Pillars Degree

United Sacred Band of Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests after the most Antient & Christian Order of Melchizedek. This body was better known locally as The Priestly Order, The Pillared Priests or simply as White Masons. This branch of Freemasonry was established in the Northeast corner of Ireland in the 18th century. Membership was by invitation extending solely to Brethren who were already High Knight Templars. The Order conferred the Degree of Knight Templar Priest within a body known as A Union Band, which were formed by qualified Brethren from a group of local Lodges. In order to form a Union Band, the Brethren concerned had merely to approach an adjacent existing Band for a Warrant. The sanction of Grand Lodge was not necessary. Each Band was known by its local name and by its number.

In 1868 an attempt was made to regularise this Degree, by taking it under the control of The Great Priory of Ireland. This proved to be unsuccessful and drew the attention of The College of Rites in Dublin, who would not give recognition, which was an awful pity as this Degree was, in many ways, the local Irish homegrown alternative to The Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, which was ultimately to gain wide acceptance throughout the island of Ireland. Sadly, by the end of the 19th century the Knight Templar Priests Degree was extinct in Ireland.

The Knight Templar Priest Degree had no historical legend. It was framed around seven “Pillar Officers” seated at individual Pillars, each figuratively representing one of the spirits of “The Lamb of God”, which opened the seven seals as described in the book of Revelations Chapter 6 –8. The Pillars represented Wisdom; Strength; Beauty; Truth; Light; Power; and Glory, in chronological sequence and each was allocated a lighted lamp of distinct colour White; Black; Crimson; Red; Purple; Blue and Green.

The regalia comprised a tunic or apron, plain white mantle, and a mitre. Each Union Band possessed a set of seven seals, one for each Pillar. The Pillar Seals were each impressed with a device and words. Ranging from the First to the Seventh Seal, the devices comprised A Lion; Anchor; Sun; Star; Winged Angel Face; Skull & Crossbones and A crown. When all seven seals are pressed sequentially onto a document, the resulting sentence forms the motto of the Order:

Let Truth Stand Though the Universe Shall Sink into Ruin.

Thanks to Bro. Bob Bashford from the Irish Masonic Network Facebook page.

The Mark degree is often conferred annually—some brethren like it, some loathe it. Gould expressed that taking the mark in pre 18th Century lodges was not a degree, but a custom. In other words, operative masons were given their mark to get paid. The nature of it as a degree didn’t arise until approximately 1778 (according to Murray Lyon, the historian of the Lodge of Edinburgh).

In Scotland, it is the only degree conferred in two Orders—Craft and Royal Arch due to a long time dispute. In 1845, SGRAC of Scotland made it imperative for all chapters to confer the degree. However, the Aberdeen chapters regarded this as a violation of their ancient landmarks and refused to comply. It was agreed that they could continue in their old ways . . .until older members died out and then all chapters started to confer the degree.

Therefore, if we follow tradition, Royal Arch chapters should NOT confer the mark degree!

Masonic News 1874

Below is an excerpt from The Masonic News about a 242 annual festival held in the Cross Keys Hotel in December 1874.