The old charges

Prescott, A. (2014) The old charges. In: Bogdan, H. and Snoek, J.A.M. (eds.) Handbook of Freemasonry. Series: Brill handbooks on contemporary religion (8). Brill: Leiden, pp. 33-49. ISBN 9789004218338 (doi: 10.1163/9789004273122_004)

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Abstract

The Old Charges are distinctive to Britain and, while there is obviously a need for comparative studies with European craft documents such as the various regulations of craft gilds from towns and cities in France, Italy and Germany, this chapter focuses on the British context and development of the Old Charges. The appearance of the earliest manuscripts of the Old Charges coincides with growth in the use of the term 'freemason' in British documents. In first publishing the Cooke manuscript, Matthew Cooke suggested that it dated from the end of the fifteenth century. The Regius and Cooke manuscripts are striking examples of the way in which medieval fraternities of different types invented and manipulated myths, legends and symbols to provide a historical warrant for various claims. The Old Charges ensured that the new Enlightenment Hanoverian Freemasonry created in London did not forget its medieval roots.

Item Type:Book Sections
Status:Published
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Prescott, Professor Andrew
Authors: Prescott, A.
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > English Language and Linguistics
Publisher:Brill
ISBN:9789004218338

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