Past Grand Master, The MW Grand Lodge Of Washington

Origins

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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