Grand Lodge of London and Westminster
Definition
The Grand Lodge of London and Westminster, known in Masonic historiography as the Premier Grand Lodge of England, was the first Masonic Grand Lodge ever created in the world. Founded on June 24, 1717, in London, it constituted the first attempt to coordinate and regulate the activities of existing Masonic lodges, establishing a model of centralized government that would later be imitated worldwide. Its original name was “Grand Lodge of London and Westminster,” while the designation “Premier Grand Lodge of England” is a modern term coined to distinguish it from other Grand Lodges that subsequently emerged in England. The institution existed until 1813, when it merged with the Ancient Grand Lodge of England to form the United Grand Lodge of England.
Historical Context
The founding of the Grand Lodge occurred at a time of political and cultural transformation in Great Britain. It took place shortly after the accession of George I to the throne (August 1, 1714) and the end of the first Jacobite uprising of 1715. This context of dynastic stabilization favored the development of institutions that promoted tolerance and social harmony.
The Masonic movement that crystallized in 1717 drew from the intellectual currents of the Enlightenment and the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century. The principles of religious tolerance, universal understanding, and the pursuit of knowledge, characteristic of the period, inspired the organization of speculative Freemasonry. The new Grand Lodge represented an institutional expression of Enlightenment ideals applied to a fraternity that aimed to transcend religious and political divisions.
Foundation
The Preparatory Meeting of 1716
The founding process began in 1716, when representatives of several London lodges met at the Apple-Tree Tavern, located on Charles Street, Covent Garden. At this meeting, those present constituted themselves as a “Grand Lodge pro Tempore” and agreed to hold an annual assembly, as well as to elect a Grand Master the following year.
The Assembly of June 24, 1717
On June 24, 1717, the feast day of Saint John the Baptist, the founding assembly took place at the “Goose and Gridiron” tavern, situated in St. Paul’s Church-yard, London. At this meeting, the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster was formally constituted.
The Four Founding Lodges
The new Grand Lodge was created by four London lodges, identified by the names of the taverns where they held their meetings:
- Goose and Gridiron Ale-house, which over time would become the Lodge of Antiquity No. 2.
- Crown Ale-house, in Parker’s Lane, Drury Lane.
- Apple-Tree Tavern, in Charles Street, Covent Garden, which would later be the Lodge of Fortitude and Old Cumberland No. 12.
- Rummer and Grapes Tavern, in Channel Row, Westminster, which would become the Royal Somerset House and Inverness Lodge No. IV.
First Grand Masters
The first Grand Master of the institution was Anthony Sayer, who held the office between 1717 and 1718. Little is known about his person beyond his foundational role.
He was succeeded by George Payne (1718-1719 and 1720-1721), who held a high office in the Tax Commission. Payne played a crucial role in the early organization of the Grand Lodge, drafting the “General Regulations of a Free Mason,” which were recited at his second installation as Grand Master in 1720.
The third Grand Master was John Theophilus Desaguliers (1719-1720), a scientist, clergyman, and student of Isaac Newton. His figure illustrates the connection between early Freemasonry and the intellectual world of the British Enlightenment.
From Desaguliers onward, all Grand Masters were members of the nobility, although they likely performed primarily decorative or protocolary functions.
The Anderson Constitutions
One of the most significant milestones of the Premier Grand Lodge was the publication, in 1723, of “The Constitutions of the Free-Masons”. This work was commissioned by the Grand Master from the Reverend Dr. James Anderson, who drafted it based on the previous regulations of George Payne.
The content of the Constitutions included a history of Freemasonry from biblical times, six “Charges” or Masonic obligations, an expanded version of Payne’s Regulations, the method for constituting a new lodge, and several songs. The work established a normative framework that would profoundly influence the subsequent development of Freemasonry.
A second revised edition was published in 1738, incorporating modifications to the original text.
Expansion and Early Controversies
Territorial Growth
By 1725, the influence of the Grand Lodge had spread beyond London. There were lodges in Bath, Bristol, Norwich, Chichester, Chester, Reading, Gosport, Carmarthen, Salford, and Warwick. Embryonic Provincial Grand Lodges began to form in Cheshire and South Wales, laying the groundwork for a broader territorial organization.
Criticisms and Revelations
The growth of the institution was not without controversy. Older lodges, known as “St. John’s” or independent lodges, criticized certain innovations introduced by the Grand Lodge, such as the use of ribbon and metal letters instead of chalk and charcoal in ritual work.
Likewise, during this period, publications appeared that revealed aspects of Masonic rituals. The most successful was “Masonry Dissected”, published by Pritchard in 1730, which contained a recognizable representation of the three Masonic degrees.
The Schism: “Moderns” and “Ancients”
The Formation of the Rival Grand Lodge
In 1751, a group of Masons formed a rival Grand Lodge, called the “Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England”. This group became known as the “Ancients”, while the Premier Grand Lodge received the appellation of “Moderns”.
Arguments of the “Ancients”
The “Ancients” justified their separation by claiming that the Premier Grand Lodge had introduced innovations and had departed from the “ancient landmarks” of Freemasonry. They claimed to work according to rules supposedly given by Prince Edward in York in 926 AD, although this date is considered legendary and historically undocumented.
The Constitution of the second Grand Lodge was compiled by Laurence Dermott under the title “Ahiman Rezon”.
Historiographical Interpretations
Historian Henry Sadler, in his work “Masonic Facts and Fictions” (1887), offered an alternative interpretation of the schism. He argued that the “Ancients” were actually Irish immigrants in London who, being received with hostility by English lodges, created their own organization. This thesis constitutes a historiographical interpretation, not an incontrovertible fact.
Another interpretative line suggests that the ritual differences between the two Grand Lodges would not originate from innovations of the Premier Grand Lodge, but from the distinct adoption of the Scottish ritual heritage in Ireland and England. This assertion should likewise be understood as a historiographical hypothesis.
The Unification of 1813
Negotiations for the union of the two Grand Lodges began in 1809. The process culminated on December 27, 1813, when both institutions merged under the leadership of the Grand Masters, the Dukes of Sussex and Kent, both sons of King George III.
The new organization received the name of the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), which survives to the present day. The Duke of Sussex was its first Grand Master. Currently, Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, holds the office of Grand Master of UGLE.
Legacy and Concept of Regularity of Origin
The Grand Lodge of London and Westminster left an enduring legacy in worldwide Freemasonry. It is generally accepted, as a Masonic convention, that the “regularity of origin” of Masonic obediences emanates from this early Grand Lodge. According to this principle, obediences considered regular would have received their charter directly from this Grand Lodge or through other intermediate ones.
This concept of regularity constitutes a convention within the Masonic world, not an objective historical fact. Nevertheless, it reflects the foundational importance that Masonic historiography attributes to the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster as the origin of organized speculative Freemasonry.
The creation of this institution in 1717 marked a turning point in the history of Freemasonry, transforming a set of independent lodges into a coordinated movement that, over the following centuries, would spread across all continents, adapting to different cultural contexts while maintaining the fundamental principles of fraternity, tolerance, and the pursuit of human improvement that inspired its foundation.
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