Famous Freemasons (A – Z) Continued

Ellison-Macartney, Sir William Grey (1852-1924) Ellison-Macartney was born as William Grey Ellison in Dublin, Ireland, the son of John William Ellison, the Conservative MP for Tyrone in the British House of Commons. His father changed the family surname to Ellison-Macartney in 1859, as a condition of an inheritance from a maternal uncle.
Educated at Eton and Exeter College, Oxford, he took an early interest in law and politics, and was called to the Bar in 1878. He was an ardent supporter of Irish Unionism, and became grand secretary of the Orange Institution in Ireland. In 1897 he married Ettie Myers Scott, who was the sister of Freemason, Captain Robert Falcon Scott (see below), the Antarctic explorer. In December 1912 he was knighted, and posted to serve as the Governor of Tasmania (1913-1917) and later as Governor of Western Australia (1917-1920). Ellison-Macartney was an experienced and very active Freemason and served as Grand Master of both the Hobart and the Perth Masonic lodges during his respective terms.

Ellsworth, Oliver (1745-1807) – Relatively unknown outside America, Oliver Ellsworth was the Freemason responsible for the term “United States” appearing in the Constitution. He was the third Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of France (1799-1800).

Ervin Jr. Samuel James ‘Sam’ (1896-1985) – Sam Ervin was a U.S. Senator from North Carolina; he became a liberal hero for his support of civil liberties. During the ‘Watergate Scandal’, he led the Watergate Committee (1972-1974) at the end of the Nixon administration, and was widely praised for his fair-handed behaviour.

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Faber, John Eberhard (1822-1879) – Few persons in the world have NOT at one time held in their hand a product from the famous Faber Pencil Company of which Eberhard Faber was the head. Faber was a member of Chancellor Walworth Lodge No.271, New York.

Fairbanks Senior, Douglas (Real name: Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman) (1883-1939) – Actor, screenwriter, director and producer, early American silent film actor, Douglas Fairbanks wowed the ladies with his athletic prowess in swashbuckling adventures such as ‘The Mark of Zorro’ (1920), ‘Robin Hood’ (1922) and ‘The Thief of Bagdad’ (1924). A consummate businessman, Fairbanks founded the United Artists motion picture studio with Charlie Chaplin in 1919 and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars®), hosting the first Oscar® ceremony in 1929. Douglas Fairbanks Sr. was a Freemason in Beverley Hills Lodge No.528.

Fields, William Claude ‘W.C.’ (Real name: William Claude Dukenfield) (1880-1946) – W.C. Fields was an iconic American comedian and actor known for his raspy voice, bulbous nose, and sardonic disposition. His films include ‘My Little Chickadee’ (1940) and ‘Never Give a Sucker an Even Break’ (1941). Fields belonged to E. Coppee Mitchell Lodge No.605, Philadelphia.

Fisher, Archbishop Geoffrey (1887-1972) – An English churchman and the 99th Archbishop of Canterbury, Fisher became Bishop of London in 1939, and Archbishop of Canterbury in 1945, prior to which he had been an active Freemason. Fisher was a distinguished pastor and administrator, helping to reorganize the work of the Church of England after World War II. As President of the World Council of Churches (1946- 54), he was a vigorous proponent of ecumenism.

FitzGerald, Augustus Frederick – 3rd Duke of Leinster, PC, PC (Ire)(1791-1874)– Educated at Eton College and Oxford University, and styled Marquess of Kildare from birth until 1804, Augustus FitzGerald was a nobleman, an Irish peer and a staunch Freemason.

FitzGerald (aka Leinster) was the eldest surviving son of William FitzGerald, 2nd Duke of Leinster and his wife, Emilia. He inherited his father’s dukedom in 1804. On 16 June 1818, the 3rd Duke of Leinster married Lady Charlotte Augusta Stanhope (15 February 1793 – 15 February 1859), the third daughter of Charles Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Harrington. They had four children.

In 1813, Leinster was elected to be Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland (the highest rank in Irish Freemasonry), a position he held until his death in 1874 – an astounding 61 years. During this time he was responsible for the setting up of many new Freemasons’ Lodges the length and breadth of Ireland. The Duke was appointed Custos Rotulorum of Kildare in 1819, and the County’s Lord Lieutenant in 1831, holding both posts for life. Leinster was Lord High Constable of Ireland at the coronations of King William IV (SEE WILLIAM IV IN M-Z IN THIS SITE SEGMENT) and Queen Victoria. He was a Commissioner of National Education for Ireland from 1836 to 1841.

Augustus FitzGerald was born and died in Carton House, County Kildare.

Fleming, Sir Alexander (1881-1955) – Alexander Fleming was a Scottish-born biologist and pharmacologist. In 1928, he discovered penicillin, a drug which was to save thousands of lives in World War II and millions around the world thereafter. He shared a Nobel Prize, in 1945, for this world health changing achievement. A busy Freemason when time allowed, Fleming was a member of the London Scottish Rifles Lodge No. 2310.

Fletcher, Cyril (1913-2005) – Fletcher was an English comedian, actor and comic poetry reader especially of ‘Odd Odes’. In the UK he was probably most famous for his appearances with veteran British television presenter Esther Rantzen in the long running TV programme ‘That’s Life!’

Foelsche, Paul Heinrich Matthias (1831-1914) – Having served as a soldier in the German army, Paul Foelsche arrived in South Australia from Moorburg, Germany on 26 October 1854. Failing as a gold prospector, he joined the police force there in 1856. His was posted to Strathalbyn in 1858, where he was successful in his career, married (1860) and became a Freemason. In 1869, aged 39, Foelsche was promoted to Inspector at a salary of £230 a year and asked to form the Port Darwin Police Service, thus becoming the first police inspector of Australia’s Northwest Territories. Foelsche was a keen anthropologist and photographer, a skill which allowed him to record much of north Australia’s aborigine people and settlements, its scenery, the gold fields and European settlers, thus creating an invaluable historical archive for that period. His work was exhibited abroad, further popularising Australia. Foelsche founded Port Darwin’s first Freemasons’ lodge, Lodge No.41 in May 1869.

Ford, Gerald Rudolph (1913-2006) – The 38th President of the United States, Ford was a 25-year Congressman and Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was appointed Vice-President of the U.S. in the wake of the Spiro Agnew scandal and, when President Richard Nixon resigned in 1974, he became President. Gerald Ford was initiated into Freemasonry on 30 September 1949 within the Temple of Malta Lodge No.465, Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was made a courtesy Master Mason of Columbia Lodge No.3, Washington, D.C. on 18 May 1951. He later said in 1975, “When I took my obligation as a Master Mason (incidentally, with my three younger brothers), I recalled the value my own father attached to that Order. But I had no idea that I would ever be added to the company of the Father of our Country [George Washington] and 12 other members of the Order who also served as Presidents of the United States.”

Ford, Gwylly Samuel Newton ‘Glenn’ (1916-2006) – Glenn Ford was a Canadian-born actor from Hollywood’s “Golden Era” and enjoyed a career that spanned seven decades. Despite his versatility, Ford was best known for playing ordinary men in unusual circumstances. In his time Glenn Ford was a member of two Californian Lodges; Palisades Lodge No. 637 and Riviera Lodge No. 780.

Ford, Henry (1863-1947) – Henry Ford was from Irish and Belgian decent. Following a few false starts, he founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903 and introduced large scale assembly-line production, thereby creating the first widely available, lightweight and affordable motor car, the Model T. This vehicle was introduced on 1 October 1908 and by the end of production in 1927, 15,007,034 had been produced. Of his mass production ethos, Ford wrote in his biography, “A customer can have the car painted any colour he wants so long as it’s black.”

Franklin, Benjamin ‘Ben’ (1706-1790) – The most famous American printer (he published the first book to come off the press in the American colonies – ‘Anderson’s Constitutions’ of 1723), Ben Franklin was an author, diplomat, philosopher and scientist whose contributions to the American Revolution (1775-1783) and the newly formed federal government that followed, rank him among that country’s greatest statesmen. Franklin was a long time friend of Freemason Erasmus Darwin (see above), the grandfather of Charles Darwin.
Franklin held the Masonic title of Grand Master of Pennsylvania, and was one of the 13 Freemasons that signed the American Constitution. In February 1731, Benjamin Franklin was recorded as being a member of St. John’s Lodge, Philadelphia.

Franco y Bahamonde Salgado Pardo de Andrade, Ramón (1896-1938) – Ramón Franco was a pioneer aviator and Spanish politician; he was also the brother of dictator, General Francisco Franco (1892-1975). As Commander of Aviation, Ramón received the Aerial Medial for his valiant action in the Morocco conflict. Ramón was one of the Masons who ‘blackballed’ and therefore refused the initiation of General Franco into Freemasonry.

Frederick II ‘The Great’ (1712-1786) – As King of Prussia from 1772 until 1786, Frederick II was an effective military commander, but he was also a music composer, patron of literature, the arts and institutor of many social reforms. Frederick also aspired to be a Platonic philosopher king like the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius. He joined the Freemasons in 1738 and stood close to the French Enlightenment, admiring above all its greatest thinker, Voltaire (see below), with whom he corresponded frequently. Visiting Frederick’s tomb in 1807, Napoleon, commenting to his officers on Frederick’s military skills said, “Gentlemen, if this man was sill alive, I would not be here.”

French, John Denton Pinkstone – Field Marshal, 1st Earl of Ypres (1852-1925) – Known as The Viscount French between 1916 and 1922, John French was the Anglo- Irish officer who served as the first Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in World War I. His response to the early German advances proved to be muddled and he was replaced in December 1915 by Douglas Haig (see below).

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Gable, Clark (1901-1960) – Gable was the actor who played opposite nearly every major female star during the 1930’s. He is perhaps best remembered for his 1939 role as ‘Rhett Butler’ in ‘Gone with the Wind’, though he had received an Oscar® for Best Actor in the Best Movie of 1934, ‘It Happened One Night’. During the Second World War his wife, actress Carole Lombard, was assisting with the U.S. war effort and, while performing that duty in 1942, was killed in an air crash. Gable was devastated and pledged to do his duty also. To that end, Gable joined the USAF and flew as an air gunner in Boeing B-17 ‘Flying Fortresses’ from RAF Polebrook in England. He was linked with the U.S. 1st Motion Picture Unit, together they made wartime recruitment films. Gable attended the Beverly Hills Lodge No.528, California.

Garfield, James Abram (1831-1881) – The 20th President of the United States, James Garfield was assassinated in 1881. His death was the cause of considerable mourning in the U.S.A. not least because it had been carried out by an unemployed loner with no political motive other than to achieve some perverse ‘fame’. Garfield was initiated into Magnolia Lodge No.20 in Columbus, Ohio and raised to the third degree in Columbus Lodge No.30 in 1864. He was exalted in Columbus Royal Arch Chapter and became a Knight Templar in 1866. In 1872 Garfield also gained a 14th degree in the Scottish Rite.

Garibaldi, Giuseppi (1807-1882) – Garibaldi’s popularity, his skill at rousing the common people, and his military exploits are all credited with making the unification of Italy possible. He also served as a global exemplar of mid-nineteenth century revolutionary nationalism and liberalism. Giuseppi Garibaldi is considered an Italian national hero.

Garrick, David (1717-1779) – An English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer, David Garrick influenced nearly all aspects of theatrical practice throughout the mid-eighteenth century. He was a pupil and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson. For its time, Garrick’s ‘realistic’ style of acting was revolutionary. London’s Garrick Theatre (and several others in England) is named in his honour.

Gates, John (1855-1903) – Known as “Bet-a-million” Gates, he founded the Texaco Oil Company and popularized the use of barbed wire.

Gatling, Richard Jordan (1818-1903) – In 1861, engineer Richard Gatling invented his now famous ‘Gatling Gun’, the world’s first practical machine gun. The principles of his rotating, multi-barrelled weapon are still in use today in the guise of the fearsome, air portable, armour-piercing 30mm GAU-8A and the navy’s M61A1 Vulcan close-in weapon system, that can fire an unbelievable 100 rounds of 20mm ammunition per second! Gatling also invented a steam plough and numerous machines to sow seeds and to improve the lives of farmers. During WWII, in 1943, the U.S. Navy named a destroyer in his honour.

King George IV – George Augustus Frederick (1762-1830) – George IV became King of Hanover and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later. From 1811 until his accession, he served as Prince Regent during his father’s fight with, and relapse into, mental illness.
George IV led an extravagant lifestyle that contributed to the fashions of the British Regency. He was a patron of new forms of leisure, style and taste. He commissioned John Nash to build the Royal Pavilion in Brighton and remodel Buckingham Palace, and ordered Sir Jeffry Wyatville to rebuild Windsor Castle. He was instrumental in the foundation of the National Gallery in London and King’s College London.

King George VI – Albert Frederick Arthur George (1895-1952) – Prince Albert became King of the United Kingdom during World War II and one of the most historically famous Freemasons in England (See the separate and more expansive article ‘The King and the Craft’ on this web site.), Prince Albert took the regal name “King George VI” unexpectedly in 1936 when his elder brother, King Edward VIII, abdicated his throne.
During the First World War, Prince Albert had served in the Royal Navy and, in 1923, married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother), and they had two daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.
The 1930’s were a time of global turmoil and world events greatly altered the position of the monarchy during his reign. Three years after his accession, his realms (excluding the Irish Free State), were at war with Germany, and in the next two years, war with Italy and the Empire of Japan followed. Though the UK and its allies were ultimately victorious, the United States and the Soviet Union rose as pre-eminent world powers while, with its economy in irrecoverable ruins as the result of fighting for freedom in two World Wars, the British Empire declined. With the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, and the foundation of the Republic of Ireland in 1949, King George’s reign saw the acceleration of the break-up of the Empire and its transition into the Commonwealth of Nations.
King George VI was initiated into Navy Lodge, No. 2612 in December 1919 and stated that he had always wanted to become a Freemason. Navy Lodge had been founded by his Grandfather, King Edward VII.

Gibbon, Edward (1737-1794) – Gibbon was the author best recognised for writing the classic ‘The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire’, an epic of six volumes. Penned between 1776 and 1788, the work is known for the quality and irony of its prose.

Gilbert, Sir William Schwenck (1836-1911) – W. S. Gilbert was the British playwright and librettist, poet and illustrator best known for a series of, what have become world famous, comic operas including ‘H.M.S. Pinafore’, ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ and also ‘The Mikado’, written together with musical genius Sir Arthur Sullivan (see Sullivan below).

Gillette, King Camp (1855-1932) – A universally famous American businessman, inventor and manufacturer, Gillette is credited with developing the safety razor and founded the Gillette Safety Razor Company in 1902.

Glenn, John Herschel (1921- ) – The first American astronaut to orbit the earth in a spacecraft in 1962, John Glenn became a U.S. Senator from Ohio from 1974 through 1998 and, in November 1998, returned to space 36 years after his original journey, thus becoming the oldest astronaut ever.
Glenn is a member of Concord Lodge No.688, Concord, Ohio.

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (1749-1832) A German writer and polymath, Goethe is considered by many to be the most important writer in the German language, and one of the more important thinkers in Western culture. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, literature, theology, philosophy, and science. His magnum opus, a peak of world literature, is the drama ‘Faust’. Goethe’s other well-known literary works include his numerous poems, the ‘Bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship’, and the epistolary novel ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther.’ Goethe’s influence spread across Europe and, for the next century, his works were a major source of inspiration in music, drama, poetry and philosophy. Goethe was a Freemason in Lodge Amelie in Weimar.

Gold, Sir Arthur Abraham (1917-2002) – Knighted in 1984, Arthur Gold was the UK’s patriarch of athletics. An administrator and pioneer campaigner against performance enhancing drugs, Gold also led the British athletics team in three Olympic Games, 1968; 1972 and 1976.

Goldwater, Barry Morris (1909-1998) – Of Anglo-Jewish ancestry, Barry Goldwater was an American politician and a conservative Republican. A five term Senator from Arizona, he unsuccessfully ran for president in 1964. Brother Goldwater was responsible for urging President Richard Nixon to resign following the scandal of ‘Watergate’ in 1974, to save further embarrassment. While serving as chairman of both the Senate Intelligence Committee, and the Armed Services Committee, Goldwater retired in 1987.

Grey, Sir George, KCB (1812 – 1898) George Grey was born in Lisbon, Portugal, just days after his father was killed in action at the savage Battle of Badajoz, Spain. Educated in Guildford, Surrey, he became a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony (South Africa), and the Premier of New Zealand. A firm but caring individual, and an Anglican, George Grey was one of the most influential figures in the settling of New Zealand during the latter half of the 19th century. He was Governor of New Zealand twice between 1845 and 1868 and, although he had to acquiesce to the wishes of the British Government, Grey attempted to be as reasonable as possible to the Māori people, frequently flaunting the ‘rules’ in favour of the Māori’s. He learned to speak Māori and closely studied their culture and beliefs. Indeed, on his death, Grey’s collected papers proved to be the largest single repository of Māori-language manuscripts. In 1850, he presented land to found Auckland Grammar School for both settlers’ and Māori children. In 1876 he became a MP, representing both Auckland and Thames between 1876 and 1895 and, from 1877 to 1879, was New Zealand’s 11th Prime Minister. Ill-health forced his return to England in 1894 and he never returned to NZ.

Greenwood, Ronald ‘Ron’ (1921-2006). Lancashire-born Ron Greenwood played football for Brentford, Chelsea and Fulham in the 1950’s, but gained fame for his successful management of West Ham United between 1961 and 1974 where he oversaw the development of such footballing greats as Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters. Finally from 1977 to 1982 managed England’s national team to considerable success. Ron Greenwood was initiated into the Lodge of Proven Fellowship, London in 1956.

Griffin, John Francis Thomas ‘Frank’ (1946- ) – Born in Avoca, County Wicklow, in the very rural south east of the country, quintessential Irishman Frank Griffin is Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. In 2010 he was awarded the Royal Society of New Zealand’s Pickering Medal for 30 years’ research into diseases in large animals and “the practical application of technology”. His work is estimated to have saved the New Zealand deer industry up to NZ$90,000,000 ($69.5 million U.S. dollars). Frank Griffin is a very active member of Lodge St. Patrick No.468, I.C. in New Zealand and the Provincial Assistant Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland.

Grissom, Virgil Ivan ‘Gus’ (1926-1967) – Gus Grissom was a pioneer astronaut and made the second crewed U.S. spaceflight (see John Glenn above). An active Freemason, Grissom was killed in a launch pad fire at Cape Canaveral, Florida, while testing the Apollo 1 space capsule in 1967. The tragedy, however, led to many vital best practise changes that finally paved the way for the successful Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. (See Buzz Aldrin above.)
Grissom was an active Mason and attended Mitchell Lodge No.228, Mitchell, Indiana.

Guillotin, Joseph-Ignace (1738-1814) – Guillotin, a physician and French revolutionary, advocated a “more humane method of death” for condemned prisoners. The now infamous contraption he invented for the purpose forever bears his name, ‘The Guillotine’.

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Haig, Douglas – Field Marshal, 1st Earl Haig (1861-1928) – Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Douglas Haig was the senior commander of British forces (1915-1918) at the Battle of the Somme, the Third Battle of Ypres and the Hundred Day Offensive that, eventually, led to the armistice with Germany on the 11th November 1918, but only at the cost of hundreds of thousands of Allied casualties. Haig was a founder of the Royal British Legion charity.

Haise Jr., Fred Wallace (1930- ) Bill Paxton played one of the leads in the movie docu-drama of a space journey whose raison d’etre was to land on, and explore more of, the moon’s surface. The fact that this mission did not happen could be looked upon as failure but, even today it must be admitted, that returning alive from space in a badly damaged spacecraft ought to be thought of as not merely a success – but a miracle, and Fred Haise would know, as he was a pilot aboard the ill-fated Apollo 13.

Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, Fred Haise was a natural engineer. He graduated in aeronautical engineering in 1959, later progressing to become the Aerospace Research Pilot School’s top graduate in the subject. He became a pilot of NASA’s Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB in California and, in 1969; his talents were properly recognised when he was slated to be the Lunar Module pilot for Apollo 13.

At 13:13pm, 11th April 1970, Boeing’s mighty Saturn V rocket blasted off and the Apollo 13 operation was underway. All seemed well until, 55 hours into the flight, an explosion in the cryogenic oxygen system threatened the space capsule and all on-board. The next 88 hours became a tense and terrifying test of human ingenuity as the crew of Haise, Jack Swigert and Jim Lovell (commander) fought to save their lives by converting their lunar module “Aquarius” into a ‘space lifeboat’. Their multitudinous efforts to survive lack of power, intense cold, water shortage, and to clean poisonous carbon dioxide from their air supply, succeeded and, just after 6pm on 17th April 1970, the crippled craft splashed down into the South Pacific Ocean.

An ex-US Marine Corps fighter pilot, Haise went on to be a test pilot within the Space Shuttle Orbiter Project and a technical adviser on that programme. He left NASA in 1979 and joined Grumman Aerospace as an executive until his retirement in 1996.

Hamilton, James – 1st Duke of Abercorn, KG, PC. (1811-1885) – Born in Mayfair, London, on 21 January 1811, James Hamilton was a British Conservative politician and statesman, who twice served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and as the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland (1874-1885).

At the early age of 35, he was appointed Groom of the Stole to Prince Albert in 1846 and remained a prominent figure in the royal court of Queen Victoria for the next 20-years.

Through his son, the 2nd Duke of Abercorn, James Hamilton Senior was the great-great-great grandfather of Diana, Princess of Wales. The Times newspaper noted in 1860 that Hamilton was one of only three noblemen to hold peerages in all three Kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland.

After graduating like his father, from Christ Church, Oxford where he gained a B.A., Hamilton entered Parliament as MP for Donegal in 1860 and represented that constituency for 20 years. Dissatisfied with his performance at university, he re-entered Oxford and in 1865 emerged with a M.A. Later that same year he was sent on a diplomatic mission to Denmark.
Subsequent to this he held several positions of high rank within the royal court of Queen Victoria, including Lord Lieutenant of County Donegal and Groom of the Stole. Victoria’s reign lasted 63 years and she passed away in 1901, whereupon Hamilton was appointed by King Edward VII (SEE EDWARD VII ELSEWHERE WITHIN THIS SECTION) to lead a special diplomatic mission to the governments of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Russia, Germany and Saxony, to announce the King’s accession.

Like his father, Hamilton was a committed Freemason and, in 1886, he was elected to be the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland – the highest Masonic rank in the Irish Constitution – and remained Grand Master until his death from pneumonia in 1913.

Directly or indirectly as the 2nd Duke of Abercorn, James Hamilton could have had a major influence on the development of this lodge, Lodge St. Patrick No. 468. This was due to the fact that in May 1891, it was seriously considered as to whether it would not be a noble gesture to rename Lodge St. Patrick, Abercorn Lodge No. 468 in deference to the 2nd Duke of Abercorn, who was, as mentioned previously, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, and also in honour of his father, the 1st Duke of Abercorn, who had immediately preceded him as Grand Master, dying in 1885. (SEE ALSO JAMES HAMILTON, 1ST DUKE OF ABERCORN.) Considerable discussion resulted in the Lodge Committee deciding that the name of Saint Patrick was more easily identifiable by, and lay closer to the heart of, any Irishman than that of any mortal soul, thus “Lodge St. Patrick” it has remained to this day.

Harding, Warren Gamaliel (1865-1923) – 29th President of the United States, Harding was the first incumbent U.S. Senator and newspaper editor to be elected President, but his tenure is generally considered to have been a failure. Harding was initiated into Freemasonry in Marion Lodge No.70, Marion, Ohio on 28 June 1901 but received no other degree until after he became President, becoming a Master Mason on 27 August 1920. He received Royal Arch degrees in the Marion Chapter No.62 in 1921.

Hardy, Oliver (1892-1957) – Legendary American comedian and actor, Oliver Hardy was famous for the slapstick abuse he inflicted upon his partner, English-born Stan Laurel, the other equally legendary half of the Laurel and Hardy duo. Oliver Hardy was a Freemason in Solomon Lodge No. 20, Florida.

Haydn, Franz Joseph (1732-1809) – This prolific Austrian composer is known as “the Father of the Symphony” and Haydn’s visits to England in later life generated the ‘Surprise’; ‘Military’; ‘Drum Roll’ and ‘London’ symphonies.

Henson, Matthew Alexander (1866-1955) – This African-American explorer was the sole companion of Admiral Robert Peary (see Peary below) during Peary’s expedition to discover the geographic North Pole in 1909 and, in 1912, Henson wrote the book ‘A Negro Explorer at the North Pole’. Henson was honoured by The White House before his death. (Related: see also James Hoban below.)

Hoban, James (ca.1758-1831) – Born in Cuffesgrange, County Kilkenny, this Irish trained architect, having emigrated to the U.S.A., designed and supervised the construction of ‘The White House’ in Washington, DC (1793-1801). Brother Hoban also supervised the iconic building’s renovation between 1815 and 1829. James Hoban was also the first Master of Federal Lodge No. 1, District of Columbia, a later member of which was J. Edgar Hoover.

Hogarth, William (1685-1764) – William Hogarth was a masterful English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic, and editorial cartoonist whose art helped foster social reforms. Hogarth has been credited with pioneering western ‘sequential art’. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called “modern moral subjects”. Knowledge of his work is so pervasive that satirical political illustrations in this style are often referred to as “Hogarthian”.

Hoover, Frank (1883-1954) – Frank Hoover was the creator of possibly the most famous brand of vacuum cleaners in the world that are named after him.

Hoover, John Edgar (1895-1972) – The first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (1924-1972), J. Edgar Hoover is remembered for fighting organised crime during the Prohibition era (1919-1933) and for pursuing a vigorous anti-Communist campaign following the Second World War, an era in which international espionage reached an apogee.
Following the death of President Warren Harding (see above), Hoover was appointed the 6th director of the Bureau of Investigation in 1924, by President Calvin Coolidge. Hoover was instrumental in developing the Bureau into the F.B.I. (Federal Bureau of Investigation) in 1935, and where Hoover remained until his death in 1972. He built the FBI into a large and efficient crime-fighting agency, by instituting a number of modern innovations to police technology, such as a centralized fingerprint file and forensic laboratories.
Late in life, and after his death, Hoover became an increasingly controversial figure. His critics have accused him of exceeding the jurisdiction of the FBI and collecting evidence using illegal methods. It is because of Hoover’s long and controversial tenure that FBI directors are now limited to 10-year terms. Nevertheless, Hoover had a hand in the removal from society of many n’er-do-wells, such as murderer John Dillinger (Shot dead resisting arrest in 1934.) and kidnapper ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly. (Imprisoned for life in 1933.)
J. Edgar Hoover attended Federal Lodge No.1, Washington D.C.

Hornish, Jr., Samuel Jon (1979- ) – A racing driver, Sam Hornish Junior was the youngest champion of a major North American open-wheel series in modern racing history. In 2001, he led the Indy Northern Light Series from start to finish. He is still active in NASCAR racing in the U.S.A. Sam Hornish Jr. is a serving member of Omega Lodge No. 564, in the town of Defiance, USA, where he was raised to the 3rd Degree on 10th January 2001.

Houdini, Harry (Real name: Erik Weisz) (1874-1926) – Born in Budapest, Hungary, Harry Houdini has been recognised as THE premiere American magician and escapologist of the early 20th Century, known for his escapes from chains, handcuffs, straitjackets and padlocked, water-filled containers. He was also a sceptic who set out to expose frauds purporting to be supernatural phenomena.
Harry Houdini was immensely proud of his Masonic affiliations and became a Shriner just before his untimely death at the age of 52 from peritonitis. Harry Houdini was initiated into Freemasonry on 21st August 1923 in St. Cecile Lodge No. 568, New York.

Houston, Samuel ‘Sam’ (1793-1863) – Of Scottish-Irish decent, Sam Houston was a soldier, politician and statesman and, such was his fame, that he became the first President of the Republic of Texas, even though his candidacy had been announced only 12 days previously! Later he served a second term. When Texas was admitted to the Union, he served as U.S. senator and governor.
The sacrifice of other Freemasons at the ‘Siege of the Alamo’ in February-March 1836, and the news of their brutal deaths, caused many men to rally to Houston’s camp. This influx, and the time bought by the defenders of ‘The Alamo’, enabled him to organise an army to rout General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s (Mexico’s President/dictator) army at the ‘Battle of San Jacinto’ on 21 April 1836. (See Bowie, Crocket and Travis.) Years later, in 1861, this ex-soldier strongly advised the South not to go to war with the North, as to so do could only end in bloody defeat for the South – sadly Houston was ignored.
A staunch Freemason, near the end of his life Houston transferred his previous Masonic membership to Forrest Lodge No.19 near his home in Huntsville, Texas.

Howley, William (1766-1848) – As 90th Archbishop of Canterbury, and head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, William Howley presided over the coronation of King William IV and Queen Adelaide in 1831. Six years later, at 5 a.m. on 20 June 1837 and accompanied by the Lord Chamberlain, the Marquis Conyngham, Archbishop Howley went to Kensington Palace to inform Princess Victoria that she was now Queen of the UK of Great Britain & Ireland.
Howley was an active Freemason from the age of 25, having joined the Royal York Lodge in Bristol on 21 December 1791. He served his lodge faithfully until his elevation to the episcopate took him to London.

Hutton, Sir Leonard ‘Len’ (1916-1990) – Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack credits Len Hutton with being “one of the greatest batsmen in the history of the sport” and, with 40,140 runs made in First Class Cricket for an average of 55.51, few could argue. His England debut came in 1937 against New Zealand, but it was against Australia in 1938 that Hutton really shone, creating a World Record of 364 runs in a Test match. His record stood for nearly 20 years, only bettered by Garfield Sobers. In the years immediately following the war, Hutton was the mainstay of the English Test team’s batting.
In 1952, Len Hutton became the first professional cricketer of the 20th Century to captain England in a Test match and, under his guidance, England won the Ashes in 1953 for the first time in 19 years.
Worn out by the demands of his role, Hutton retired from all cricket in 1955. Fittingly his last Test was against New Zealand, his career having come full circle. He was knighted for his contributions to cricket in 1956 and went on to be a Test selector, a journalist and broadcaster. He also took up a lengthy career as a representative for an engineering firm, Fenner’s.

I

Irving, Sir Henry (Real name: John Henry Brodribb) (1838-1905) – Born into a working class family in Somerset, following much hard work in company touring theatre, Irving became an outstanding London stage actor of the Victorian era. He was titled an Actor-Manager because he took complete responsibility for his stage (supervision of sets, lighting, direction, casting, as well as playing the leading roles) for season after season at the Lyceum Theatre, establishing himself and his company as THE representatives of English classical theatre. He was known as “The Governor” to those under his supervision. Irving often appeared with Dame Ellen Terry as his leading lady and there were numerous rumours of an affair.
In November 1882 Irving became a Freemason, joining London’s prestigious Jerusalem Lodge No.197. In 1895, he became the first actor ever to be accorded a knighthood. Henry Irving was a long-time personal friend of novelist Bram Stoker, who was also Irving’s most ardent supporter. For 27 years, Stoker was the Manager of the Lyceum Theatre, and Irving is thought to have been the inspiration for the title character in Stoker’s 1897 novel, ‘Dracula’.

Irwin, Colonel James Benson (1930 – 1991) Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Irwin was of Scottish / Irish decent, indeed his grandparents emigrated to America from Altmore Parish, Pomeroy in County Tyrone, Ireland in 1859. During his teens Irwin showed an interest in aircraft and an aptitude for science, he eventually graduated from the University of Michigan in 1957 with a MSc in Aeronautical Engineering and Instrumentation Engineering. He was for some time a test pilot and was the first man to fly the Lockheed YF-12 interceptor, the aircraft that spawned the C.I.A.’s SR-71 Blackbird spy plane programme. During his time in the USAF Irwin accumulated 7,015 hours of flying time, 5,300 in jet aircraft.

Recruited to NASA in April 1966, he served as backup crew for the Apollo 10 and 12 missions. Then, from 26 July to 7 August 1971 (together with David Scott and Alfred Worden), Colonel Irwin served as the lunar module pilot aboard Apollo 15, the fourth manned moon landing mission. Their assignment was to explore the Hadley-Apennine region its mountains and rilles, where Irwin became the first lunar automobile passenger in the first ‘moon car’ the ‘Rover-1’, driven by Dave Scott. The pair were responsible for discovering the ‘Genesis Rock’.

From Houston, flight surgeons monitored the crew’s vital signs and Irwin showed signs of the heart condition, bigeminy. Dr. Charles Berry told the mission’s Deputy Director, “It’s serious. If he were on earth I’d have him in ICU – being treated for a heart attack!“

Irwin believed in God and, on his return to earth he resigned from NASA and founded a religious organization, the High Flight Foundation, in Colorado Springs. He once stated, “Jesus walking on the earth is more important than man walking on the moon.”

Jim Irwin died in Colorado in 1991 aged 61 from – a heart attack.

Ives, Burl Icle Ivanhoe (1909-1995) – A legendary folk singer, writer, actor and keen Freemason, Burl Ives is famous for very many songs, ‘A Little Bitty Tear’ (1961) being just one, but what is less well known is that, in 1958, Ives won an Oscar® for Best Supporting Actor in the film ‘The Big Country’.
Ives was a member of Magnolia (now Magnolia-La Cumbre) Lodge No.242, California.

J

Jackson, Andrew (1767-1845) – 7th President of the United States (1829-1837) and the first ‘Westerner’ to be elected President, nicknamed ‘Old Hickory,’ Andrew Jackson was a national military hero for his actions in the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812. Jackson’s administration addressed many of the significant issues in the formation of the country but was marked by the political partisanship so common in that time. Nevertheless, he left a legacy of a strong presidency. Jackson was an extremely active Freemason and a member of Harmony Lodge No. 1 (originally St. Tammany Lodge No.29) at Nashville). He was also elected Grand Master of Masons in Tennessee for two terms from 1822 to 1824.

Jackson Senior, Reverend Jesse Louis (1941- ) – A Baptist Minister, American civil rights leader and politician, Jesse Jackson’s concerns for the oppressed and his dramatic oratory have attracted a large grassroots constituency called the Rainbow Coalition. In an AP-AOL “Black Voices” poll in February 2006, Jackson was voted “the most important black leader” with 15% of the vote.
Jackson’s Freemasons lodge is Harmony Lodge No.88, Chicago, Illinois.

Jackson, Robert Houghwout (1892-1954) – Robert Jackson was U.S. Attorney General (1940–1941) and an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court (1941– 1954). He is remembered for his aphorism describing the Supreme Court, “We are not final because we are infallible, we are infallible because we are final.” Many lawyers revere Justice Jackson as one of the best writers on the court, and one of the most committed to due process protections from overreaching federal agencies. A high point of Jackson’s career came when he was appointed by President Harry S. Truman(see below) as U.S. Chief of Counsel for the prosecution of Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg Trials (1945-1946) where, with help from British prosecutor, David Maxwell-Fife, he convicted Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, Luftwaffe chief and founder of the dreaded Gestapo. Göring was sentenced to death by hanging, but cheated the executioner by taking cyanide in 1946.

Jardine, Douglas Robert (1900-1958) – Arguably England’s most infamous cricketer, Douglas Jardine, was born in Mumbai, India. He honed his cricketing skills, and especially his unorthodox team bowling theories, at Winchester College and New College, Oxford.
In 1923 he began to play for Surrey taking over the captaincy from Percy Fender in 1932. Later Jardine progressed to captain the MCC side in Australia. In what was probably the most controversial cricket tour in history, England won four of the five Tests, but it was the bowling methods they employed rather than the results which caused so much acrimony. Douglas Jardine considered Australian wonder batsman, Don Bradman (see above), as biggest threat to England and it was to combat him that Jardine (after watching hours of film footage) devised his notorious bowling attack. At Jardine’s instigation, Harold Larwood and Bill Voce, the skilful Nottinghamshire fast bowlers, exploited leg-theory, or what came to be known as ‘bodyline’ bowling to a leg-side packed with fielders. The Australians considered these tactics vicious and dangerous to the batsmen. “An offence to the spirit of the game,” they said.
The Aussie crowds raged against him, as did the press, and strongly-worded cables passed between the Australian Board of Control and the MCC. The Australians threatened to call off the projected Tour of England in 1934. The controversy reached such heights that the Prime Minister of Australia, Joseph Lyon, had to intervene to defuse the situation. The arguments go on even in the 21st century!
Douglas was a brave batsman, and possessed a very strong defence, being especially skilful in on-side strokes. In 22 Test match appearances he hit 1296 runs (average 48), and held 26 catches. During his career his runs numbered 14,821 (average 46.90), the highest of his 35 centuries being 214 not out against Tasmania in 1928-29. Extremely proud of his Oxford associations, he always wore a multi-coloured Harlequin cap. Later in his life cricket writers mellowed, realising how Jardine’s contentious bowling theories had helped develop the game as a whole. He died of lung cancer in Switzerland at the age of 57.
Bro. Jardine was a member of Apollo University Lodge, Oxford and Old Wykehamist Lodge, England.

Jeffries, John (1744-1819) – A physician, scientist and pioneer balloonist, an American Revolutionary War Loyalist and military surgeon with British forces, John Jeffries made the first crossing of the English Channel by balloon on 7 January 1785. He also delivered the first public lecture on anatomy in New England at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1789.

Jellicoe, John Rushworth – Admiral of the Fleet, 1st Earl Jellicoe (1859-1935) – John Jellicoe was the English-born, overall commander at the crucial naval Battle of Jutland in 1916. Had he lost, the complete struggle of World War I could ultimately have been lost for the Allies. In material terms, the confrontation between the Royal Navy and the blockaded German navy, could be said to have been “inconclusive” but, in reality, it was a decisive British victory; simply because, as the New York Herald succinctly put it on the 3 June 1916, “The German fleet has assaulted its jailer, but it is still in jail.” …And it stayed in jail until the armistice in November 1918. For his efforts, Jellicoe was rewarded by being made Governor-General of New Zealand (1920-1924).

Jenner, Edward Anthony (1749-1823) – A pioneer English scientist and physician, Edward Jenner really studied his natural surroundings in Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, from a scientist’s perspective. Jenner is widely credited as the creator of the vaccine for smallpox. He is sometimes referred to as the “Father of Immunology”; his works have been said to have “saved more lives than the work of any other man”. Having studied under surgeon and anatomist, John Hunter, from the age of 21 at St. George’s (Teaching) Hospital in London, Jenner developed a talent for observation that later led him to notice that milkmaids, who had had cowpox, were immune from smallpox. On the 14 May 1796, Jenner tested his theory on 8 year old James Phipps (the son of his gardener) and proved it to be correct.
It was John Hunter FRS, who proposed Jenner for membership of The Royal Society of London (see article elsewhere on this web site).

Johnson, Andrew (1808-1875) – The 17th President of the United States, Johnson succeeded the assassinated Abraham Lincoln. An attempt to unseat Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, led to his impeachment on purely political grounds; he was acquitted, but only by one vote.
In 1851, Johnson was initiated into Greeneville Lodge No.119 (now number 3) in Greeneville, Tennessee and was a member of Greeneville Chapter No.82, Royal Arch Masons. He received Scottish Rite degrees in The White House in 1867.

Jolson, Al (Real name: Asa Yoelson) (1886-1950) – Asa Yoelson began using the name ‘Al Jolson’ when singing for coins on street corners, but this talented American went on to greatness as a vaudeville and film performer whose trademark was minstrel-style singing in blackface makeup. His fame was assured from 1927, when he starred in the ground breaking, ‘The Jazz Singer’, the first ‘talking’ motion picture with synchronized sound.
Jolson was a Freemason in St. Cecile Lodge No.568, New York.

Jones, John Paul (Born: John Paul) 1747-1792) – Although born in Scotland, this masterful sailor rose to become a naval hero and the “Father of the United States Navy”. In an action off the coast of Yorkshire, against the Royal Navy in 1779, when taunted to surrender by Captain Pearson of HMS Serapis, Jones shouted, “I have not yet begun to fight!” Following hours of battle, Jones captured the Seraphim though his own vessel, the Bonhomme Richard, later sank due to battle damage. Jones received awards from the French and went on to command Russian naval vessels in their war against the Ottoman Empire.
Jones’ mother lodge was St. Bernard’s Lodge No.122, Kirkudbright, Scotland.

Jones, Melvin (1879-1961) – Freemason Melvin Jones had a personal code: “You can’t get very far until you start doing something for somebody else” and this became the guiding principal for the Lions Clubs International, the international service organization, which the Arizona-born Jones founded on 7 June 1917. Lions Clubs are now a beacon for the civic-minded.
Melvin Jones attended Garden City Lodge No.141, Illinois.

Juárez, Benito Pablo (1806-1872) – The first native-American President of Mexico, Benito Juárez re-established republican government there. He was a Zapotec Indian from Oaxaca who served five terms as president. Today Juárez is remembered as being a progressive reformer dedicated to democracy, equal rights for his nation’s indigenous peoples, lessening the great power that the Roman Catholic Church then held over Mexican politics, and the defence of national sovereignty. Benito Juárez’ mother lodge is the succinctly named Rito Nacional Mexican de la Logic Independiento No.2.

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Kahn, Gustav Gerson ‘Gus’ (1886-1941) – Born in Koblenz, Germany, Gus Kahn became a prolific, and masterful, songwriter for Broadway and Hollywood musicals. His memorable songs include ‘Toot Toot Tootsie Goodbye’ (1924) (A hit for Al Jolson, see above.), ‘It Had To Be You’ (1924) and ‘Yes Sir, That’s My Baby’ (1925).

Kean, Edmund (1789-1833) – An English actor who during his time was widely regarded as the best ever, Edmund Kean performed in London and New York, and shone in the roles of Shakespearian characters such as; ‘Shylock’ (The Merchant of Venice) and ‘Richard III’, but his signature role was that of ‘Sir Giles Overreach’ in Philip Massinger’s ‘A New Way to Pay Old Debts’. Kean was not particularly tall which limited his role play and he was, to a degree, of a somewhat shy and insecure personality (when not on stage), always doubting his abilities. Sometimes, unable to sleep, he would ride his horse recklessly through the night. His last words allegedly were: “Dying is easy; comedy is hard.”

King, Charles Glen (1896-1988) – An American biochemist, King was a pioneer in the field of nutrition, and (alongside Albert Szent-Györgyi) the first to isolate ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin ‘C’. King was also later responsible for establishing the important function of vitamin ‘B’.

King, Admiral Ernest Joseph (1878-1956) – Admiral King was Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Fleet in 1941 and Chief of Naval Operations from 1942 to 1945. King was an exceptionally abrasive individual, but a brilliant organisational commander.

Kipling, Joseph Rudyard (1865-1936) – Born in Bombay, Rudyard Kipling was the masterful British writer who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1907 and is famous for works such as ‘The Jungle Book’, ‘Just So Stories’, ‘Kim’ and ‘If -‘. Many of Kipling’s works have strong Masonic themes and some are specifically about Freemasonry. According to the English magazine ‘Masonic Illustrated’, Kipling became a Freemason in about 1885, some six months prior to the usual minimum age of 21. He was initiated into Hope and Perseverance Lodge No. 782 in Lahore, India. He later wrote to The Times of London, “I was Secretary for some years of the Lodge ….. which included Brethren of at least four creeds. I was entered [as an Apprentice] by a member from Brahmo Somaj, a Hindu, passed [to the degree of Fellow Craft] by a Mohammedan, and raised [to the degree of Master Mason] by an Englishman. Our Tyler was an Indian Jew.” Kipling so loved his Masonic experience that he memorialised its ideals in his famous poem, “The Mother Lodge”. Kipling was also a member of The Builders of the Silent Cities Lodge No.12, St. Omer, France. He was an enthusiastic patriot, but very a humble man, he eschewed most Government offered honours (including a knighthood); Brother Kipling accepted recognition from Freemasonry by being named one of 40 living Fellows of The Philalethes Society.

Kitchener, Earl Horatio (1850-1916) – Born in County Kerry, Irishman Horatio Kitchener joined the Royal Engineers. He served south of Egypt in the Sudan and launched a campaign (1894-96) to retake the country from al-Mahdi (who had been responsible for the death of General Gordon of Khartoum) at The Battle of Omdurman. He commanded again during the Boer War in South Africa, where with few British soldiers at his disposal, Kitchener concentrated arrested Boers into manageable camps – from whence the term ‘Concentration Camp’ entered the English language. At the start of World War I, he reluctantly accepted the post of Secretary of War – his image adoring the famous ‘pointing finger poster’ with its war cry, “Your County Needs YOU.” Following disputes with government politicians, he was sent on a mission to Russia, but drowned when his warship, HMS Hampshire, struck a mine and sank off the Orkneys on 5th June 1916. A sad end to a magnificent career.

Koltko-Rivera, Mark Edward (1956- ) – A scholar, scientist, social critic and writer, Mark Koltko-Rivera is one of America’s leading scientific authors in the field of the psychology of world views.
Having reported publicly that he is proud to be a Freemason, Koltko-Rivera also wrote on the historical background to Dan Brown’s novel ‘The Lost Symbol’. (See also Lodge St. Patrick’s viewpoint on this publication elsewhere on this web site.) Koltko-Rivera is a member of Winter Park Lodge No.239, Florida.

Kleinknecht, Kenneth Samuel ‘Kenny’ (d.2007) A member of Fairview Lodge No. 699, Fairview, Ohio, during his working life (which effectively began at the height of the ‘Cold War’), Kenny Kleinknecht served with several leading aeronautical organisations in the U.S.A.

Kleinknecht graduated with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in 1951, but his career in engineering had begun in 1942 at the Lewis Research Centre for propulsion technology in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1959, just a year after it formed, he transferred to NASA, working in the Manned Space Craft Centre in Houston. Kenny was a naturally gifted engineer but, it must be said, that he gained much of his exceptional knowledge through his experiences working on ‘sexy’, cutting edge engineering projects like the X-1E high-speed aircraft (that broke the sound-barrier in 1947) and the experimental X-15 rocket plane, the fastest manned aircraft ever built, on which he was Advanced Projects Management Officer. The X-15 eventually achieved Mach 6.72 (4,519mph or 7,273km/h) in 1967.

Brother Kleinknecht did not suffer fools gladly and, in a remarkable career; he cracked the whip as a senior manager within the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and space shuttle projects. He was also a prolific writer of technical papers, manuals and “how to” books on aeronautical and cosmological engineering – indispensable tomes to any would-be space engineer.

Knox, Major General Henry (1750-1806) – An American Revolutionary War hero, Knox was the first Secretary of War under the U.S. Constitution. A Masonic lodge named in his honour was constituted on the gun deck of the USS Constitution (nicknamed ‘Old Ironsides’) in 1926. Knoxville, Tennessee and the famous ‘Fort Knox’ were named in his honour.

Kresge, Sebastian Spering (1867-1966) – Born in Bald Mountain, Pennsylvania, Sebastian S. Kresge founded S. S. Kresge (1897), one of the great “Five and Dime Stores”, as they came to be termed. 16 years later he owned 85 stores. By 1924, Kresge was estimated to be worth US$375,000,000 ($5 billion U.S. dollars today!) The store chain he created is now better known as K-Mart.

Kruger, Otto (1885-1974)– Although musically trained, Otto Kruger found his vocation acting, making his Broadway debut aged just 15. His long career was at its zenith in the 1930’s and 40’s though he still made two memorable films in the 1950’s, ‘High Noon’(1952) with Gary Cooper and ‘Magnificent Obsession’ (1954) with Rock Hudson. American born Kruger was a member of St. Cecile Lodge No.568 in New York.

L

Marquis de Lafayette – Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier (1757- 1834) – Lafayette was French soldier and politician. As a General, he took part in the American Revolution as a close supporter and friend of fellow Freemason, President George Washington. (See ‘Famous Freemasons’ M to Z below.)

Land, Frank Sherman (1890-1959) – Frank ‘Dad’ Land was born in Kansas, City, Missouri. A gifted speaker; aged just 21 he was elected president of the Municipal Art Club in Kansas City. He became a member of the Ivanhoe Lodge No.446 on 29 June 1912. In 1919 he founded the Order of DeMolay, a Masonically-sponsored international youth organization for boys and young men aged between 12 and 21.
Land was a Past Potentate of Ararat Shrine Temple and served as Imperial Potentate of the Shrine in 1954-55. He was honoured with the Knight Commander of the Court of Honour of the Scottish Rite and coroneted a 33° degree in 1925. He was named an honorary member of the University of Missouri chapter of Acacia Fraternity. He received the first International Gold Service Medal of the General Grand Chapter of York Rite Masons in 1951 for work in Humanities. He received the Grand Cross of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Supreme Council of Scottish Rite 33° in 1955. After a full life, Frank Land died on 8 November 1959 and is interred at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Kansas City.

Lauder, Sir Henry ‘Harry’ (1870-1950) – Born in Portobello, Edinburgh and known professionally as Harry Lauder, this Edinburgh-born entertainer was described by Sir Winston Churchill (see above) as “Scotland’s greatest ever ambassador!” His understanding of life, pathos and joy, endeared him to all. Launder became an internationally famous celebrity before the First World War and, at one time, was the highest paid performer in the world, commanding the equivalent of US$12,700 per night plus expenses. His life, however, was not without tragedy, his only son John, was killed in action at Poiziers in 1916. He wrote most of his own songs during his life and these included, ‘Romin’ In The Glomin’, ‘A Wee Deoch-an-Doris’ and the marching tune ‘Keep Right On To The End Of The Road’, in tribute to his son.

Lee, General Robert Edward (1807-1870) – A career military officer best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War, Robert E. Lee was a top graduate of West Point, who distinguished himself as an exceptional officer and combat engineer in the United States Army for 32 years before resigning to join the Confederate cause. By the end of the American Civil War, he was commanding general of the Confederate Army. He became a post-war icon of the South’s “lost cause,” and is still admired to this day. Lee attended Hiram Lodge No.59, Westmoreland County, Virginia.

Lejeune, John Archer (1867-1942) – Rising to be a Major General in the U.S. Marine Corps, and the 13th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps (1920-1929), Lejeune earned the proud title of “the greatest leatherneck of them all”.

Lemon, Mark (1809-1870) – Together with Henry Mayhew, Mark Lemon was the English founding editor of the exceptionally long-running ‘Punch’ magazine, which ran from 1841 to 2002 and the journal ‘The Field’ (1853). Lemon was also an early influence on the magazine the ‘Illustrated London News’, which was in print from 1842 until 2003.

Lever, William Hesketh – 1st Viscount Leverhulme (1851-1925) – Born in Bolton, Lancashire, England this industrialist, philanthropist and colonialist, personified the Northern nonconformist conscience. Lever rode the cresting late-Victorian consumer revolution to build a vast industrial empire spread across the globe, with such famous soap brands as ‘Lux’ and ‘Lifebuoy’. Four years after his death all his enterprises were amalgamated as Unilever and this, by 1930, employed 250,000 people and, in terms of market value, was the largest company in Britain.

Lewis, Meriwether (1774-1809) – Lewis was a soldier and pioneer explorer who, with fellow Freemason, William Clark, (see above), conducted the first overland exploration of the North American West and Pacific Northwest. He also served as Governor of the Louisiana Territory and was proclaimed a National Hero. Meriwether Lewis was the first Master of St. Louis Lodge No.111, but it is possible that his ‘mother lodge’ was the Door to Virtue Lodge No.44, Albemarle County, Virginia.

Lindbergh, Charles Augustus (1902-1974) – Emerging from the virtual obscurity of being a U.S. Air Mail pilot 25-year old Charles Lindbergh became the most famous of all American aviators when he completed the first solo, non-stop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris in 1927. Having travelled the then staggering distance of 3,625 miles (5,836km) in a single engined, petrol-powered monoplane (A Ryan NYP called ‘Spirit of St. Louis’.) and, as a U.S. Army reserve officer, Lindbergh was awarded the Medal of Honor for his historic exploit.
In his later years, Lindbergh became a prolific prize-winning author, international explorer, inventor and environmentalist. His Masonic lodge was Keystone Lodge No.243, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Lipton, Sir Thomas Johnstone – 1st Baronet (1850-1931) – Even in the 21st century, tea is what makes this Freemason a famous name. Thomas Lipton was born in Glasgow of Irish-Scottish parentage. Having worked as young man in America, he returned to Scotland to open a grocery store, and this he grew into a hugely successful chain. During this time he established Lipton’s tea processing factories in England and the U.S.A. Lipton was also a keen yachtsman, and during the 1920’s he was the most persistent (though not very successful) challenger in the history of the America’s Cup.

Lisle, Claude Joseph Rouget de (1760-1836) – Claude Lisle was a French Army officer of the Revolutionary Wars. Lisle is most famous for writing the words and music of the ‘Chant de guerre pour l’Armée du Rhin’ (‘War Song for the Army of the Rhine’) in 1792, which would later be better known as ‘La Marseillaise’ – the French national anthem.

Liszt, Franz Ritter von (1811-1886) – Franz Liszt was a 19th century Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist and teacher that became renowned throughout Europe for his great skill as a performer. Liszt was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age – and perhaps the greatest pianist of all time. He was also a benefactor to other composers and performers, notably Richard Wagner, Hector Berlioz, Edvard Grieg and Alexander Borodin. Franz Liszt was a Freemason in Lodge zur Einigkeit, Frankfurt, Germany.

Livingston, Robert (1746-1813) – A solicitor, statesman and diplomat, Livingston was a member of the Continental Congress and a ‘Founding Father of the United States’ – a member of the committee that drew up the American Declaration of Independence. He also co-negotiated for the purchase of Louisiana Territory. A dedicated Freemason, in 1784, Livingston was appointed the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New York, and retained this title until 1801. Manhattan’s Grand Lodge’s library bears his name. The Holy Bible that Livingston used to administer the oath of office to President George Washington is owned by St. John’s Lodge No.1, and is still used today when the Grand Master is sworn in and also, by request, when a President of the United States is sworn in.

Lloyd, Sir Clive Hubert (1941- ) The captain of the West Indies cricket team between 1974 and 1985, and overseer of their rise to become the dominant Test-playing nation (a position that was only relinquished in the latter half of the 1990’s), Clive Lloyd led the West Indies in three World Cups. They won the 1975 final (Lloyd scoring a century.) and the 1979 final. The West Indies were very strong favourites for the 1983 final but lost out to India.

Lloyd, Harold Clayton (1893-1971) – Harold Lloyd was an ‘all-action’ comedian famous for doing most of his own dangerous stunts. In one notable incident in 1919, he blew a finger and thumb off his right hand! Lloyd was a film actor and producer ranking alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton as one of the most popular and influential comedians of the silent film era. He made nearly 200 comedy films, both silent and ‘talkies’, between 1914 and 1947. An active Freemason, Harold Lloyd rose to become Imperial Potentate of the Shriners of North America, 1949-1950.

Logue, Lionel George CVO (1880-1953) – Largely forgotten until 2010 when the multi-Oscar© winning film, ‘The King’s Speech’, refocused the world’s attention on “the man who saved the monarchy”, Lionel Logue was the man responsible for the therapeutic treatment that he provided for King George VI (see above), allowing the monarch largely to master a severe stammer.

Born in Adelaide, Australia, Lionel Logue was the grandson of an Irish brewer, Edward Logue, who had established Logue’s Brewery there in 1850, his father being the firm’s accountant. Lionel was educated at Prince Alfred College between 1889 and 1896, yet was unable to decide what to study, until he happened upon Longfellow’s ‘The Song of Hiawatha’:

Then Lagoo, the great boaster,
He the marvellous story-teller,
He the traveller and the talker,
He the friend of old Nokomis,
Made a bow for Hiawatha
—HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

Inspired by the rhythm of the narrative Logue decided to make his interest in voices his career. At the conclusion of much study he became a teacher of elocution and later a speech therapist, eventually moving to London in 1924, where his talent and unconventional methods were duly recognised.
A disastrous speech at the British Empire Exhibition in 1925, much distressed Albert, Duke of York (as the future King was then titled) and his wife insisted that he engage Logue to help cure him. Logue worked with the Duke from 1926, into 1936 when he became monarch, and on through the dark days, and many speeches, of the Second World War.
The men became friends. In 1952 King George died and Logue wrote to his widow, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, “…never has a man worked so hard as he did & achieved such a grand result.” Logue himself passed away early the following year.
A Christian Scientist all of his life, Logue was also a Freemason. Initiated in 1908, he rose to become the Master of J.D. Stevenson St. George’s Lodge No. 6, Western Australia.

Lorenzini, Carlo (Pen name: Carlo Collodi) (1826-1890) – An ex-soldier with a lifelong interest in politics, Lorenzini was a writer and novelist who became fascinated by the idea of using an amiable, rascally character as a means of expressing his own convictions through allegory. In 1880 he began writing ‘Storia di un burattino’ (‘The story of a marionette’), also called ‘Le avventure di Pinocchio’, which was published weekly in ‘Il Giornale dei Bambini’, the first Italian newspaper for children. Lorenzini died in Florence in 1890, blissfully unaware of the fame and popularity that awaited his creation, ‘Pinocchio’.

Louis Philippe II – Duke of Orléans (Given name: Louis Philippe Joseph d’Orléans) (1747-1793) – Commonly known as Philippe, he was the Grand Master of the Grand Orient de France during the French Revolution. He tended toward anti-monarchy, and certainly gave large sums to assist the poor, but such was the irrational fervour and anger omnipresent during France’s ‘Reign of Terror’ that, for his efforts, he was arrested, tried and guillotined on the same day on 6 November 1793.

M

McAdam, John Loudon (1756-1836) – A Scottish engineer and road-builder, John McAdam invented a new process, “macadamisation”, for building roads with a smooth hard surface that would be more durable and less muddy than soil-based tracks. Modern road construction still reflects McAdam’s influence. Of subsequent improvements, the most significant was the introduction of tar (originally coal tar) to bind the road surface’s stones together – “tarmac” (for Tar McAdam) – followed later by the use of hot-laid tarred aggregate or tar-sprayed chippings to create better road metalling. More recently, oil-based asphalt laid on reinforced concrete has become a major road surface, but its use of granite or limestone chippings still recalls McAdam’s innovation.

MacArthur, General Douglas (1880-1964) – Freemason Douglas MacArthur was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Pacific Theatre of Operations during World War II. He promised his beloved Filipino people, “I shall return” [to rescue them from the occupying Japanese military who had attacked them] and, on 20 October 1944, he kept that promise. In 1945, at the end of the war, General MacArthur took the Japanese surrender aboard the battleship USS Missouri and, having done so, became the temporary ‘ruler’ of Japan. Later, due to incompatible political views, MacArthur unfortunately had to be removed from office by another Freemason, President Harry S. Truman (see below). General MacArthur was a member of Manila Lodge No.1 in his beloved Philippines.

Macquarie, Lauchlan (1762-1824) – The last autocratic governor of New South Wales (NSW), in the course of Major General Macquarie’s 12 years in office (1810-1821), he advanced NSW from a prison camp to a thriving colony. A History Channel programme has recently been made about him, so interesting was his life story. The inscription on his tomb in Scotland describes him as “The Father of Australia”.

Majors, Alexander (1814-1900) – Majors was one of the three founders of the short- lived, but famed, Pony Express in the U.S.A. Each rider was required to take an oath to clean living and honesty and its’ inspiration will be immediately familiar to Masons, “You will raise your arm in the form of a square and repeat after me…”

Macy, Rowland Hussey (1822-1877) – Rowland Macy was an American-born Quaker, who started a small dry goods store in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Under his guidance it grew into the famous Macy’s Department Stores of New York.

Born within a stone’s throw of the United Grand Lodge of England, Alfred Marks was a talented, well-loved British comedian and actor.

Marks, Alfred (Real name: Ruchel Kutchinsky) (1921-1996) – Born close to the UGLE in Holborn, London, Alfred Marks was an actor and comedian who enjoyed a long career in the British and Australian entertainment industry. At one time he worked with Peter Sellers (see below) and Sir Harry Secombe CBE, yet somehow missed becoming a part of the crazy, and massively successful, British comedy series, ‘The Goon Show’.

Marshall, George Catlett (1880-1959) – A soldier, diplomat and politician, George Marshall was the background overall ‘boss’ of the American forces in World War II; “the organizer of victory,” as Winston Churchill called him. Post-war, Marshall served the U.S.A. as Secretary of State from 1947-1949, organizing the European Recovery Plan, most often referred to as “The Marshall Plan”, for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953.

Marshall, James Wilson (1810-1885) – Jim Marshall discovered gold at Johan Sutter’s saw mill, in American River in California in 1848. He ultimately, but accidentally, sparked the California Gold Rush which, by 1849, had caused 300,000 persons to invade the area. It should be noted that neither Marshall nor Sutter finally profited from this seeming money-spinning discovery.

Marshall, Thurgood (1908-1993) – In a time of racial intolerance, Marshall was the first African-American to be appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967. Thurgood Marshall attended Coal Creek Lodge No.88 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Gifted comedian Harpo Marx, entertained millions during the 30’s and 40’s as a part of the famous Marx Brothers.

Marx, Arthur Adolph ‘Harpo’ (1888-1964) – The second of the gifted Marx Brothers, Harpo Marx was a phenomenal comedic talent for his time. An individual with a rare gift for mime, Harpo Marx never spoke in any of his film or TV performances, so that audiences actually thought him dumb: in reality he possessed a deep melodic voice. On 28 September 1936, Marx married Susan Fleming and they adopted four children. As a measure of the kindness of the man, Harpo Marx was once asked, during an interview with comedian George Burns, “How many more children are you going to adopt?” Harpo replied: “As many as I have windows. So, when I leave, I want a kid in each window waving ‘goodbye’”. Harpo Marx was a true Freemason.

Massey, Hart Almerrin (1823-1896) – The ‘Massey’ in Massey-Ferguson farm equipment, Hart Massey was a businessman who became a philanthropist. His grandson was the famous method actor Raymond Massey.

Mayer, Louis Burt (Real name: Lazar Meir) (1884-1957) – Born near Kiev in the Ukraine, Mayer is generally credited as the creator of the actors’ ‘star system’ and was also the ‘Mayer’ in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) in its golden years. Known as “L.B.”, he believed in wholesome entertainment and went to great lengths to ensure that MGM had on their books, “more stars than there are in the heavens”. Mayer was a member of Cecile Lodge No.568, New York.

25th President, William McKinley, was assassinated by an anarchist in 1901.

McKinley, William (1843-1901) – 25th President of the United States (1897-1901), McKinley’s presidency was marked by the Spanish-American War (1898), the annexation of Cuba and the Philippines, an open-door policy with China, and the passage of the Gold Standard Act in 1900. McKinley was of Scottish / Irish ancestry. He was initiated into Freemasonry in 1865 in Hiram Lodge No.21, Winchester, West Virginia, becoming a Knight Templar by 1884. He became a charter member of Eagle Lodge No.431, Ohio; later renamed ‘William McKinley Lodge’ in his memory. William McKinley was assassinated by an anarchist in Buffalo, New York in 1901, and the American nation mourned his loss.

The longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia, Brother Sir Robert Menzies served more than 18 years in office.

Menzies, Sir Robert Gordon (1894-1978) – The 12th (and longest serving) Prime Minister of Australia, Robert Menzies was a member of Austral Temple Lodge No. 110, Victoria. He was renowned as a brilliant speaker, both on the floor of Parliament and on the hustings; his speech, “The Forgotten People”, is an example of his oratorical skills. Throughout his life and career, Menzies held a strong belief in the Monarchy and in traditional ties with Britain. In 1963 he was invested as the first, and only, Australian Knight of the Order of the Thistle. Menzies is regarded highly in Prime Ministerial opinion polls and is equally highly regarded in Australian society for his tenure in the role.

Mesmer, Franz Anton (1734-1815) – Anton Mesmer was a German physician with an interest in astronomy. He theorized that there was a natural energetic transference that occurred between all animated and inanimate objects that he called ‘magnétisme animal’ (animal magnetism) and other spiritual forces (often grouped together as mesmerism). The evolution of Mesmer’s ideas and practices led Scottish surgeon James Braid to develop hypnosis in 1842. Mesmer’s name is the root of the English verb “mesmerize”.

An English soccer legend, Joe Mercer (right) took the helm as manager of Aston Villa and Manchester City and, eventually, England. Brother Mercer is pictured with Irishman, Frank O’Farrell.

Mercer, Joseph ‘Joe’ (1914-1990) – Joe Mercer was initiated in Rivacre Lodge, No. 5805, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire in 1941; this long-term Freemason and ex-Everton and Arsenal player also received five England ‘Caps’. Following a long managerial career in charge of First Division teams like Aston Villa (1958-1964) and Manchester City (1965-1971), he finally became the caretaker manager of England’s national football team in 1974.

Michelson, Albert Abraham (1852-1931) – Born in Prussia, Albert Michelson moved with his parents to North America where he became a pioneering physicist and, in 1882, successfully measured the speed of light. For this, and other work in optical instrumentation, in 1907 he became the first American scientist to win a Nobel Prize. Michelson attended Washington Lodge No. 21 in New York City.

Jackie Milburn was an English soccer phenomenon, principally associated with Newcastle United and England. He assisted Newcastle to three F.A. Cup Championships (1951/52/55).

Milburn, John Edward Thompson ‘Jackie’ (1924-1988) – Jackie Milburn was a shy, quiet, modest man, well liked and respected by all who met him – he was also a phenomenal footballing talent. Born in Ashington, a coalmining town in the north east of England, Jackie was a fitter in the pits. During the Second World War, the occupation of coalminer was a reserved occupation, and this allowed Milburn to trial for and, in 1943, join Newcastle United. From 1947 he played in United’s number 9 shirt, helping the team to three F.A. Cup championships (1951/52/55). In 492 appearances, Jackie Milburn scored 238 goals for his club.

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell is a member of Artesta Lodge No. 28, New Mexico.

Mitchell, Dr Edgar Dean (1930 – ) When the Apollo 13 moon mission to the Fra Mauro lunar region ended in near disaster in 1970, NASA’s response was to simply organise a replacement research operation to explore the Fra Mauro Highlands of the moon. It was thus that Edgar Mitchell found himself as Lunar Module pilot of the lunar lander “Antares” aboard Apollo 14. As a result, he became only the sixth person to walk on the moon, a role that should have fallen to fellow Freemason, Fred W. Haise (see A to L above).

Born in Hereford, Texas, Edgar Mitchell graduated in aeronautics and later progressed to obtain a Doctor of Science in Aeronautics degree from M.I.T. From 1953 Mitchell first trained as a fighter pilot in the US Navy, serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga, and then became a research pilot, before being seconded to NASA in 1966. Following his successful mission aboard Apollo 14, where he and Alan Shepard (commander) collected 42 kilograms of samples from the lunar surface, Mitchell did further work for NASA, before retiring.

A close friend of Wyatt Earp and star of early Western movies, Tom Mix was responsible for getting John Wayne (see Wayne’s biography below) his first acting rôle.

Active in the young people’s organisation, DeMolay International, Edgar Mitchell is a Mason in Artesta Lodge No. 28, Artesta, New Mexico.

Certainly one of the men whose vision saved Britain during the Battle of Britain, ‘Spitfire’ designer, R. J. Mitchell.

Mitchell, Reginald Joseph CBE (1895-1937) – R. J. Mitchell was a British aeronautical designer, best known as the creator of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter plane of Battle of Britain fame, and the Supermarine S.6B that won the Schneider Trophy in 1931. Mitchell joined Jasper Lodge No. 3934, UGLE

Mix, Thomas Hezikiel ‘Tom’ (1880-1940) – A soldier, cowboy and champion rodeo rider, Tom Mix stared in over 400 ‘Western’ films and he was instrumental in getting John Wayne (see below) his first job. Tom Mix was a friend and great admirer of the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp and in 1929 was a pall bearer at Earp’s funeral. Tom Mix belonged to Utopia Lodge No. 537 in Los Angeles, California.

Molson, John (1763-1836) – John Molson was an English-born entrepreneur who, in Canada in 1787 started the Molson Brewing Company. It was an immediate success. John Molson was a member of St. Paul’s Lodge No. 374, UGLE, Montreal, and also a Past Provincial Grand Master.

English entertainer Bob Monkhouse OBE gained household fame as a comedian, writer, presenter and game show host.

Monkhouse, Robert Alan ‘Bob’ (1928-2003) –An English entertainer, comedy writer and actor, Bob Monkhouse was also well known on British television as a presenter and game show host. Most famous for his quick ad-lib and one-liner jokes, Monkhouse attended London’s Chelsea Lodge No.3098.

Monroe, James (1758-1831) – 5th President of the United States (1817-1825), James Monroe’s administration was marked by the acquisition of Florida in 1819, and the profession of the ‘Monroe Doctrine’ (1823), which declared U.S. opposition to European interference in the Americas. James Monroe became an Entered Apprentice Freemason in Williamsburg Lodge No. 6, Williamsburg, Virginia on 9 November 1775.

The world’s first balloon flight by a human was made by Étienne Montgolfier on 15 October 1783, albeit a tethered test flight.

Montgolfier, Jacque-Étienne (1745-1799) – Jacque-Étienne along with his brother, Joseph-Michel, was co-inventor of the hot-air balloon which caused a sensation, bordering on a miraculous event, when it flew over Paris in 1783. Montgolfier was initiated into Loge des Neuf Sœurs in Paris in 1784.

Montgolfier, Joseph-Michel (1740-1810) – Co-inventor of the hot-air balloon, Joseph-Michel, like his brother, was initiated into the Parisian Loge des Neuf Sœurs (Trans: Lodge of the Nine Sisters) in 1806.

Killed-in-action in a desperate withdrawal battle at Coruña in 1809, Scotsman Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore was honoured by his French opponent, Marshal Soult.

Moore, General Sir John (1761-1809) – Best known for his military training reforms that created Light Infantry units of a type still in existence today, John Moore fought with the British Army in theatres of operation from America to Egypt. During the Peninsular War, having first determined that his Spanish Allies were a beaten force, he guided the withdrawal of the British units in freezing weather conditions to the port of La Coruña in north-west Spain, luring Napoleon’s soldiers to the north as he did so. He organized his troops to hold off the French until all the British units were embarked on waiting ships and their sails set for England. In the thick of the action, on the 16th January 1809, Moore was hit by a cannon ball and mortally wounded. In respect for his clever and gallant enemy, the French commander at the Battle of Corunna, Marshal Soult, raised a memorial in General Moore’s honour.

Moray, Sir Robert (1608-1673) – A linguist, soldier, diplomat, statesman and spy, Scotsman Robert Moray was initiated into the Lodge of Edinburgh on the 20 May 1641. (This is possibly the earliest written record of a Masonic initiation. See Elias Ashmoleabove.) He was knighted by King Charles I on the 10th January 1643 for diplomatic services, but also to give him higher status during his machinations with the French. Robert Moray was well known to Charles I, Charles II and the devious French cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin.

American poet Rob Morris was the author of more than 400 poems and the founder of ‘The Order of the Eastern Star’, a Masonic order for women. His most famous poem is arguably ‘The Level and the Square.’
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Level_and_the_Square

During the reign of King Charles II (see above), Moray became a founder member of The Royal Society of London, begun on the 28 November 1660, with a nucleus of members of the “Invisible College”. So involved in the Society’s creation was Freemason Moray, that he was the man responsible for the Society obtaining its Royal Charter, and formulating its statues and regulations based on Masonic principles. Sir Robert Moray’s Masonic symbol was the 5-pointed star.

Writing of Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart, composer Joseph Haydn wrote that “posterity will not see such a talent again for 100 years.”