I think we are all aware that the origins of Freemasonry are lost to the mist of time. While speculation about the birth of our fraternity abounds, it is quite likely that we will never know the truth.

The most popular origin story seems to be that there existed in the British Isles various guilds of operative Masons. That in time these guilds took in men who were not in the construction trade, but who rather used the tools of the builder for spiritual lessons. That when these speculative Masons eventually outnumbered the operative Masons in the Lodges, our Fraternity as we now know it was born.

There are a number of problems with this theory in my view, not the least of which being why men of noble birth would want to hang out with men who worked with their hands for a living. Especially at a time when society was strongly and perpetually divided by class.

Another theory, which most believe was forwarded only in recent decades by a man named John Robinson is that our Fraternity was crafted as a mutual aid society by the remnants of the Templar Order in Scotland after the knights were decimated by the King of France, Phillip the Fair.

Mr. Robinson wrote a book titled Born in Blood outlining this theory in detail.

What is much lesser known however is that Mr. Robinson is not the first person to write about this theory. Indeed this origin theory is extremely old, as evidenced by the following quote:

“It is supposed that when the Order of Templars was suppressed and the individuals persecuted, some of them secreted themselves in the High Lands of Scotland and that from them, either arose, or that they united themselves to the society of Free Masons, of which the Kings of Scotland were supposed to be hereditary Grand Masters. From this principal the present Pretender has let himself be persuaded that the Grand Mastership devolved to him, in which quality, in the year 1776, he granted a patent to the Duke of Ostrogothia (who was then here) by which he appointed him vicar of all the Lodges in the north, which that prince sometime after resigned. Nevertheless, the King of Sweden during his stay obtained a patent from the Pretender in due form by which he has appointed his Swedish Majesty his Coadjutor and Successor to the Grand Mastership of the Lodges of the north, on obtaining which the French Gentleman assured me that the King expressed his greatest joy.” -Horrace Mann, British Ambassador in Forence December 30, 1783 In a letter to John Udny, British Consul at Leghorn

#History #TemplarOrigin #Quote

-Cameron

Cameron M. Bailey Past Grand Master The MW Grand Lodge F&AM of Washington

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We must admit that the early history of Freemasonry is lost to the mists of time.

We know that our current Grand Lodge system of government was created in 1717. We know that my Office, that of Deputy Grand Master (an Office “not of much practical importance” according to that great Masonic scholar Albert Mackey) was first utilized in 1721.

So, I suppose since it is easy, we often give 1717 as the foundational date of our Fraternity.

Of course we know better. We know that Masonic Lodges existed long before the creation of the Grand Lodge system of governance. A myriad of documents exist which show Freemasons and Masonic Lodges active long before the concept of a governing Grand Lodge was ever thought of. Additionally, we know that the office of Grand Master existed long before the Grand Lodge system of government.

“The Office of Grand Master of Masons has existed from the very origin of the institution; for it has always been necessary that the Fraternity should have a presiding head.” -Albert Mackey, The Principals of Masonic Law

Various historians have tried through the years to fill in the early history of Freemasonry.

Some of these histories have been quite fanciful and romantic, clearly non-factual. Others purport to be much more serious in scholarship, but seem quite slanted towards the English Grand Lodge and its early propaganda. They seem to completely miss the Scottish and Irish contributions to Masonry, despite the fact that a great many of the Ancient records are of those origins.

This particular void is being well filled by historian Marsha Keith Schuchard.

While she has many publications on early Freemasonry, I am pleased to recommend La Regle d'Abraham, Masonic Esotericism and Politics, the Ancient Stuart Roots of Bonnie Prince Charlie's Role as Hidden Grand Master.

Available From Amazon Here

It is a fun, fascinating, and quick read, exploring Scottish and Ancient Freemasonry, and the use of Freemasonry by political partisans on both sides of the Hanovarian and Jacobite contentions.

If this slim, but fact filled volume inspires deeper interest in the reader, Ms. Schuchard has additional, much more detailed writings available on the same subject.

The factual history of Freemasonry is extremely interesting, and this book presents a little known facet of it in a superb manner. By learning even a little bit of our early history, we can avoid saying obviously incorrect things, such as that Freemasonry was founded in 1717.

I am pleased to recommend this fine volume to you.

#BookReview #History #Schuchard

-Cameron

Cameron M. Bailey Past Grand Master The MW Grand Lodge F&AM of Washington

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“The lapse of time, the ruthless hand of ignorance, and the devastations of war have laid waste and destroyed many valuable monuments of antiquity, on which the utmost exertions of human genius had been employed. Even the Temple of Solomon, so spacious and magnificent, designed and constructed by so many celebrated artists, escaped not the unsparing ravages of barbarous force.”

Those of us who are Freemasons have heard the above quote many times. I think that it, and the larger passage surrounding it, speaks quite directly to what we are seeing across the United States in this negative period of our history.

We have all watched as our statues have been ripped down. Statues of our nation's Founding Fathers, statues of both Confederate and Union soldiers, statues of our Presidents, statues of abolitionists and slave owners. Not even Masonic statues have escaped the destruction.

Personally, I do not honor the lives nor supposed accomplishments of many who have been immortalized in statuary. In cases, I wonder why it was ever thought that such were worthy of that tangible form of memorial.

It is certainly reasonable for one man to admire someone from our shared history whom another man does not. Such is the natural situation faced by any group of 330 million diverse and unique individuals.

That said, more importantly, it is never wise, nor proper to attempt to erase history. Indeed only totalitarians and totalitarian systems of government make such attempts, not free people and free governments.

It is a timeless truism that if we allow our history to be erased, we will be bound to repeat the mistakes of the past. We ignore this lesson from history at our own peril.

It is a fact of history that no man was ever created perfect. All people have flaws. Our Founding Fathers made mistakes in their lives and held some misguided beliefs. Our Generals and Presidents have all been far from perfect, just as all people are far from perfect. The Freemasons we admire from our fraternal past were likewise flawed people, just as I am a flawed man today, despite the lofty title my Brothers have given me.

Today we are allowing statues to be ripped down, burned, sledgehammered. I fear that if we allow this to continue, tomorrow we will see books being burned in our public squares. When the mob burns books, tries to wipe whole ideas from society, well when that is allowed to happen, then civilization dies. This is not my opinion, history has proven it to be fact, over and over again.

Civil Society and Civil Debate. These are cornerstone principals of Freemasonry. We are called always to support them.

#Lectures #History #CivilSociety #CivilDebate

-Cameron

Cameron M. Bailey Past Grand Master The MW Grand Lodge F&AM of Washington

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