayden Drummond, in an address to his Supreme Council recognized that Canada, now a Nation and being a part of the British Dominion, properly fell under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Council of England and Wales. He recommended that Illustrious Brother McLeod Moore apply to be affiliated with that body and Josiah Hayden Drummond request a Charter from them to establish Scottish Rite bodies in the Dominion of Canada. It had been the Supreme Council of the Northern Jurisdiction that had issued a Patent October 26, 1845 to Dr. Robert Thomas Crucefix of Gravesend, Kent to establish in accordance with the Grand Constitutions of 1786, a Supreme Council and acknowledged him as Sovereign Grand Commander. Both Drummond representing the Northern Jurisdiction and Albert Pike of the Southern Jurisdiction are recorded as having written the Supreme Council in England providing the necessary evidence for Col. MacLeod Moore's rank and the Supreme Council of England and Wales then claimed jurisdiction over Canada and offered to appoint MacLeod Moore as a member of their own Council with authority to introduce the Rite into Canada. The minutes of the Supreme Council England of February 12, 1868 we find reference to a certificate granted Moore giving him authority to open a Consistory of 320 in Canada. Further in a petition of April 4th, 1868 Moore 330, Allegiance - Northern Jurisdiction, of Laprarie P of Q; John Walter Murton 320 , Allegiance - Southern Jurisdiction, of Hamilton Ontario; and Alex Allan Stevenson 320 , Allegiance - Northern The 150th Anniversary of the A.&A.S.R. Page 2 Roderick L. Jones 330 Jurisdiction, of Montreal P of Q; and Wm. M. "He had the air and manner of Wilson 320 , Allegiance - Northern a soldier, always free from Jurisdiction, of Simcoe Ontario submitted a arrogance, or self-sufficiency, petition: being invariably a dignified and courteous gentleman, "…..grant us charters to open and hold vera simplicitate bonus. a Lodge of Perfection 140 Council of Candid, frank and sincere, Princes of Jerusalem 160 Chapter of altogether a man of the old 0 Rose Croix 18 and Consistory of pattern and withal a most 0 S.P.R.S. 32 in the City of Hamilton, kindly, lovable man. Not Province of Ontario and Dominion smiled upon by fortune in the aforesaid. ….." later years of life, not free from vexations, annoyance Col. MacLeod Moore later forwarded the and heavycrosses, yet he bore obligations of allegiance dated April 9th of T. his disabilities of old age with Douglas Harrington 320 on whom Moore had equanimity as a wise man conferred the degrees of the Rite. should, and to the last, stoutly Col. Moore also wrote in co-ordination with resisted any innovations of Capt. Thompson Wilson 180 , for the the Knights Templar Order of establishment of a second Chapter of Rose Canada, these seeming to Croix in London Ontario. Thompson Wilson him, deprivations that would had received his 180 at Invicta Chapter vulgarize it. Albert Pike Woolwich England and it would appear that Moore was simply being thorough and also respectful to Wilson, he being the only member in Canada who was actually obligated to the English Supreme Council. With the Dispensation from the Supreme Council of England to open a Consistory and a Chapter of Rose Croix in Hamilton, Ontario comes much additional information: "An application has been made to us by Capt. Wilson, but as you are now our Representative you have now the power to grant ….. I hope to send you …. next week your patent as S.G.I.G. 330 , the Rules and Regulations and list of members, rituals and the Rose Croix degree and Installation of the M.W.S. of Chapter and the 31st and 32nd degrees. We never work the last in extentsia in this country and find the ceremony I sent you sufficient…… you have no doubt a copy of Albert Pike's translation of the Ancient Constitution ……. the 300 can only be conferred in the presence of 3 Sov. Gd. Insp. Genls. 330 …… I would recommend you start only one Consistory of the 320 . We have only one here and keep it entirely under our own care. ……." The 150th Anniversary of the A.&A.S.R. Page 3 Roderick L. Jones 330 On May 6th, 1868, a dispensation was granted, and confirmed by a patent issued later, but of the same date, authorizing Moore to establish Chapters and Consistories at London, Hamilton and Toronto. At the same time authority was also given to Robert Marshall of St. John, N.B. in association with Colonel Moore and Thos. Douglas Harington et.al. to constitute and hold a Sovereign Chapter of Rose Croix of Harodim at St. John New Brunswick, Dominion of Canada under the title Moore Chapter of Sovereign Princes Rose Croix H.R.D.M.. The Warrant named Bro Robert Marshall 320 to be Most Wise Sovereign thereof. The 'Known' Scottish Rite Membership in Canada 1868 with Allegience: Name Residence Allegiance NJ Northern Jurisdiction SJ Southern Jurisdiction Col. Wm. J.B. McLeod 33 LaPrairie Cerneau Council NJ Moore John Walter Murton 32 Hamilton Tennesee SJ Alexander Allan Stevenson 32 Montreal NJ Wm. Mercer Wilson 32 Simcoe NJ Capt. Thompson Wilson 18 London Invicta Chapter London Eng Thomas Douglas Harrington 32 Ottawa Ottawa April 9 1868 Rev. James D. Gibson 32 Hamilton SJ Charles A. Birge 32 Hamilton NJ William Reid 32 Hamilton NJ William Edgar 32 Hamilton NJ Hugh Alex MacKay 32 Hamilton NJ Joseph C. Franck 32 Hamilton NJ Thomas Bird Harris 32 Hamilton Richard Ball 32 Hamilton Robert Marshall 32 St. John NB NJ 1867 Christopher Besant 18 St. John NB Colin Mackenzie 18 St John NB Douglas G. Smith 32 St John NB Robert Thomas Clinch 32 St John NB NJ 1867 William Henry Thorn St John NB On July 10th, 1868 the Grand Lodge of Canada held their Thirteenth Annual Communication in London, Ontario. As many of the membership of the Scottish Rite in Canada at the time would be in attendance Ill. Bro. McLeod Moore held an "Assembly of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret 320 "at 3PM in the Hall of St. George's Lodge, York Rite Freemasonry. From the Minutes we know that there were "Ten Sovereign Princes" present who declared they were prepared to accept the warrant of dispensation and accept Installation as First Officers of ‘Moore Sovereign Consistory’ to be established at Hamilton with Moore as Illustrious Commander and Chief, Murton as 1st Lieutenant and Harrington 2nd. The 150th Anniversary of the A.&A.S.R. Page 4 Roderick L. Jones 330 The Consistory was then closed in form and a Chapter of Rose Croix was then opened at ¼ past 4PM with the same Brethren present. The Sovereign Grand Inspector General in agreement with the Brethren present installed Ill.