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  • The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine
  • April 30, 1870
  • Page 11
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, April 30, 1870: Page 11

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Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents FEEEBIASONEY : ITS HISTOEY AND PUBLICATIONS .

10 IHE EDITOIJ OP THE rEEElIASOKS' HAGAZIKE AXD MASOUIC SIII 1 E 0 E . Dear Sir and Brother , —I have taken the liberty to refer occasionally to old volumes of the Magazine as containing much interesting information , and such is my belief still . Now you have had many correspondent ? , but I feel bound to say that in the very first

volume of the present series ( page 50 , date July 23 rd , 1859 ) will be found a communication which will bear comparison with any that have followed it . The author seems to have written , not from a foolish desire to support some imaginary notion , but from a desire to elucidate the truth . I endorse almost every word

he says , and feel that it would be useful to us all to reproduce his remarks , which I trust you will kindly allow me to do : they are as follow , viz : — "Having been led into the consideration of that portion of the history of architecture in England called medievalor Gothicand especiallof the

tran-, , y sition of one style into another , the inquiry has necessitated the perusal of a large number of works , and the inspection of many illustrations and buildings . . Among the publications , those relating to the fraternity of Freemasons were brought forcibly under my attention . The natural result was an inquiry into its

history , as being likely to assist the object of my researches . Greatly to my regret , I fear I have been sadly wasting my time , and it is upon this point that I venture to intrude myself on your attention . " I had always conceived that the present society of Freemasons had an established historical account

of its descent through the medifeval period , tracing the gradual changes in the art of architecture down to the present time . I had heard of the lodges , the signs , the marks , and of the Grand Masters , commen - cing from St . Alban ; but when I came to read , to study , and to compare the various works published

by the authority of the fraternity and otherwise , I grieved to find how valueless is the whole of them in respect of the earlier portion of their history . Mystification appears almost to be the end and aim of all the writers . No author since the earlier years of the last century has attempted to clear awthe obscurity

ay which evidently even then shrouded the subject . The account adopted at that time seems to be merely an attempt at a history of architecture , or of Masonry , as it is called in the works . Names are brought forward ancl titles given to them , for which no evidence is adduced . Transactions are recorded without

sufficient explanation of cause and effect . Old manuscripts , ' that convenient expression , are referred to without a prospect of anyone at tbe present day having the remotest chance of inspecting them—the whole presenting , to me at least , the appearance of having been put together to blind the uninitiated and mislead the unwary . This is the impression I have , resulting

from the perusal and comparison of the old works with modern documents . At the period when the historical account was compiled , it must have been a very skilful production . It is greatly to be regretted , however , that so many succeeding writers should have put such great faith in it ; perhaps they may not have been permitted to think for themselves .

" Though not a Freemason , I am not one of those who despise the Craft . If it had an object when it commenced its modern development in 1717 , it has well pursued it , and is therefore worthy of all commendation . But as an architect I am sadly disappointed at this absence of a satisfactory history of the Craft . I have sought for some account of the history of any

of the old lodges—say , for instance , that of the York Lodge , with its pretensions to date from the time of Athelstane . I have not , however , met with any , and have also been unable to see a copy of Oliver ' s 'Brief History of the Witham Lodge . ' Some ancient charges have been printed at various times , aud it appears to

me the Craft is especially indebted to Mr . Halliwell ( who , I presume , is not a Freemason ) for his discovery and publication of the mediaeval manuscripts on Masonry , which he considers to be of the end of the fourteenth century ; some writers referring to which , I find , are pleased to call them ' of the tenth century '

to suit a purpose . * "Some of the present authors , I consider , are endeavouring to claim for ancient Freemasonry an existence distinct from that of practical Masonry—a position that the earlier writers clearly did not maintain . What is the cause of this seeming inconsistency ? " The original York Lodge , I understand , ceased to

exist many years since . f Its papers and records , I presume , have not been destroyed . J Surely there can now be no such great secrecy in the account of their doings as to necessitatepublic reference to them being withheld . If by chance their records contain any information , it would prove to be highly interesting ,

and would surely repay any Masonic archaeologist for the trouble of the search , and the preparation of the documents for publication . There are two other old lodges in the kingdom whose records might possibly be made serviceable in the compilation of a reasonable historical account of so highly esteemed a

fraternity . " One circumstance forcibly attracted my attention . In 1717 , as you are aware , a Grand Lodge was formed in London . What evidence is there of any Grand Lodge having been held previous thereto anywhere in England ?§ Had there been one , what had become

of the office and officers ? Why was it necessary that a Grand Lodge should have been so established in 1717 ? I presume there are no other accounts but those published in Anderson , Preston , and the other usual works , and they are assuredly unsatisfactory . It is undoubtedly true from other evidence that lodges were in existence previous to that date , but no connection is adduced of them one with another or with

a head lodge . They may just as likely , for all evidence to the contrary , have been independent clubs , though possibly sprung from one another , and formed as the members separated and became resident in the various parts of the country during the commotion of the seventeenth century . " These observations are the result of researches

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1870-04-30, Page 11” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 24 July 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_30041870/page/11/.
  • List
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Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
POSTPONEMENT OF THE GRAND FESTIVAL. Article 1
NOTES ON AMERICAN FREEMASONRY. Article 1
MASONIC ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD. Article 5
THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES. Article 6
MASONIC JOTTINGS.—No. 17. Article 8
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 9
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 11
MASONIC SAYINGS AND DOINGS ABROAD. Article 12
Untitled Article 13
MASONIC MEMS. Article 13
Craft Masonry. Article 14
SCOTTISH CONSTITUTION. Article 16
AUSTRALIA. Article 16
ANCIENT AND ACCEPTED RITE. Article 17
THE CANYNGE SOCIETY'S ANNIVERSARY. Article 17
MAXIMS OF PYTHAGORUS. Article 19
Poetry. Article 19
SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. Article 20
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

The Editor is not responsible for the opinions expressed by Correspondents FEEEBIASONEY : ITS HISTOEY AND PUBLICATIONS .

10 IHE EDITOIJ OP THE rEEElIASOKS' HAGAZIKE AXD MASOUIC SIII 1 E 0 E . Dear Sir and Brother , —I have taken the liberty to refer occasionally to old volumes of the Magazine as containing much interesting information , and such is my belief still . Now you have had many correspondent ? , but I feel bound to say that in the very first

volume of the present series ( page 50 , date July 23 rd , 1859 ) will be found a communication which will bear comparison with any that have followed it . The author seems to have written , not from a foolish desire to support some imaginary notion , but from a desire to elucidate the truth . I endorse almost every word

he says , and feel that it would be useful to us all to reproduce his remarks , which I trust you will kindly allow me to do : they are as follow , viz : — "Having been led into the consideration of that portion of the history of architecture in England called medievalor Gothicand especiallof the

tran-, , y sition of one style into another , the inquiry has necessitated the perusal of a large number of works , and the inspection of many illustrations and buildings . . Among the publications , those relating to the fraternity of Freemasons were brought forcibly under my attention . The natural result was an inquiry into its

history , as being likely to assist the object of my researches . Greatly to my regret , I fear I have been sadly wasting my time , and it is upon this point that I venture to intrude myself on your attention . " I had always conceived that the present society of Freemasons had an established historical account

of its descent through the medifeval period , tracing the gradual changes in the art of architecture down to the present time . I had heard of the lodges , the signs , the marks , and of the Grand Masters , commen - cing from St . Alban ; but when I came to read , to study , and to compare the various works published

by the authority of the fraternity and otherwise , I grieved to find how valueless is the whole of them in respect of the earlier portion of their history . Mystification appears almost to be the end and aim of all the writers . No author since the earlier years of the last century has attempted to clear awthe obscurity

ay which evidently even then shrouded the subject . The account adopted at that time seems to be merely an attempt at a history of architecture , or of Masonry , as it is called in the works . Names are brought forward ancl titles given to them , for which no evidence is adduced . Transactions are recorded without

sufficient explanation of cause and effect . Old manuscripts , ' that convenient expression , are referred to without a prospect of anyone at tbe present day having the remotest chance of inspecting them—the whole presenting , to me at least , the appearance of having been put together to blind the uninitiated and mislead the unwary . This is the impression I have , resulting

from the perusal and comparison of the old works with modern documents . At the period when the historical account was compiled , it must have been a very skilful production . It is greatly to be regretted , however , that so many succeeding writers should have put such great faith in it ; perhaps they may not have been permitted to think for themselves .

" Though not a Freemason , I am not one of those who despise the Craft . If it had an object when it commenced its modern development in 1717 , it has well pursued it , and is therefore worthy of all commendation . But as an architect I am sadly disappointed at this absence of a satisfactory history of the Craft . I have sought for some account of the history of any

of the old lodges—say , for instance , that of the York Lodge , with its pretensions to date from the time of Athelstane . I have not , however , met with any , and have also been unable to see a copy of Oliver ' s 'Brief History of the Witham Lodge . ' Some ancient charges have been printed at various times , aud it appears to

me the Craft is especially indebted to Mr . Halliwell ( who , I presume , is not a Freemason ) for his discovery and publication of the mediaeval manuscripts on Masonry , which he considers to be of the end of the fourteenth century ; some writers referring to which , I find , are pleased to call them ' of the tenth century '

to suit a purpose . * "Some of the present authors , I consider , are endeavouring to claim for ancient Freemasonry an existence distinct from that of practical Masonry—a position that the earlier writers clearly did not maintain . What is the cause of this seeming inconsistency ? " The original York Lodge , I understand , ceased to

exist many years since . f Its papers and records , I presume , have not been destroyed . J Surely there can now be no such great secrecy in the account of their doings as to necessitatepublic reference to them being withheld . If by chance their records contain any information , it would prove to be highly interesting ,

and would surely repay any Masonic archaeologist for the trouble of the search , and the preparation of the documents for publication . There are two other old lodges in the kingdom whose records might possibly be made serviceable in the compilation of a reasonable historical account of so highly esteemed a

fraternity . " One circumstance forcibly attracted my attention . In 1717 , as you are aware , a Grand Lodge was formed in London . What evidence is there of any Grand Lodge having been held previous thereto anywhere in England ?§ Had there been one , what had become

of the office and officers ? Why was it necessary that a Grand Lodge should have been so established in 1717 ? I presume there are no other accounts but those published in Anderson , Preston , and the other usual works , and they are assuredly unsatisfactory . It is undoubtedly true from other evidence that lodges were in existence previous to that date , but no connection is adduced of them one with another or with

a head lodge . They may just as likely , for all evidence to the contrary , have been independent clubs , though possibly sprung from one another , and formed as the members separated and became resident in the various parts of the country during the commotion of the seventeenth century . " These observations are the result of researches

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