There are several theories about the origins of Freemasonry, ranging from ancient builders to medieval stonemasons.
Still to this day, the roots of modern Freemasonry are the subject of intense speculation, but the general consensus among Masonic scholars is that they lie with the medieval stonemasons that built our castles and cathedrals.
Let us take you on a journey back in time through the history of Freemasonry – as we begin in the medieval era, all the way through to 2017 when the Royal Albert Hall was centre stage for the United Grand Lodge of England’s 300th anniversary celebrations.
Medieval Era
The questions of when, how, why and where Freemasonry originated are still the subject of intense speculation. The widely accepted view from many Masonic scholars is that Freemasonry originates from the medieval stonemasons that built many of our castles and cathedrals.
1646
The origins of Freemasonry are unclear, although early Freemasons were influenced by the legends, imagery and customs of medieval stonemasons. Elias Ashmole wrote about his initiation in a Lodge in Warrington in 1646, the first recorded evidence of the initiation of an English speculative mason – notwithstanding the fact that those present and listed would have certainly been initiated at an earlier date.
1660
From the 1660s, more evidence exists of gentlemen being made Freemasons.
1717
On St John’s Day, 24 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 first Grand Master. This was the first Grand Lodge in the world. This was the founding of the Premier Grand Lodge, the first of its kind anywhere in the world and the origins of the United Grand Lodge of England.
1723
By this time, the new Grand Lodge had published its first rulebook – The Constitutions of the Free-Masons – and was meeting quarterly and recording its meetings.
In 2023 UGLE marked the tercentenary of the 1723 Constitutions, whose Enlightenment principles provide the philosophical foundations of modern Freemasonry. The tercentenary of the publication of the 1723 Constitutions was celebrated with events held in England, America, and Europe.
The tercentenary of Grand Lodge in 2017 was celebrated in style throughout the year, culminating with a special meeting of Grand Lodge at the Royal Albert Hall, which was presided over by the Grand Master, HRH The Duke of Kent, and attended by representatives of sovereign Grand Lodges from around the world. The North Gallery in the Museum of Freemasonry was opened as part of the celebration and tells the history of three centuries of English Freemasonry through displays and public tours.
