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

FREEMASONRY
FREEMASONRY 283
And then the following meanings are given :
"1 . A member of a certain class of skilled
workers in stone, in the 14th and following
centuries often mentioned in contradistinction
to `rough masons,' 'ligiers,' etc .
They travelled from place to place, finding
employment wherever important buildings
were being erected, and had a system of secret
signs and passwords by which a craftsman who
had been admitted on giving evidence of competent
skill could be recognized . In later use
(16-18th c .) the term seems often to be used
merely as a more complimentary synonym of
`mason,' implying that the workman so designated
belonged to a superior grade ."
The earliest instance quoted of the word in
this sense is in a list of the London City Companies
of 1376 .
"2 . A member of the fraternity called more
fully, Free and Accepted Masons .
"Early in the 17th c ., the societies of freemasons
(in sense 1) began to admit honorary
members, not connected with the building
trades, but supposed to be eminent for
architectural or antiquarian learning . These
were called accepted masons, though the term
free masons was often loosely applied to
them ; and they were admitted to a knowledge
of the secret signs, and instructed in the legendary
history of the craft, which had already
begun to be developed . The distinction of
being an `accepted mason' became a fashionable
object of ambition, and before the
end of the 17th c . the object of the societies
of freemasons seems to have been chiefly
social and convivial . In 1717, under the
guidance of the physicist J. T . Desaguliers,
four of these societies or `lodges' in London
united to form a `grand lodge,' with a new constitution
and ritual, and a system of secret
signs : the object of the society as reconstituted
being mutual help and the promotion of
brotherly feeling among its members ."
The earliest instance quoted of the word in
this sense is in Ashmole's diary under date
1646 . (See Ashmole .) [E. L. H.]
Gould in his concise History says : "Two
curious coincidences have been connected with
the above year (1375) . The first, that the
earliest copy of the manuscript constitutions
(Regius MS .) refers to the customs of that
period ; the second, that the formation of a
wonderful society, occasioned by a combination
of masons undertaking not to work without
an advance of wages, when summoned
from several counties by writs of Edward III .,
to rebuild and enlarge Windsor Castle, under
the direction of William of Wykeham, has
been placed at the same date. It is said also
that these masons agreed on certain signs and
tokens by which they might know one another,
and render mutual assistance against
impressment ; and further agreed not to work
unless free and on their own terms . Hence
they called themselves Free-Masons."
[E . E . C .]
Freemasonry, Early British. Bro .
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of F . M.
(i., p . 381), writes : "The minutes of Scottish
Lodges from the sixteenth century, and evidences
of British Masonic life dating farther
back by some two hundred years (than the
second decade of the last century) were actually
left unheeded by our premier historiographer,
although many of such authentic and
invaluable documents lay ready to hand, only
awaiting examination, amongst the muniments
in the old Lodge chests . . . . By the collection
and comparatively recent publication of
many of the Interesting records above alluded
to, so much evidence has been accumulated respecting
the early history, progress, and character
of the craft as to be almost embarrassing,
and the proposition may be safely advanced,
that the Grand Lodges of Great Britain are
the direct descendants, by continuity and absorption,
of the ancient Freemasonry which
immediately preceded their institution, which
will be demonstrated without requiring the
exercise of either dogmatism or credulity .
"The oldest Lodges in Scotland possess
registers of members and meetings, as well as
particulars of their laws and customs, ranging
backward nearly three hundred years. (These)
will form an important link in the chain which
connects what is popularly known as the
Lodges of Modern Freemasonry, with their
operative and speculative ancestors ."
There are no Lodge records in England of
the seventeenth century, and records of only
one between 1700 and 1717 .
The original St . Clair Charters (q. v .) in the
custody of the Grand Lodge of Scotland,
dated, respectively, 1601-2 and 1628, are referred
to by Gould . Then are considered the
Schaw Statutes, No . 1, of A.D . 1598 (see
Schaw Manuscript), the Schaw Statutes, No .
2, of A .D . 1599, and their relevancy to
"Mother Kilwinning " Lodge, Ayrshire, No . 0,
with an important certificate from William
Schaw, which proves that the document of
1599 was intended exclusively for the Masons
under the jurisdiction of the Kilwinning
Lodge . The subject of the "Lodge of Edinburgh,"
No . 1,
and its career from its earliest
records, dating back to 1599, down to the year
1736, when the Grand Lodge of Scotland was
inaugurated, as most fully described in Lyon's
history of this ancient Lodge, passes under
review; then appears, as Bro . Gould says,
one of the adornments of that history in the
facsimile of the record of that Lodge, showing
that the earliest minute of the presence of a
speculative freeman Mason in a Lodge, and
taking part in its deliberations, is dated June
8, 1600. (Hist. ofF. M., i ., 406 .) It is to be
noted that "the admission of General Alexander
Hamilton, on May 20, 1640, and of the
Right Hon. Sir Patrick Hume, Bart ., on December
27, 1667, are specially recorded as constituting
these intrants 'Felow and Mr off the
forsed craft,' and `Fellow of craft (and Master)
of this lodg,' respectively." (Ibid ., p . 408 .)
It is assumed that Master simply meant a
compliment ; certainly, there was nothing corresponding
with the ceremony of a Master
Mason's Degree at that time. Many of the
operatives did not view the introduction