41
A HIS TOR Y OF OR GA NIZED MA SONIC R OSICR UClA NISM SOCIETAS ROSICRUCIANA by HAROLD VAN BUREN VOORHIS, 1X 0 Supreme Magus Enieru~us HAROLD VAN BUREN VOORHIS Supreme Magus Emeritus Passed to the Grand Lodge on High May 23, 1983 1983 ~&

A HISTOR Y OF ORGANIZED MASONIC ROSICRUClANISM...connect ion, when we, as a fraternity, dote on TRUTH, I cannot say. Those who have helped me in the past, and those who have contributed

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  • A HISTORY OF ORGANIZED

    MASONICROSICRUClANISM

    SOCIETASROSICRUCIANA

    by

    HAROLD VAN BUREN VOORHIS, 1X0

    SupremeMagusEnieru~us

    HAROLD VAN BUREN VOORHISSupremeMagusEmeritus

    Passedto the GrandLodgeonHighMay23, 1983

    1983

    ~&

    qwerty

  • 6

    R..W..ROBERT C. PATEY, 1X0Secretary-General

    393 Lee StreetBrookline, Mass.02146 71-IL SUPREMEMAGI

    ENGLAND — Alan Glyn Davies

    SCOTLAND — Walter Billington Dickson

    UNITED STATES — Henry Emmerson

    PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATESOF AMERICA

  • TA~1LE OF CONTENTS

    Preface 9

    Chapter1 - The Early Rcsicruciaiis 11

    Chapter 11 Societas Rosicrucianain Anglia 15

    Chapter111 - The Socitatas Rosicrucianain Scotia 29

    ChapterIV - Societas Ro~icruciana n Graccia 32

    Chapter V - Societas Rosicrucianain Canadericia 34

    Chapter VI - Societas Rosicrucianain CivitatibusFocdeiatis,Pat~I 45

    ChapterVII - The High Council 54

    ChapterVIII SocietasRosicrucianain Civuatibus

    loederatis,Part II 58

    High Council Officers 66

    Ninth GradeFr’atres 70

    Eighth Grade Fratres 75

    MembershipStatistics 80

    Bibliography of Printed Items by Colleges 81

    CollegeCharterDaresandChict Adeprs 82

    Dormant Colleges 82

    Officers at High Council 83

    M..W..LAWRENCE EMERSONEATON, 1X0SupremeMagusEmeritus

  • PREFACE

    M. .W. .HENRyEMMERSONSupremeMagus

    In my three treatmentsof this subject: 1935 a “Foreword” - 1958 a“Preface” - and 1970a ‘‘Preface” 1 listed the namesof thosewho helpedme. Of Ihese twelve but threeare with us today: John Raymond Shute,1X0 of North Carolina, Lucille Maria Hottendorf of Hewlet, L.1.,N.Y.,and Henry Emmerson,1X0 of New York City. Lucille was my secretaryand Henrywasmy printer.

    In the first edition (1935) therewere a few remarksby the SupremeMagus, Frederick William Hamilton, 1X0 then about the Society “notclaiming descentfrom the Rosicriiciansof latei middle ages,it having notraditionsto propagateandno assertionsto defend.”

    Most historical booksare usuallyprefacedby excusesor explanationsand reasonsfor its advent Thelatter being to the effect that, so far as theauthorknows what he hasto sayhas notbeensaid before or to his liking.In my case I makeno excusesbecausethis was the first book on thesubject.

    When I wrote my part, 1 simply said that 1 set down in simplelanguagethe discoveredhistorical dataconcerningour Society, prolixitybeing purposelyavoided.So many wanteda copy of the 52 edition, that itwassoonexhausted.Twenty-twoyears late[ I redid it.

    My chiefsourceof referencefor the early existenceof datawasMostWorthy FraterWilliam Wynn Westcott,SupremeMagus of our Society inEngland(1891-1925). Then, shortly after the publication of my history,Right Worthy Lieutenant Colonel H.C. Bruce Wilson, V1110 - 90 ofEnglandbegana detailedresearchol the archivesof the English Society.The resultsof his work weremadeavailableto me.

    ThereuponI correctederrors madein the materialas used from theworks of Frater Westcott,and addedmuch of that publishedby FraterWilson. Thirteenyears later camean updatedissueof 71 pageswhich wasprinted in The RosicrusianFama - S.R.I.C.F. #42 - July 1971. It had avery short preface(half page).Only two editedparagraphsI repeathere:

    “Not everythingcontainedin the 1958 book was repeated- the illus-trations, statistics(mostly in the English and Scottishsectionsespecially)not of particularmomentto our Fraters.”

    “I acknowledge the service given me by R.W. Frater HenryEmmerson,then V1110 - 90, our printer, for his unfailing endeavors,ason so many previous occasions,to bring ‘order out of chaos’ from mymanuscriptsand thus producea presentableproduct.” Now he is a fullMagus,IX having beenelectedour SeniorSubstituteMagus on February24, 1979.

    Thereis little to be addedin this, the fourth, “preface” but there is anumberingof the sectionsand a printing of theresult in the CONTENTS

    -9-

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  • at the start. Thereis also an updating of all of the statistics since 1970.Very little editingwasdone.

    It is amazingthat niosi so-calledhistoriansof Freemasonryfabricatetheir productby addinghundredsof yearsto its continuity. A whole tribeof writers, starting with Anderson who wrote the 1723 and 1738Constitutionsof the Craft, havePublishedbookstrying to tell us, withoutdocumentationthat Freemasonrycamefrom varioussources,evenAdam.Just why an order would be better by adding years to its known ageand/or connectingit to an historical event with which it really had noconnection, when we, as a fraternity, doteon TRUTH, I cannotsay.

    Those who have helped me in the past, and those who havecontributedherewith, who I now add thanks, J. Philip Berquist, HenryEmmerson Stanley P. Matthewsof Summit, N.J. andEthel Rita Landauof Brooklyn N.Y. (alsomy Secretaryat a laterdate);GeorgeS. Draffen,Scot.; Alan G. Davies, Cyril N. Bathamand FrederickH. Smith, Eng.

    Harold V. B. Voorhis - 1982Summit, N.J., U.S.A.

    ChapterITHE EARLY ROSICRUCIANS

    The searchfor the origin of the Rosicrucianscarriesus backto a veryremote past. It leads us through a seriesof “hidden traditions” comingdown to us by way of what may be termed as “The Near East”. It isextremelydifficult to lift the thick veil which obscuresthe History of theOrderof the RosyCross,evenon its externalside. Fratier Arthur EdwardWaite, of England,whosestudiesinto the inward historyof Rosicruciansymbolismare unexcelled,succinctlysaid that the ‘‘difficulties which areinherentto the subjectof secretassociations’’haveaddedto them in thiscase “someothersof a peculiar kind, chief amongwhichare perhapsthesuccessivetransformationswhich it has suffered from within the groupsand the actualcircumstancesof its origin”. He points out fhat “there isnothing corresponding to the year 1717 in the History of the RosyCross,as wehavein Freemasonry.”

    Frater Waite has summedup the adventof the Rosy Cross thus:“Belween 1614 and 1616 certain pamphlets appearedin German andLatin which affirmed that a secretand mysteriousOrderhad subsistedinGermanyfor abouttwo centuries;that it wasfull of light and knowledge,derivedfrom a hidden centrein the Near-Easternworld ... The effectofthis proclamationin Germany,Holland andevenEnglandis now a matterof notoriety; everybody who knows anything about Secret Societies inEuropehas heardof the greatdebatethat followed. But the fiist questionfor our considerationand the first difficulty before us is whether therewas a Societyat all in any incorporatedsensewhenthe documentswhichclaimedto reveal it were first publishedasan appealto alumni andhteratrof magianand occult arts. . . . We are in the presenceof a claim put outsuddenly from the void.” Most of us who haveworked on this problemare of the opinion that there never was a definite Rosicrucianorganizationbefore the eighteenthcentury—definitelyin 1777—i.e. anywritten initiatory ceiemoniesbasedon a “crosssymbolism” termedRosyCross.There seemsno doubt that a few groupscame into possessionof a“degree” with the themeof the Rose and Crossidea in the seventeenthcentury or even earlier. However, although it is possible and evenprobablethai actualorganizarionswere formedhaving the nameRosiern-cian or ~vereRosy Cross in nature, positive proof of such existencesislacking. One thing is certain—no degree of Masonry has had widercirculation. it is found (not always by name but usually so) in nearlyevery systemof “high degree” Masonry: The Rite of Perfectionof theeighteenthcentury,The Rite of Memphisof the nineteenthcentury, andThe Ancient and Accepted Rite of the twentieth century are notableexamples.lt is found in The FrenchRite, The Primitive Rite, The ScottishPhilosophical Rite, The Rite of Mizraim and The Royal Order ofScotland.

    Rosicrucianisniis the survival of the early form of INITIATION wellknown to studentsand scholarsof the occult, undervarious names.The

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  • symnolicajFOUNDER of our SocietyCHRI5~J~~ROSENCREUTZdid not invent the doctrinesthat havebeeii promulgatedby the Societyoreventhosecontainedin the Rosierriciandegrees.No evidencethat such anindividual actually lived has come down to us. However he may beregardedas the Founderof the system as it has becomeknown to theworld at large sincethe publicationof THE FAMA FRATERNITATIS in1614.

    Only a few personsseem to havebeen referred to as Rosicruciansduring their lifetimes in the seventeenthcentury. They were writers whoissued tracts concerning “The Order” or who defended it in print. Inoccult literaturethey are frequently referiedto as Rosicrucians,but not ascrap of evidencehas cometo light to provea membershipin a Rosicrucian organization if such groups actually existed. Examplesare CouniMichael Meier (1568-1622)of Germany;RobertFludd, M.D. (1574-1637),Sir I(enelm Digby (1603-1665), Francis Bacon (1561-1629) and EliasAshmole(1617-1692)of England

    Our RosicrucianSociety, whosemembershipfrom its start has beenconfined to Freemasonsis the oldestRosierriciangrotip existing today,althoughit is only 115 years old. That theremay havebeenone or moreOrganized Rosicruciangroups existing in the British Isles prior to theknown existenceof the presentSociety, is acknowledged Only twentythree years after the formation of the Grand Lodge in London, thefollowing letter by “A.Z.” dated Edinburgh Scotland, December27,1739, appearedin “The Gentleman’sMagazine” of January 1740, pagesl7and 18.

    “It mustbeconfessedthat thereis a Society abroad,froni which the EnglishFree:Masons(ashamedof their true origin as above) have copied a few Cere-monies, and rakeii great Painsto persuadethe World that theyare derivedfroiiithem, and are the same with them: These are called ROSICRUCIANS fromtheir Prime officers (such as our Brethrencall Grand li/laster, Wardens etc.)being distiiiguist~~~ on their High Days with Red Crosses.This is saidt 10 he aworthy, tho’ they affect to he thought a mysrical Society, and piomoiecheerfullyone another’sBenefit in a very extraordinaryManner, rhey meetingfor betterPurposesthan Eating which Acts are slitl to be seenin Ihe printedStatuesof ihoseReigns; now tho’ the Occasionis Leather On this Society haveour Moderns, as we havesaid, endeavor’dto graft themselves,rho’ ihey knownothing of their most materialConstitutions,and are acquaiiite~only with someof their Signs of Probationand Entiance;insomuch that ‘tis but ot late years,(being better informed by some kind Rosicrucian) that they know John theEvangelist 10 he their right Patron,having kept for his Day, that Indicated toJohn the Baptis4 who we all know, lived in a Desart Isic] and knew nolhing ofthe Architecturerind Mystery which, with so many Plausibility, they reputetotheAuthor of the Revelations.’’

    In spite of the fact that this letler was written more than a centuryanda quarterbeforeour Society wasorganized no noticeof a groupatthe datein questionhascomeho us.

    hi this work we are not morethan passinglyconcernedwith Rosicru-cian matters previous to the era of our presentSocieties.We should,however,mentionthefact that in the particularera of our excursiontherehavebeenand are other Rosicruciangroups in England and the UnitedStates,at least.In the earlypart of this era, roughly spottedat the middleof the last century, many of the prominentmembersof our Society inEngland were active in these non-Masonicgroups, but in the UnitedStates,the reverseprevailed. One of thesemembersbecameassociatedwith a non-Masonic group which, after his death, resulted in theformationof a non-MasonicSociety,Rosicrucianin nature.

    The largest of these groups in England eventually emerged in1887—Finally resulting in five Temples of The Hermetic Society of theGoldenDawn.

    Isis-Urania,No. 3 at London Mar. 20, 1888Osiris, No 4 at Weston-super-Mare Oct. 8, 1888Horus,No. 5 at Brartford Oct. 10, 1888Amen Ra, No. 6 at Edinburgh Apr. 14, 1893Ahathoor,No 7 at Paris Dec. 3, 1893The combined activities of ihis group, for all practical purposes

    ceasedearly in the presentcentury. In 1902, a memberof York College,S.R.I.A., FraterT. [1. Pattinsonand a Dr. BogdanEdmundJastrzebski,betterknown as “Edwards”, who held first and secondoffices in HorusTemple,No. 5, took the “remains” of the GoldenDawnand addedsomeoriental and contemporarymaterial to form numberone Templeof TheOrder of Light iii Bradford, which has continued to the presentday.Therehavebeenother,but lesser,excursionsinto the samerealm.

    William Wynn Westcott (1848-1925),SupremeMagus of the EnglishSociety,S.R.[.A. from 1891 until his death,in his THE ROSiCRUCIANS(1915) page 3, said that the Masonic RosicrucianSocieties “are by nomeansthe only descendantsof the original Collegiurn, for in Cernianyand Austria there are other RosicrucianColleges . . . which are notfettered by any of the limitations which Freemasonryhas imposeduponus, and someof these,althotigh not composedof manymembers,includestudentswho understandmany curious phenomena,which our Zelatorshave not studied.” In his HiSTORY OF THE SOCIETASROSICRU-CIANA in ANGLIA, 1910, page 6. Westcott remarkedthat “eailierEnglishRosicrucianCollegeshaveno Masonic basis,and somefraternitiesabroadcertainly admitted women on equal terms, of which fact there isextant literary proof.” The ‘‘extant hitetary proof”, however,hasnevercometo the attentionof thoseengagedin research.

    Frederick Hockley, a notable English spiritualist, who died in 1885,possessedan original MS. which describedthe admissionto a RosicrucianFraternity in the now Englishowned, but in 1794 owned by France,676squaremile Island of Mauritius, otherwiseknown as The Isle of France,in the Indian Oceanabout 500 miles from Madagascar,of a Dr. Sigis-mundBacstrom.TheMS. recordsthe admissionof one Louis, the Comlede Chazal, on September12, 1794, TUE ROSICRIJCIAN, edited by

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  • FratersRobertWentworthLittle andWilliam RobertWoodman,first andsecondSupremeMagi of our Society in England,carrieda printedversionof the documentin theOctober, 1876 issue,pages149-151.A note statesthe copy wassuppliedby FraterF. G. Irwin, 90, of Bristol (who becamethe owner of much of Frederick Hockley’s greatMS. collection). Thedocument is not taken seriously by students, it being classed as“Questionable” by some and “an obvious mid-victorian forgery” byothers.

    That there was a Brotherhood of the Rosy and Golden Cross inGermany prior to 1710 when a certain Sigmund Richter published itsLaws seemssure, but what is certain is that therewas a reformation ofthe Rosy arid GoldenCrossgroup someseventy-fiveyearslater. Althoughit worked only on the Continent,someof the membershad connectionselsewhere.In 1836, Godfrey Higgins published Isis ANACALPYS1S, inthe courseof which he remarkedthat he had not soughtadmissionamongRosicruciansor Templars.

    There is a book, THE TREE OF COMMONWEALTH, written byEdmund Dudley, Esq., in 1509 while he was a prisonerin the Tower ofLondon, under sentenceof death for high treason. It was printed for“The Brotherhoodof the Rosy Cross” in Manchester,in 1859. Otherthan the prefacebeing signed as above, there is nothingelse in the workrelating to Rosicrucianism.This date is actually in the formation periodof our Society. It appearsthat thereflourished in Manchestera Rosicru-cian Brotherhood for a number of years. The dateof this publicationpinpoints a period of its existence. Frater Waite furnishes these“verifiable” particularsconcerningthe Brotheihood:

    I. It wasan AntiquarianSociety, without pretensionsof any kind.2. The only mysteryconcerningit is its choiceof the particularname.3. It met at thehousesof members.4. Its convocationswere called Chapters.5. Reportsof its activities appearedoccasionallyiii THE MANCHESTER

    GUARDIAN.6. One explanationbeing that editor of the above mentionednewspaper,

    JohnHarland,belongedto the Brotherhood,7. It wasconcernedwith topographical,historical,architecturalquestions,etc.8. It knew arid cared nothing for so-calledoccult sciencesand hadno views

    on the legendof Christian Rosy Cross.9. On one occasion at least there was a volume of antiquarian interest

    publishedunderits auspices.10. Irs occasionalmeetingscontinuedtill the endof 1869, if nothater

    It is not within the province of the fraternal historian to discuss theliturgical particularsof anygroupunderconsideration.Our provincehereis purely historical. The Masonic RosicrucianSocieties,unlike most non-Masonic ones, neither claim nor sanction any connectionwith occultassociationsof ancientvintage, none of which havebeenproved to havedescendedto our day. We will, therefore, dismiss that possibility andproceed with an examination of the beginnings of The RosicrucianSocietiesproper.

    ChapterII

    SOCIETASROSICRUCIANA IN ANGLIA

    The early history of our Society for manyyears has beenbasedonstatementsfound in the published accounts made by William WynnWestcott during the thirty-three years he was SupremeMagus of theEnglishSociety. in 1924, FraterWaite, in his THE BROTHERHOODOFTHE ROSY CROSS, pages564-567, thoroughly questioned theallegations made by Frater Westcott. In THE HISTORY OFORGANIZED MASONIC ROSICRUCLANISM, which I published in1935, I dwelt very sparinglyon the early history—simply quoting FraterWestcott’s “cover-all” statement which he published in 1900 (whichstatementwas repeatedin an occasionalpronunciamentofrom the samesourcewith a deletionor an additionto the main theme).

    This “official theme” was summarizedby FraterWaite, as follows:1. That the Society was projected in 1865 and started in t866 by Robert

    WentworthLittle.“Frater Little waseducatedfor the Church,but turned asideto enrerthe CivilService; after someyears of service in Dublin, he migrated to London andbecamean official at Freemasons’Hall in 1862, becomingCashierin 1866, inwhich position he remaineduntil his appointment in 1872, to the office ofSecretaryto the Royal MasonicInstitution for Girls, in which he did excellentwork up to the time of his death.” (Obituary). He died April 12, 1878, in histhirty-ninth year arid wasburiedat Croydonin Surrey,England.

    2. That Little found and borrowed or abstractedcertain papers, contairung“Ritual Information,” preservedin the GrandLodgeLibrary.

    3. That the rituals had been discoveredbefore Little found them by WilliamHenryWhite, upon his attainingtheoffice of the GrandSecretaryof the GrandLodge of England in 1810, and retaining that office until 1857. (He died in1866).

    4. That White, upon his retirementpassedthe information to Little, at the sametime admitting and recognizing Little as a Frater, thereby qualifying him toconferthegradesupon others.

    5. That White wasamong “the last survivors” of an EnglishRosicrucianSociety,holding from a VenetianAmbassadorto Englandin the eighteenthcenturywhohad “conferredRosicrucianGrades” on studentsin England,and said studentshad handed“on the rule and tradition ro others”.

    6. That accordingto Westcott, White “made no use” of the GrandLodge MSS.but accordingto anotherdeponent,White admitted Little, not apparentlybythe powerscommitted to him as an initiate arid from “Ritual lnformation”in his own possessionbut from thepapersin GrandLodge.

    7. That this notwithstandingthesepaperswere “imperfect for ceremonialuse”.8. That on finding them after White’s “retirementfrom office”—asstatedby the

    other deponent—Littlecalled to his assistanceKennethR. H. MacKenzie,whoclaimed that when in Germany he had been admitted by some “GermanAdepts” into certain Gradesof a Rosicruciansystemand had beenlicensedtoform agroup01 Masonicstudentsin England,“under the Rosicrucianname.”

    Frater Waite does not find any of these ‘‘conclusions~~ worthy ofhistorical notice and goes to somelength in justifying his conclusions.

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  • However, he did not give an account of how the Society really wasconstituteddueto the lack of historicaldocumentsavailable to him.

    In 1937, Rt. Worthy Frater H. C. Bruce Wilson, V1110, 90 of theEnglish Society,busiedhimself with an examinationof this subject. Flegave an account of his researchesthat year in a papen at a GeneralAssemblyheld on Novembet 13th of that year in Manchester.The paperwaspublishedthen,but ten yearslater, after additional research,anotherpapercoveringthe sameground was read by Frater Wilson at a GeneralAssembly at Perth on May 3, 1947, and again at the MetropolitanCollege,S.R.I.A., in London,sevendays later. It was then published.

    Frater Wilson started his paper by noting that since 1900, whenWesteolt,with official approvalof the High Council in England,printedan account of the origin of the Society, it had been “repeated andsupplemented”from the samesource “and had been reproducedin allworks teferring to RosicrucianSocieties;it was translatedinto Germanand printedin LATOMIA in Berlnt; it figures with much detail in Whitte-man’s HISTORLE DES ROSE-CROIX; it even finds a place in theIntroductiomi to Regardie’s GOLDEN DAWN printed in Chicago,”U.S.A.

    The two legendsare labeledby FraterWilson as “The Legend of theVenetianAmbassadotandthe Ritual in the Cellar,” and“The MackenzieLegend.” These titles suggest a foreboding which Frater Waite wasunable to accomplish. The paper gives us a thorough picture ofdemolition of the two legendsand, for the first time suppliesus withsomethingsubstantialconcerningthe advent of the Society in England—not heretoforeassembled.So far as the legendsare concetned,they arejust that and it is time that theybe relegatedto the hand of fables. Wereit not for the fact that they were put forward by the SupremeMagus ofthe Society in England as FACT, not much notice needbe given them.Becauseof this Frater Wilson has goneto greatpains and in greatdetailto prove,beyondall question,that these“histories” are greatly distorted.I shall not go into the subjecthere other than two phases—acertainletterwhich has been a weak “backbone” of the main legend, and somepertinentmaterialconcerningthe “Mackenzie Legend”. Thoseinterestedin the minute details of the whole may consult the papers hereinmentioned.It seemsmoteuseful to devotetimeand spaceto the origin ofthe Society as brought out in thesepapers. I shall therefore digest thematerial, concentratingon suchhappeningswhich I hopewill be sufficientto give a clearpictureof what really took placein the earlydays.

    In the earliestversionof the first legendFraterLittle was supposedtohave found the rituals in a cellar at Freemasons’Hall after White’s deathin 1864.This date was subsequently“adjusted” to 1865, but White didnot die until 1866. Then comes the letter which, so say the “HistoricalNotice”, is the “only Literary extant evidence of the source of ourRosicrucianRitual from Brother W. H. White.” It was wittlen by theRev. T. F. Ravenshaw,GrandChaplain of the GrandLodge of England,

    a Brother sufficiently well known by EnglishFreemasonsso that no morethanhis nameneedbe mentionedhere:

    “Dec. 18, 1870 DearSir and Bro.‘‘I did not intend to write unpleasantly.The factsaresimply these,“The history set forth by BrotherLittle whenthe order was ‘revived’ was that

    distinguishedmembersoh the genuineorder had the right of conferring it onothers.

    “That a certain Venetian (if I remembemrightly) Ambassadorin the lastcenturyhad so conferredit on personsin this counitry, who in turn had handedit on, the former G.S l3rothei White being one of the last possessorsof it,among whose papers in G. Sec,’s office Brother Little fonind an imperfectRitual. Whetherany memberwas then living I do not know, but at any rateBrotherLittle with some othersamendedandenlarged the fragmentaryRitualand floated the ‘revived order’ as a genuineand legitimatecontinuationof theold orden;”

    The aboveis the first page of the letter and this is what wasusedas‘‘pnoof” of whencecaine our Ritual in the S.R.l.A. But FraterWilsondiscoveredthe original letter andtherewasanotherpagewhich was NOTreproduced.Hereit is.

    “and for somefive yearsor so it lived and flourished, tho’ the Sup. Council 330dech~redthat it was merelya new form of a degreewhich belongedto them—asthe Scotch S.C. does to this day—somuch so that an objection was raisedbutfinally waived in Ednmmbono’ to my admissioninto the ‘Royal Onder’ on accountot~ niy connectionwith the Red Cross.Then on the scemieappearedRhodokana-kis, Prince or Grocer, in much wiath and indignation, claiming to be by birthanddescentthe living and only representativeof thehereditarySovereignsof tImeAncient order, denouricimigthe revived ordem as an imposture,and publishedagorgeousvolume on the subiect. To him Lord Kenhis submitted andacknowledgedthat the revivedordercould not substantiateits claims,andmadesuch change of title as Prince R. required to show its distinction from theAncient Order.

    “As my attraction to the Order was its being (as was supposed)a genuinerevival of a neverentirelyextinctorder, my interestin it ceasedwhen it claims tobe such were relinquished.It might still be a more or less interestingceremony,but nothing more, and 1 quietly wnthdmew. The Pr. Conclaveof which I hadbeena memberfrom an earlydate, very amiably electedme an Hon. Member,but I havenor for many yearsattendedthemeetings.

    finally yours,T.F. Ravenshaw.”

    Brother Ravenshawis statedin an old list of membersto havebeenadmitted in the S.R.I.A. in 1869, but theme is no record of hismembershipnor attendancein the minutes.

    The publication of the FULL LETTER simply explodes anypossibility that its contentsrefer to the S.R.I.A. Frater Wilson teiselyconcludesthat “this legend, compiled by FraterLittle for the Red Crossof Constantinemainly from traditions of another chivalric Red CrossOrder, and which he was obliged to discard by a claimant to the repre-sentationof that Order, was warmedup by the Historian (Frater WynnWestcott), seasonedto taste,and served as the ancestryand authority,

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  • andthe sourceof the Ritual of the S.R.I.A., with which in fact it hadnoconnectionwhatever.”

    The secondlegendappearedfirst in 1892, on a reprint of the leafletstating the aims of the Society, over the signatureof the then SecretaryGeneral,FraterW. J. Ferguson,by addingthis paragraph:

    “Sincethe reorganizationof the Society in 1864, the Magi who haveheld rulehavebeenthe following M.W. Fratres:

    KennethR.M. Mackenzie,P.S.M.RobertWentworthLittle, S.MWilliam RobertWoodman,M.D.William Wynn Westcott,M.13.

    Parenthetically,this is an unethicalmixup of Rosicrucian,scholasticand civic titles. Also, if must be noted that this “legend’’ appearedonlyafter Mackenzie’sdeath.

    Frater Mackenzie was approved for election as a candidate foradmission as a Zelator in the S.R.I.A. on April 11, 1872, on theproposition of FraterLittle, the SupremeMagus. His qualificationsarepurported to have been gained duting a stay in Austria where he issupposed to have received Rosicrucian initiation while living at theresidenceof a CountApponyi, asan English tutor. No details weregivenby which the individual memberof this distinguishedHungarianCatholicfamily can be identified. He also receivedoccult knowledgefrom AbbeAlphonse Louis Constant,better known as the Kabbalist and OccultistElphas Levi Zahed, whom he visited on December3 and 4, 1861, andwith whom he corresponded.But he was not qualified to become amemberof the S.R.L.A. until after March 9, 1870, on which datehe wasinitiated in RoyalOak Lodge, No. 871, at Freemasons’Hall, London.

    On I0-17-’72 Mackenziebecamea Zelatorand “he promisedto reada paperat the next meeting. “ The paperwasdeliveredandmet with suchapproval that Frater Mackenziewas declaredin the 1V0. More papensfollowed and “in April 1874, he was appointedto the office of AssistaniSecretary-General,after which lie signshimself VIhI0, A.S.G.” He serveda year “when he was deliberately insulted by Frater Little, and resignedfrom the Society.His deathon July 2nd, 1886, wasannouncedat thenextmeeting, where he is simply referred to as Hon. 90, without anyreferencesto any past services.”That he cotmid NOT havebeenSupremeMagusfrotn 1864 to 1867—orany other time, is obvious.

    There was a further attempt to provide evidence in support ofMackenzieas the Founderof the reconstructedSociety. In the imposingRegister known as The Golden Book of the Society, thereis no ituinberagainstMackenzie’sname. The original Register,from which the nameswerecopied to start the new book, is extant.Mackenzie’snumberis 114.Before it wascopiedsomeonechanigedthe numberto 0, but the copyist,says Frater Wilson “did not react according to plan, and apparentlypuzzled by the alteration solved the difficulty by omitting the numberaltogether.”

    ‘‘In the sixth decadeof the XIX centurytherewas in active existencein Edinburgha RosicrucianSociety in Scotia,divided as at presentinto 9gradesand3 orders,with appropriateceremonies.Thoughthe Societydidnot havethe Masonicqualifications,its membersincludedactiveMasons.Anthony Oneal Haye, headof the Society, was Editor of “The ScottishFreemason’,andthe well known Masonicwriter David Murray Lyon wasalso a member. The Secretary-Generalof the Society was Brother JamesH. M. Bairusfather.”

    In this Society two Englishbrethrenwere admitted to the Grades,asfollows:

    IIIIIIVVVIVIIVIIIlX

    Robert Wentworth Little12-31-186612-31-1866

    2- 4-18672- 4-18672- 4-18675-18-18675-18-18675-18-18676- 1-1867

    William Hughan12-31-186612-3 1-18662- 4-18673- 6-18673- 6-18673- 6-18676- 1-1867

    before 10-31-1867before 10-31-1867

    For Little, at least, the IX 0 must havebeen ante-datedor given inabsentia;for the fiist meetingof the revived Society in Anglia took placeon June 1, 1867, in Londoni. Frater Little and six others were presentatthe London meeting so he could nothavebeenin Scotland.Little becamethe first SupremeMagusand Hughanthe first SeniorSubstituteMagusofAnglia. Their certificates in Anglia were dated December 31, 1866, thedate they were both receivedin Scotia—andthis date, saysFraterWilson,“is thereforethe properdatefor the constitutionof the presentS.R.I.A.”Thereare no certificatesin Anglia datedearlier. The next is datedJune6,1867, five days after the first meeting. The secondmeeting was held onOctober31, 1867. It is obviousthat Little and Hughanwere admitted toScotia for the purpose of “reconstructing” or forming the Society inEngland.In fact, in a list of members,at the back of the original minutebook, for the first threeanda half yearsof the Society,FratersLittle and1-lughan are shown ashavingjoined “from the ScottishBranch”.

    The earliestextant minute book of the Society containsthe minutesof a meeting held on June 1, 1867, and the minutes continue untilJanuary, 1871 when there is a hiatus until April, 1873. (The minutescovering this lapseare printed in The Rosicrucian, however). From thisdate to January, 1875, there is a signaturebook listing the namesofFraters who attended the meetings.Written minutes are then completefrom January, 1875, to date. It ,must be noted that the summons formeetingsin London were headed“The RosicrucianSociety”. It was notuntil January 8, 1874 that the summons for a meeting was headed“l’vletropolitan College.” The next meeting summonswas for April 18,1874 and that was likewise soheaded.The first meetingof the Magi and

    -18- -19-

  • Magistri, constituting The High Council, was held on April 24, 1874,whenit wasdecided“(I) That thegovernmentof the RosicrucianSocietybe vested iii the High Council consisting of the Magi and N4agistiiTemple, 90 & 8 ‘~ . . . . (5) That the Metropolitan Collegeof Englandbethe title of the London College.” Eight of the memberswere presentatthe meeting.At this time, when the line of demarcationbetweena 1-lighCouncil and Metropolitan College was drawn, threeother Colleges hadbeenauthorized—Bristolin 1869,Manchesterin 1871, andCambridgethesame year. The first two being in active existence in 1874.

    The Rulesand Ordinancesof the Society—undoubtedlythe work ofRobertWentworthLittle, the first SupremeMagus,cometo light in 1868,but are not dated. The Preamblecommenceswith this statement:“TheSociety of Brethren of the Rosy Cross is totally independent,beingestablishedon its own basis, and as a body is not otherwiseconnectedwith the Masonic Order than by having its membersselectedfrom thatfraternity.” In the Ordinances,Rule VII says that “No aspirantshall beadmitted into the Society unlesshe be a MasterMason.” This restriction,which is characteristicof the revived S.R.I.A., and its various offspring,is not found in the older RosicrucianSocieties, including the S.R 1.S.from which it immediately sprung, and it also precludedany risk of theintroductionof feminine members—arestriction which has beeneffectivein the non-recognitionof at leastone Rosicrucianbody in the U.S.A.

    Frater Wilson has devotedmany pagesin Chapter2 of his “EarlyHistory of the S.R.I.A.”, to an examinationof the original Rules andOrdinances—towhich are referred those interested in these specificdetails. However, one of the Rules is of historical interest—No. XIII.This Rule says, in part, that “The Proceedingsof the Society shall beprinted quarterly,under the title of “The Rosicrucian” and a copy shallbe sent to every subscribingand honorary memberby the Secretary-General. The record shall be conducted tinder the supervision of theSupremeMagus.” Under the dateof July, 1868, thereappearedthe firstnumber of “The Rosicrucian”, edited by Frater Robt. Wentworth Little(S.M.), Master-General,printed by Collins and Hearn, afterwardsThomasH. Hearn of StokeNewington, which is changedwith No. XVIIto Reeves,Son & Co., LudgateHill. Actually the restilting publicationsunder the Society name were mostly records of the Red Cross ofConstantinein general and Frater Little’s activities in particular, “withthe ulterior objective of an excursion into general Masonic journalismwith a strong popularflavor”. The following were issued:July 1868 to Oct. 1872—THEROSICRUCIAN—Vol I—numbersI to 18.Feb 1873 to Nov. 1874—THE ROSICRUCIAN AND RED CROSS—Vol. 11—

    Numbers19 to 26.Jan.1875 to Oct. 1875—THE ROSICRUCIANANDMASONIC RECORD—New

    Series—Vol.I—numbersI to 4.Jan.1876 to Oct. 1878—Same,New Series—VolI—numbersIto 12.Jan.1879 10 Oct. 1879—Same, New Series—Vol Il—numbers 13 to 16.

    In the eleven years there were forty-six numbersissued containingsome 1,186pages.

    After a thorough analysisof the dataconnectedwith thesepublica-tions and their contents, Frater Wilson concludes, ‘‘So ended ‘TheRosicrucian’;and with it for a time all printed recordof the Society orany part of it; meagreandspasmodicas the information which is suppliedhad been,andembeddedin massesof extraneousmatter, it had preservedsomethingof interest for thosewho comeafter, not only by what it hasrecorded,but also by the extent and mannerof its omissions.Fortunatelya few years later, in 1885, the Metropolitan College beganto print itsTransactions,which preservea continuousrecord of the meetingsof theCollege, and print most of the papersread in it; and this has continuedwithout a breakto the presenttime; and some of the Provincial Collegeshavealso issuedpublications.”

    In the first issueof “The Rosicrucian” we find a notice for a meetingof The Rosicrucian Society of England for Jtnly 2, 1868. The RightHonorable Lord Kenhis (later the Earl of Bective) is listed as HonoraryPresident,the otherofficers being:Robert WentworthLittle S.M. & M.W. Master-GeneralWilliam JamesHughan S.S.M. & R.W. DeputyMaster-GeneralWilliam Henry Hubbard J.S.M. & V.W. Primus AncientWilliam Robert Woodman, M.D., VIII 0 Secretary-General

    On pages6 to 9 of this first issue the Rulesand Ordinanceso1 TheRosicrucianSocietyof Englandare printed in twenty numberedsections.

    On October 8, 1868, The Right Honorable, The Earl of Jersey,acceptedthe office of Honorary Vice-Presidentandin the January,1869,issueof “The Rosicrucian” we find the Earl listed,togetherwith FrederickMartin Williams, Esq., M.P., asHonoraryVice-Presidents.

    Colonel FrancisBurdett was elected an HonoraryVice-PresidentonJanuary14, 1869, in the presenceof thirty-five Fraters,and receivedTHERITE OF PERFECTION. He is listed in the April 1869, issue of “TheRosicrucian” for the first time, togetherwith the other two HonoraryVice-Presidents.

    On July 14, 1870, Biother Hargrave Jennings was elected anHonoraryMember, as was The Right HonorableLord Lytton, the latterbeing requestedto acceptthe office of GrandPatron of the Society. Heaccepted and is so listed in the July 1871, issue of “The Rosicrucian”.Lord Lytton died on January18, 1873, and in the February, 1874, issueof “The Rosicrincianand Red Cross” we find The Earl of Bectivelisted asGrand Patron, Colonel FrancisBurdett as Honorary President,and TheEarl of Jersey, Fiederick M. Wihhiatns, Esq., M.P., and John Ilervey,Esq. (the GrandSecretaryof the United GrandLodge of Englandwhowasadmittedinto the Society in 1870) listed asHonoraryVice-Presidents.

    In the April, 1878, issue of “The RosicrucianandMasonic Record”,the Earl of Bective is listed as HonoraryPresidentandThe Earlof Jersey,Sir. Frederick M. Williams, M.P. and Colonel Francis Burdett asHonoraryVice-Presidents.John Herveypassedaway in 1880 and was illfor sometime before, so he may haveresignedas a Vice-Presidentof theSociety.From this point we heai no more of the office of Grand Patron.

    -20-

  • Sir Frederick Martin Williams, M.P., died on September 3, 1878. Thisleft the Honorary President and two Honorary Vice-Presidents—andtheycontinuedto be listed through the last numberof “The RosicrucianandMasonic Record”, which was October, 1879. Our next printed record isthe Transactionsof the Metropolitan College, the first issue beinig datedJanuary, 1885. The same Honorary officers are listed as in 1879 andcontinuethusuntil 1888 whenWilliam JamesHughan,P.S.S.M.is addedas an Honoraiy Vice-President.This listing coiitiiiued through April,1892, whentheseofficesseemto havebeenabolished.

    At the meetingat which The Earl of Jerseywas electedwe find that“twelve Brethrenhavingbeenproposed,secondedand ballotted for, wereappiovedfor a Gradeof Zehator;of whom the following, being present,received THE RITE OF PERFECTION”. We find this entranceceremonyfor a numberof years. It was the Zehator Grade.The ritual ofTHE ORDER OF SECRETMONITOR, was included in the “work” ofthe Society in 1868 but properly excluded a few years hater on therecommendationof FratersWoodmanandMacKenzie.

    At a meetingof the Societyon April 8, 1869, FraterAngelo J. Lewis(who wasa PastSovereignof PremierConclaveNo. I, andthe followingyear GrandAssistantMarshalin the Giand Senateof the Knights of theRed Crossof Romeand Constantine)posteda notice of motion, to wit:“1. That new admissionsinto this Societybe restrictedto membersof theRed Cross Order. 2. That the regalia of the Red Cross be worn atmeetingsof this Society by thosewho are Knights of that Order.” OnJuly 8th, 1869, this mattei was broughtup when “Frater Lewis withdrewhis motion for the present”, after about an hour of discussion. FraterHughan, the MasterGeneral, had madea journeyof over three hundredmiles at considerableinconveniencein order to presideat the meeting. Itis apparentthat it was largely due to Frater1-lughan that the oppositionwasso strong,and that the motion had to bewithdrawn, much to FraterLittle’s disappointment.On October14, 1869, this sameFrater “withdrewhis motion unconditionally”. This is a matter of interest becausepracticallyall the high ranking officers of the Red Crosswere also highranking officers in the RosicrucianSociety—Lord Kenhis, Frederick M.Williams, The Earlof Jersey,Colonel FrancisBurdett,William H. White,RobertW. Little, William J. Hughan,Wihhmam R. Woodman,and others.Furthermore,Frater Little, the SupremeMagus,was GrandRecorderofthe Red Cross Order and had aspirationsof turning the RosicrucianSociety into an appendageof the Red Cross Order—which processeventualhywasthwarted.

    On April 24, 1873, it is recorded“that M. AlphonseLouise Coinstant(whose occult name was Eliphas Levi Zahed) of Paris, be ehectcd asHonorary Foreign Memberof the Society and that Frater Mackenzieberequestedto transmita notice to him of the fact”

    In August, 1873, there is recordedin thc official magazinean essayon Rosicrucianismby Albert G. Mackey of the United Statesof America.This appears-to be the first mention of an American having to do with

    Rosicrucianism—Masonically.So far as is known, Dr. Mackey neverbecamea memberof an exotericRosicrucianSociety.

    In the printed minutes foi tIme January 14, 1875 meeting of theSociety, Frater Woodmnan, Secretary-General,signed with an Arabic 9insidea triange. This seemsto be the first use of this designation.In thesameminutes Fraterand Captain C. Hunter of East of ScotlandCollegeis designatedas Honorary 70 in the samemanner.Woodmansigned theminutes as Secretary-Generalas an Honorary 80 in a triangle. Hecontinued to sign thus for four more meetingsand then on October9,1879 he signedas Honorary 90 in the triangle. The magazineterminatedthat yearandwith it the trianglesigning—atleastit is not met with in theTransactionsof MetropolitanCollege which startedsix yearshater.

    The first SupremeMagus, Robert Wentworth Little, died on April12, 1878, at thirty-nine years of age. He left a sealedletter appointingashis successorDr. William Robert Woodman, who had been Secretary-Generalsince 1868, as well as Junior SubstituteMagus for two years anda few months the Senior Substitute Magus. The Adepti acceptedthenominationandon April 15th Dr. Woodmanacceptedthe office.

    In January, 1879, the new SupremeMagus approved a Zelatorcertificate, but it was two years before the certificate came into being,accordingto a paragraphin the June 1, 1881 numberof TI-LE KENPI-l,the official organ of The Ancient and Primitive Rite of Masonry,publishedin London,being edited by FraterKennethR. H. Mackenzie.Ittells us that “membersof the RosiciucianSociety in Englandwill be gladto hear that the long-promisedcertificateandseal has at last been issuedby the Authorities. We congratulate our enthusiastic Brother Dr.Woodman, P.G.S.B.,upon this auspiciousevent and we trust that theunselfish labor he has devoted to this interesting branch of Masonicscience,will beargood fruit in thc future.”

    In January,1885, Metropolitan College started to issue its AnnualReports,with abstractsof the papersreadbeforethe College. In the 1887Report mention is madeof a lecture delivered by FraterWestcott, tithed“The Zelator Ritual of the SocietasRosicrucianaof the United StatesofAmerica.~~

    In 1900 a Study Groupwas foimed by MetropohitamiCollege,whoseactivities havebeenreportedin the Transactionsof the College,which atthat time hadbeenruiining for fifteen years.

    Dr. Woodman,SupremeMagus, died on December21, 1891, after afew monthsof illness, As in the previouscase,at the death of SupremeMagus Little, a sealedletter was left (with his nephew)addressedto theSociety, appointing Dr. William Wynn Westcott as his successor.Westeolt had been Secretary-Generalfor the previous years and neverservedas either of the SubstituteMagi. At a meetingof the High Councilon February25, 1892, Dr. Westcottwas electedSupremeMagus, and hewas proclaimedat the QuarterlyConvocationof MetropolitanCollege onthe samedate.

  • Frater Woodman was buried at EihhesdenCemetery. The Royal1-lorticultural Society has erecteda handsomeand appropriatecenotaphto his memory,a photographof which may be found oppositepage48 ofthe 1912 MetropolitanCollegeTransactions.

    On February 24, 1902, hess than two months before Berlin Collegewaswarranted,Dr. Westcottwrote to TheodoreReuss(who was initiatedinto Freemasonryin Pilgrim Lodge, No. 238, London) who headedtheGerman Province and College, that “the German Council shall issueParchmentCertificatesof Membership,andit would be wise to issuealsoa small card of membership,small enoughto be carried in a purseorpocketbook,for usewhenvisiting other Colleges,or to adoptthe Englishcard.” The October9, 1902 minutesrecordthat “The S. M. said he haddesigneda small certificate of membershipof the Society, suitable forcarrying in a pocket-book; these would be issuedto all new Fraters inaddition to the large certificatealready in use,and any presentmembercouldhaveoneon application.

    In the Transactionsfor 1902, we find the Active Gradesdesignatedby the use of Romannumeralsfor the first timein print.

    In the minutesof January12, 1905, we find the following: “BrotherJames William Squires, P.M. of Chippewa Falls, Lodge, No. 176,Wisconsin, U.S.A., was duly electedand being in attendance,was thenadmitted in solemnform by the R.W. Celebrant,the secretsbeing givenby the M.W. SupremeMagus.” FraterSquireswasa residentof Londonat the time andwasin Englandfor some time afterhis admittancein theCollege. He was erasedfrom the roll of memberson January9, 1909.Frater Squires was born in Bridgewater,England,on March 20, 1864.Just whenhe cameto the United Statesis not known but in 1887 he wasemployedas a bookkeeperin ChippewaFalls, Wisconsin. He wasmadeaMaster Mason in ChippewaFalls Lodge, No. 176 on October 11, 1887and was Master of that Lodge in 1895. He was subsequentlyanaccountant in a large lumber concern and when the lumber businessceasedhe returned to England where he spent several years. After hereturnedto the UnitedStatesheresidedin Ohio wherehe died on October18, 1916. His body was interred in the Masonic plot at ChippewaFalls,Wisconsin.

    In 1907, the SupremeMagus visited the Provinceof South Africa,sometimebetweenthe middleof April andthe middleof July.

    On July 8, 1909, Rudyard Kipling, who said he was “Entered by aHindu, Passedby a Mohammedan,and Raised by an Englishman” inHope and PerseveranceLodge, No. 782, at Lahore,India, in 1886, justbefore he became twenty-one years old, was elected in MetropolitanCollegeand admitted to the Gradeof Zelator. He was a memberof theCollege until his passingin London on January 18, 1936, just nineteendays over seventy years of age. His memory was edited, as in most“history” written by poets. He was Secretaryof the Lodge when hereceivedthe degrees.Only Englishmenpresided.The minutesare extant.

    In the minutesof The High Council meetingof April 14, 1910, there

    is recordedthat “Letters from a Brother Geo. Phumnmem,of New Yonk,were read and considered,regardingthe grant of a warrant for a newCollege in New York, by reasonof the previous Colleges being all inabeyance,and it was resolvedto refer the matterto the Secretary-General[Frater A. Cadbury Jones, 90] and Frater W. J. Songhurst 1190], forinquiry and report to the High Council in July.” No further referenceconcerningthis matter has been found in the minutes. The letter fromBrother Plummer, who was well known to the writer, stating that “theprevious Collegesbeing all in abeyance”was not fact. On October 7,1908, the U.S.A. High Council met and Maryland and MassachusettsColleges were in active existence.As a matter of fact, in 1911 threeMinnesota brethren were admitted into Maryland College,which resultedin the formation of a College in Minnesotabefore the end of that year.Additional information on this subject will be found in the Chapterdealingwith the earlyhistoryof the Society in the United States.

    From “Data of the History of the Rosicrucians,”page12, we obtainthe information that “In 1911 a CONCORDAT between the SupremeMagus of England 11W. Wynn Westeolt] and Colonel Todd Stewart, theSupremeMagusof Scotland,wassigned,andGeneralThomasJ. Shyrockwasnecognizedas SupremeMagusin the United Statesof America.”

    The London College of Adepts was warranted on September29,1922. It is composedof membersof Metropolitan College who havetheAdept Grades.Thesegradeswereworked at the pleasureof MetropolitanCollege.The first CelebrantwasFraler GeorgeF. Irwin, V1110.

    On June 19, 1924, Metropolitan College of Scotia celebrated itsjubilee. In the 1924 Transactionsof The MetropolitanCollege of Englanda recordingof the affair is spreadover two pages,and a half pagecut ofMW. Frater JosephInghis, SupremeMagus in Scotia, is reproduced.Aletter from M.W. FraterW. Wynn Westcott, SupremeMagus in Anghia,from Durban,Natal, Africa, is printed in full.

    On July 30, 1925, the SupremeMagus died at Durban, Natal, atseventy-sevenyears of age. He had been SupremeMagus for approxi-mately thirty-threeyearsout of the fifty-eight yearsof the existenceof theSociety.A photographof the stoneerectedoverhis remainsis reproducedoppositepage24 in the Transactionsof MetropolitanCollege.

    The Secretary-General,Frater Stanley W. Rodgers, 90, issued asummonsfor The High Council to meetin Mark MasonsHall, London,on October8, 1925, at 3 p.m. The result was the election of FraterW.John Songhiurst,who had been Junior Substitute Magus 1920-22 andSenior SubstituteMagus 1922-1925,as SupremeMagus of the Society,by unanimousconsent.

    York College of Adepts was warrantedon April 12, 1934 at Yomk.Neither London nor York Colleges of Adepts are Colleges for theentranceof aspirantsinto the Society.

    As nearly ashas beenascertainedtherehavebeentwenty-nineregularCollegesandtwo Collegesof Adeptsin the EnglishSocietyduring the 104years of its existence.In addition, it has also formed, under its premier

    -25-

  • THE ACTIVE COLLEGESCollege,a StudyGroup. It is likewise responsiblefor the formulation ofthe High Councils of Scotland and Greece and, indirectly, those inCanadaand the United States,the latter, of course,very remotely.

    The following haveheld the office of SupremeMagus,S.R.I.A.

    1866-18781878-18911892-19251925-19391939-19561 956-19691969-19741975-19791979-19821982-

    RobertWentworthLittleWilhiani RobertWoodmanWilliam Wynn WestcottWilliam JohnSonghiurstFrank Martin RickardWilliam Richard SeinkeimEdwardVarley KayleyDonald Michael PenroseNorman Charles StamfordAlan Glyn Davies

    We now come to a portion of our story which necessitatessomeexplanation—thesettingup of Provincesin the Society in the mannerofEnglishMasonry.This systemis practically unknownin the United Statessincewe becamean independentcountry. The RoyalOrderof Scotlandinthe United Statesis a Province of the GrandBody in Scotlandand theCouncilsof Knight Masonsin the United Stateswas oncegroupedinto aProvinceof the Grand Body in Imehand.Thesecover only a few hundredMasonsandare not generallyknown.The Red Crossof Constantinedoeshavea system of IntendentGeneralsbut this is more like the DeputySystemin vogue in most Grand Lodgesand other Grand Bodies in theUnited States.

    The Provincial Systemusedin Englandis well suited for largeGrandBodies where control is delegated for betler operation. It seemssuperfluousin as small a body as the RosicrucianSociety.The Red Crossof Rome and Constantine,working during the sameperiod in England,but already well established— and having many membersin the Rosi-crucianSociety,gavea patternto follow. While it is still operating today,it appearsto be a top-heavyappendagerather than an operatingasset.Itis not used in the United States,where eachCollege is directly undertheHigh Council and is presidedoverby a Chief Adept, 1X0, appointedadvitani by the SupremeMagus.

    It might be well to notehere,also, that in Englandand Scotland,aswell as in the defunctCanadianSociety,the original systemof having thefimst threeofficers of the High Council active 1X0, and any othersof thatgrade honorary 90, prevails. In the United States the three Magi, theSecrelary-Genemal,the Treasurer-Generaland all the Chief Adeptsare full1X0.

    It must be specifically noted that prior to 1874 Colleges emanatedfrom the “Society” in London, or from the Collegesit started — afterthat time a High Council gave College warrants and establishedProvinces.The mannerof starting theseProvincesis not standardin anysenseof the word.

    1867 - Metropolitan— LondonNov. 15, 1879 - York — YorkJan.21, 1886 - Deniiurgus— E. Melbourne,Aust.June18, 1890-Newcastle— Neweastle-upon-TyneJan. II, 1906 - Christehureb— New ZealandMar. 21, 1908 - Woodman— Eastwood,TodmordenNov. 29, 1909 - RobertFludd — AndoverJan.13, 1910 - Hahlamnshire— SheffieldOct. 29, 1910 - Lancashire— ManchesterJune5,1915- Birmingham& Midland—BirminghamMay 31, 1919 - William Wynn Westcott— BrightonApr. 23, 1921 - Mersey— BirkenheadOct. 14, 1946 - ThomasVaughan— Victoria, Aus.Sept.2,1966- William Semken — HalsteadSept 2, 1966 - St.Johnof Beverley— BeverleyMay 27, 1967 - Michael Mater— Woodstock,Ont., Can.Apr 26, 1967 - EugenmusPhilalethes— Brisbane,Aus.Nov. 30, 1967 Elias Aslimole — FanehamMay 25, 1973 - Toronto — Toronto,Can.Apr. Il, 1976- The Holy Grail — Saltash,CornwallDec. 2, 1977 - Michael Penrose— BuckhuistHillJuly 25, 1979 - John Dee— Retford,Notts.Sept.20, 1980 -ThomasLinacre — Croydon

    Apr. 4, 1981 - ThomasB. Whytehead— CastlefordFeb.20, 1982 - Pythagoras— BromagroveMar. 27, 1982 - Paracelsus— TauntonMay 29, 1982 - Bernardde Clairvaux — Lpais& Lon.

    THE INACTIVE COLLEGES

    Apr 8, 1869 . Bristol — BristolFeb.28, 1871 - NorthernCounties— ManchiestemJan. 13, 1876 - Cambridge— CambridgeOct 6,1877- Burdett — MiddlesexApr. 1,1892. ZaphnathPaaneali— PenangMalayaFeb.4, 1902 - Berlin — GermanyNov. 14, 1902 -UmbullaPeshawar— Punjab,IndiaJuly 12, 1906 - Ladysmith— Natal, SouthAfricaApr. 11, 1907 - Wynii Westcott— BuenosAyres,Arg.Apr. 15, 1909 - Pymander— RawalPindi, Punjab,IndiaNov. 19, 1910 -Aiidhra — Ballery Madras,IndiaNov. 12, 1915 -Trinity — Bangalore,Madras,India

    Metropolitan College in London was really the first college of ourSociety anywhere.Actually, it wasoriginally “The Society” itself, it beingthen referred to as “The RosmeruemanSociety of England.” Seven yearsafter the start of the Society it was decidedto call the London Fratersa

    -26- -27-

  • CHAPTERIII“Cohlege”—MetropOhitanCollege.Although the Society was startedwitha presidingofficer calledThe MasterGeneral,the following year an officewas createdcalledThe SupremeMagus. In 1874, when the High Councilwas established,the office of Master-Generalwas abolishedand at thesame time the London Fraters becameMetropolitan College. Thepresidingofficer of a constituentor subordinategroup was establishedasMasterof the Temple.

    THE SOCIETASROSICRUCIANA IN SCOTIA

    It has beendefinitely establishedthat therewasa RosicrucianSocietyin Scotland pre-1857, and there are indications that it came by way of aSociety in England which Godfrey Higgins, in his ANACALYPSIS,referredto asactivein 1830.

    In the ROSICRUCIAN for October 1868, at the bottomof page24,we find the statement, “Frater Haye is the Chief of the ScottishRosicrucians”.This is a Contemporarystatementand,as hasbeenshownin the Chapteron Anglia, is true.

    In the English High Council thereis a very small note book, writtenby Frater Walter Spencer,who becamea memberof Bristol College in1873. It contains an obligation taken by him in 1857 when he wasadmitted a Rosicrucianby Anthony Oneal Haye. This shows that theearly ScottishSociety wasActive as early as 1857, and a certificategivento FraterWilliam JamesHughan,also in the sameLibrary, datedJuly 18,1867, and signed“A. OnealHaye,MagusMax. Ros. Soc. Scot. — J. H.M. Bairnfather,Sec.” shows that they were active for at least ten years.On the back of the certificateOneal signed again, stating that the datawere “extracted from the Books of the GrandCouncil.”

    William Wynn Westcott, in his HISTORY OF THE SOCIETASROSLCRUCIANA IN ANGLIA, 1900, page 15, in commentingon thecontentsof the October,1868 issueof THE ROSICRUCIAN, repeatsthestatement1 haveabove quotedconcerningAnthony Oneal Haye, beingchief of the Rosicruciansin Scotland, but adds “and remainedso untilCharlesF. MatierwasappointedSupremeMagusin 1870.” His statementis not true, as may be seenby referring to page 125 of the January1871issue of THE ROSICRUCIAN, where Charles Fitzgerald Matmer ofManchesteris in a list of Aspirants to the Grade of ZELATOR to beadmitted on January12th. He was not admitted on that date, however,but on Tuesday,February28, 1871,accordingto the samepublication forApril, 1871, page 152. “Authority wasgrantedto FraterMatier to founda College of Rosicruciansat Manchester” at the very same meeting.Westcott,also in his 1900 historical publication on page29, states thatBrother John Laurie (Grand Secretaryof the Grand Lodge of Scotland1872-1877)was admitted a Frateron January13, 1870, and “appointedby Dr. Woodmanto be a Magus in Scotia.” This is not recordedin theprinted minutes of January 13th. In fact I have not been able to findFrater Laurie’s name mentionedin any of the printed minutes. In anyevent, he could not havebeenappointedby Dr. Woodmanwho did notbecome SupremeMagus in Anglia until 1878. Laurie presidedat theinauguralmeetingasChief Adept of East of ScotlandCollegein 1873 butit wasnot until January13, 1876 that Matier and he were appointedthefirst Magi in Scotland.

    -29--28-

  • The inaugurationmeetingof the East of ScotlandCollegewas heldon October24, 1873, in Freemason’sHall, Edinburgh, Frater CharlesFitzgeraldMatier, Hon. 90, being commissionedto open the College. Itwas presided over by the newly appointedChief Adept, Frater Laurie.Threebrethren,including the Provincial GrandMasterof AberdeenshireEast, were received into the Society and promoted to the grade ofTHEORICUS.

    It appearsthat the College was subject to the Society in Anglia, thesupremeauthority exercisedby the premier Collegein London, which thefollowing year received the name “The Metropolitan College ofEngland.” The High Council in Anglma, comprising the Magi andMagistri, was constituted on April 24, 1874, and the daughter colleges,including that of the East of Scotland, came under its jurisdiction.

    As above mentioned, Fratres Matmer and Laurie were constittited thefirst Magi in Scotland. They were so constituted at a meeting of the HighCouncil in Anglia meeting in London, January 13, 1876. The actionresulted from a proposal by Supreme Magus, M.W. Frater R. WentworthLittle, which was seconded by R.W. Frater W.H, Hubbard, JuniorSubstituteMagus.From this date the SocietasRosicrucianain Scotia canbe regardedas having entered upon an independentexistence.At thismeeting a resolution was passed that “the rmtual be revised by theSupremeMagi of Englandand Scotland.”Thus is shown the immediateco-equalstatusof the SupremeMagi of thetwo Societies.

    At the time of his appointmentas SupremeMagus iii Scotia, FraterMatier was Chief Adept of the College of Lancashireand the NorthernCountiesandcontinuedto be so until Aprml 18, 1877,Thus he held, for ashort time, high office in the RosicrucianSocietiesof both England andScotland.

    The first S.R.I.S. collegewas constitutedon October24, 1873 —Metropolitan or The East of Scotland College. The first charter issuedwas in May 1878 to JonathanJohnFrenchof lllinois, U.S.A.,but thereisno recordthat it wasever formed.

    Thencamefour others in the United States:Dec. 27, 1879—CharlesE. Meyer, Phmladelphia,Pa.Apr. 18, 1880—AlbertG. Goodall,New York, N.Y.May 4, 1880—Alfred F. Chapman,Boston,Mass.May 10, 1880—Thomas1. Shyrock,Baltimore, Md.

    The first reference concerningthe Illinois College was found in aletter from M.W. CharlesF. Meyer, first SupremeMagus of the Societyin the United Statesto Albert Pike, Washington,D.C., dated July 10,1880. Nothing was known concerningthis College in America. M.W.FraterJ. MasonAllan, 1X0, in searchingfor a recordof the procedureinScotlandcame upon an old chartularywhich containedas a first charterentry one in favor of “JonathanJohn French, Magister Templi, V1110,(Veritasvis arnicitae) Honorary 90 01 Scotland,which gavehim authorityto openand hold a College for the stateof lllinoms, U.S.A. FraterAllanremarksthat “The copy, however,is incompletein two respects;(1) while

    it wasgrantedin the month of May, 1878, that dayof the month has notbeenenteredand (2) the namesof the Magi who signed the charterhavenot beenentered.”

    Colleges in SRIS:Metropolitan- Meeting in Edinburgh 90West of Scotland - Meeting in Glasgow 94North of Scotland- MeeLing iii Inverness 111Aurora Australia - Meeting iii Sydney,N.S.W. Aust. 31Hunmer Valley - Meeting in Newcastle,N.S.W. Aust.

    18761877-18931893-19081908-19 181918-19311931-1961196 1-19761976-19781978-

    Dec. 1981The following Fratreshaveheld office of SupremeMagus:

    Charles Fmt~gera1cl MatierLord Inverurie(succeededhis fatherasEarl of Kincore in 1880)J. Dalryinple DuncanCol. J. Tod StewartJosephtnghsJ MasonAllanJohnF BimmellRobert BurmmetmWalter Bmllmngton Dickson

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  • CHAPTERIV

    SOCIETASROSICRUCIANA IN GRAECIA

    The following letter, dated Athens, Greece, July 14, 1880, waswritten by His Imperial Highness Prince Rhodocanakis(titular Mace-donmanprince) in reply to a letter from FraterAlbert Pike:

    “When I was in London in 1871, 1 was createdan HonoraryMagus of the RosicrucianSocietyof England,whosefounderwas thelate Brother Little, and whose Honorary President, the Earl ofBective, with powers to establisha SupremeLodge ot that Societyfor the Kindom of Greece.

    “On my arrival here I establishedone. I announcedthe fact toLondon,and I was acknowledgedin duecourse.A few yearslater, 1nominated otir friend, Colonial MacLeod Moore as Honorarymemberof this SupremeCollegeand a Magus,1X0, andgrantedhima Warrant to establisha SupremeCouncil in Canada;this he has

    The only refemenceto this matter in the archives of the EnglishSociety is found in the Golden Book where appearsa statementofadmissionof Prince Rhodocanakisin October,1872. Most Worthy FraterRickard, 90 then Secretary-Geimeralof the Society in England, whoinformed me about this matter, further states: ‘‘It is thought that he wentto Manchestersometimeafter his admissionbut nothingfurther is knownof him in coummectionwith the S.R.I.A.”

    It is obvious that the date in the Golden Book and that in thePrince’sletter do notagreebut as the Princewas in Greecemn July, 1872.just aftei returningfrom L6ndon, it is morethan likely that the year 1871is the coirect one.

    Practicallynothingis known concerningthe RosicruemanSociety itselfin Greece. It is not probable that it functioned at all as an operativeentity. The body (if it may be termed such in this instance)has noaccessiblerecords. The only memberknown besides the Prince is Prof.EmmanualGellanis,who wasSecretary-General.

    Information concerning Prince Rhodocanakis is so difficult to findthat, in the interestof future investigation,I am settingdown all that hasbeen found concerninghim after a rather extensivesearch in Americanlibraries.

    It is significant to note that the Prince was one of the fiveFreemasonswho are known to have beenhonored with the academicdegreeemititled “Doctor of Universal Masonry” emanating from theAmericanBody of the “Allied MasonicDegrees”,viz:

    JosiahH. Drummotid, LI.S A.William JamesHughan,EnglandThe Earl of Euston,EnglandD. Murray Lyon, ScotlandDemetriusRhodocanakis,Greece

    PrinceJoannesRhodocanakis,born May 11, 1812 (Greekstyle) wasour Prince’s father. He wasmarriedon the Island of Chios (Semo),a smallislandin the AegeanSeaabout 32 miles in length which wasa possessionof Turkey. The marriage took place on February 19, 1840, and onDecember3, 18A0, on this sameisland,PrinceDemetrius(namedafter hisgrandfather) was born. He was the 8th titular or hereditaryEmperorofthe Byzantine Empire. He is a direct descendant of Nicephorus DucasRhodocanakis,hirst King of the Island of Rhodes and founder of theRoyal and Imperial I-louse of Rhodocanakis.He married DespmnoCanaris, Granddaughterof the Admiral. A coppercoin struck during hisreign A.D. 9 14-929wasownedby I-us HolinessPopePius IX.

    The Prince becamea British subjectby lettersof naturalizationdatedDecemiiber24, 1867 (see Reportof Naturalized Aliens, printed by orderofthe Houseof Commonsand datedJuly 7, 1868, page 18). Although hemesidedin WestMansion,West Worthing, Sussex,England,mit September12, 1870, he was made a Mason in Edinburgh, St. Andrews Lodge, No.48, in Scotland, in October, 1869. He was receivedinto the A.A.S.R. ofScotland and on April 28, 1870, was made a 33 0 Mason. In 1872 heretumned to Greece and on July 11th of that year was elected GrandMasterof the GiandLodge of Greece,a body which wasfoundedby him.Omi the next day, through his efforts, the Supreme Council of theA.A S.R. was formed, and the Prince was chosen Sovereign GrandCommander,an office which he held until his death, thirty yearslater. Hewas made an Honorary Member of the A. & A.S.R. — SouthemnJurisdiction,U.S.A. — Mar. 29, 1876.

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    A picture of the Prince may be found in the 17th annual Report otThe Illinois VeteransAssociation 1902 — page83.

    He wasGrandMasterof the GrandLodge for nineyears.A letter dated October30, 1878, from the Prince, showsthat he had

    createdGeneralJohnMeredith Read,United StatesMinister to Greece,a33 0 Mason by permission of the authorities in the United States.

    Prince Rhodocanakisis principally known in English speakimigMasoniccircles for his work THE iMPERIAL CONSTANTINEORDEROF ST. GEORGE,London, 1870,andits relationto the Orderof the RedCross of Constantine.

    Hedied on September15, 1902 in the GrecianIslandof Syra, oneofthe Cycladesgroup, eleven miles long, in the Aegean Sea some ninetymiles Iromn Chios, the islandof hisbirth.

    The only other Rosicruicianconnections,which have cometo lightand in which the Princefigures,will be found in the historyof the Societyin Canadawhich follows.

    In a letter to the writer datedDecember8, 1933, the GrandSecretary-Generalof the SupremeCoumicil, A.A.S.R., for Greece,writes: “. . . . wehavebeen,unfortunately, not able to discover further information as tothe effects of Prince Rodocanachi[sici or anything concerningactivitiesor namesof your Society [Rosicrucran] in Greece.”

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  • CHAPTERV

    SOCIETASROSICRUCIANA IN CANADENCLA

    The RosicrucianSociety in Canadaresulted from a contactbetweenLt. ColonelW. J. B. MeLeod Moore andJohnYarkerof England.Thesebrethren were associatedin activities in The Red Cross of ConstantineandTheOrderof theTemple.

    Frater Yarker, a member of Northern Counties College inManchester,England,and its Secretary,as well as an honorarymemberof Bristol College (elected July 14, 1871), conceivedthe idea of havingPrince Rhodocanakis,SupremeMagus of the (paper)Society in Greece,issue a warrant to some Canadian brethren, to be selected by ColonelMoore, for a College in Canada.

    Prince RhodocanakisappointedMoome a Magus and made him anhonorary9” and then wrote to him on June 30, 1876, asking that adeclarationbe preparedand signed by his proposedassociatesto form aCollege,promising obedienceand secrecy.FraterN. W. J. Haydon, V110of Toronto, Ontario, discoveredwhat he thoughtmight “be the originaldraft of this declaration” attached to which were tIme signaturesofhimself, Thomas D. Harrington, George C. Longley, John Dunibrille,Robert G. Hervey,AlexanderG. 1-lervey, Daniel Collins, all of Maitland,Ontario, andJohnEastonof Prescott,Ontario. It is datedMay 31, 1876,a month before the Prince wrote the letter of request.No doubt FiaterYarker had advised Col. Moore that such a requestwould be necessaryand this draft was already prepared when the Prince’s letter arrived.However,the actualdeclarationmust havehad anothernameaddedto it,to make up nine. This was probably Samuel B. Harman,who was theMayor of Toronto in 1870 and prominent in The Red Cross ofConstantine,aswereall the others.

    Rt. Worthy Frater,The Right Rev.William C. White, IX” first ChiefAdept of the presentOntario College,under the S.R.I.C.F. (1937) in theprinted Transactionsof the College, says there is an extant letter ofColonelMoore, written to FraterEdwin H. D. Hall, then the only livingmemberFrater of the early RosicrucianSociety in Canada,giving thatdate of the establishmentof the Society in Canadaas July 25, 1876.However, Frater Moore wrote to Albert Pike in Washington,D.C. onApril 26, 1880, from LaPrairie,Quebec,as follows:

    ‘The RosicrucianSociety of Canadais supremeand independentand was organized by charter from H. I. Highness,The PrinceRhodocanakis,33 ~, IX0 SupremeMagus of the RosicrucianSocietyfor the Kingdom of Greece,bearingthe dateof 19 Sept. 1876.Thereis one Provincial Collegeat the village of Maitland, Ontario.”Here we havea easeof the sameman, in fact the founder of the

    Society, giving two datesfor the establishmentof the Society. It is nowclear that the first date — July 25, 1876 — is that date when Col. Moorewas made a Magus by Prince Rhodocanakisand the second date —

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    September19, 1876 — the date of the charter. The Dominion College,No. I, as it was known, was not formed, however,until March 16, 1877andthe High Council September19, 1877, just oneyearafter the Collegecharter date. The High Council was composedof the eight namesin theoriginal declarationdraft plan plus FraterHarman.We havearrived attheseconclusionsfollowing the receipt of copies of some paperssent tothe Society in England. These papers list the names of those in theCollege,as follows:

    1—GeorgeC. Longley, IX” Master General and ChiefAdept2—JohnDunihrille, VIII 0 DeputyMaster General3—JohnEasmon,VIll 0 Celebrant4—AlexanderG. Hervey,VIII” Treasurer-General5—RohertRamsay,VII Secretary-General6—RobertG. Hervey,VIII “ 1stAncientandCond’, ofNovices7—DanielCollins, VIII 0 2nd Ancient& Torch Bearer8—JohnMoore, VII” 3rd Ancient& Herald9—TheodoreH. Tehbs,VIP 4th A;mcient & Precentor

    Threeotherswere surelymembersof the Collegewhenit started:l0—W.J.B. MeLeodMoore, lx”Il—ThomasD. Harrington,IX”l2—SamimelB. Harman,VIII’

    Only threeothersbecamemembersof this College:lJ—Wmlliam L Hamilton, VII”14—Richard1. Hovenden,VtI”15—J. RossRohertson,VII

    Robert Ramsay,in 1879, transferredto Ontario College at Orillia.Just why rvloore, Harrington and Harman were not officers of theCollege is not known. Number1,2,3,4,6, 7, 10, II and 12 madeup theHigh Council when it was formed six months later, they holding thefollowing offices, according to the records in the High Council inEnglan&

    1—W.J.B.MeLeodMoore, IX” SupremeMagus-President2—ThomasD. Harringion, IX” Sr. SubstituteMagus, V.P.3—GeorgeC. Longley, IX” Junior SubstituteMagus4—AlexanderG. Hervey, VIII 0 T;easurer-General5—JohnDumhrille, VIII” Secretary-General6—Rohert0. Hervey, VhII” 1stAncient7—Daniel Collins, VIII” 2ndAncient8—SamnuelB. Harman,VIII” 3rdAncient9—JohnEaston,VllI” 4th Ancient

    It would be thought that the doubling up of the stations ot theAncients and an additional office was becausethey had only ninemembers, but it is certain they had at least twelve members in thebeginning.Also, they titled the first two officers as a MasterGeneralanda Deputy MasterGeneral, two offices which had beenabolishedby theEnglish Society on April 24, 1874. The Treasurerand Secretaryweretermed “General”, which nomenclaturewas reservedfor like offices in

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  • the High Councils. This led to confusionin the listing by FraterRamsay,who was Secretary-Generalof the High Council in 1885 and wrote anarticle listing the various officers andmenibers.

    Again, in the listings of the High Council officers, the SupremeMagus was also the “President” and the Senior SubstituteMagus the“Vice President”. In the parent body in England these oltices werehonoraryand not held by any of the regular officers. Actually, after thelisting in the transactionin 1888, no further mention of a PresidentorVice-Presidentis made.

    Frater Moore’s letter to Pike is inaccurate concerning ‘‘oneProvincial College” in 1880. At least one year before a College wasstarted in Orillia, Ontario. Later there was a College staited inPeterborough,Ontario, calledMeLeodMoore Collegebut it is not knownif it every really receiveda charter. FraterEdwin H. D. Hall ol Peters-borough, who was originally a Member of Ontario College, and wasPrecentorof The High Council in 1885, said “it did not survive verylong.” The Society was active as late as May 17, 1886, as there is anextant letter written by FraterRobert L. Pattersonof Toronto, which hesignedas Secretary-General.

    From letters written by Moore and others,it is quite clear that theSocietyneverbecamevery activein Canadaat any time. I would estimatethat ten years would practically cover its active existence.There is 110record of any of its activities as most of the official documemitsweredestroyedin a fire at La PrairieBarracks,wheme they werestored.

    From vamioussourceswe havepieced togethera list of membersinthe threeCollegesof the Society in Canada.Fratersin the presentcollegein Toronto, especially the former Secretary,R.W. Cohn C. Rous, havebeenvery helpful mu identifying many whose full namesand their placesof abodewerenot known.

    DOM1NION COLLEGE — MAITLAND, ONTARIO — 15 MEMBERSDaniel Collins Mait landJohnDumbrille Mait landJohnEaston PrescottWilliam L Hamilton BrockvmlleSamuelB. Harman TorontoThomasD. Harrington OttawaAlexanderG. Hervey !VlaitlaridRobertG. Hervey MaitlandRichardJ. Hovenden TorontoGeorgeC. Longley MaimlandJohnMoore MaitlandW.J.B McLeod Moore PrescottRobert Ramsay TorontoJ. RossRobertson TomontoTheodoreH. Tehhs Birkenhead,Eng.

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    ONTARIO COLLEGE — ORILLIA, ONTARIO —20 MEMBERS

    Dickson Anderson Montreal, Q.CharlesW. Brown TorontoAmos Chamfield OttawaR. Gitray TorontoJohnH. Grahani Richmomid,Q.Edwin H D. Hall PeterboroughA. E. Hirchfelder CannmngtonW. R Howse OshawaWilliam I-I. 1-lutton Montreal, Q.Henry Johnson OrilliaR. Kelland Montreal, Q.Orinhyatekhia LondonRobert L. Patterson TorontoRobertRamsay* OrilliaR Dathousie OrilliaDaniel Rose TorontoEdmundE. Sheppard TorontoF. G. Smith OmilliaDaniel Spry BarrieJohn B Trayes Port HopeI. N. Walter Montreal, Q.(*) Atfilmamed horn Dominion College

    McLEOD MOORE COLLEGE— PETERBOROUGH,ONTARIO10 MEMBERS

    I E BeleherR. P. BoucherCharlesCameronVincent ClementiEdwin I-I. D. 1-taIP’ PeterborooghCharlesD. Macdonald PeterboroughR A. MorrowW Patterson,Jr.H. RushJohn B. Trayes* Port I-lopeII C WinchR. E Wood(*) Affiliated from Ontario College

    COLLEGE UNKNOWN —3 MEMBERS

    Sir John M Gibson HamiltonHtmgh A. Mackey I-hamiltonOsborneSheppard Hamilton

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  • CANADIAN HIGH COUNCILWe have already listed the officers of The High Council in 1876.

    Thereis only oneotherlisting known—thatof 1885,as follows:SupremeMagus Daniel Spry, 1X0SeniorSubstituteMagus JohnH. Graham,90Junior SubstituteMagus JohnDumbrilhe, 1X0Treasurer-General JohnEaston,90Secretary.General RobertRamsay,1X01stAncient CharlesD. Macdonald,902ndAncient SamuelS. Harman, V11103rd Ancient RichardJ. Hovenden,V11104thAncient JohnB. Trayes,V1110Precentoror 5th Ancient Edwin H.D. Hall, 90

    We also know that Robert Ramsay,IX 0, wasSupremeMagus sometime between 1877 and 1884 and that Robert L. Patterson,90 was theSecretary-Generalin 1886. It will be noted, too, that the Society inCanadastruck to the systemof not havingmore than three activeMagi,IX o~ at any one time, for John H. Graham,although Senior SubstituteMagus is listed as Honorary 90, becauseRobert Ramsay, then a PastSupremeMaguswas1X0.

    NINTH DEGREEMEMBERS, 1X0W.I.13. N’IcLeod Moore—lst SupremeMagusRobertRamsay,2ndSupiemeMagusDaniel Spry—3rdSupremeMagusThomasD. Harrington—hstSeniorSubstituteMagusGeorgeC. Longley—lst Junior SubstituteMagusJohnDumbrille—2ndJunior SubstituteMagus

    NINTH DEGREE MEMBERS, 90JohnH. Gsaham—2ndSeniorSubstituteMagusJohnEastou—lstFourthAncient and2ndTreasurerGeneralCharlesD. Macdonald—2ndFirst AncientEdwin H. D. Hall—Precenter1885RobertL. PattersonVincent ClementiJ. RossRobertsonFor threeyears little or nothingwas accomplished.ln April, 1880, a

    correspondencewas enteredinto betweenFraterMoore and Albert PikeconcerningmattersRosicrucian.The correspondenceshowsthe true factsof the inactivity of the CanadianSociety and Pike’s connection withorganizedRosicrucianismin America. Extractsfrom the letters,therefore,follow:

    The first letter, datedLaPrairie,Piovince of Quebec,Canada,April14, 1880, informedFraterPike that the Rosicrucianrituals would be sentto him to copy and return. It also statedthat “Harrington, Longley andmyself haveit all in our handsin Canadabut havedone nothingasyet.”The following day the rituals were sent to Pike stating: “Of cotirse we

    makeyou a memberof our Society in Canada,and as you are a residentof the U.S., and not of Canada,wegive you the Gradeof Magus,or IX”,the highest, and attach you to our College as an Honorary Member.***In this way we preserveour rule of limiting the 1X0 Gradeto 3 only inCanadaand still give you the distinction your distinguished Masoniccareer and brilliant talents so justly entitle you to. Harrington amidLongley, my two confreresIX” are only too happy to associateyou withus.’’

    Concerningmatters of information and ritual, Frater Moore saysthat he only sends part but will try to obtain the rest from Englandcommenting:“I must tell you honestlyI havenot paid much attentiontoit, but both Harrington and Longley are willing to give you all of theassistancein their power. The fact is, that thereare so few who careorunderstandanything aboutit, that heretoforeit has beenuphill work, andlike many other good and desirableassociations,allowed to die out forthewant of material.”

    In the next letter addressedto FraterPike, datedApril 26, 1880,wefind the following:

    “I believe the Societyhasan existenceand an organizedbody in theUnited States. I think Frater Meyer of Philadelphia has instituted acollege. I think he deriveshis authority from England as he enteredtheSociety at York, and he is an 1-Ion. Member of the College there, ofwhich I am also a member.If the Philadelphianshavea regularwarrantof constitution for the United States,you would be required, I presume,in courtesy,to apply to them for authority for a Provincial Collegeat anypoint in the Northern Jurisdiction. If they have not this charter orwarrant from a lawful nationalSociety, then they are self-constitutedandillegitimate. If the hatter is the case,then you and two othersas the 3Magi could be granteda charterby us, for the whole of the United Statesif you so wishedit.

    “Every supreme and independent Society governs the whole nationfor which its charter gives its authority. We will exceptthe U.S., whichmayhavetwo jurisdictions,Northernand Southern.

    “The United Statesmight very properly, following the systemof A.and A. S. Rite be divided into two jurisdictions, that of the North andSouth.We will be quite willing and even desirousto grant you and twoother associatesthat you may name (whom we will createHon. TX0 ofCanada)a charteracknowledgingyou to be the supremeand independentCollegeof the RosicrucianSocietyof the United States,the territory to beembracedto be the sameas that at presentincludedin the jurisdiction oftheS. J. of the A. andA. S. Rite.

    “You can alter, add to, change or abolish the rituals, as you may seefit. Indeed it is very desirable that you should do so, as it must beconfessedthat what rituals we at presenthaveare very poor affairs. Ifyou will take the matter in handand bring your storeof RosicrucianandHermetic learning to bear on the matter, you will confer the greatestfavor on the Societygenerally.

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  • “Canadawill adoptwith thanks any systemof ritual that you maypropose.

    Enclosedwith the letter was a summonsfor York College,England,for a convocationon February24, 1880, which containedthe informationthat M.W. FratresW. J. Hughan,Hon. IX”; W. J. B. McLeod Moore,IX”, S.M. of Canada,and Charles E. Meyer, IX”, of Philadelphia,would be proposedasHonoraryMembers.

    The remark of Moore concerningthe rituals is reflected in a letterfrom Prince Rhodocanakisto Frater Pike, bearingthe date of .hily 14,1880,as follows:

    “For myself, I found the rituals so full of nonsensethat I returnedthem and usednone whatever. I havetried to give the Society a sort ofliterary form and to connectit as nearly as possiblewith HerPliticism.You areawarethat the Rosicrucianorder of which we are SupremeMagipretends to represent the older fraternity of the Rose Croix whichflourished the first fifteen years of the 17th century. If you coultl writeRituals for the various degreesof Rosicrucianism,having as a basis theold ceremoniesof that order, the presentOrder would owe a debtof gmeatgratitudeto you. BrotherYarker, a very learnedandill-used Mason,anda personaland dear friend of Colonel Moore and myself, knows betletthananybodyelseeverythingrelatingto this Order, andwould be of greatassistanceto you if you were to write to him.”

    When the dateof thesecommunicationsis taken into considerationand tIme close connectionexisting between FratresMoore aiid Rhodo-canakis,I believe I am ableto detecta rather concertedeffort on the partof thesetwo Fratersto bring FraterPike into a frameof mind to write theproposedrituals.

    There is a letter extant from John Yarker to Colonel Moore, datedApril 27, 1867,and stating: “It is but fair to inform you that the EnglishSociety of Rosicrucianshold underno warrantand haveno authority tostart the rite other than what you would haveyourselves.We havea veryexcellent College in Lancashirebut we havetwice arrangedto break offaltogetherfrom the London Collegeas it is entirely in the handsof thosewho will not attendto its affairs.”

    In a letter datedMay 17, 1880, FraterMoore stated:“1 at oncesendyou a Provisional Authority to enable you to declare your Collegeestablished.Let me know if there is any alterationyou would wish madeor othernamesadded,beforeI havea warrant properly engrossedfor you• . . 1 enclosefor you to look over my authority from H. I. H. PrinceRhodocanakisandothercertificates.FraterMeyer wrote to Longley a dayor two ago for our regulations. He was informed that you were a IX” ofthe Canadian College.” The charter bears the dateof May 17, 1880, thetwo Magi selectedto act with FraterPike being CharlesLevi Woodbury,of Boston,Massachusetts,and William Morton Ireland, of Washington,D.C.

    Then follows a letter dated May 29th which continueson matteistakenup in previous letters and announcesthe receipt of a letter from

    Frater Whyteheadof York College, England, which states, among otheritems: “I haveonly the 1st and 2nd rituals and the S. M. (Dr. Woodmanof Exeter) seemsto havehost sight of someof the grades.They were firstgot from Germany, I believe, by the late Bro. Wentworth Little, whofoundedthis EnglishOrder.”

    From this, it would appear, that Metropolitan College, founded in1866, eitherpossessedno rituals of any gradehigher than the secondorthat the managementhad been so lax that rituals were lost after beingreceivedby FraterLittle in 1857 from FraterWhite or thosewhich FraterMackenzie brought with him on returning from his stay with CountApponyi.

    On the same day that FraterMoore wrote FraterPike a letter waswritten by Charles E. Meyer, 722 Arch Street,Philadelphia,to FraterPike. It statedthat the PhiladelphiaCollege hadbeenestablishedfor twoyears and that ‘‘certain parties, whose names I am not at liberty tomention, are working to get control of the Societyof the United States.”He further states: ‘I havehad a very unpleasantexperienceof’ the RedCrossof ConstantineOrder in this country. I was deterniinedas the S.Magus of the only College in the United States to circumvent thesepersonsand so set on foot the organizationof a Grand High Council ofthe United Statesand thus keep the Society in the handsof those whowotmld valueit for what it is worth and keepOut thosenot worthy. Had Iknown that you were of the IX” it would havebeen much pleasuretohavehad you with us in the organization,and hope you may be pleasedto work with us. Why not organizea Collegein Washington,D.C. unlessyou haveone alreadyformed?I will be pleased to know the name of yourCollegeand,if one is notyet formed,which I infer in your letter, andyouwould like to organizeone,1 shall be l)lCasedto know the nameyou selectand shall forward the matterall I can. Let me know the dateof your IX”and Latin motto. What hasbeendone,hasbeendone for the sole benefitof the Society. I do not think, am sure, there are not 5 in the UnitedStates.’’

    FraterMoore’s letter of May 29thmust have crossed in the mails, aletter FraterPike wrote May 29, 1880, asfollows:

    “DearBmo. Meyer—I am very desirousof seeingyou about the RosicrucianSociety. I

    haveworked out a plan which I think will suit you; and I mustseeyou. Iam going West by 15 June,but shall be in N. York, at Bro. Graham’sHouse, 321 W. 23rd, from Monday to Thursdaynext. Now can you notrun up there, and let us talk it all over. I have written to Woodbury,asking him to come. I mustseeyou, becauseI would not think of doingany thing contraiyto the rights of your Phila. College;and becauseI amsure that you will approve my plan aiid work zealously to make theSocietya success.Do try andmeet me. Always your truly

    (Signed)Albert Pike IX””On June 2, 1880, another letter from Frater Moore to Frater Pike

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  • says: “You have our full sanction to make such changesand amend-mentsand to do any and everythingyou considerbest.We do not knowof any restriction, excepting,of course, that it would not be advisabletoincreaseor eliminate the numberof grades,or alter the names, but asrespectsany changesyou may wish to makein the rituals, etc., you havesupremepower. We all feel quite certain that thereare no more ritualsextant,beyondthose sent to you. Neither FratresYarkerof Manchester,nor CaptainIrwin, of Bristol, know of any more.”

    Five weeks later a letter dated July 10, 1880, and written inPhiladelphiaby Frater Meyer was received by FraterPike which says:“We havegonetoo far with our High Council to stop. We haveformeditaccordingto Masonic law and usage.You must know that severalyearsago a charter was grantedby Scotlandto the late Bro. J. J. French ofChicago—thiswas for the State of Illinois.” (See referenceunder thehistoryof the ScotiaSociety.)A Letter * is then quotedfrom Englandasfollows: “Ford House,Exeter,England

    June17, 1880CharlesE. Meyer,SupremeMagus,RosicrucianSociety,U. S. of AmericaMost Worthy Frater:

    It is with heartygood wishesthat I greetyou as the SupremeRuler ofyour Order in the United Statesof America, and your two colleagues,FraterAlbert G. Goodall,S.S.M., andFraterAlbert F. Chapman,J.S.M.I am surethat all our Collegeswill unite in cordially welcomingyou intoour Order, and our High Council will alwaysbe pleasedto reciprocatewith yours in furtheringthe advancementof Rosicrucianscience.As theSupremeMagus of the Order in England I shall always be ready torecognizeyou as holding a similar position in America and may you andyour colleaguesbe long sparedto reciprocatewith the Fratres in theMotherCountry. Your Brother,

    Win. Robert Woodman,IX”SupremeMagus in Anghma”

    *(NoteThis letter is printed on page 10 of the report of the first Annual

    Conclave of the Grand High Council of the United States, Boston, 1880,but in this report the dateof the letteris given as July 5, 1880. This mustbe an error as it could not have beenwritten on that date and yet bequotedby FiaterMeyer in his letter written in Philadelphiaon July 10th.The dateJune7th is evidentlythe correctone.)

    Another letter received by Frater Pike pertinent to Rosicrucranactivities at the time waswritten on July 15, 1880, by R. M. C. Graham,25 Wall Street,New York City, as follows:

    “I duly receivedyour letter with regardto Rosicrucianmattersandlearned from Bro. Goodall that he is organizing a College here, that hehas reserved a place for me, but I declined to join, telling him that halready had the degrees, and if you did nbt interest yourself in it, I wouldnot.”

    Frater Charles Levi Woodbury of Boston, who was one of those

    I

    I

    proposedby FraterPike as a Magus,wrote a letter dated October 14,1880, to Frater Pike in which he gave the latter some informationconcerninga meeting with FratresChapmanand Meyer in Boston, inwhich they discussedthe whole Rosicruciansituation.Nothingof valueinthe premise