Ben Franklin s Funeral

Most brethren recognise Bro. Franklin as one most influential Founding Fathers of the United States, but many do not realize that he was also a freemason. In 1731, he joined the Lodge of St. John in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and helped to create the bylaws of his Lodge. By 1735 his hard work and dedication led him to the highest rank within the organisation: Grand Master. That year, he also published the first Masonic book printed in America, The Constitutions of the Free-Masons, which was produced in Philadelphia. Devoted to Freemasonry, Franklin remained an active member for over sixty years until his death in 1790 at age 84. In 1776, he was sent to Paris to serve as America’s diplomat to France. In France, he joined and became the Master of the Nine Sisters Lodge in Paris. brethren will be aware that Bro. Ben Franklin was a very active freemason.

Despite being a Past Grand Master, no masonic lodge took part in his funeral although individual masons might have been part of the 20,000 who watched the procession. The lodges of Philadelphia ignored the event completely because of institutional changes over the past 50 years while Bro. Franklin lived abroad.

During this time, a new set of men began to run the Craft in Philadelphia who were more in line with the new Ancients affiliation in England rather than the Modern of which Bro. Franklin had been. This was related to the English dispute of the Grand Lodge dividing to become the Ancients and Moderns Grand Lodges (another story before forming the current United Grand Lodge of England). The Moderns were brethren of a higher social standing and counted the more prominent men of Philadelphia with political power. The new Ancient freemasons of Philadelphia were more popular, open to more and adaptable.

When he returned from England, as a Modern freemason he was not able to enter any Pennsylvanian lodge—in other words, the Grand Lodge he headed had ceased to exist. Unless he converted (probably by joining as if he was a gentleman from the outside world), this couldn’t change. As he was elderly, he was not likely to join!

Sadly, they did not recognise him and they did not attend.