About Prince Hall Freemasonry Prior to 1775, Prince Hall and fourteen other free black men petitioned for admittance to the white Boston St. John’s Lodge. They were turned down. On March 6, 1775, Prince Hall and his 14 associates were made Masons in Lodge #441 of the Irish Registry attached to the 38th British Foot Infantry at Castle William Island in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. It marked the first time that Black men were made Masons in America. About a year later, since the conflict between England and America had commenced, the British Foot Infantry left Boston, along with its Lodge, leaving Prince Hall and his associates without a Lodge. Before the Lodge left, Worshipful Master Brother Batt, gave them a permit to meet as a Lodge and bury their dead in manner and form. This permit, however, did not allow them to do any Masonic work or to take in any new members. Under it, African Lodge was organized on July 3, 1776, with Prince Hall as the Worshipful Master. It wasnt long before this Lodge received an additional permit from Provincial Grand Master John Rowe to walk in procession on St. Johns Day. On March 2, 1784, African Lodge #1 petitioned the Grand Lodge of England, the Premier or Mother Grand Lodge of the world, for a warrant (or charter), to organize a regular Masonic Lodge, with all the rights and privileges thereunto prescribed. The Grand Lodge of England issued a charter on September 29, 1784 to African Lodge #459, the first Lodge of Blacks in America. African Lodge #459 grew and prospered to such a degree that Worshipful Master Prince Hall was appointed a Provincial Grand Master, in 1791, and out of this grew the first Black Provincial Grand Lodge. In 1797 he organized a Lodge in Philadelphia and one in Rhode Island. These Lodges were designated to work under the charter of African Lodge #459. In December 1808, one year after the death of Prince Hall, African Lodge #459 (Boston), African Lodge #459 (Philadelphia) and Hiram Lodge #3 (Providence) met in a general assembly of the craft and organized African Grand Lodge (sometimes referred to as African Grand Lodge #1). In 1847, out of respect for their founding father and first Grand Master, Prince Hall, they changed their name to the Prince Hall Grand Lodge, the name it carries today. In 1848 Union Lodge #2, Rising Sons of St. John #3 and Celestial Lodge #4 became the first Lodges organized under the name Prince Hall Grand Lodge. From these beginnings, there now are some 5,000 Lodges and 47 Grand Lodges who trace their lineage to the Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Jurisdiction of Massachusetts. Prince Hall Grand Lodge is located in Dorchester, MA and they are recognized as Regular by our Massachusetts Grand Lodge in Boston. This means that Prince Hall Masons can freely visit Massachusetts Lodges, and we can visit their Lodges. Long ago, the white Massachusetts Lodges opened their doors to men of every race, creed, religion and ethnicity; therefore Prince Hall has remained in existence out of tradition and respect, not necessity.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 13:51:24 +0000
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