History of Masonic Grand Lodges in North America
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This is a chronology of the formation of "regular" or "mainstream" Masonic Grand Lodges in North America, descending from the Premier Grand Lodge of England or its rival, the Antient Grand Lodge of England. A Grand Lodge (or "Grand Orient" as it is called in some jurisdictions elsewhere in the world) is the governing body that supervises "Craft" Freemasonry (also known as "Blue Lodge" Freemasonry) in a particular jurisdiction or geographical area.
Freemasonry Prior to 1717
Freemasonry (or Speculative Masonry) developed out of the guilds and associations of operative stonemasons, during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. By 1700, numerous Masonic lodges were in existence throughout England, Scotland and Ireland. Each lodge was considered independent unto itself, and there was no supervisory body that governed all of Freemasonry. This led to some confusion, as ritual variations developed and disputes as to the legitimacy of various lodges arose. In 1717 members of four lodges in London elected to form what they called a "Grand Lodge" to supervise the fraternity and grant charters to new lodges. Not all lodges, however, accepted the self-proclaimed authority of this Grand Lodge, and soon formed rival Grand Lodges of their own.
"Original" Grand Lodges formed by "Time Immemorial" Lodges
The following Grand Lodges were formed by pre-existing "Time Immemorial" lodges (lodges that predated the concept of having Grand Lodges to supervise and coordinate the craft, and thus were retained as having existed from "time immemorial").
- Template:Flagicon Premier Grand Lodge of England - est. June 24, 1717 - (Merged with Ancient Grand Lodge of England, or "The Ancients", to form the United Grand Lodge of England in 1813)[1]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Ireland - est. June 24, 1725[2]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Scotland - est. 1736[3]
- Template:Flagicon Ancient Grand Lodge of England - est. 1751 - (Merged with Premier Grand Lodge of England, or "The Moderns", to form the United Grand Lodge of England in 1813)[1]
Grand Lodges founded during the Colonial Era
Freemasonry spread from the British Isles during the Colonial Era. All of the "original" Grand Lodges began to issue charters to individual lodges in North America, but the two English Grand Lodges (the "Ancients" and the "Moderns") were the most prolific. Starting in 1730 The Grand Lodge of England (Moderns) began to issue Warrants for Provincial Grand Lodges in the colonies. Initially, these Warrants were issued to individuals, to act as deputies for the Grand Master in a given area for fixed periods of time, and some confusion resulted due to overlapping jurisdictions. To confuse matters further, with the formation of the Antient Grand Lodge, rival Provincial Grand Lodges were chartered under their jurisdiction.
- Template:Flagicon "Coxe" Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, & New York (Moderns) - Est. 1730 - by warrant issued to Daniel Coxe by GLE for two years, allowing for a successor to be elected. Granted jurisdiction over Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. Successors claimed jurisdiction only over Pennsylvania. The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania dates itself from the formation of this Provincial Grand Lodge.[4] [5]
- Template:Flagicon Provincial Grand Lodge of New England (Moderns) - Est. 1733 by warrant given to Henry Price. The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts dates itself from the formation of this Provincial Grand Lodge.
- Template:Flagicon Provincial Grand Lodge of South Carolina - Est. 1736[6]
- Template:Flagicon Provincial Grand Lodge of North Carolina - Est. 1771[7]
- Template:Flagicon Provincial Grand Lodge of New York (Moderns) - 1738-1780s - Warrants issued by GLE (Moderns) to Francis Goelet (1738–1753), to George Harrison (1753–1771), to Sir John Johnson (from 1771). As Johnson was a Loyalist during the American Revolution, he is believed to have taken his warrant with him when he fled to Canada, thus leaving the Moderns Lodges without a Provincial Grand Master.[8]
- Template:Flagicon Provincial Grand Lodge for North America (Scotland) - Est. 1757 - By warrant issued to Colonel John Young.[9]
- Template:Flagicon Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada - Est. 1759 (Became PGL of Lower Canada, i.e. Quebec, in 1792)[10]
- Template:Flagicon Provincial Grand Lodge for Pennsylvania (Ancients) - Est. 1761 - By Warrant issued to William Ball.[11]
- Template:Flagicon Provincial Grand Lodge of New York ("Athol Charter" - Ancients) - 1781-1784 - Although this PGL was Warranted by the "Ancients", the final Provincial Grand Master, Chancellor Robert R. Livingston (PGM: 1784-87), was actually the Master of a Lodge under the Jurisdiction of the Moderns, thus uniting the two branches of English Freemasonry in New York State. Livingston continued in office as the first Grand Master of the independent GL of NY.[8]
- Template:Flagicon Provincial Grand Lodge of Upper Canada - Est. 1792[12]
Independent Grand Lodges
After the American Revolution and, again, after the incorporation of Canada, the various Provincial Grand Lodges in North America were closed, and the Lodges in each State or Province formed independent Grand Lodges. These in turn, chartered lodges in the territories in the West and North. As each new State or Province came into being, the lodges that had been chartered within its borders gathered together and formed new Grand Lodges.
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Virginia - Est. 1778[13]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of New York - Est. 1782 (declared itself Independent Grand Lodge on June 6, 1787)[14]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania - Est. 1786[15] (Continuation of "Coxe" Prov. G.L. & Prov. G.L. of Penna. See above.)
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Georgia - Est. December 16, 1786[16]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of New Jersey - Est. December 18, 1786[17][18]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Maryland - Est. December 9, 1787[18][19]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of North Carolina - Est. December 9, 1787[18][20]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of South Carolina - Est. 1788 [21]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Connecticut - Est. 1789[22]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of New Hampshire - Est. 1789[23]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Rhode Island - Est. 1791 [18][24]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Massachusetts - Est. 1792 (continuation of PGL of New England (see above).
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Vermont - Est. 1794[25]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Kentucky - Est. 1800[26]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Delaware - Est. 1806[27]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Ohio - Est. 1808[28]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia - Est. 1811[29]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Louisiana - Est. 1812 [30]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Tennessee - Est. 1813 [31]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Indiana - Est. January 13, 1818[32]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Mississippi - Est. July 27, 1818[33]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Maine - Est. 1820[34]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Missouri - Est. April 21, 1821[35]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Alabama - Est. June 11, 1821 [36][37]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Michigan - Est. 1826 [38]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Florida - Est. 1830 [18][39]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Texas - Est. 1838[40]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Illinois- Est. 1840 - previous Grand Lodge in existence: 1822-1827[41]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Wisconsin - Est. 1843[42]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Iowa - Est. 1844 [43]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of California - Est. 1850[44]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Oregon - Est. 1851[18][45]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Minnesota - Est. 1853[46]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario - Est. 1855[12]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Kansas - Est. 1856[47]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Nebraska - Est. 1857[48][49]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Washington State - Est. 1858[18][50]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Colorado - Est. 1861[18]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Nevada - Est. January 17, 1865[51]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of West Virginia - Est. April 12, 1865[18][52]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Montana - Est. January 24, 1866[53]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia - Est. February 20, 1866[54]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Idaho - Est. December 17, 1867[18][55]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon - Est. December 24, 1867[56]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of New Brunswick - Est. 1868 [57]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Quebec - Est. 1869[10]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Utah - Est. 1872[58]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of the Indian Territory - Est. Oct. 6, 1874 (Reestablished in 1892 as Grand Lodge of Oklahoma)[18]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Wyoming - Est. December 15, 1874 [59][60]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Manitoba - Est. May 12, 1875[61]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Prince Edward Island - Est. June 23, 1875[62]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of New Mexico - Est. 1877[63]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Arizona - Est. 1882[64][65]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of North Dakota - Est. 1889[66]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Oklahoma - Est. 1892 (Replaced the Grand Lodge of Indian Territory)[18]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Alberta - Est. 1905[67]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan - Est. August 9, 1906[68]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Alaska Est. 1981[69]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Hawaii Est. 1989[70]
- Template:Flagicon Grand Lodge of Newfoundland and Labrador - Est. 1997[71]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The United Grand Lodge of England – Home Page
- ↑ Home Page Template:Webarchive
- ↑ The Grand Lodge of Scotland
- ↑ Borneman, Henry S. Early Freemasonry in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: The Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania, 1931. Facsimile of letter in Appendix D.
- ↑ Barrat, Norris S. & Julius F. Sachse. Freemasonry in Pennsylvania, 1727-1907, As Shown by the Records of Lodge No. 2, F. & A.M. of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: New Era Printing Company, 1908. p. 3-4.
- ↑ Grand Lodge of South Carolina Website
- ↑ Grand Lodge of North Carolina Website
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bicentennial Commemorative Volume of Holland Lodge No. 8, published by the Lodge, New York, 1988. pp 9-12
- ↑ Coil, Henry Wilson; "Massachusetts", pg. 412; Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia; publ. 1961, 1996, Richmond Va.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Grande Loge du Québec - Grand Lodge of Québec
- ↑ Coil, Henry Wilson; "America, Freemasonry into", pg. 33; Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia"; publ. 1961, 1996, Richmond Va.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario, Freemasonry, Masonic, Masons
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Virginia AF&AM
- ↑ Welcome! | Grand Lodge F. & A. M. State of New York
- ↑ The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania
- ↑ The Grand Lodge of Georgia F.& A.M
- ↑ Grand Lodge of New Jersey > Official Page
- ↑ 18.00 18.01 18.02 18.03 18.04 18.05 18.06 18.07 18.08 18.09 18.10 18.11 Mackey, Albert Gallatin,The History of Freemasonry, Vol. 6Template:Dead link, p. 1485 - Masonic History Co., NY, 1898
- ↑ "Grand Lodge of Maryland". Archived from the original on 2007-06-09. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- ↑ Grand Lodge of A.F.& A. M. of North Carolina
- ↑ Timeline Template:Webarchive from Grand Lodge of South Carolina website
- ↑ The Grand Lodge of Connecticut A.F. & A.M. - Home
- ↑ "History".
- ↑ Home
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Vermont F&AM
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Kentucky Free & Accepted Masons
- ↑ The Grand Lodge of Masons in Delaware
- ↑ Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio
- ↑ Freemasons of the Grand Lodge of D.C.: Home
- ↑ "Grand Lodge". Archived from the original on 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- ↑ Grand Lodge of TN – Masonic Lodges of Tennessee
- ↑ "Indiana Freemasons Online". Archived from the original on 2007-02-23. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ↑ The Official Web Page of THE Grand Lodge of Mississippi F. & A. M
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Maine Web Sites
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Missouri
- ↑ Grand Lodge F & A M of Alabama
- ↑ Jackson,Joseph Abram (Grand Historian of the Grand Lodge of Alabama from 1965-1970) Masonry in Alabama (published by the Grand Lodge)
- ↑ "Michigan Masons". Archived from the original on 2013-09-29. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- ↑ "Grand Lodge of Florida". Archived from the original on 1997-10-07. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- ↑ Carter, James D.; Masonry in Texas, pg. 312-313; publ. 1955, Comm. on Masonic Educ. & Service, Grand Lodge of Texas, AF & AM, Waco Tx
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Illinois, A.F. and A.M
- ↑ Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Masons of Wisconsin
- ↑ Home
- ↑ Masons of California
- ↑ Masonic Grand Lodge of Oregon
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Minnesota
- ↑ Grand Lodge Of Kansas
- ↑ Grand Lodge Of Nebraska
- ↑ Reno, Russel G. (2007). The Sesquicentennial History of the Grand Lodge of Nebraska 1857 to 2007. Richmond, Virginia: Macoy Publishing & Masonic Supply. ISBN 978-0-88053-199-3.
- ↑ Most Worshipful Masonic Grand Lodge of Washington
- ↑ Nevada Grand Lodge Website
- ↑ West Virginia Grang Lodge
- ↑ List of Lodges—Masonic. Pantagraph Printing and Stationery Company. 2018. p. 72.
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia A.F. & A.M. - Welcome
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Idaho - Ancient Free & Accepted Masons
- ↑ Organization of Grand Lodge
- ↑ The Grand Lodge of New Brunswick – Home
- ↑ Freemasons of Utah
- ↑ Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Wyoming
- ↑ [1]Template:Dead link
- ↑ "Grand Lodge of Manitoba › Home". Archived from the original on 2007-06-25. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- ↑ PEI Masonic Family-Freemasonry on PEI
- ↑ Page Title
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Arizona Free and Accepted Masons
- ↑ "Wayfarers Lodge #50 - History". Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
- ↑ North Dakota Freemasonry
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Alberta AF & AM
- ↑ "masons.sk.ca". Archived from the original on 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2007-06-28.
- ↑ Welcome To Alaska Mason.Org
- ↑ The official website of the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the State of Hawaii
- ↑ Grand Lodge of Newfoundland and Labrador
