Mark Master Masons

From About Freemasons

Mark Master Masons are Freemasons who have joined The Order of Mark Master. The Order of Mark Master is only found in some Masonic Jurisdictions and it is considered an appendant order, not a Craft lodge of Freemasonry. Masons who want to receive the Mark Man and Mark Master degrees generally seek membership in The Order of Mark Master. However, the requirements of the degree, the ceremonies and rites and even the way the degree is conferred vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Becoming a Mark Master Mason

In order to get a Mark Master degree, a Mason must be a Master Mason in a jurisdiction where The Order of Mark Master exists. The Order of Mark Master actually varies widely among different areas so that depending on his jurisdiction, a Mason may need to possess unique or special qualifications in order join The Order of Mark Master.

Masons who live in Australia, England, or parts of Europe must become Mark Master Masons through a lodge warranted under the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons. In England and Wales, Masons must look to The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales and its Districts and Lodges Overseas in order to become Mark Master Masons. The Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales also governs the Royal Ark Mariner degree.

Masons who live in Scotland and who wish to become Mark Master Masons do not have to go to a special lodge. In Scotland, the craft lodge confers the Mark degree, which is actually seen as the ultimate Achievement of the Fellowcraft degree. Scottish Masons may also seek their Mark Master Mason degree from a Holy Royal Arch Chapter. American masons wanting to become Mark Master Masons can join the York Rite, which confers the degree in the US.

History of Mark Master Masons

Historians believe that the Mark Degree was conferred to some Masons as early as 1599. Records from 1769 show that in that year a craft lodge in Portsmouth, England first formally conferred the degree. After this date, the degree was conferred in both Craft Lodges and Royal Arch Chapters. After the 1813 Union of the Antients and Moderns Grand Lodges in the United Grand Lodge of England, craft lodges began to offer only 3 degrees. This did not include the Mark degree. Some Masons wanting the degree sought a warrant from the Bon Accord Chapter in Aberdeen in order to become Mark Master Masons. Since this created some tensions between Scotland and England, Freemasons eventually decided to create a Mark Grand Lodge in 1856. By 1860, Mark Master Masons had a common ceremonial. By 1856, the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) decided and formally recognized that the Mark Mason degree would be "a graceful addition" to Freemasonry.

Modern times

During the 1700s and 1800s, Freemasonry rose around the world in popularity. As a result, Mark Masonry as well as other forms of Freemasonry became established and widespread. Each country developed their own administrative structures and eventually six daughter Grand Lodges were established.