THE BUILDER AUGUST 1929

The Heraldry of Freemasonry

By BRO. REGINALD V. HARRIS, Associate Editor, Nova Scotia

THE subject of the Armorial bearings of Masonic bodies is one that,
so far as we have been able to discover, has never been
comprehensively treated. The arms granted to the Mason's Company of
London are mentioned in most of our histories; and there have been
occasional articles about various partial aspects of the subject.
Bro. Harris, who as many of our readers know, is Grand Historian of
the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia, presents here an account of the
various heraldic devices adopted by the various Grand Lodges of the
British Isles since 1717, and those of the Dominion of Canada. It
is his intention to follow this up with similar articles on the
arms and seals of the Grand Lodges of the United States, Australia,
Europe and Latin America, as soon as he is able to collect the
requisite material, a great deal of which is most inaccessible and
difficult to obtain.

FREEMASONRY claims to be a science and a system of morality, veiled
in allegory and illustrated by symbols. Heraldry is a sister
science or system, or a cousin at least. Its beginnings go back to
the immemorial and remote past; some would claim it is as early, if
not earlier than the beginnings of Freemasonry itself. An old
authority jocularly asserted that our first parents were lawful
bearers of coats of arms; assigning to Adam a shield gules (red),
and to Eve, another argent (silver); while after the Fall Adam
added a garland of fig leaves, which Abel quartered with argent,
with an apple vert (green), in right of his mother.

Whatever the first beginnings it is certain that the use of
emblems, insignia, devices, symbols and tokens was common in the
days of the Ancient Egyptian Kings, Chaldea, Greece and Rome. Among
the North American Indians, families and individuals were
frequently designated or represented by tokens or figures in
pictorial form.

The science or system of Heraldry as we know it today, comes from
medieval and feudal times. It became a factor of importance in
England about the end of the twelfth century. The earliest record
of a herald in England dates from 1137; in 1483 during the reign of
Richard III, the Herald's College was made a corporate body,
continuing as such to the present day.

Men of noble or gentle birth bore their coats of arms or family
devices blazoned on the shields which they carried in battle; and
with their visors down, these devices, with the crest upon the
helmet, were the only means of indicating their identity. When in
actual use a knight's shield was held in front of him, so that the
dexter or right side and the sinister or left side covered his
right and left side respectively. As a consequence, the dexter side
of the shield is on the left of anyone looking at it, and the
sinister on his right.

It is unnecessary at this stage of our study to go into other
definitions and terms; many of them will be met with and explained
as we go along; others are of no importance to our enquiry.

To mark their dignity and distinction the various guilds,
associations and livery companies of early times in England were
granted the right of bearing or exhibiting distinctive devices or
arms. These insignia harmonized with the trade of the particular
company or fellowship. The Masons' Company was one of the early and
important guilds of England, and obtained its coat of arms thirty-
three years after the grant made to the Drapers' Company in 1439,
and was therefore fifth on the list. The arms granted by the Crown
in 1472 on the recommendation of the Court of Heralds to the
Company of Masons of London founded probably about 1200, were
described in the heraldic "lingo" of the time as:

A field of sablys, a cheveron silver grailed, thre castelles of the
same garnyshed wt dores and wyndows of the feld, in the cheveron a
cumpas of blak.

or in plain English: a shield or ground of black, upon which is a
chevron of silver made with indented or wavy edges; above the
chevron and below, three silver castles with black doors and
windows; on the chevron a black compass. This has been reproduced
on the following page, Fig. 1.

The Coat of Arms of the Worshipful Company of Masons of London
appears among the heraldic illuminations of several of the old
manuscript constitutions or "Old Charges". In the earliest drawings
of these Arms the chevron is shown engrailed; that is notched with
concave curves, as it is shown in Fig. 1 and also in the left-hand
design in Fig. 2. It will be noticed, too, that the castles are
very elaborate, while the motto generally-used is: "God is our
Guide," instead of the later: "In the Lord is all our trust."

About the year 1600 we begin to find variations. In the- Harleian
Collection of Manuscripts in the British Museum we find two early
seventeenth century documents illuminated with drawings of the
Mason's Arms. The first, No. 6860, is dated about the year 1610,
and it depicts the old form of the bearing, with the castles drawn
in elaborate detail, and the engrailed chevron, but with the new
motto: "In the Lord is all our trust." This is reproduced in Fig.
2. It may be remarked incidentally that the essential thing in a
grant of arm is the "blazon," which technically used means the
description of the bearing according traditional rules. Any
heraldic draughtsman can reproduce the arms from the blazon, even
if he has never seen them. But naturally his drawing will not be
the same as that drawn by someone else, though every such drawing
will be at once recognizable, just as words written in different
kinds of lettering by different hands are legible to everyone.
Heraldry is a kind of sign writing, done according to elaborate
rules. Thus it naturally happened that in the course of centuries
the style of heraldic drawing changed although the old bearings of
families and institutions remained essentially the same.

The second MS. of the two above referred to, Harleian No. 472, is
supposed to be of about 1640, or some thirty years later than the
other. This, which is also shown in Fig. 2, not only has the new
motto, but has towers instead of castles, while the chevron has a
plain edge instead of being engrailed. The late Edward Conder in
his history of the London Masons' Company (of which he was the
Master in 1894-1895) expresses the opinion that the change in the
chevron was due to the fact that it more nearly resembled the
square and that the tower may have been substituted as being much
easier to engrave.

Some time after 1717, when the original Grand Lodge of England was
organized, it selected as the basis for its arms those of the
Masons' Company, as already described, but to the original design
certain important and significant alterations were made. The
chevron became a Mason's square; each tower was given triple
turrets, while the crest was changed from a castle or tower to a
bird of unknown species which may have been intended for a phoenix,
and finally, two beavers, symbolical of operative builders, were
added as supporters, placed one on each side of the shield. Some
doubt has been expressed respecting these supporters, some
believing them to be otters or panthers, but the opinion of Bro.
Hughan and others is that they were intended for beavers even if
they did not resemble them closely. At a still later period the
motto was changed to "Relief and Truth" in allusion to the basic
Masonic principles. These arms continued to be the arms of the
original or premier Grand Lodge of England from 1717 to 1813. A
reproduction of the seal of the Grand Lodge will be found in Fig.
3. It will be noticed also that the square, level and plumb have
been introduced below the shield.

The Guilds of Scottish Masons also used the arms of the Masons'
Company, with what warrant it is hard to say. The Grand Lodge of
Scotland impaled them with those of the country: placing the
latter, the lion rampant of Scotland, on the dexter or right side
(actually the left of the design) and the Masons' arms on the
sinister side. As will be seen, the later form of the arms is used,
with corresponding motto. The crest remains a tower.

Although the Grand Lodges of Canada and the United States are not
concerned heraldically in the arms of the "Grand Lodge of all
England", established at York in 1725, it will be of interest to
refer to them in passing. The Seal of this Grand Lodge was oval in
form, and bore on it three regal crowns, with the inscription
Sigillum Edwin Northum: Regis; that is, "the seal of Edwin, King of
Northumbria."

When in 1751, the Grand Lodge of England (Ancients) was
established, a seal was adopted with which they sealed their
Warrants, but until the present year no impression of this had been
discovered. It was the belief of Henry Sadler that:

. . . it was similar to the one used by the Grand Lodge of Ireland
between 1731-59, a hand holding a trowel, and that it was destroyed
and all impressions of it removed from official documents and
replaced by impressions from one of the Seals subsequently used in
order to obliterate the trail when they were described as Irish
Masons.

This was the case with all warrants issued prior to 1760. with the
exception of Warrant No. 66, issued for a Lodge at Halifax, Nova
Scotia, which was discovered recently by the writer. It is dated
Dec. 27, 1757. As this and two other Warrants, Nos. 65 and 67, also
issued for lodges at Halifax at the same time, were the first
Warrants issued by the "Ancients" for lodges overseas, they were
probably overlooked by the authorities when changing the seals on
Warrants issued previously to 1760. From this Seal we learn that
the original Seal of the "Ancients" consisted of the Square (with
square ends) and compasses, the angle of the Square being upward;
with a dagger with straight blade above, pointing upward; around
the top of the Seal the words, "Virtue and Silence". A reproduction
of a drawing made of this seal will be found in Fig. 3.

The changes made in this Seal in 1760 were very slight, and were
principally in the drawing or design. The outline is a circle
instead of oval, the ends of the Square are curved ornamentally,
the compasses have a somewhat different shape, and the blade of the
dagger is wavy or flaming, with a change in the hilt, and the
inscription, "Grand Lodge London", is added.

Among the Warrants granted by the "Ancients" bearing this seal, is
that for a Provincial Grand Lodge in Pennsylvania July 15, 1761. A
reproduction of this is given in Fig. 3.

In 1764, new Arms were adopted by the "Ancients", though they were
not generally used until 1775. Untechnically described, these new
Arms consisted of a cross made of four operative squares, placed
with their angles together in the center of the shield, thereby
dividing the shield into four parts. In the first or upper left-
hand quarter, a golden lion rampant on a blue field; in the second
or upper right-hand quarter, a black ox on a golden field; in the
third, or lower left-hand quarter, a man robed in crimson and
ermine, with arms uplifted, on a golden field; and in the fourth,
or lower right quarter, a golden eagle displayed, on a blue field.
Crest; The Holy Ark of the Covenant: Supporters; Two Cherubim:
Motto, Kodesh la Adonai in Hebrew characters, i.e., "Holiness to
the Lord."

The main idea of these Arms was evidently derived from the banners
of the four principal tribes of Israel: Reuben, Dan, Judah and
Ephraim. During the passage through the wilderness the twelve
tribes were encamped in a hollow square, three on each side. As to
the true colors of these banners, doubt exists. Jewish commentators
claim that the color of each should correspond to the color of the
stone assigned to the tribe on the breast-plate of the High Priest.
The four charges, man, lion, ox, and eagle, are also to be regarded
as symbols of the four Evangelists, and also of the four prophetic
and apocalyptic living creatures, or "beasts", as they are
unfortunately called in our English translation of the Bible. The
Cherubim, the Ark, the Squares, Mottos and other portions of the
device need no explanation.

These arms continued to be the arms of this Grand Lodge until the
union in 1813, of the two Grand Lodges, "Ancients" and "Moderns",
so called, when the arms of the two bodies were impaled, or placed
side by side in one shield, thus forming the arms of the present
United Grand Lodge of England, the motto being changed to "Audi
Vide Tace" (Hear, See, Keep Silence), a command truly significant
to the initiate. The Crest chosen was that of the Ancients also,
the Ark of the Covenant, the bird or phoenix of the Moderns
disappearing. This has been reproduced in Fig. 4.

No change was made in these arms until 1919, when a re-grant was
made by the College of Heralds by which a red bordure or frame was
added to the shield, upon which appear eight golden lions, passport
guardant; the Motto "Holiness to the Lord", in Hebrew characters
placed over the crest, and the Latin motto "Audi Vide Tace" beneath
the shield, both being continued. A reduced photograph of this
grant is reproduced in Gould's Concise History.

Before considering the arms of other Grand jurisdictions of the
British Empire and the United States it is necessary to glance at
the arms of the Grand Lodge of Ireland. As already stated, the
original seal used by the Irish Grand Lodge from 1731-59 was simply
a right hand holding a trowel. In 1760 the design was changed to a
raised right arm holding a trowel encircled by the words "The Grand
Lodge of Ireland".

This device will be found in Fig. 3, second in the upper row, and
should be compared with the crest of the arms of the Stonemasons in
the center. About 1773, a beautifully cut seal was adopted by the
Irish Grand Lodge, depicting a shield, upon which were displayed
the square, compasses and plumb, above which were two right hands
clasped. The shield rests on the top of a globe, above the shield
the blazing sun. Supporters; two cherubs with flaming swords; the
whole encircled by a Hebrew motto and the Latin words: Silentio
Virtute et Amore, "Silence, Courage and Love." In consequence of
the Deputy Grand Secretary having decamped with this seal in 1806,
a new one was adopted in that year similar to that of the Grand
Lodge of England, "Ancients", which has continued as the seal of
the Irish Grand Lodge to the present time.

Turning now to the Grand Lodges of the Dominion of Canada we find
almost universal recognition, heraldically, of their descent from
the United Grand Lodge of England.

The first lodges on Canadian soil were organized at Annapolis
Royal, Nova Scotia, in 1738 and at Halifax in 1750 received their
Warrants from Massachusetts and were of "Modern" allegiance. What
their Seals may have been is not now known. In 1757, the "Ancients"
warranted a Provincial Grand Lodge for Nova Scotia, the first
established by them. Its seal was probably similar to the mother
Grand Lodge, namely, the square and compasses, surmounted by a
dagger pointing upward, encircled by the words "Virtue and Silence"
and possibly also the words "Grand Lodge, Halifax." When, in 1784,
this Provincial Grand Lodge was revived they adopted the new seal
of Grand Lodge of England (Ancients) surrounded by the words
"Provincial Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia", with the motto "Kodesh la
Adonai".

When in 1813 the two Grand Lodges of England were united the Seal
of the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia was changed and a seal adopted
similar to that of the United Grand Lodge of England, surrounded by
the words "Grand Lodge of Free Masons, Halifax, Nova Scotia".

The Seal of the independent Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia (founded by
the Scottish lodges in the Province), adopted on its organization
in 1866 consisted of the Ancient Arms of the Province granted by
Charles I in 1621, with the Bible, square and compasses above; the
square below; the plumb to the right and the level to the left. see
Fig. 3, lower left-hand corner.

In 1869, when the English lodges united with it, the Grand Lodge
adopted a new seal showing on its dexter (right) side the arms of
the Province, and on its sinister side the arms of the first Grand
Lodge of England, at first sight a rather curious error as this
Grand Lodge had warranted but one lodge in the Province in 1770 and
all Provincial and District Grand Lodges had been of "Ancient"
allegiance. Possibly, however, it alludes to the origin of the
first two lodges at Annapolis Royal and Halifax, warranted by the
St. John's Grand Lodge, Boston. Surrounding the arms are various
Masonic Emblems, with the motto, "Soli Deo Gloria" "To God alone be
the Glory". See Fig. 4, upper right-hand corner.

The Provincial Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia exercised jurisdiction in
New Brunswick from 1784 to 1829, when a Deputy Provincial Grand
Lodge under England was organized lasting until 1859. In this year
a Provincial Grand Lodge took its place, the seals of these two
bodies being similar to that of the United Grand Lodge of England.
On the organization of the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick in 1867,
the arms of the Grand Lodge of England were varied by changing or
substituting three spruce trees for the castles or towers; the
chevron which is argent on a red field lacks the usual compasses
superimposed. Probably the substitution of the spruce trees is an
allusion to the forest wealth of the Province. See Fig. 3, second
in lower row.

Prince Edward Island, the smallest jurisdiction in the British
Empire, adopted for some unknown reason a similar seal in 1875; in
fact there is no essential change other than the name of the Grand
Lodge. The seals of both these Grand Lodges are shown in Fig. 3,
second and fourth respectively, in the bottom row.

The first Provincial Grand Lodge of Upper Canada (Ontario) 1795-
1822 being of "Ancient" lineage merely adopted the arms of the
parent Grand Lodge of England, encircled with the words "Provincial
Grand Lodge, Upper Canada", see Fig. 4, lower left-hand Provincial
Grand Lodge, though there is no certainty about this. In 1844, the
third Provincial Grand Lodge adopted the arms of the United Grand
Lodge of England 1813, encircled by the words, "Provincial Grand
Lodge, Canada West." This appears in Fig. 3, third in the lower
row.

In 1856 the present Grand Lodge of Canada (in Ontario) was formed,
adopting as its arms a design somewhat similar to the previous
design, but showing the dexter or right side divided into two
parts, the upper showing the original arms of the Mason's Company
or the premier Grand Lodge of England, and below the Canadian
beaver on a red field or background. The shield is surrounded by
ears of wheat and an olive ranch. See Fig. 4, upper left-hand
corner.

When in 1869 the Grand Lodge of Quebec was formed by 17 lodges of
the Registry of "Canada", three of England and one of Scotland, it
adopted arms closely resembling those of the mother Grand Lodge of
the majority, those last described, but the ox in the upper right
quarter looks more like a lamb, and the eagle in the lower right,
more like a phoenix or some other fabled bird. In the lower half of
the left side of the shield (below the arms of the original Grand
Lodge of England) appears the Rose, Thistle and Shamrock entwined,
an obvious reference to the three sources of Masonry in the
Province of Quebec. See Fig. 5.

The next daughter Grand Lodge to be formed by lodges on the
Registry of "Canada" was that of Manitoba in 1875, and again the
"Canadian" design was followed in the main but on the dexter side,
instead of dividing the shield into two equal quarters, the arms of
the Province of Manitoba (St. George's Cross, above a buffalo) were
intruded into the upper quarter up to the chevron, so as to
eliminate the castle usually found below the chevron. This is shown
in Fig. 4, in the upper row.

The Grand Lodges of Alberta and Saskatchewan, daughter Grand Lodges
of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba in 1905 and 1906, also adopted a
similar design, replacing the arms of Manitoba with the provincial
arms in each instance. These will be found in Figs. 4 and 5
respectively.

The only remaining Grand Lodge in Canada, that of British Columbia,
formed in 1871, struck out into new paths and adopted a design,
showing Queen Victoria seated on a throne between the two
conventional pillars. Above, the square, compasses and star; below,
a rose in full bloom; all with the two supports found with the arms
of the United Grand Lodge of England. It is shown in Fig. 4, third
in the lower row.

In conclusion several observations may be made. The later Grand
Lodges, Provincial and Independent, in Canada, followed very
closely on the whole the heraldic precedent of the United Grand
Lodge of England, even though this was not always exactly the
logical thing to have done. From the aesthetic point of view the
arms adopted by the Ancients were altogether too complex. A coat of
arms is not a "Tracing Board." At the Union these arms became a
component part of the Arms of the United Grand Lodge of England,
with the result that there was a further loss in clarity and
distinction. Most of the Canadian Grand Lodges proceeded to make
things still worse, for their method in most cases has been to take
the arms of the United Grand Lodge and make them more complicated
and less distinctive still by the addition of new elements. When
the simplicity of the beautiful seal of the Grand Lodge of York, or
the second seal of the Ancient Grand Lodge, is compared with later
designs, the loss of effectiveness in the latter becomes very
striking. However in the course of years a sentimental attachment
grows up, and there is little likelihood that any of them will be
changed in the near future.

NOTE

R. F. Gould, both in his large History of Freemasonry and the
Concise History, has something to say on the heraldic designs
adopted by the senior Grand Lodge and its later rival, the Ancient
Grand Lodge, and there are interesting plates in both works. In the
latter is a reduced reproduction of the latest Grant of Arms from
the Heralds' College to the United Grand Lodge, which is legible
with a magnifying glass. J. Ross Robertson in his History of
Freemasonry in Canada, discusses the subject, and some of the
illustrations in the present article have been taken from his work.
There is a plate of Masonic seals in Sadler's Masonic Facts and
Fictions. For Irish seals the work of Bros. Lepper and Crossle may
be referred to, the History of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, from
which much interesting material may be obtained. There are also
many other books and pamphlets which might be referred to, but as
in the main the subject has been dealt with so cursorily and
incidentally the attempt to list them would not be worth the labor
in the present status of the subject.

One thing more may be noted. In the drawings reproduced in Fig. 2,
the tinctures or colors are indicated by letters and not by the
later conventional shadings. S stands for sable, and A for argent.

