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 How and when did Freemasonry start?
Although there has been hundreds of theories put forth by learned scholars, both Masons and non-Masons, the question of origin has never been definitively answered. Some researchers note parallels with the Essenes, a middle East sect at the time of Jesus. Others connect Masons with the Knights Templar at the time of the Crusades. Still others, provide a convincing argument Masonry came from the great cathedral builders of Europe during the 13 and 1400's. All agree it is of antiquity, hence the claim to being the oldest fraternal organization in the world.
Modern Masonry is well documented from 1717 when four Lodges in London, England, met to organize the first Grand Lodge. Obviously, Masonic Lodges were in existence before that. In fact, an entry in a diary owned by one Elias Ashmole stated he was made a Mason on October 16, 1646, in a Lodge in Warrington with 7 members present. Yet the first lodge in Warrington of which we have a record is 1775.
It is probably safe to say that Masonry has been around in one form or another for at least 600 years.
The earliest recorded 'making' of a Freemason in England is that of Elias Ashmole in 1646. Organised Freemasonry began with the founding of the Grand Lodge of England on 24 June 1717, the first Grand Lodge in the world. Ireland followed in 1725 and Scotland in 1736. All the regular Grand Lodges in the world trace themselves back to one or more of the Grand Lodges in the British Isles.
There are two main theories of origin. According to one, the operative stonemasons who built the great cathedrals and castles had lodges in which they discussed trade affairs. They had simple initiation ceremonies and, as there were no City and Guild certificates, dues cards or trade union membership cards, they adopted secret signs and words to demonstrate that they were trained masons when they moved from site to site. In the 1600s, these operative lodges began to accept non-operatives as "gentlemen masons". Gradually these non-operatives took over the lodges and turned them from operative to 'free and accepted' or 'speculative' lodges.
The other theory is that in the late 1500s and early 1600s, there was a group which was interested in the promotion of religious and political tolerance in an age of great intolerance when differences of opinion on matters of religion and politics were to lead to bloody civil war. In forming Freemasonry, they were trying to make better men and build a better world. As the means of teaching in those days was by allegory and symbolism, they took the idea of building as the central allegory on which to form their system.
The main source of allegory was the Bible, the contents of which were known to everyone even if they could not read, and the only building described in detail in the Bible was King Solomon's Temple, which became the basis of the ritual. The old trade guilds provided them with their basis administration of a Master, Wardens, Treasurer and Secretary, and the operative mason's tools provided them with a wealth of symbols with which to illustrate the moral teachings of Freemasonry.
Excerpt from different Masonic Websites courtesy of glphils.org | 
