The Master Builders

A Masonic Talk by Clive Moore. 12 A5 pages including illustrations, plus illustrated covers.

Some historians contend that speculative Freemasonry evolved directly from much older stonemasons' lodges. The author of this booklet holds to the theory that it started independently towards the end of the 16th century, but that the structure and many trappings of our lodges did clearly derive from medieval stonemasonry. He examines these links, grouping them under headings derived from key phrases used in our ritual, such as 'Labour & Refreshment', 'Our Several Degrees' and 'The Mystery of a Master Mason'.

Drawing upon a wide range of sources, many of them non-Masonic, the author in a concise and readily understandable manner describes the many links that Freemasonry has to medieval stonemasonry. These range from obvious ones, such as our Old Charges, working tools, and aprons; to some more subtle ones concerning geometry, the siting of foundation stones, and items such as the 'broached thurnel' and 'lewis'.