Freemasons Secret Society ~ Thomas Thomson Stonemason

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2023: Week 12 (MEMBERSHIP)

I have always been fascinated by secrets. 

It's why I first began genealogy. 

I had a desire to find out who my grandfather really was. In the end I discovered there was more than one secret in our Bramble Bush, and I am confident I will find more.

I grew up hearing about the secret society of Freemasons. 

The idea of a secret society that was sort of public knowledge always sounded fascinating to me.

It was only this week that I discovered the original members were all Stonemasons. 

I was struggling to understand why Stonemasons needed to have a secret society with only other Masons accepted so decided to learn more about the members of this secret society for this week's prompt. 

I has always thought Freemasonry was a secret religion with secret symbols & rituals. 

Encyclopedia Britannica tells us

"Freemasonry evolved from the guilds of stonemasons and cathedral builders of the Middle Ages. With the decline of cathedral building, some lodges of operative (working) masons began to accept honorary members to bolster their declining membership. From a few of these lodges developed modern symbolic or speculative Freemasonry, which particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries adopted the rites and trappings of ancient religious orders and of chivalric brotherhoods. In 1717 the first Grand Lodge, an association of lodges, was founded in England.
Freemasonry has, almost from its inception, encountered considerable opposition from organized religion, especially from the Roman Catholic Church, and from various states. Freemasonry is not a Christian institution, though it has often been mistaken for such. Freemasonry contains many of the elements of a religion; its teachings enjoin morality, charity, and obedience to the law of the land. In most traditions, the applicant for admission is required to be an adult male, and all applicants must also believe in the existence of a Supreme Being and in the immortality of the soul."  1

It's still not clear to me how Masons evolved into this type of organization. 

The Grand Lodge of Ohio explains

"Freemasonry is one of the oldest fraternal organizations in the world. It unites men of good character who, though of different religious, ethnic or social backgrounds, share a belief in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of mankind. Freemasonry offers a system or blueprint for the good man to further improve his character and actions through its system of degrees, symbols, and fellowship opportunities.  ...

Modern Freemasonry was established in England in 1717, although its exact origins are lost in the unrecorded history of medieval times. Its roots are found in guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons. As a stonemason grew in his craft, he was entered into the appropriate rank: apprentice, journeyman (now called Fellow Craft) and master mason.
At each stage, the craftsman was entrusted with the secrets of each level, which include passwords and grips (or handshake) made known to him only upon due inspection of necessary proficiency by a master of the craft. This way, as stonemasons migrated across Europe to the next job, each man was assured proper pay and privilege commensurate with his skill level, and clients were assured of the quality of work. Today, Freemasonry shares this same system of secrets, ritual and growth, though the work has shifted from building edifices to building oneself in good character." 2

My great grandfather, Thomas Thomson, was a Stonemason. 

Thomas Thomson with brother-in-law Dave Slicer

My dad's notes about his grandfather's carvings as recorded
from conversations with his mom (daughter of Thomas Thomson)

I have never seen any records or symbols attached to him to suggest he may have been. At the same time, he was a Stonemason in Scotland & Canada during the right timeframe so he could have been a Freemason.

He is not the only probable member of the Freemasons.

In researching the Mason members in the areas where my husband's family roots are it's appears as though his family does have membership history with the Masonic Lodges. 

Recorded in the Grand Lodge, A.F. & A.M of Canada. In the Province of Ontario book (in sources below) a member by the name of FA Buchner died in 1985.

I have yet to figure out who that would be.

Searching Buchner & Freemason I found a reference to William H Buchner who was listed as alive in 1954.
It could be my husband's 2nd cousin X3 removed, but he died in 1953
William H Buchner
BIRTH 20 MAR 1871 • Ontario, Canada
DEATH 23 NOV 1953
This leaves me not sure if the William H Buchner is the same one in our Bramble Bush. 

I am still working on the the connection to the Buckner Masonic Lodge in Missouri.

Are the Buckners and Buchners related?

The Boughners and Buchners are related.

When your research leaves you with more questions than answers!!! 

This is why I search - 

Cause ... 

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Footnotes:

1  Freemasonry - secret organization. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved February 22nd 2023 from 
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Freemasonry

2  What is Freemasonry? Grand Lodge of F&AM of Ohio. Retrieved February 22nd 2023 from 
https://www.freemason.com/what-is-freemasonry/

Sources:

Buckner Masonic Lodge #501. Retrieved February 24th 2023 from
https://buckner501.net/

Grand Lodge. A.F. & A.M of Canada. In the Province of Ontario. Retrieved February 24th 2023 from
https://dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/3337/grandlodge2001onta.pdf

Photos:

Personal

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/52-ancestors-in-52-weeks/

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