Once again on my travels I have noticed inexperienced Freemasons (members under UGLE) stating that the United Grand Lodge of England was Constituted in 1717. This is technically incorrect, so in an attempt to be helpful here are the actual facts.The first Masonic body to call itself a Grand Lodge was Constituted in 1717 and it was called "The Grand Lodge of London and Westminster" (AKA the Premier AKA the Moderns GL) and initially it claimed jurisdiction only over that roughly 8 mile radius (This is why London Freemasonry has a different relationship with Grand Lodge than the Provinces today). It was initially set up to manage and revive the London Lodges that had fallen into disrepair and to organise a quarterly get together of their Masters and Wardens. Despite this original remit it became very popular, very quickly and Lodges from outside its area joined in too, so much that by 1723 it had expanded its area to England.
Meanwhile, the Masons in Scotland and Ireland liked the idea of central management of Craft Lodges and Constituted their own Grand Lodges. As we know in Scotland this caused some arguments and problems and in Ireland the Grand Lodge was even more lacksadaisical with minute keeping than the English.
Then the problems started. In England the benevolent fund of the English Grand Lodge grew very quickly and it believed that many Irish Masons were trying to gain access to its Lodges only to get at these funds for spurious reasons. This was also at a time when there had been several exposes published and the English Grand Lodge decided (possibly to kill 2 birds) to change its "Tokens". Outroar amongst the Scots and Irish Masons in England ensued.
In 1751 the "Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England, according to the Old Constitutions" (AKA The Antients AKA the Atholl GL) was Constituted. It must be clarified that this was not a schism it was a new Grand Lodge actually started by Freemasons under the Grand Lodge of Ireland who lived in England. In England 60 years of Masonic turmoil had begun!
Today, the arguments between these 2 English Grand Lodges look quite funny but there is no doubt that at the time this Masonic civil war was serious to some of the participants although others enjoyed membership of both Grand Lodges. There were even cases of Lodges abroad swapping their allegiances between the two Grand Lodges.
However by the turn of the 19th Century everyone was getting bored of the animosity and in 1809 moves began to bring about peace between the two Grand Lodges. Over the following 4 years articles of Union were drawn up and a Ritual composed by combining those used by both Grand Lodges.
On 27th December 1813 the Grand Lodges joined together and assumed the name "the United Grand Lodge of England" with the Duke of Sussex as the first joint Grand Master. Our Lodges were re-ordered and re-numbered and the rest, as they say, is history.
