A Brief History of Freemasonry

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There is much speculation as to why and where Freemasonry originated.  It is generaly agreed by Masonic scholars that it has its origins indirectly in  the organisation of "operative" stone masons, who built the great halls, cathedrals, palaces and castles of the middle ages.  As these people were actual stone masons, they were classed as operative.

In 1646, a site is acquired in Great Queen Street, London, consisting of a tavern house fronting the street with a garden behind leading to a second house. Thomas Sandby, RA, wins the architect’s competition for the design of the Hall. His Grand Hall is built over the garden, linking the two houses.

From the 1660s onwards, there is quite a bit of evidence of gentlemen being made Masons in a "non-operative" role within Lodges.  By this its speculated that these "non-operative" Masons had a similar character and mind set to the "operative masons, but were in different professions to stone masonry. 

On 24th June 1717, four London Lodges, which had existed for some time, came together at the "Goose and Gridiron Tavern" in St Paul’s Churchyard, declared themselves a Grand Lodge and elected Anthony Sayer as their Grand Master. This was the first Grand Lodge in the world.

Between 1723 and 1736 the new Grand Lodge had published its first rule book - "The Book of Constitutions of Masonry", The Grand Lodge of Ireland and The Grand Lodge of Scotland were established.  From here the three Home Grand Lodges began to take Freemasonry overseas and the development of Freemasonry abroad mirrors the 18th and 19th century development of the British Empire.

In 1751 a rival Grand Lodge appeared in London. Its original members were Irish Masons who claimed that the original Grand Lodge had made innovations.  They dubbed the first Grand Lodge the "Moderns" and called themselves the "Antients".

The two existed side by side - both at home and abroad - for nearly 63 years, neither recognising each other as regular.  In 1813 after four years of negotiation, the two Grand Lodges in England united on 27th December, to form the United Grand Lodge of England.  This union led to a great deal of standardisation of ritual, procedures and regalia.  In 1814 some 647 Lodges were in existence. The 19th century saw a great expansion of Freemasonry - both at home and abroad.  By 1900, over 2,800 Lodges had been established throughout the world.

The two World Wars both had a great effect on English Freemasonry.  In the three years after the First World War over 350 new Lodges were set up, and in the three years after the Second World War nearly 600 new Lodges came into being.  In many cases the founders were servicemen who wanted to continue the camaraderie they had built up during their war service, and were looking for a "calm" centre in a greatly changed and changing world.

On 14th June 1967 the 250th anniversary of Grand Lodge was celebrated at the Royal Albert Hall.  Centrepiece of the celebrations was the installation as Grand Master of HRH The Duke of Kent, who still holds that office today.  On 10 June 1992 over 12,500 Freemasons and guests gathered at Earls Court in West London to celebrate the 275th anniversary of Grand Lodge and for the first time, press and television were present at a meeting of Grand Lodge and the event featured on television newscasts throughout the world.