The medieval freemason was a specialist stonemason who worked with freestone - usually limestone - which was carved for decorative puposes. Freemason was a contraction of freestone mason. In the medieval world guilds regulated trades and professions, providing for the training of apprentices. This training included both the technical aspects of the trade, which apprentices were expected to keep secret from those who were not members of the guild and also the standards of workmanship and personal behaviour that were expected of members of the guild. In accordance with the custon of the times women were admitted as apprentices and then full members of guilds. The records show that the architects in charge of building several English cathedrals were women. Architects of medieval cathedrals had to frame satisfaction on scales beyond their own existence, for they could not live to witness the completion of the designs.

Two types of manuscripts have survived from medieval world of stonemasons. The first record details of the construction of particular cathedrals or castles and provide useful information about economic history. The second are referred to as the old charges and provide some insight into the activities of the guild. The old charges consist of a dedicatory prayer to the Holy Trinity, an explanation of the seven liberal arts and sciences, an account of the history of stonemasonry and a set of rules of behaviour. By 1600 the guild system, with the exception of the London Livery Companies, was virtually moribund.

Accepted Masons:

During the seventeenth century, there is evidence of the appearance in England of accepted masons. These men were neither employed as masons nor connected with the building industry. They shared an interest in education and tolerance as a basis for improving the world in which they lived and included men of different political and religious views. Sufficient accepted masons were called together to hold an "occasional lodge" for the purpose of making a new accepted mason. They were also called Free Masons in the sense of not being tied to the operative craft.

Elias Ashmole, the Antiquary and founder of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford is the earliest accepted mason of whom we have documentary evidence. In his diary for 4 October 1646 he wrote: "I was made a Free Mason at Warrington in Lancashire . . . " None of those present had any connection with operative masons. The only other reference in the diaries of Elias Ashmole is from 1682, when he was summoned to a meeting for the purpose of admitting six men to the "Fellowship of Free Masons". Nine fellows assembled about noon after which "We all dined at the Half Moone Tavern in Cheapside at a noble dinner prepared at the the charge of the new accepted Masons."

The admission of men to the fellowship of Free Masons consisted of using the various tools of a stonemason to explain the standards of behaviour expected of members of the fraternity. The new members were provided with words and signs to enable them to demonstrate their membership of the fellowship to other accepted masons. Chalk, charcoal and clay were used to draw pictures on the floor to illustrate various aspects of a stonemasons work. At the end of the meeting the new members used a mop and bucket of water to remove all traces of these drawings.

Grand Lodges:

The first grand lodge in the world was formed when four lodges met at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in London on 24 June 1717, the traditional date of the birth of St John the Baptist. For the first four years the Grand Lodge of England met once a year for the annual feast and to elect a Grand Master. It was simply an opportunity for members of lodges in London to meet socially. As other lodges within London and beyond sought to be affiliated, the Grand Lodge of England began to develop as a regulatory body. The popularity of the concept lead to the formation of four rival grand lodges in England as well as many grand lodges in other countries.

Friedrick, Prince of Wales, the eldest son and heir of George II was the first English Royal freemason. On 5 March 1737 an occasional lodge was held at the Prince's palace at Kew and the Prince was made an entered apprentice and a fellowcraft on the same evening. The same group reconvened later for the Prince to be made a master mason.

The early eighteenth century in England was the great age of clubs and coffee houses. In many ways the Free Masons were little different from the many other clubs and societies which existed at that time. Lodge meetings were usually held in a private room at an inn, tavern or coffee house. The meeting took place with the members seated around a long trestle table, on which were arranged the emblems of masonry, clay pipes and tobacco jars, bowls of fruit and nuts, bottles of wine, port, brandy, bowls of punch and jugs of ale. After the admission of new memders, the landlord brought in supper.

In 1813 the United Grand Lodge of England was formed. This lead to an extensive revision of the various ceremonies then in use. The simple eighteenth century ceremonies were expanded by the addition of new material and new ceremonies were created. The presentation of these longer, more impressive ceremonies lead to the development of lodge rooms, which were reserved specifically for lodge meetings. Food, alcohol and tobacco were excluded from these lodge rooms, and replaced with a formal dinner or supper in a separate room. Fraternal associations were very popular and many sought to imitate freemasonry.

During the nineteenth century, Free and Accepted Mason was contracted to freemason and the term freemasonry arose. Men of the nineteenth century sought the origins of everything from rivers to the human race. Imaginative accounts of the origins of freemasonry were created to feed this interest. The credibility of these accounts can be judged from the opinion of one writer in 1880 who described freemasonry as an order "which originating in the reign of Charles II, among the working artisans of London has now been joined successively by the dead of past centuries in unbroken retrogression until it now embraces all generations on the hither side of Adam and is drumming up distinguished recruits among the precreational inhabitants of the formless void." This opinion was a reaction to the unsubstantiated claims that freemasonry had arisen from associations of stonemasons who worked with Sir Christopher Wren on the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire in the reign of Charles II. Against this view is the evidence of Elias Ashmole, that accepted masons were in existence twenty years before the Great Fire of London.

Today freemasonry is considered in more realistic terms. Freemasonry is a men's fellowship, which starts and ends in prayer, whose members believe that all human activity takes place under the watchful eye of a caring God. It welcomes men of alll faiths into membership, in recognition of the existence of a human brotherhood. Within the bounds of masonic activity, sectarian religion and party politics may not be discussed. Members are encouraged to put into practice the precepts of their own religion and the moral teachings of the fraternity. Freemasonry has been described as an ethical brotherhood which encourages education, tolerance, honesty, fair dealing and the service of humanity

Freemasonry is neither a political organization, religious sect, anti-religious movement nor business enterprise. Lodge members are obliged to abide by the laws of their country and also to work for its benefit. There are nearly six million freemasons in the world today It would be useful to remind everybody that every democratic country today has masonic lodges, while in non-democratic and totalitarian regimes Freemasonry is forbidden and persecuted.

Since the 1982 new codex Juris Cannonici there are no problems and misunderstandings between the Catholic church and Freemasonry; their relations today are characterized with mutual respect and tolerance.