Historian Notes:
(tid bits of Masonic history)

The Antients Grand Lodge in England, formed in 1751, allowed a wide range of rituals to be worked, whilst the Grand Lodge of England, then colloquially known as the Moderns  frowned on anything beyond the three Speculative degrees of Craft Masonry, viz. the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason. Following the merger of the two Grand Lodges in 1813 it was agreed that Pure Antient Masonry consisted of these three degrees and no more, although by semantic wordplay that agreement immediately went on to admit at least three others.

The period from 1740 to 1813 saw a host of Masonic rites emerge, as there were brethren for whom the Grand Lodge system was insufficient. These new rituals enlarged the scope of Masonry and encompassed many elaborations, some of which included elements which had previously been practiced within the craft. Many rites proved to be transient and died out (some being no more than a written record without evidence of having been practiced), but some proved more resilient and survived through amalgamation.

Different Masonic jurisdictions vary in their relationships with appendant bodies, if at all. Some offer formal recognition, while others consider them wholly outside of Freemasonry. This leads to some such bodies not being universally considered as appendant bodies, but rather separate organizations that happen to require Masonic affiliation for membership.

The Grand College of Rites is a Masonic organization dedicated to the collection and publication of various ritual texts from both Masonic ritual not currently used in the United States, and non-Masonic rituals used by other fraternities and societies of a ritualistic nature who generally keep their rituals private. The Grand College of Rites has as one of its stated purposes the prevention, within the larger community of Freemasonry, of the revival or usage of any rituals that are not currently in use in the United States. In addition to archiving rituals not currently in use in the USA, printing such rituals, and making them available to its members for study, the Grand College claims sole authority and jurisdiction over these rituals in the United States.

From the chronicles of Wikipedia

Some of the Past Masters of Mount Herman Lodge 118

The oldest, active North Carolina lodge listed by the Grand Lodge's historical section is St. John's of Wilmington.  According to the Historical Table on the Grand Lodge's web site, the Grand Lodge of England chartered St. John's in 1755 as an English Lodge #213. It then accepted a charter from North Carolina in 1794.

More Past Masters of Mount Hermon Lodge 118

From the UGLE's [United Grand Lodge of England] historical section:

"In the 1740s there was a growing number of Irishmen in London, many of whom had become Freemasons before leaving Ireland. For reasons now unknown they appear to have had difficulty gaining entrance into Lodges in London, so in 1751 a group of them formed a rival Grand Lodge. They claimed that the premier Grand Lodge had made innovations and had departed from 'the ancient landmarks' whereas they claimed to be working 'according to the old institutions granted by Prince Edwin at York in AD926'. For this reason they became known as the Antients Grand Lodge and referred to their older rival as 'Moderns'. In 1809 the rival Grand Lodges appointed Commissioners to negotiate an equable Union. The negotiations took four years to complete but on 27 December 1813 a great ceremonial was held at Freemasons' Hall, London, at which the two combined to form the United Grand Lodge of England."

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