GRAND LODGE of MARK MASTER MASONS of

SOUTH AUSTRALIA and NORTHERN TERRITORY

100 YEARS: 1906 - 2006

Adelaide Masonic Centre Museum

ORIGINS

While the origins of Freemasonry

are uncertain, historians believe

they arose from the practices of

working or operative stone

masons.

The builders of the pyramids,

temples and similar stone

structures of the Middle East,

Europe and other parts of the

world possessed considerable

technical and organisational

skills.

SOLOMON’S TEMPLE

The Holy Bible contains a detailed

account of the building of a

Temple in Jerusalem around 1000

BC by Solomon, King of Israel.

The stories and legends of

Freemasonry are based on the

circumstances surrounding the

construction of the Temple, and its

rebuilding several centuries later.

CASTLES, CHURCHES & CATHEDRALS

Present day visitors to Europe marvel

at the many castles, churches and

cathedrals built from 1100

onwards.

Stained glass windows, carvings and

manuscripts give us some idea of

the methods of the mediaeval stone

masons.

Masons carved stones for ordinary

building blocks, and also for

decoration.

MASONS MARKS

It became customary for stone masons

to place marks upon stones in the

quarries.

Marks identified the work of a particular

mason for payment of wages, and

signified that the stone was

acceptable for use. Other marks

indicated where a particular stone

might be placed within the structure.

Marks have been found on stones used

in Ancient Egypt and elsewhere,

including castles, churches and

cathedrals of Europe.

Trident mark at Knossos

MASONS MARKS AS IDENTIFICATION

A register of marks became necessary

to identify the personal mark of

each mason.

The first written reference to mason's

marks occurred in Scotland, in the

Schaw Statutes of 1598, wherein it

was ordered that on the admission

of a Fellow of Craft, his name and

mark were to be registered.

REGISTERS OF MASONS MARKS

A mark is found next to the name of

the Warden who signed a 1599

minute of the Edinburgh (Mary's

Chapel) Lodge.

< The Lodge of Aberdeen possesses

a record of the names of members

with their marks from 1670.

THE BEGINNINGS of FREEMASONRY I

From about 1640 men who were not stone

masons began to join lodges. These men

became known as free and accepted

masons. The lodges became places of

philosophical discussion, resulting in the

term "speculative masons".

Around this time there was considerable

interest in the story of Solomon's Temple

at Jerusalem, with elaborate drawings

suggesting how the original may have

appeared.

The building of the Temple became an

allegory for the building of a better

society, or a better person.

THE FIRST GRAND LODGE

In 1717 there was a meeting of four

lodges in London, forming a grand

(or large) lodge. Modern speculative

Freemasonry traces its history back

to this first meeting.

Dr Desaguliers, third Grand Master

FREEMASONRY BECOMES FASHIONABLE

In the early 1720's there were two grades or

degrees, termed Entered Apprentice and

Fellow Craft. Soon a third degree of

Master Mason was introduced.

Members of the aristocracy joined

Freemasonry in the 1720’s, boosting its

popularity. Many new lodges were formed

Dr Desaguliers, third Grand Master

WRITTEN REFERENCES TO THE MASON’S MARK

As Freemasonry became fashionable, it

became open to ridicule. Satirical

poems were written, some making

reference to the Mason's Mark:

"Tho' first they Signs and Marks did

frame, to Signify from whence they

came"

"they have no Trowels nor yet Lines,

but still retain their Marks and

Signs"

"And what you want in Masonry, Thy

Mark and Maughbin make thee free"

Procession of the Gormagons

by William Hogarth

ARE YOU A MASON?

The operative custom of ensuring that a

mason had a mark by the time he

became a Fellow Craft continued to

be observed in some early lodges of

Freemasons, particularly in Ireland,

Scotland and the English provinces.

Some pretending to be Freemasons may

have been discovered because they

possessed no mark.

OTHER DEGREES in FREEMASONRY

Additional grades or degrees were

introduced during and after the

1730’s

The first or original Grand Lodge of

1717 (known as "the Moderns") did

not approve of additional degrees

Some additional degrees were accepted

as part of original Masonry by a new

English Grand Lodge which was

formed in the 1750's and became

known as “the Antients”

Proliferation of degrees

MULTIPLICATION of MARK DEGREES

The Mason’s mark featured in some

degrees or grades, with names

including Mark Man, Mark Master,

Mark Ark Link and Chain, Fugitive

Mark, Christian Mark, Cain's Mark

and Travelling Mark. Most have

since disappeared.

How and when the Mark degree began

is still a matter of debate among

historians.Proliferation of degrees

MULTIPLICATION of MARK DEGREES

Thomas Dunckerley, an illegitimate son of

King George II, was a keen Freemason,

interested in other orders and degrees. On 1

September 1769 a meeting of Royal Arch

Masons was held at the George Tavern in

Portsmouth, England. Thomas Dunckerley

was present to deliver the Warrant or

Charter authorising the meeting. The

Minutes were written in code or cipher, and

state: -

"having lately rec'd the 'Mark' he made the

bre'n 'Mark Masons' and 'Mark Masters'.

And each chuse their 'Mark', viz. ... Z

(interlaced triangles) ... He also told us of

this mann'r of writing (code or cipher)

which is to be used in the degree…”

Thomas Dunckerley

MASONIC CIPHER

Minutes were recorded in cipher, not a single

letter being in ordinary writing.

The cipher consisted of squares or parts of

squares, angles and triangles. This cipher is

now known as the Masonic cipher.

Cipher was used to preserve the secrecy of

minutes and also other writings in

Freemasonry.

The concepts of the Mason's Mark, the

entitlement to a Mason's wages, the method

of approving and disapproving a Mason's

work, and the importance of the keystone

within the arch developed from this time.

MASONIC UNION

In 1813 the United Grand Lodge of England

was formed by the union of the two English

Grand Lodges known as "the Moderns" and

"the Ancients", with the Duke of Sussex as

Grand Master until his death in 1843.

The United Grand Lodge did not approve of

degrees other than the basic first three of

Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and

Master Mason.

A compromise allowed the Royal Arch to

continue as part of Freemasonry. The other

Masonic degrees including the Mark and

Knight Templars went into declineThe Duke of Sussex

Grand Master 1813-1843

BON ACCORD

After 1843 there was a renewal of activity in

degrees outside those of standard (Craft and

Royal Arch) Freemasonry.

Some London Freemasons became involved in

the Bon Accord Chapter at Aberdeen,

which worked a Mark Masonry ceremony

as well as those of the Royal Arch.

In 1851 the Bon Accord Chapter of Aberdeen

issued a Mark Charter to some of its

London members, permitting them to meet

in London.

just a thimble-full ...

‘Bon Accord’ is the motto of

Aberdeen

EARLY MARK FREEMASONRY IN ADELAIDE

In June 1854 a number of Mark Masons met in

Adelaide, under the leadership of John

Lazar, an actor, Deputy Provincial Grand

Master, and a later Mayor of Adelaide.

A Mark Lodge was formed, admitting ten new

members as Mark Masons at the first

meeting. There is no record of any

subsequent meeting (otherwise this would

have been a “Time Immemoriable” lodge)

In 1857 several of the brethren decided to meet

as a Mark Lodge under the Warrant of the

new Duke of Leinster Royal Arch Chapter,

No.363 Irish Constitution

THE GRAND LODGE REJECTS MARK FREMASONRY

By 1855 senior Freemasons who were

involved in the Bon Accord Mark Lodge of

London suggested that the Mark degree

should be considered part of ordinary

Freemasonry.

This suggestion failed to win approval from the

United Grand Lodge of England at its

meeting on 4 June 1856.

The Bon Accord Mark Lodge adopted a

special Masonic apron, modified from the

standard Masonic apron, with trimming of

maroon and blue.

GRAND MARK LODGE FORMED

Following the rejection of Mark Masonry by

the United Grand Lodge of England, a

meeting of Mark Masons met in June 1856

to form the Grand Lodge of Mark Master

Masons for England, Wales and the

Colonies.

Dr Benjamin Archer Kent from Kent Town in

Adelaide, a member of the Bon Accord

Mark Lodge in London since April 1856,

was present at the meeting when the new

Grand Lodge for Mark Masonry formed.

DR KENT of KENT TOWN

Dr Kent was elected to the first General

Committee of the new Grand Lodge, and

appointed foundation Grand Junior Deacon

In 1857 he was appointed Provincial Grand

Master of Mark Masonry for South

Australia. He also served as Provincial

Grand Master of the Craft Lodges in South

Australia from 1854 to 1860

Dr Kent did not exercise his authority as

Provincial Grand Master of Mark Masons

within South Australia

ADELAIDE MARK LODGE FORMED

Percy Wells, a Past Master of Royal

Cumberland Lodge of Bath, came to

Adelaide about 1858

In 1859 some English Constitution brethren,

led by Bro. Wells, decided to form an

English Mark Lodge. This resulted in the

formation of the Adelaide Lodge of Mark

Master Masons No.41, English

Constitution.

The Adelaide Mark Lodge struggled in its

early years, with no meetings from 1867 to

1883.

MARK MASONRY RECOVERS in ADELAIDE

Mark Masonry in South Australia was boosted when

the Governor, Rt Hon. the Earl of Kintore, visited

the Adelaide Mark Lodge in September 1889.

Previously the Earl had served as Grand Master of

Mark Master Masons in England and Wales from

1884 to 1886.

Perhaps it was as a result of his influence that the

Chief Justice, Bro. the Hon. SJ Way, became

interested in Mark Masonry

9th Earl of Kintore

Governor of SA

1899-1895

MARK MASONRY RECOVERS in ADELAIDE

Moonta Mark Lodge No.432 EC formed on

14 October 1891, while Pirie Mark Lodge

No.582 EC formed on 19 March 1906.

With three Mark Lodges existing in South

Australia, in 1906 the brethren decided that

a Grand Mark Lodge should be formed for

South Australia.

Sir Samuel Way was installed as first Grand

Master on 14 May 1906.Rt Hon. Sir Samuel Way

MARK MASONRY EXPANDS

Later in 1906 three more Mark lodges were

formed in South Australia, at Peterborough,

Port Adelaide and Norwood.

By 1956 there were 49 Mark Lodges

In July 1963 the Darwin Mark Lodge was

formed, the first in the Northern Territory.

62 Mark Lodges had been formed by 1998

CEREMONIES

The ceremony of advancement to the degree of

Mark Master Mason centres on the traditional

practice of choosing and using a

distinguishing mark to identify each

craftsman's work, so that he may be entitled to

receive his wages.

The themes of the Mark degree include

regularity, diligence and discipline. The

Second degree of Freemasonry encourages

learning, and the Mark degree instructs how

that learning can be most usefully and

judiciously employed for our own honour and

the benefit of our fellow man. an Irish Mark penny

LESSONS & RITUAL

While motives may sometimes be misinterpreted,

attainments underrated and reputations traduced,

the Mark degree demonstrates the merits of

persistence in the face of adversity, and the

conviction that truth will prevail.

The Mark Degree is thus one of hope and

encouragement.

The ritual is built around a single verse from Psalm

118: "The stone which the builders refused is become

the headstone of the corner". It deals with the

building of King Solomon's Temple and the various

Craftsmen employed, but its real message is the

contemplation of human strength and weakness

REGALIA

The regalia of the Mark degree include a special

Masonic apron, with dark red and blue trim, and a

breast jewel showing the keystone

Mark lodges have a special coin, known as a Mark

penny, for payment of wages.

On occasion a lecture is given using a tracing board,

which contains symbols from which lessons can

be drawn. The tracing board includes the method

of decoding the Masonic cipher.

LODGE ROOM

The Lodge Room is similar to that

of the first three degrees, with

additional positions adjacent to

the pavement for three officers

known as overseers.

The Senior Warden's pedestal has

provision for the payment of

wages

MORE FACTS ABOUT THE MARK

To become a Mark Mason you must first be a

Master Mason.

The Mark degree affords opportunities to gain

additional Masonic knowledge. The

lessons learned have practical application.

Members are taught to appreciate the

virtues of patience and perseverance, and

additional information is given about the

traditional history of Freemasonry.

Mark Lodges tend to meet in alternate months.

The membership fees are reasonable, about

one third those of Craft Lodges.

THE FRIENDLY DEGREE

The Mark is known as "the friendly

degree", perhaps a consequence of

the difficult times for the Mark

degree in the years after 1856. No

doubt adversity bound the brethren of

the new Grand Lodge more closely

together.

THANK YOU!

Adelaide Masonic Centre Museum

acknowledges the support of the History

Trust of South Australia in providing a grant

to develop portable interpretive panels for the

Centenary.

The Museum also acknowledges the support of

the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons

Adelaide Masonic

Centre Museum