There are approximately 600+ lodges in the South East & London Area using Taylor's Ritual.

 

What is the origin of Taylor's ?

 

In the latter part of the 19th & early 20th century, certain lodges broke away from the Stability & Emulation workings and started using HILL's North London workings which was taken from Claret's Perfect Ceremonies Book, the first Masonic Ritual Book to be published with approval by GL.

Hill's book was printed by MM Taylor. When Hill died, Taylor contested the Copyright with Hill's widow and won the case.

The first MM Taylor Ritual Book was published in 1908 and was used until 1975, when the 2nd reprint was published under the auspices of the Ritual Association.

 

The book of Lectures, a handy book of additional Ritual, questions & answers, and further explanations of the Tracing Boards, is being reprinted in virtually it's original form, and should be available early 2008.

The 1975 book was in use until 1990, when stocks ran out and it was necessary for a reprint, correcting any mistakes, both grammatical and punctuation.

 

In 2000, Ian Allan Ltd., bought the company from the Taylor family (Mick Taylor, the grandson of MM Taylor, having passed to the GL above) in order to retain the Copyright, the 4th edition was published (This is the current Ritual book) .

 

So, what is the purpose of Ritual Associations?

 

To answer this question, we have to find out why the Ritual Association was formed.

In December 1964, at the quarterly communications of Grand Lodge, RW Bro. Bishop Herbert, PGM of Norfolk, introduced the subject of the "Permissive Variations" to be adopted into the Penalties in the Obligations. At this time, Freemasonry was being criticised, by the Church and the Press. To appease the critics, it was decided to remove the "Physical Penalties" from the Obligations.

To achieve this G.L. had to be able to communicate with central bodies, not individual lodges.

The only Rituals having Associations to control the Ritual and lodges using their Ritual were:-

Stability (the oldest Ritual Association) Emulation and Logic,

all the other lodges using Taylor's, Universal, West End, Carvers, etc.,etc., had no governing body for G.L. to communicate with. Sir James Stubbs,the G. Sec., contacted W.Bro. Harry Carr, the Secretary of Quattuor Coronati Lodge to contact those lodges using these Rituals to organise governing bodies.

 

In 1965, 500 representatives of Taylor's Lodges gathered at F.M.H., and a committee of 12 was elected, a Chairman, to be elected by the committee.

 

Their first task was to bring the Ritual Book up to date including the "Permissive Variations".This task  took 9 years to complete as every change, however minor, had to be agreed by the whole committee. Put into print, proof read, checked again, before the final print.

 

In 1975, 400 representatives assembled at F.M.H. to see a demonstration of the Ritual Book 2nd Edition.

In 1990, the 3rd Edition was published and 2000 saw the 4th .

 

Although Ian Allan, are the Publishers, no alteration or change can be made to the Ritual Book without the sanction of  the Taylor's Ritual Committee(they are the Custodians)

RONNIE MARKS