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 Masonic quotes by Brothers

MASONIC EVENTS IN HISTORY

Taken from Parallels with History

by Alphones Cerza

Table of Contents

MAN APPEARS - From early days to 715 B. C.

ANCIENT TIMES - From 715 B.C. to 500 AD.

THE CHRISTIAN ERA - From 1 A. D. to 500 A. D.

MIDDLE AGES - From 500 A. D. to 1390 A. D.

PERIOD OF TRANSITION - From 1390 to 1717

THE FORMATIVE YEARS - From 1717 to 1751

THE YEARS OF RIVALRY - From 1751 to 1813

THE YEARS OF PROGRESS - From 1814 to 1840

PRELUDE TO MODERN TIMES - From 1840 to 1914

FOUNDATION FOR TOMORROW - From 1914 to 1981

As soon as two men associated to grater there was a need for mutual assistance. Shortly thereafter some form of elementary fraternity appeared.

In many primitive societies was a Men's House. Here the leaders of the tribe met and admitted members with secret ceremonies. As the new members became proficient they were advanced from degree to degree. Some have sought to link these associations with Freemasonry of today, but there are too many missing links. All that is certain is that these Men's Houses had certain elements that resemble Freemasonry and may have been one of the ancestors of the Masonic Craft.

2781 BC - For scholars of "ancient" Masonry The Egyptian calendar is presumed to have started. Egyptian scientists determined each year to be of 365 days in length, divided into 12 months of 30 days each, and an extra five days added at the end. The Egyptian calendar was the basis for the Gregorian calendar, the one in use today in the Western world, July 19. (Source: American Mason Files)

1000 BC - Hiran Abif born about this time. Date unknown.

967 BC - Solomon's Temple begun.

960 BC - Solomon's Temple finished.

In the Ancient World were organizations that have been given the name of "Ancient Mysteries" consisting chiefly of the Mystery of Mithras, The Eleusinian Mysteries (in Greece) and The Druids (in England). These associations had secret ceremonies which zealous Masons have sought to link with Freemasonry, but none have succeeded in supplying the evidence; too many assumptions must be made to support such a thesis.

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715 BC - Numa Pompilius organized Roman workers into various Collegia; he attached one to each legion of the army so that the Roman arms and arts went hand in hand into the outlying parts of the empire. The stone workers or masons were the most numerous and became very powerful. There were some similarities between these groups and a modern lodge. Each Collegia was required to have at least three members; the head was called the Magister or Master; they used their tools as symbols; and they looked after the widows and orphans of the members.

587 BC - King Solomon's Temple destroyed.

582 BC - Pythagoras, character in Master Mason degree born.

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1 AD - As the time to Christ there existed in Palestine three religious sects: The Essenes, the Pharisees, and the Sadducees. The Essenes were the strictest group with a high moral code, a secret ceremony. It is sometimes urged that Jesus Christ was a member because he was not on the scene from childhood until manhood. He spoke against the other two sects but never against the Essenes, he was celibate (as they were), and he lived a pure and spotless life (as they urged).

290 AD - On November 8, the Emperor Diocletian executed Claudius Castorius, Sempronianus, and Nicostratus, Sempronianus, for refusing to carve a statue to the god Aesculapius. Their names were forgotten for a time. Several years later, Severus, Severianus, Carpophorus, and Victorinus, (Christians), were executed for refusing to pay homage to the same pagan god. They were later honored as the Four Crowned Martyrs. When the names of the other five were discovered they were added to the list. So that now the nine Martyrs are honored under the term "Four Crowned Martyrs."

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500. The theory has been advanced by Leader Scott (Mrs. Lucy Baxter) that upon the fall of Rome certain skilled workmen retired to the Isle of Como and preserved the Stone Masons' art; that they later emerged and came to the continent to erect the many cathedrals built in the middle ages. The theory was urged with great skill and energy for many years by Ravsenscroft. It was accepted by many as the missing link between the associations of the ancient world and the modern world. It is a highly debatable subject.

926. In a number of ancient manuscripts ins the legend that in this year Prince Edwin, son of King Athelstan, presided over a meeting of Masons at York.

1080. There existed in Germany about this time a group of stone masons known as the Steinmetzen. They were well organized operative workmen with rules, ceremonies, and titles that have caused some to clam that they are the ancestors of the Craft.

1136. Melrose Abbey Church being built. Traveling Masons placed their marks on some of the stones.

1147. Companies of Norman Masons emigrated to Chartres to help build the Cathedral there.

1187. Jerusalem falls to the Saracens. A formal separation came between the Order of Sion and the Knights Templar. This separation was marked by a ceremony at Gisors, France, referred to as the "cutting of the elm." Henceforth the Knights Templar operated autonomously.

1189. Following the death of his father Henry II, Richard Plantagenet (the Lionheart) was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey in London on September 3. While King of England he spent the vast majority of his ten-year reign abroad, devoting himself to the Crusades. Richard's constant companions were knights from the Order of Knights Templar who participated in his Crusade to recover Jerusalem. The Knights Templar were formally under the control of the Order of Sion created a half century earlier by Godfroi de Bouillon. (Source: Holy Blood Holy Grail (Dell) )

1271. The Compagnonnage of France was in existence in France for several hundred years; many enthusiastic Masons have tired to see in it elements of the Craft.

1278. Earliest knows use of the word "lodge" in the records of Vale Royal Abbey.

1306. In June, Pope Clement V wrote to Jacques De Molay that he wished to confer with him.

1307. Jacques De Molay arrived in Paris, October 13, every Templar found in France was arrested and put in chains on King Philip's orders. They were tortured until they confessed heresy. The Knights who managed to escape were men without a country or religion, and forced to develop secret recognition signals and grips which were to become the traditional underpinnings of Freemasonry.

1314. Jacques De Molay was burned at the stake on March 18. He had been imprisoned in 1307 as a result of the treachery of the King of France and Pole Clement V.

June 24, in what became known as the "Battle of Bannockburn," Scottish troops, assisted by Knights Templar fugitives from France, under the command of Robert the Bruce, defeated English troops under the command of Edward II. This battle, in which the Scots were outnumbered four to one, was decisive in securing Scotland's independence from England 13 years later.

1327. Scotland's gains independence from England.

1350. Statute of Laborers passed. It confirmed and made harsher the ordinance of the preceding year. It regulated the wages of workmen. The law was justified on the ground that wages wee getting out of hand because of the lack of skilled workers and the large amount of work that was necessary to be done in England. In this law the word "mason" and the word "freestone" appears.

1360. Thirteen sheriffs were ordered by the Crown to send 568 Masons to Windsor.

1370. York Minster masons' Ordinance passed. It was written in English and used the word "Mason," or "Masoun."

1375. The Mason's Company of London was represented at the Court of Common Council. It had no doubt been in existence for many years in order to be entitled to this representation.

1376. The Freemason and Mason Company of London was in existence. It was probably a craft guild.

First known use of the word "Freemason" in the City of London Letter Book H of August 9. The word was then stricken off and replaced with the word "Masons."

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1390. The Regius Poem, sometimes called the Halliwell Manuscript, was written or copied from an older, unknown manuscript. This is the oldest extant copy of any ancient manuscript of Masonry.

1400. Inventory of the masons' lodge at York Minster contained two tracing boards.

1425. The Cooke Manuscript was written. This is the second oldest of the extant ancient manuscripts of Masonry.

1429. "Masons of the Lodge" mentioned at Canterbury Cathedral.

1460. Reference made to a tracing house at Westminster Abbey.

1463. The Worshipful Company of Masons of the City of London erected its first hall.

1479. The term "Master Mason" appeared after the name of William Orchard at Magdalen College.

1487. The word "Freemason" appeared for the first time in the Statutes of England.

1491. Municipal law passed at St. Giles, Edinburgh, establishing the condition of employment of Master Masons and co-workers.

1531. Reference made to a tracing house at Westminster Palace.

1581. The Mason's Company ws incorporated at Newcastle and given certain powers and duties.

1583. St. Mary's Lodge of Dundee is mentioned in an Indenture bearing this date.

1598-1599. William Schaw, who had become Master of the Works in Scotland in 1584, promulgated two sets of rules. The first regulated the Masons of Scotland; the second gave the Lodge of Kilwinning supervisory powers over the lodges of West Scotland. It used the term "fellow of the craft."

1599. The oldest known written records of a Masonic Lodge; January 9, Aitchison's Havenhas Lodge in Musselburgh, Scotland. It ceased to exist in 1856.

Oldest known existing lodge, Edinburgh Lodge No. 1, Edinburgh, Scotland, July 3.

1600. First record of the admission of a non-operative mason in a Lodge of Scotland.

John Boswell, laird of Auchinlech, become a member of the lodge of Edinburgh.

The word "Freemason" appeared in the York Roll.

1617. Birth of Elias Ashmore at Litchfield, England. A famous antiquarian, he is remembered by the Craft because entries in his diary regarding his initiation prove that there were speculative lodges long before 1717.

1619-1620. Account Book of the London Mason's Company used the term "Accepted" as a description of some members.

1621. Records of the Worshipful Company of Freemasons of London indicate that there were "accepted" and "operative" members.

1633. John Stow's Survey of London was published mentioning the "Company of Masons being otherwise termed Free Masons."

1634. The following members of the nobility were made Masons at the Lodge of Edinburgh: Lord Alexander, Sir Anthony Alexander, and Sir Alenander Strachan.

1641. Sir Robert Moray initiated by a group of Masons in a Scotch regiment at Newcastle-on-Tyne, May 20. This is the earliest recorded initiation.

1642. Minutes of Mother Kilwinning Lodge go back to this year.

1646. Elias Ashmole wrote in his diary that he made a "Free Mason," October 16.

1650. The Harleian Manuscript was written about this time.

1655. The Company of Freemasons of the City of London change its name to "The Company of Masons."

1656. John Aubrey began A Natural History of Wiltshire, in which he stated that the Fraternity of Free Masons "are known to one another by certain signes and Watch words," and other significant words.

1659. First known use of the word "club" as a group meeting.

1668. Hall of the Worshipful Company of Masons of London rebuilt. It is believed that a speculative lodge met in the building.

1670. The records of the Lodge of Aberdeen began. They showed that some members were operative and others were speculative.

1677. Stanley Manuscript written about this time.

1680. Dr. James Anderson was born at Aberdeen, Scotland.

1681. Jonathan Belcher, the first native born American to be made a Mason, was born in Boston.

1682. Elias Ashmole wrote in his diary that he had attended a lodge meeting at Masons' Hall, London.

John Skene, first known Mason to become a permanent resident in United States, was a member of Aberdeen Lodge No. 1 (No. 27 on their roll), Scotland. He became a member prior to 1670.

June 23, Chief Tamanend of the Lenni-Lenape tribe and William Penn signed a friendship treaty at Shackamaxon, near what is now the Kensington district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The French philosopher and Mason, Brother Francoise Marie Arouet de Voltaire, an admirer of Penn, hailed this as "the only treaty between Indians and Christians that was never broken." (Brother Voltaire became a Mason April 7, 1778, in the Lodge Les Neuf Soeurs less than two moths before his death on May 30, 1778. His last words: "I die adoring God, loving my friends, not hating my enemies, and detesting superstition.") (The Learning Kingdom)

1686. Dr. Robert Plot published his "National History of Staffordshire" in which he ridiculed the society of Freemasons. This is proof that a symbolical lodge was in existence at that time.

John Aubrey, an antiquary, wrote his "National History of Wiltshire" (published in 1847) and spoke of "Fraternity of Free-Masons" and also described them as "adopted masons" and "accepted masons."

1688. A lodge of accepted Masons met at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

Randle Holm III, a Chester genealogists and antiquary, described an association with members of the "Society called Free-Masons."

The Society of Freemasons is mentioned in a satirical speech at the commencement exercises of the University of Dublin in July.

1690. The defeat of James 11, at the battle of the Boyne, 12th July lead to the growth of French Masonry.

Records of the Lodge of Melrose(between this year and 1695) used the term "fellowcraft."

1696. The Edinburgh Register House Manuscript suggests that Masons had words, a grip, signs and "five points."

James E. Oglethorpe born in London, England.

1697. Mention on a letter from Scotland of the "mason's word," used for purpose of recognition.

Henry Price born in London.

1698. An Anti-Masonic leaflet was published warning people against the "Free Masons."

Hogarth born.

1701. Jeremy Gridley, "Father of the Boston Bar," born. He was Grand Master of Massachusetts, 1755-1767.

1702. The Hughfoot Lodge Minute Book starts with December 2.

1704. Jonathan Belcher, a native born American, became a Mason in London.

1709-1710. Steele, in "The Tatler," famous paper of the day, in discussing certain people said: "They ‘Free-Masons' and the have some secret Intimations of each other like the Free Masons."

1710. Hon. Elizabeth St. Leger, the most famous "Lady Mason'" was supposed to have been an eavesdropper at a Masonic initiation and was given two degrees. She later married Richard Aldsworth and is sometimes known under this name.

David Wooster, famous patriot, born in Connecticut. He became forst Master of Hiram Lodge No. 1, Cinnecticut.

1716. Meeting held at the Apple Tree Tavern in Charles Street, Covent Gardens, to discuss a revival of the Quarterly Communications and the Annual Assembly.

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1717. The first Grand Lodge was formed on June 24, in London, by four lodges of the city. It was not the Grand Lodge of England at that time but of "London and Westminster."

1719. Reverend John T. Desaguliers elected Grand Master of the Mother Grand Lodge of England.

1720. Charles Montesquieu made a Mason while on a visit to London.

1721. The Grand Lodge of England, on June 24, adopted the regulation requiring all regular lodges to secure a charter.

Masonry introduced in to Turkey.

John, Duke of Montagu, became The Grand Master attendant publicity brought the Craft much prestige.

Dr. Stukeley recorded in his diary that he was made a Mason.

1722. Reads Weekly Journal published the Enter' D ‘Prentice Song, December 1.

The Old Constitution belonging to the Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons was published.

1723. The Flying Post, on April 11-13, printed "A Masons' Examination," the earliest known printed catechism of the Craft.

Dr. James Anderson publishes first edition of "The Constitution of the Free-Masons."

The Grand Mystery of Freemasons Discovered was published. It contained a Masonic catechism.

The Gormogons, anti-Masons, made their appearance.

The Committee on Charity founded by the Grand Lodge of England.

1725. Grand Lodge of Ireland formed.

A lodge was known to exist in Paris.

1728. Edward Oakley, then Senior Grand Warden in south Wales, delivered an oration on December 28, so good that is was printed in the Benjamin Cole edition of the Book of Constitutions published 1731.

Masonic activity in India first began in Calcutta.

The Chevalier D'Eon was born in paris. He became a mason in 1768 and a better controversy arose as to whether "he" was a man or woman. Upon his death, it was determined that he was a man though in his later years he wore the clothes of a woman.

1729. Gotthold E. Lessing born at Kamenz, Germany, Lessing became famous for two books with Masonic meaning: Ernst and Falk and Nathan the Wise. He was a Mason.

1730. Prichard's Masonry Dissected was published. It was the first expose of the ritual. Today in is of value in studying the development of the ritual.

Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, John Pennell, published his version of the Book of Constitutions.

Martin Clare published his Defense of Masonry, an answer to Prichard's book.

The Pennsylvania Gazette published by Benjamin Franklin, on December 3 and 8, mentioned several lodges meeting in Philadelphia.

Lord Baltimore mad a Mason in England.

The Grand Lodge of England, on June 5, issued a deputation to Daniel Coxe to act as "Provincial Grand Master of the Provinces of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in America.

First Lodge constituted in India.

Baron von Steuben born.

1731. Libre B is evidence of Lodge in Philadelphia.

1732. A lodge in Paris was formed under the English constitution.

First traveling Military Lodge formed by Grand Lodge of Ireland.

George Washington born.

1733. Freemasonry appeared in Italy and persecution followed in Florence, Italy.

On April 13, Henry Price received a Deputation as "Provincial Grand master of New England and Dominions and Territories thereunder belonging." He returned to America the same year and for some years thereafter was active on behalf of the Craft.

On July 30, Henry Price organized the Provincial Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

1734. Henry Price's authority extended in August to cover all North America.

First Masonic Temple in America erected in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

First lodge in Georgia formed in Savannah by James Oglethorpe. The charter from England was received the following years.

Benjamin Franklin reprinted Anderson's Book of Constitutions. This was the first Masonic book published in America.

On November 28, Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter as Grand master for the Province of Pennsylvania.

1735. A lodge was formed in North Carolina.

Masonry established in Portugal under an English charter.

Grand Lodge of England issued a warrant to Solomon's Lodge at Charleston, South Carolina.

Hammerton received deputation as Provincial Grand Master of South Carolina, April 15.

Paul Revere born in Boston.

1736. On May 29, born at Studley, Verginia, was American Revolutionary leader and orator Brother Patrick Henry. History remembers Brother Henry for his speech on March 23, 1775, at St. John's Church in Richmond, Verginia calling for the arming of the Virginia militia. That's when he said: "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death." Records are lost but he was believed to have been a member of Tappahannock Lodge of Virginia.

The South Carolina Gazette of Charles reported a Masonic meeting on that city.

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Massachusetts established a lodge Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Grand Lodge of Scotland was formed.

1737. John Hancock born in Braintree, Massachusetts. His name was the first affixed to the Declaration of Independence. He was a Mason.

Warrant issued by Lord Derwentwater for the formation of a lodge in Sweden.

First lodge met in Germany on September 6.

The New York Gazette of March 28 indicated that a lodge existed in New York at the time.

1738. Dr. James Anderson published the Second edition of The Constitution of the Freemasons.

Edward Oakley, on December 31, delivered a speech in which he commended the giving of lectures in lodges on the subjects of architecture and geometry.

A new edition of masonry Dissected, by Prichard, was published.

Pope Clement XII issued his Papal Bull in Eminenti, April 28. This is the first official edict of the Roman Catholic Church against the Craft.

1739. July 26, in Little Britain, New York, was born Brother George Clinton, the Mason who was to become America's fourth Vice President. He was Governor of New York from 1777 to 1786 and from 1801 to 1804. He became Vice President of the United States from 1805 to 1812. He appears to have been a member of Warren Lodge No. 17, New York City. (Source: Chase's; 10,000 Famous Freemasons)

Dr. James Anderson died.

Masons persecuted in Florence.

New York Gazette announced a lodge meeting in the city.

Committee met in London to discuss Freemasonry. It eventually developed into the Ancient Grand Lodge.

1740. During the Seven Years War and the Napoleonic Wars (1740 to 1814), approximately 200,000 members of the French Army were taken prisoner and held in captivity in England. In the eight land prisons they established five Lodges; in the 50 parole towns, 32 Lodges; and, impossible as it may be to conceive, in the 51 prison hulks, where anything like a normal life was virtually if not completely impossible, there were six Lodges established.

Members of a lodge in Madrid were imprisoned.

1741. Masonry introduced in Austria.

William Preston born in Edinburgh, Scotland.

1742. June 17, in Boston, Massachuetts, was born Brother William Hooper, a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. He was a member of Masonboro Lodge in Masonboro, Nother Carolina, which ceased to exist in 1787. He died in October, 1790. (Chase's)

Joseph Brant, Mohawk Indian Chief, born in Ohio. He was a Mason.

1743. John Coustos questioned and tortured by the Inquisition in Portugal because he was a Mason.

Masonry introduced in Denmark. A duly constituted lodge, however, was not started until October 25, 1745, when a warrant was issued by the Grand Lodge of England.

Joseph Balsamo born. He later took the name Count Cagliostro and organized an Egyptian rite of Freemasonry for men and women. He became the most notorious "Masonic" charlatan. He was imprisoned on Rome for the "crime" of being a freemason and died in prison.

1744. Fifield Dassigny published A serious and Impartial Inquiry into the Caus of the Present Decay of Freemasonry in the Kingdom of Ireland. It contains the oldest printed reference to Royal Arch Masonry.

1746. John Coustos published The Sufferings of John Coustos for Freemasonry. It was a first hand report on the methods of the Inquisition.

John Paul Jones born.

1749. First lodge formed in Canada.

Thomas Oxnard, Provincial Grand Master, issued charter to St. John's Lodge. Newport, Rhode Island. This was the first lodge in that State.

Franklin appointed Provincial Grand Master of Pennsylvania.

1750. Freemasonry introduced in Poland.

Thomas Oxnard, Provincial Grand Master, issued charter to the first lodge in Maryland.

On January 17, Joseph Torrubia secured permission of the Pope to become a mason. He was a Roman Catholic priest living in Spain and wanted to find out who were the Masons. As a result of his joining the Craft he learned who belonged to the order and he caused their arrest and punishment by the Inquisition.

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From 1751 to 1813

1751. In March, Torrubia gave the list of ninety-seven lodges to the Grand Inquisitors.

On July 2, King Ferdinand VI suppressed the Order in Spain.

The Ancient Grand Lodge was formed on July 17. This was formerly called a schism from the 1717 Grand Lodge. It was established by Sadler that it was founded by Irish Masons in protest against the attitude of the 1717 Grand Lodge.

Pope Benedict XIV issued the Bull Providas against the Craft on May 18. Prior to his becoming Pope, it was claimed by Paul Duchaine in 1911, That he was made a Mason in His native Bologna.

1752. Laurence Dermott became Secretary of the Ancient Grand Lodge of England.

George Washington received his first degree on November 4 in "The Lodge at Fredericksburgh," Virginia.

1753. George Washington, a 21 year-old Virginia planter, became a Master Mason, August 4, in The Lodge at Fredericksburg," Fredericksburg, Virginia. He was initiated November 4, 1752, and passed March 3, 1753. Masons in the 18th century espoused liberal democratic principles that included religious tolerance, loyalty to local government, and the importance of charity and political compromise. Washington On Masonry by George Washington. "Flattering as it may be to the human mind, and truly honorable as it is to receive from our fellow citizens testimonies of approbation for exertions to promote the public welfare, it is not less pleasing to know that the milder virtues of the heart are highly respected by a Society whose liberal principles must be founded in the immutable laws of truth and justice. To enlarge the sphere of social happiness is worthy of the benevolent design of a Masonic institution; and it is most fervently to be wished that the conduct of every member of the Fraternity, as well as those publications that discover the principles which actuate them, may tend to convince mankind that the great object of Masonry is to promote the happiness of the human race." (George Washington) (Source: Freemasonry - A Celebration of the Craft (JG Press))

Second charter issued on May 14 for a lodge in Rhode Island. The one issued in 1749 had been unused.

George Harrison appointed Provincial Grand Master of New York on January 9. He served for eighteen years and warranted some seventeen or eighteen lodges.

1754. First known use of the term "the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason," in a certificate drawn by the Grand Lodge of Ireland.

James Otis made a Mason in St. John's Lodge of Massachusetts. Famous for the words "Taxation without representation is tyranny."

Thomas Dunckerley became a Mason on January 10 in Lodge #31, Plymouth, England.

Amos Doolittle born in Cheshire, Connecticut. He made many engravings for the True Masonic Chart of Jeremy Cross. These engravings were made into slides that are still being used.

Publication of The Free mason Examin'd by Alexander Slade. Six editions were published in five years. It was an expose and claimed that the Craft's ritual was based on the Tower of Babel.

1755. On June 6, born at Coventry, Connecticut was the American patriot, Brother Nathan Hale. During the battles for New York in the American Revolution he volunteered to seek military intelligence behind enemy lines and was captured on the night of September 21, 1776. Before British General William Howe, Brother Hale admitted to being an American officer and was ordered hanged the following morning. His dying words reportedly were: "I only regret I have but one life to lose for my country." He was hanged September 22, 1776, at what is now the intersection of Market Street and East Broadway, New York City. The Martyred Brother Nathan Hale was thought to be a member of St. John's Regimental Lodge of New York City. No real proof exists. (Chases; Livingston Masonic Library)

Jeremy Gridley become Provincial Grand Master over the remaining parts of North America. John Marshall born.

1756. Henry (Light Horse harry) Lee born. Famous Revolutionary War soldier was the father of Robert E. Lee. He was a Mason.

Mozart, noted musician and composer of much Masonic music, especially "The Magic Flute," was born January 25.

Laurence Dermott published Ahiman Rezon, the Constitution of the Ancients.

1757. Lafayette born in France.

1758. "Strict Union" between the Grand Lodge of Ireland and the Ancients.

1759. A Lodge at Exeter made a reference to the Royal Arch Degree in a manner to indicate that a lodge was conferring that degree.

Scottish poet and Brother Robert Burns born, January 25.

1761. A number of lodges in Pennsylvania, on July 15, organized a Grand Lodge and soon thereafter received a charter from the Ancient Grand Lodge. It was called the York Grand Lodge.

John Warren made a mason in the Loge of St. Andrew, Boston.

The Provincial Grand Master of New York issued a warrant to St. John's Lodge of Newark, New Jersey, and it was constituted on May 13. It was the first lodge on New Jersey.

The Grand Consistory of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret, of Paris, granted a Patent to Stephen Morin, on August 27, to carry the Rite of Perfection to America.

1763. Masonic Congress held at Jena.

1765. Benedict Arnold was made a Mason on Connecticut.

1766. Jeremy Gridley, Provincial Grand master, warranted a lodge at Crown Point, North Carolina. It was called First Lodge.

1767. First lodge established in China by the Grand Lodge of England.

On December 30, Henry Price sent a deputation to Thomas Cooper of North Carolina in which he declared himself as "Grand Master of the Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons of all such places in North America where no other Grand Master is appointed."

Andrew Jackson born, First Grand Master to be President of the United States.

1769. John Wilkes made a Mason in England by Jerusalem Lodge (Now No. 197). He was in prison at the time.

Earliest known record of the conferring of the Masonic Order of Knights Templar, on August 28, in St. Andrew's Royal Arch Chapter, Boston, Massachusetts.

Charter on incorporation proposed by the Modern Grand Lodge.

Welling Callcott published Candid Disquisition of the Principles and Practices of Free and Accepted Masons. This was the first book to explain the symbols of the Craft.

The Grand Lodge of Scotland appointed Joseph Warren as Provincial Grand Master. He set up St. Andrew's Grand Lodge with three member lodges; one had an Irish chapter.

First Lodge, Portland No.1, established in Maine on May 8.

1770. June 11, English explorer and circmnavigator Captain and Brother James Cook ran aground Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The site where his ship "Endeavour" was repaired was later named Cooktown. Brother Cook and his crew had sighted the eastern coast of Australia less than two months earlier. Although no roof of his membership is available, he is constantly referred to as a member of the Craft. (The learning Kindom; Livinston Masonic Library)

John Paul Jones, famous naval commander, made a Mason in St. Bernard's Lodge, Scotland.

1771. Thomas Smith Webb born, October 13, Boston, Massachusetts. He became an outstanding ritualist.

The Grand Master of England, on January 14, appointed Col. Joseph Montfort of Halifax, North Carolina, "Provincial Grand master of and for America." (Surprising because Henry Price was still active.)

1772. First lodge formed in South Africa.

William Preston published "Illustration of Free Masonry" which went through seventeen editions by 1861.

1773. The minutes of St Andrew's Lodge of Boston, for December, disclose that there were few members present and it was necessary to adjourn. There is also evidence that men dressed as Indians left the building where the lodge was meeting the night of the "Tea Party," but it was a Masonic party as sometimes claimed.

"Strict Union" between the Grand Lodge of Scotland and the Moderns.

Grand Lodge formed in France called the Grand Lodge National.

1774. June 21, was born in Fox Meadows (now Scarsdale), New York, Bro. Daniel D. Tompkins, Sixth Vice President of the United States, 1817-25. He was elected United States Congressman, but resigned before taking seat in order to become Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New York in 1804. He served on the bench until 1807, when he resigned to become Governor of New York from 1807-17, a term of ten years. Before resigning the Governorship and entering the office of Vice President, he sent a message to the legislature on January 28, 1817, recommending that a day be fixed for the abolition of slavery within the bounds of the state. The assembly acted, setting the date as July 4, 1827.

Unity Lodge organized on Savannah, Georgia.

1775. General Joseph Warren killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill, on June 17.

Edward Gibbon, author of the "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, made a Mason in Friendship Lodge No. 6, London, England.

"Spirit of Masonry" by William Hutchinson was published. The first book on Masonic Philosophy expressing the view that the Craft os a Christian association.

Ferdinand IV, King of the Two Sicilies, issued an edict against Freemasonry.

1776. James Monroe introduced in Luxembourg.

Masonic Hall dedicated on Great Queen Street, London, England.

Adam Weishaupt organized Illuminati in Bavaria May 1.

June 7, 1776, Brother Richard Henry Lee of Virginia proposed to the Continental Congress a resolution calling for a Declaration of Independence. His resolution read ( in part ): These United colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." This was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 2, 1776. Brother Lee was a member of Hiram Lodge No. 59, Westmoreland County , Verginia (Chronicle of America; Livingston Masonic library)

June 11, 1776, the Continental Congress formed a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence from Britain. Named to the committee were Virginian Thomas Jefferson, John Adams of Massachusetts; Brother Benjamin Franklin, Pennsylvania Brother Robert Livingston of New York, and Brother Roger Sherman of Massachusetts. Jefferson is credited with the writing. (Newsday; This Day in History; Chronicle of America)

1777. June 13, the French soldier Brother Marquis de Lafayette (whose given name was Gilbert du Mothier) landed in the United States to aid the former colonies against Great Britain. His military career spanned five decades, during which he was a French Musketeer, a commander of American troops, and an anti-Bourbon revolutionary leader. He was commissioned a Major General in the continental Army on July 31. He became an intimate of General and Brother George Washington. He claimed to have been initiated in the Loge Contrat Social of Paris before he even came to America. He received the chapter degrees in Jerusalem Chapter No. 8 (RAM) September 12, 1824. His son, Brother George Washington Lafayette received them in the same chapter four days earlier. He was knighted in Morton Commandery No. 4, K. T. and received the Scottish rite degrees in the Cerneau Supreme Council of New York and was made a 33rd degree and Honorary Grand Commander of that body. More than 75 Masonic Bodies in the United States have been named after him, including 39 Lodges, 18 Chapters, 4 Councils, 4 Commanderies, and 87 Scottish Rite bodies. He died May 20, 1834. (The Learning Kingdom; Livinston Masonic Library)

The friends of Joseph Warren organized the Massachusetts Grand Lodge. From that day to 1792, there were two Grand Lodges in the State of Massachusetts.

1778. Voltaire made a Mason in the Lodge of the Nine Muses, Paris, April 7. Benjamin Franklin was present.

Stephen Girard made a Mason in Union Lodge No. 8, Charleston, South Carolina. He loaned large sums of money to Colonies during war and later established the large Stephan Girard Charity Fund which is still being administered.

Grand Lodge of Virginia formed, October 13.

Prince Hall and 14 black men in Boston take part in a ceremony conducted by a John Batt, on March 6.

1779. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania met outside its borders and organized a lodge in Burlington, New Jersey.

Washington proposed (first time) as General Grand Master, by American-Union Lodge, December 15. Same proposal (second time) by Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, December 20.

On Saint Johns Day, December 27th, in Arnolds Tavern, Morristown, New Jersey, the American Union
Lodge No. 1 of Marietta, Ohio met with representatives of all the Lodges then encamped at Jockey Hollow. The Masons had big problems, not only were they fighting for their actual lives, but also their Masonic life. As rebels they had cut the tie with the Grand Lodge of England. They were now irregular!

At this meeting was General Washington and most of his staff who were Masons. General Mordecai Gist was in the East and presented a petition calling for the formation of a General Grand Lodge for all the United States. It was agreed and was copied and dispatched to all the other known lodges in the Colonies.

However due to transit time, before it could be fully circulated thru the colonies several of them decided to form their own Grand Lodge within their respective states, and the General Grand Lodge died.

Of note, Pennsylvania not only formed it's own Grand Lodge but elected Brother George Washington as Grand Master, but the matter died. Brother Washington thoughts are unknown.

1780. Goethe became a Mason in Lodge Amalia.

Washington proposed as General Grand Master (third time) by Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, January 13.

1781. Charter issued by Massachusetts Grand Lodge, November 10, for first lodge in territory which later became Vermont, Paul Revere signed charter as Senior Grand Warden.

Grand Lodge of New York formed.

Robert Burns became a Mason at St. David's Lodge Tarbolton, Scotland.

Lord Cornwallis, the General who surrendered to Washington, was a Mason.

1782. George Oliver born, November 5, Pepplewick, England. He was most prolific Masonic writer of his day.

Hogarth's Night offered for sale.

Robert Burns installed as Poet Laureate of Freemasonry on Lodge Canontgate-Kilwinning, Scotland.

1783. Brother Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams were the three American signatories who signed the Treaty (known as the Treaty of Paris) between the United States and Britain, ending the Revolutionary War, September 3.

Simon bolivar born in Caracas, Venezuela. Called "The Liberator." He was a Mason.

1784. Second Grand Lodge of New York formed, February 4.

July 24, born at Caracas, Venezuela, was Brother Simon Bolivar, known as "The Liberator" and as "The George Washington of South America." Brother Bolivar in the course of 20 years of warfare liberated from Spanish tyranny the area which is now Venezuela, Colmbia, Equador, Peru and Bolivia, named after him. Brother Bolivar became a Mason at Cadiz, Spain in 1807. The same year he received the Scottish Rite degrees in Paris and was knighted in a Commandery of the Knights Templar in France. He was active as a Freemason during diplomatic mission to London in 1810. In Venezuela he founded and served as Master of Protectora de las Veritudes Lodge No. 1 in 1824. He founded the Lodge Order and Liberty No. 2 in 1828. His Scottish Rite collar and apron are on exhibit at the Grand Lodge of New York. He died at Santa Maria, Colombia, on December 17, in 1830. (Source: Chase's; 10,000 Famous Freemasons)

Charter issued to African Lodge No. 459 by the Grand Lodge of England (Moderns), September 29.

Masonic apron made by Madame Lafayette presented to George Washington.

Illuminate suppressed.

1785. Jean Antoine Houdon made statue of Washington. He was member of Lodge of the Nine Muses, Paris.

1786. June 13, 1786, near Petersburgh, Verginia, was born Brother Winfield Scott, the man and Mason who was to become Commander in Chief of American forces in the Mexican War. He was made a Mason at Dinwiddie Union Lodge No. 23, Dinwiddie Court House, Verginia (now extinct). He died may 29, 1865 at West Point and is buried there. (Chase's; Livingston Masonic Library)

Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania formed September, 25.

Grand Lodge of New Jersey formed, December 18.

1787. Grand Lodge of North Carolina formed, April 17.

June 27, British historian Edward Gibbon completed the sixth and last volume of "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." Written between 1776 and 1787, this multi-volume work is considered a masterpiece from both historical and literary perspectives. Brother Gibbon was a member of Friendship Lodge No. 6, London, England. He died January 16, 1794. (The Learning Kingdom; Livingston Masonic Library; Masonic Leadership Center)

Brother John Fitch of East Windsor, Connecticut, demonstrated his steamboat invention, August 22, on the Delaware River to delegates of the Continental Congress. Having failed to get money from the Congress to develop his invention he invested $800 of his own money to build the 60-ton prototype steamboat. He made other boats and in 1791 received a patent for his inventions from the United States government. But little recognition. Brother Fitch committed suicide by poison in a tavern at Bardstown, Kentucky on July 18, 1798, while Robert Fulton, to whom he had loaned drawings of his invention, took credit for the steamboat. While a watchmaker at Bucks County, Pennsylvinia Brother Fitch had joined Bristol Lodge No. 25 at Bristol, Pennsylvinia (Source: Newsday: This Date in History; 10,000 Famous Freemasons)

Grand Lodge of Georgia formed December, 16.

African Lodge No. 459, under the leadership of Prince Hall, met under a charter issued in 1784.

1788. New York dropped the word "Provincial" from its Grand Lodge name.

Royal Masonic Institution for Girls started in England.

George Washington elected Worshipful Master of Alexandria Loge (now Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22.

1789. Grand Lodge of Connecticut formed July 8.

William Cushing appointed the first justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was a member of St. Andrew's Lodge Boston.

Count Cagliostro, charlatan, arrested in Rome and convected of being a Freemason. He died in prison years later.

Oath of office administered to Washington by Robert R. Livingston, Grand Master, using the Holy Bible of St. John's Lodge No. 1, New York.

Grand Lodge of New Hampshire formed July 8.

Stephen Fuller Austin, born at Austinville, Virginia. He helped his father form Texas into a State and was a member of Louisiana Lodge No. 109, Missouri.

American Union Lodge re-organized.

1791. William Paterson made a Mason in Trenton Lodge No. 5, New Jersey He became a Supreme Court Judge in 1793.

Cornerstone of the District of Columbia (the first of forty stones) laid April 15 by Alexandria Lodge No. 22 Alexandria, Virginia.

1794. Paul Revere elected Grand Master of Massachusetts.

William J. William painted the famous Masonic picture of George Washington.

Grand Lodge of Vermont formed October 4.

1795. James Knox Polk, eleventh President of the United States, born in North Carolina.

1796. Brother Robert Burns, the national poet of Scotland and one of the foremost poets of the world, died, July 21. (Source: AMERICAN MASON; Freemasonry: A Celebration of the Craft.)

Oliver Ellsworth became the third Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was a carter member of St. John's Lodge, Princeton, New Jersey.

1797. George Washington wrote a letter to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts in which he said: "My attachment to the Society of which we re members will dispose me always, to contribute my best endeavors to contribute the honor and interest of the Craft."

John Robinson, a professor of the University of Edinburgh, published "Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the Religions and Governments of Europe carried on in Secret Meetings of the Freemasons, Illuminati and Readings Societies," Collected from Good Authorities.

Thomas Smith Webb published Freemason's Monitor which had a wide circulation and went through many editions.

1798. Royal Masonic Institution for Boys started in England.

Royal Arch masons established the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the Northern States of America, at Hartford, Connecticut.

Jedidiah Morse started an anti-Masonic storm with his sermons.

1799. Daniel O'Connell Irish patriot, made a Mason in Lodge No. 189, Dublin, Ireland.

George Washington buried with Masonic honors.

Act of parliament called the Unlawful Societies Act passed. Freemasonry excluded from its provisions.

1800. Outstanding oration about George Washington as a Mason was delivered on February 11, before the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, by Timothy Bigelow.

Grand Lodge of Kentucky formed October 16.

Andrew Jackson became honorary member of Harmony Lodge No. 1, Tennessee.

1801. June 1, born at Whittingham Vermont, was born Mormon leader Brigham Young, who led thousands of religious followers from Nauvoo, Illionis across 1,000 miles of wilderness to settle more than 300 towns in the west, earning him the name, "the American Moses." When he died at Salt Lake City, Utah August 29, 1877, he was survived by 17 wives and 47 children Utah observes as a state holiday the anniversary of his entry into Salt Lake Valley, July 24, 1847. Young succeeded Joseph Smith as head of the Mormon Church in 1847. Some confusion exists as to Young's Masonic affiliation, but it is known that all the leaders, as well as many of the rank and file Mormons, were members of the Nauvoo Lodges. Young is also mentioned elsewhere frequently in Mormon and Utah history as a Mason.

Sir Walter Scott, famous novelist, made a mason in Lodge St. David, No. 36, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite was established at Charleston, South Carolina.

Emperor Francis II prohibited Masonry on Austria.

1802. Irish Masonic Female Orphan School founded.

1803. Merriwether Lewis with Brother William Clark set out in the summer of 1803 on a 4,000-mile exploration of the Louisiana Purchase, known to history as the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Brother Lewis was raised at Door to Vitrue Lodge No. 44, Albemarle County, Verginia on January 29, 1799. He died mysteriously October 8, 1809 of gunshot wounds. (Chase's; 10,000 Famous Freemasons) (Source: American Mason magazine)

1804. ln 1803, Admiral and Brother George Prebble's Squadron was fighting against the Barbary pirates who were then infesting the Mediterranean Sea. On February 16, 1804, Commodore and Brother Stephen Decatur took the USS Intrepid into Tripoli Harbor under the guns of the fort and fleet, to bum the USS Philadelphia that had been captured after having run aground and the crew inhumanly tortured.

1806. Grand Lodge of Delaware formed on June 6 with Gunning Bedford as Grand Master. He had been a good friend of Washington.

Masonry introduced in Finland.

The Grand Lodge Pennsylvania issued a charter to Western Star Lodge, the first in Illinois, on June 2.

Final stages of organization of General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch masons for the United States of America on January 9 at Middleton, Connecticut.

1807. Earliest authentic evidence of conferring of Royal Master's degree in Columbia Council No. 1 of New York.

David Rice Atchison born at Frogtown, Kentucky. He was a member of Platte Lodge No. 56, Missouri. He was ex-officio president of the United States fir one day because President Taylor refused to take the oath of office on a Sunday, but took it the next day, March 5, 1849.

Albert Gallatin Mackey born in Charleston, South Carolina.

Giuseppe Garibaldi born in Nice, France. He became an active Mason.

Joseph Cerneau, a Frenchman, came from Cuba to the Untied States. He sought to establish bodies to confer the degrees of the Scottish Rite. His spurious activity caused much trouble and he left for France around 1827.

First Masonic Hall purchased in Scotland.

Lodge of Promulgation formed in England and lasted until 1811. It was intended to report on the differences on the ritual between the Moderns and the Ancients.

Albert Pike born in Boston, Massachusetts.

1810. Masonry introduced in Portugal and persecuted shortly thereafter.

1811. Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia formed January 8.

1812. Grand Lodge of Louisiana formed, January 12.

First lodge chartered in Alabama.

1813. June 1, the 38-gun British frigate "Shammon" met the 38-gun American frigate "Chesapeake" head on off the coast of Boston, Massauchsetts and exchanged extremely destructive broadsides. "Chesapeake's" Captain and Brother James Lawrence was mortally wounded, and as he was being carried below to die, he pleaded with this men: "Don't give up the ship." Though the Americans were defeated the casualties were heavy on both sides. While it is known that Brother Lawrence was a Mason, his Lodge membership remains a mystery. However, the Grand lodge of New York did resolve that New York City lodges should assemble to join in the funeral procession for Brother Lawrence. The "Field Book of the War of 1812" reports he was buried with military and Masonic honors. A New York Lodge chartered May 18, 1814, was named after him. Brother Lawrence was born October 1, 1781.

Grand Lodge of Tennessee formed December 27.

The Moderns and the Ancients became reconciled and formed the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons, December 27.

Northern Masonic Jurisdiction of Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite established.

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THE YEARS OF PROGRESS

1814. On September 1, Brother Francis Scott Key, prisoner aboard a British man-of-war shelling Fort McHenry, wrote the words to our National Anthem on the back of an envelope: These words which were to become our National Anthem, also became over the years a closing for most lodge communications.

The nation's Capitol was burned by British forces during the War of 1812. On Lake Erie, Commodore and Brother O. H. Perry flew a flag that read: "Don't Give Up The Ship," and after the battle reported, "We have met the enemy and they are ours."

The Grand Lodge of Ireland, England and Scotland signed the "International Compact" in which they agree on the basic points of Masonry.

Masonic Manual, by Reverend Jonathan Ashe, published.

1815. New book of Constitutions issued by the United Grand Lodge of England.

June 18, former French emperor and suspected but unverified Freemason Brother Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo, Belgium. Napoleon had faced two armies: one led by Brother Arthur, Duke of Wellington, who commanded a combined force of Belgian, Dutch, and British troops, and the other led by Marshal and Brother Gebhardt von Blucher, who commanded a Prussian force. There were nearly 50,000 casualties. Napoleon's direct Masonic affiliation is questioned, though his brothers and sons all were Masons. Brother Wellington - was known as "The Iron Duke." His father, Brother Gafrett, Earl of Mornington, was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1776, and his brother, Brother Richard, 1st Marquise of Wellesley and 2nd Earl of Mornington, was Grand Master of Ireland in 1782. The Iron Duke was initiated in the family Lodge No. 494 at Trim on December 7, 1790 as "A. Wesley" which family name became Welesely in 1790. He continued as a subscribing member until 1795. However, towards the end of his life, The "Duke" denied "any recollection of having been admitted a Freemason." In the case of Brother von Blucher, his original Lodge is not known, but he was a constant visitor in the Lodge "Pax Inimicamalis": at Emmeriah in 1800-1901; and in 1814 the Lodge "Archimedes" at Altenburg received him as an Honorary member. His nickname was"Marshall Forward." (The Learning Kingdom; Livingston Masonic Library)

The Grand Lodge of Maryland laid the cornerstone of the Washington Monument in Baltimore. The Governor of the State acted as Grand Master.

1816. Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland formed.

1817. Theodore Sutton Parvin born at Cedarville, New Jersey. He established the Iowa masonic Library.

Union of Royal Arch Grand Chapters in England.

Grand Lodge of South Carolina formed.

District Deputy Grand Master appointed in Pennsylvania.

1818. Robert Morris born near Boston, Massachusetts. He became a famous Masonic author.

William Preston died, He left a substantial sum to the Benevolent Fund and also established a fund for the giving of an annual lecture, still given in England and called the Prestonian Lectures.

Grand Lodge of Indiana formed January 12.

Grand Lodge of Mississippi formed July 27.

Salem Town published his System of Speculative Masonry.

The Grand Lodge South Carolina issued a warrant to Cuba, and became the Mother of Masonry in that island.

1819. Grand Lodge of Missouri formed April 24.

Grand Lodge of Maine formed June 1.

Grand Lodge of Alabama formed June 11.

Thomas Smith Webb died, July 6, at Cleveland, Ohio.

Pope Pius VII issued his Bull Ecclesiam, September 13.

Elsiha Kent Kane born in Philadelphia. Kane Lodge in New York is named after this famous scientist and explorer.

Simon Greenleaf published a Brief Inquiry into the Origin and Principles of Free Masonry.

Jeremy L. Cross published the True Masonic Chart.

James K. Polk, eleventh President of the United States, made a Mason in Columbus Lodge No. 1, Tennessee.

1820. June 24, in the Battle of Carabobo, independentists led by Brother Simon Bolivar, defeated Spanish royalists outside of Caracas, sealing Venezuela's independence from Spain. The independentist troops -- which included horsemen from the Venezuelan plains (known as "llaneros") and English and Irish soldiers from the British Legion – were led by Brother Simon Bolivar, known as the George Washington of South America, and one of history's most outstanding military and political leaders. Brother Bolivar joined the Craft at Cadiz, Spain, and in 1807 joined The Scottish Rite and the Knights Templar in Paris. In 1824, he founded the Lodge Order and Liberty No. in Peru. (The Learning Kingdom)

1822. Andrew Jackson became Grand Master of Tennessee, October 7. He became the seventh President of the United States.

First Grand Lodge of Illinois formed December 11.

1823. Grand Lodge of Wigan formed by four erased lodges of Lancashire. It constituted six lodges during its existence. It ceased to exist in 1866 after many years of dormancy.

Unlawful Oaths law enacted in Ireland. It was directed at many organizations. Ten months after it was passed an announcement was made that it was not intended to cover Freemasonry.

Henry Holmes Bromwell born in Baltimore County, Maryland. He was active in Masonry in Illinois, later in Colorado, and author of Restorations of masonic Geometry and Symbolism.

1824. Lafayette visited many lodges in his travels in the United States and was made an Honorary Member of the Grand Lodge of Maryland.

Ferdinand VII (Spain) decreed the death of all Masons without trial, August 1.

1825. Pope Leo XII issued his Bull Quiograviora. March 13, directed against the Craft.

Charles Whitlock More started the publication of the masonic Mirror. It was continued until 1853.

1826. William Morgan of Batavia, New York, signed a contract on March 13 to write a book exposing the secrets of Freemasonry. He disappeared. The book was published. The combination of unfortunate circumstances brought about the formation of the Anti-Masonic political party.

On February 23, the Spanish government executed a person accused of being a Mason.

Reverend George Oliver published Signs and Symbols.

1827. So-called Nova Scotia Masonic Stone dated 1606, discovered. Now known not to be Masonic, it is in the wall of the Canadian Institute, Toronto, but lost to sight as it is covered with plaster.

Josiah Hayden Drummond born in maine.

1828. The Grand Lodge of Maryland laid the first stone of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.

Formal organization if the Anti-Masonic political party in February at New York.

Ely S. Parker born in New York. He was a grandson of Red Jacket, who gave a medal to Washington. Both full-blooded Indians were Masons.

1829. Pope Pius VII issued his Bul Traditi, on May 21, directed against the Craft.

The Joshua B. Taylor story, Stoney Creek Lodge, Michigan Territory, began. It ended eleven years later.

1830. Grand Lodge of Florida formed July 6.

1831. Brother Georges Chretien Frederic became Leopold I, first King of an independent Belgium, July 21, on its separation from Holland. He was initiated in the Lodge of Esperance at Berne, Switzerland in 1813, when 23 years old. After his marriage to Princess Charlotte of England, he joined an English Lodge and "took an active part in all its proceedings." One of his first acts as King was to take Masonry under his official protection. As King he could not attend the Lodges but was always interested in their workings and successes. (Source: Chase's; Livingston Masonic Library; Masonic Leadership Center)

William Florence born in Albany, New York. He conceived the idea for the Shrine while on a trip in Northern Africa.

Captain and Brother Thomas Driver of the SS Charles Daggett received a delegation of ladies aboard ship who presented him with a new flag which they had just made. Touched by the unexpected gift he immediately ordered the new colors run up the mast and as he saluted declared, "l name thee Old Glory." The name stuck. Brother Driver was to carry "Old Glory'' twice around the world.

1832. Pope Gregory XVI issued his Bull Mirari on August 15,directed against the Craft.

John James Joseph Gourgas named the first Sovereign Grand Commander upon the formation of the Northern masonic jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite.

1834. Frederick Auguste Bartholdi born in France. He wa the moving spirit and designer of the Statue of Liberty. He was a Mason.

1835. "Mark Twain" (Samuel L. Clemens) born in Missouri.

1836. Brother David (Davy) Crocket in his 1834 autobiography wrote: "I leave this rule for others when I'm dead. Always be sure you're right - then go ahead." During the heroic defense of The Alamo in Texas on March 6, he was killed. (Source: Chase's; 10,000 Famous Freemasons)

General and Brother Sam Houston was elected first President of the Republic of Texas, September 5.

Robert Freke Gould born. He became a famous student and writer of the Craft and its history.

First Book of Constitutions issued by Scotland.

1837. Grand Lodge Liberty started in England.

Grand lodge of Texas formed December 20.

1838. Grand Lodge of Arkansas formed November 21.

Benevolent Institution founded for aged and needy masons on England. It was Grand Lodge's third charitable project.

1839. James Halliwell discovered the Regius Manuscript in the British Museum.

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1840. Second Grand Lodge of Illinois formed April 6.

Stephen A. Douglas, famous political leader, made a Mason in Springfield Lodge No. 4, Illinois.

1841. Franz Liszt, famous composer and pianist, made a Mason in Union Lodge, Frankfurt, Germany.

Masonic College proposed by the Grand Lodge of Missouri.

Albert Gallatin Mackey made a Mason in St. Andrew's Lodge No. 10, South Carolina.

William J. Hughan born in Devonshire. England. He because a famous Masonic student and author.

The Grand Master of Illinois issued a dispensation to a lodge in Nauvoo, Illinois, October 15.

The Grand Lodge of Maine issued a charter, dated October 20, 1841, for a lodge in Iowa.

1842. First lodge formed in New Zealand.

Lodge constituted at Nauvoo, Illinois, March 15.

Joseph Smith, Mormon prophet, was made a Mason at sight in Nauvoo Lodge and their charter was suspended, August 11.

Orphan's Friends Lodge #17, Texas established a school which, apparently, was the first fathered by a Masonic lodge.

1843. Grand Lodge of Iowa formed January 8.

On May 8th, the Baltimore Convention met with fifteen Grand Lodges in attendance.

Charters of the Hauvoo lodges arrested for irregularities in October.

Grand Lodge of Wisconsin formed December 18.

George Baird born in Washington, DC. He became a famous engineer, Admiral of the United States Navy, and Grand Master of the District of Columbia.

Grand Lodge of Missouri established a Masonic College.

1844. June 27, the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (popularly known as the Mormon Church), Brother Joseph Smith, Jr., and his brother Hyrum, were shot to death by a mob in Carthage, Illinois. At the time, Brother Joseph Smith was a presidential candidate of the National Reform Party. Both Joseph and Hyrum were members of Nauvoo Lodge, Nauvoo, Illinois (The Learning Kingdom; Livingston Masonic Library)

Grand Lodge of Michigan formed September 17.

1845. June 8, 1845, Brother Andrew Jackson, 7th President of the United States, died at Nashville, Tennessee Brother Jackson received his three degrees at Harmony Lodge No. 1, Nashville, Tennessee. He became Grand Master of Masons in Tennessee with the Grand Lodge of Tennessee in October 1822, and served until October, 1824. An Honorary member of Federal Lodge No. 1 at Washington , DC, he was also a Royal Arch Mason. Brother Jackson's election as United States President despite fierce anti-Masonic opposition spelled the end for the Anti-Masonic Third party movement which grew out of the infamous Morgan scandal. (Newsday: This Day In History; Livinston Masonic Library)

Cornelius Moore established the masonic Review and published it for fifty years.

Albert Gallatin Mackey published A Lexicon of Freemasonry. Suggestion made before the Grand Lodge of Iowa that a sum of money be set aside to establish a Masonic Library.

George Mifflin Dallas became Vice president of the United States. He was a Mason.

1846. Pope Pius IX issued has Bull Qui Fluribus, November 9, directed against the Craft.

1847. President Polk, a Mason, helped lay the cornerstone of the Smithsonian Institution, at Washington, DC, May 1.

July 23, Brigham Young and his Mormon followers arrived at the Valley of Salt Lake, and there established the center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Young was named president and prophet of the church that same year. This was a post that had been vacant since the murder of Brother Joseph Smith in 1844. In 1849 he became first Governor of the Territory of Utah and soon after became instrumental in securing economic and political rights for Mormons. It was believed Young was a member of Milnor Lodge No. 303 in Victor, New York. But this Lodge warranted in 1818, regularly sent membership returns to New York Grand Lodge until 1830, and Young's name was not among them. He died August 29, 1877. (Source: The Learning Kingdom; 10,000 Famous Freemasons)

Publication of Letters on Masonic Institution by John Quincy Adams. They were anti-Masonic.

Thomas De Quincey wrote an essay, Secret Societies, in which he made unfounded assumptions and concluded that Masonry was an evil association.

Dr. George Kloss, German philologist, made a scientific study of Freemasonry and wrote Geschichte de Friemaurerei.

1848. Robert Macoy made a Mason in Lebanon Lodge No. 313 (now No. 191), New York.

The Grand Lodge of Texas adopted a resolution asking the Grand Master to appoint a Superintendent of Education.

Cornerstone of Washington Monument, Washington, DC laid by Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, July 4, Grand Master Benjamin B. French. First charter for lodge West of the Rockies arrived in Oregon, City.

1849. Pope Pius IX issued his Bull Quibus quantisque Malis, April 20, directed against the Craft.

Grand Lodge of Virginia laid the cornerstone of the George Washington monument in Richmond, Virginia.

Luther Burbank, famous horticulturist, born. He became a member of Santa Rosa Lodge No. 57, California.

1850. Lodge constituted on Arabia, August 5, by Grand Lodge of Scotland.

Degrees of the Eastern Star prepared by Robert Morris, of Kentucky, and first conferred on his wife.

Grand Lodge of California formed April 19.

1851. Andrew Jackson became a mason in Greenville Lodge No. 119 (now No. 3), Tennessee. He became President of the United States on Lincoln's death.

Second cornerstone beginning House and Senate wings of United States Capitol was laid by the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia with Grand Master Benjamin B. French.

General John A. Logan, famous in War Between the States, made a Mason in Benton Lodge No. 64. Illinois.

Edward Lovell Hawkins born. He became a famous Masonic student author.

Lew Wallace, famous General and author of Ben Hur, made a Mason in Fountain Lodge No. 60, Covington, Indiana, January 15.

Grand Lodge of Oregon formed September 15.

1852. Queen Victoria became Patroness of the Masonic Boy's School.

George V Ayres born in Pennsylvania. He moved to South Dakota and made the first deposit in the Permanent Charity found and administered it for forty-nine years. He was the first Grand Masters of South Dakota.

Louis Kossuth made a Mason in Cincinnati Lodge No. 133, Ohio.

1853. Congress of American Lodges held at Lexington, Kentucky.

Grand Lodge of Minnesota formed February 24.

Robert Morris published Lights and Sahdows of Freemasonry.

1854. June 26, at Grand Prix, Nova Scotia, was born Brother Robert Baird Borden, Canadian statesman and Mason who was to become Prime Minister of Canada from 1911 to 1920. He served as delegate to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 and was representative of Canada on the Council of The League of Nations. He died at Totowa, June 10, 1937. (Case's; Livingston Masonic library)

Kit Carson made a Mason in Montezuma Lodge No. 109 (Missouri Register), Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory.

Charles Thomas McClenachan made a Mason in Munn Lodge No. 190, New York.

1855. Robert Morris compiled and published the Universal Masonic Library; thirty volumes of many classics of the Craft.

1856. William R. Harper born in Concord, Ohio. He helped found the University of Chicago. He was a Mason.

Albert Gallatin Mackey published Principles f Masonic Law which went through many editions. It is known as Masonic Jurisprudence.

Sir Alfred Robbins born. He was a famous Mason, journalist and author.

Grand Lodge of Kansas formed March 17.

Admiral Robert Peary born. He discovered the north Pole. He was a member of Kane Lodge, New York.

1857. Brother William Howard Taft, 27th President of the United States was born September 15.

Grand Lodge of Nebraska formed September 23.

John Cabell Breckenridge because Vice President of the United States. He was raised in Des Moines Lodge No. 41 (now No. 1), Burlington, Iowa, and affiliated with Good Samaritan Lodge No. 174 Lexington, Kentucky.

Joseph Jefferson, famous actor, made a Mason in Concordia Lodge No. 13, Baltimore, Maryland. He made "The Little Church Around the Corner" famous as the actor's own church.

1858. Theodore Roosevelt born.

Grand Lodge of Washington formed December 8.

Sylvanus Cobb, Jr. wrote The Caliph of Bagdad; a novel with Masonic significance.

1859. Retired railroad conductor Brother Edwin L. Drake became the first person to successfully drill oil from the earth, August 27, at Titusville, Pennsylvinia. From Pennsylvania, oil production spread West to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and finally to Texas and California. Drake found the oil at a depth of 69 ft (23 m). An American pioneer of the oil industry, Brother Drake was the first to tap petroleum at its source by drilling for the Pennsylvania Rock Oil Company, the oldest petroleum firm in the world. (Source: American Mason)

Masonic Hall dedicated in Edinburgh.

First lodge chartered in British Columbia.

Irving Bachellor born in Pierpont, New York. He became famous author and became member of Kane Lodge No. 454, New York.

George W. Chase wrote Digest of Masonic Law which went through many editions.

1860. First publication of the ritual of the Eastern Star.

William Jennings Bryan born in Salem, Illinois. He was famous as perennial candidate for office of President of the United States. He was a Mason.

Robert Morris, of Kentucky, on June 24, wrote to leaders of the Craft proposing the establishment of the Conservators of the ritual to establish its uniformity. It became the source of much internal strife within the Craft and brought much abuse to one who had labored long and hard in the quarries.

1861. J. G. Findel wrote History of Freemasonry, the first English edition being published in 1865.

Mark Twain made a Mason in Polar Star Lodge No. 79, St Louis, Missouri.

The year 1861 saw our nation tested as to whether it could survive as a nation united. Civil War. We were to suffer 650,000 casualties, more than for all wars combined until World War II. And Brother James Gilmore wrote: "When. Johnny comes marching' home again..." It was during those terrible times that Brother elect (but never initiated) Abraham Lincoln described America as "a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equai...a nation under God that shall have a new birth of freedom and that the government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth...." Assassination prevented Lincoln from becoming "Brother" Lincoln, which would have made three of four United States Presidents on Mount Rushmore, Brothers.

James Abram Garfield made a Mason in Magnolia Lodge No. 20, Columbus, Ohio. He became the twentieth President of the United States.

Grand Lodge of Colorado formed August 2.

1862. First Masonic meeting in Wyoming. July 4, on top of Independence Rock.

Charles Sherwood Stratton, known as Tom Thumb, the famous midget, made a Mason in St. John's Lodge No. 3 Bridgeport, Connecticut.

1863. Following the first day of battle at Gettysburg, the Blue and the Gray met, July 1, at the local lodge and mingled peacefully.

July 26, Confederate Major General and notorious raider Brother John Hunt Morgan was captured at New Lisbon, Ohio by Union forces after harassing those forces in Tennessee and Ohio throughout the Civil War. He was imprisoned in the Ohio Penitentiary from which he soon escaped. He then undertook a raid in Greenville, Tennessee wherein he was surrounded and killed on September 4, 1864. He was a member of Davies Lodge No. 22 Lexington, Kentucky. He was buried in Lexington Cemetery with Masonic honors in 1846. (Source: Chase's; 10,000 Famous Freemasons)

First meeting of the Vigilantes in Montana, December 22. Eleven of the twelve were Masons.

Stephen Johnson Field appointed justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was Lincoln's last appointment. He was a member of Corinthian Lodge No. 9, Marysville, California.

1864. Garibaldi united all the Masonic groups in Italy, May 21-24.

Pope Pius IX issued his Bull Quanta Cura, December 8, directed against the Craft.

Idaho's first lodge chartered on August 9.

1865. Ely S. Parker, a Mason, wrote the terms of surrender for the end of the War Between the States, April 9. He was Grant's Secretary.

Grand Lodge of West Virginia formed April 12.

The Conservator movement came to an end, June 24. the date set by the founder, Robert Morris.

Born July 19, at Rochester, Minnesota was the American surgeon, Brother Charles Horace Mayo later to become one of the Mayo Brothers who co-founded the world famous Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation. The Clinic began at Rochester's Masonic Temple Building. Brother Mayo was a member of Rochester Lodge No. 21. He was also a member of Halcyon Chapter No. 8, Royal Arch Masons, and Home Commandery No. 5, Knights Templar, both of Rochester. Brother Mayo also won the 32º degree AASR (SJ) at Winona, Minnesota, and the 33º in October, 1935. He died May 26, 1939 in Chicago, Illinois (Source: Chase's; Livingston Masonic Library; Masonic Leadership Center )

Pope Pius IX issued his Bull Multiplices Intern, September 25, directed against the Craft. Freemason's Hall opened in Dublin.

St. Cecile Lodge (Daylight), New York City, received dispensation.

1866. Second Freemasons' Hall opened in London.

Lodge formed in Japan by the Grand Lodge of England.

J. M. Ragon, French Masonic author, died in Paris, France.

The Grand Lodge of Kentucky erected the Masonic Widows' and Orphans' home in Louisville. It was the first home of its kind.

Grand Lodge of Montana formed July 24.

Robert Macoy, of New York, published a widely circulated ritual of the Eastern Star.

1867. June 19, Brother Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph, Emperor of Mexico since 1864, was executed by firing squad in Mexico by the forces of Brother Benito Juarez, (The George Washington of Mexico) despite his support for many of Brother Juarez's proposed sweeping social reforms. Nevertheless, Brother Maximilian was executed near the Mexican town of Queretaro. The "Keystone," Raleigh, North Carolina, in October, 1866, credited him, with being a 33º AASR Brother Juarez was prominent in Masonry, serving as Master an rising to Inspector General kin the Mexican AASR 33º. It is claimed that Brother Maximilian appealed to Brother Juarez as a Mason to spare his life, but Brother Juarez, claiming the Emperor was not a Mason, went ahead with the execution. (The Learning Kingdom; Livingston Masonic Library)

Reverend George Oliver died.

Josiah Hayden Drummond unanimously selected as Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite, Northern Jurisdiction.

A number of clergymen met in October, in Aurora, Illinois to discuss secret societies. The National Christian Association resulted. For years it has been issueing, ineffectually, anti-masonic material.

Grand Lodge of Idaho formed December 17.

1868. E. Rebold published A General History of Freemasonry in Europe which went through many editions.

1869. Masonic Boys' School started in Ireland.

Albert Gallatin Mackey wrote Symbolism of Freemasonry.

Joseph Robbins delivered what many believed to be the greatest Masonic oration ever given, before the Grand Lodge of Illinois.

Pope Pius IX his Bull Apostolicae Sedis, October 12, directed against the Craft.

1871. William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) was made a Mason in Platte Valley Lodge No. 32, Nebraska.

Sir Williams S. Gilbert (Gilbert and Sullivan) made a Mason in Lodge St. Michar No. 54, Scotland.

Melvin M. Johnson born in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Alpha Lodge No. 116 constituted by the Grand Lodge of New Jersey. It is now the only regular lodger of Negroes in the United States.

Albert Pike wrote Morals and Dogma.

United States Grant, at his home in Galena, Illinois, received the Knights Templar and entertained them. (Grant was not a Mason, but his father was.) After his world tour, Grant gave the local lodge a tom-tom, a gift he had received from a dignitary in India. The lodge still uses the tom-tom.

1872. First official meeting of Mecca Temple, September 26, in New York. This was the beginning of the Shrine. The guiding spirits were William J. Florence and Dr. Walter M. Fleming.

Grand Lodge of Utah formed January 16.

1873. Pope Pius IX issued his Bull Etsi Multa, November 21, directed against the Craft.

Grand Lodge of Indian Territory formed October 6.

1874. Grand Lodge of Wyoming formed December 15.

1875. Oscar Wilde was raised May 25, in Appolo University Lodge No. 357, Oxford, England.

A lodge in Hungary initiated Helene Barkoczy, Countess Hadik, because of her great interest in the Craft. The lodge lost its charter and the Grand Lodge of Hungary issued a declaration on the subject. This has been questioned.

Grand Lodge of Dakota Territory formed July 21.

Edwin Markham made a Mason in Acacia Lodge No. 22 Coloma, California.

1876. Robert J. Meekren born in London, England. He is famous for his research and writings on the ritual.

1877. Cecil J. Rhodes made a Mason in University Lodge No. 357, Oxford, England. He established the Rhodes scholarships.

John M. Harlan appointed a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was a Mason.

The Grand Orient of France eliminated from its Constitution the reference to God. This placed French lodges in a singular position and most Grand Lodges withdrew recognition.

Grand Lodge of New Mexico formed August 6.

John Heron Lepper born in Belfast, Ireland. He wrote many Masonic articles and was active in Quatuor Coronati of London.

1879. Carl H. Claudy born in Washington, DC Author of many Masonic books, articles and Masonic plays. For many years, was Executive Secretary of The Masonic Service Association.

1880. Joseph Fort Newton born in Decatur, Texas He became active as a Masonic author and noted orator.

Religion of Freemasonry by Josiah Whymper published. It sought to show the Craft in a Christian association.

Gould's History of Freemasonry published. This was a milestone on Masonic historical research.

1881. John Phillip Sousa made a Mason in Hiram Lodge No. 10, Washington, DC.

Charles Wakefield Cadman born. At Dawning was one of his famous songs. Member of Albert Pike Lodge No. 484, California.

1882. First Alberta, Canada. lodge chartered.

Grand Lodge of Arizona formed March 25.

1883. June 17, The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York City aboard the French ship "Isere." The statue was shipped in 350 individual pieces. Sculpted by Brother Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, the statue was a gift to America from the people of France. The statue was supposed to have been ready for the centennial of the American Revolution; financial problems delayed the construction for about ten years. Brother Bartholdi was one of the earliest members of Lodge Allsace-Lorraine, Paris, October 14, 1875. When his status, really named "Liberty Enlightening the world" was achieved, Brother Barthildi convened his Lodge review it, even before the statue was shown to the United States committee. (The Learning Kingdom; Livingston Masonic Library)

Edwin T. Booth, famous Shakespearean actor, born in Bel Air, Maryland. Member of New York Lodge No. 330, New York.

Building erected in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to house Masonic Library, used until 1953 when it was replaced by a new and larger building.

1884. Pope Leo XIII issued his Bull Humanum Genus, April 20, directed against the Craft.

Robert Morris designated poet laureate of Freemasonry.

1885. Masonic Relief Association of the United States and Canada held first convention and elected officers.

1886. On May 26, was born at St. Petersburg, Russia, Asa Yoelson, the Mason, actor and singer who became internationally known as Al Jolson.

June 25, was born at Gladwyne, Pennsylviana the man and Mason who was to become Unite States General and Commander of the Army Air Force in all theaters throughout World War II. As early as 1938, Brother Henry H. "Hap" Arnold was persuading the United States aviation industry to step up its production of airplanes, though no funds were available for the purpose. Under his goading production rose from 6,000 planes to 262,999 a year during 1940-55. He was made a full General in 1944 - and became the United States Air Force's first Five Star general when the Air Force was made a separate military unit equal to the Army and Navy. Brother Arnold was raised in Union Lodge No. l7, Junction City, Kansas, November 3, 1927. He received the 32º AASR on April 11, 1929 at Fort Leavenworth Kansas, and the 33º on October 10, 1950. He died in Sonoma, California January 15, 1951. (Chase's; Livingston Masonic Library)

Rudyard Kipling made a Mason in Hope and Perseverance Lodge No. 782, Lahore, India.

Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, the first Masonic research lodge, was established in Londoin.

H. L. Haywood born in Mulberry, Ohio. He is the author of many masonic books.

1887. Sir Arthur S. Sullivan (Gilbert) and Sullivan) served as Grand Organist of the Grand Lodge of England.

1888. June 2, the famous comic ballad "Casey at the Bat" appeared in the San Francisco Examiner. Though attributed to "anonymous" the author was serious poet Ernest L. Thayer who was paid $5 for the effort that led to most of his other works being forgotten. But it triggered a happy career for Brother DeWolff Hopper who recited "Casey at the Bat" for the first time at Wallack's Theater in New York City. And no fewer than 10,000 times after that as part of his comic repertoire. The recitation, which made both the poem and himself famous, took five minutes and 40 seconds, and never failed to "bring down the house." Brother Hopper was raised in Pacific Lodge No. 233, New York city, in 1890, and was 32 deg. AASR (New Jersey), and a member of Mecca Shrine Temple in New York City. He died September 23, 1935.

Publication of the first transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 of London. They have been published yearly to the present time.

John Joseph Pershing made a mason in Lincoln Lodge No. 19, Nebraska. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Army in France in World War I.

Irving Berlin, famous song writer, born in Russia. Member of Munn Lodge No. 190, New York.

1889. Grand Lodges of North Dakota and South Dakota formed June 12.

George Franklin Fort published his Early History and Antiquities of Freemasonry.

1890. Nathaniel Pitt Langford published Vigilante Days and Ways in which he explained how the Craft organized law and order in Montana. He was Grand Master in 1869.

Frank S. Land born in Kansas City, Missouri. He organized the Order of DeMolay.

James Cunningham Batchelor succeeded Albert Pike as Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite, Southern Jurisdiction.

1892. Brother James P. Upham, publisher of Yout