TRAPPED IN A MASONIC WORLD

- 258 -
referred to as ―The Sham Fight‖. The other major parade of the year is ―Black Saturday‖, also known as
―Last Saturday‖, held on the last Saturday in August at several locations throughout Northern Ireland.
The Royal Black Institution has adopted a more conciliatory attitude to contentious parades than the
Orange Order, and is less overtly political, though not without political influence and clout, though they
often say, it‘s the quiet ones you want to watch out for. [7]
Neil Jarman author of; The Endless Parade stated that the difference between the Royal Black Institution
and the Orange Order is that; ―The Black Institution is best understood as reflecting the more middle class,
rural, respectable, even elite elements of Orangeism‖. The stronger emphasis on religion as opposed to
politics or history is shown in their parade banners which usually depict Bible scenes rather than scenes
from history. The origins of the institution are clouded with much secrecy, however information does exist
that demonstrates its true roots. [7] Predominately the Anglican [C of E] church was the Protestant church
in the late 1700‘s, which is known today as the Church of Ireland. Freemasonry in Ireland was then, as
now, based in Anglican Dublin, while in the North of the island, Freemasonry was more closely linked to
the Scottish rites and the Presbyterian Church, the ―black-mouths‖, a derogatory name given to those of
Scots descent [from where the nickname used in Dublin to this day for Northern Ireland is the Black
North.] [7]
The origin of the term ―Black North‖ is obscure, though it may indirectly be related to the Black
Nobility families such as the House of Savoy, and the Royal Black Institution, also known as the Royal
Black Preceptory or The Imperial Grand Black Chapter Of The British Commonwealth or simply as the
Black Institute, whose symbol is a red tilted cross speared through a crown. The Royal Black Preceptory
is alive and well today than it ever was, and consists of eleven degrees: [1] Royal Black Degree, [2] Royal
Scarlet Degree, [3] Royal Mark Degree, [4] Apron and Royal Blue Degree, [5] Royal White Degree, [6]
Royal Green Degree, [7] Gold Degree, [8] Star and Garter Degree, [9] Crimson Arrow Degree, [10] Link
and Chain Degree, [11] Red Cross Degree.
I also wonder if the Royal ―Black‖ Institution and term ―Black North‖ has any reference to the already
mentioned Prince William of Orange‘s dynasty and Black Nobility/Illuminati group of families such as his
own House of Orange-Nassau, and when years later another group of Black Nobility/Illuminati families
who sided with the Papacy under Pope Pius IX after the House of Savoy family-led army of the Kingdom
of Italy, entered Rome on the 20th September 1870, overthrew the then Pope and the Papal States, and
took over the Apostolic Palace, and as a result for the next 59 years, the Pope confined himself to Vatican
City and claimed to be a ―prisoner within the Vatican‖ to avoid the appearance of accepting the authority
of the new Italian government and state, and because of this ‗state of mourning‘, those noble families loyal
to the Pope, were termed ‗Black Nobility‘, due to this reason and throughout that period of time.
Presbyterians were linked with their Catholic neighbours through the United Irishmen during the
rebellions in Ireland in the 1700‘s, and for this reason serving Freemasons, such as Dan Winters in County
Armagh broke away to found an exclusively Protestant Masonic based organisation. This original
organisation built upon the agrarian [8] [pro-farmer, land ownership] Orange Order by adding the Masonic
degree of Arch-Purple. To bring the middle class Protestants on-board, the Black Institution was
organised, following closely on the degrees and rituals used by the Scots Freemasons with their clear link
to the Templar Lodges and Knights of Malta [mainly Catholic organisations]. For some time there were
two Black Orders operating in Ireland, the Anglican purely Protestant one, and the original Scots Masonic
Presbyterian one. [8]
A letter outlining the historically provable facts was published in the press during the early 1900‘s in
Ireland. The aprons worn by the Order started out as black, but then became royal blue to make a further
distinction between the two. The first warrant for the Black Order in Ireland was in fact issued by the
Masonic Grand Lodge of Scotland and subsequently this Order disappeared underground, leaving the
Anglican Order that can be seen during the parades and exists around the world where Protestant Irish have
emigrated over the years, due to the rule forbidding previous membership of any other order referred to the
original Presbyterian and United Irishmen linked Orders [8] .
The Purple Degrees: The Royal Arch Purple Degree, and; The Orange Order‘s Royal Arch Purple
Degree. - A ruling authority over the Orange - a Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland - wasn‘t formed until 21st
April 1798. This body brought much needed stability and leadership to the Order at a strategic period in
its history. Grand Lodge immediately addressed the bewildering amount of unnecessary ritualism that had
found its way into ‗Orangeism‘, and here began a process of reform which purged out all the ritualistic
baggage which had settled itself within the Order. This resulted in the disposal of the original three
degrees of the Orange Order. From that date forward, the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland accepted only