1634~
The first record of a freemason in Canada, then known as New France:
Lord Alexander, Viscount Canada, son of the first Earl of Stirling,
Scotland, Master of Work to King Charles I, founded a colony of Scots on
the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Lord Alexander was a member of
Edinburgh Lodge No. 1 at Mary's Chapel, which has records dating from 1599
and — tradition maintains — was in existence in 1491.
In the
possession
of the Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario is a parchment
scroll eight feet six inches in length and six and a quarter inches wide
bearing the hand written version of the "Old Manuscript Constitution"
which governed the operative craft. It is endorsed as follows:
Memorandum: that at a private Lodge held at Scarborough in the County
of York, the tenth day of July 1705, before William Thompson, Esq.,
President of the said Lodge, and several others, brethren, Free
Masons, the several persons whose names are hereunto subscribed were
then admitted into the said Fraternity: Ed. Thompson, Jo. Tempest,
Robt. Johnson, Tho. Lister, Samuel Buck, Richard Hudson.
Note:
Notice that the date on the scroll of 1705 is referring to a Masonic Lodge
in Scarborough, York County which precedes that of the forming of the Grand Lodge of
England in 1717. However, and to set the record straight, the York County
mentioned here is the one in England.
1738~
The first Masonic Lodge in Canada is duly constituted at Annapolis, Nova
Scotia. The founder a soldier administrator, Erasmus James Philipps, in
whose memory the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia issued its well known
medallion.
More details here.
The
first Upper Canada lodge
Masonry was introduced to the Niagara frontier
by the Lodge of the 8th or Kings Own Regiment of Foot. This lodge was
issued a field warrant (No. 255 E.R.) in 1755. The regiment came to Canada
in 1768 and was garrisoned at Fort Niagara from 1773 to 1785. Several
settlers from the west side of the river were initiated the earliest
recorded being in 1780.
The first civilian lodge of which there is a record was St. John's of
Friendship. It was warranted in 1782 or before, probably by the P.G.L. of
New York (Ancients). It seems to have drawn its membership from those
initiated into the Lodge of the 8th Regiment and probably from the United
Empire Loyalists. This lodge was re-warranted in 1795 by the First
Provincial Grand Lodge of Upper Canada (Ancients) as No. 2. This lodge
became Niagara No. 2 in 1845 and retained that name and number when it
joined with other lodges in 1855 to form the Grand Lodge of Canada.
The
first Provincial Grand Lodge of Upper Canada
The P.G.L
of Upper Canada owed its existence to the zeal and enthusiasm of a number
of brethren in Quebec, the most notable of whom was Bro. Alexander Wilson.
There were in that Province three lodges which held their warrants from
the Ancient Grand Lodge of England. These lodges felt that the Craft in
Canada would be more prosperous if there were a governing body on this
side of the Atlantic Ocean. Accordingly Bro. Wilson requested the Grand
Lodge of England to warrant a P.G.L. for Canada. The brethren assumed that
there would be a single P.G.M. for Canada and a Substitute Grand Master
for each of Upper and Lower Canada.
In 1791, however, the Constitutional Act divided Canada politically into
Upper and Lower Canada, and the Grand Lodge of England chose to follow
this pattern.
On 07 March 1792 the Grand Lodge of England named His Royal Highness
Prince Edward as Provincial Grand Master for Lower Canada and William
Jarvis as P.G.M. (or more properly, Substitute Grand Master) for Upper
Canada. Although both men had the title P.G.M., only Prince Edward was
given the authority to issue warrants for lodges, whereas Jarvis could
only grant dispensations for the holding of lodges. The earliest record of
activity was not until July 1795 When a meeting of the P.G.L. was called
in Niagara.
In 1797 the seat of government for Upper Canada was moved from Niagara to
York (now Toronto). Jarvis, as a government official for Upper Canada,
moved to York as well; he took with him his warrant as P.G.M. This created
a problem. Without the warrant the Brethren in Niagara could not legally
act as a P.G.L. Due to the long absence of Jarvis the Brethren in Niagara
elected and installed Bro. George Forsyth as P.G.M. in December 1802 to
replace Jarvis, thus creating the Schismatic Grand Lodge at Niagara.
The new P.G.M., Simon McGillivray, arrived in Canada in July 1822. He was
an able man, and an experienced Mason, but a grim set of problems
confronted him. The first P.G.M., William Jarvis, had been empowered to
only grant one-year dispensations for the holding of lodges, but not to
issue warrants.
A firm hand was needed, but in a velvet glove. Within four months
McGillivray had brought order out of chaos, and restored brotherly love
across the Province. In 1823 the book of Constitutions was printed in
Kingston.
The
Grand Lodge of Canada
Due to the
vast distance separating Canada from England, continued dissatisfaction
with the tardiness of the Mother Grand Lodge of England in forwarding
warrants, certificates, etc., was finally brought to a head.
William
Mercer Wilson observed "A Grand Lodge cannot create a Grand Lodge". If
independence was to be achieved, there was no alternative to rebellion.
The die was cast in Hamilton on 10 October 1855. A notice of the meeting
was communicated to every lodge in Canada and just under half sent
delegates to Hamilton. Forty one lodges, from Montreal to Great Western
No. 47 in Windsor, were represented.
A
resolution calling for the formation of a Grand Lodge for Canada, free
from the Mother Grand Lodge, was ruled out of order by Deputy Grand Master
Ridout. (Sir Allan Napier MacNab, Provincial Grand Master, was opposed to the
plan and did not attend). However, after adjournment, a meeting was held
and the Grand Lodge was formed by the Brethren, naming W. Bro. W. M.
Wilson Grand Master, and on the morning of the 11th the officers were
elected, confirming W. Bro. Wilson as Grand Master, and were installed by
M.W. Bro. Hon. H.T. Backus, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of
Michigan, on November 2nd, 1855.
The
business of unifying
the Lodges in Ontario began.
The
following is a letter providing an example of the first Grand Master in action
as he went about the duties of his new office. Within an envelope
addressed to George Thomas, Esq., Bank of Canada, Chatham, March 14, 1856
we find a handwritten letter.
Dear
Sir and Brother:
I had anticipated the pleasure of handing you the enclosed letter of
introduction myself last evening, but unluckily I reached Windsor too
late for the train, otherwise I had arranged to have spent the evening
in Chatham.
I am very anxious to learn what the craft in your place are about.
Your lodge was not represented at the Masonic convention (1855).
Neither have you taken any part in the new Grand Lodge.
I had instructed the Grand Secretary to announce to the Brethren of
Chatham my intention of visiting them officially last evening, not
being aware that your lodge had as yet held aloof, and made no sign, I
am compelled to be present this evening in Ingersol to keep an
appointment there, otherwise I would have remained a few hours at
Chatham in order to have had some conversation with the Brethren on
the subject of the recent important movement which resulted in the
formation of the Grand Lodge of Canada. I enclose you a copy of
Resolutions, which, if you think proper, you may lay before the lodge,
and you will much oblige me by informing me as to the opinions
entertained by the Brethren on this subject.
A letter addressed to me at Simcoe, County Norfolk, C.W. (Canada
West), will find me.
The necessity of establishing a Grand Lodge has been long apparent and
that it was done constitutionally there is no doubt.
In the meantime, I continue very truly and fraternally yours,
Wm. M. Wilson, G.M.
The
aforesaid resolutions:
No. 1
–
Moved by;
Seconded by;
That the officers and brethren of this lodge recognize and acknowledge
the Grand Lodge of Canada as the only legitimate Masonic authority in
the province, and it is resolved that an application be made forthwith
to that Most Worshipful Body, for dispensation to enable
__________________ Lodge to continue their Masonic labours.
No. 2 –
Moved by;
Seconded by;
And resolved that the officers and members of ________________ Lodge
cannot sever the link which has so long connected them with the Grand
Lodge ________________, Without expressing their high regard and
affection which they must ever entertain, for that august body, and at
the same time they would also express their sincere hope, that nothing
will ever occur to mar that harmony and good feeling which has for so
many years existed between that most worshipful body and the Masons of
Canada.
No.3 –
Moved by;
Seconded by;
That the Secretary be directed to forward copies of this and the
preceding resolutions, duly authenticated to the Grand Lodge of
_________________ and Canada, and also to the Provincial Grand Lodge
of Canada.
1867~
The Dominion of Canada is established on July
1st. Freemason Sir John A. MacDonald becomes Canada's first Prime
Minister.
The Grand Lodge of Canada in the
Province of Ontario
When our Grand Lodge was formed, in 1855, the
colony of Canada was made up of what are now the Provinces of Ontario and
Quebec. When the two rival Grand Lodges of Canada amalgamated in 1859, our
Grand Lodge included nearly all of the lodges in both Canada East and
Canada West. After Confederation, in 1867, of course the name of Canada
referred to a much larger region. In 1869, sixteen of our lodges in the
Province of Quebec participated in forming the Grand Lodge of Quebec. The
rest of the lodges located there remained in the Grand Lodge of Canada. It
took five years to settle things, but finally, in 1874, the Grand Lodge of
Canada withdrew from Quebec, and twenty-four more of our lodges joined the
new Grand Lodge.
The Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia was formed in 1866; the G.L. of New
Brunswick, in 1867; the G.L. of British Columbia, in 1871 the G.L.s of
Manitoba and Prince Edward Island, in 1875. So by that date there were
seven
Grand Lodges in Canada including the G.L.s of Quebec and Ontario.
There were no doubt many protests about our Grand Lodge calling itself the
Grand Lodge of Canada, when there were so many other Grand Lodges in the
country. And many of our members no doubt objected to the possibility of
changing our name to the Grand Lodge of Ontario, when we had been founded
as the Grand Lodge of Canada. Finally, in 1885, a committee of our Grand
Lodge recommended that the name should be changed to the G.L.,
A.F. & A.M., of Canada in the Province of Ontario.
The new name was adopted, when a revised edition of the Constitution was
adopted in 1887.
The name is still objected to, by many brethren in both Canada and the
U.S.A. But the reason that we retain the words "of Canada" in our title is
because, when we were founded, we were the only Grand Lodge in the Colony
of Canada.
(adapted from Whence Come We?, pages 93-98, 118).
History
enthusiasts: Parts of
the above information came from the story of the first 125 years as told
in the Grand Lodge book, "Whence Come We? Freemasonry in Ontario
1764-1980," which was edited by the Grand Lodge Historian, R.W. Bro.
Wallace McLeod. At present, R.W. Bro. McLeod is putting together a
supplement, tentatively called "Moving Ahead: The Next 25 years,
1980-2005." It is to be a fifty-page booklet, based mainly on the
information contained in the Annual Proceedings and he hopes to have it
ready to send to Grand Lodge for publication by January, 2005.
Here is a
brief quote from the Grand Lodge Historian, R.W. Bro. Wallace McLeod
relating to our current history.
"I
have really enjoyed the work on the GL website, and visit it often...
I
think that the biggest development in the past 25 years has been our
increased openness. Freemasonry has become much less secretive. Here
are a few landmarks in this process:
(1) The building of the old lodge room in Black Creek Pioneer Village;
31 March 1983,
Sod-turning ceremony; 1 October 1983, cornerstone laying; 25 June
1985, lodge room
dedication.
(2) 1988-89: twenty-one community entrance signs were placed at the
edge of various towns, calling attention to the Masonic presence.
(3) September 1991: for the first time, a Masonic booth was
established at an International
Plowing Match (in Petrolia).
(4) October 1991 and June 1992: the GM, N. E. Byrne gave two TV
interviews for station CKCO, Channel 13.
Keep
up the good work, all best wishes.
Wallace McLeod
Mizpah Lodge No 572
Toronto"
And so~
May it continue until time shall be no more. So mote it be!
Notes:
When other District histories are
published online, please inform the webmaster and a link will be added
here. Thank you.
This page on the history of the Grand Lodge of
Canada in the Province of Ontario will be constantly updated with
additional details. Please drop by again.
GLCPOO offers a sincere vote of thanks to Bro. Donald O'Neil who narrated this
tape.
