Skip to main content
Museum of Freemasonry

Masonic Periodicals Online

  • Explore
  • Advanced Search
  • Home
  • Explore
  • The Masonic Illustrated
  • Jan. 1, 1906
  • Page 4
  • The Masonic "Old Charges."
Current:

The Masonic Illustrated, Jan. 1, 1906: Page 4

  • Back to The Masonic Illustrated, Jan. 1, 1906
  • Print image
  • Articles/Ads
    Article The Masonic "Old Charges." ← Page 3 of 4 →
Page 4

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Masonic "Old Charges."

drafted direct from the existing rules of the Masons ' Company , concerning the Master , Wardens , and Assistants , and this is most remarkable . " Twelve out of the seventy MSS . contain the " Apprentice Charge , " which is practically continued in modern Apprentice Indenturesand was recited to the youngsters , and their

, entry duly noted , soon after their reception . These rules , however , are more interesting than valuable in relation to the history of the Craft , as they would be more or less common to all trades . Some of the Scrolls contain curious additions , and others

are faulty in their text , evidently due to the errors of transcribers ; but all of them represent more or less faithfully the Manuscript Constitutions of the operative regime , and in part also that of the speculative brethren who belonged to the fraternity prior to the advent of modern Grand Lodges .

Valuable as the " Old Charges " are , and of great interest to all students of the mainly operative period of the Craft , especially during the seventeenth century to the establishment of the premier Grand Lodge in 1716-7 , the practical question after all is , how do and how should they effect the modern speculative lodges in regard to their Laws and

Customs ? Are these old Rolls , from the 14 th century to the j 8 th century , as used by the operative Masons , binding on their speculative successors , and should their regulations , or such of them as manifestly had respect to the actual requirements for labour purposes , be still imposed on the Brotherhood ?

These questions should be faced and dealt with by the American Fraternity in particular ; a correct decision concerning not only the million of subscribing members now on the Registers of their Lodges , but most intimately affecting all the regulations which are now in force in respect to the admission of new apprentices into the Societv .

The " General Regulations compiled first by Mi" . George Payne , Anno 1 7 , when he was Grand Master , and approved by the Grand Lodge on St . John the Baptist ' s Day , Anno 1 7 , at Stationer ' s Hall , London , " were printed and circulated in 1723 " for the use of ( he Lodges in and about Loudon and Westminster . "

It was not until the second edition was issued in 1738 that" The General Regulations " were described as for the " Free and Accepted Masons" generally . From 1 723 , however , to the present time these Laws termed " General Regulations , " have been kept quite distinct from " The

Charges of a Freemason , " which were to be " read at the making of new Brethren , or when the Master shall order it . " At least so it was declared in 1723 , but in 1738 Dr . Anderson merely stated that they were " Approved by the Grand Lodge , and ordered to be printed in the fust edition of the Book of

Coiistiliilions on the 25 th of March , 1722 . " The " Old Charges , " however , that follow the latter declaration , are very different to those of 1722-3 , and evidently did not please the Fraternity , for in subsequent editions—1756 , 1767 , and 1784—of that century the actual text of the 1723 issue was preserved , and the "hash " of 1738 was entirely ignored , as it has been ever since by the

premier Grand Lodge . Following the lead , possibly of the Constitutions Grand Lodge of Ireland 1750-1 , Lawrence Dermott ( or Edward Sprnll ) adopted the 1738 version of these mangled " Charges . " The point , however , to be noted is that they form no part of the regular Regulations adopted by the first Grand Lodge

in 1723 , and altered by its successors from time to time , these so called " Charges " being simply an introduction to the bona fide Laws , and were not looked upon at any time subsequent to 1 723 as of any legislative value , though suggestive to some extent of the old operative regime . The

fad is indisputable that the Grand Lodge of England has never used , quoted , or employed such " Charges " as of any value , or binding in respect to any of its Laws or Regulations , or of the slightest importance in providing the Rules for the government of the Craft , save as indicative of their true spirit . At the union of ( lie two Grand Lodges in 1813 a revision of the Book of Constitutions took place , the first for

the United Grand Lodge being published in 1815 . In this work , as in all the editions since , an altered set of these "Charges" has been printed , and continued lo 1905 , the clauses being for " the use of Lodges , to be read at the making of new Brethren " as heretofore , but so far as I know are not now so communicated to the neophytes .

In the actual " Old Charges " one of the rules reads , with slight verbal differences , that Apprentices to be eligible must " Be free borne and of good kindred and noe bondmen and yt he have his right limbs as a man ought to have . " ( William Watson MS ., The Xew Age , Nov . 1904 ) .

It was doubtless in consequence of this and other enactments in the Operative Laws that Dr . Anderson , in 1723 , in paragraph 12 "Of Masters , Wardens , Fellows , and Apprentices" inserted the following : —

" No Master should take an Apprentice , unless he has sufficient employment for him , and unless he be a perfect youth , having no maim or defect in his body , that may render him incapable of learning the Art or serving his Master ' s Lord , and of being made a Brother . " I presume it is on the strength of this enactment , based

upon operative needs ( and for thai purpose only ) , that so many Grand Lodges in the United States of America continue to object to gentlemen as candidates who are minus a limb , or short of the usual number of fingers and toes . Now , I submit , with all respect to my beloved American Brethren , that there

is really no justification for such a course , so far as the practice of the Grand Lodge of England is concerned , by whose authority such a " Charge " was first printed in 1723 , and has been continued in subsequent editions .

Of course , it is granted that the clause is a portion of the " Book of Constitutions" new , as it has long been , with others on a similar traditional and fanciful basis , but the absolute fact is that never in the experience of the Grand Lodge of England from 1723 has such been acted upon . Physically imperfect candidates have never been objected to because of

such a rule , and are never likely to be , and , therefore , it is evident that in America the " Charge " is being used for a purpose wholly foreign to its original promoters and successive preservers in England from 1723 to 1905 . In proof that the Grand Lodge of England never intended

such "Ancient Charges " for practical use , the fact may be cited that its Regulations or Laws , in the " Book of Constitutions , " from their origin to now , have never once utilised them for legislative purposes , and the transactions of our lodges show that the Brethren have never once followed such

operative requirements . They really are indicative of the true Masonic aims that should guide all Masonic legislation , with due regard to our changed conditions . Now , supposing these " Ancient Charges" should be accepted as necessary guides for present day legislation , and

that the clauses arranged by Dr . Anderson , based upon the early " Old Charges of the operative Freemasons" ( but quite as much , or even more , of his own fancy ) , must be respected and included as portions of the existing Regulations , I submit that in such an event they should be adopted in their complete stale , and / . <>/ //; pari as they are now , by authorities on Masonic Jurisprudence in America .

For example , in the same " Book of Constitutions , " Grand Lodge of England ( 1905 ) , containing the "Ancient Charges " ( so called ) it is provided that : — " Candidates may nevertheless know that no Mnster should take an apprentice unless he has sufficient employment for him . "

" No brother can be a warden until he has passed the part of a fellow-craft , nor a master until he has acted as a warden * * * m , | - ir rand master unless he has been a fellow-craft before his election . " As lo a strange brother " You must employ him some

days , or else recommend him to be employed . " " All Masons employed shall meekly receive thenwages without murmuring or mutiny , and not desert the M _ . s _ er till the work be finished . "

“The Masonic Illustrated: 1906-01-01, Page 4” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 29 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mil/issues/mil_01011906/page/4/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
The Masonic "Old Charges." Article 2
The Relation of Freemasonry to Religion. Article 5
Freemasonry in Durham. Article 6
St. Martin's Lodge, No . 51 0, Liskeard. Article 7
The Holden Lodge, No. 2946. Article 8
The Order of the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine. Article 9
Untitled Ad 10
Untitled Ad 10
The Master's Obligations. Article 10
At the Sign of the Perfect Ashlar. Article 11
Untitled Ad 12
Untitled Article 13
Untitled Ad 13
Provincial Grand Chapter of Gloucestershire. Article 14
Untitled Ad 14
Provincial Grand Lodge of Derbyshire. Article 15
Provincial Grand Lodge of Nottinghamshire. Article 16
History of the Lod ge ofEm ulation, No .21. Article 17
Untitled Ad 20
Page 1

Page 1

1 Article
Page 2

Page 2

1 Article
Page 3

Page 3

1 Article
Page 4

Page 4

1 Article
Page 5

Page 5

2 Articles
Page 6

Page 6

2 Articles
Page 7

Page 7

1 Article
Page 8

Page 8

1 Article
Page 9

Page 9

2 Articles
Page 10

Page 10

3 Articles
Page 11

Page 11

2 Articles
Page 12

Page 12

2 Articles
Page 13

Page 13

4 Articles
Page 14

Page 14

2 Articles
Page 15

Page 15

1 Article
Page 16

Page 16

2 Articles
Page 17

Page 17

1 Article
Page 18

Page 18

1 Article
Page 19

Page 19

1 Article
Page 20

Page 20

2 Articles
Page 4

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

The Masonic "Old Charges."

drafted direct from the existing rules of the Masons ' Company , concerning the Master , Wardens , and Assistants , and this is most remarkable . " Twelve out of the seventy MSS . contain the " Apprentice Charge , " which is practically continued in modern Apprentice Indenturesand was recited to the youngsters , and their

, entry duly noted , soon after their reception . These rules , however , are more interesting than valuable in relation to the history of the Craft , as they would be more or less common to all trades . Some of the Scrolls contain curious additions , and others

are faulty in their text , evidently due to the errors of transcribers ; but all of them represent more or less faithfully the Manuscript Constitutions of the operative regime , and in part also that of the speculative brethren who belonged to the fraternity prior to the advent of modern Grand Lodges .

Valuable as the " Old Charges " are , and of great interest to all students of the mainly operative period of the Craft , especially during the seventeenth century to the establishment of the premier Grand Lodge in 1716-7 , the practical question after all is , how do and how should they effect the modern speculative lodges in regard to their Laws and

Customs ? Are these old Rolls , from the 14 th century to the j 8 th century , as used by the operative Masons , binding on their speculative successors , and should their regulations , or such of them as manifestly had respect to the actual requirements for labour purposes , be still imposed on the Brotherhood ?

These questions should be faced and dealt with by the American Fraternity in particular ; a correct decision concerning not only the million of subscribing members now on the Registers of their Lodges , but most intimately affecting all the regulations which are now in force in respect to the admission of new apprentices into the Societv .

The " General Regulations compiled first by Mi" . George Payne , Anno 1 7 , when he was Grand Master , and approved by the Grand Lodge on St . John the Baptist ' s Day , Anno 1 7 , at Stationer ' s Hall , London , " were printed and circulated in 1723 " for the use of ( he Lodges in and about Loudon and Westminster . "

It was not until the second edition was issued in 1738 that" The General Regulations " were described as for the " Free and Accepted Masons" generally . From 1 723 , however , to the present time these Laws termed " General Regulations , " have been kept quite distinct from " The

Charges of a Freemason , " which were to be " read at the making of new Brethren , or when the Master shall order it . " At least so it was declared in 1723 , but in 1738 Dr . Anderson merely stated that they were " Approved by the Grand Lodge , and ordered to be printed in the fust edition of the Book of

Coiistiliilions on the 25 th of March , 1722 . " The " Old Charges , " however , that follow the latter declaration , are very different to those of 1722-3 , and evidently did not please the Fraternity , for in subsequent editions—1756 , 1767 , and 1784—of that century the actual text of the 1723 issue was preserved , and the "hash " of 1738 was entirely ignored , as it has been ever since by the

premier Grand Lodge . Following the lead , possibly of the Constitutions Grand Lodge of Ireland 1750-1 , Lawrence Dermott ( or Edward Sprnll ) adopted the 1738 version of these mangled " Charges . " The point , however , to be noted is that they form no part of the regular Regulations adopted by the first Grand Lodge

in 1723 , and altered by its successors from time to time , these so called " Charges " being simply an introduction to the bona fide Laws , and were not looked upon at any time subsequent to 1 723 as of any legislative value , though suggestive to some extent of the old operative regime . The

fad is indisputable that the Grand Lodge of England has never used , quoted , or employed such " Charges " as of any value , or binding in respect to any of its Laws or Regulations , or of the slightest importance in providing the Rules for the government of the Craft , save as indicative of their true spirit . At the union of ( lie two Grand Lodges in 1813 a revision of the Book of Constitutions took place , the first for

the United Grand Lodge being published in 1815 . In this work , as in all the editions since , an altered set of these "Charges" has been printed , and continued lo 1905 , the clauses being for " the use of Lodges , to be read at the making of new Brethren " as heretofore , but so far as I know are not now so communicated to the neophytes .

In the actual " Old Charges " one of the rules reads , with slight verbal differences , that Apprentices to be eligible must " Be free borne and of good kindred and noe bondmen and yt he have his right limbs as a man ought to have . " ( William Watson MS ., The Xew Age , Nov . 1904 ) .

It was doubtless in consequence of this and other enactments in the Operative Laws that Dr . Anderson , in 1723 , in paragraph 12 "Of Masters , Wardens , Fellows , and Apprentices" inserted the following : —

" No Master should take an Apprentice , unless he has sufficient employment for him , and unless he be a perfect youth , having no maim or defect in his body , that may render him incapable of learning the Art or serving his Master ' s Lord , and of being made a Brother . " I presume it is on the strength of this enactment , based

upon operative needs ( and for thai purpose only ) , that so many Grand Lodges in the United States of America continue to object to gentlemen as candidates who are minus a limb , or short of the usual number of fingers and toes . Now , I submit , with all respect to my beloved American Brethren , that there

is really no justification for such a course , so far as the practice of the Grand Lodge of England is concerned , by whose authority such a " Charge " was first printed in 1723 , and has been continued in subsequent editions .

Of course , it is granted that the clause is a portion of the " Book of Constitutions" new , as it has long been , with others on a similar traditional and fanciful basis , but the absolute fact is that never in the experience of the Grand Lodge of England from 1723 has such been acted upon . Physically imperfect candidates have never been objected to because of

such a rule , and are never likely to be , and , therefore , it is evident that in America the " Charge " is being used for a purpose wholly foreign to its original promoters and successive preservers in England from 1723 to 1905 . In proof that the Grand Lodge of England never intended

such "Ancient Charges " for practical use , the fact may be cited that its Regulations or Laws , in the " Book of Constitutions , " from their origin to now , have never once utilised them for legislative purposes , and the transactions of our lodges show that the Brethren have never once followed such

operative requirements . They really are indicative of the true Masonic aims that should guide all Masonic legislation , with due regard to our changed conditions . Now , supposing these " Ancient Charges" should be accepted as necessary guides for present day legislation , and

that the clauses arranged by Dr . Anderson , based upon the early " Old Charges of the operative Freemasons" ( but quite as much , or even more , of his own fancy ) , must be respected and included as portions of the existing Regulations , I submit that in such an event they should be adopted in their complete stale , and / . <>/ //; pari as they are now , by authorities on Masonic Jurisprudence in America .

For example , in the same " Book of Constitutions , " Grand Lodge of England ( 1905 ) , containing the "Ancient Charges " ( so called ) it is provided that : — " Candidates may nevertheless know that no Mnster should take an apprentice unless he has sufficient employment for him . "

" No brother can be a warden until he has passed the part of a fellow-craft , nor a master until he has acted as a warden * * * m , | - ir rand master unless he has been a fellow-craft before his election . " As lo a strange brother " You must employ him some

days , or else recommend him to be employed . " " All Masons employed shall meekly receive thenwages without murmuring or mutiny , and not desert the M _ . s _ er till the work be finished . "

  • Prev page
  • 1
  • 3
  • You're on page4
  • 5
  • 20
  • Next page
  • Accredited Museum Designated Outstanding Collection
  • LIBRARY AND MUSEUM CHARITABLE TRUST OF THE UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER 1058497 / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2025

  • Accessibility statement

  • Designed, developed, and maintained by King's Digital Lab

We use cookies to track usage and preferences.

Privacy & cookie policy