The United Grand Lodge of England has always maintained that its membership is open to men of good standing and sound judgement. International Co-Freemasonry, Le Droit-Humain, having its British headquarters in Surbiton, near London, admits both men and women.
    From the point of view of the United Grand Lodge of England, International Co-Freemasonry is not a regular masonic organisation. Firstly, because it admits both men and women, and, secondly, since it adopts the system of Freemasonry prevalent in the country in which each Federation exists. In France, for example, it adopts the system of the Grand Orient of France, an irregular order.
    But there are some fundamental principles that are strongly represented within this order and which make International Co-Freemasonry a truly masonic organisation. These are the principles of brotherly love, relief and truth. The understanding of Freemasonry as a “peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols” is shared by Co-Freemasons. The Co-Masons declare that Freemasonry for them is not a religion, philosophy or a system of ethics or morals, but, taking from all of these, stands as a system of ideals which support the inner growth of the adept. Through the ritual and symbolism, this path of self-knowing is at the core of the teaching of Masonry within the order of Le Droit-Humain.
    I recently spoke to Helen Boutall, The Most Puissant Grand Commander of the order in England, about Co-Freemasonry. Having been quickly struck by her inner strength and awareness, I asked her why she had become a Freemason.

H.B. My father was a Freemason and our family life was very happy, which made me wish that I could become a mason. Until I met friends who were members of Co-Freemasonry, I did not realise that I too could become a Freemason.

What is for you, the most important aspect of Freemasonry?

H.B. Of course, being part of Masonry with like-minded people and sharing with them the mysteries and symbolism. This is reflected in the many married women whose husbands are in the UGLE and Grand Lodge of Ireland, where sharing the same tenets of Masonry enriches their family life. It is certainly the brotherly love and companionship. I see Freemasonry as an opportunity for enhancement and development of one’s inner self. There is no material gain about it; it is purely a system supporting the process of striving for perfection and awareness of oneself.

What is the main difference (apart from the admission of women) between the United Grand Lodge of England and Co-Freemasonry?

H.B. We are an international order operating in 62 countries in the world, and all the Federations in the individual countries are responsible for their own administration. Another difference between ourselves and the United Grand Lodge of England is that we work all the degrees to the 33rd Degree. There is no separation between the Craft and the higher degrees. We work not through Provincial Grand Lodges but rather through to the 31st and 32nd degrees. Very few people ever reach the 33rd degree. However, as Most Puissant Grand Commander and Representative to Supreme Council, the responsibilities carry with them the 33rd degree. Other members of this degree constitute the Grand Council. Our Grand Secretary is a 32nd degree, and a member of the Consistory Council, which is responsible for the administration of our Federation.

Do you think that the fact that Co-Freemasonry is recognised by the irregular masonic bodies in Europe and elsewhere makes it unlikely that it will ever be recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England?

H.B. Although we are not recognised by the UGLE, we do follow in this country the same tenets. That is, brotherly love, relief and truth. We do not recognise all masonic organisations, and as Representative of the Supreme Council I have to hold a list of these bodies in fraternal relations, and only their members would be able to participate in our meetings.

Do you think that the fact that the headquarters are in Paris ultimately makes Co-Freemasonry unattractive to the English-speaking world? Or, are there many lodges in the States, Australia and New Zealand for example?

H.B. No, I don’t think that makes a lot of difference. There are many lodges in Australia, the States, New Zealand, also in South Africa and India. Annie Besant (see Box) was initiated, passed and raised and elevated into all the higher degrees in Paris and brought Co-Freemasonry to England in 1902. After which she took it to all parts of the British Empire and the United States.

Would you say that Co-Freemasonry is more esoterically oriented that the United Grand Lodge of England ?

H.B. Yes, I imagine so, but it is difficult to answer as I can only answer for Co-Freemasonry. It could be that this is so because there is no separation between the Craft and the higher degrees.
    The esoteric and symbolic studies in the Craft are developed by progression into the higher degrees. We have an extensive library on esoteric subjects, from which members can borrow books. Non-members are welcome to use it for the purposes of study, subject to prior appointment. Co-Freemasonry is very esoterically oriented partly because the order was founded in England by Annie Besant, a member of the Theosophical Society. Today we still have many members of the Theosophical Society and we all benefit from Annie Besant’s legacy.

Do people who join Co-Freemasonry go on to join other organisations, such as Martinist or Rosicrucian bodies?

H.B. I think it is more the other way around. We find that many people come to us from other organisations. And of course, as I already mentioned, we work the Rose Croix degree. Before admitting members from other organisations we ascertain that they are no longer members of other masonic bodies.

What are the number of lodges and how many people approximately constitute the British Federation?

H.B. The Headquarters of the Order are in Paris, where Representatives of the Federations meet at least three times a year. In the British Federation, the Most Puissant Grand Commander is Representative to the Supreme Council in Paris. I am responsible for a Grand Council of the 33rd degree, the Consistory Council and 23 Craft lodges, as well as four Mark lodges, three Holy Royal Arch Chapters, seven Rose Croix Chapters, one Knights Kadosh of the 30th degree, one Knights Templar Preceptory and Priory, as well as the 31st, 32nd and 33rd degrees which are also worked ceremonially. Some lodges and chapters follow the rituals of the English masculine obediences. We have at present approximately 450 members.
    Most of the lodges are based in Surbiton. But we have lodges in Tunbridge Wells, Bristol, Leeds, Blackburn, Norwich, Birmingham, Northampton, Letchworth, Camberley, Southsea, Croydon and Northern Ireland. The Supreme Council is in Paris because Mlle Maria Deraismes and Georges Martin founded the Supreme Council there. The order was organised in such a way that the Supreme Council would remain in Paris and has done so except when France was occupied during the war years when the authority of the Supreme Council was vested in the British Federation.

Do you communicate with the Grand Orient of France?

H.B. Yes, we are in fraternal relations with the Grand Orient and, in fact, a lodge of that order has met in London for the past 100 years and meets now in Hexagon House.

Jeanne Heaslewood, Grand Secretary of the Order, recently gave a lecture on Co-Masonry at the Canonbury Masonic Research Centre. She finished it with the following quote:

    “I sought my soul but my soul I could not see
    I sought my God, but my God eluded me
    I sought my brother, and I found all three.”

Snezana Lawrence is Director of the Canonbury Masonic Research Centre, Canonbury, London, where a short history of the order was recently presented by Jeanne Heaslewood, the Grand Secretary of the British Federation. The transcript of that lecture can be either seen on their web site: http://www.canonbury.ac.uk/jeanne.htm or by writing and requesting the printed copy from our office.

Origins of Co-Masonry

It was in the Grande Loge Symbolique de France in 1879 that Mlle Maria Deraismes was initiated into masculine Freemasonry in the Loge Libre Penseurs in Pecq, a small town outside Paris. This event led up to the forming of the order known as International Co-Freemasonry - Le Droit Humain.
    Under the influence of Dr Georges Martin a number of prominent women were initiated and a new mixed lodge was founded in Paris in 1893 with Dr Georges Martin becoming its founder. A constitution was drawn up, under the title Grande Loge Symbolique Écossaise Mixte de France, with its first lodge called Le Droit Humain, its activities restricted to Craft Masonry.
    In 1900 this Grand Lodge was able, with the assistance of sympathetic members of the Grande Loge Symbolique de France, to establish a Supreme Council in the thirty-three degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite and to administer the order. Mlle Marie Deraismes was elected the first Grande Maitresse and President of the Supreme Council.
    A Co-Masonic Lodge was consecrated on 26 September 1902 in London by the officers of the Supreme Council from Paris and it was given the title of Lodge Human Duty No 6, of which Dr Annie Besant was the first ruler. While the international headquarters of the Order remained under the Supreme Council in Paris, the work in this country flourished and many men and women in sympathy with the equality of women joined.