Mackey A G - Encylopedia of Freemasonry - The Grand Masonic ...

BALDWYN
BALKIS 93
surrounded by the Latin motto, In hoc signo
vines ; the star to be three and three-quarter
inches in diameter. The scarf to be worn
from the right shoulder to the left hip, with
the ends extending six inches below the point
of intersection ."
Baldwyn II . The successor of Godfrey of
Bouillon as King of Jerusalem . In his reign
the Order of Knights Templar was instituted,
to whom he granted a place of habitation
within the sacred enclosure of the Temple on
Mount Moriah . He bestowed on the Order
other marks of favor, and, as its patron ; his
name has been retained in grateful remembrance,
and often adopted as a name of Commanderies
of Masonic Templars .
Baldwyn Encampment . There is at Bristol
in England a famous Preceptory of Knights
Templar, called the "Baldwyn," which claims
to have existed from time immemorial, and
of which no one has yet been able to discover
the origin . This, together with the Chapter
of Knights Ross; Crucis, is the continuation
of the old Baldwyn Encampment, the name
being derived from the Crusader, King of
Jerusalem .
The earliest record preserved by this Preceptory
is an authentic and important document
dated December 20, 1780, and headed
"In the name of the Grand Architect of
the Universe.
"The Supreme Grand and Royal Encampment
of the Order of Knights Templars of St .
John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitallers and
Knights of Malta, &c ., &c .," and commencing
"Whereas by Charter of Compact our
Encampment is constituted the Supreme
Grand and Royal Encampment of this Noble
Order with full Power when Assembled to
issue, publish and make known to all our
loving Knights Companions whatever may
contribute to their knowledge not inconsistent
with its general Laws . Also to constitute
and appoint any Officer or Officers to make
and ordain such laws as from time to time
may appear necessary to promote the Honor
of our Noble Order in general and the more
perfect government of our Supreme degree in
particular. We therefore the MOST EMI-
NENT GRAND MASTER The Grand Master
of the Order, the Grand Master Assistant
General and two Grand Standard Bearers
and Knights Companions for that purpose in
full Encampment Assembled do make known ."
Then follow twenty Statutes or Regulations
for the government of the Order and
the document ends with "Done at our dastle
in Bristol 20th day of December 1780 ."
It is not clear who were the parties to this
"Compact," but it is thought probable that
it was the result of an agreement between the
Bristol Encampment and another ancient
body at Bath (the Camp of Antiquity) to establish
a supreme direction of the Order .
However that may be, it is clear that the
Bristol Encampment was erected into a Supreme
Grand Encampment in 1780 .
The earliest reference to the Knights
Templar as yet discovered occurs in a Bristol
newspaper of January 25, 1772, so it , may
fairly be assumed that the Baldwyn Preceptory
had been in existence before the date of
the Charter of Compact .
In 1791 the well-known Brother Thomas
Dunckerley, who was Provincial Grand Master
and Grand Superintendent of the Royal
Arch Masons at Bristol, was requested by the
Knights Templar of that city to be their
Grand Master. He at once introduced great
activity into the Order throughout 'England,
and established the Grand Conclave in London
-the forerunner of the Great Priory .
The "seven degrees " of the Camp of Baldwyn
at that time probably consisted of the
three of the Craft and that of the Royal Arch
(which were necessary qualifications of all
candidates as set forth in the Charter of Compact),
(5) Knights Templar of St . John of
Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta, (6)
Knights Rose Croix of Heredom, (7) Grand
Elected Knights Kadosh .
About the year 1813 the three degrees of
"Nine Elect," "Kilwinning," and "East,
Sword and Eagle" were adopted by the Encampment
. The "Kadosh" having afterward
discontinued, the five "Royal Orders of
Masonic Knighthood," of which the Encampmentconsisted
were : (1) Nine Elect, (2) Kilwinning,
(3) 'East, Sword and Eagle, (4)
Knight Templar, (5) Rose Croix .
For many years the Grand Conclave in
London was in abeyance, but when H.R.H .
the Duke of Sussex, who had been Grand
Master since 1813, died in 1843, it was revived,
and attempts were made to induce the
Camp of Baldwyn to submit to its authority,
but without avail, and in 1857 Baldwyn reasserted
its position as a Supreme Grand and
Royal Encampment, and shortly afterward
issued charters to six subordinate Encampments.
The chief cause of difference with the
London Grand Conclave was the question of
giving up the old custom of working the Rose
Croix Degree within the Camp At last, in
1862, the Baldwyn was enrolled by virtue of a
Charter of Compact "under the Banner of
the Grand Conclave of Masonic Knights
Templar of England and Wales ." It was
arranged that the Baldw n Preceptory (as it
was then called) should take precedence
(with five others "of time immemorial ") of the
other Preceptories ; that it should be constituted
a Provincial Grand Commandery or
Priory of itself ; and should be entitled to confer
the degree of Knights of Malta .
In 1881 a "Treaty of Union" was made
with the Supreme Council of the 33°, whereby
the Baldwyn Rose Croix Chapter retained its
"time immemorial " position and was placed
at the head of the list of Chapters . It also
became a "District" under the Supreme
Council of the 33° and is therefore placed
under an "Inspector General" of its own .
(The preceding article is contributed by Bro .
Cecil Powell, joint-author of "Freemasonry in
Bristol " published in 1910 .)
Ball ls. The name given by the Orientalists
to the Queen of Sheba, who visited King