Some Background On
The Adoption Of Lewises
by Jacques Huyghebaert, MPS


The Dumfries manuscript no. 4,
c.1710, one of the early Masonic cate-
chisms contains the following charge:



be affable and kindle to all
but more especially to the widdow
  & fatherless

stand stoutly in thrr behalf
defend there Interest
relive ther necessities                    ital
though this be bread upon the
uncertain waters
yet by the speciall blessing of
         heaven
in time will Return with sevenfold
Intrest and
secure a stock for you in the other
world

Our present Masonic ritual states: "To
relieve the distressed is a duty incumbent on all
men but particularly on Masons who are
linked together by an indissoluble chain of
sincere affection."

Together with Brotherly Love and
Truth, Relief is regarded by Masons as
one of the three essential tenets of
Freemasonry. The benefit of Fraternal
Relief has traditionally been extended
by Freemasons to their members' fami-
lies.

Masons' Wives and children have
therefore always enjoyed special protec-
tion and care from the Craft.

In the Middle Ages, whenever an
Operative Freemason would die, it was
the rule that the guild of the deceased
Brother would charitably adopt his
widow and orphans.

Operative regulations in Brussels in
the 14th century curiously state that a
Mason's widow cannot take over her
deceased husband's business . . . as
long as she remains a widow (???)

In Utrecht, Holland, 15th century
rules specify that widows of "an upper-
knecht" (Master Mason) are entitled to
receive a monthly pension from the
Guild. At the end of the 14th century,
in Dendermonde, Flanders, the case is
recorded of a Yda van Nichole, who
having become a widow, is admitted
into the corporation, and even increases
the number of fellows of the craft em-
ployed in the trade.

It may be observed in this respect that
Mediaeval Knights shared at least one
important obligation with operative
Masons. Indeed, the moral code of
Chivalry included the sacred duty to
defend "the Widow and her orphans. "

It is no wonder therefore that a
Mason's son, a Lewis, has enjoyed
from time immemorial a special status
in the Fraternity.

In "The Earliest Masonic Cate-
chisms," published by Quatuor Coro-
nati Lodge no.2076, London, 1975 edi-
tion, pp. 144-149, Bros. D.Knoop,
G.P.Jones & D. Hamer, examine the
signification of the lewis as an operative
tool used to raise heavy blocks of stone
and subsequently they study the origin
of the word in its speculative meaning
as the son of a Mason.

Considering that the Wilkinson man-
uscript (1727) already contains a series
of questions and answers concerning
the Lewis, the authors rule out that the
origin of the word could possibly be as-
sociated with the birth in 1738 of the
"Lewis Frederick," Prince of Wales,
who later succeeded to the throne of
England as George III.

They believe instead that Lewis is
derived from the French word "Lou-
veteau or Lowton" (English = male
wolf cub) (cfr. German = Lufton or
Louton) which in France is still the
name for the son of a Mason and that
already in the mediaeval French organi-
zations of building craftsmen, those who
were masons by trade, were called
"loups" (wolves).

Ceremonies for the reception in the
Lodge of Lewises have been common
practice in continental Europe at least
since the beginning of the l9th century.

During the French Revolutionary pe-
riod, which started in 1789, Roman
Catholic religious services were
abolished in France and in those
European countries which came tem-
porarily under French rule.

Baptisms, weddings, funerals and
other ceremonies were replaced by so-
called "republican" rituals, which were
civilian in character, while retaining
Deistic concepts and often glorifying
classical allegories, very popular during
the late 18th century "Age of Reason. "
This explains why, in the engravings
dating from this period, symbols of
Egypt, Greece and Rome are frequently
seen intermingled with those of
Freemasonry.

In Belgium and France today, where
the Roman Catholic sacrament of Con-
firmation and the Jewish Bar Mitzvah
still constitute the occasion of important
social and family rejoicings, those who
belong to the secular community often
feel the imperious need for an equiv-
alent social event to satisfy their child-
ren who otherwise would ask: What
about me?

Thus, in nearly every town and vil-
lage, every year "une fete de la jeu-
nesse" is organized (more or less simul-
taneously) for the benefit of children
aged 12/13 by the local authorities or
public schools.

Since the ceremony of the reception of
a Lewis, takes place at roughly the same
age it is not impossible that the cere-
mony of adoption of lewises has gradu-
ally grown into a kind of Grand Orient
Masonic alternative for ceremonies
which were originally religious in es-
sence (baptism, communion, confirma-
tion).

The same remark can be made about
the relatively common occurrence of
Masonic weddings and Masonic funer-
als in Europe, for all of which specific
Masonic rituals have been elaborated.

Typical of this situation is, e.g., the
fact that when Belgian former Vice
Prime Minister, Head of the (Belgian)
Liberal Party, and active Grand Orient
Freemason, Jean Gol died in September
1995, a Jewish, a Masonic and a civil-
ian funeral ceremony were successively
performed.

When a ceremony of adoption of Low-
tons (Lewises) is announced all the
Brethren who wish to place their child-
ren under the protection of the Lodge
are requested to contact the Worshipful
Master and inform him which Brother
has accepted to be the Masonic God-
father of his child.

Whereas, originally the benefit of be-
coming a Lowton was reserved to boys,
present day usage has extended its
benefit to all children.

Before the ceremony, the Lodge room
is arranged as usual and the Officers
wear their Masonic regalia.

Although wives and children are in-
vited to attend the ceremony, the
general public is not admitted. All in-
vitees, wives and friends are invited to
seats in the South and the North sides of
the Lodge, but the row of seats in the
North-East is reserved for the candi-
dates .

The lodge is not opened ritually and
remains technically speaking at refresh-
ment during the whole ceremony.
None of the officers or Brethren are
supposed to make any Masonic signs,
but since habits die hard, it often occurs
that one at least among Brethren
routinely does "as usual," to the great
embarrassment of his W.M. and to the
usual amusement of the Lodge.

At the opening, the Worshipful
Master welcomes all those present
whom he addresses as Brothers and Sis-
ters and he expresses his particular
gratitude to the Mothers of the candi-
dates as follows:

The presence of our Sisters confers upon
this solemn ceremony,

all its significance. They are the ones
who deserve to be

honoured in the first place as we are
about to take under our

protection those Children to whom, they
have given birth in pain

and whom they have raised with
unending devotion. Please accept
therefore, my Sisters, the tribute of our
sincere admiration for

your charm and even more our praise for
your virtues . . .

The candidates and their Godfathers
are escorted outside the Lodge and pre-
pared for their reception. Boys and girls
form a procession and are reintroduced
into the Lodge their faces covered by
three veils.

During the ritual which follows the
Brethren solemnly promise:

to take the children under the immediate
protection of the

Lodge and to provide for their material
and moral needs,

should any of them have the misfortune to
lose theirfather

before reaching the age when they are
able to look after themselves.

The first veil named "Misere" is then
symbolically removed and the lowtons
are informed by the Worshipful Master
that from now on the Lodge will be re-
sponsible for them whatever may hap-
pen. They are told that they should
have no fear of ever becoming destitute,
because the Brethren of the Lodge will
always fly to their relief should fate ever
deprive them from their father.

Then the second veil "Ignorance" is
removed, and the new lowtons are in-
formed:
Material relief is not sufficient, we also
promise to ensure
that these children will benefitfrom a
proper education in order
that they may learn to discern more
clearly the reality of things.
Remember that it is not enough to
memorise your lessons, we expect
that your spirit will also open up to that
clear comprehension
which dissipates error. Dear Children,
learn to think, in order
that you may understand what you are
taught
- and foremost grasp the meaning of life!

The children are then told: "One last
veil still obscures your sight: it alludes
to fanaticism. " The Orator then makes
a short address concluding as follows:
Beware to judge the ideas of others. Do
not hastily condemn
that which appears to be wrong. Truth is
often difficult to discern
and requires a long and arduous
moral and intellectual preparation
- an objectivity which very few men
succeed to master
Fanatics on the contray rudely act in
order to impose their ways, and
thus have caused wars and persecutions.
Such an attitude is horrendous
and we are most anxious ever to preserve
you from it


After the third veil has been removed,
the lowtons are conducted in the east in
front of the Worshipful Master who
delivers them a diploma testifying that
they are lowtons and pins the com-
memorative medal on their breast.

The ceremony, which takes place
shortly before noon is traditionally fol-
lowed by a fraternal banquet.

The ceremony which has just been de-
scribed is not uniform and in Grand
Orient Lodges for example the cere-
mony still roughly follows the early l9th
century ritual written by Bro. Nicholas
Des Etangs (1792-1847). In the version
which has kept its republican character,
revised in 1920 by Charles Vie, the
three veils are blue, white and red, al-
luding to the colors of the French flag
and symbolize respectively: Liberte -
Egalite - Fraternite, as the famous
motto of the French Republic pro-
claims .

At the Ordre Maconnique Mixte In-
ternational " Le Droit Humain, "
during the ceremony of adoption, the
lowtons hear "The Legend of Nadir"
which is the story of a boy aged fifteen
who is taken to a remote place where he
spends three successive lonely nights.

During the first night the young man
learns to be brave and to appreciate the
value of work, while he is warned
against the dangers of arrogance.

During the second night he is taught
to avoid vain pleasures and useless joys.

Finally during the last night he is in-
vited to discover "Happiness" which
derives from the perseverant practice of
the virtues of Justice, Goodness, Frater-
nity and Love.

Finally, in the Rite of Memphis-Mis-
raim the lowton is given a new name,
consisting in his first name followed by
the name of a virtue.
