The History of Cryptic Council Masonry



The history or Cryptic Council has its formal origins in the American Colonies, shortly after winning independence from Great Britain. Cryptic Council at its inception was originally part of the York Rite Chapter Lodges.

The Royal Master and Select Master degrees were part of Chapter prior to Cryptic Council separating from York Rite Chapter. The Chronological order of the Council degrees had the Royal Master Degree was conferred just prior to receiving the sublime Royal Arch Degree. The Select Master degree was conferred shortly after receiving the Royal Arch Degree.

It is thought that the Royal and Select Master Degrees originated in France in the first half of the 18th century. The Royal and Select Master degrees were known as travelling degrees throughout the Eastern United States in the late 1700’s and 1800’s and were conferred on special occasions similar to how we  in Minnesota and in many other states confer the Super Excellent degree today.

Council was split off from Royal Arch in the early 1800’s in New York. The first Council Lodge was the Columbian Grand Council of Royal Master Masons, which was formed in New York City in 1810 and the Royal Master was made the principal degree of the Lodge. Thomas Lownds is believed to have developed the Royal Master Degree as we now know it and was very instrumental in the formation of Cryptic Council Masonry in New York State. In the late 1810’s Columbian Grand Council #1 in New York conferred the Select Masters Degree on 10 Individuals, many who were members of the Columbian Grand Council. The Adoption of the Super Excellent Master Degree was conferred shortly thereafter.

Other degrees that were conferred in Cryptic Council were the Order of the Garter, the Illustrious and Invincible Order of Saint George of Cappadocia and the Knights of the Round Table.

In 1821 Columbian Grand Council received into its fold a Council of Select Masters. In 1823; Columbian Grand Council constituted itself a Grand Council for New York State and granted charters for Councils throughout New York State.

The first state to have a Grand Council was Connecticut in 1819.

The term Cryptic in Cryptic Council Masonry refers to the setting of the Select Master Degree, which is the vault or crypt underneath King Solomon’s Temple. The term Cryptic also means hidden or secret, which refers to the work being done in the Select Master Degree.

For most of the 19 th century in Cryptic Council Masonry the Select Master Degree was performed prior the Royal Master Degree.

Cryptic Rite Masonry was introduced formally into England by a charter from the Grand Council of New York in 1871. In 1873 the Grand Council of England was formed.

The Concept of a General Grand Council was proposed during the 1870’s. A convention of Grand Councils in 1873 Decreed that the Royal Master should proceed the Select Master Degree with the Super Excellent Degree being an optional degree. General Grand Council was formed in 1881 with a ratification of 9 Grand Councils, one of which was the Minnesota Grand Council. This General Grand Council has jurisdiction over the US Grand Councils as well as Grand Councils throughout the world.

In Minnesota, Cryptic Council Masonry got its beginnings when A.T.C. Pierson was granted permission from the Grand Council of New York to confer the degrees of Cryptic Council upon Royal Arch Masons throughout Minnesota as he might so choose 1 . In January of 1870, the Grand Council of Iowa granted a charter to form the first Council in Saint Paul. Charters were also granted by the Grand Council of Iowa in October of 1870 to establish a Cryptic Council in Minneapolis and in Rochester 1 . Members from these three Councils met in Saint Paul in December 1870 to form a Grand Council for the State of Minnesota 1 .

For a more detailed history of Cryptic Council in Minnesota, see mnyorkrite.org.

Special thanks to Sean Gardiner for his excellent work and mnyorkrite.org for a great, detailed history of the origins of Cryptic Council in Minnesota.

Bibliography:

1). Mnyorkrite.org

 By: Companion Eric Thiem

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