Page 9 - Thinking of becoming a Freemason

Some London Lodges disagreed with these Eventually, the Union of the two rival Grand
Constitutions and in 1751, a rival Grand Lodge Lodges took place on 27 December 1813,
was formed by disaffected Masons. Its founders under the Grand Mastership of HRH Prince
claimed that the original Grand Lodge had Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, the sixth
departed from the established customs of the son of King George III.
Craft and they intended practising Freemasonry
The Book of Constitutions
“according to the Old Institutions”.
The Book of Constitutions has been reprinted
Confusingly, they called themselves the Grand
and gone through many editions since its
Lodge of the Ancients and dubbed their senior
initial publication, but the fundamental rules
rival the Moderns. It included many London
laid down in 1723 still apply today.
Lodges and was known as the Ancients or
Atholl Grand Lodge, after the third Duke of
Atholl who became its first Grand Master.

United Freemasonry
The two rivals existed side by side, neither
regarding the other as regular or each other’s
The Book of Constitutions
members as regularly-made Masons.
Attempts at a union of the two rivals began has been reprinted and gone
in the late 1790s but it was not until the through many editions since its
Duke of Sussex became the Grand Master of initial publication, but the
the Moderns and his brother the Duke of
fundamental rules laid down
Kent became Grand Master of the Ancients
in 1723 still apply today
that progress was made.
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