The Treaty of Utrecht ended the Anglo-French conflict in America known as Queen Anne’s War, France ceded to Great Britain, along with other territories in America, Acadia which is now mainland Nova Scotia. For the next thirty-six years, until the founding of Halifax in 1749, Port Royal was re-named, Annapolis Royal, and was the capital of the colony.

 

Four independent Masonic lodges of London founded the Grand Lodge of England, June 24, l7l7. A few years passed when by General Regulations approved by the Grand Master, John Duke of Montagu, in 1723, no set or number of Masons could take upon themselves to form a lodge without the authority of the Grand Master.

 

During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, before the Grand Lodge of England had been formed, or General Regulations published, Freemasons had left the British Isles to settle in the New World, and it is quite probable that as numbers and circumstances permitted, they met in lodges although no records of any such meetings exist.

 

There were Freemasons in Annapolis Royal soon after its capture, that came from New England. These may have met as a lodge, but again evidence is lacking. Of one fact, however, there can be no doubt; it was at Annapolis Royal that the first Masonic lodge in Canada was duly constituted. The year was 1738, and the founder a soldier administrator, Erasmus James Philipps, in whose memory the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia issued its well-known medallion.

 

Philipps had met, the Provincial Grand Master of Masons in North America, Henry Price in Boston. Price’s efforts to extend Freemasonry in the New World led to his appointment in 1733 as Provincial Grand Master of Masons in New England. The following year, his authority was extended to include all North America. Through his leadership, a Provincial Grand Lodge, St. John’s was established, and a subordinate lodge duly constituted. These were the first of their kind in North America. Other lodges were organized in quick succession: Philadelphia in 1734, and South Carolina, Georgia, and New Hampshire in 1735.  With an eye to further expansion, Price saw in Erasmus James Philipps, a proper agent to carry Freemasonry to Nova Scotia. How it was to be done was indicated in a news item which appeared in the Boston Gazette on March 13, 1738: “We are informed that Major Phillipps is appointed Provincial Grand Master over the Free and Accepted Masons in the Province of Nova Scotia, and that a Deputation is getting ready for that purpose.

 

The founding of Halifax in 1749 represented the first effort of Great Britain at a systematic colonization of Nova Scotia. The new Governor of Nova Scotia, Edward Cornwallis, arrived in Halifax June 1749, with a flotilla carrying twenty-five hundred men, women, and children to settle in the province. Among the pioneers in Halifax were a number of Freemasons, who wished to have a lodge to attend and Brethren with whom to associate. In the colonies leadership was expected from the Governor and members of his Council. In Nova Scotia, Edward Cornwallis belonged to the Craft and was willing to give the desired leadership. Thus, it was that in 1750, almost before permanent homes had been constructed, a number of Masons met with the Governor, and the group declared that it was for the good of the Fraternity that a lodge should be established in Halifax. Constituted 1750 as "First Lodge” after petitioning for a warrant from the Provincial Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England. This Lodge has carried on operation and is today as St Andrews Lodge No. 1 Register of the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia since 1869.

 

Freemasonry within Nova Scotia continued strong in Provincial Grand Lodges of both England and Scotland from the 1750s – 1866. Early days the English Provincial Grand Masters were usually the Governor of the province. During this time in England two rival Grand Lodges existed the Ancients and the Moderns. This rival existed from the mid-1700s until 1813 when the United Grand Lodge of England was formed. This rivalry existed in Nova Scotia as well and the Grand Lodge of Scotland was making inroads in the province establishing lodges under their jurisdiction.

 

Masonry was growing in Nova Scotia in the early 1800s however when the Morgan Affair and the anti-Masonic campaign in the United States started in the State of New York. Freemasonry in North America suffered membership losses as far north a Nova Scotia where several lodges were to close and never reopen. The negative effects from the United States were to last until the 1860s.

 

The 1840s saw the province with two provincial Grand Masters one of the Grand Lodge of Scotland the other the United Grand Lodge of England. Lodges in both Grand Lodges were experiencing issues with their Governing body being overseas. New Lodge Warrants could be months years or never reaching the lodges as all such materials were transported by sailing ships and with the frequent loss of ships a warrant may never reach a newly formed lodge. The Nova Scotia Brethren were also growing tired of paying dues to the Mother Grand Lodges without receiving the benevolence expected.

 

In the late 1840 the province saw the first movements to establishing an independent Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia with the appointment of and election of Alexander Keith the famous Brewery owner and politician become the Provincial Grand Master in both the English and Scottish Grand Lodges. Progress continued moving the Grand Lodges to one  and in 1866 the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia was founded.

 

Keith's Silver Jubilee was in a sense the end of an era. He was now seventy years old and might well have claimed the privilege of retiring. He was given eight years more of life and, he continued as District Grand Master of the English lodges, 1866-69, saw his Scottish Lodges form the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia, and for more than four years he was Grand Master after the union of the English lodges with the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia.

 

The growth of the new Grand Lodge continued under Wilburn Laurie when the province saw an expansion of new lodges charted throughout the province. Laurie who held Grand Master for ten years was the longest serving Grand Master since 1866.

 

Shortly after Laurie the membership of Masons had grown to an extent that the idea of a home for Masonic Brethren in the older years be established. This saw the founding of the Nova Scotia Masonic home in Windsor NS in 1909, the first Masonic home established in North America to look after aging Brethren.

 

During the First World War, many brethren served. Following the war, lodges throughout the province experience a large growth  of new members from service men looking for the comradeship they experienced while fighting the war. This led to a large membership and opening new lodges throughout the province some which would later close during the Great Depression.

 

Nova Scotia Masonry continued strong during the Second World War as many Masons in uniform maintained their membership while serving overseas. At the end of the Second World War Freemasonry and other community organizations saw a groundswell of membership which peaked in the 1950s with over 14,000 Masons and 118 Lodges covering the whole province.

 

Since the 1950s Masonic membership has declined, however now, nearing our 3rd century of existence, Freemasonry in Nova. Scotia continues to thrive, evolving our traditions and building on the strengths of our past, our new generations, and the rich traditions of an increasing population of new Canadians coming to our shores.

​

​

​

​