Acta Latomorum,
Or
CHRONOLOGY
OF THE
HISTORY
Freemasonry
Containing the most remarkable facts of the Institution, since its obscure times until 1814; the continuation of the Grand Masters; Classification of the Rites, Ranks, Sects and secret Coteries widespread in all the countries; the Bibliography of the principal Works published on the History of the Order since 1723;
WITH A SUPPLEMENT
In which the Statutes of the civil Order instituted by Charles XIII, king of Sweden, are in favour of the Freemasons; a new Correspondence of Cagliostro; Publications returned against the Association by some Sovereigns of Europe; finally; a great number of Parts on the old and modern History of Freemasonry;
Work decorated with figures.
FIRST BOOK.
INTRODUCTION.
A generally widespread opinion among French Masons, accredited by distinguished authors, is that it is impossible to write a general history of Freemasonry supported by authentic dates and facts. Mr N Bonneville claimed that the ten ages of men would not suffice for a similar company: others had said it before him, others have repeated it since, so that, until today, those rnembers of the Association which, by their talents and their lights, could, successfully, carry-out this task, or test it, have been persuaded that it was above their capacity.
While seeking the true causes of this discouragement, we believe it to lie in the extreme difficulty which one has, usually, to get the works, the secret or public reports, didactic writings or polemic, and finally all other printed or handwritten materials on the history of the Institution.
It is certain that if this obstacle is not insurmountable, it is at least very difficult to overcome, and,
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we will frankly agree, we would never had undertaken this work if many manuscripts and the rare books of the library of the Mother Lodge of the philosophical Scottish Rite had not been entirely at our disposal.
We hesitated for a long time over our decision to set the day on which we would offer our writings to the Members of Association: we looked at our work as if it were a cold classification of facts and dates being of only minor interest to the mass of Masons, and only as useful to those who deal with historical research on the Institution; but the advice of friends as well as the approval of several literary men finally determined our course, and it is with this influence that this type of anecdotal Collection will be able truly to help the writers who will want, one day, to give a general history of the Order and to avoid the considerable research to them, which we deliver with this impression of the history.
Only educated Brothers will be able to appreciate the work required by this vast compilation: sorrows, care, sacrifices of all kinds, we spared no cost to supplement this Collection as far as we could. However, in a similar vein, we do not flatter ourselves that we have not omitted the many facts which did not come before us, and that we have missed information: in this respect, Grand Lodges,
Page VII
Grand Orients and the simple Lodges themselves compensate for it, each one in what it relates to, and this writing is rectified and increased with the need by all European masonic bodies, to join together, at an unspecified time, the totality of the documents that interest the Order, and this will contribute, perhaps, the potential solution to the problem of writing the history.
This Work is composed of:
1°. Chronological Table of the history of Free French and foreign Masonry, from the year 287 until today,
2°. Chronology of the Grand Masters;
3°. An alphabetical nomenclature of the Rites, widespread Sects, Coteries, masonic Societies and Ranks in Europe;
4°. A Bibliography, in chronological order, of the principal Works published on the history of the Order since 1723;
5°. And finally, of a Supplement which contains a great number of curious parts, old and modern, concerning the Association, etc.
We will give a short analysis of each one of these divisions.
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THE FIRST DIVISION.
Chronology.
This first division is encompasses two periods. The first contains the Chronology of the history of the Order in England and Scotland, from 287 to the beginning of the year 1717, according to the book of the constitutions of Anderson and the work of Preston. The second time includes the anecdotes of the history of the Order in France and in the foreign jurisdictions since 1717 until today.
We can dissemble for the readers, with regard to the first time, that different authors, even English writers, showed Anderson to have lent to the masonic Institution an untrue origin, by attributing facts to him which belonged only to the Brotherhood of the architects and working Masons, which had its laws, its guards, even its Grand Masters, in England, in the first times of monarchy; and that several people did not even grant an authentic existence to the Free English Masonry, according to its current forms, that since 1717 the same objections were produced against the Masonry of Scotland, of which, according to some, the origin goes only back to 1736, time of the foundation of Grand Lodge of St John of Edinburgh.
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In the event, these criticisms did not stop us making use of the Chronology of Anderson, because the Masons of the three kingdoms regard it as a point of principal.
The second period of our Chronology will offer details on the principal facts of the history of Freemasonry since 1717 until today. One will find there, in summary, a great number of anecdotes on the Association in England, in France, in Scotland, Germany, Holland, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Russia, America and the Indies, etc.
The regions furthest away from France provided less information that the closer states; however all we derived will be enough to provide interest, will fix the times of the introduction of Freemasonry into certain countries, and will give the measure of the consideration in which it is held there.
This work, one cannot disguise, is necessarily dry and this will be especially noticed by people accustomed to reading the history, devoid of all its adornments, we endeavored to make this disappear, as much as was possible for us, by often giving development of the facts,
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either following the article itself, or in notes, or in fragments which are in the Supplement.
Sometimes we quoted the writings from which we drew information, but generally we did not compel ourselves with this method: it will be enough to say that all that relates to Freemasonry of England and Scotland was taken in Anderson, Preston, Lawrie and other esteemed authors of Great Britain, and that the surplus was collected in the works which make the Bibliography which finishes this volume (I).
THE SECOND DIVISION.
Chronology of the Grand Masters.
This second division contains the Chronology of the Grand Masters in England, in France, in Scotland, etc;
(l) It is possible that some people will find faulty the geographical distribution of the regions in which took place the historical facts that we quote, perhaps will not approve it "not, for example, that we included all the anecdotes concerning Prussia, Hanover, the Circles of Germany, etc, under the GERMANY article, and so on for the other state" of Europe, but we regarded these subdivisions as useless and more likely to block the path of the work than has to accelerate it; moreover, they had occupied a considerable place in the Chronology, and too meticulous exactitude had produced only the effect to increase volume without adding to the interest.
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THE THIRD DIVISION.
Alphabetical nomenclature of the Rites, Sects, Coteries, masonic Societies and Ranks masonic most universally widespread.
Obsession with the mysteries and the high ranks is a disease of the masonic institution: this nomenclature, made up of almost 800 articles will prove, sufficiently, the point where it deviated from the primitive goal and the limits of human mental aberration. Undoubtedly the Eclectic Masons had under their eyes a similar list with this one when they stated that they renounced all the mystical speculations, as well as with all these ranks, the majority absurd, without continuation and connection, to join with the systems of three symbolic ranks and the masonic rule instituted by the Grand Lodge of England in 1723. Indeed, who would not be frightened with the sight of such a nomenclature of Rites and Ranks that
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would require several lifetimes to study? and which, in future, will not hasten to push back all these secret titles of error and lie? (1).
We hope that this Nomenclature will to be favorably received, more especially as we had the precaution to include only authentic ranks whose manuscripts exist in the Library of the files of several Grand Lodges, or in that of many of the educated Masons (2). One will sometimes find
(l) Primus autem sapientiae gradus is falsa intelligere. Lactance. (Sainte Croix, Treated mysteries, p. xj.)
(2) Colleclions or nomenclatures which we consulted for this part of our Work, are, mainly, those of Messrs Pyron, Lemanceau and Lerouge, in Paris; A. de Viany, in Leghorn; Hécart, in Valenciennes,
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the articles finished by historical notes and almost always by the indication of the collection where one will be able to take note of the quoted rank.
THE FOURTH DIVISION.
Chronological Bibliography.
The fourth part is composed of a chronological and historical Bibliography of Freemasonry, a Catalogue of more than four hundred works, writings or printed reports concerning the association. We made mention only those which were intended exclusively for the history of the Order and its various systems, or which contain information and anecdotes on the Institution, published refusals until 1723 today, in England, in France, in Scotland, in Italy, in Germany and elsewhere.
Note continued: and Lepage, in Bayonne. Their names are, as it will be seen, citations at the end of many articles. We believed to have to take this precaution, not only to avoid the suspicion of a fraud very easy to make in similar matters, but still to give to the readers all the means to find, themselves, the ranks which they will wish to know. Notes were communicated to us by several French and foreign Grand Lodges; finally, we used the manuscript of Mr. Peuvret, quoted page 305 of our Chronological Table, and that of Mr. Fustier, included in the historical Bibliography has the end of this volume.
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This division of our work will fix the attention not only of the Masons, but also that of the Bibliographers who, until now, did not suspect the existence of such a great number of writings on Freemasonry (1), for, except eight or ten works which do not have a direct relationship with the history of the Order, in which the authors devoted only some pages to him, and several remarkable manuscripts, all the remainder is composed of printed in various languages, and more or less broad masonic writings. We followed, for their description, the method adopted by best the Bibliographies, we, moreover, added an Alphabetical table of the works and another of the names of authors to this work.
In general, we registered, in this Catalogue, only the writings which we saw, which, for the majority, are in the files of the Scottish Mother Lodge of the philosophical Rite; and if, in a small number of circumstances, we made use of the titles of various works quoted by some authors, it was only after having checked their exactitude, either by ourselves, or perhaps by our correspondents.
(1) Drunet, in the last edition of its Handbook of the Bookseller, quotes only five works on Freemasonry (Book 4, page 314), and another in same volume, N. 11750.
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We omitted those whose authenticity is not sufficiently noted. In this number are the works following, indicated by Mr. Boileau in a Report on Freemasonry, inserted in Masonic Annals, divides into volumes 3, page 3:
1°. A short analysis of the unchanged Rites and ceremonies of the Freemasons. London, printed for Steph. Dilly, 1676; m 8°;
2°. A church (short 6) O. D. A. A. M. F. M. K. O. 5698;
3°. Observations and inquiries relating to the Brotherhood of the Free Masons, by Simeon Townshend. London, 1712, in 8°;
4°. The constitutions of the Fraternity, of Free and Accepted Masonry. 1689. 1690. 1701. 1723. 1725, etc.
Some research, which we made, we never could obtain any explanation on the reality of the existence of these works. The writer of New Journal for Freemasonry in 8° Altenbourg, 1st book, p. 72, records the unknown Bibliographer Masons of Germany; others raised doubts about the exactitude of the titles and of the dates, it is for these reasons that we did not include them in the list.
Though this Bibliography is presented in the chronological order of the year of the impression of the works,
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we do not affirm, however, that we always indicated, in this series, the date of the first edition. It is possible that, for some, we knew only posterior editions, but this circumstance, rather indifferent in it even, will seldom present itself.
Our intention was not to give a Bibliography of all the writings printed on the Freemasonry, but only, as we said, the list of the principal works published on the history, or having a direct or indirect relationship with it: therefore we did not include the didactic, poetic, lyric productions, etc, which are very large in number, and of which several belong to authors, some of which show a distinguished talent (1).
(1) One notices among the poetic and didactic works printed in France, those of Mr. Caignard de Mailly; the Collection of Mr. de Lalande, of Douai, the lramo, poem of Mr. F Salfi, of Milan, works of Mr. Brad, of Alexandria, the collection of poetries of Mr. Grenier; those of Messrs Crouzet, Burgaud, Acrin, Antignac, Armand Gouffé, Balsac, Barouillet, Boubée, Capelle, Chaussard, Delorme, le chevalier de Chazet, Dupaty, le chevalier Jaque1in, le baron Lagarde, Joseph de Lavellée, Liégeard, Montaiglon, de Lachenay, Félix Nogarel, Pradel, Rouquayrol deSt. Romain, the doctor Sarazin, Serviéres, Voyard, etc.
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THE FIFTH DIVISION.
Supplement in original writings, the majority translated from English, German, Italian, and of which several are printed for the first time in France.
This Supplement, independently of much of explanatory notes, contains parts that will interest the curiosity of the readers. They will find there some documents on the old history of Freemasonry in Great Britain, the diplomas of Saint Clair of Roslyn, former Grand Master of Scotland; a translation of the famous manuscript of Henry VI, with the comments of Locke; critical observations on this manuscript; the old the regulations of the Strict Observance and the list of the characteristics as well as the names of the principal characters of Germany who appeared in this Order; regulations of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, proposals and regulations of the Convention held in Paris in 1785 and 1787, with the alphabetical list of the names of the invited people; a new correspondence between Cagliostro, the M. L. of the Egyptian Rite meeting in Lyon, and the Lodge of Philalèles of Paris; edicts of Frederick the Great, Frederick William, reigning today, of Emperor Joseph II and other sovereigns, relating to Freemasonry, the statutes of the Order settled by Charles XIII,
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king of Sweden, in favour of the Freemasons, the last edicts returned to Germany, to Italy and in Sardinia against the Masonic Institution, finally, a great number of curious documents, of which most are unknown in France.
This gathering follows upon the many collected parts of this kind, which we have already published in our History of the Foundation of the Great East of France.
Such is the framework of the Work which we offer to the Members of Association: before undertaking it, we knew the discredit that, for some time, has been leveled at the chronological writings of France, we knew, in advance, that this work would not return us to literary fame, but these considerations did not cool our zeal, our single goal was to contribute to the instruction of the Brothers of the Order: we hope we have achieved it!
TABLE
Chronology
THE HISTORY
OF
FREEMASONRY
FRENCH AND FOREIGN.
It will be observed, in this chronological Table, that the articles entitled ENGLAND, SCOTLAND and FRANCE are often divided into several paragraphs, as from the times when new masonic bodies appeared on the scene: then, each one of the latter is indicated under its particular denomination. But all the times that fragments having for ENGLAND title, or SCOTLAND, are presented without divisions, one must be aware that the quoted anecdotes relate either to the main stream of the English Grand Lodge, established in 1717 or Grand Lodge of St John of Edinburgh, established in 1736, or the general history of the Institution in these regions. This also applies to France: the facts which took place from 1725 to 1772 must refer to the Grand Lodge of France, or the history of the Order in general in the kingdom. From 1772 until 1814, the Great East was considered the dominate body, the anecdotes presented in the articles FRANCE that are not divided into paragraphs, belong either to this Body, or to the general History of French Masonry. The historical facts, which, during this time, occurred at the Grand Lodge France, are included in the subdivisions of the articles entitled FRANCE.
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FIRST TIME.
This includes the obscure times of the history of Freemasonry, i.e. from the year 287 until 1717, the time when all historical uncertainties ceased. The Chronology that follows is that adopted by the Masons of England and of Scotland,
Page 2
who derive from the former Architects and working manufacturers, which is the origin of the masonic institution. Anderson, Preston, Lawrie and the best English writers of this kind, provided most of materials of the history of this first time.
ENGLAND.
Carausius, who was born in Gaul-Belgium and died in 293, was recognized as emperor by the legions of Great Britain. This General, who wanted to found the Breton empire, encouraged arts and particularly that of Masonry. He appointed Albanus, steward of his house, (since known under the name of Saint Alban, the first martyr of England) director of the workmen Masons in particular, to which he granted a franchise and the permission to be assembled under his protection.
Preston said that there was formerly an old manuscript, which was lost, in which one could read that Saint Alban had protected Fraternity of Masons and emperor Carausius had authorized an annual meeting that was named a General Assembly. According to this manuscript, Saint Alban was named governor and superintendent of Masonry; the workmen received two schillings per week and three pennies to dine. They were called the Brothers Masons.
557 The expulsion of the Romans stopped the art building progressing. The upsurge of the Scot and Picts, the ignorance of the Saxons, who were mainly in Great Britain, were the cause of the decline of Masonry: nevertheless, the introduction of Christianity, softened the manners of these people and allowed the arts to flower again. Saint Austin (Saint Augustin) approached England with forty monks, bringing the crowned flame of sciences that they had the wisdom to preserve.
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Saint Augustin put himself at the head of Fraternity, founded the cathedral of Canterbury in 600; that of Rochester in 602; St Paul’s in London in 604; Saint Peter of Westminster in 605; and many other buildings.
680 Krend, king of Mercie, named Bennet, abbot of Wiral, Inspector General and superintendent of Masonry. It was, one writes, the time that well educated Masons arrived from France and cooperated with the construction of a great number of buildings in Great Britain.
856 Masonry languished for nearly two centuries, but, in the course of this year, Ethelwolph, the Saxon king, charged Saint Swithin with restoring several religious buildings, the work of Fraternity includes this activity and the brothers start to assemble again.
900 They obtained the same protection under the reign of Edward, successor to Alfred. Ethred, brother in law of the king of Mercie, and Ethelward, his brother, excellent architects, were in charge of the inspector of workings of Fraternity.
924 King Athelstan encouraged the Masons, and gave them prince Edwin as a supervisor.
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926 According to some English authors, sovereigns and princes were accepted in this Grand Lodge, to which they paid a royalty. At that time the Masons build churches, monasteries and other buildings. They were protected until the end from the bad temper Athelstan (1).
959 The Masons, having dispersed after the death of this prince, met under the reign of Edgar. Saint Dunstan, archbishop of Canterbury, employed them in various construction work, and became their owner. At his death, Masonry languished for half a century.
1041 Edward the Confessor declared support for the Fraternity: he supervised the execution of several works. Leofrick, count of Coventry, is named superintendent of Masons in the kingdom. During this time, the art achieved favour.
1066 Gondulphe, bishop of Rochester, and Roger Montgomery count of Shrewsbury, joined their efforts to give Masonry its old splendor once more, they undertook great work. The Tower of London, a wooden bridge, the old palace and the room of Westminster were started under their auspices.
1100 The Masons held their ordinary assemblies under the protection of Henry I.
1155 Edward, successor of Henry, granted privileges to them. Under this reign, as under the previous, the workmen were employed to build Westminster, today the houses of Parliament. Gilbert de Clare, marquis of Pembroke, was elected Grand Master.
SCOTLAND.
1150 The Brotherhood of the Masons was established in Scotland towards this year,
(1) See the extract of the manuscript of Elias Ashmole, Supplement, n°. 1
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and the Grand assemblies of meetings were fixed, according to Lawrie, in the village of Kilwinning.
The Masons were protected under the reign of Alexander III and his successors. They built the tower and the abbey of Kilwinning, and, thereafter, all the beautiful monuments, some of which are today ruined, but which are still admired in the provinces of Scotland. It appears that the wars that affected almost all Europe in this century, obliged the architects and the Masons to seek an asylum in a more peaceful climate, and Scotland was the place of their rendezvous (1).
This is the year, according to some historians, that the Grand Lodge of Kilwinning was founded. All Lodges of England and Scotland are established either in under the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge, or that of the Grand Lodge of York.
1155 Under Henry II the art of Masonry flowered in England; and the king protected the workmen and the Grand Master of the knights of the Temple. The Templars administer the group until the death of Richard the Lionheart. He built the church of the Temple in Fleet Street.
1199 John Without Right ascended the throne; Peter of Colechurch was named Grand Master. The Masons, under his government, began the construction of the stone bridge of the town of London, which was finished in 1209 by William Alemain.
(1) The inhabitant of the villages of Scotland say, by tradition, while speaking about a beautiful abbey which was built in the 12th. Century, that it was built by intelligent men who spoke a foreign language and who lived separate from the rest of the inhabitants. They tell of this in all kinds of legends.
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1219 Under the reign of Henry III, Peter of Rupibus, bishop of Winchester, was named Grand Master. This prelate chose Geoffroy Fitz-Peter to succeed him.
1272 When Edward I ascended the throne, superintendence of the Masons was entrusted to Gauthier Giffard, archbishop of York, Gilbert of Clare, count of Gloucester, and Lord Ralph de Mount-Henner, head of the house of Montagues; under their direction the Masons completed Westminster Abbey.
1307 Under the reign of Edward II, Gauthier Stapleton is named Grand Master. The Masons are employed to build the colleges of Exeter and Oriel, in Oxford, as well as other monuments.
SCOTLAND.
1314 Robert Bruce, king of Scotland in the name of Robert I, created, on June 24, after the battle of Bannockburn, the Order of St Andrew of the Thistle, to which has been linked, ever since, that of Heredom (H-D-M), in favour of the Scottish Masons who formed part of the thirty thousand men that had beaten an army of one hundred thousand Englishmen. He reserved the title of Grand Master for himself in perpetuity, and for his successors. He founded the royal Grand Lodge about H-D-M in Kilwinning, and died with glory and honor on 9 July 1329. (ritual dogma and instructions of the Scottish mode of H-D-M. Manuscript of the library of M-L of the Rite phil.)
ENGLAND.
1327 Edward III, that history represents as a protective prince of sciences and arts,
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was put at the head of the Fraternity Masons, of which he was declared the Grand Master.
1350 John de Spoulée elected Grand Master.
1357 William Wykeham, bishop of Winchester, succeeded him for this reason.
1375 Robert de Barnham, Henry Yevele and Simon Langham successively undertook the responsibilities of Grand Master.
1399 Under Henry IV, Thomas Fitz-Allen, count of Surrey, was named Grand Master.
1413 Henry V ascended the throne. The government of Fraternity was entrusted to Henry Chicheley, archbishop of Canterbury.
1422 Masonry flourished during the first years of the minority of Henry VI.
1425 With the commencement of Henry’s reign, the duke of Beaufort, archbishop of Winchester, governor of the young king, passed a bill through Parliament that prohibited the assemblies of Masons. It appears that, in spite of these orders, they continued their work under the auspices of the archbishop of Canterbury (1). The Masons meet and hold a large assembly
(1) Here is the translation of this bill.
III. HENRI VI, chap. i, an du S. 1425.
The Masons will not meet in Chapters and Congregations;
STAY pending, by the Congregations and Confederations formed each year by the Masons in their general meeting, the good order is disturbed, and that the effect of the statutes of the workmen is publicly stopped, in contradiction with the law and with the damage of all the Parliament, our sovereign and king, wanting to oppose a remedy for this evil, have, of the opinion and the assent of the Parliament above mentioned, ordered and established that in the future such Chapters and Congregations will not be held any more, and that, if it were held by it under an unspecified pretext, they would be considered to be guilty of felony, and that the Masons who would assist with these ransom with the will of the king.
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in Canterbury under the protection of this prelate (1). According to appearances, the Parliament had already slackened its severity.
SCOTLAND.
James I then reigned in Scotland and supported the art of building. In this time the Brothers held their assemblies in Kilwinning: elected their Grand Masters, but chose them from the clergy or the nobility, and their nomination was subject to the approval of the king, who required on each election a tax of four livres, the currency of Scotland, from each master mason, as well as the right of reception of each new member. This Grand Master exerted a jurisdiction over all the Masons, and held his court in the interior of the room of assembly of the Brothers. Particular courts were instituted in the principal cities of Scotland; it is there that officers who substituted for the Grand Master decided minor disputes.
1437 James II, king of Scotland, appointed William Sinclair, count of Orkney and Caithness, Baron of Roslyn, head and governor of the Masons, in consideration of the interest that this lord had taken with successes of Fraternity and for the services that the Masons had returned to the royal family from its councils and under its direction. The king wanted this dignity to be hereditary in his family and to belong to those that succeeded the barons of Roslyn (2).
(1) Register handwritten of W. Molart, prior of Canterbury, which is in the library of Oxford. It is entitled: Liberatio generalia Domini Guielmi, prions eccîesiœ Christi Cantuarensis erga festum natalis Domini 1429. In this register the names of the Masters are registered, Grand Officers and workers of Lodge.
(2) Supplement no. 2.
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1437 The title remained, indeed, in the family of Sinclair until in the year 1736, the time when the Grand Lodge of Saint John of Edinburgh was established.
ENGLAND.
1442 King Henry VI developed several questions for Masons regarding the mysteries of their reception and the object of their studies. Satisfied with their answers, he was admitted to the Fraternity, protected it, constituted old charters concerning its privileges, and approved them, in the opinion of his council. He applied to the study of art and all the lords of the court follow his example. He appointed, in 1443, as Grand Master William Wanefleet, bishop of Winchester: who built with at his expense the college of Magdalene, in Oxford, and a great number of religious buildings. Henry and his wife even founded several pious establishments (1).
1471 Masonry declined during the civil wars between the houses of York and Lancaster; but this decline was disturbed under the reign Edward IV, who named as Grand Master Richard de Beauchamp, bishop of Sarum; and honored this prelate with the title of Chancellor of the Garter, to repair the castle and the chapel of Windsor.
1483 Under the reigns of Edward V and Richard III, Masonry was neglected and given up.
1485 Two years after, under Henry VII, it again took on all its splendor. Francis-Peter Daubusson, Grand Master of Malta, and the knights of the Order applied all their efforts to support it.
(1) One will find the translation of the type of interrogation that Henry VI subjected to an initiate, and some objections against its authenticity, with the Supplement no.5.
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1492 John Islip, abbot of Westminster, was elected Grand Master.
1500 Freemasons assembled under the protection of the king.
1502 June 24, Grand Lodge of Masters meet in his palace. Henry VII chairs it as Grand Master, John Islip and Sir Reginald Bray fulfill the functions of Grand Officers. Henry VII dedicated the foundation stone of the chapel of Westminster, known as the Chapel of Henry VII. The Brothers, in 1507, sealed the key beyond the chapel of this building, in ceremony.
1509 Cardinal Wolsey was named Grand Master. He built Hampton Court, the college of the church of Christ in Oxford, and several other monuments that were confiscated during his disgrace.
1539 Thomas Cromwell, count of Essex, succeeded him.
1540 The count of Essex was decapitated. John Touchet, known as Lord Audley, was elected Grand Master.
1549 Edward Seymour, duke of Sommerset, tutor of the king and regent of the kingdom, followed him at the head of Masonry.
1551 The duke of Sommerset having been decapitated, John Poynet bishop of Winchester, succeeded him: he chaired the meetings until 1553, a time beyond death of king Edward VI.
1561 Thomas Sackville accepted, under the reign of Elizabeth, the dignity of Grand Master. Ordinary assemblies of communication between working Masons took place in York, many Lodges were established in all the parts of England.
On December 27, the Queen, who had conceived suspicions against the masonic meetings, sent men armed with an order to dissolve the annual assembly of the Masons that were meeting in York to celebrate the festival of the patron of the Order.
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1561 The Grand Master and his Grand Officers, informed in time, headed-off the detachment and persuaded the officers to enter the assembly, to check for themselves what occurred there, before carrying out their mission. These officers were initiated and gave the queen such an advantageous account of the object of these meetings, that this princess revoked her orders: she even became, thereafter, protective of Masons.
1567 Thomas Sackville removed himself from office in favour of Francis Ruffel, count of Bedford, and sir Thomas Gresham, distinguished trader. Masonry flourished under their administration, the number of the brothers increased considerably, and the Grand assemblies continued to take place in York.
1579 Charles Howard, count Effingham, was elected Grand Master.
1588 George Hastings, count of Huntingdon, succeeded to this dignity. He preserved its office until his death in 1603.
SCOTLAND.
1580 Masonry flourished under the kings of Scotland who succeeded James II. James VI particularly protected it. Preserved in the secret book of the seals of Scotland is a letter sent to Holyroodhouse, on September 25 1590, written hand of this prince, addressed to Patrick Copland de Udaugt, at the time of its use by the Grand Officer (the Wardens office), on the art and trade of the Masonry, which was exercised in Aberdeen, Banff and Kincardine.
1600 The Grand Lodge of Kilwinning met as a grand assembly of communication. Thomas Boswel of Auchinleck was elected Grand Officer (Warden).
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ENGLAND.
1605 Masonry enjoyed a great attentiveness in Great Britain. Inigo-Jones, the famous architect, who had reported his voyages with the drawings of old Greek and Roman architecture, was named the first steward of the buildings of James I. This prince was declared the protector of the Masons, and was charged with monitoring of Lodges; the Fraternity receives considerable splendor and importance: meetings and regular communications were established between the Brothers. Under this Grand Master many gentlemen are admitted, which contributed further to illustrate the art of Masonry.
1607 Inigo-Jones was elected Grand Master. Under his administration, several Lodges were formed.
1618 The count of Pembroke succeeded Inigo Jones.
1625 King Charles I honored the Masons with his benevolence. The count of Pembroke continued in his office. English chronologists place Charles I in the rank of the Grand Masters.
1630 Henry Danvers, count of Danby, was elevated to Grand Master
1633 Thomas Howard, count of Arundel, succeeded him in this year. This same gentleman was head of the household of Norfolk.
1635 Francis Ruffel, count of Bedford, was put at the head Masonry.
1636 Inigo-Jones was re elected Grand Master, and remained in office until his death in 1646.
SCOTLAND.
1641 Masonry achieved great success in Scotland; the Masons met in the Lodge of the Chapel of
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Saint Mary, in Edinburgh, and received Robert Moray into the Fraternity, as general district Master of Scotland (1).
ENGLAND.
1646 Elias Ashmole, the celebrated antiquarian, who founded the museum of Oxford, was initiated together with Colonel Mainwarring in the Brotherhood of the working Masons in Warrington.
In this year, a company of Rosy Croix that had been formed in London according to the ideas of Bacon’s New Atlantis, assembled in the conference room of the Masons. Elias Ashmole, who was a member, and the other Brothers of the Rosy Croix, rectified the formulas of reception of these workmen, which consisted of some ceremonies similar to those used among all the professionals, and substituted a mode of initiation which they copied, partly, from the old mysteries of Egypt and Greece. This time is remarkable because the first rank of Masonry’s symbolic system was invented, as we know it. To differ from the ordinary Masons, these were called free masons, or freemasons (see the work of Mr. Nicolas Bonneville).
1648 Freemasonry showed a political tendency. Several authors fixed at this year the institution of the rank of companion, who was only subject to one degree of test. (Der signatstern, etc., t. 5.)
1650 Charles I perished on the scaffold in 1649, the partisans of the royalty institute the rank of Master,
(1) This fact is drawn from the registers of the Chapel St Mary, one of oldest of Scotland, and whose origin goes back to 1598. Unfortunately they do not contain any historical information on the state of Fraternity; but one finds particular official reports and the general list of the members of Association.
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whose allegories tended to point out the memory beyond catastrophe that finished the life of the king. The secret reason for this rank was the re establishment of Charles II. (Der signatstern, etc., t. 5.)
1660 Masonry, whose progress had been suspended by the civil wars that afflicted England, began again in strength under the protection of Charles II who, during his exile, had been received as a Mason. Under the reign of this prince, constitutions were delivered, and many ordinary people and people of distinction were initiated.
1663 The Masons met on December 27, and appointed as their Grand Master Henry Jermyn, count of Saint Alban. This Grand Master names John Denham as his deputy, and chose as his Grand Officers Christopher Wren and John Web. He exceeds in zeal all his predecessors, protects the Lodges, and supports particularly that of Antiquity of London, which owns three candelabra of a brown wood, very rare in this time. This Lodge preciously preserved them.
1666 This year was the time of the fire of London. The Brothers gave evidence of their talent and activity to this occasion. While the city was rebuilt they held several assemblies in differing districts. Thomas Savage, count of Rivers, was then the Grand Master.
1674 George Villiers, duke of Buckingham, was elected Grand Master. He named Christopher Wren as his deputy, and rested on him, as on his Grand Officers, the government of Fraternity.
1679 Henry Bennet, count of Arlington, was named Grand Master.
Sir Christopher Wren is elected Grand Master.
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1685 He appointed as his Grand Officers Gabriel Gibber and Edward Strong. In spite of the zeal of these skilful architects, Masonry continued to decline.
1688 The revolutions and fatal agitations in England, at that time, suspended the work of the Institution. Preston reports that there were then seven Lodges in the town of London.
1695 William III was initiated and confirmed the appointment of Christopher Wren to the dignity of Grand Master. This prince honored the Lodges with his presence, particularly that of Hampton Court. It is said that he often chaired it and in time that he built the new wing of the palace.
1697 The Masons met and named for their Grand Master Charles Lenox, duke of Richmond, then Master in Chair of the Lodge of Chichester.
1698 This Grand Master gives his responsibilities, to Christopher Wren, who remained there until 1702, the year the king died.
1703 Masonry progressed little under the reign of Anne Stuart. Its annual festivals were neglected, and the numbers of Masons decreased greatly. This is an interesting time for the history of the Order, as it appears that this was when the parties changed the restriction of Masonry to the Masons of practice, and admitted citizens of all the professions; by this means it again achieved some strength.
1714 George I (of Brunswick), Elector of Hanover, ascended the throne. Revolts in favour of James Stuart, brother of Anne, known under the name of Pretender became a new obstacle to the success of the institution.
In progress.