The Royal Arch

Jonathan Spence
Pro Grand Master & Pro First Grand Principal

How to join

The prime qualification for admission into the Royal Arch is to be a Master Mason, of at least four weeks standing, in a Lodge under the United Grand Lodge of England, or a Lodge under a Grand Lodge recognised by it.

Email Membership@hantsandiowroyalarch.com or speak to your Lodge Royal Arch representative.

The history of the Royal Arch

The Premier Grand Lodge was formed in London in 1717.  Prior to that time only two degrees were practised in England – the Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft.  Thereafter a third – the Hiramic degree – began to be worked in Lodges to distinguish Master Masons from Fellow Crafts.  

However, the third degree is disappointing and anti-climactic in that the genuine secrets are lost, and it was inevitable that a further ceremony would be introduced to rectify this deficiency.  While the third degree deals with the building of the first Temple at Jerusalem by King Solomon, it was a logical step that the events surrounding its rebuilding, after the return of the Jews from their exile in Babylon, should be adopted to form the background for the rediscovery of the lost secrets.  This story gradually developed into the Royal Arch.  At first, this additional ceremony was used to distinguish men, who had presided as Master of their Lodge.  However, with time this requirement was eased and reduced to “…having passed the chair” and resulted in the Royal Arch becoming increasingly popular in the 1750’s.   

In 1756 a group claiming to adhere to the ancient principles of the Craft broke away from the Premier Grand Lodge and formed what became known as the Grand Lodge of the Antients.  Consequently, the original Grand Lodge was paradoxically labelled as the Moderns.  There were many reasons for this schism, but over time the focus became their disagreements over the status of the Royal Arch.  In essence, the Antients were enthusiastic supporters of Royal Arch Masonry, which they worked as a fourth degree in their Craft Lodges.  The Moderns took the opposite line and officially refused to acknowledge it.   However, they had no objection to Brethren joining it as a separately organised Society, which many of their senior members duly did.   

On 22nd July 1766 the Grand Master of the Moderns, Lord Blayney, concerned that many of his Lodges were following the lead of the Antients and working this “fourth” degree under the authority of their Craft warrants, decided to regularise the situation by setting up a Body with authority to regulate the Royal Arch.  He entered into a Charter of Compact, which laid down that: “None but discreet and experienced Master Masons shall receive exaltation to this sublime Degree”.  A Grand Chapter was constituted and called the Grand and Royal Chapter of the Royal Arch of Jerusalem, from which the current Supreme Grand Chapter of England is directly descended.  One of the other signatories to this document was Thomas Dunckerley, who later served as Grand Superintendent of Hampshire from 1778 until 1882 and of the then separate Province of Isle of Wight from 1778 until 1795.  In time, Royal Arch ceremonies were progressively worked in separate Chapters and “Masters” became known as “Principals”.

Happily, in 1813 the Antients and Moderns were able to reconcile their differences and join together, under MW Bro HRH the Duke of Sussex as Grand Master, to form what we now know as the United Grand Lodge of England.  In its Book of Constitutions, a copy of which is presented to every Brother on his Initiation, the General Laws and Regulations for the Government of the Craft have since 1853 been preceded by the following Preliminary Declaration: – 

“By the solemn Act of Union between the two Grand Lodges of Freemasons of England in December 1813, it was declared and pronounced that pure Antient Masonry consists of three degrees and no more, viz. those of the Entered Apprentice, the Fellow Craft, and the Master Mason, including the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch”.  

This statement was in essence the compromise that enabled the unification to take place.  Over time the Royal Arch has come to be seen as an essential and natural progression after the Craft and the integral final step in Pure Antient Freemasonry.

The exaltation ceremony story

The Royal Arch exaltation ceremony story takes place some 500 years after the dedication of Solomon’s Temple. King Solomon has long since died. Jerusalem has since been attacked by the Babylonians, the city and its once magnificent temple have been destroyed and its inhabitants taken into captivity into Babylon, where they have remained for 70 years.

We have arrived at that period in history where the Babylonian Empire itself has been attacked and defeated by Cyrus the King of Persia. Cyrus has recently issued a decree allowing the descendants of the Hebrew exiles to return to their native land.

At the start of your exaltation, you will enter the Chapter blindfolded and represent one of those exiles returning to Jerusalem seeking to participate in the light of our mysteries with his colleagues as Sojourners, or Journeyman builders.

The Chapter room and the carpet represent a building site in the ruined city, where Solomon’s temple formerly stood.  You will symbolically traverse across the ruins to arrive at the crown of a vaulted chamber, where the first change in the scene occurs.

The carpet and equipment on the floor of the Chapter now represent an underground vaulted chamber and its contents, and amongst those contents you will make a most important discovery!

Email Membership@hantsandiowroyalarch.com or speak to your lodge Royal Arch representative.

Past Grand Superintendent Alan Berman receives the certificate recognising his 50 years in Freemasonry from Jon Whitaker. Jon is head of Craft Freemasonry in Hampshire and Isle of Wight and made the unusual visit to present Alan with his certificate during a Royal Arch Chapter meeting.

Alan a member of Old Portmuthian Chapter was delighted to share what he called an unforgettable occasion with his old friend and one-time colleague Lawrence Guyer who, as his proposer, introduced him to Freemasonry and the Old Portuthian Lodge in 1973. The late Provincial Grand Master, Brian Bellinger was Alan’s seconder.

Centre for Cancer Immunology receives £42,000 boost

Receiving the donation on behalf of Southampton University’s Centre for Cancer Immunology, Katherine de Retuerto thanked the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Royal Arch Freemasons for their incredible generosity. Saying; “The University of Southampton has been the grateful recipient of immense generosity from the Freemasons over the years, and we really do appreciate their wonderful support. We will use 100% of the donations directly to develop better, kinder, more effective cancer treatments to enable people to live longer and live better.”

All the monies for the £42,000 donation came from Royal Arch members across the Province. The fundraising was in aid of the organisation’s Grand Superintendent’s Annual Charity Appeal. Commenting on the funds raised by his Appeal, The Grand Superintendent, Steve Allum said; “Our members support towards this vital work will have a significant impact. Adding that one member, Gerry Underwood, has given a magnificent sum which helped the Province’s fund raising efforts for the Centre to get underway.

Hampshire & Isle Wight Air Ambulance receives cheque for £45,000

Receiving the donation on behalf of the air ambulance, one of the largest gifts they have received, Jill McDonagh thanked the Province’s Royal Arch members saying “Your support will make a world of difference. Thank you for being at our side.”

All-seeing eyes for the blind

Two puppies are being trained to be guide dogs thanks to a £28,000 donation from Royal Arch Freemasons in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Labrador puppies Joshua and Benny will become life-lines for two blind people, enabling them to live much more normal lives.

Steve Allum, who heads the province, met the pups to see how they were doing.

He said: “It was a great opportunity to see how Joshua and Benny are progressing. Both puppies were delightful and so well behaved.

“Every year we support a charity where we can make a difference and in 2021 we chose Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

“We were able to fund two dogs and it’s been wonderful to follow their story since they were selected for training, having been judged to have the correct temperament.”

The size of donation meant the Royal Arch Freemasons were able to name two further guide dogs, which they called Lilly and Betsy.

Shona Lawson, Community Fundraising Relationship Manager for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, thanked Steve and all the Royal Arch members.

Every hour, someone in the UK goes blind and 180,000 people with sight loss rarely leave home alone.

Almost two million people in the UK are living with sight loss. By 2050, there could be nearly four million people with sight loss in the country.