Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction
One: English Freemasonry before the formation
of Grand Lodge
Two: John Theophilus Desaguliers: Homo Masonicus
Three: Grand Lodge: The Inner Workings
Four: The Professional Nexus
Five: The Rise of the First Noble Grand Masters
Six: ‘Through the paths of heavenly science’
Seven: Conclusion
Appendices
Abbreviations
Electronic Reading and Research
Selected Bibliography
Index
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“ The transformation of English
Freemasonry after the foundation of the Grand Lodge of England
in 1717 was especially marked by the (largely nominal) leadership
of young pro-Hanoverian Whig aristocrats who transformed Freemasonry
into an important component of the economic, scientific, social,
and political changes of the 18th century. Freemasonry rapidly
became an important facet of the upper reaches of English society,
and Berman (Oxford) traces the role these aristocratic architects
played in the formation of what quickly became the most prominent
and socially elite fraternal order of the modern era. There
were important connections between Freemasonry and the judiciary,
the Royal Society, and other learned and professional societies.
Berman provides a useful introduction to these key figures,
as well as a series of valuable appendixes, giving readers the
Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge of England, excerpts from
the Masonic 1723 Constitutions, a list of the various military
lodges, and an inventory of the Masonic membership of selected
professional societies. Although its origins as a doctoral thesis
are all too clear, this remains a valuable work for serious
Masonic historians. Recommended.” Choice
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