Page 6 - Triangle Spring 2007 Issue 2

Masons At a recent Craft Lodge of one John Jennings who was a Founder Member of the

Marks Instruction meeting a question was Rural Philanthropic Lodge No 291 which met at the
Highbridge Inn. John Jennings was an architect and
raised about the “Masonic Code”
Or those marks as displayed on the Third Degree surveyor and undertook the repair of the river gates and
by which we are Tracing Board. As Preceptor I lock in the river Brue at Highbridge. To fulf l his contract
known to each explained that, as far as I knew, it it cost him a £100 of his own money and to record this
other was based on an old substitution fact for posterity he arranged to have it inscribed on his
code, i.e. a single symbol for each headstone which was made from part of the original
letter of the
English alphabet. At the same
time I distributed copies of the
“Masonic Code” as published in the
Mark Degree Ritual book. (Note
that no particular combination of
this code has ever been approved
or adopted by any Grand Lodge.) Three examples of masons marks from the Kennet and Avon Canal
By so doing I was trying to create some
active interest in the Mark Degree. lock. The details were carved, using the “Masonic
However while attending a Royal Arch Chapter admin Code” in six lines at the foot of the headstone and are
meeting at Burnham-on-Sea I picked up a leaf et thus translated;“This stone is part of the apron or f oor
published by the Rural Philanthropic Lodge No 291 on of Highbridge, which being much broken and in vain
the same subject but which included some additional attempted to be repaired for sixty years, was completely
and interesting information about the code. The code is repaired in the year 1779 by John Jennings, who lost
based on a noughts and crosses frame for 18 letters and £100 by doing it.”
a saltire cross for the remaining 8 letters. These two basic As was explained to the Brethren at the L of I this ‘simple’
forms are said to represent two of the three Great Lights code has many variations for instance:
in Freemasonry, namely the Square and the Compass. A B C D E F S T F E D C B A T S
The Square denotes good conduct and the Compass
signif es the keeping within or encompassing God’s Laws. G H I J KL Y Z U V L K J I H G V U ZY
In this form letters A-R are based on the Square and the M N O P Q R W X R Q P O N M X W
letters S-Z are based on the Compass.
You can also read the code, either from right to left or
A J B K C L S W
left to right! As you will soon realise the combinations
D M E N F O V Z TX are almost inf nite and more so if you introduce the
use of a password! I’ll leave those calculations to the
G P H Q I R U Y
mathematicians or computer buffs in our midst. So
saying, can you work this one out?
(Square letters) (Compass letters)
These marks are easily entered on the edge of a
chisel! In each case the right hand letter uses the In future whilst out walking, look out for the operative
same form as the left hand letter but includes a dot in the mason’s marks in some of our local old buildings. For
form. Thus Royal Sussex would become instance if you happen to be walking along the Kennet
and Avon canal the masons marks can be clearly seen in
some of the bridges that cross over the canal and again
at the Tythe Barn at Bradford upon Avon.
The same code was found on a headstone in the West As the work generally was piece work, that is payment by
Huntspill churchyard and was set up to commemorate results, these marks were an effective way of establishing
Mark Golf Day 2007 whose work was being inspected and hopefully approved
This years competition for the Provincial Grand Masters for payment The marks are there for all to see but how
Shield will be held on Wednesday 18 July 2007 at Bath often do we seek them out? To quote Conan Doyle’s
th
Golf Club. All golfers are welcome to enter, the Provincial Sherlock Holmes “We see but we do not observe.” So
Grand Master would like to see all Lodges represented. Mark Well those masons marks.
Please contact; Richard Stone; Tel 01935 864553 David George Preceptor St Lukes Lof I
email - rich@vertexeng.demon.co.uk or (Chaplain Royal Sussex Lodge of MMM No 177)
Calling all Bowlers With due acknowledgement and thanks to the Rural
Philanthropic Lodge’s paper.
The fourth annual Mark v Craft bowls competition will be
held at Shepton Mallet Bowls Club on Monday 9 July. Did You know?
th
This is always a very pleasant day in the Mark social
calendar. Assemble at 10.00am for coffee, there will that the f rst recorded Mark advancement ceremony in
st
be four rinks of four followed by lunch at the club. Any England took place on the 1 September 1769 in the
brother who would like to play on the Mark Team should Royal Arch Chapter of Friendship, now number 257 in
contact the Deputy PGM Ray Guthrie on 01761471275 Portsmouth, when Thomas Dunkerley made brethren
Mark Men and Mark Masters.
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