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VWB Ned Daniels Deputy of the Grand Master in District 4 of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington for 1999-2001 |
The Genealogy of the Grand Lodge of Washington (April 2001)
Recently, as I was looking through a copy of the Washington Masonic Code, 1983. I was intrigued by a detailed item in its appendix titled "Genealogy of the Grand Lodge of Washington." Prepared by WB Howard A. Hansen (87, 281), it was originally presented as the Grand Historian's Address at the 1941 Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Washington.In that the genealogy of our families is often of great interest, I found this genealogy of the Grand Lodge of Washington to be most interesting and wish to share it with you. (Please note, with all due respect, I have condensed the address to meet the length consideration of this article.)
The Grand Lodge of Washington was organized at Olympia, December 8, 1858, by representatives of four Lodges holding charters from the Grand Lodge of Oregon:
Olympia Lodge No. 5 (now No. 1 ), at Olympia, chartered June 14, 1853;
Steilacoom Lodge No. 8 (now No. 2), at Steilacoom, chartered June 13,1854;
Grand Mound Lodge No. 21 (later No. 3), at Grand Mound, chartered July 13, 1858 (charter surrendered September 19, 1868);
Washington Lodge No. 22 (now No. 4), at Vancouver, chartered June 13,1858.
The Grand Lodge of Oregon was organized at Oregon City, August 16, 1851, by representatives of three Lodges, one chartered by the Grand Lodge of Missouri, and two by the Grand Lodge of California. The Grand Lodge of California was organized at Sacramento, April 19, 1850, by representatives of three Lodges chartered by the Grand Lodges of Missouri, District of Columbia, and Connecticut.
The representatives of two more Lodges holding Dispensations from the Grand Lodge of New Jersey and the Grand Lodge of Louisiana (Ancient York Masons) being seated as Masons in the Convention, holding offices and participating in the formation of the Grand Lodge.
The genealogy of the Grand Lodge of Washington extends through the Grand Lodges of Oregon, California, Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina (State), North Carolina (Provincial), Connecticut, Massachusetts (English Constitution), Massachusetts (Scottish Constitution), New York (English Constitution), New Jersey, District of Columbia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Louisiana (A.Y.M.), Mississippi, and Kentucky and five foreign Grand Lodges.
Our earliest Masonic connections extend back to these five foreign Jurisdictions - the Grand Lodge of England (Moderns) to 1733, the Grand Lodge of Scotland to 1755, the Grand Lodge of England (Ancients) to 1758, the Grand Lodge of Ireland to 1759, and Mother Killwinning Grand Lodge (Scotland) to 1767.
The genealogy of the Grand Lodge of Washington covers a period of nearly three hundred and fifty years, extending back to the formation of the modern Grand Lodge system, in 1717, and on through the old customs to the Lodge at Killwinning, whose records date from before 1598, the oldest known records of Operative Masonry.
Within this span of time the known history of Masonry is found. Back of it lie the Legends of the Craft.
Thanks to both the District Deputy of the Grand Master in District 4, and the Masonic Monitor which publishes his articles for allowing us to reprint them. The Masonic Monitor is published monthly (except August) under approval of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington. The Masonic Monitor can be contacted at: 6619 132nd Avenue NE, PMB 237, Kirkland, WA, 98033-8627, USA. Phone: (425) 822-4605 - FAX: (425) 822-2535 - Email: masonicmonitor@earthlink.net.