THE BUILDER SEPTEMBER 1925
Facts About Stephen Morin

By BRO. CYRUS FIELD WILLARD, Editor

In reading Rebold's Histoire des Trois Grandes Loges, I noticed in
all his references to Stephen Morin that he called his first name
"Stephan" instead of the usual French equivalent "Etienne," which
struck me as peculiar.

As Stephen Morin was the one who brought the Scottish Rite to
America and was appointed as Inspector General by the Council that
met in Paris in 1761, he has always been a personage who aroused
the greatest interest in my mind.

Nearly all the French writers whom it has been my fortune to read,
like Rebold and Clavel, as well as the French translation of
Findel, have always asserted that he was a Jew and all his
associates were Jews. In fact Rebold says on page 49: "We think it
our duty to give here in all its length one of these constitutions,
the one which was delivered in 1761 to Stephan Morin, Israelite;
first because it is a document both authentic and curious, and
second, because it served as the basis, forty years and more later,
for the foundation of the Scottish Rite of thirty-three degrees
created at Charleston by five other Jews." (John Mitchell was
Irish, Frederick Dalcho was English, Isaac Auld was Scotch and
Abraham Alexander was English!)

Again on page 452 Rebold says:

"A brother by the name of Stephen Morin belonging to the Israelite
confession and member of the National Grand Lodge of France, and
also of a chapter of the high degrees, having been called to
America by private interests, manifested the desire to establish in
that country the Masonry of the superior grades called the 'Masonry
of Perfection,' and for this purpose addressed himself to Bro.
Lacorne, then Deputy of the Grand Master, the Count of Clermont. On
the proposition made by the latter to the Sovereign Grand Council
of the Princes of the East and West there was, on the 27th August,
1761, delivered to Bro. Morin a patent by which he was created
Inspector General of all the Lodges of the New World, etc.

"Arrived at San Domingo Bro. Morin named by virtue of his patent
one of his co-religionists, Bro. M. M. Hays, Deputy Inspector for
North America. He conferred later this same lignity on Bro.
Franklin for Jamaica. Bro. Franklin [Francken is the correct name]
transmitted some time afterwards his powers to Bro. Moses Hays,
Grand Master of Boston."

As Bro. Henry Andrew Francken, who formed the Lodge of Perfection
at Albany in 1767, turned over his authority to Moses M. Hays, Dec.
6, 1768, as is shown by the patent copied in the minute book of
King David's Lodge of Newport, R. I., according to Samuel
Oppenheim, author of Jews and Masonry, The Jews in Masonry in the
United states Before 1810, who wrote me he saw it there, and as
Moses M. Hays did not move to Boston until 1782 (see ibid.) and did
not become Grand Master of Massachusetts until 1788, Rebold did not
exaggerate in saying that the twenty-year period which intervened
was "some time later !"

In Rebold's Histoire des Trois Grandes Loges, page 91, are the
following remarkable statements which are translated from the
original French by the writer:

"1803--These brethren already irritated against the Grand Orient
which they accused of having struck and dispossessed its mother,
the National Grand Lodge of France, and finally to have forced her
by un-Masonic means to throw herself, dying, into its arms were
enraged to the highest degree after this new act of intolerance.
This was the principal cause [closing the doors of the French
lodges of English origin against those of other Rites such as the
Scottish lodges] which determined the Masons called Scotch to form
a new Masonic power. Consultations had taken place in the
underground hall of a restaurant keeper on the Boulevard
Poissoniere. A great number of Masons of distinction seconded this
movement, several Americans ranged themselves on the side of the
dissatisfied and among others the famous Stephen Morin, whom we
have seen previously departing in order to go and transplant in
America the 'Masonry of Perfection' by virtue of a Constitution of
which we have given the text."

MORIN WAS NOT A JEW

Thus far we have quoted from Rebold because he is the one French
writer relied upon by Robert Freke Gould, who translates him into
English and seems to depend on him implicitly. From Gould all
others who have written in English on the origin of the Scottish
Rite seem to have drawn their authority. Mackey alone seems to have
an inkling of the truth when he said in his Encyclopaedia of
Masonry under the head of Morin:

"Ragon, Thory and Clavel say that Morin was a Jew but as these
writers have Judaized ail the founders of the Scottish Rite in
America we have no right to place any confidence in their
statements. The name of Morin has been borne by many French
Christians of literary reputation, from Peter Morin, a learned
ecclesiastical writer of the Sixteenth Century, to Stephen Morin,
an antiquary and Protestant clergyman who died in 1700."

While it has been generally accepted by Masonic writers, with the
exception of Mackey, that Stephen Morin was a Jew, as the French
writers said he was, yet this direct assertion that Stephen Morin
was an American, made by Rebold in an obscure place and quoted as
above, was so positive and direct that it started a train of
thought which finally led to the belief that such might be the
case. It was apparently based on information which Rebold had but
which he did not care to go into for the reason that he had on page
49 of the same history called him an "Israelite" although stating
he was a member of the royal lodge, "The Trinity," to which no Jew
could or would belong.

His being an American would explain why Stephen Morin "being about
to depart for America, as his patent said, was granted the
celebrated patent to spread the Scottish Rite and to form the lodge
"Perfect Harmony" which Sachse's Ancient Documents proves was
actually formed at Port-au-Prince as shown in the Ossonde Verriere
patent in the library of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. This
patent of Verriere was signed by Stephen Morin, Oct. 26, 1764, at
Port-au-Prince as Sublime Grand Master and Grand Inspector and is
worthy of more extended study.

Furthermore if Morin were an American, as Rebold asserted, that is,
one born in America, then his family would probably be a French
family which had been settled in America for some years. This would
explain why he was invariably called "Stephen" Morin by the French
writers instead of "Etienne" (the French for "Stephen"), from his
family being settled long enough in America for the name to become
Anglicized to Stephen.

If he were an American, as Rebold asserted, which assertion must
stand until controverted by valid evidence to the contrary, then it
would be a fair assumption that he was a member of the only
American family of Morin of which we have any knowledge; we know
that there was such a family and that it was located at New York
City.

ORIGINAL RECORDS ARE QUOTED

These facts prompted me to write to New York to ascertain the names
of the various French churches and their ministers, of whom I asked
if their records showed anyone by the name of Stephen, or Etienne,
Morin. I received from Rev. A. V. Wittmeyer, Minister of the
"Eglise du St. Esprit," 45 East 27th St., New York, copies of their
records in the original old French and which, translated, read as
follows:

I. "Today, Sunday, day and year as above, [June 21, 1691] has been
baptized in this church, Anne, daughter of Jean Pierre Melot, and
of Marie Bellemain, her father and mother, born the first Wednesday
of this month, about seven o'clock of the evening. Presented to the
Holy Baptism by Mr. Pierre Morin and Mademoiselle Marianne Melot,
godfather and godmother. 
P. Morin,
Peyret, Minister,
J. P. Melot.

II. "Today, the twelfth day of June, 1692, before the evening
prayer, has been solemnly blessed the marriage between Pierre
Morin, native of La Rochelle in the Kingdom of France, son of
Pierre Morin, merchant of the said place, and Marie Jamain,
daughter of Etienne Jamain, also merchant of the said Rochelle and
of the defunct Marie Billard. Their announcement having been
published for three consecutive Sundays without opposition. 
The wife of Monsieur Jean Manbru 
Elie Vanbert 
Judith Jamain 
Pregente Fleurian 
P. Morin 
Marie Jamain 
Estienne Jamain 
Dorothea Van Hertzbergen 
Marquise Fleurian 
Judhit [for Judith] Pian

III. "Today, Sunday, April 2, 1693, has been baptized in church by
Mr. Perret, minister, after the service of the eveni Marie,
daughter of Pierre Morin and Marie Jamain. Prese to the Holy
Baptism by Mr. Nicholas Jamain and Mdlle. Je Bardewick, godfather
and godmother, born the 28th of March in the morning. 
Nicola Jamain
P. Morin
Jeanne Bardeuuiq
Peiret, Minister

IV. "Today, Sunday the 8th of March, 1695-6 [the represents the
new, the other the old style calendar], after evening prayer, has
been baptized in this church by M. Pe our minister, Pierre Morin,
son of Mr. Pierre Morin and Madame Marie Jamain, born the 29th day
of February 1 Presented to the Holy Baptism by Mr. Etienne and
Madame Judith Jamain, godfather and godmother.
Peiret, Minister
P. Morin 
Estienne Jamain 
Judith Jamain

V. "Today, Sunday the 10th March, 1705-6, has been baptized Pierre,
son of Pierre Morin and of Marie Jamain, born the 24th February.
His godfather, Pierre Morin, his father, his godmother, Judith
Jamain, his aunt, by Monsr. Delaba minister.
J. Laborie. M.
Pierre Morin 
Judith Jamain

VI. "Today, Saturday first January, 1697-8, has been baptized by Mr
Peiret, minister, Etienne Morin, son of Pierre Morin and of Marie
Jamain, born the 20th December, 1697, about two o'clock in the
morning. Presented to the Holy Baptism by Elie Vanbert and Sara
Gaineau, wife of Jean Mambru, godfather and godmother.
Pierre Morin
Elie Vanbert
Peiret, Minister

Rev. M. Wittmeyer has verified the above translation and also said:

"In addition to his sons, Pierre Morin and his wife Marie Jamain
had five daughters, one of whom, Marie, I have already mentioned
(III). The others were: 1, Marguerite, born July 30, 1694, 2,
Mariane, born October 17, 1703, and 3, Esther Judith, twins, born
April 20, 1701."

The above (VI) shows that we are on the right track, for Etienne,
or Stephen, Morin was born in 1697 and this was probably the father
of the Stephen Morin known to Masons as the introducer of the
Scottish Rite into America.


WITTMEYER IS AGAIN QUOTED

On Aug. 30, 1923, I again wrote to Mr. Wittmey

in which letter I said:

"The information you have given me is very interesting asmuch as it
shows the French Huguenot family of Pierre Morin established in New
York City as early as 1692. Howe there must have been another
Etienne Morin, besides the born December 20, 1697 (VI), who was
perhaps a son Pierre [Peter] Morin (V) or Etienne Morin (VI) who
must have been born from 1720 to 1740 as he is first reported a
Mason August 27, 1761, [date of his patent as given by Rebold] and
he is reported by Rebold as an American living in Paris 1803. He
must have been at least twenty-one years old in 1761 to have been
a Mason at that time and this would take his birth back to 1740 or
earlier. He is described in the French history as "Stephen" Morin
and not "Etienne" Morin as would have been the name used, naturally
if his family had not lived so long in America that "Etienne" had
been thoroughly Anglicized into "Stephen." If he lived in Paris in
1803 that would have been forty-two years after 1761 and he would
then have been at least 63 years old, and his presence in Paris in
1803 is not improbable.

"If you would be kind enough to look over the records for the
period from 1720 to 1740 and see if you can find any entries of the
birth or baptism of Stephen or Etienne Morin you would confer a
great favor and help me solve the problem I am trying to unravel.
I do not know whether your records contain any death notices but it
is possible he may have returned to America, the home of his youth,
and died some years after 1803.

To this Rev. Mr. Wlttmeyer replied:

"Have done so [looked over years 1720 to 1740]. We have no such
records. We have some death records but not many. It is possible
that the records you desire are kept in other churches no longer
speaking French. Some of our people joined other churches."

Henry P. Miller, assistant clerk of the Collegiate Dutch Reformed
Church of New York city, under date of March 7, 1924, wrote as
follows:

"Our records of marriages and baptisms up to the year 1800 show the
name of Morin only once each, i. e.

"In September, 1748, Jakob Albride and Mary Morin were married.

"In 1749, Jakob, child of Jakob Albregt and Marie Morin, was
baptized.

On the burial records, there appears two children of Joseph Morin
in 1834 and a John F. Morin in 1840, August 7th."


An inquiry was made of Rev. Wittmeyer what are those churches who
no longer speak French but no reply was received. As a postscript
to his letter he also said:

"As you are a better judge than I am, I subjoin the following
entry:

"Baptisme A la Nouvelle York ce 8me Decembre, 1717, Aujourdhy
dimanche aprest la priere du soir, Monr. Louis a baptise Jean
Morin, ne le 23me de Novembre dernier, fils de Moise Morin et de
Marianne Bricon, presente au St. Baptisme par Samuel Morin et Marie
Quintard, parrain et marrain.
L. Rou, Pasteur
Moses Morin 
Sam'l Morin 
Marie Morin."

This old French is translated as follows:

"Baptism at New York this 8th December, 1717. Today, Sunday, after
the evening prayer, Monsieur Louis has baptized Jean Morin, born
the 23rd of November last, son of Moise [Moses] Morin and of
Marianne Bricon. Presented to the Holy Baptism by Samuel Morin and
Marie Quintard, godfather and godmother," and signed by L. Rou as
pastor.

It is interesting to note how the French "Moise" has Anglicized in
the signature into "Moses Morin."

From Samuel Morin appearing as godfather it is apparent there had
grown up quite a family of American Morins. In fact, there is today
an extensive family of Morins from these ancestors living in New
York State, whose descendants have scattered all over the United
States. One of these I met recently in California and he said it
was a tradition in his family that the Morins were always
Protestants and Masons. He also said a book has been written on the
Morin family, hut despite many efforts I have been unable to secure
a copy.

THE MORINS WERE FRENCH HUGUENOTS

It is apparent from the records cited that the Morins were French
Huguenots and settled in New York in 1691 or earlier, coming from
the Protestant town of La Rochelle (which made such a gallant
defense against the Roman Catholics); and from these a numerous
American family of that name originated. The siege of La Rochelle
by Richelieu and the bravery of the Huguenot mayor are well known
historically.

It really makes no difference whether or not Stephen Morin was a
Jew. It is only to bring into the history of the Scottish Rite that
historical accuracy which Masonic writers of the present day are
trying to introduce that I have made these researches. It is also
proper to announce here that Henry Andrew Francken also was not a
Jew, but Holland Dutch. There are many of his name in the
biographical dictionaries seventeen alone being listed as painters
and artists in Holland. He (Francken) is also recorded as having
been present at a baptism in one of the early Dutch Protestant
churches in New York, so Samuel Oppenheim, who has seen the
records, informed me. Oppenheim declared in a letter to the writer
that Stephen Morin was not a Jew, but a French Huguenot.

Having made the discovery that the Morins were a French Protestant
family having in New York, among whom Stephen was a family name
much used, it is now a matter for the Northern Jurisdiction members
of the Scottish Rite to follow up the clue and see if they can find
in any of the other French Protestant churches whose members have
stopped speaking French a record of the birth or baptism of Stephen
Morin, the American Protestant Mason who brought the Scotttish Rite
to America. He was evidently born at about the same time and in the
same town as Moses M. Hays, who was born in 1739 at New York, where
his father was a wealthy shipowner. The two boys, Stephen Morin and
Moses Hays, perhaps, grew up together in that small town which had
about 18,000 inhabitants at that time. This would furnish a reason
why Stephen Morin gave full powers to Moses M. Hays at San Domingo,
as well as to Henry A. Francken about 1762 or 1763 as has been
generally stated. In the latter year the father of Moses M. Hays
died [see Jewish Encyclopaedia] and the young man, then twenty-four
years old and the oldest son, would naturally have to return home
from San Domingo to take charge of the large business his father
left and could do nothing with the Scottish Rite until 1768. All of
the numerous tribe of Hays were patriots in the Revolutionary War,
as is shown by the Jewish Encyclopaedia. Moses Cohen in his patent
recites that he obtained his copy of the Constitutions of 1762 from
Stephen Morin about 1794 in San Domingo, although it is asserted by
Gould that Morin lost his life in the Negro insurrection that drove
the French planters out of that beautiful island. Until the
paragraph of Rebold was discovered the writer supposed that to be
the fact. Morin's life, after he passed the torch of light, liberty
and truth to Moses M. Hays, seems to have been lost in obscurity,
but some day it is possible more information will be obtained on
this matter.

"Slowly the Bible of the race is writ 
Each tribe, each race ad(ls a line to it."

Morin is known to have been present at Kingston, Jamaica, in 1770,
when a chapter of Rose Croix, or even a higher degree was organized
by Stephen Morin and Henry A. Francken under the authority of the
Council of nine commissioners at Berlin, which is recited in the
charter, a fac-simile of which is given in the American edition of
the Complete History of Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, from
the original in the collection of Enoch T. Carson, 33d, of
Cincinnati.

These facts in regard to the introduction of the Scottish Rite into
America by Stephen Morin, the French Huguenot, would not be
complete unless some further reference was made to the source from
whence he obtained his power.

It was in 1761 that he was delegated, by what Albert Pike justly
considered a joint power from the Grand Lodge of France and the
Grand Council of Emperors of the East and West. It is well known by
Masonic historians that Baron Von Hund, the first authentically
known promulgator of the Templar system, known as the "Rite of
Strict Observance," was first initiated in 1742 at Paris into that
Order (as recorded in his diary) by the Earl of Kilmarnock, who
was, at that time, not only Grand Master of Scotland, but also
Master of the celebrated Mother Lodge of Kilwinning. This Lodge of
Kilwinning, tradition claims, was organized by those who built the
Abbey of Kilwinning in 1140, and has always had attributed to it
what we now term the "Higher Degrees." That there were Higher
Degrees in Scotland is evidenced by the fact, which is recorded by
Gould and others, that the Grand Lodge of Scotland did, by specific
resolution in 1799 and 1800, "discharge and prohibit" its daughter
or constituent lodges from giving any degrees except those of E.A.,
F.C., and M.M.

RIVALRY OF FRENCH LODGES

If we recognize that all the troubles which occurred in French
Masonry were due to the jurisdictional fights between the English
lodges, established by the Grand Lodge of England and organized as
the Grand Lodge of France, and the Scotch lodges, established in
France by the Grand Lodge of Scotland, we shall arrive at a clearer
comprehension as to the original cause and reason for the name of
the Scottish Rite. Chevalier Andrew Michael Ramsay, noted Scotchman
residing in Paris, who was made Doctor of Laws by Oxford, and also
a member of the Royal Society, has had attributed to him certain
Degrees which Rebold alleged were introduced by him; and he is
likewise known for his famous oration before the Grand Lodge of
France in 1737, in which he referred to the fact that Edward I of
England, conqueror of Scotland, brought back many Masons from the
Holy Land at the time of the Crusades where he was from 1270 to
1272. This has been substantiated by Prof. T. Hayter Lewis, Past
Master of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, as shown in Gould's Concise
History. Chevalier Ramsay also in his oration refers to the Knights
Templar as being a Masonic organization and while this has
generally been regarded as a baseless tradition, yet new
discoveries seem to indicate that the Arabs have been Masons since
632 A. D., when Mohammed died, down to the present time, and to
have imparted the mysteries of Masonry to the crusading Knight
Templars as Sir Walter Scott, himself a Mason, partially describes
in The Talisman. In fact, a recent writer, Bro. Captain De
Covington of the British Intelligence Service, stated in an article
in The National Trestle Board of San Francisco, in June, 1920, that
there were documents in existence at Mecca proving that every
Arabian ruler since the year 632 was a Master Mason. However,
whether this be so or not, Baron von Hund asserts in his diary,
which is as good evidence as the diary of Elias Ashmole, that he
received the Templar degrees (which were originally Scotch degrees)
from the hands of the Grand Master of Scotland, and that this was
the origin of the Scottish Rite and the Chapters of Clermont which
were Rose Croix chapters and named, so Gould says, in compliment to
the Count of Clermont, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of France at
the time. The Scottish Lodge of St. Andrew of Boston gave the
Templar Degree in 1769.

THE SCOTTISH RITE IN GERMANY

The Grand Lodge "To the Three Globes," of Berlin, of which
Frederick the Great was Grand Master from 1740 to 1757, also has
connected with it a Scottish Rite Chapter of Clermont which was
organized by the Baron von Prinzen and a French prisoner of war,
the Marquis de Tilly Launay, who was possessed of the Scottish Rite
degrees of the Chapter of Clermont, so Gould says. From this it
would appear that there is a basis for the statement that Frederick
the Great was the head of the Scottish Rite when the Constitutions
of 1762 were adopted, as this Chapter of Clermont, connected with
the Berlin Grand Lodge, "The Three Globes," was organized in 1758.

In the Constitutions for 1786 it is expressly shown, as one can see
by referring to the original Constitutions of 1762 and 1786 given
in Folger's History of the Scottish Rite, that the Scottish Rite
heretofore existing and coming from the Earl of Kilmarnock, Grand
Master of Scotland, into Germany through Baron von Hund and through
the Baron von Prinzen, was changed by order of Frederick in the
Constitution of 1786 to a Rite of thirty-three degrees and these
Constitutions explicitly state how it was done, and show why the
changes were made.

Like others, the writer had always considered these Constitutions
as somewhat apocryphal but after a careful examination of them and
all the facts obtainable, he has reached the conclusion, as did
Albert Pike, that they are genuine and based on actuality. All of
the full process of reasoning by which this decision was reached is
embodied in a manuscript for a book to be entitled The Origin of
the Scottish Rite, which gives a full history, as far as is now
possible, of the birth of that Rite. This history was submitted to
and accepted by the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction,
A. & A. S. R., and it is the sincere wish of the writer that the
same may be published after proper revision while he still treads
this mundane sphere.

GEMS OF MASONIC THOUGHT

Culled From the Expressions of Active and Thinking Masons

The earnest toiler in our vineyard, the zealous worker in our
quarries may not be a hero, the world may not look upon him in
admiration or view with enthusiasm his good works. but the silent
and sincere appreciation of his brothers are his; the silent
blessing of the widow is his; the lisped prayer of the orphan iS
for him, and the great and potent influence which all good men
exert in daily contact with their fellowmen can be traced to the
teachings of our Craft.--The Widow's Son.

The true worth of our life is that many hearts of friends should be
saddened and many eyes drop tears when it ends; that the poor
should have good words to speak of us and thankful recollections of
some act of charity and loving kindness, and prayers to the Great
Architect of the Universe that these may, in His merciful judgment,
outweigh our many frailties and errors--this, and that our
influences that live after us should bear no ill fruit. So the
teachings of our venerable Craft endeavor to persuade us to live.
So, more or less, lived our beloved brothers whose deaths it is our
sad duty to record from time to time.--EI Paso Bulletin.

