Page 28 - Jan 2019 MFM.indd

Cornerstones and Keystones
Cornerstones and Keystones
A Very Public Masonic Ceremony
A Very Public Masonic Ceremony
Dr David Harrison
Dr David Harrison
Of all the many aspects of Freemasonry, the Freemason Alexander Mackie’s local newspaper, The
laying of a cornerstone or indeed a keystone - of a Warrington Guardian: “Among the Freemasons we
new public building, be it a bridge, school, museum, observed Gilbert Greenall, Esq., M.P., and others of
library or indeed a church, was one that gave the our chief townsmen and neighbors.”
public a glimpse of the mysterious Masonic world.
From the later eighteenth century through to the Future Freemason and local industrialist Peter
twentieth century, there are many accounts of Grand Rylands Esq. was also mentioned in the report as
Lodges and local lodges taking part in this important being chairman of the committee of the Museum. In
ceremony; a ceremony that not only gave the public Oldham, another industrial town in the northwest of
an insight to the mysteries of Masonry, but revealed England, the Lyceum building was constructed, the
how important local charity, education and indeed foundation stone laid in 1855, the same year as the
civic life as a whole, was central to the very essence Warrington Library and Museum. Like its counterpart
of Freemasonry. George Washington himself had laid in Warrington, the foundation stone was laid with
the cornerstone for the United States Capitol in 1793, Masonic honors, performed by the local Lodge of
the stone being tried by the plumb, level and square, Friendship, and the Lyceum was used for a meeting
3
and blessed with corn, wine and oil. A silver and ivory of the Provincial Grand Lodge in 1868. The Lyceum
4
trowel was used to symbolically spread the bonding held a newsroom and library, and was also used for
cement of brotherhood. Washington symbolically lectures, proving a centre for local education.
laying the cornerstone of the nation, in a shared public
ceremony that forever bonded not only Freemasons, Laying the cornerstone or keystone of a new church
but the American people also. became a local event for local lodges, especially if
lodge members had contributed to the building, the
It was this bonding of both the public and Freemasons ceremony becoming a public display of Freemasonry
that made these ceremonies important. From my own and charity. A Masonic ceremony is described as
local perspective in the north-west of England, there taking place on the 22nd of August, 1843, when the
are many examples during the nineteenth century. Cheshire Provincial Grand Lodge fixed the keystone
In the industrial town of Warrington on the 22nd of in the window of the New Church at Over - a village
December, 1836, the Lodge of Lights held a lavish in the county of Cheshire. The mystical ceremony was
ceremony for the laying of the keystone of a new concluded by adding:
bridge over the River Mersey, leaving a number of . . . coins of the present reign, together with descriptions
offerings, including a Masonic glass box, showing of the day’s proceedings, the names of the local authorities
the square and compass, and a number of coins. The ext., deposited in a cavity in the stone. 5
son of the architect of the bridge, George Gamon of
Knutsford, was specially made a Freemason just so
he could participate in the ceremony. A procession
had taken place from the Market Hall to the bridge,
and boys from the Bluecoat School also took part
in the procession, along with local Constables and
Churchwardens. Money was collected to give the
Bluecoat boys a meal, and other Lancashire lodges
attended the ceremony, such as the Lodge of Harmony
from Liverpool. 1
The Warrington based Lodge of Lights continued
passionately with their civic activities with the
construction of the Warrington Library and Museum,
which had been built in 1855, the foundation stone The foundation stone of St. Margaret’s and All Hallows
2
being laid with a Masonic ceremony. A full page Church, Orford, Warrington, laid with Masonic honors on
report of the procession through the town and the the 18th of October, 1907. The stone was dedicated to local
ceremony for laying the foundation stone appeared in Freemason William Sharp and laid by the Provincial Grand
Master of the Western Lancashire Division, the Earl of Lathom.
Page 28 Montana Freemason January 2019