women women complex relationship readily divided phases relationship 20th century women involved 18th century printed premier grand appeared bar craft forever spread second half 18th century admitted female relatives system degrees parallel unrelated original rite eclipse 19th century revived women 20th later adopted male degrees rise french women masonry 1950s 18th century british american remained male late 1800s rites similar adoption emerged united_states allowing female relatives participate ritual bodies careful mixed ritual genuine men 1890s mixed following standard ritual started appear france quickly spread countries women jurisdictions appeared soon general rule admission women recognised continental grand orient jurisdictions anglo american mixed female officially recognised unofficial relations premises shared women operative women legally assumed subject fathers husbands marriage status women trades largely dependent local interpretation sole legal term single woman usually widow permitted continue husband business death established rights privileges trade guild company rarely single women achieve success father trade exceptions occurred mainly trades linked traditional women woman called listed mason calendar close rolls reputed daughter architect worked early 14th century reference work comes years later england hints female participation appear manuscript guild records women employed administrative roles london mason company received benefits membership charge york manuscript dated warrant later grand lodge england york contains phrase mason number historians studied documents considered genuine sixteenth seventeenth centuries status women britain likely similar codified minutes lodge mary chapel edinburgh pay freedom employ widow master mason accept commissions old clients provided employed lodge supervise work premier grand lodge england spread france french fraternity stayed letter anderson women saw reason ban religious services adoption began appear attached regular men lodge wives female relatives admitted parallel system degrees similar moral authentic rite lodge earliest nautical theme began des rites supposedly based early version adoption came jurisdiction published regulations system degrees mistress perfect degrees came went degree system evolving end eighteenth century idea spread widely europe appeared england brief eclipse reign terror start french revolution adoption flourished presiding grand orient decided unconstitutional activated new incarnation chair taken woman previously man occupy chair king solomon final separation occurred adopted ancient accepted scottish rite embracing regular masonry france lodge holds adoptive rite bodies admitting women rites exist blessing active support regular bodies united_states admit wives female relatives admits wives american orders men women share ritual like adoption ceremonies means grand view irregular order eastern star created order eastern star female relatives classed adoptive rite ritual based bible continues flourish united_states_of_america maintains presence scotland order ritual conceived loosely based society similar instituted centuries earlier sweden open master female relatives members compelled join order eastern star organisations separate ladies oriental shrine north america founded west_virginia order members courts north_america woman related member ancient arabic order nobles mystic shrine master mason birth marriage adoption years age resident months area court membership desired order white shrine jerusalem like members lodge bodies members belief supreme goes step requiring members belief jesus christ world membership open female relatives master members active years majority attained eighteen years age order prince hall orders open respectively female relatives order formed july van creation wives constructed ritual system tools weaving judged appropriate women tools spread netherlands quasi rites rites accepting women ritual style founded best ambivalent reception nonetheless actively recruit new members regular masonry order order believed founded bavaria papal ban catholics admitting men women order single rite based dog egyptian rite man calling opened lodge egyptian rite masonry degrees normal french masonry apprentice companion master greatly different mystical ritual claimed introducing true attempted attract candidates went male candidates women admitted ceremony sexes differed minor points males admitted grand females wife queen admission women told rite memphis proceeding rite rite arabic egypt continued form mixed masonry banned spite fluctuating fortunes french home began spread internationally second half nineteenth century 1880s rites fused rite memphis modern order boasts degrees actually worked membership ritual strongly linked membership open non women grades formed teaching system pass exam allowed advance degree masculine bodies reported cases woman joining masculine lodge cases exceptions debated historians account woman admitted 18th century case born reported viewed proceedings lodge meeting held house private house father resident ireland discovering breach secrecy lodge resolved admit appeared public clothing speculative attempts link lodge initiation documented lodge grand lodge ireland proved futile reason father instituted lodge home authenticity initiation generally accepted madame story runs woman dressed man enlist attained rank army treated man paris voted initiate knowing woman presented cavalry uniform aide camp said wife general probably fascinated grand uncle books library death time married emperor aide camp request initiation lodge supported master duly initiated provincial lodge equality hungary time grand orient worked independently initiation declared void decision perpetrators punished lodge wasn erased officer excluded defended request argued validity common law reasoning brought knowledge legal status son absence mention candidates gender constitution orient holding prussian law considered initiation void usual bureaucratic adhered year debating status grand orient demanded return certificate complied sources repeat giving biographical family sources use hungarian american newspapers hailed oakland california female world according learned secrets masonry hiding lodge room uncle house mason order pledge secrecy served board trustees temple took higher degrees joining order eastern star theme young woman hiding lodge room standard formula type report echoed embellished spread newspaper newspaper anderson denied possible woman mason remained non downright enigmatic questioned origin extensive knowledge born raised paris parents died uncle prominent mason met married captain 1840s settled new_orleans accompanying husband coastal vessel managing finances moved oakland california andrew respected businessman active mason died leaving wealthy widow turned fortune helping charities founding treasurer order eastern star temple built largest stock holder spite opposition elected board trustees published biography prominent citizen implied acquired degree knowledge meeting house uncle embellished story saying claimed mason having younger members uncle lodge degrees story rapidly picked west_coast press versions story passed denied come knowledge improper way subsequent interviews refused drawn source knowledge known initiated similar story published obituary north_carolina short book son outlining career hailed female mason united_states said obtained secrets age hiding lodge room princess kentucky having lost father early age spent childhood grandfather house favourite attended lodge unused chapel catherine school room helped clean teenager married attended lodge meetings year hiding old pulpit finally discovered returned unexpectedly rifle left room questioned lodge discovered committed ritual memory like anderson mason swear secrecy instance admitted membership lodge sole source story son detail remains unconfirmed account lodge room princess men women january initiated lodge outside paris known writer democracy women rights separation church state lodge january order initiate resigned enable lodge rejoin previous jurisdiction persist efforts legitimately mason assistance doctor fellow women rights decade trying started form lodge june march assembled women wished initiated march companions march master april april mixed lodge male female proceeded elect officers constitute france soon international flourish international masonry lived died following february having resolved outset adopt ancient accepted scottish rite ritual new found craft degrees aspiring degree system male sent jurisdictions acquire necessary ritual received 33rd degree allowing form opened paris movement spread britain far_east united_states belgium netherlands brought english speaking world socialist passing usual degrees craft masonry founded london year french speaking started appear united_states opened english speaking lodge french took lead requiring religious belief members blessing paris followed lead requiring believe supreme craft degrees english speaking took continental mystical flavour ritual britain united_states divided self governing pioneer bound international constitution delegates elect international convention years common jurisdiction president referred grand master currently members spread countries continents possible women lodge existed boston quarter eighteenth century apology written claims presided lodge description founded original principles true ancient masonry far consistent female character leaves actual constitution open question clear lodge extinct time writing spread england members alarmed decisions taken governing body paris perceived threat ancient form ritual resulted formation new honourable fraternity masonry clergyman grand master retirement years led election female grand master original legal meaning brotherhood members addressed brother split occurred wishing include higher degrees specifically left form honourable fraternity ancient societies exclusively female honourable fraternity masonry restricted initiation women stopped admitting male visitors male member left older society having started working higher degrees changed known today bodies united_kingdom spain france emerged adoptive masonry spread belgium formed united_states arose lodge formed spread women countries anglo american jurisdictions regular follow set traditions referred ritual comprise practices perceived ancient beginning 18th century frozen time anderson similar works followed copied anderson description person admitted good true men free born mature age sound judgement women immoral men good report reason lodge admitting women considered irregular mainstream attending irregular irregular jurisdictions subject immediate exclusion suspension craft practice said follow regulation claims accepted women stated english women jurisdictions honourable fraternity ancient regular practice inclusion women indicated formally recognized bodies regarded describing general north_america mainstream prince hall accept women associated separate bodies mentioned character content bodies remain problems enjoys relations france addition recognising women masonry decided reason able initiate women adding strand international masonry
Freemasonry and women