• Held At: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies
• Title: Masonic records of Hertfordshire
• Description: This collection is the result of a cataloguing project that has brought together the records of various Masonic Lodges in Hertfordshire. It has been created from several smaller collections relating to different Lodges, and a wealth of uncatalogued accessions. Existing collections were integrated into the structure of the new larger DE/Ms collection, whilst keeping their original numbering, and accessions of new Lodges were added in afterwards: either to existing collections or to newly created fonds within DE/Ms.
  
  Freemasonry is a worldwide organisation, whose origins are believed to be rooted in the guilds, traditions and ceremonies of medieval stonemasons. It was founded on the principles of integrity, friendship, respect and charity.
  
  Freemasonry has existed in Hertfordshire since as early as the 18th century, when the Masonic Province of Hertfordshire was officially formed in 1797, at which time the first Provincial Grand Master of Hertfordshire, William Forssteen, received his patent. Hertford Lodge was the first to be consecrated in the county, in September 1829, and many others followed over the years.
  
  Freemasonry is organised into lodges, which usually stem from a fixed location or area. These days most lodges share a communal hall or other building in which they conduct their meetings, but in the past when there were fewer such purpose-built buildings, and lodges were fewer and far further flung, the members might have met in a hotel or an inn.
  
  The main order is craft freemasonry, and members belong to craft lodges. There are other orders such as Mark Master Masonry, Royal Arch Masonry, and Royal Ark Mariner Masonry, for which orders there are some records within this collection.
  Lodges are governed independently by a Worshipful Master, the head of the Lodge as chosen by its members, and overseen regionally or jurisdictionally by a Grand Lodge (or Provincial Grand Lodge). The United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) is recognised as the governing body for Freemasonry in England and Wales.
  
  The Unlawful Societies Act was introduced on 12 June 1799 as ?An act for the more effectual suppression of societies established for seditious and treasonable purposes; and for the better preventing treasonable and seditious practices?. Parliament, led by William Pitt the younger, wanted to limit the activities of groups such as these, and so through this act effectively banned all secret societies where members had to pay for membership and were required to take an oath upon joining. From then on, societies had to keep a record of their members, including of committees, and could only meet in venues that had a magistrates license, which further restricted their activities. The Act also introduced restrictions on printing and printers, and vendors of printers started having to keep detailed records of sale for inspection. After successful lobbying, Freemasons were excluded from this Act, but compromised by agreeing to submit annual returns of the members in each lodges to the local Justice of the Peace. Some of these records can be found in QS/Misc/2592-2642 (1834 ? 1879) and QS/Misc/B/56/10 (c1895).
  
  Today in Hertfordshire, there are an impressive 186 lodges, that meet at 18 designated Masonic venues. There is also a Museum of Freemasonry in St Albans.
  
  
  Collection structure
  The bulk of the collection is divided between records of individual Hertfordshire lodges and records of provincial Hertfordshire organisations (such as the Provincial Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons). The individual lodges are categorised by their order: Craft Masonry, Royal Arch Masonry, Mark Master Masonry, Royal Ark Mariner Masonry and other orders. Each lodge is a fonds that contains seven series, into which the records have been catalogued dependent on record type (for example minutes, membership, correspondence and so on).
• Date: 1806 - 2019
• Extent: 5 series
• Document Reference: DE/Ms
• Ref No: CDEMS
• Access Conditions: Access restrictions may apply. Please contact us for more information.
• Custodial History: The management group DE/Ms incorporates previously catalogued records in DE/Bd, DE/Br, DE/Mn, DE/Wi, DE/Wn, DE/X528, DE/X680, DE/X794, DE/X874. Newly catalogued records begin with the pnemonic DE/Ms.
• Level: Management group
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