- List of Grand Lodges
This is a chronological list of "regular" or "mainstream" Masonic Grand Lodges as recognized by the
United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE). AGrand Lodge (or "Grand Orient" as it is called in some jurisdictions) is the governing body that supervises "Craft", or "Blue Lodge", Freemasonry in a particular jurisdiction or geographical area. All Lodges holding a dispensation, warrant or charter from a UGLE-recognized Grand Lodge in their jurisdiction are widely considered to be legitimate. Non-UGLE-recognized Grand Lodges and Lodges are controversial and are widely considered to be "irregular" and illegitimate (seeGeneral list of masonic Grand Lodges ).Freemasonry Prior to 1717
During the middle ages, lodges of operative freemasons were regulated by statutes that were imposed by the Crown and/or by Parliament. In 1598, and again in 1599, William Schaw, the Master of Work to King James VI of Scotland, promulgated what have become known as "The Schaw Statutes," which effectively regulated not just the operative aspects of the craft, but also the speculative aspects as well. This in turn encouraged the speculative aspects of Freemasonry so that the earliest records of speculative Freemasonry, and the earliest records of non-operative Freemasons, appear in the records of Scottish lodges. As a result of the well-regulated nature of Scottish lodges, there was no need for, and indeed no thought of, a superior regulatory body.
However, due to the decline of Freemasonry in London, 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. Masonic lodges observed the time immemorial right of Masons to meet and form their own lodges if they so desired. In London, where there was little regulation over purely speculative lodges, this led to some degree of chaos, as it was difficult to check the credentials of a visitor who claimed to be a Mason. This was especially a problem for the new, higher class, speculative Masons of London who wished to separate themselves from some members of the fraternity who they did not wish to socialize with, such as Irish and Scottish Masons who were lower class workmen in the city.
"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").
* in 1813) [http://www.grandlodge-england.org/ The United Grand Lodge of England - Home Page ] ]
* - est. June 24, 1725 [http://www.irish-freemasons.org/ Home Page ] ]
* - est. 1736 [ [http://www.grandlodgescotland.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=57 Grand Masonic Lodge of Scotland ] ]
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.
* "Coxe" Provincial Grand Lodge (Moderns) - 1730-1732 - by warrant issued to Daniel Coxe by GLE for two years - (Granted jurisdiction over New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania)Bicentennial Commemorative Volume of Holland Lodge No. 8, published by the Lodge, New York, 1988. pp 9-12]
* 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.
* Provicial Grand Lodge of South Carolina - Est. 1737 [ [http://www.scgrandlodgeafm.org/History/History.htm Grand Lodge of South Carolina] Website]
* , 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.
* Provincial Grand Lodge for North America (Scotland) - Est. 1757 - By warrant issued to Colonel John Young. [Coil, Henry Wilson; "Massachusetts", pg. 412; Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia; publ. 1961, 1996, Richmond Va.]
* Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada - Est. 1759 (Became PGL of Lower Canada, ie Quebec, in 1792) [http://www.glquebec.org/ Grande Loge du Québec - Grand Lodge of Québec ] ]
* Provincial Grand Lodge for Pennsylvania (Ancients) - Est. 1761 - By Warrant issued to William Ball. [Coil, Henry Wilson; "America, Freemasonry into", pg. 33; Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia"; publ. 1961, 1996, Richmond Va.]
* 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.
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