thēsauros

FMT’s pick of the unusual, striking or just plain fascinating

Foxcroft Manuscript, 1699

In September 1721, the Duke of Montagu asked James Anderson to examine manuscript copies of the legendary histories and rules of medieval stonemason’s Lodges. Anderson used these to then write the historical section of The Constitutions of the Free-Masons, creating an impression of antiquity for the new Grand Lodge. The rules, known as charges, were adopted to shape the moral framework of Freemasonry. About 130 copies of these manuscripts, collectively known as the Old Charges, survive today. They were often written on parchment scrolls, such as this one decorated with the coat of arms of the London Company of Masons.