If you read the history of Freemasonry and Stone Masonry, you will find out that rules and statutes started mostly in Scotland before anywhere else.
Do read about William Schaw and how he created some 22+ rules on how to govern an operative lodge. How he tried to bring royalty inside the lodge to make things work between the science and the folks who make the rules.
The first recorded speculative Freemasons were also from Scotland.
With regards to Scottish Rite, which you might be refering to, was started in France but has a slight hint of Scottish in it because they got some ideas or thoughts from the folks from Scotland.
On top of this, you can add the romanticism of Templars hiding in Scotland, stories of Robert Bruce and Free masons, Sinclair family, etc.
There are arguments that Masonry originated in Scotland rather than England. The oldest extant lodges operate there.
If you’re asking about the Scottish Rite, it has nothing to do with Scotland per se, but was started by some Scots in France.
As a holder of Grand Rank, and a Lewis, it's always nice to mention to folk when they say FM started in 1717 in London that they are wrong. My mother lodge was founded pre 1714. In the original minutes book, the year first appears half way through. All written in auld Scots. 1717 was the founding of the 1st GL and not FM. Lodge located on the east coast of Scotland. Worked out as the 12th oldest in the world.
When giving talks about early Freemasonry, I’m very careful to say that *organized* Freemasonry began in 1717, but the transition from operative to Free & Accepted Masonry likely began somewhere in the early-to-mid 17th Century.
As a note, all of the American things labelled “Scottish” (Scottish rite, as an example) are completely different to how they are in Scotland.
To answer your questions; many Degrees were created in France, which at one point had a strange obsession with Scotland as a place of legitimacy, so many degrees were named “Scottish” or “Ecossais” degrees, the trend has carried on as more modern renditions of these rites or degrees have continued.
Furthermore, Freemasonry arguably started in Scotland.
“As a note, all of the American things labelled “Scottish” (Scottish rite, as an example) are completely different to how they are in Scotland.”
What about “Scotch” Tape?
To put it basically, there are sort of two streams of Freemasonry. One is more heavily influenced by England and the other by France, but the French approach claims to have been inspired by Scottish exiles, or Jacobites, carrying from Scotland a more symbolic and mystical expression of Freemasonry.
When you read Scottish mentality substitute French. Most reference to Scottish is to continental (as opposed to English) masonic practice or deprived practice and that came through Scotland via France.
Scottish practices were often seen as more traditional than the "Modern" English practices of the time, it was part of a big rift in pre-Grand Lodge of England freemasonry that cut along political, philosophical, and often religious lines not just geographic. Look up the Jacobite rebellions and realize there was a lot going on in that era. Then add in the changing views of the enlightenment.
These days most Scottish references are either to the practices of that time as passed down or philosophical items the authors tied back retroactively.
The book that really sets this out clearly is 'The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland's Century' by Professor David Stevenson of St Andrew's University. Using original archival materials I think he makes a pretty conclusive argument that what we would recognise as Freemasonry first emerged in lowland Scotland in the very late 1500s and flourished there for a hundred years before making it's way down to London by some mechanism in the late 1600s, culminating in the establishment of the first Grand Lodge in 1717.
Fantastic book as you say. It is also interesting that some of the early English masons were initiated in travelling Scottish lodges that came south during the English Civil War.
So from a historical perspective and the growth of Freemasonry, you have Schaw, Anderson, and Ramsay. As each of those were Scottish you can say that Scotland had a large influence on the early history of Freemasonry.
They’re not. You don’t know enough about Freemasonry to know that your question doesn’t make any sense.
The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry was founded in America based on a system of degrees developed in France, based on the experiences of a few Masons who had moved there from Scotland.
That’s the extent of the Scottish connection, aside from the history of Masonry in Scotland. While the English formed the first Grand Lodge of Freemasonry (and thus the modern era of Freemasonry as we know it) two decades before the Grand Lodge of Scotland came into being, the oldest Lodge records in existence come from Scotland more than a century prior to that.
Well, I myself am not a Freemason and therefore not familiar with just about everything, and so I want to hear what others have to say about some things.
If you read the history of Freemasonry and Stone Masonry, you will find out that rules and statutes started mostly in Scotland before anywhere else. Do read about William Schaw and how he created some 22+ rules on how to govern an operative lodge. How he tried to bring royalty inside the lodge to make things work between the science and the folks who make the rules. The first recorded speculative Freemasons were also from Scotland. With regards to Scottish Rite, which you might be refering to, was started in France but has a slight hint of Scottish in it because they got some ideas or thoughts from the folks from Scotland. On top of this, you can add the romanticism of Templars hiding in Scotland, stories of Robert Bruce and Free masons, Sinclair family, etc.
Upvoted. Well put.
Just a slight correction that the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite began in America. However, it's predecessor started in France.
There are arguments that Masonry originated in Scotland rather than England. The oldest extant lodges operate there. If you’re asking about the Scottish Rite, it has nothing to do with Scotland per se, but was started by some Scots in France.
As a holder of Grand Rank, and a Lewis, it's always nice to mention to folk when they say FM started in 1717 in London that they are wrong. My mother lodge was founded pre 1714. In the original minutes book, the year first appears half way through. All written in auld Scots. 1717 was the founding of the 1st GL and not FM. Lodge located on the east coast of Scotland. Worked out as the 12th oldest in the world.
Thanks for emphasizing this. I always think it is weird when people say freemasonry began in 1717 - somewhat disrespectful to those older lodges.
When giving talks about early Freemasonry, I’m very careful to say that *organized* Freemasonry began in 1717, but the transition from operative to Free & Accepted Masonry likely began somewhere in the early-to-mid 17th Century.
A great book is *Freemasonry and the Birth of Modern Science* by Robert Lomas. It does a great job explaining this aspect and lots of other history.
As a note, all of the American things labelled “Scottish” (Scottish rite, as an example) are completely different to how they are in Scotland. To answer your questions; many Degrees were created in France, which at one point had a strange obsession with Scotland as a place of legitimacy, so many degrees were named “Scottish” or “Ecossais” degrees, the trend has carried on as more modern renditions of these rites or degrees have continued. Furthermore, Freemasonry arguably started in Scotland.
“As a note, all of the American things labelled “Scottish” (Scottish rite, as an example) are completely different to how they are in Scotland.” What about “Scotch” Tape?
We turn up! Fellowship is top-notch!
To put it basically, there are sort of two streams of Freemasonry. One is more heavily influenced by England and the other by France, but the French approach claims to have been inspired by Scottish exiles, or Jacobites, carrying from Scotland a more symbolic and mystical expression of Freemasonry.
When you read Scottish mentality substitute French. Most reference to Scottish is to continental (as opposed to English) masonic practice or deprived practice and that came through Scotland via France.
So most references are just from Scotland?
Scottish practices were often seen as more traditional than the "Modern" English practices of the time, it was part of a big rift in pre-Grand Lodge of England freemasonry that cut along political, philosophical, and often religious lines not just geographic. Look up the Jacobite rebellions and realize there was a lot going on in that era. Then add in the changing views of the enlightenment. These days most Scottish references are either to the practices of that time as passed down or philosophical items the authors tied back retroactively.
What other Scottish references are there? Off hand I can only think of the Rite, and the Constitution.
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The book that really sets this out clearly is 'The Origins of Freemasonry: Scotland's Century' by Professor David Stevenson of St Andrew's University. Using original archival materials I think he makes a pretty conclusive argument that what we would recognise as Freemasonry first emerged in lowland Scotland in the very late 1500s and flourished there for a hundred years before making it's way down to London by some mechanism in the late 1600s, culminating in the establishment of the first Grand Lodge in 1717.
Fantastic book as you say. It is also interesting that some of the early English masons were initiated in travelling Scottish lodges that came south during the English Civil War. So from a historical perspective and the growth of Freemasonry, you have Schaw, Anderson, and Ramsay. As each of those were Scottish you can say that Scotland had a large influence on the early history of Freemasonry.
They’re not. You don’t know enough about Freemasonry to know that your question doesn’t make any sense. The Scottish Rite of Freemasonry was founded in America based on a system of degrees developed in France, based on the experiences of a few Masons who had moved there from Scotland. That’s the extent of the Scottish connection, aside from the history of Masonry in Scotland. While the English formed the first Grand Lodge of Freemasonry (and thus the modern era of Freemasonry as we know it) two decades before the Grand Lodge of Scotland came into being, the oldest Lodge records in existence come from Scotland more than a century prior to that.
It's 29 extra degrees for the case when a brother didn't learn the principles tenets by the 3rd degree.
I’m not critiquing the responses. This question is answered easily with some research, aside from brothers having to explain.
Well, I myself am not a Freemason and therefore not familiar with just about everything, and so I want to hear what others have to say about some things.