Members meet in local lodges, which are overseen by independent Grand Lodges; they use tools of ancient stonemasons (e.g., the square and compasses) to teach moral and ethical lessons.
After the decline in cathedral building, some lodges began to accept honorary members to boost declining membership. From the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries they adopted the rites and symbols of ancient religious and chivalric brotherhoods. Members advance through three levels: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. While often considered a "secret society," modern Freemasonry is more accurately described as a society with secrets.
The history of Freemasonry in England began with the formation of the world's first Grand Lodge in June 171, when four London lodges met at the Goose and Gridiron tavern. The fraternity transitioned into a "speculative" society in the seventeenth century. The movement spread rapidly and in 1751, a rival grand lodge was formed, calling itself "The Antients" and referring to the original 1717 body as "The Moderns". but the modern United Grand Lodge of England was not established until 1813.
Modern Freemasonry began in the eighteenth century when a number of fraternal organisations were formed. It is more than likely that many of us will come across freemasons within the first four generations of our family history as more than half the population belonged to either a friendly or fraternal society.
Initially Freemasons met in coffee houses and taverns but later built their own masonic halls and temples. The Freemasons shared values through ritual ceremonies using symbolism. From 1799 to 1965, this meant that the organisation was subject to the Unlawful Societies Act, which forced registration of members for local Quarter Sessions.
