Some excellent resources for research into Masonic history

I actually have more records on the Eastern Star info than on the Masonic Temple info...I guess my family's women hoarded more things than the men did!

Masonic gravestones (there are a couple in the "Dissidentes" Cemetery here in Valparaiso, even one in Dutch Harbor, Alaska) are usually good indicators that a person was a Mason, but not 100 percent reliable. The lodge that the deceased might have been part of could have been "irregular" (or from a Grand Lodge not recognized by the United Grand Lodge of England, the "mother" Grand Lodge). Verifying the lodge confirms this, and indeed could result in more interesting finds about the general life of the Mason (entered, passed, and raised dates and places often pinpoint a person to a city at a given time, membership in a lodge might confirm interesting associations with other Masons that were his contemporaries, etc.)

Having said that, I think there were a couple that I added to the project that I didn't verify a lodge name on. Would probably be a fairly easy task to do that, though. Will have to be more careful about that in the future.

Shriners are a concordant body. To become one, you need to join a "blue lodge" (regular Masonic lodge), then become a member of York or Scottish Rite (also concordant bodies), and then you are eligible to join the Shriners. Had a few friends whose main motivation for joining Masonry was to be part of the Shriners.

We visited family graves over Memorial Day and we had to look up the engraving on a great uncle (by second marriage late in life)'s stone to see what it meant...it turned out to be Shriners, which my mom didn't remember mention of, so we need to do some research!

My Mason's (so far) were in the 1920's-50's, so the obits have lodge numbers in them. Thanks for the tips!

Is someone going to start projects on Order of Eastern Star and Jobs Daughters? I have some to add but don't have much time right now as I am researching my wife's line in Mills county Iowa.

Someday Eldon...I am neck deep in a family reunion!

Family reunion or research? :-)

Reunion!!! We are trying to gather the descendants of four brothers who came from Alsace Loraine to the US (finally settled in Michigan) together for the first large reunion since the late 60's. Thanks to Geni and Ancestry.com I have find family members from two lines we didn't have any info on! I am putting together some media for it, plus a printed tree.

Mom says if this one works, I get to do another line next summer!!!

So are you hoping for success or failure.

LOL...rather silly, but success. I will let you know!

Can you tell me whether this is sufficient evidence for my gg-grandfather
Pvt Marion Jasper Hatchett
to be included in this project?
In the media tab is a picture of him wearing a Masonic lapel pin, and and article (under documents on the right hand side of that page) that mentions him as a brother Mason of others.

Steve, in today's times anyone can buy Masonic jewelry almost anywhere so it would not be evidence. But in those times wearing it would be stopped by lodge members especially in a small town so I would say yes. Tombstones are a better indication because of the cost and usually the stones would have been ordered by the family. I would say yes put him in and if you have time, contact the Grand Lodge of Georgia who will be happy to give you all his Masonic history
BTW, I am receiving my 50 year pin from my lodge in May

I thought the photo with the pin was not sufficient for that reason. So I included this newspaper article
http://www.geni.com/documents/view/profile-6000000014725140889?doc_...
with the parts mentioning Mason brothers to support that. But I will contact the Lodge as well since I don't think anyone in our family has seen his Masonic history. Thanks.

Steve, I added him to the project.

Private User, I see that Eldon already helped you out, but I just wanted to chime in for future reference. My personal stance is that we need to trust users to know their ancestors better than we do. Although documentation is always preferred, please don't worry about having to meet super-strict criteria to add anyone here. If you ever think a profile belongs, by all means, add it in.

Hello to all.
I would like to introduce myself, I am Curator in Brazil. I was also the creator of the project Freemasons in Brazil, that after seeing the larger project Freemasons.
I am the daughter and sister of Masons, and from a young age I attend the sessions free (here in Brazil called "white").
My brother attended was initiated into the Order of DeMolay, and then the Grand Orient of Brazil (GOB).
I read some discussions between employees and would like to expose gradually as seen Freemasonry in our country.
To have that idea, my parents will celebrate their Golden Jubilee (50 years of marriage) with a session especially designed for this purpose.
Also my two sons attended the Adoption of Lawton (Masonic baptism).
In some cities these occasions come to be cause for comment in the social columns, including members' pictures and their own clothing.
Sorry for my english.

Private User Nice to meet you. Are you going to make a project for the Order of DeMolay in Brazil? If you are, Feel free to use the basic information from my DeMolay project. Everything should be the same until you get to the end of the chapter officers. I do not know the higher levels in Brazin

Eldon Lester Clark Yes, I want to create the design on the DeMolay, and as I did earlier building on the existing design. And I follow the debates not to escape to the guidelines and always speak the same language.

Eldon Lester Clark Sorry, I do not understand the mean by: I do not know the higher levels in Brazin.

Private User In the United States the organizational levels are Chapter, State and National. I do not know what they are in Brazil.

Eldon Lester Clark Yes, they are organized the same way: National and State.

In researching the colonial portrait painter, James Claypoole, ca 1743-1822, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Kingston, Jamaica, W. I., I discovered that he became a Freemason in 1768 as the following Lodge transactions show:

"June 14th, 1768: Mr James Claypoole, Jun. petitioned the Lodge (No. 2, F. and A. M. of Philadelphia) to become a member was ordered to pay on the Books till the next Lodge Night.
July 12th, 1768: Jas. Claypoole jun: Petition was unanimously accepted and he received the Degree of an Entered Apprentice, Had the benefit of an enterd apprentice Lecture.
August 9th, 1768: Bro. James Claypoole, Jr. received the degree of a Fellow Craft.
September 13th, 1768: Brother Claypoole having passed the degrees of an Entered Apprentice & Fellow Craft and on Due examination being found worthy was admitted to the Degree of a Master Mason."

Subsequently, I purchased the book (which I still own) 'Freemasonry in Pennsylvania 1727-1907' by (Judge) Norris S. Barratt (Past Master Lodge No. 2) and Julius F. Sachse (Past Master Lodge No. 2), published 1908, Philadelphia. Inside its front cover are two applied labels, the largest/original records - "SESQUI CENTENNIAL Lodge No. 2, F. & A. M. 1757 PENNSYLVANIA 1907 SOUVENIR No. 168"
The word 'SESQUI' partially obscured with a name & address label:-
G. R. Flake RT. 1 1022 Stump R Chalfont, Pa. 18914

The last Lodge No. 2 meeting attended by James Claypoole, Jr. appears to have been October 10th, 1769. There is no further mention of James Claypoole, Jr. nor record of any resignation from Lodge no. 2 by him. The next record of James Claypoole, Jr. is his marriage on May 8, 1771 to Helen(a) Frazier at St. Andrew's, near Kingston, Jamaica, the circumstances leading to this event being described by fellow freemason, Charles Willson Peale, in an 1812 letter to his son, Rembrandt Peale.

I have been unable to discover whether Claypoole entered a Lodge in Jamaica. He died at Kingston, Jamaica some 51 years after his marriage there.