List of Grand Lodges

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This is a chronological list of "regular" or "mainstream" Masonic Grand Lodges as recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE). A Grand 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 (see General list of masonic Grand Lodges).

1 Freemasonry Prior to 1717
2 "Original" Grand Lodges formed by "Time Immemorial" Lodges
3 Grand Lodges founded during the Colonial Era
4 Independent Grand Lodges
5 Date of establishment not yet confirmed
6 See also
7 References

[edit] 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 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.

[edit] "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").

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]

Grand Lodge of Ireland - est. June 24, 1725^[2]

Grand Lodge of Scotland - est. 1736^[3]

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]

[edit] 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)^[4]

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^[5]

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.^[4]

Provincial Grand Lodge for North America (Scotland) - Est. 1757 - By warrant issued to Colonel John Young. ^[6]

Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada - Est. 1759 (Became PGL of Lower Canada, ie Quebec, in 1792)^[7]

Provincial Grand Lodge for Pennsylvania (Ancients) - Est. 1761 - By Warrant issued to William Ball. ^[8]

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.^[4]

Provincial Grand Lodge of Upper Canada - Est. 1792^[9]

[edit] Independent Grand Lodges

After the American Revolution and the incorporation of the Dominion 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.