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Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . AH Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , no necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .
SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN A FREEMASON ? To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have read Bro . Yarker ' s remarks , at page 53 , containing the quotation from Aubrey ' s Natural History of Wiltshire , to the effect that , on the 18 th May 1691 , Sir C . Wren "is to be adopted j" but it so happens that " is to be " and ivas are not quite the same , for , as " there is many a slip 'twist the cup and the
lip , it is possible he never was " adopted" at all . Of course we are told , in Preston ' s Illustrations , that Wren was a great Freemason , and got on to bo a Grand Warden , in 1663 , and a Deputy Grand Master in 1666 , but as these two dates occur a considerable time prior to tho morning of 18 th May 1691 , when even his adoption was still in the womb of futurity , it must be acknowledged that there do
exist some little difficulties in the matter ! It so happens also that there were no such Masonic " Grands , " as above spoken of , before A .D .1717 . As to the words " higher class , " in any published work of date A . D . 1722 , referring to " the degree of Royal Arch , " that appears to me to be a wonderful stretch of imagination—about as good as
Wren ' s 1663 Grand Wardenship . As to Bro . Yarker ' s " pre-1717 inventions , " it will be time enough for him to speak of them , as existing about 1717 , after he has proved that the three first degrees of Apprentice , Fellow Craft and Master existed before 1717 . As yet , neither he nor any other
person has ever done so . No Masonic " Grand Lodge " existed before 1717 , and no body of Masons whatever existed before 1717 who practised the ceremonies and promulgated the principles of our 1723 Speculative Freemasonry . Yours fraternally , W . P . BUCHAN .
OUR FREEMASONRY . —THE MARK DEGREE
To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In the Manchester Courier of the 22 nd July there is a history of the Mark Degree , asserting that it is of such antiquity that its origin "is lost in the mists of antiquity . " I cannot believe that the writer of tho article would willingly state what is false , but I wish to call attention to it , because brethren
should be careful what statements they make to intending members . Masonry becomes a most abominable evil when its organisation is made use of to circulate all kinds of crude and untrustworthy statements ; and I have of late years frequently seen even untruthful calumnies , detrimental to the standing of persons whom I know to bo good and trustworthy Masons ; but I do not wish to pursue this phase
of Masonry , —the product of its over popularity . The writer upon Mark Masonry to whom I have alluded says , rightly enough , that— " In A . D . 1598 William Schaw , Master of Works , to King James VI ., ordered the Marks of all Masons to be inserted in their work . In the 17 th Century the Kilwinning Lodge made members choose their Marks , and charged them 4 s each for the same .
In 1778 the Banff Operative Lodge resolved : That in all time coming all Members that shall hereafter rise to the degree of Mark Master Mason shall pay one Mark Scot ; but not to obtain the degree of Mark Master before they are passed Fellow Craft ; and those that shall take the degree of Mark Master Mason shall pay ls 6 d sterling for behoof of the Lodge . None to attain the degree of Mark Master
Mason until they are raised Master . In 1865 , the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland reported , through a committee : In this country , from time immemorial , and long before the institution of the Grand Lodge of Scotland ( in 1736 ) , what is now know as the Mark Master's degree was wrought by the operative Lodges of St . John ' s Masonry . " Then the writer attempts to claim an ancient standing for the degree
in England , and asserts that it was practised before 1813 . When the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland passed this Committee report , they must have had an eye upon the siller ; the report is quite untrustworthy and unfounded . Everything can be proved ; if 1 am wrong in my statements let it be proved . But I " make the statement , without fear of proof in contradiction , that neither the
degree of Mark Mason or that of Mark Master was in boing anv luj . m ii of time botoio the Mmute of 177 b at EiUUl , In Soi / tianJ , every Apprentice Mason was a Mark Mason , whilst the Mark Master , or the brother who had power to select aud register the Mark , was probably the Secretary of the Entered-Apprenticc Lodge . This is so apparent that I am astounded that any Mark Master can so far
allow his imagination to run away with his wits as to make these assertions of antiquity ; for neither Mark Mason nor Mark Master had any ancient ceremony . The Marks themselves were often banded down 1 rum lather to son , they were made of all forms suitable for the chisel , Masonic symbols , aud even in early times Runic and other alphabetical characters ; tho system was continued as a necessary
part of the trade from ancient times . It may have been , aud probably was made a portion of the speculative lodge system of registration in 1598 , by the order of Wm . Schaw , for it is noteworthy that there is not a single line of any Hud to be found in old English manuscripts or minutes to indicate that this system of Mark lvgistrat ; ou existed in South Britain in the Speculative Lodges of the Operate ea . In the North , therefore , the Mark degrees , as such , became a
Correspondence.
necessity when the English ceremonies were introduced . There is no doubt that a Mark degree existed in England before 1813 , that it was propagated by Finch , and that Grand Lodge at that time pronounced it an imposture . The rituals were very various , some only consisted of passages of Scripture , some had no legend , others only asserted thafc
Marks were used at Solomon ' s Temple ( no doubt of it , they were used everywhere , by every operative in his own pecuniary interests , like seals and written signatures ) , whilst a third ceremony was given along with a Red Cross degree of the building of the second Temple . The present ceremony is a modern Scottish invention—a fact of
which I am quite certain , as I myself introduced it for Bros . Collins aud Ridgway into Lancashire and Cheshire , and even since then it has been greatly improved . Tho latter brother has my time immemorial certificate , which I should bo glad if he would return .
Mark Masonry , properly represented , may be made very useful , but it will not be by their present policy , or by an alliance with such Orders as the Trinitarian bodies , Templars , Sovereign Princes , Imperial Knights of Constantino , and such like . " Let every tub stand upou its own bottom . "
Truly and fraternally yours , JOHN YARKER P . M . Mark . Manchester , 23 rd July 1875 . P . S . —I think it desirable to remind your readers that the old
English Excellent , Super-Excellent Degrees , were tho " Veils , " and have not a moiety of resemblance to the recently imported American nonsense , the illegitimate offspring of certain degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite . Next week , if you will allow me , I will return to the Old System of High-grado Masonry .
THE BOYS' SCHOOL . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have read Bro . Binckes' letter iu your last issue , and also your remarks upon the same , and I am constrained to express my unbounded astonishment at the tone Bro . B . assumes , as well as the offensive manner in which he refers both to yourself .
Mr . Editor , and the Head Master of the Boys' School . I cau speak very positively , in the name of a large section of the Masonic community , —There are many errors of management at Wood Green , and it behoves the Committee to rectify them as speedily as possible . Ono thing is certain , no Head Masters will permit Secretaries to assume their functions .
Yours fraternahy , A Lii'E GOVERNOR . P . S . —I have been a school manager for thirty years , and , as such , may trouble you again .
To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have read , with great interest , your two powerful articles on the Boys' School , and also the letter from tho retiring masters , and while I cannot but deplore the existence of such a state of things , I do hope the brethren will take up the matter in a Masonic spirit— " of fair play . " It is a simple thing to
get at . what specific charge is brought against Rev . Bro . Perrott , Most Masons go by a great fact ; thus , before Bro . Perrott undertook the Head Mastership of the Schools , the boys were a long way hehind others at the examination , whereas since Bro . Perrott commenced , they bavo passed up nearly to the top of the list , and with credit to their master and themselves . This speaks volumes ,
more than all this letter writing , & c . Many Masons now think , from the tenor of Brother Binckes' letter in your last , that it is simply a question , or rather quarrel , between Bro . Perrott and Bro . Binckes . If this is so , the Committee are to blame , as if each had maintained his own position all the discord would not have risen . Let Bro .
Binckes be Secretary and Bro . Perrott Head Master j Masons desire the education of the boys sent to the schools by them , not personal matters , which myself and others think is at the bottom of all this Bro . Perrott offered and challenged an investigation as to his conduct —will Bro . Binckes do the same ? Yours faithfully and fraternally , ONE INTERESTED IN THE SCHOOLS .
The first Masonic Lodge of Jerusalem is a beautiful illustration of the cosmopolitan nature of the principles of Brotherly love in prnch ' cal operation . Th" Mastrr of that Lodge , who is now lecturing in this country , says : " The Master is an American , the Past Master
an Englishman , the Senior Warden a German , the Junior Warden a native , the Treasurer a Turk , the Secretary a Frenchman , the Senior Deacon a Persian , and the Junior Deacon a Turk . There are Christians , Moahmmedans and Jews in the Lodge . " —Fomeroy ' s Democrat .
"It is not the chief end of Masonry to make Morons , notwithstanding y . landiblo desire to recognize among onr numbers good and true men wherever they may be , and yet we find the feeling prevails with a great many that when there is no work there is no necessity
of attendance of their part . No greater mistake than this could be made , as upon the attendance of the membership , and the interest engendered thereby , depends the very existence of the Chapters . "Grand Chapiter of Maryland . The Grand Orient of Portugal has forty-eight Lodges affiliated with it , some of which are located iu Portugal and others in Spain ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Correspondence.
CORRESPONDENCE .
We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications . AH Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , no necessarily for publication , but as a guarantee of good faith .
SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN A FREEMASON ? To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have read Bro . Yarker ' s remarks , at page 53 , containing the quotation from Aubrey ' s Natural History of Wiltshire , to the effect that , on the 18 th May 1691 , Sir C . Wren "is to be adopted j" but it so happens that " is to be " and ivas are not quite the same , for , as " there is many a slip 'twist the cup and the
lip , it is possible he never was " adopted" at all . Of course we are told , in Preston ' s Illustrations , that Wren was a great Freemason , and got on to bo a Grand Warden , in 1663 , and a Deputy Grand Master in 1666 , but as these two dates occur a considerable time prior to tho morning of 18 th May 1691 , when even his adoption was still in the womb of futurity , it must be acknowledged that there do
exist some little difficulties in the matter ! It so happens also that there were no such Masonic " Grands , " as above spoken of , before A .D .1717 . As to the words " higher class , " in any published work of date A . D . 1722 , referring to " the degree of Royal Arch , " that appears to me to be a wonderful stretch of imagination—about as good as
Wren ' s 1663 Grand Wardenship . As to Bro . Yarker ' s " pre-1717 inventions , " it will be time enough for him to speak of them , as existing about 1717 , after he has proved that the three first degrees of Apprentice , Fellow Craft and Master existed before 1717 . As yet , neither he nor any other
person has ever done so . No Masonic " Grand Lodge " existed before 1717 , and no body of Masons whatever existed before 1717 who practised the ceremonies and promulgated the principles of our 1723 Speculative Freemasonry . Yours fraternally , W . P . BUCHAN .
OUR FREEMASONRY . —THE MARK DEGREE
To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —In the Manchester Courier of the 22 nd July there is a history of the Mark Degree , asserting that it is of such antiquity that its origin "is lost in the mists of antiquity . " I cannot believe that the writer of tho article would willingly state what is false , but I wish to call attention to it , because brethren
should be careful what statements they make to intending members . Masonry becomes a most abominable evil when its organisation is made use of to circulate all kinds of crude and untrustworthy statements ; and I have of late years frequently seen even untruthful calumnies , detrimental to the standing of persons whom I know to bo good and trustworthy Masons ; but I do not wish to pursue this phase
of Masonry , —the product of its over popularity . The writer upon Mark Masonry to whom I have alluded says , rightly enough , that— " In A . D . 1598 William Schaw , Master of Works , to King James VI ., ordered the Marks of all Masons to be inserted in their work . In the 17 th Century the Kilwinning Lodge made members choose their Marks , and charged them 4 s each for the same .
In 1778 the Banff Operative Lodge resolved : That in all time coming all Members that shall hereafter rise to the degree of Mark Master Mason shall pay one Mark Scot ; but not to obtain the degree of Mark Master before they are passed Fellow Craft ; and those that shall take the degree of Mark Master Mason shall pay ls 6 d sterling for behoof of the Lodge . None to attain the degree of Mark Master
Mason until they are raised Master . In 1865 , the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland reported , through a committee : In this country , from time immemorial , and long before the institution of the Grand Lodge of Scotland ( in 1736 ) , what is now know as the Mark Master's degree was wrought by the operative Lodges of St . John ' s Masonry . " Then the writer attempts to claim an ancient standing for the degree
in England , and asserts that it was practised before 1813 . When the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland passed this Committee report , they must have had an eye upon the siller ; the report is quite untrustworthy and unfounded . Everything can be proved ; if 1 am wrong in my statements let it be proved . But I " make the statement , without fear of proof in contradiction , that neither the
degree of Mark Mason or that of Mark Master was in boing anv luj . m ii of time botoio the Mmute of 177 b at EiUUl , In Soi / tianJ , every Apprentice Mason was a Mark Mason , whilst the Mark Master , or the brother who had power to select aud register the Mark , was probably the Secretary of the Entered-Apprenticc Lodge . This is so apparent that I am astounded that any Mark Master can so far
allow his imagination to run away with his wits as to make these assertions of antiquity ; for neither Mark Mason nor Mark Master had any ancient ceremony . The Marks themselves were often banded down 1 rum lather to son , they were made of all forms suitable for the chisel , Masonic symbols , aud even in early times Runic and other alphabetical characters ; tho system was continued as a necessary
part of the trade from ancient times . It may have been , aud probably was made a portion of the speculative lodge system of registration in 1598 , by the order of Wm . Schaw , for it is noteworthy that there is not a single line of any Hud to be found in old English manuscripts or minutes to indicate that this system of Mark lvgistrat ; ou existed in South Britain in the Speculative Lodges of the Operate ea . In the North , therefore , the Mark degrees , as such , became a
Correspondence.
necessity when the English ceremonies were introduced . There is no doubt that a Mark degree existed in England before 1813 , that it was propagated by Finch , and that Grand Lodge at that time pronounced it an imposture . The rituals were very various , some only consisted of passages of Scripture , some had no legend , others only asserted thafc
Marks were used at Solomon ' s Temple ( no doubt of it , they were used everywhere , by every operative in his own pecuniary interests , like seals and written signatures ) , whilst a third ceremony was given along with a Red Cross degree of the building of the second Temple . The present ceremony is a modern Scottish invention—a fact of
which I am quite certain , as I myself introduced it for Bros . Collins aud Ridgway into Lancashire and Cheshire , and even since then it has been greatly improved . Tho latter brother has my time immemorial certificate , which I should bo glad if he would return .
Mark Masonry , properly represented , may be made very useful , but it will not be by their present policy , or by an alliance with such Orders as the Trinitarian bodies , Templars , Sovereign Princes , Imperial Knights of Constantino , and such like . " Let every tub stand upou its own bottom . "
Truly and fraternally yours , JOHN YARKER P . M . Mark . Manchester , 23 rd July 1875 . P . S . —I think it desirable to remind your readers that the old
English Excellent , Super-Excellent Degrees , were tho " Veils , " and have not a moiety of resemblance to the recently imported American nonsense , the illegitimate offspring of certain degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Rite . Next week , if you will allow me , I will return to the Old System of High-grado Masonry .
THE BOYS' SCHOOL . To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have read Bro . Binckes' letter iu your last issue , and also your remarks upon the same , and I am constrained to express my unbounded astonishment at the tone Bro . B . assumes , as well as the offensive manner in which he refers both to yourself .
Mr . Editor , and the Head Master of the Boys' School . I cau speak very positively , in the name of a large section of the Masonic community , —There are many errors of management at Wood Green , and it behoves the Committee to rectify them as speedily as possible . Ono thing is certain , no Head Masters will permit Secretaries to assume their functions .
Yours fraternahy , A Lii'E GOVERNOR . P . S . —I have been a school manager for thirty years , and , as such , may trouble you again .
To the Editor of THE FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —I have read , with great interest , your two powerful articles on the Boys' School , and also the letter from tho retiring masters , and while I cannot but deplore the existence of such a state of things , I do hope the brethren will take up the matter in a Masonic spirit— " of fair play . " It is a simple thing to
get at . what specific charge is brought against Rev . Bro . Perrott , Most Masons go by a great fact ; thus , before Bro . Perrott undertook the Head Mastership of the Schools , the boys were a long way hehind others at the examination , whereas since Bro . Perrott commenced , they bavo passed up nearly to the top of the list , and with credit to their master and themselves . This speaks volumes ,
more than all this letter writing , & c . Many Masons now think , from the tenor of Brother Binckes' letter in your last , that it is simply a question , or rather quarrel , between Bro . Perrott and Bro . Binckes . If this is so , the Committee are to blame , as if each had maintained his own position all the discord would not have risen . Let Bro .
Binckes be Secretary and Bro . Perrott Head Master j Masons desire the education of the boys sent to the schools by them , not personal matters , which myself and others think is at the bottom of all this Bro . Perrott offered and challenged an investigation as to his conduct —will Bro . Binckes do the same ? Yours faithfully and fraternally , ONE INTERESTED IN THE SCHOOLS .
The first Masonic Lodge of Jerusalem is a beautiful illustration of the cosmopolitan nature of the principles of Brotherly love in prnch ' cal operation . Th" Mastrr of that Lodge , who is now lecturing in this country , says : " The Master is an American , the Past Master
an Englishman , the Senior Warden a German , the Junior Warden a native , the Treasurer a Turk , the Secretary a Frenchman , the Senior Deacon a Persian , and the Junior Deacon a Turk . There are Christians , Moahmmedans and Jews in the Lodge . " —Fomeroy ' s Democrat .
"It is not the chief end of Masonry to make Morons , notwithstanding y . landiblo desire to recognize among onr numbers good and true men wherever they may be , and yet we find the feeling prevails with a great many that when there is no work there is no necessity
of attendance of their part . No greater mistake than this could be made , as upon the attendance of the membership , and the interest engendered thereby , depends the very existence of the Chapters . "Grand Chapiter of Maryland . The Grand Orient of Portugal has forty-eight Lodges affiliated with it , some of which are located iu Portugal and others in Spain ,