Freemasonry on the rise in Asia

From the Daily Telegraph

Freemasons grow in popularity in Asia

'Secret' society the Freemasons is expanding in Asia, as expats look to join its ranks.

Thriving: many young professionals working overseas join the Freemasons Photo: PA

The Freemasons are thriving in Asia as expats look for a ready-made network of professionals to help them settle into a new country.

The supposedly secret society, which dates back to the 18th century, is seeing a lot of young blood join its ranks overseas to help break the stuffy image of retired old judges meeting behind closed doors.

The numbers of young professionals signing up to the Freemasons is helped by the fact that the fraternity is on a drive to become more “relevant” and “open” in its dealing with the public.

Nigel Brown, grand secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England, said: “We have always been open but want to be more pro-active in doing this, such as being recognised for our charitable work and donations. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about the Freemasons which we need to get rid of by helping people understand what we do and cutting out the jargon we use.”

Mr Brown was last week in Singapore to reopen Freemason’s Hall, a heritage building gifted by Queen Victoria to the Freemasons.

British-born Australian Nick Jacobs, 41, is an example of the new breed of Freemasons helping to grow the membership. He said: “It definitely has an attraction to expats as you get to meet up with people in a strange city and very quickly they are like brothers to you. And these are people you wouldn’t normally be friends with as they are outside the expat community.”

He added: “There are many older gentlemen who are active Freemasons in Singapore but we are finding that we are also attracting a much younger demographic of expats and locals.”

Freemasons in Asia regularly take part in social activities such as inter-lodge paintballing sessions and pub quizzes.

Singapore has eight English lodges and is part of a district that includes Malaysia and Thailand. Many countries in Asia are seeing a spike in popularity for the Freemasons, especially those nations with colonial roots and established lodges.

Dennis Heath, a British expat and Freemason in Singapore, added: “We see a lot of expats passing through Singapore who want to come to the lodge where they know they will be welcomed warmly. We also have expats who were previously part of a lodge back in the UK, along with those joining for the first time. The traditions and history of the Freemasons has a strong appeal in the fast-paced, digital world we live in”

But he admitted: “There is still a certain mystique, and many false myths, about joining the world’s oldest fraternal and charitable society.”

Nazi research brings reward for mason

From the Bucks Herald

 

Bucks freemason gains rare membership into world’s pre-eminent research group, Quatuor Coronati, for Nazi investigation

David Peck

Published on Friday 7 December 2012 15:17

A freemason has won a top award for historical research on the Nazis.

David Peck, 68, of Haddenham, has been honoured for his exploration of the Nazi threat to British Freemasons in World War Two.
He has received the Norman B Spencer Prize, awarded by the world’s pre-eminent masonic research group, Quatuor Coronati Lodge in London.
Mr Peck, a former BAE SYSTEMS project director, of Wykeham Gate, Haddenham, won £100 for his efforts – and, more significantly, has been invited to join the research group.
He said: “It is a great honour. I am so pleased. I am the first member of Bucks Freemasons for many years to be asked to become a member of Quatuor Coronati.”
The research group has an important position in world freemasonry, as the exact origins of the craft, as it is known among members, has been lost in the shrouds of time.
Written records of very early masonic meetings were either not made or have not survived.
Mr Peck adds: “Freemasonry is all about friendship, decency, and charity, so it is important for future generations that historians document and examine the challenges the movement has had throughout its existence.
“Possibly the biggest threat it has seen in the last century was that of the Nazis. Far too many freemasons ended up in concentration camps as the German tanks rolled in, across national borders, throughout Europe.
“There is every reason to believe that we would have suffered similar persecution in England if Operation Sea Lion – Hitler’s plan to invade England – had gone ahead.”
The head of Bucks Freemasons, Gordon Robertson, says: “David is a wonderful advocate for our core values of friendship, decency, and charity, so I am delighted that his many years of devotion to the cause have been recognised in this way.
“He is the go-to guy for anyone in Berks, Bucks, and Oxon who wants to learn about the history of freemasonry.”
Mr Peck is a former master, or chairman, of Haddenham Lodge, which he joined in 1982. It is based at the Masonic Centre in Thame High Street, Oxfordshire.
He is chairman of the Bucks Association for Masonic Research. His previous projects include investigating the order’s origins and development in Malta.
Mr Peck is a chartered engineer and a Bradford University graduate. He has lived in his current home in Haddenham for more than 30 years.
He went on: “I shall donate the cash to the masonic library at Freemasons’ Hall in London, which is a mine of information about the craft.
“And I shall continue to research as much as I can. It’s a bug.”

Masonic membership packs

 From the Daily Telegraph...

Freemasons sell Christmas membership packs for £80

Its 'secret' handshakes and elaborate rituals have long been a mystery to outsiders, but the world of freemasonry is opening up by selling membership Gift Packs for people to give their loved ones for Christmas.

Membership to the Freemasons is now available as a Christmas gift  

The Masonic Christmas Gift Pack costs £80 and includes a tour of the local Masonic Lodge, an invitation to meetings with masons, and – subject to approval by the local Lodge - a year’s membership to the group.

The British Federation of Co-Freemasonry described the pack, which is available until the end of December, as “truly a life-changing gift”.

The federation is one of a number of freemasons’ groups that operate worldwide. It was founded in 1893 and has been operational in Britain since 1902. The federation is open to both men and woman and is open to people from all backgrounds and walks of life.

Freemasons are networking groups and charitable organizations who convene in local ‘Lodges’, or meeting houses. They are non-religious and non-political, and membership involves taking place in a series of rituals and ceremonies.

The British Federation of Co-Freemasonry is different to the United Grand Lodge of England, where membership is limited to men only.

The British Federation of Co-Freemasonry said it is the first Masonic organisation to make membership available as a Christmas gift. It said that the initiative is part of a wider campaign to raise awareness amongst the general public.
A spokeswoman said that new members applying to join through the Christmas Gift Pack initiative will have their application confirmed after an interview by members at their nearest lodge.
She said: “We are hoping to reach some people who perhaps have never considered becoming a Freemason before. It seemed to us that Christmas was the perfect time to offer a Masonic Gift Pack and we hope many will take it up to surprise a loved one.”
“It is certainly a unique Christmas gift – to our knowledge nothing like this has ever been done before. Of course, if they subsequently change their minds before joining, we will provide a full refund. Equally if their local Lodge feel they aren’t suited to becoming a Mason we will fully refund the package as well.
The spokeswoman said that there are “huge benefits” to becoming a freemason.
“It provides a wonderful spiritual framework for life. We are hoping many more people will get the chance to experience it for themselves by being gifted our packs this Christmas,” she said.

Freemasons get apology

The irascible James Delingpole gives the Craft a name-check in a recent column for the Daily Telegraph.

Here's a taster

"Perhaps the least surprising aspect of the Rotherham childcare story is that Car Crash Commissar and Child Catcher in Chief Joyce Thacker was a member of Common Purpose.
The secretive Fabian organisation has been getting quite a bit of media attention, lately, thanks to a bravura investigation conducted by the Daily Mail. Common Purpose has been described as a Left-wing version of the Freemasons (apologies to the Freemasons who certainly don't deserve to be bracketed in the same noisome category) and to get an idea how it operates, here's an excerpt from the Mail piece:
'It's a new old boys' network,' he explains 'but the Left's version of it — and I don't like secretive deal-making and “group think” of any kind.
'What is interesting is that the same people appear in the same jobs, in different places, as if through a revolving door. They work for local authorities, leave, then… Read More"

Strike a light

This rather plain matchbox case to mark - and probably raise money for? - the new masonic hall in Horsham, Sussex, is to go under the hammer at auction.

What makes it far more valuable than the estimated £20-25 is the date - 1939.

This conjures up enormous emotion, marking as it does the year that World War Two began. And in that war the Nazis stepped up their hideous actions against chosen minorities, including, Jews, gypsies and Freemasons.

Owning this would be a constant reminder of that war, and of sacrifice and of brothers sent to their deaths.

It's being sold by Stacey's auctioneers in Essex.

Dunblane conspiracy

For those who like a good Freemasonry conspiracy, here is one from "thetruthseeker.co.uk". It is dated 2005 and pasted here:

LETTERS between Labour and Tory ministers and correspondence relating to Thomas Hamilton’s alleged involvement with Freemasonry are part of a batch of more than 100 documents about the Dunblane mass murder which have been sealed from public sight for 100 years.
The documents include a letter connected to Hamilton, which was sent by George Robertson, currently head of Nato, to Michael Forsyth, who was then Secretary of State for Scotland.
Until now it was thought that a 100-year public secrecy order had only been placed on one police report into Hamilton which allegedly named high-profile politicians and legal figures. However, a Sunday Herald investigation has uncovered that 106 documents, which were submitted to the Dunblane inquiry in 1996, were also placed under the 100-year rule.
The Scottish Executive has claimed the 100-year secrecy order was placed on the Central Police report, which was drafted in 1991 five years before the murders, to protect the identities of children named in the report. Hamilton had allegedly abused a number of children prior to his 1996 gun attack on Dunblane primary school in which 16 primary one children and a teacher died before Hamilton turned his gun on himself.
However, only a handful of the documents, which the Sunday Herald has discovered to be also subject to the 100-year rule, relate to children or name alleged abuse victims.
The most intriguing document is listed as: ‘Copy of letter from Thomas Hamilton to Dunblane parents regarding boys’ club, and flyer advertising Dunblane Boys’ Sports Club. Both sent to Rt Hon Michael Forsyth, MP, Secretary of State for Scotland, by George Robertson MP.’ Also closed under the 100-year rule is a ‘submission to Lord James Douglas Hamilton, MP, Minister of State at the Scottish Office, concerning government evidence to the Inquiry’.
Another document relates to correspondence between the clerk of the Dunblane inquiry, which was presided over by Lord Cullen, and a member of the public regarding ‘possible affiliations of Thomas Hamilton with Freemasonry … and copy letters from Thomas Hamilton’.
SNP deputy justice minister, Michael Matheson, said: ‘The explanation to date about the 100 -year rule was that it was put in place to protect the interests of children named in the Central Police report. How can that explanation stand when children aren’t named? The 100-year rule needs to be re-examined with respect to all documents.’
Matheson has written to the Lord Advocate, Colin Boyd, asking why the 100-year rule applies and how it can be revoked. He has so far had no response. He also asked First Minister Jack McConnell to explain the reasons for the 100-year order but received ‘no substantial answer’. Matheson is to write to Colin Boyd a second time, in the light of the discovery that more than 100 other documents are also sealed, asking him to account for the decision.
A spokeswoman for the Crown Office said: ‘In consultation with the Crown Office and the Scottish Office, Lord Cullen agreed that in line with the age of some of the individuals involved and named in the inquiry, the closure period would be 100 years. The Lord Advocate is considering issuing a redacted copy of the productions, which would blank out identifying details of children and their families. A decision on this has yet to be made.’
Other sealed key reports on Dunblane include:
· A ‘comparative analysis of Thomas Hamilton’ by Central Scotland Police
· Information about Hamilton’s ‘use and possession of firearms’
· Pathology reports, Hamilton’s autopsy report, and analysis by Glasgow University’s forensic science lab on blood, urine and liver samples from Hamilton’s body
· Details on firearms licensing policies
· A review by Alfred Vannet, regional procurator fiscal of Grampian, Highland and Islands, of ‘reports and information in respect of Thomas Hamilton submitted to the procurator fiscals of Dumbarton and Stirling by Strathclyde Police and Central Police’
· A psychological report on Hamilton
· Guidance from the British Medical Association on granting firearms licences
· ‘Transcript of and correspondence relating to answering-machine tape which accidentally recorded conversation between police officers at the scene of the Dunblane incident’
· Correspondence and witness statements ‘relating to allegations of sexual abuse made against Hamilton’
See Blair’s Protection of Elite Paedophile Rings Spells the End For His Career
http://www.propagandamatrix.com/blair_protection.html

The early days - Masons and pubs

Two lots coming at a Bonhams sale trace Freemasonry back to its earlier days when lodges met in pubs and took their names from them.

The first (pictured above) is a pint mug dating from 1750 and engraved: "David Fraser at ye Dundee Arms Plough Ally Wapping." - the name of a London hostelry.

Inside it is engraved "WYNN" - probably John Wynn (1740-1778).

As the footnote in the catalogue says: "The Dundee Arms in Wapping - the latter a centre for ship-building and the victualling and supplying of ships - was used between 1747 and 1763 as a meeting place for the Masonic Lodge which came to be known as the Old Dundee Lodge."

It is estimated to sell for £300 when it goes under the hammer in Chester on November 22.

At the same sale are these three mugs: two pre-industrial pint mugs and a half pint mug dating from about 1750.

One of the pint mugs is engraved "J King, Blacksmith arms."

As the footnote adds: "The Blacksmith's Arms was the meeting place in 1795 for the Masonic Oak Lodge."

The mugs are expected to sell for £120.

Edward VII bust

Here is an alabaster bust of Edward VII (1841-1910) wearing a Masonic collar. It is being sold by Criterion Auctioneers in Wandsworth, London. It is expected to sell for up to £80.

Pakistan regalia

This 90-year-old collection of Masonic regalia and founder's medal is of interest because it is from Pakistan.

The 1922 Kohat Lodge silver guilt medal and the accompanying embroidered aprons are expected to fetch up to £90 when they go under the hammer at Andrew Smith and Son saleroom near Winchester, Hants, UK.

19th century photo of Masons in Cairo

 This rather splendid photo is being sold by Bloomsbury auctions in London with an estimate of £400-£600.

It was taken in Cairo in 1895 and is being sold with others.

The catalogue description follows and includes a brief history of Masonry in Egypt.

Freemasonry.- Makarios (Shaheen Bek) (Shaheen, Bek) Kitab Al Adab Al Masoriyah, illustrations, browned, modern half morocco, original upper wrapper bound in (foxed), Cairo, 1895 § Abassi (Mahmoud, Bek) B`ism Mouhandis Al Kawn Al `Azam..., illustrations, lightly stained at lower edge, original wrappers, stapled, browned, Cairo, National Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and accepted Masons of Egypt, 1919 § Al Masouneyah, Garidat Adabeyah Masouneyah, 2 vol., facsimile reprint, roan backed-rexine, Cairo, 1901-02 [but later]; and 15 others on Egyptian Freemasonry and some related ephemera including photographs of masonic meetings, invitations to meetings and a lottery ticket from the Grand Loge Nationale d`Egypte, 8vo & 4to (sm. qty) order`s rejection of dogma and its tendency to create a platform for political debate, membership was not dictated by the boundaries of faith or denomination.

However, this inclusive, combined with the order`s pretence of secrecy, was what eventually led to its demise. Conspiracies and accusations, primarily of the Freemasons` support for Zionism, abounded and, after the creation of Israel in 1948, forced many lodges to close.

In addition the rise of a self-made military elite after the 1952 Revolution either pressured pro-British lodges to close or made revolutionary lodges obsolete.

Despite the common conception that Freemasonry would only attract a Christian membership, it thrived in Egypt and across the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Brought over by French Masons following Napoleon`s expedition in 1798 the ties between Egyptian Freemasonry and French Republicanism would last until its decline after the Second World War.

Indeed, whilst traditional English lodges that sprung up much later (not until the 1870s) attracted a membership of landed elite that benefitted from the British occupation, French lodges drew political activists and ambitious members of the middle class who were discontent with the imposed British hierarchy.

Well-known personalities included the anti-imperialist Islamist reformers Jamal al-Din al-Afghani and his disciple Muhammad `Abduh including other supporters of the `Urabi revolt of 1882, as well as nationalist politicians like Mohammed Farid and Saad Zaghloul.

A joke!

I have just been emailed this joke...






Two guys are drinking in a bar.

One says, "Did you know that Buffaloes have sex 10 to 15 times a day?"



"BUGGER!" says his friend. "And I just joined the Masons....."

High Sheriff thanks Masons

From the Bucks Herald...

 

‘Freemasons are the DNA of charities’: High Sheriff on horseback thanks organisation for raising £1 million for good causes

The head of Aylesbury and Bucks Freemasons, Gordon Robertson, officially started High Sherriff Carolyn Cumming s rural ride through the region. He donated £1 000 provided by the order towards her £50 000 target. She is due to arrive in Burnham Beeches on Saturday September 22.

The High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, Carolyn Cumming, has thanked Aylesbury’s freemasons for helping to raise more than £1 million for charities in the area.

The 12 lodges and six chapters which meet at the Masonic Hall in Ripon Street were among nearly 4,000 colleagues who made contributions to the Bucks Masonic Centenary Fund.
This money has gone to the Bucks and Milton Keynes Community Foundations, which act as a central point of contact for good causes throughout the region.
Mrs Cumming said: “I cannot thank the Aylesbury freemasons enough for their generous donations which make a real difference to the lives of tens of thousands of people in our area.
“Their quiet determination and regular contributions are the bedrock of so many good causes. Freemasonry has become part of the DNA of Bucks charities over the last two decades.”
The High Sheriff’s comments came as she prepared to set off on a recreation of activist William Cobbett’s ‘rural rides’ through the county

Masonic plate

This brass tray is being sold by Christie's in London on October 2 and is expected to fetch up to £1,000.

The catalogue descritpion states it was made in Syria or Egypt and is dates AH 1306/1882-3.

It adds: "The central roundel engraved with dense foliated scrollworks, the cusped medallion with pseudo calligraphy interspersed with interlocking bands, the rim with palmettes and geometric motifs, a square and compass at the centre."
25 5/8in. (65cm.) diam.

Silk needlework

This charming silk needlework is being sold by Leland Little auctions in North Carolina, US, andthere is no estimate.
The catalogue description reads:
Masonic Silk Pictorial Needlework, 19th century with various symbols, overall well worked with hand- painted and sewn details.

Chimps have secret handshakes

From the Daily Mail....

Keeping it in the family: Researchers find 'secret handshake' passed down through generations of Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees pass down a ‘secret handshake’ through the generations, according to a new study.
Researchers found that troops of chimps pass on traditions, including the handshake, from one generation to the next - and they differ from group to group.
When chimps are cleaning, they adopt a ‘grooming handclasp’ - two chimps clasp onto each other’s arms, raise them in the air and groom each other with their free hand.

German researchers found chimpanzee families have their own unique hand clasp, passed down from generation to generation.

Previous research suggest this handclasp may be a cultural phenomenon - like how people greet each other - but only some chimpanzee colonies practise this grooming behaviour.
Researchers looked at chimps on the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust in Zambia - finding some prefer to clasp hands, while others clutch onto another chimp’s wrist.
Edwin van Leeuwen, of the Max Planck Institute, said: 'We don’t know what mechanisms account for these differences.

 

'But our study at least reveals that these chimpanzee communities formed and maintained their own local grooming traditions over the last five years.
'Our observations may also indicate that chimpanzees can overcome their innate predispositions, potentially allowing them to manipulate their environment based on social constructs rather than on mere instincts.'
Observations also revealed grooming behaviours are transmitted to the next generation of potential handclaspers - showing the chimps learn from one another.

Researchers found some chimpanzees prefer to clasp hands, while others clasp wrists

Mark Bodamer, of Gonzaga University, said: 'By following the chimpanzees over time, we were able to show that 20 young chimpanzees gradually developed the handclasp behaviour over the course of the five-year study.
'The first handclasps by young individuals were mostly in partnership with their mothers.
'These observations support the conclusion that these chimpanzees socially learn their local tradition, and that this might be evidence of social culture.
'Continued monitoring of these groups of chimpanzees will shed light on the question of how these group-traditions are maintained over time and potentially even why the chimpanzees like to raise their arms up in the air during social grooming in the first place.'

Trinidad document

This document from 1819 is coming up for sale at Bonhams in Oxford at the end of September.

The catalogue description reads:

TRINIDAD IMPRINT

The Freemason's Sure Guide, or, Pocket Companion, blindstamp on title and final leaf, shelfmark on verso of title, early half calf, lacks upper cover, 8vo, Trinidad [Port of Spain], for the Publisher, 1819

Estimate:

£200 - 400
US$ 320 - 630
€250 - 500

Footnotes

• SCARCE, COPAC locating only the John Rylands copy. Printed in Trinidad the author, an American resident in Port of Spain, notes that it is "intended principally for the use of the Fraternity in this Island".

Bored?

James D Julia in the US is selling this historic game board. It's valued at about £1,000. The description reads: "EARLY PAINT DECORATED GAME BOARD WITH MASONIC COLUMNS. This very early game board is double sided. One side for checkers with alternating black and cream squares highlighted by red. Either side of the checkered board is a painted column with a ball at top; reminiscent of the type of columns you see in Masonic symbols. The reverse of the game board is for Backgammon and is cream, red, and deep blue coloration. The board is very old and it appears to have been over painted many, many years ago during its period of use. The edge has red board molding dovetailed in the corners. SIZE: 16-3/4" x 24". CONDITION: Scattered paint flecking or loss on both sides and the frame with some worm damage. 9-27176."

Masonic trivet

This hanging wall trivet is coming up for sale at Richardson's auctions in Bourne, Lincolnshire. It is expected to fetch £85.

Early Burns portrait emerges

This early portrait of famed Mason Robert Burns is going under the hammer at Bonhams in Scotland.

The press release from the saleroom reads:

An intriguing early portrait of Robert Burns, Scotland’s greatest poet and song-writer, is to be offered for auction in Part I of Bonhams Annual Scottish Sale on August 20th in Edinburgh.  It is conservatively estimated at £5,000-7,000.
The portrait dates from the winter of 1786-7, during the writer’s first stay in Edinburgh.  Although the 27 year old Burns was still farming with his brother Gilbert in his native Ayrshire he was also establishing a literary reputation, having published, in July 1786, his first volume of poetry – the celebrated Kilmarnock Edition. He had gone to Edinburgh to arrange the second or Edinburgh Edition, brought out by the publisher William Creech in April 1787.
Burns was introduced by his patrons who included the Earl of Glencairn and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh to the leading lights of the cultural and artistic life of the capital.  Among these was the painter Alexander Nasmyth (1758-1840), who became a close friend and confidant and painted the poet from life for the frontispiece of the Edinburgh Edition.  This famous work is now exhibited at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.
The painting to be auctioned is almost certainly by one of Nasmyth’s children, several of whom were artists, and depicts Burns sitting in a chair. It, too, appears to have been painted from life. His facial features and clothing are entirely in keeping with contemporary observations of him. His hair is jet black, his eyes large and very dark, as recorded by, among others, Sir Walter Scott. His lips are slightly parted, described as their habitual position when not speaking by his brother Gilbert.

Bonhams Head of Pictures in Scotland, Chris Brickley, said,” This is one of the earliest portraits we have of Burns.  It was painted while he was tasting the first fruits of success as a poet and was almost certainly derived from a life study which gives the likeness an appealing freshness and immediacy.”

Clegg accused of Freemasonry

This story comes from the Daily Record in Scotland and concerns are rather disturbed nun.

A woman has been convicted of sending six envelopes containing white powder to parliamentary figures including Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
The letters were intercepted, three at a time on two separate occasions, at a mail screening centre and the powder was found to be non-hazardous, Harrow Crown Court in west London was told.
The defendant, who is known as Sister Ruth Augustus, denied six counts of hoaxes involving noxious substances or things.
But a jury took less than two-and-a-half hours to find her guilty by a majority verdict of 11 to one on all counts following a three-day trial.
Mr Justice Saunders deferred the case until September for a hearing at the Old Bailey while a medical report is prepared on Augustus's mental health.
She was released on bail on condition that she "does not contact, directly or indirectly, any MP or senior Government official" unless through her solicitor, the court heard.
Augustus, 71, of Leyton, east London, accepted that she sent envelopes with letters in them but claimed police put the white powder in them, the court was told.
Mark Kimsey, prosecuting, said three envelopes were intercepted at a mail screening centre in east London on June 17 last year.
A worker was checking mail at 5.30am when three envelopes raised concerns.
One was addressed to Mr Clegg and on the envelope was written "devil worshipping", "freemason", "sex with 30 plus women" and "your poor Catholic wife and children".
The second was to Baroness Scotland, and had a swastika on it and two crosses, and "stop this evil devil worshipping".
The third was to Baroness Kennedy, and was endorsed with a swastika, and "stop these evil devil worshipping freemasons".
The envelopes contained a gritty substance, but it was found they had already tested negative for anthrax, and specialist police who were called in found them to be non-hazardous.
On October 1, at the same place, three more envelopes were found, addressed to Mr Clegg, Lady Kennedy and MP Edward Leigh.
The envelopes carried similar endorsements and slogans and contained white powder which was found to be non-hazardous.
On December 7, Augustus was arrested at a hotel where she was staying in north west London and told police "It's a load of lies", Mr Kimsey said.
The trial heard that Augustus told police during interview: "I'm Sister Ruth, a 71-year-old disabled nun."
She also said: "I look like a terrorist, don't I, working for a charity all over the world, with orphans?"
The jury heard that she told interviewing officer Detective Constable Anne Adams: "The police are run by freemasons. All the top women are in it."
Asked why she had sent a letter to Mr Leigh, she said: "He's a Catholic, and goes to Westminster Cathedral."
As for Mr Clegg, she said he "lied about all the tuition fees and everything else, keeping those Tory millionaires and rats in government".
She added: "He boasted about all the women he's had sex with. He's an atheist singing hymns in the Albert Hall."
At one point she said: "I'm not a Muslim terrorist, I'm a Catholic nun."
And she said of the police: "They opened the envelopes, and put white powder in, to frame me. I know they monitor it all.
"I'm a Catholic nun, with more brains and intelligence than the police."
Asked if she was sending the letters for attention, she said: "Of course I am. I'm deliberately writing on the envelope as well so all the postmen will know all about it."
Following her conviction, Augustus turned to the public gallery as she left the courtroom and said she would be appealing against the verdict.

Tools for sale

These tools are going under the hammer - or should that be gavel? - at Stacey's saleroom in Rayleigh, Essex.
They are estimated to sell for £30 to £50.

Drugs in India

From the Indian Express

Considering the high rate of drug abuse in Punjab, Freemasonry has taken up the cause to eradicate drug addiction and plans to hold awareness camps and various initiatives to address the issue.
The Grand Master of Freemasons, B Biswakumar, said, “Around 74 per cent students in Punjab have taken to drugs. This figure was quoted by the government in an affidavit filed in the Punjab and Haryana high court.” Regional Grand Master KK Gautam said, “Punjab is a prosperous state. When people get surplus money, they channelise it in an undesirable manner. Besides, students become an easy prey for kingpins of drug dealers. After getting addicted to drugs they indulge in criminal activities like snatching.”

Lord Northampton - the colourful aristocratic Mason

From the Sunday Telegraph...

He is one of Britain’s wealthiest and most colourful aristocrats, with two stately homes, a hoard of Roman treasure and a fascination with ancient mysticism and Freemasonry.

Lord Northampton at the high court Photo: GRAHAM HUSSEY

By Robert Mendick, Chief reporter

8:00AM BST 01 Jul 2012

After four marriages had ended in failure, the Marquess of Northampton was convinced he had finally found love with his fifth wife. But now that marriage too — after 20 years — has ended in acrimony with Lord Northampton accusing his wife of having an affair with his close friend.

Last week, the Marchioness of Northampton’s lover was named in a High Court divorce hearing as Dan Stoicescu, a Romanian-born scientist and entrepreneur, who, friends of Lord Northampton claim, is even wealthier than the peer.

Lord Northampton, 66, has offered his wife a £15 million divorce settlement out of his £120 million fortune, although Lady Northampton, 60, is holding out for more.

The High Court heard last week that she wants a further £10 million and it is understood that Lord Northampton will be forced to sell one of his family’s most prized possessions — a £6 million portrait of Queen Mary I, painted in 1554 — to help pay for the divorce.

Lord Northampton, born Spencer Compton and known as “Spenny”, became friends with Dr Stoicescu six years ago after meeting at a Freemasons gathering. Dr Stoicescu, 60, describes himself as a “transhumanist” who is convinced human life can be “extended through nanotechnology and artificial intelligence”. He became the second person ever to have his human genome mapped, at a cost of £220,000, and later paid for Lord Northampton and his wife to go through the same process at an American clinic.

Related Articles

• Mystic Marquess in the dock over divorce tapes
  26 Jun 2011
• Pro Grand Master on fifth wife
  06 Oct 2000
• Marquess down to his last two castles
  18 Nov 2000

He also gave Lord Northampton expensive gifts before embarking on an affair with Lady Northampton in 2010.
When Lord Northampton discovered the liaison — through secret, taped telephone conversations between his wife and her elderly father — he threw her out of the 84-room family home at Compton Wynyates, Warwickshire. She now lives in a £3 million flat in central London, which the couple once shared.
A friend of Lord Northampton told The Sunday Telegraph: “Spenny feels betrayed by Dan Stoicescu, whom he once regarded as one of his closest friends. At a time when he thought his marriage was solid, he and Pamela [Lady Northampton] holidayed with Stoicescu and he showered them with expensive gifts.
“Stoicescu also spent several nights as a house guest at Compton Wynyates. Stoicescu even gave Pamela a job with one of his organisations, which meant they travelled the world together. Spenny’s own friendship with Stoicescu cooled from early 2009, but Pamela had remained keen to continue working with him.
“Although it looks obvious now what was developing, Stoicescu’s role in the end of his marriage — just a few weeks before their 20th wedding anniversary — was a complete and utter shock. When Spenny was told about the content of the tapes he was knocked sideways, and was left in no doubt his marriage was at an end.”
But a close friend of Lady Northampton’s hit back yesterday as the row between the two escalated.
The divorce trial — set to last 15 days at a cost of more than £2 million in lawyers’ fees — is due to take place in January after two years of legal wrangling. It promises to be one of the most expensive divorces in English legal history.
The friend of Lady Northampton’s said: “Spenny has had a chequered past and Pamela has had to put up with a great deal.
“It’s fair to say that after 23 years together, the marriage was already faltering a considerable time before the relationship began with Dan.
“It is totally irrelevant what Dan is worth. Pamela put her heart and soul into that marriage. She has no plans to marry Dan and values her independence.
“Since Spenny decided to divorce her, she feels she has been treated like a common criminal — thrown out of Compton Wynyates and never allowed back.
“She resents the claim that she is being portrayed as a gold-digger. After a 23-year relationship, and after the contributions Pamela has made to Spenny’s properties, business and life, she is entitled to a good settlement.”
Lord Northampton’s own lifestyle — in the days before he met his fifth wife — often occupied the gossip pages of tabloid newspapers. Lady Northampton, who wore a cowboy hat to court, is — like most of his previous wives — blonde and glamorous.
Between 1967 and 1988, Lord Northampton married four times in relatively quick succession. He sold a painting by Andreas Mantegna for a then-world record sum of £8.1 million in 1985, two years after divorce number three.
English divorce law largely protects inherited wealth, meaning Lord Northampton’s two stately homes, Compton Wynyates and Castle Ashby, will remain intact for his heir.
His assets also include Roman treasure worth up to £100 million, although its provenance is so contentious it cannot be sold. The Sevso Treasure, consisting of 14 large decorated silver vessels and plates, is just one of the assets lawyers will argue over.
Lord Northampton met Dr Stoicescu in about 2006. At around the same time, Lord Northampton was praising his wife at a gathering of Freemasons in New York, thanking her for the “advice, love and support I receive from Pamela, who shares with me a passion for the Craft”.
Dr Stoicescu, who has a PhD in chemistry, made his fortune from a pharmaceutical company. He lives on the shore of Lake Geneva but also has access to houses in California, where Bill Gates is said to be a neighbour, and an estate in Australia.
Four years ago, after having his genetic code mapped, he said: “I’d rather spend my money on my genome than a Bentley or an aeroplane.”
Dr Stoicescu sits as a trustee on several charities. He also describes himself as an Honorary Consul of Finland interested in anti-ageing therapy.
Last week, during two days of hearings before Mr Justice Coleridge, lawyers argued about the secretly recorded telephone conversations.
The calls between Lady Northampton and her 87-year-old father, James Haworth, were taped by Mr Haworth’s partner Suzanne Shipwright, who ran a hair and beauty salon in Staines, Surrey. The recordings, made over several months, were passed to Lord Northampton, although there is no suggestion he instigated the covert operation. The tapes prompted Lady Northampton to sue her husband separately for breach of privacy. That part of the action, which was discontinued last week, alone has racked up legal bills estimated at close to £500,000.
Lawyers for Lady Northampton told the High Court last week that her and her father’s human rights had been violated by the recordings, but Mr Justice Coleridge questioned the wisdom of pursuing the privacy action. “Has she got nothing better to do with her life?” he asked. 

Tobacco jar

Here's an interesting item: a tobacco jar. It is from the 19th century and is being sold at auction where it is expected to fetch about £90.

The catalogue description reads: "Masonic interest - A 19th Century octagonal lead tobacco jar and cover, worked with panels of symbols, on a beaded stepped base, no tamper, 15cm wide."

It is being sold by Fieldings of  Stourbridge in the West Midlands.

More conspiracy theories

More conspiracy theories about Freemasons. This time in a letter to the Thisisnorthdevon.co.uk website.

SOME of us have long suspected that there is a cabal of Freemason councillors who exert undue influence on the decisions of the district council.

Councillor Kathy Murdoch is to be admired and thanked for her honesty in confirming those suspicions.

Councillor Barry Parsons gives the impression that freemasons are a sociable, jolly bunch of chaps with whom it is a pleasure to associate.

If he thinks that is all there is to Freemasonry he is incredibly naïve.

He should ask himself why they foster an aura of secrecy. Freemasonry is all about using influence to the advantage of the brotherhood, who also vow to help each other.

Because such vows raise the possibility of conflicts of interest it is questionable whether freemasons should serve on district councils.

Perhaps Mr Parsons should also reflect on why he was invited to join the brotherhood. Could it have anything to do with the fact that he is leader of the council?

Secret societies inevitably arouse suspicion.

After Mrs Murdoch's revelation, every controversial decision of the council will be thought to be the sinister work of Masons. That may, or may not, be true.

Local government must be fair, honest, transparent and democratic. That will not be achieved if local councils contain members who have secretly vowed loyalty to some other organisation. It is time for Freemasons to withdraw from councils.

If they decline, the electorate has the power to remedy the situation at a future date.

HARRY RICHES,

Black Torrington.

Leaked list causes row in Guernsey

This is taken from the BBC website and describes problems for the Craft in Guernsey.

 

The head of the Freemason movement in Guernsey has hit out the publication of a list of lodge members in the island.

The list was posted on an internet forum and includes the names of a number of former and present politicians, jurats and bailiffs.

Provincial Grand Master David Hodgetts said the publication of the list raised issues regarding data protection laws.

He said: "It shouldn't be published and if somebody has published something, maybe they'll be prosecuted."

He added that he felt disclosure of membership should be optional.

The list of members was circulated on Twitter shortly after the general election in April.

Jurat Hodgetts said public perception of the group was misinformed, and stated: "I know there's nothing evil about Freemasonry."

He added: "We are in danger of being accused of trying to advance ourselves by saying we're a Mason, and if we don't say we're a Mason then we're secret and we've got something to hide."

He said: "The thing about Freemasonry that people aren't concentrating on is the fact that the only organisation that gives more money to charity is the National Lottery in the United Kingdom."

He said: "We're about trying to make ourselves better citizens, in fact we promise to do so.
"We raise money from our own pockets for charity - that's what Freemasons are about."

Guernsey's politicians are currently not required to declare membership of the Freemasons.

Telegraph tips Masonry

The Daily Telegraph is running a feature titled: 50 of the best unusual museums in London.


And at number 34 is the "Museum of Freemasonry, Covent Garden"


Here's what it has to say.


Anyone intrigued or confounded by freemasonry is welcome to visit the library and museum within the Freemasons’ Hall for edification. Giving some insight into the freemason existence, the museum’s collection includes numerous prints and photographs, artefacts from famous freemasons such as Winston Churchill and displays detailing freemason hierarchy and everyday practices. It’s worth timing your tour to coincide with one of the many free tours of the Freemasons’ Hall Grand Temple and ceremonial areas. 

Masonic cartoon

Dickens auction house in Buckingham, Bucks, is selling this cartoon with an estimate of up to £80. The catalogue description reads: "A B Hooper Jones XX Masonic Gouache Freemason cartoon ` No Madam, We have no odd job masons or bricklayers ( that) could send you` Signed lower right 11 1/2 x 8 1/4"

God Save the Queen!

At every lodge meeting I attend we toast the Queen. God bless her on her Jubilee.

Skull and symbols

This funny-looking thing has been consigned for sale on the continent in Traunstein, Germany, and is estimated to sell for about £1,000.

It's being sold by Kunstauktionshaus.

Lodge's oil painting

This oil painting on panel showing members of Relief Lodge No. 42 is being sold by Rowley's auction house in
Ely, Cambridgeshire.

The description reads:

An 18th/19th century mahogany framed and cased Masonic oil on canvas painting
Depicting various lodge members in Masonic regalia, including one with a sword, and two ministers staring at a gentleman falling through the lodge ceiling, the frame with dentil moulded arched pediment inscribed Relief Lodge No.42 and with recess for inlaid Masonic emblem, the hinged panelled front doors each with an inlaid five point star and two recesses for further Masonic emblems. The painting 86 cms wide.

This article is from the Express Tribune...

Freemasons in Karachi: A lodge called hope clings to history as saviour

By Saba Imtiaz

Published: April 28, 2012

The Hope Lodge of the Freemasons dates to 1842 and currently houses the Sindh Wildlife Department. In its heyday, the lodge was frequented by its British members as well as the few rich Parsis, Hindus and Muslims that were given membership. The Freemasons were reportedly banned in Pakistan in 1973 and their properties and bank accounts were seized by the government. COLOUR PHOTOS COURTESY: CHRISTOPHE POLAK/THE ARCHITECTS POLAK AND SEPIA PHOTOS COURTESY ALIZEH RIZVI

KARACHI: 

In 1842, Dr James Burnes, the provincial grandmaster of the Scottish Freemasons, issued orders for the formation of the Hope Lodge in ‘Kurrachee’.

Nearly 170 years later, the Scottish Freemason Hope Lodge has been “ruined” by its current occupiers, the Sindh wildlife department, claims its former caretaker, Jeevan. “I don’t have anything to do with the place now, but we remember what it used to be like. It is sad,” he says.

Jeevan paints a delightful image of life under the Raj and evenings at the Hope Lodge. Its well-heeled members – Englishmen, Muslims, Parsis, Hindus – began to arrive at around 6pm, rolling up in their Austins or Victoria buggies. Some strolling in as the sun began to set.

Food for the British members came from the Boat Club, and in later years, the Metropole Hotel, while the ‘native’ members would often eat food prepared by the caretaker’s family. “The English liked the baked stuff or custards and puddings,” recalls Jeevan’s wife as his family has served the Lodge since it was built in 1842. Her mother-in-law, Ganga Bai, also cooked for the Lodge.

“The floors have the same tiles you see in the high court,” points out Jeevan. “We used to keep it shining. In my father’s time, the goras would check for dust by sliding a finger down the floor! Everything would be polished. If even a bulb went out, I would tell the secretary sahib and he would instantly ask to have it replaced.”

The neighbourhood – now home to journalists streaming in and out of the Karachi Press Club where there are always a few dozen protestors camped outside – wasn’t always like this, Jeevan says. At 11 pm, the roads would be washed because of the excrement left by the horses driving the Victoria buggies, checked for any breeding mosquitoes and then cleaned again. On weekends, he would go with his father to Elphinstone Street “which only had a few shops”. “The peppermints and other sweets in their big jars… I would often just stare at how they looked.”

The Hope Lodge was among the few ‘clubs’ in Karachi. The YMCA, Jeevan recalls, was where foreigners often stayed. “Food, alcohol… it was a very busy place.” The other establishments were Sind Club and the Union Jack Club, now known as the Services Club. The lane where the Karachi Press Club is now located used to be called the RA (Royal Airforce) Line, where government employees lived. Fawara Chowk, he says, used to have a statue. “As the years passed, all the old things went.”

Jeevan’s father, Prabhu, migrated to Karachi in 1905. After 45 years of service at the Hope Lodge, he suffered an attack of paralysis and the members offered his job to his eldest son. Jeevan took over from his brother and served until the closure of the Hope Lodge. Through these decades of service, Jeevan says the management treated them with respect. “These British knew that they would only be here for a couple of years, and then someone else would come. But we would continue to stay here. They never once pointed a finger while talking to us. We had free use of the place. They would allow us to put up a tent and hold wedding ceremonies here.”

After the partition of the subcontinent, the number of foreign Freemasons dwindled, and there were only a dozen or so left by the time the organisation was banned in Pakistan.

On July 19, 1973, according to Jeevan, some government officials took away all the documentation belonging to the Freemasons. Their accounts were frozen a month later – and so Jeevan’s dues were never cleared – and the building fell into disuse.

There is little left to remember the Freemasons by. The boundary has been damaged, the tiles are dusty and the renovation work appears to be going on in fits and starts. A building was erected on what used to be a garden with jaamun (jambo fruit) trees and rose bushes, which was later razed. The garden plot is now used for parking.

Inside the lodge, the plaques erected at the time of the Hope Lodge’s creation and consecration still exist. One states that it was “nearly destroyed in the monsoon of 1851” and “erected in 1852”. Others contain list of members, including the few ‘natives’ who were permitted to join – such as MMR Shirazi, Mir Ayub Khan JM, AF Kalyaniwalla, WF Bhojwani, KP Advani, Jamshed NF Mehta. According to the Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, “Natives of India joined the Craft, and Rising Star Lodge at Bombay and Saint Andrew’s Lodge at Poona were set up West and East in 1844 for that purpose and soon followed by others. Some prominent natives of India have become Freemasons. Among these are the son of the Nabob of Arcot, Umdat-ul-Umara, Prince Keyralla, Khan of Mysore, Prince Shadad Khan, the former Ameer of Scinde, Maharajah Duleep, and Maharajah Rundeer Sing.”

The caretaker’s family – who served the Hope Lodge their entire lives – is currently in litigation over their quarters on the property. Jeevan is reluctant to share details of who the existing Freemasons are, but says they did step up and offer help when his legal issues began.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2012.

Masonic pedestal

This pedestal from about 1876 is covered in Masonic symbols and is from the US where it is being sold at auction. It is expected to make about $1,000 at Neals in Louisiana.

The catalogue description reads "A Rare American Inlaid Exotic Woods and Walnut Architectonic Pedestal, c. 1876, square top, geometric frieze, overall inset panels with Masonic symbols, the front panel displaying opposing American flags and monogrammed "G", Corinthian columns at each corner, blocked base, height 34 1/2 in., width 36 1/4 in., depth 31 1/2 in."