Masons

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

a secret society known legally as "The Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons and Concordant Orders." It would appear that guilds of stone masons existed among the ancients. The famous temples of Greece were built by an order of stone masons. Solomon and the builders of the Jewish temple belonged to a builders' order. Of late, however, claims to an ancient origin for the present Masonic order have been abandoned. The present secret order of Masonry grew out of the English guild of stone masons. In medieval times the masons were associated in lodges in order to obtain a monopoly of the building trade. Three classes of members-apprentices, masons, and builders - were recognized. This is the foundation of the ordinary three degrees of Masonry. The original secret of masonry was the art of laying stone work. Later, as may be seen readily, it appeared desirable to admit others. In order to secure contracts and have early knowledge of enterprises underway, men of influence were admitted. With the growth in numbers and importance the accession of influential members, including royalty itself, became more and more noticeable. There were guilds of stone workers on the continent. In the time of Charlemagne, for instance, a society known as Brothers of the Bridges built and repaired bridges, but the present Masonic lodges of Europe all derive their authority from original British lodges. The earliest known reference to the compass, level, and square dates from 1581. The earliest record of a lodge meeting dates from July, 1599. The first grand lodge of England was organized June 24, 1717. The oldest lodge in existence is the Kilwinning Lodge of Scotland. Its earliest records date from 1599. Lodges of a more or less irregular character were organized by the American colonists from the very first. In 1734 Benjamin Franklin was elected grand master at Philadelphia. The question of which is the oldest lodge in America is an open one. There were in 1910 in the United States and Canada about 1,309,000 Masons in good standing. There were in 1903 13,704 constituent lodges and fifty-seven grand lodges. There are about 4,000 lodges in the United Kingdom . Masonry is without question the most powerful secret organization in the world. See Odd Fellows ; Knights Of Pythias