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Burning of English Masonic documents in the 1720's

BullDozer Harrell

Registered User
After reading "The Hiramic Legend and the Ashmolean Theory" by W. B. Hextall, i am left wondering about why Masonic documents would've been destroyed especially during this period? That is, if ever such a thing really happened and isn't just something that Brothers have made up as an event in Masonic history?
 

BullDozer Harrell

Registered User
Questions become plenty.

1.) What documents were destroyed?
2.) Why were these documents destroyed?
3.) Who did the destruction and for what reasons?
 

Bloke

Premium Member
....The loss however seems to have been covered up by the time the Hiram 3rd degree arrived in 1725. There we are told that the irretrievable loss happened long before - and by implication there was no point in looking to Scottish and Irish lodges for the genuine secrets.

That's an interesting spin on things...
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
After reading "The Hiramic Legend and the Ashmolean Theory" by W. B. Hextall, i am left wondering about why Masonic documents would've been destroyed especially during this period? That is, if ever such a thing really happened and isn't just something that Brothers have made up as an event in Masonic history?
I lean toward the entire burning incident as fabricated, like many things Freemasonic. The reasons there are no documents is not because of things not being committed to writing prior to the creation of the Freemasonry in and around 1717. It has to do with the fact that it was non-existent before this time and hence there would be no legitimate documents available. Prior to this time, "masonic" documents existed because "Masonry" existed!
 

BullDozer Harrell

Registered User
As I recall it was in 1719 that the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster complained that "too scrupulous" Irish Masons were burning documents so that they would not fall into the hands of the new GL. The GM said that this was an "irretrievable loss" and so it turned out to be.

The loss however seems to have been covered up by the time the Hiram 3rd degree arrived in 1725. There we are told that the irretrievable loss happened long before - and by implication there was no point in looking to Scottish and Irish lodges for the genuine secrets.
Ok so the Grand Lodge of England's spin would be that the Irish malcontents were destroying documents to prevent the new GL from acquiring them?

These same Irish guys would eventually grow to become the Ancients, i presume.

The reverse spin according to the Irish guys supposedly destroying documents would've more than likely been what? Would their rebuttal have been, it's all horse crap! A lie to the tenth power made up by the GofLE camp.



Sent from Android using My Freemasonry mobile app
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
Ok so the Grand Lodge of England's spin would be that the Irish malcontents were destroying documents to prevent the new GL from acquiring them?

These same Irish guys would eventually grow to become the Ancients, i presume.

The reverse spin according to the Irish guys supposedly destroying documents would've more than likely been what? Would their rebuttal have been, it's all horse crap! A lie to the tenth power made up by the GofLE camp.
A society built upon some "well-written" premises.
 

BullDozer Harrell

Registered User
What is the GL of England? PGL (premier grand lodge) is most likley what you mean.
I understand what you mean but the Premier prefixation of their full title came later.

I believe around the later part of that century after the Ancients sprang up. But i could be mixed up possibly?

I strive to speak as historically true to the era as possible.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
.....I strive to speak as historically true to the era as possible.

(As an aside, I don't think I've ever seen "GLL&W" for "Grand Lodge of London and Westminster" written down before.... but I think as we're talking later with this document burning.. which I don't know much about)
 
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