• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • What Is Freemasonry?
  • Who Are Freemasons?
  • What Does Freemasonry Do?
  • 2B1ask1
  • Family of Freemasonry
  • Masonic Symbols

Freemason Information

Masonic Education and Analysis

  • Home
  • About Us
    • Gregory B. Stewart
    • Frederic L. Milliken
    • Tim Bryce
  • Education
    • Masonic Symbols
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Freemasonry in General
    • Family of Freemasonry
    • Famous Freemasons
    • Books
    • Masonic Poetry
    • Anti-Freemasonry
    • Masonic History
    • Freemasonry in Cinema
    • Esoteric Freemasonry
    • Grand Lodges
  • Masonic Books
    • Masonic Books A-G
    • Masonic Books H-M
    • Masonic Books N-Z
    • Masonic Books for the New Mason
  • Masonic Central Podcast
  • Special Offers
    • Art
    • Masonic Top Hats
    • Masonic Rings
    • Past Master Rings
  • Contact
    • Submit a Guest Post
You are here: Home / Masonic Traveler / Quatuor Coronati Lodge of Research

Quatuor Coronati Lodge of Research

January 15, 2015 by Greg Stewart 4 Comments

January 12th marks the Anniversary of the consecration of Quatuor Coronati Lodge in London.

Quatuor Coronati is a Masonic Lodge in London dedicated to Masonic Research. The name, Quatuor Coronati, derives from the Regius Poem (lines 497-534) which is considered to be one of the oldest Masonic documents; dating back to approximately 1390. Its name, the Four Crowned Ones, is from its Latin translation of Quatuor Coronatorum.

From the Regius Poem:

The art of the four crowned ones (Ars quatuor coronatorum)

Pray we now to God almighty,
And to his mother Mary bright,

That we may keep these articles here,
And these points well all together,
As did these holy martyrs four,
That in this craft were of great honor;
They were as good masons as on earth shall go,
Gravers and image-makers they were also.
For they were workmen of the best,
The emperor had to them great liking;
He willed of them an image to make
That might be worshiped for his sake;
Such monuments he had in his day,
To turn the people from Christ’s law.

The lodge, today, meets at Freemason’s Hall on Great Queen Street in London and was founded in 1886.

Following 10 years of spirited debate, Revd. A.F.A. Woodford,

…encouraged a group of earnest young ‘Masonic students’ in their open arguments and provided the intellectual environment that gave birth to the ‘authentic’ school of Masonic research – which relied not on the testimony of the Bible and of ancient historians, but on manuscript records, the primary source for all truly academic history.

Following a few years of formative dialog, the lodge was consecrated on January 12th, 1886 as Quatuor Coronati was established after nine dissatisfied brethren (Charles Warren, William Harry Rylands, Robert Freke Gould, the Revd. Adolphus Frederick Alexander Woodford, Walter Besant, John Paul Rylands, Major Sisson Cooper Pratt, William James Hughan and George William Speth) obtained a warrant in 1884. However, owing to Charles Warren, the first Master being absent on a diplomatic mission in Southern Africa; the lodge was not inaugurated until 1886.

Woodford, in his oration at its consecration set forth its purpose saying:

…the members proposed, by means of papers, discussions and publications, to help forward the important cause of Masonic study and investigation [and] induce a more scholarly and critical consideration of our evidences, a greater relish for historical facts.

Their dissatisfaction that precipitated in the founding  Quatuor Coronati arose in how the history of Freemasonry had been interpreted at that time and thus endeavoring to conduct their own examination of for themselves using an evidence-based approach in their study. It was intended that any result of their research would “replace the imaginative writings of earlier authors on the history of Freemasonry.”

The lodge intended to develop global interest in research from Brethren around the world: holding quarterly meetings in which papers are delivered and questions are posed to the presenters. Annual transactions entitled Ars Quatuor Coronartorum are published. In addition to these, the lodge upholds the Quatuor Coronati Correspondence Circle (QCCC). Membership to the Correspondence Circle is not restricted to Freemasons and open to anyone interested in Masonry and fraternal societies.

Among the original objectives of the lodge were the ideas of providing a center and bond of union for Masonic students as well as a desire to attract intelligent masons who they hoped to imbue with a love of research. The founders also intended to reprint rare Masonic manuscripts with the intention of dedicating a library to such works and eventually translating them to many other world languages.

Of note to American Freemasons, in 2007 S. Brent Morris was the first (and only) American to head Quatuor Coronati Lodge.

Their work of Quatuor Coronati continues today as the Premier Lodge of Research and this once new style has become known as the ‘authentic school’ of Masonic research.

Share this:

Related

  • The Four Crowned Ones
  • January 12, 2011
  • In "Video"
  • Mainstream Dichotomy
  • December 28, 2012
  • In "The Bee Hive"
  • Is CoMasonry the Antidote – Part 2
  • May 7, 2009
  • In "Featured"

Filed Under: Masonic Traveler Tagged With: Lodge

Sponsored Links

About Greg Stewart

A devoted student of the Western Mystery Traditions, Greg is a firm believer in the Masonic connections to the Hermetic traditions of antiquity, its evolution through the ages and into its present configuration as the antecedent to all contemporary esoteric and occult traditions. He is a self-called searcher for that which was lost, a Hermetic Hermit and a believer in “that which is above is so too below.” Read more about Greg Stewart.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jimmy Quinn says

    October 6, 2015 at 2:22 pm

    Dear Brethren,

    Being relatively new to master masonry and eager to understand or flesh out the bones & intricacies of the order, I wondered if I could attend one of you meetings, for after discussing such subjects with other brethren at festive boards on my travels lodge has been mention on a number of occasions.
    Of course I am happy to pay for my dining.

    Looking forward to your reply.

    Yours
    S&F
    Jimmy Quinn

Trackbacks

  1. W.Bro. S. Brent Morris | Freemason Information says:
    September 23, 2021 at 5:07 pm

    […] his personal Masonic journey including his time as the first (and only) American to head the Quatuor Coronati lodge of research and delve into the nuanced history of Scottish Rite Freemasonry in […]

  2. Masonic Holidays | Freemason Information says:
    October 8, 2021 at 1:23 am

    […] was establishedº≠January 9, 1844 – Grand Lodge of Iowa FoundedJanuary 12th, 1886 – Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 Consecrated in LondonJanuary 13, 1818 – Grand Lodge of Indiana established ºJanuary […]

  3. Masonic Notable Dates – Brothers Of Harmony Lodge #42 says:
    March 30, 2022 at 4:55 am

    […] establishedº≠ January 9, 1844 – Grand Lodge of Iowa Founded January 12th, 1886 – Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 Consecrated in London January 13, 1818 – Grand Lodge of Indiana established º […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

FOLLOW US ONLINE

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

THE FIRST DEGREE OF FREEMASONRY

The Apprentice

The Apprentice

The Apprentice is a book about becoming a Freemasons. This work explores the secrets and symbolism of becoming a Freemason.

Learn More about The Apprentice

THE SECOND DEGREE OF FREEMASONRY

Fellow of the Craft

Fellow of the Craft

Drawing from the rich collection of masonic lore, Fellow of the Craft continues the masonic path of the Apprentice through the middle chamber in becoming a Freemason.

Learn More about Fellow of the Craft

THE THIRD DEGREE OF FREEMASONRY

The Master Mason

The Master Mason

Completing the journey into the symbolic lodge The Master Mason is a formal exploration of the symbolism and allegory at work in becoming a third degree of Freemason.

Learn More about The Master Mason

Symbols and Symbolism

Carl H. Claudy

Raised to a Master Mason in 1908, at Harmony Lodge No. 17 in Washington, DC, Carl H. Claudy  served as the Master and eventually as Grand Master of Masons … [Read More...] about Carl H. Claudy

Charity in Freemasonry

In this final installment of the Faith Hope and Charity series, we consider the symbolism of charity, or perhaps better called love. It is this attribute that … [Read More...] about Charity in Freemasonry

Hope in Freemasonry

In this installment of the Symbols and Symbolism of Freemasonry, we examine the text of Albert Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry on the symbolism of … [Read More...] about Hope in Freemasonry

Faith in Freemasonry

In this installment of the Symbols and Symbolism of Freemasonry, we consider a reading of Albert Mackey's text on the subject of Faith as it pertains to … [Read More...] about Faith in Freemasonry

More Symbols and Symbolism

Footer

Family of Freemasonry

  • Allied Masonic Degrees
  • Amaranth
  • Daughters of the Nile
  • DeMolay
  • George Washington Union Freemasonry
  • Grand Lodge Freemasonry
  • Grotto
  • High Twelve
  • International Freemasonic Order DELPHI
  • Job’s Daughters
  • Le Droit Humain
  • Memphis Misraim
  • Mixed Gender Masonry
  • Order of the Eastern Star
  • Prince Hall Freemasonry
  • Rainbow for Girls
  • Royal Order of Jesters
  • Scottish Rite
  • Shriners
  • S.C.I.O.T.S.
  • Sojourners
  • S.R.I.C.F.
  • Tall Cedars
  • White Shrine of Jerusalem
  • York Rite

You Might Like

  • Masonic Books
  • Famous Freemasons in History
  • Masonic Astronauts
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Masonic Poetry
  • The Letter G
  • Masonic Top Hats

Categories

  • Featured
  • Leadership
  • Masonic Traveler
    • Masonic Central
  • Misc
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Sojourners
  • Symbolism
    • Authors
    • What is Freemasonry
  • The Bee Hive
  • The Euphrates
  • Tim Bryce
  • Video

Subscribe

Receive new posts by email

Join 23,146 other subscribers

Send Us a Message

Do you have a question, comment, or concern? Do you have a paper, a presentation or a project you would like to publish?
Email it to us at: masonictraveler@gmail.com

Copyright © 2022