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History Of Masonry In England
Under St. Austin, King
Alfred, and Athelstane; and also under the Knights Templars
SECTION Ii
BOOK Iv - The History of Masonry in England
illustrations of masonry
william preston
After the departure of the Romans from Britain, masonry made but a
slow progress, and in a little time was almost totally neglected, on account of
the irruptions of the Picts and Scots, which obliged the southern inhabitants of
the island to solicit the assistance of the Saxons, to repel these invaders. As
the Saxons increased, the native Britons sunk into obscurity, and ere long
yielded the superiority to their protectors, who acknowledged their sovereignty
and jurisdiction. These rough and ignorant heathens, despising every thing but
war, soon put a finishing stroke to all the remains of ancient learning which
had escaped the fury of the Picts and Scots. They continued their depredations
with unrestrained rigour, till the arrival of some pious teachers from Wales and
Scotland, when many of these savages being reconciled to Christianity, masonry
got into repute, and lodges were again formed; but these being under the direction of
foreigners, were seldom convened, and never attained to any degree of
consideration or importance.
Masonry continued in a declining state till the
year 557, when Austin, with forty more monks, among whom the sciences had been
preserved, came into England. Austin was commissioned by pope Gregory, to
baptize Ethelbert king of Kent, who appointed him the first archbishop of
Canterbury. This monk, and his associates, propagated the principles of
christianity among the inhabitants of Britain, and by their influence, in little
more than sixty years, all the kings of the heptarchy were converted. Masonry
flourished under the patronage of Austin, and many foreigners came at this time
into England, who introduced the Gothic style of building. Austin seems to have
been a zealous encourager of architecture, for he appeared at the head of the
fraternity in founding the old cathedra of Canterbury in 600, and the cathedral
of Rochester in 602; St. Paul's, London, in 604; St. Peter's, Westminster, in
605; and many others. Several palaces and
castles were built under his auspices, as well as other fortifications on the
borders of the kingdom, by which means the number of masons in England was
considerably increased.
Some expert brethren arrived from France in 680, and
formed themselves into a lodge, under the direction of Bennet, abbot of Wirral,
who was soon after appointed by Kenred, king of Mercia, inspector of the lodges,
and general superintendant of the masons.
During the heptarchy, masonry
continued in a low state; but in the year 856, it revived under the patronage of
St. Swithin, who was employed by Ethelwolph, the Saxon king, to repair some
pious houses; and from that time it gradually improved till the reign of Alfred,
A. D. 872, when, in the person of that prince, it found a zealous
protector.
Masonry has generally kept pace with the progress of learning; the
patrons and encouragers of the latter having been most remarkable for
cultivating and promoting the former. No prince studied more to polish and
improve the understandings of his subjects than Alfred, and no one ever proved a
better friend to masonry. By his indefatigable assiduity in the pursuit of
knowledge, his example had powerful influence, and he speedily reformed the
dissolute and barbarous manners of his people. Mr. Hume, in his History of
England, relates the following particulars of this celebrated prince:
"Alfred usually divided his time into three equal portions: one
was employed in sleep, and the refection of his body by diet and exercise;
another in the dispatch of business; and a third, in study and devotion. That
he might more exactly measure the hours, he made use of burning tapers of
equal lengths, which he fixed in lanthorns; and expedient suited to that rude
age, when the art of describing sun-dials, and the mechanism of clocks and
watches, were totally unknown. By this regular distribution of time, though he
often laboured under great bodily infirmities, this martial hero, who fought
in person fifty-six battles by sea and land, was able, during a life of no
extraordinary length, to acquire more knowledge, and even to compose more
books, than most studious men, blest with greater leisure and application,
have done in more fortunate ages."
As this prince was not negligent in encouraging the mechanical
arts, masonry claimed a great part of his attention. He invited from all
quarters industrious foreigners to repeople his country, which had been
desolated by the ravages of the Danes. He introduced and encouraged manufactures
of all kinds among them: no inventor or improver of any ingenious art did he
suffer to go unrewarded; and he appropriated a seventh part of his revenue for
maintaining a number of workmen, whom he constantly employed in rebuilding his
ruined cities, castles, palaces, and monasteries. The university of Oxford was
founded by him.
On the death of Alfred in 900, Edward succeeded to the
throne, during whose reign the masons continued to hold their lodges, under the
sanction of Ethred, his sister's husband, and Ethelward, his brother, to whom
the care of the fraternity was intrusted. Ethelward was a prince of great
learning, and an able architect; he founded the university of
Cambridge.
Edward died in 924, and was succeeded by Athelstane his son, who
appointed his brother Edwin, patron of the masons, This prince procured a
charter from Athelstane, empowering them to meet annually in communication at
York, where the first Grand Lodge of England was formed in 926, at which Edwin
presided as Grand Master. Here many old writings were produced, in Greek, Latin,
and other languages, from which the constitutions of the English lodges are
originally derived.
Athelstane kept his
court for some time at York, where he received several embassies from foreign
princes, with rich presents of various kinds. He was loved, honoured, and
admired by all the princes of Europe, who sought his friendship and courted his
alliance. He was a mild sovereign, a kind brother, and a true friend. The only
blemish which historians find in the whole reign of Athelstane, is the supposed
murder of his brother Edwin. This youth, who was distinguished for his virtues,
having died two years before his brother, a false report was spread, of his
being wrongfully put to death by him. But this is so improbable in itself, so
inconsistent with the character of Athelstane, and indeed so slenderly attested,
as to be undeserving a place in history.
The activity and princely conduct of Edwin
qualified him, in every respect, to preside over so celebrated a body of men as
the masons, who were employed under him in repairing and building many churches
and superb edifices, which had been destroyed by the ravages of the Danes and
other invaders, not only in the city of York, but at Beverley, and other
places.
On the death of Edwin, Athelstane undertook in person the direction
of the lodges, and the art of masonry was propagated in peace and security under
his sanction.
When Athelstane died, the masons dispersed, and the lodges
continued in an unsettled state till the reign of Edgar in 960, when the
fraternity were again collected by St. Dunstan, under whole auspices they were
employed on some pious structures, but met with no permanent
encouragement.
After Edgar's death, masonry remained in a low condition
upwards of fifty years. In 1041, it revived under the patronage of Edward the
Confessor, who superintended the execution of several great works. He rebuilt
Westminster Abbey, assisted by Leofrick earl of Coventry, whom he appointed to
superintend the masons. The Abbey of Coventry, and many other structures, were
finished by this accomplished architect.
William the Conqueror having
acquired the crown of England in 1066, he appointed Gundulph bishop of
Rochester, and Roger de Montgomery earl of Shrewsbury, joint patrons of the
masons, who at this time excelled both in civil and military architecture. Under
their auspices the fraternity were employed in building the Tower of London,
which was completed in the reign of William Rufus, who rebuilt London-bridge
with wood, and first constructed the palace and hall of Westminster in
1087.
On the accession of Henry I. the lodges continued to assemble. From
this prince, the first Magna Charta, or charter of liberties, was obtained by
the Normans. Stephen succeeded Henry in 1135, and employed the fraternity in
building a chapel at Westminster, now the House of Commons, and several other
works. These were finished under the direction of Gilbert de Clare marquis of
Pembroke, who at this time presided over the lodges.
During the reign of
Henry II. the Grand Master of the Knights Templars superintended the masons, and
employed them in building their Temple in Fleet-street, A. D. 1155. Masonry
continued under the patronage of this Order till the year 1199, when John
succeeded his brother Richard in the crown of England. Peter de Colechurch was
then appointed Grand Master. He began to rebuild London-bridge with stone, which
was afterwards finished by William Alcmain in 1209. Peter de Rupibus succeeded
Peter de Colechurch in the office of Grand Master, and Geoffrey Fitz-Peter,
chief surveyor of the king's works, acted as his deputy. Under the auspices of
these two artists, masonry flourished during the remainder of this and the
following reign.
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