Founding of the Premier Grand Lodge of England
- When
- 1716–1717
- Where
- Apple-Tree Tavern; Goose and Gridiron Ale-house, St. Paul's Churchyard
- Episodes
- 2
On 24 June 1717, four London lodges convened at the Goose and Gridiron Ale-house to form the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster. This body, later known as the Premier Grand Lodge of England, established the first Masonic Grand Lodge, distinguishing itself from later rival organizations.
Episodes
- 1716 Preparatory Meeting
Four lodges met at the Apple-Tree Tavern to constitute a Grand Lodge pro Tempore and resolve to elect a Grand Master the following year.
- 1717 Founding Assembly
The four lodges formally constituted the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster at the Goose and Gridiron Ale-house.
Background and detail
The Founding Assembly. Four existing lodges gathered on St John's Day, 24 June 1717, at the Goose and Gridiron Ale-house in St. Paul's Churchyard. They constituted themselves a Grand Lodge, a resolution previously agreed upon during a 1716 meeting at the Apple-Tree Tavern where they resolved to elect a Grand Master the following year.
Identity and Distinction. Initially named the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster, the organization soon became known as the Grand Lodge of England. Modern convention refers to it as the Premier Grand Lodge of England to distinguish it from the Ancient Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of All England Meeting at York.
People involved
- Four existing London Lodges · Founding bodies
- Oldest Master Mason · Chairman at 1716 meeting
Sources
- Premier Grand Lodge of England Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-09
- Freemasonry Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-26
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.