The Origins of Mark Masonry
It is well
known that operative stone masons indented the stones they had prepared
with special marks. These were of two types, those that indicated the
orientation and position of the stone within the building together with a
personal mark to identify the mason who prepared it.
Operative
stonemasonry, as a major trade, began to evolve in the early 11th century
with the Saxon builders and intensified in the centuries following the
Norman conquest. By the 14th century building had reached a scale that
required the trade to be regulated in its customs and practices. The first
regulatory body was the Masons’ Company, formed in London sometime before
1375, later known as the London Masons’ Company. It was granted a coat of
arms in 1472. These arms were later adopted by the first Grand Lodge soon
after its foundation in 1717, and still form one half of the arms of the
present United Grand Lodge of England.
The earliest known
document regulating the trade is the Regius Manuscript of c.1390. These
and later documents, now referred to as the Old Charges, are the origins
of the present charges found in the Craft Book of Constitutions,
abbreviated forms of which are delivered to each new Mason and to the
Master before his installation.
Although the origins of speculative Freemasonry are
unclear, it is evident that it has borrowed heavily from the medieval
operative stone masons’ trade in a number of respects - including the
symbolism of working tools and gauges in the Craft and other Masonic
Orders, and the use of marks in speculative Mark Masonry. The earliest
authenticated record of a man being made a truly speculative Mason - is
that of Elias Ashmole (founder of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, among
other things), who was admitted to a Lodge in Warrington in
1646.
The first Grand Lodge was founded at the Goose and Gridiron
Alehouse, St Pauls Church Yard, in the City of London in 1717 and this
marked the start of organised Freemasonry. Because of disputes about
certain practices and principles, a breakaway rival Grand Lodge was formed
in 1751. The two Grand Lodges eventually reconciled their differences and
the Act of Union was signed in 1813 when the present United Grand Lodge of
England came into being. As to the ritual, we know (from early exposures)
that a system of three Craft Degrees was well developed by 1730 and that
the Royal Arch emerged in the 1740s. The first mention of a brother being
made a Mark Mason was at a Lodge in Newcastle in January 1756, although
earlier references to a brother having "received his mark' are known. But
it is not clear from these records whether a degree ceremony was being
worked.
The earliest records of a speculative Mark degree being
worked in England are those of Royal Arch Chapter No 257 at Portsmouth on
1 September 1769 when several brethren were made Mark Masons and Mark
Masters. Note that in the earlier working the Mark Man and Mark Master
were performed as two distinct degrees as opposed to the present practice
of the Mark Man forming no more than an introductory phase to the Mark
Master Degree. It is also apparent from the earlier working that the Mark
Man degree was conferred on Fellow Crafts and the Mark Master Degree on
Master Masons.
The early Mark Degrees were closely associated with
the Royal Arch, as they still are in many parts of the world. Their
development probably followed soon after that of the Royal Arch. Many
different ceremonies were known to exist, parts of which would be
recognisable to the present day. It is also clear that the Mark Degrees
were worked in Craft Lodges and in Royal Arch Chapters up until 1813. The
existence of independent Mark Lodges at this time is not known, although
one lodge, the Lodge of Hope, Bradford, conferred the Degree under a
constitution originating from a body called "The Grand Lodge of All
England, held at York". Its influence in this country was confined to
York, Cheshire and Lancashire. It was formed in 1725 and existed until
1792 but its influence abroad is more important.
The Relationship between the Mark and
the Craft There is a
well-known statement that was agreed upon in the Act of Union between the
Premier and Antients Grand Lodges in 1813 - it appears at the front of the
Book of Constitutions of the United Grand Lodge of England. It is a
declaration that “Pure Antient Masonry consists of three degrees and no
more, namely, those of the Entered Apprentice, the Fellow Craft, and the
Master Mason, including the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal
Arch”.
The fact that a second Grand Lodge (the “Antients”) emerged
in 1751 was largely because of a disagreement over ritual content. It is
therefore hardly surprising that, eventually, in order to achieve harmony
a considerable amount of ground had to be conceded by both parties. The
Premier (or “Moderns”) Grand Lodge did not recognise the Royal Arch, or
even the Installation Ceremony, as part of pure Masonry – so they
evidently conceded much to the Antients in order to achieve the Union.
Against this background the Mark and other Masonic Orders were left in
limbo. We had in fact a good old English compromise that left many
brethren discontented.
So, what was emerging as a closely related
set of “Solomonic” degrees, i.e. symbolism based on KST (or, in the case
of the Royal Arch, on the building of the Second Temple) became split.
Mark was no longer to be considered by the Craft as part of pure Antient
Masonry. After 1813 the Mark Degree continued to grow in popularity and
was worked, unofficially, in Craft Lodges and Royal Arch Chapters – a very
unsatisfactory state of affairs. The eventual establishment of a separate
English Grand Lodge of Mark Masters Masons in 1856 came after a very
intriguing period, involving encounters with the Grand Chapter of Scotland
and much else besides. But this is a subject for a much longer
paper.
For the present purpose it will suffice to note that a
resolution to include the Mark Degree as an integral part of English
Freemasonry appeared in the minutes of the Quarterly Communication of
Grand Lodge in March 1856. Astonishingly, at the following Communication
in June, the minute was not confirmed. It transpires that this was less
because the Craft did not want the Mark but rather that the proponents of
the Mark did not want it to become a simple appendage to the Second
Degree. Most authors now agree that the covert dealings that went on
behind the scenes were engineered to ensure that the Mark would emerge in
control of its own destiny. The fact that the Grand Lodge of Mark Master
Masons was formed on 23rd June 1856, only 19 days after the rejection of
the minute relating to the Mark at the June Quarterly Communication of the
Craft Grand Lodge, is strong evidence for this.
However, none of
this discussion alters the purely logical argument that the Mark is, in
reality, as much part of pure Freemasonry as the Royal Arch. This is
reinforced by the other stark fact that the Mark Degree is so recognised
by our two Sister Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland – and indeed by
most other constitutions throughout the world. In almost every
constitution the Mark Degree is a pre-requisite for the Royal
Arch.
Mark
Ritual So why is the
Mark so central to Freemasonry? It is sometimes said to be an extension of
the Second Degree in the Craft. But this rather simple assertion belies
the fact that the ceremony of admission, called Advancement, is longer in
content than the Third Degree. As previously mentioned, the present
ceremony is derived from the earlier practice of conferring the degree of
Mark Man on Fellowcrafts and the degree of Mark Master on Master
Masons.
The ceremony of Advancement is based on the preparations
for the building of KST and follows the fate of an ambitious craftsman
(the candidate) seeking promotion in his trade by demonstrating his skill
and ability. In the early part of the ceremony his talents go unrecognised
and his hopes are dashed but eventually he triumphs over adversity and is
justly rewarded for his work. It is a wonderful ceremony containing
elements of drama and humour, and, above all, strong moral lessons. The
concept of Masons as “living stones” being built into a spiritual house,
in parallel with the construction of the Temple, is a powerful theme in
the Degree.
Ideally the Mark, as is the requirement in other
constitutions, is a logical step from the Craft to the Royal Arch and
enables the candidate to more fully appreciate the structure and beauty of
Solomonic Masonry.
Mark Regalia The regalia worn today was first designed for and worn by the
members of the London Bon Accord Mark Lodge in 1856. A Mark Master Mason
wears an apron similar to that of a Master Mason in the Craft except that
the Mark apron is bordered with light blue with crimson edges. He also
wears a breast jewel in the form of a keystone suspended from a ribbon of
light blue and crimson. The Installed Mark Master’s apron is likewise
similar to a Craft Installed Master’s apron. Also, like the Craft, when a
brother receives Provincial Grand Rank or Grand Rank the light blue is
replaced with Garter blue.
The English Mark Constitution Today The Structure of Mark Grand Lodge is similar
to that of the United Grand Lodge. It has 41 Provincial Grand Lodges, 26
District Grand Lodges, and several unattached Lodges abroad. In addition
to the Mark Degree, Grand Lodge also controls the Ancient and Honourable
Fraternity of Royal Ark Mariners through a body styled The Grand Master’s
Royal Ark Council. In size of membership the Mark ranks third, after
the Craft and Royal Arch. Nationally, there are about 5.6 Craft Lodges to
each Mark Lodge. In Surrey the figure is about 8.2, which suggests that
barely 1 in 10 Craft Masons are members of the
Mark. Qualification Admission to the Mark Degree in England requires that a candidate
be a Master Mason of the English Constitution, or of a constitution
recognised by the English Craft Grand Lodge. Mark Masons of other bodies
recognised by Mark Grand Lodge may become joining members of English Mark
Lodges. Reciprocal arrangements exist for our members to join other
recognised constitutions.
The minimum interval between the
conferment of each of the Craft Degrees and between the Craft and the
Royal Arch is 4 weeks. No specific period is stipulated for a Master Mason
before he can be Advanced into Mark Masonry. To be an Installed Master
in the Mark Degree requires that the candidate be an Installed Master of a
Craft Lodge, unless special dispensation is granted.
Why Should a Craft Mason be a Mark
Mason? Many
reasons could be advanced, and some have already been alluded to, but
three are of special importance. Firstly, it greatly enhances his
knowledge of Craft Masonry. Secondly, it teaches, in a delightful way,
many important practical lessons about life. Thirdly, it gives a greater
appreciation of the Royal Arch and provides an essential qualification to
other Orders in Masonry.
The first reason? There are many terms and
phrases, even Biblical characters, introduced in the Craft that remain a
mystery to many brethren. For example, what does the Senior Warden mean,
at the closing of the Lodge, by the expression “...having seen that
every Brother has had his due”? This is but one many peculiarities of
the Craft that become much clearer in the Mark.
The second reason?
Mark is not only a true craftsman’s degree but it also teaches invaluable
lessons about life, for example:
• The studious application of skill and ingenuity, resulting in
high quality workmanship, will ultimately be rewarded, even if at first it
is not understood or appreciated by others.
• We each have different skills to offer and different
contributions to make. To be accepted we must always be honest and give of
our best – the impostor will inevitably be uncovered and receive his due
punishment.
• We can not properly judge
others unless we are sufficiently competent ourselves and exercise
humility in the process.
• We must all accept responsibility for the tasks we agree to
undertake and not blame others for our own shortcomings.
Such
lessons the craftsman learns, in a dramatic way, in the ceremony. He is,
of course, to apply them, not just to the immediate task of symbolically
building the Temple, but in the way he conducts himself through
life.
The third reason? A Craft Mason who joins the Royal Arch
directly from the Craft, as most do under the English Constitution (it
is not permitted in other constitutions), is confronted with a sudden
and bewildering change of symbolism. This is because an important
intermediate step has been omitted - the Mark. The Mark adds essential
background and symbolism on the construction of the Temple, the Principal
Arch and the Keystone, thereby providing a clearer introduction to the
Royal Arch ceremony.
A Mark Mason may be installed, by
dispensation, into the Chair of his Mark Lodge before taking the Chair in
the Craft. The Mark is also an essential qualification for the keen Mason
desiring to progress further in Orders beyond the
Craft.
Conclusion If these few words have stimulated
your interest in Mark Masonry and you would like to know more, please
contact any brother Mark Master Mason or enquire to the Provincial Grand
Secretary of the Mark Province.
Michael F Barnes
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