Bro. Laurence Dermott Was Laurence Dermott, that most extraordinary freemason? Many believe so. Bro. Laurence Dermott, said that the Holy Royal Arch was “the root, heart and marrow of freemasonry”. He was born in Ireland and became a Freemason in 1741. Dermott served as Grand Secretary of the Ancient Grand Lodge of England from 1752 to 1771. The following is an extract from a lecture from a good friend Bro. Yasha Beresiner who delivered the first James Donald Memorial Lecture in 242 on his 200th Anniversary in 2011.
Laurence Dermot was born in Dublin in 1720 and initiated in Lodge number 26 in 1740. Six years later he was the Master and that same year, in 1746, he is recorded as being a Royal Arch Mason. One of the earliest references we have to the Royal Arch. In 1748 he came to England a poor man and as a journeyman painter joining a Moderns Lodge but very soon transferring his allegiance to the Antients. He was received in Lodge No 5 (now Kent 15) and then number 10 Lodge (now Royal Athelstan 19).
forming the Grand Lodge of England according to the Old Institutions.
It was, however, in 1756 that Dermott really excelled in his standing as a dedicated Antients freemason. This was the year of publication of the Antients Constitutions named ‘Ahiman Rezon’. The meaning and transliteration of the title still remains a mystery. Dermott was, however, very aware of the youth of his own Grand Lodge and that there was little room for an historic introduction of subsequence. In his introduction to the Constitutions, therefore, he proceeded announced These were difficult times for Freemasonry in that he really felt little need to follow in the footgeneral in England. The Premier Grand Lodge, top steps of those who wasted time in irrelevant hisheavy with aristocrats and even members of Roy- torical introduction. alty, was being neglected. Dissatisfaction was wide spread and a minor incident finally broke He did however compose and write a relevant the camel’s back. As recorded in the minutes of and important introduction to which he wished to the Grand Lodge of England, on 11th December, incorporate a summarised review of all the availa1735 the Master and Wardens from a Lodge un- ble information from other sources but found the der the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Ireland material so boring that he fell asleep whilst readwere refused admittance to the Quarterly com- ing it. Now he had a wonderful dream of four Somunication of Grand Lodge. To the Irish, this inci- journers from Jerusalem approaching him, praisdent was a major confrontation especially in the ing him for his work and the material written so light of Irish Brethren often being denied mem- far and advising him on matters to add to his bership in English Lodges. There were, by 1750, manuscript, when he was abruptly woken up by several exclusively Irish Lodges and on Wednes- his puppy dog running around the room and unday 17th July, 1751 five of these Lodges finally der his feet whilst chewing the last pages of his joined forces as a General Assembly referring to manuscript. He apologised, therefore not to have themselves as a Grand Committee with a view to an historical introduction and went straight on to Cross Keys January 2022
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