On Saturday January 31, 2016, Mark Schmidt, Past Assistant Grand Sentinel and Missouri Royal Arch Mason Harry D. Brown Jr. of No. 284 Royal Arch Masons and a member of the Swope Park Lodge No. 617, on behalf of Masonic Author Dr David Harrison, presented a first draft of his Doctoral thesis with editor notations and the second edition of his book The Genesis of Freemasonry to Most Worshipful Brother John Hess, Past Grand Master of Missouri, and presently the Librarian of the Missouri Masonic Research Library. This is an important honor as there are only three working draft copies that Dr. Harrison had; he presented a copy to the UGLE Library in London, a copy to the Library at the University of Liverpool, and this copy to our very own Masonic Library. His PhD was subsequently published as the book The Genesis of Freemasonry in 2009 by Lewis Masonic, and it is good to see the original thesis and the published book side-by-side.
The Widow’s Sons are made up of various ‘Chapters’ that are drawn from different lodges. Louis Collingwood is a member of the Kentucky based Solomon’s Builders Chapter, it is very active with helping brothers in need along with several other charities throughout the community. As Louis explains, charity is the mainstay of the Widow’s Sons: ‘One thing we live by is that we are all our brothers’ keepers. We show this with our Angel tree ride that each year one of our brothers Sketch custom paints a helmet to be raffled off to raise money for. Then we go get gifts for the children on the angel tree for Christmas. Then our biggest even is called the Zack Attack – a number of Chapters converge to include over 100 bikes for a charity run and the proceeds go to the Progeria Foundation to help kids that have a very rare disability. We are working toward raising money for school supplies for the next year. Other Chapter’s that we know include the Cryptic Knights and the King’s Guard, the latter being located in New York. All of this shows that when you have the brotherhood of men on two wheels there is a willingness to help, not only as Masons but as men that know we need to take care of people.’
Sons was started to help the widows and orphans around the world. It began in the USA in 1998 and has grown world-wide. It is an excellent example of how Freemasonry can diversify and extend its ethos into the realm of one’s social activities, helping to bond brothers together, not just across the country but all over the world. Let’s hope it continues to do so.
I have numerous Masonic books in my library, but one of my favourite books is a Welsh book published in 1801 entitled Eglur Olygiad, printed in Wrexham, North Wales by 
Another contender is 
Special interest lodges and lodges to cater for certain lifestyles have always been a part of Freemasonry; there are ‘old boys’ lodges that celebrate a certain school, such as Boteler Lodge No. 7367 in Warrington, which was founded in 1954 for ex pupils of the now long gone Boteler Grammar School. There are lodges for Masons who have been members of the Scouts, the Boys Brigade or Youth Organisations in general, such as Arrowhead Lodge of Freedom No. 8500. There are lodges that are attached to certain workplaces, such as in Port Sunlight in Cheshire and lodges that cater for retired or serving Police officers as members such as Red Rose of Lancashire Lodge No. 9640, not to mention lodges that are attached to golf clubs.
A few months ago, I was contacted by a good friend and Brother George Shukha, from a lodge in Israel, who informed me about a lodge meeting in Solomon’s Quarries, a rather famous cave in Jerusalem, very well known in Masonic circles. The photos of the event were captivating, and the meeting included a lecture by Brother Yosef Bahar. Solomon’s Quarries – known as Zedekiah’s Cave – is situated under the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, and is believed to have been the quarries that supplied the stone for the Temple. 
Weymouth Masonic Hall was built in 1815, and has a Regency feel to its overall design; with a Neo-Classical façade, two large fluted pillars at the entrance supporting a frieze and triangular pediment, and to add to the overall feel, the Hall is painted in a Regency soft pink. Indeed, when the foundation stone was laid in the same week as the Battle of Waterloo, the celebrations became so disorderly and rowdy that many of the Freemasons involved became scandalised, and some almost gave up Freemasonry completely. The debris after the party was so much that the Tyler was paid a Guinee to clear up the mess. The Hall houses some fine Masonic treasures, pottery, punchbowls and a large urinal pot that was passed underneath the table during the festive board. As a purpose built Masonic Hall, it is one of the oldest in England and had its bi-centenary last year. The Hall is definitely worth a visit.
Arthur Warburton was the architect of the Warrington Masonic Hall, its foundation stone being laid by the Provincial Grand Master in 1932. It was designed in an Art-Deco style, and dominates the Cultural Quarter of Warrington. It is a large Hall, with two main Temple Rooms, practice rooms, committee rooms, dining rooms, and a museum, that displays many items from the oldest lodge that meets there – the Lodge of Lights. There is the ‘Ashmole’ Bible on display, Masonic glassware, Masonic pottery, and all kinds of Masonic artefacts. Well worth a visit and has twelve lodges that still meet at the Hall.
The history of Liverpool Masonic Hall is one of expansion and change; a committee was formed for the specific duty to purchase a property for Liverpool lodges to meet, a house in Hope Street being bought in 1857. The Hall was opened the following year after some alterations, but by 1872 the property was demolished and the corner stone of a new specially built Masonic Hall was laid on the 2nd of November with a full Masonic ceremony, with local Masonic dignitary Lord Skelmersdale doing the honours. The Hall was ready two years later, but had to be extended again by the 1920s, an indication of the growth of Freemasonry in the area. A strip of land next to the building was purchased and by 1932, the extension was completed. The building is certainly worth a visit, a particular highlight of mine being the Egyptian Chapter Room.
This is another Art-Deco Masonic Hall, completed in 1929. In recent years, a number of lodges that met at the Hall have sadly closed, but the Hall is still being used for lodge meetings and events such as weddings and conferences, so the Hall still feels vibrant and is still doing business. There are many different lodge rooms, ante-rooms, and dining rooms, including an amazing dining room that was designed acoustically to convey the voice, probably to assist Masons giving speeches during the festive board, but also, according to legend, was designed so everyone’s voice could be heard – including gossiping Masons! The Hall has many historical items on display and is well worth a visit.
The Masonic Hall at Duncombe Place was built for the York ‘Union’ Lodge during a time when the lodge was growing and needed larger premises. In 1859, a special committee reported that they had agreed with the proprietors of the building in which the Provincial Masonic Lodge was housed ‘for the purchase of the premises together with the front house in Little Blake Street for the sum of £550’. The building was then bought and adapted for the lodge. However, in 1861, the York Corporation Street Improvement Committee decided that the narrowness of the street was causing major problems and leading to congestion, and the newly purchase building was demolished. The lodge received compensation along with 293 square yards of land, giving the lodge an opportunity to construct a purpose built hall on the site. The plans for the construction were commissioned and the foundation stone was laid at the north-east corner of what would become the lodge room on the 8th of September, 1862, along with a jar filed with relics, and on the 2nd of June the following year, an ‘extraordinary lodge’ was called for the purpose of opening and consecrating the new hall. However, the lodge membership had grown quickly and in 1866, yet another committee was formed to assess expansion of the building. The building today houses the archives of the York Grand Lodge and the York ‘Union’ Lodge still meets there.
In loco isto dabo pacem (In this place I shall give peace). The full verse reads: Great shall be the glory of this new house [the rebuilt temple] as was the first, says the Lord of Hosts, and in this place I shall give peace, says the Lord of Hosts, Vulgate, Haggai 2:10).
Quis enim despexit dies parvos (For whoever has despised the day of small things followed by shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel, Vulgate, Zechariah 4:10.)
Adducam servum meum orientem (I will bring my servant the Branch, Vulgate, Zechariah 3:8) ‘Branch’ is symbolic, here, of a ruler who will rebuild the temple. They are all references to Zerubabbel’s rebuilding of the temple after the return of the exiles from Babylon, which may hold significance perhaps with the newly founded Knotty Ash Lodge, or in a celebration of the Church itself, which had just seen its centenary. For a Freemason to observe that window would have an obvious special meaning, and I myself was drawn to it on seeing it.
St. Anthony’s Church is a Catholic Church built in 1833, which replaced an earlier chapel that was founded by the Reverend Jean Baptiste Antoinet Gerardot, who escaped the French Revolution of 1789 and came to Liverpool. The Church is of a Gothic design, and the catacombs underneath the Church are well worth a visit; their ‘oval structure’ helping to support the weight of the Church above. There are burials in the catacombs and there is an ongoing project by St. Anthony’s to construct a database of baptisms, marriages and burials, which will give an insight into the Catholic and Irish population of the area in the nineteenth century.
Elm House is an early Victorian manor house situated in Anfield, not to be confused with the Elm House that merchant and philanthropist 
What is now known as St. James’ Cemetery was once a sandstone quarry, but during the early nineteenth century, it was redesigned as a cemetery by architect John Foster Jnr to serve the nearby St. James’ Church. Since the opening years of the twentieth century, the cemetery has been in the shadow of the Anglican Cathedral, and is accessed through a tunnel that is cut into the sandstone. The cemetery itself reveals Masonic monuments and family vaults, such as the Rathbone’s, which are set within the sandstone like secret caves. Eighteenth century graffiti adorns the sandstone face and an old spring of sweet tasting water can be found coming out of the bare rock. There is also the Greek-revival Oratory designed by Foster, which can be seen perched on the sandstone outcrop, and the monument to early nineteenth century MP William Huskisson which dominates the centre of the cemetery.
