The Canonbury Masonic Research Centre (CMRC) held its second international conference in November entitled The Social Impact of Freemasonry on the Modern Western World. The two-day event proved a resounding success despite travel chaos caused by stormy weather and rail disruption.
    Delegates travelled from many countries to the venue, the historic wood panelled rooms of Canonbury’s 16th century tower, once the home of Francis Bacon, chancellor to Queen Elizabeth I.
    These countries included Finland, Sweden, Hungary, France, the US and Israel. Michael Baigent, trustee of the CMRC, opened the proceedings and introduced the new manager of CMRC, Carole McGilvery, who welcomed delegates.
    With Freemasonry currently under attack from both the Government and the Home Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons, it is often overlooked how close the Craft came to an outright ban some two hundred years ago.
    A number of organisations deemed by the government of William Pitt as dangerous, such as the United Irishmen and the London Corresponding Society, led to calls for legislation to outlaw them.
    Unfortunately, the net was to have included Freemasons, Andrew Prescott, Director of the Centre for Research into Freemasonry at Sheffield University, told the conference in his paper The Unlawful Societies Act 1799. Although Freemasons were eventually excluded from its provisions – but only just – Lodges had to provide lists of their members annually right up until 1967.
    Mr Prescott explained that the Act controlled public lectures and introduced a registration scheme for printers.
    He added: “ Attempts to define the characteristics of supposedly seditious groups created many problems for legislators, and the earliest version of the Bill apparently posed a threat to Freemasons, friendly societies and other groups.
    “ Representations by the Grand Lodges to have the Bill amended were complicated by information given to the Home Office that some masonic Lodges were supporting radical groups. But, a scheme for self-regulation was agreed and passed by the House of Commons.”
    All seemed well, but when the Bill reached the House of Lords, attempts were made to outlaw Freemasonry. The Duke of Atholl, during a dramatic parliamentary debate, managed to save the situation.
    Mr Prescott said: “ The Act was not much used in the prosecution of unlawful groups, the legislation against oaths being found more useful. The possibility that the Act could, however, one day prove useful against subversive groups made governments reluctant to repeal it.”
    In answer to a question about any possible breaches of this law by Freemasons, Mr Prescott commented: “ I have not been able to find any case against Masons arising from this Act.”
    Indeed, a dispute with the Deputy Clerk of the Peace in Essex caused the United Grand Lodge of England to promote a Bill for the repeal of these clauses in this Act affecting Freemasons in 1939-1940, but it was not until 1967 that it was finally repealed.
    The period from the mid-17th century to the end of the 18th century was formative for Freemasonry as Edward Batley, former Honorary Director of the London Institute of Germanic Studies told the delegates.
    Mr Batley explained the circumstances at the time in his thoroughly absorbing paper Human Rights and the Masonic Legacy (1646-1792).
    He said that human rights, as formulated in the American Declaration of Independence (1776), the American Bill of Rights (1779) and Les Droits de l’homme et des citoyens (1792), grew out of the Enlightenment and earlier historical events.
    Mr Batley added: “ One of the most significant of these was the establishment of speculative Freemasonry in London up to and beyond the founding of the Premier Grand Lodge in 1717.
    “ The distinctive features of Freemasonry included the practical, although private application of notions of equality and liberty, which were to form the core of human rights.”
    He said that, as Freemasonry passed to France and Germany, where the power of Absolutism and the Divine Right of Kings were not moderated by a parliament, it developed systems which, in retrospect, may be seen as deviations from the original course.
    Mr Batley continued: “ Yet the style of English Freemasonry begun in Hamburg in 1737, and which nourished the Enlightenment, continued more or less unbroken.”
    The self-seeking or conspiratorial activity in the one strand, and the constructive long-term humanitarianism in the other, both found expression in German literature and opera.
    The latter “ educated monarchs and their subjects beyond the confines of the Lodges about the fundamental principles of human rights.”
    One of the most fascinating characters in English parliamentary history, and in respect of the rights of the individual, is the 18th century radical politician John Wilkes.
    Matthew Scanlan, a member of the Duke of Wharton Research Lodge No 18, Grand Lodge of Spain, produced an entertaining paper: John Wilkes, Freemasonry and the Emergence of Popular Radicalism.
    He described Wilkes as a “ notorious wit and rascal, reveller and dilettante, who could stir the masses with a libellous pen whilst audaciously challenging the authority of the establishment and rallying the populist cry of ‘Liberty’.
    His initiation into Freemasonry was also controversial, taking place in the debtors’ prison at the King’s Bench gaol in London, when he joined Jerusalem Lodge.
    Mr Scanlan commented: “ The minutes of the Lodge show that possibly the initiation could have taken place in the debtors’ prison. People did visit him in gaol. A number of other fraternal organisations also made him a member. However, it is not believed that he took an active part in Freemasonry after his initiation.”
    Mr Scanlan said that, ever since the Hanoverian succession in 1714, the Whigs had enjoyed a virtually unrivalled monopoly of power. However, after nearly half a century, fratricide and schism ruptured their unity and spawned factional internecine squabbling.
    The accession of George III in 1760 was hailed by many as the apotheosis of the Whig tradition and Protestant monarchy. But the young king had a strong desire to see the Whig monopoly of power clipped, thereby heralding a new era in which party political distinctions would disappear.
    Mr Scanlan added that the concessions ceded to France in the wake of the Seven Years War in the Treaty of Paris of 1763 were seen by many “ as a betrayal of British interests which greatly increased the suspicion of Court power.”
    He added: “ It was then that John Wilkes stepped on to the political stage. He was a constant annoyance to government, and a thorn in the side of George III, cynically calculating and reckless in his goading of the authorities.
    “ As such, he is remembered chiefly for his role as the prime mover in a popular radicalist movement that was to emerge in Britain in the 1760s, and partially sowed the seeds for similar movements that were to follow.”
    Given the recent public procession of Durham Freemasons in full regalia through Beamish in north-east England, it is often forgotten that Masons used to regularly parade publicly.
    Trevor Stewart, a retired university lecturer who specialised in English literature of the 17th and 18th centuries, presented a paper: Through the streets they tramp and go: masonic processions as a metaphor of social involvement.
    He said that as the processions mainly took place in urban areas “ they can be perceived as having played a sustained role in generating and exerting concepts such as ‘town-ness’ and civic identity among the participants and spectators alike.”
    There was, however, an interesting dichotomy in the Scottish Craft: extreme caution and almost complete openness in public display. Within the Lodge room Masonic practices were kept secret and well protected. Yet Lodges still advertised meetings in local newspapers.
    Mr Stewart added: “ It is very likely, especially in the smaller communities, that everyone who is not a Freemason will know who the Masons are, and the good work they do.”
    There were ecclesiastical connections with the processions, recurring processions for foundation stone laying and hiring of their “ mort clothes.” Freemasons also processed to the theatres throughout the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries.
    Jeanne Heaslewood, Grand Secretary of International Co-Freemasonry, Le Droit Humain, British Federation, rounded off the first day by speaking eloquently on The Tenet of Masonic Truth in the New Millennium, which embraced aspects of Masonic and esoteric truths and questioned how they are generally perceived. Jean’s excellent presentation provoked tremendous interest and a rewarding question time followed – particularly about aspects of her work in the British Federation of co-masons.
    On the second day of the conference, Pierre Mollier, librarian of the Grand Orient de France spoke on The Social Impact of French Freemasonry Over Three Centuries. Pierre examined one of the most important issues in French masonic history, the role of Freemasonry in the social and political field.
    He gave an energetic presentation on the important role played by French Freemasonry in the social and political field. He highlighted the masonic involvement of brethren in politics between 1880-1940, the role of Lodges during the French Revolution and the building of French democracy at the beginning of the welfare state in the late 19th century.
    This was followed by an excellent paper on the role of Freemasonry in building the Radical Party, entitled Freemasonry and Party Building in Late 19th Century France, given by Dr Avner Halpern, of the Open University, Israel.
    Andreas Onnerfors, of Lunds University, Sweden, continued with a fascinating presentation on The Swedish Order Exported – Masonic Contacts Between Swedish & German Elites in Pomerania.
    He distributed leaflets that showed important dates in Swedish Masonic history, from 1720 – 1815, and slide illustrations, including the coat of arms of the Swedish Army Lodge from 1757, which was the first lodge working according to the Swedish Rite in Swedish Pomerania.
    There was a fascinating account of Freemasonry and the French Resistance 1939-1945 given by retired headmaster Dr Keith Doney. He briefly examined the fate of Freemasonry in the Channel Isles, the persecution of French Freemasons by the German and Vichy Governments, and media persecution of Freemasonry by film and newspapers.
    Summing up, Dr Doney examined the contribution of Lodges to the Resistance movement, the courage shown by French Freemasons and the need for all Freemasons to be ever vigilant in defence of their rights.
    The day ended with a talk on Conservatives & Revolutionaries – Freemasonry in 18th Century Ireland, delivered by Dr Petri Mirala, of the University of Helsinki. He looked at the political role Freemasons played during the 1776 general election, the Ulster Lodges link with “ patriot politics” and the emerging Volunteer Corps.
    Dr Mirala described the major masonic involvement in politics during the winter of 1792-93, when Lodges took sides over Catholic emancipation and parliamentary reform. Dr Mirala examined the “ irregular” or “ hedgemasonic” element organised by Orange societies, and points out the very large cluster of masonic lodges around Loughgall, County Armagh, the birthplace of the Orange Order in 1795.
    The day was rounded off by a rewarding speakers’ panel and lively question time. Carole McGilvery ended the weekend by paying tribute to the speakers for the high standard of the lectures and to Professor Andrew Prescott and Professor Jan Snoek, from the Universities of Heidelberg and Leiden, whose exemplary chairmanship helped to make this a truly enjoyable weekend.