Mark Master Masonry
I do appreciate that the Mark Master Masons Degree is under the control of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter and that it is not a separate branch of the Order. I have given the Degree its own category so I could adequately reflect the history associated with the introduction of the Degree to Ireland.
Mark Master Masonry ~ A Short History
The New Continent
The history of the Mark Masters' Degree now in Ireland is actually linked with the development of the Degree on the "New Continent", now known as the "United States of America". This Degree differs considerably from any of the degrees formerly practiced in this country under the name of "Mark."
Companion Steven Nikolic in his Paper on the Mark Master Degree sets out the history of the Degree in America. He states that the earliest mention of the Degree is 1757 when Bro. George Harrison, Provincial Grand Master of New York granted a Charter for a Lodge in New York City, with a power of conferring the Mark Degree. [He did state that this claim was disputed by some Masonic scholars, but he was happy that it was the Mark Master Degree being worked as the Degree was being worked by many Lodges in the New Continent at that time].
Companion Nikolic continues in his Paper with naming various Lodges who worked the Degree from "St. Andrew's Lodge" in Boston (25th July, 1773) to a Mark Master Lodge established by the Grand Council of Princes of the Scottish Rite, in Charleston, South Carolina, on the 21st January, 1802.
Companion Steven Nikolic in his Paper on the Mark Master Degree sets out the history of the Degree in America. He states that the earliest mention of the Degree is 1757 when Bro. George Harrison, Provincial Grand Master of New York granted a Charter for a Lodge in New York City, with a power of conferring the Mark Degree. [He did state that this claim was disputed by some Masonic scholars, but he was happy that it was the Mark Master Degree being worked as the Degree was being worked by many Lodges in the New Continent at that time].
Companion Nikolic continues in his Paper with naming various Lodges who worked the Degree from "St. Andrew's Lodge" in Boston (25th July, 1773) to a Mark Master Lodge established by the Grand Council of Princes of the Scottish Rite, in Charleston, South Carolina, on the 21st January, 1802.
The Charleston Connection
How did this Degree find its way to Ireland ?
On the 31st May, 1801 "Eleven Gentlemen of Charleston" established a Supreme Council of Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite for the Thirty-third Degree. Subsequently they issued a "Circular through the two Hemispheres" to inform the world of the creation of the Supreme Council in Charleston, and one of the Founders published a series of "Orations" which ultimately resulted in correspondence from Ireland to the Brethren in Charleston.
And as stated above a Mark Master Lodge was established by the Grand Council of Princes of the Scottish Rite, in Charleston, South Carolina, on the 21st January, 1802.
On the 16th October, 1806 Bro. John Fowler, on the direction of the "Illustrious College of Knights of K.H. and of the Original Chapter of Prince Masons of Ireland" wrote to the author of the "Orations" for permission to publish them in Ireland and he subsequently requested the said author if he could visit Ireland for the purpose of establishing a Supreme Grand Council Of Inspectors General of the Thirty-third Degree for Ireland. This did not happen at that time due to a number of reasons, such as the political situation between Europe and America - President Jefferson had stopped all trade with Europe at that time, and there was the subsequent 1812 war - I do not know if the "Seton" revolt also had a bearing on the matter.
The matter went no further until in 1822/23 when the Supreme Council in Charleston came across the earlier correspondence of Bro. Fowler and re-established contact with him, asking if the Irish Brethren were still interested in opening a Supreme Council of Ancient & Accepted Rite for the Thirty-third Degree in Ireland - Bro. Fowler indicated that they were and a Letter of Patent issued to the Duke of Leinster on the 13th August 1824.
I think it is quite clear that at the same time as receiving the Letter of Patent to establish the Supreme Council of Ancient & Accepted Rite for the Thirty-third Degree, the necessary "instructions" were received by Bro. Fowler to establish the Mark Master Mason Degree in Ireland.
On the 31st May, 1801 "Eleven Gentlemen of Charleston" established a Supreme Council of Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite for the Thirty-third Degree. Subsequently they issued a "Circular through the two Hemispheres" to inform the world of the creation of the Supreme Council in Charleston, and one of the Founders published a series of "Orations" which ultimately resulted in correspondence from Ireland to the Brethren in Charleston.
And as stated above a Mark Master Lodge was established by the Grand Council of Princes of the Scottish Rite, in Charleston, South Carolina, on the 21st January, 1802.
On the 16th October, 1806 Bro. John Fowler, on the direction of the "Illustrious College of Knights of K.H. and of the Original Chapter of Prince Masons of Ireland" wrote to the author of the "Orations" for permission to publish them in Ireland and he subsequently requested the said author if he could visit Ireland for the purpose of establishing a Supreme Grand Council Of Inspectors General of the Thirty-third Degree for Ireland. This did not happen at that time due to a number of reasons, such as the political situation between Europe and America - President Jefferson had stopped all trade with Europe at that time, and there was the subsequent 1812 war - I do not know if the "Seton" revolt also had a bearing on the matter.
The matter went no further until in 1822/23 when the Supreme Council in Charleston came across the earlier correspondence of Bro. Fowler and re-established contact with him, asking if the Irish Brethren were still interested in opening a Supreme Council of Ancient & Accepted Rite for the Thirty-third Degree in Ireland - Bro. Fowler indicated that they were and a Letter of Patent issued to the Duke of Leinster on the 13th August 1824.
I think it is quite clear that at the same time as receiving the Letter of Patent to establish the Supreme Council of Ancient & Accepted Rite for the Thirty-third Degree, the necessary "instructions" were received by Bro. Fowler to establish the Mark Master Mason Degree in Ireland.
"Lodge Two"
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Accordingly the Mark Master Mason degree, in its present form, was first introduced into Ireland and the British Isles by Bro. John Fowler, who, in his capacity as Sovereign Grand Inspector General for Ireland (He was also Lieutenant Grand Commander of the Supreme Council of the A&AR of Ireland), on the 13th December, 1825 constituted a meeting of members of Lodge Two, Dublin, into a lawful Lodge of Mark Master Masons, to work the ritual he had received from Charleston in America. |
Mark Master Masons Certificate from 1877
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The minutes of Lodge Two for the meeting of the 13th December, 1825 state that:
"Members of Lodges 2 and 620 met and opened a Mark Master Masons' Lodge in full form. Brother John Fowler, in his capacity as a Sovereign Grand Inspector General for Ireland constituted this Meeting a lawful Lodge of Mark Master Masons, and having (by and with the consent of the Meeting) placed Brother Grant on the Throne, he empowered him and then to assemble and perpetuate the said Degree in like manner as all regularly constituted Lodges in the two hemispheres."
It was further resolved :
"...each Brother who has here received or shall hereafter receive this Degree do pay the sum of 10/6 British, which shall form a separate fund for the use of this degree."
"Members of Lodges 2 and 620 met and opened a Mark Master Masons' Lodge in full form. Brother John Fowler, in his capacity as a Sovereign Grand Inspector General for Ireland constituted this Meeting a lawful Lodge of Mark Master Masons, and having (by and with the consent of the Meeting) placed Brother Grant on the Throne, he empowered him and then to assemble and perpetuate the said Degree in like manner as all regularly constituted Lodges in the two hemispheres."
It was further resolved :
"...each Brother who has here received or shall hereafter receive this Degree do pay the sum of 10/6 British, which shall form a separate fund for the use of this degree."
Bro. John Fowler
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Bro. Fowler was Deputy Grand Master from 1819 to 1824, Deputy Grand Secretary from 1827 to 1856 and a member of the First Volunteer Lodge of Ireland No. 620. Whereas the Mark Master Masons' Degree was first introduced at a meeting of Lodge Two, it might have easily have been Lodge No. 620, and in this regard, I would refer you to the history of Lodge Two in the "Craft Jewels" section which details the relationship of Bro. Fowler and the First Volunteer Lodge No. 620 with Lodge Two. |
The Degree was not officially recognised by Grand Lodge until some time in the 1840's, when Grand Lodge recognised it by registering Mark Master Masons on the Grand Lodge Register.
Control of the Degree was subsequently transferred to Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter, under whose jurisdiction it remains.
Control of the Degree was subsequently transferred to Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter, under whose jurisdiction it remains.
Mark Master Smoke Seal from Waterford.
