Women masons of record

Title

Language

English

Source

The Cabletow XXXVIII (1) July 1962

Year

1962

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

WOMEN MASONS OF RECORD (Gleanings from “Masonic En lightener”, United Grand Lodges of Germany.) Every Master Mason knows that a woman cannot be made a Mason un der a strict law of the Order. Few, however, know that there were women Masons before — many — who were admitted into the Order under forced circumstances in almost all cases. They had to be taken in after discovery that they had learned the mysteries of the Order by evesdropping. ft just proves that there is nothing men tan hide from women whose “strongest weakness” is cu riosity. Take the case of Catherine Babington (1815-1886) of Kentucky. It is said that at 16 she knew so much of Masonry that it was thought best to initiate her. For a year and a half she had been watching each meeting of the Lodge in Princess, Furnace, Ky., while hiding in a pulpit in the Lodge. An unde discovered her and after much discussion in the Lodge it was agreed to obligate her. How ever, she was not made a member and she never attempted to visit a Lodge. Another lady, Mrs. Beaton (17171802) of Not folk, England, concealed herself in a Lodge room and had leat ned the set rets of the first degree when discovered and initiated into the Order. .Somewhat dilferent was the c;y>e of Catherine I of Russia. She was for merly a mistress of Peter I he Great, who was the first to establish Ma sonic Lodges in Russia, and as such was also the Emperor's adviser. Final ly Peter married Catherine and made her Empress in 1712. Shortly there after the Emperor gave her permis sion to establish the Order of St. Catherine, an Order of Knighthood for women. She was Grand Mistress of the Order which was a semi-ma sonic body. In Ireland, Elizabeth St. Leger (1693-1773) is said to have been ini tiated at the age of 17 in Cork about 1710. She was the daughter of a Vis count in whose house the Lodge meetings were held. Through a chink in the wall she listened to all the ceremonies being conducted. Upon being discovered, her father and brothers decided to complete her Masonic knowledge by initiating her. She married Richard Aidworth and became a patroness of the Craft until she died in 1773 at the ripe age of 80. File wife of a French general be came a Republican heroine in the French revolution. She was Madame cle Xaintrailles, a Major of Cavalry. As a reward for her extraordinary courage, she was given the first de gree of real Masonry — not Adoptive Masonry. It is said that she assisted in various degree works of her Lodge, “I.es Freres Aristes”. One Mrs. Bell in Newcastle, Eng land, macle two holes on one wall of the Lodge and from an adjoining room watched the proceedings of the meetings. She afterwards claimed to 13 have “discovered the secrets of the Craft”, and advertised in the "New castle Weekly Chronicle of January 6, 1770 that any woman who would come to her will be instructed in the secrets of Masonry. It is not stated if the ‘ ad” brought her customers. In Klattau, Bohemia, a women’s Lodge was in existence in 1789, the membeship of which, it is said, was confined to wives of Masons. The Baroness Chanowsky de Lagendorf was the only exception. Her hus band was not a Mason. So success ful was the women’s Lodge, “The Three Crowned Hearts”, that the pa rent Lodge, “Sincerite”, died. Perhaps the case that raised the biggest rumpus was that of Countess Helene Hadik Barkoczy of Hungary. A highly educated woman, she came to possess by inheritance a large Ma sonic library and made an earnest study of the Craft. Through close acquaintances in the Fraternity, she was initiated in Lodge Egycnloseg under the (hand Orient of Hungary. On learning of the violation of the statutes, the Grand Orient instituted proceedings and the Deputy Master was expelled, the other officers drop ped from membership lists, while the other members were suspended for varying periods. Later the Grand Orient declared the woman’s admis sion to the Fraternity null and void and forbad her admittance into any Lodge under penalty of having their (barters arrested. Other Grand Lodges were requested to do the same. These arc only a few of the women Masons who arc on record. A good many more, it is said, arCj named by William R. Dcnslow in his “10,000 Famous Freemasons”. Back here in the Philippines there was one women who, it claim ed was a Mason. She was the daughter of Faustino Villaruel of Lodge Walana. It was her father who initiated the movement for a Grand Regional Council in the Phil ippines in 1893 together with Apolinario Mabini and several prominent Masons of the revolutionary era. No mention of her being a Mason, how ever, is made in Kalaw’s history of Philippine Masonry, unless it has es caped us. But the belief is persist ent and seems io be widespread. The first Eastern Star Chapter in the Philippines to admit Filipino mem bers is named after this lady. Medical Clinic For Masons The Acacia Medical Clinic is now open for consultation. Masons and thier families may see any of the Physicians listed below during their re;pective times of assignment on the ground floor of the Plaridel Masonic Temple, 1440 San Marcelino St., Manila: Monday .............. Tuesday .............. Wednesday ........ Thursday ............ Friday ................ Saturday ............ Dr. Reginaldo Pascual .......... Dr. Eugene Stransky ............ Dr. Manuel T. Rivera .......... Dr. Roman Kamatoy .............. Dr. Teodorico Santos .......... Dr. Juan Fernando ................ Dr. George A. Ros ................ Dr. Damaceno J. Ago ............ Dr. Alfredo L. Ortiz .......... 5 - 6 p.m. 5 - 6 p.m. 4-6 p.m. 4-5 p.m. 4-5 p.m. 4 - 5 p.m. 3 - 4 p.m. 4 - 5 p.m. 5 - 6 p.m. 14 THE CABLE TOW July, 1962

pages

13-14

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