Schism: The Battle That Forged Freemasonry
Schism: The Battle That Forged Freemasonry by Ric Berman
English | July 1, 2013 | ISBN: 1845196066, 1845196074 | EPUB | 272 pages | 3.3 MB
English | July 1, 2013 | ISBN: 1845196066, 1845196074 | EPUB | 272 pages | 3.3 MB
Schism examines the creation of the Antients Grand Lodge and traces the influence of Ireland and the London Irish - especially that of Laurence Dermott, the Antients' Grand Secretary - in the development of freemasonry in the second half of the 18th century. It contrasts the relative accessibility of the Antients with the exclusivity of the 'Moderns' - the original Grand Lodge of England - and outlines how the dispute instigated a half century of rivalry with the Moderns that resulted in fundamental changes to the composition and nature of freemasonry, extending formal sociability to the lower middling and working classes and creating one of the first modern friendly societies.
Schism makes the subject accessible to both a Masonic and non-Masonic audience and supplements dated historical works. The book contributes to the history of London and the London Irish in the long 18th century and examines the social and trade networks of the urban lower middling and working class, areas that remain substantially unexplored. It also offers a prism through which Britain's calamitous relationship with Ireland can be examined.