Researching Masonic Ancestors

Perhaps you have a male relative who was a Freemason and a member of a US Masonic lodge. In today’s blog we’ll discuss how to research and document the Masonic relatives in your family tree.

A Brief History of Freemasonry

The Freemasons are the world’s oldest fraternal organization. The general consensus among Masonic scholars is that they started with medieval stonemasons who built British castles and cathedrals. During the Middle Ages, stonemasons often traveled around to find work in different locations. To demonstrate their level of qualification, they would use grips, words, and signs to distinguish themselves from unqualified builders. Freemasonry uses building analogies to teach members how to lead productive lives that benefit the communities that they live in. Part of the Freemason’s outfits includes aprons and gloves. This is because in the medieval era, stonemasons wore aprons and gloves to protect themselves while working on shaping rough pieces of stone.

Modern History of Freemasonry

The biblical account of King Solomon’s Temple forms the symbolic setting for Craft Freemasonry’s origins. Current Freemasonry dates from June 24, 1717. Four London Lodges, which had existed for some time, came together at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in St Paul’s Churchyard and declared themselves a Grand Lodge. This was the first Grand Lodge in the world. The Grand Lodges of Ireland Scotland formed in 1725 and 1736, respectively. Freemasonry emphasizes personal study, self-improvement, and social betterment via individual involvement and philanthropy. It’s open to all men of good reputation who profess belief in a Supreme Being (referred to in the lodge as The Supreme Architect of the Universe). By 1723, the new Grand Lodge had published its first rulebook, The Constitutions of the Free-Masons – and was meeting quarterly and recording its meetings. Interwoven with the British Enlightenment, Masonic lodges formed throughout Europe and the Americas.

Freemasonry in North America

In 1732, St. John’s Lodge No. 1 in Boston, Massachusetts was duly constituted by the Grand Lodge of England and remains the oldest lodge in North America. Many of the founding generation were Freemasons, such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Monroe, Ethan Allen, John Jay, John Paul Jones, and Paul Revere. Other Freemasons included nine of the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence; thirteen of the thirty-nine signers of the Constitution; and thirty-three of the seventy-four generals of the Continental Army. In fact, some lodges were instituted within Continental Army units:

• St. John’s Regimental Lodge, US Battalion, warranted by G. L. of New York, 24 Feb 1775
• American Union Lodge, Connecticut Line, warranted by G. L. of Massachusetts, 15 Feb 1776
• No. 19 in 1st Regiment, Pennsylvania Artillery, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, 18 May 1779
• Washington Lodge, Massachusetts Line, warranted by Massachusetts G. L., 6 Oct  1779
• No. 20 in North Carolina Regiment, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, 1779
• No. 27 in Maryland Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, 4 Apr 1780
• No. 28 in Pennsylvania Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, 1780
• No. 29, in Pennsylvania Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, 27 Jul 1780
• No. 31, in New Jersey Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, 26 Mar 1781
• No. 36, in New Jersey Line, warranted by G. L. of Pennsylvania, 2 Sep 1782

Regular Freemasonry is defined by jurisdiction. In twenty-four states members are part of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; in twenty-five states they are part of the Free and Accepted Masons. In South Carolina they are the Ancient Free Masons, and in the District of Columbia they are the Free and Accepted Masons. The major differences are in officer titles and little differences in ritual wordings.

Structure of Freemasonry

The structure of Freemasonry consists of three degrees. The first is initiation, which completes the First Degree. At this point, candidates become an ‘Entered Apprentice.’ This reminds Masons that that all are equal, and it is the responsibility of those that do well to look after those less fortunate. In the Second Degree, candidates becomes a ‘Fellowcraft Freemason.’ This encourages members to better themselves through education and focuses on self-development. The Third Degree teaches candidates how to use their lives wisely and be remembered for the right reasons. On completion of the Third Degree, the candidate become a Master Mason. You might see references to “Blue Lodge“ at this level; it refers to these three degrees of Freemasonry. Officers of a Masonic Lodge are Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Treasurer, Secretary, Senior Deacon, Junior Deacon, and Tiler.

The Grand Lodge

The Grand Lodge in each state has jurisdiction over the local lodges. There is no national headquarters. The Grand Lodge requires reports from local lodges, such as new members, affiliates, demits, and deaths, and publishes annual Proceedings, many of which are online at Google Books, HathiTrust, Internet Archive, and other digital collections. The Grand Lodge may have an archive and offer genealogical services. They also have web sites you can visit to see what services they may offer. Figure 1 shows the origins of each Grand Lodge, along with the individual Lodges that formed it. To view the enlargeable map, click here.

Prince Hall Freemasonry

Founded in 1784, Prince Hall Freemasonry is the oldest African American Masonic order. Prince Hall (Fig. 1) was a leather merchant who owned property in Boston and was therefore on the city’s voting roll. He died in 1807. In 1775, after Hall and other free Blacks tried unsuccessfully to join an all-white Masonic lodge, they were initiated into Lodge 441, attached to a British army regiment. When the British retreated from Boston in 1776, Hall’s group received a permit to assemble as African Lodge No. 1. In 1784, the Grand Lodge of England officially chartered the group as African Lodge No. 459. It is now known as the Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. There are over 4500 lodges worldwide, forming over forty-seven sovereign Jurisdictions with a membership of over 300,000 Masons who can trace their origins to African Lodge No. 459. You can trace African American Freemasonry in the same manner as White Freemasonry.

Extensions of Masonic Bodies

In Freemasonry there are two main sets of side degrees – Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry and the York Rite. Basically, there is no Masonic degree more important than that of Master Mason. These degrees are part of a system of further Masonic education, spread out over twenty-nine degrees that expand upon and elaborate teachings and lessons of first three degrees. The Scottish Rite refers to the type of Masonry practiced rather than to native Scotsmen. The Grand Lodge oversees the first through third degrees, and the Supreme Council oversees the fourth through thirty-third degrees. It has Northern and Southern jurisdictions for administrative efficiency. The York Rite is derived from city of York, where, according to one Masonic legend, the first meetings of Masons in England took place. Along with the local craft lodge, it comprises three separate and distinct bodies each with degrees and rituals to achieve spiritual enlightenment and understanding. These include the Royal Arch Chapter (Capitular Masonry), the Council of Royal & Select Masters (Cryptic Masonry), and the Commandery of the Knights Templar.

Shriners International, formally known as Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Initially known as “Shriners North America,” the name was changed to “Shriners International” in 2020. It is a fraternity based on fun, fellowship, and Masonic principles of brotherly love, relief, and truth. About 200 Shriner temples are located across North America, South America, Europe and Southeast Asia. They are known for their philanthropy, founding the Shriners Hospitals for Children, now commonly known as Shriners Children’s, one of the largest pediatric sub-specialty healthcare systems in the world with locations in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Steps for Research

As with all genealogical research, Masonic research starts at home. Look for Masonic memorabilia, regalia, and other indications of Masonic membership. Check with other relatives and ask about possible Masonic membership in their families. Contact the local lodge if you know it, as well as the Grand Lodge of that state. Ancestry.com and Ancestry Library Edition have digital images of membership cards of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts under “Massachusetts, U.S., Mason Membership Cards, 1733-1990.” (Fig 3) The Grand Lodge of Maine membership cards are also online.

Information from the Grand Lodge usually includes the name of the lodge, dates of Masonic Degrees, age, occupation, date of death, and if the Mason remained in good standing. It might include information relating to offices held within the lodge or other lodge activities, but that’s not usually the case. It also typically doesn’t include biographical data, family members, photographs, or information relating to membership in Scottish Rite, Shriners, York Rite, or similar fraternal organizations. Grand Lodges may have request information on their web sites and may charge for research and copies. Figures 4 and 5 show Texas Masonic membership cards and a Texas Masonic widow’s certificate, obtained from the Grand Lodge of Texas.

Also check newspaper databases such as Newspapers.com, NewspaperArchive.com, GenealogyBank.com, and NewsBank. All except GenealogyBank are available free at the Grapevine Library. Many kinds of Masonic activities have been reported in newspapers, including obituaries and feature articles such as charity work, groundbreaking, installation of officers, etc. (Fig. 6)

Look for county histories, as they usually have information on fraternal organizations and may even list member names. (Fig. 7) Some state and individual lodge histories have been published as well. (Fig. 8)

Masonic records may also be held at county archives or historical or genealogical societies and libraries. Most of the time they are archived by the name of the lodge. Remember that not everything is online! Your research may involve a trip to other facilities in order to obtain the information you’re looking for. Take advantage of the opportunity when it comes.

Another item to keep in mind is that most lodge records don’t go back as far as Freemasonry’s eighteenth-century origins. Tragically, many have been lost to fires; all of the California Grand Lodge’s records burned after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and Arkansas Grand Lodge lost its records on August 27, 1919 in a fire that destroyed its seven-story Masonic Temple in Little Rock.

Whether you keep Masonic paraphernalia or not, scan photos and documents you find and take pictures of artifacts. Do all you can to identify and preserve your family’s Masonic heritage.