William Preston (Freemason)
Encyclopedia
William Preston was a Scottish
author
, born in Edinburgh
, on the 7 August 1742. He died on April 1, 1818. With the death of his father, Preston left college and found a job as a secretary to Thomas Ruddiman
, with whom he carried out extensive research, required by the same in his classical and linguistic studies. With the death of Ruddiman, Preston became a printer for Walter Ruddiman
, Thomas' brother, to whom he had been apprenticed.
After working in the printing office for about a year, he set out for London
in 1760, intent upon making a name for himself as an author. One of his references was addressed to William Stranhan, the King's Printer, with whom Preston secured a position, which he retained for many years.
The exact date of Preston's initiation into Freemasonry
is not known, but is thought to have been between 1762 and 1763, in London. His experiences from this point on made a deep impression upon him, inducing Preston to undertake a major study of Freemasonry, its origin and its teachings, and this effort was intensified when he was elected a Worshipful Master.
He discovered a vast body of traditional and historical lore in the old documents of the Craft, and begun modernizing the format of group meetings in such a way as to make ritual accessible, bringing a rudimentary knowledge of the arts and sciences to members of the Fraternity. Preston embarked upon detailed communication with Masons worldwide, so developing extensive knowledge of the Craft, and collecting the material which was to become his best known book, Illustrations of Masonry published in 1772.
He delved into the most obscure places in search of Masonic lore, and became a frequent visitor to many different Lodges. On 15 June, 1774, he visited the Lodge of Antiquity No. 1, (one of the four Lodges that formed the Premier Grand Lodge of England
in 1717), and was subsequently elected a member and Worshipful Master at the same meeting. He became an active member of the Grand Lodge, and was later appointed Deputy Grand Secretary under James Heseline.
After a brief period of expulsion from the fraternity for his support of a factional disagreement between the Grand Lodge of Moderns and the society over public use of ritual paraphernalia he was reinstated in 1787, all his honours and dignities restored, whereupon he resumed his Masonic activities.
From 1765 to 1772, Preston engaged in personal research and correspondence with Freemasons at home and abroad, absorbing all he could about Freemasonry and the arts it encouraged. He had taken the works of Freemasonry, and revised them in such form as to receive the approval of the leading members of the Craft.
New editions of his book were regularly demanded, and up to the present time it has gone through 20 editions in England, 6 in America, and several more in other European languages.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, born in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, on the 7 August 1742. He died on April 1, 1818. With the death of his father, Preston left college and found a job as a secretary to Thomas Ruddiman
Thomas Ruddiman
Thomas Ruddiman was a Scottish classical scholar.-Life:He was born at Raggal, Banffshire, where his father was a farmer, and educated at the University of Aberdeen. Through the influence of Dr Archibald Pitcairne he became an assistant in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh...
, with whom he carried out extensive research, required by the same in his classical and linguistic studies. With the death of Ruddiman, Preston became a printer for Walter Ruddiman
Walter Ruddiman
Walter Ruddiman was a Scottish printer, publisher and newspaper proprietor based in Edinburgh. Born in Alvah, near Banff, in the North-East of Scotland, he was the youngest son of the farmer James Ruddiman and nephew of the printer, scholar and librarian Thomas Ruddiman whose business was also...
, Thomas' brother, to whom he had been apprenticed.
After working in the printing office for about a year, he set out for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1760, intent upon making a name for himself as an author. One of his references was addressed to William Stranhan, the King's Printer, with whom Preston secured a position, which he retained for many years.
The exact date of Preston's initiation into Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
is not known, but is thought to have been between 1762 and 1763, in London. His experiences from this point on made a deep impression upon him, inducing Preston to undertake a major study of Freemasonry, its origin and its teachings, and this effort was intensified when he was elected a Worshipful Master.
He discovered a vast body of traditional and historical lore in the old documents of the Craft, and begun modernizing the format of group meetings in such a way as to make ritual accessible, bringing a rudimentary knowledge of the arts and sciences to members of the Fraternity. Preston embarked upon detailed communication with Masons worldwide, so developing extensive knowledge of the Craft, and collecting the material which was to become his best known book, Illustrations of Masonry published in 1772.
He delved into the most obscure places in search of Masonic lore, and became a frequent visitor to many different Lodges. On 15 June, 1774, he visited the Lodge of Antiquity No. 1, (one of the four Lodges that formed the Premier Grand Lodge of England
Premier Grand Lodge of England
The Premier Grand Lodge of England was founded on 24 June 1717 as the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster and it existed until 1813 when it united with the Ancient Grand Lodge of England to create the United Grand Lodge of England. It was the first Masonic Grand Lodge to be created...
in 1717), and was subsequently elected a member and Worshipful Master at the same meeting. He became an active member of the Grand Lodge, and was later appointed Deputy Grand Secretary under James Heseline.
After a brief period of expulsion from the fraternity for his support of a factional disagreement between the Grand Lodge of Moderns and the society over public use of ritual paraphernalia he was reinstated in 1787, all his honours and dignities restored, whereupon he resumed his Masonic activities.
From 1765 to 1772, Preston engaged in personal research and correspondence with Freemasons at home and abroad, absorbing all he could about Freemasonry and the arts it encouraged. He had taken the works of Freemasonry, and revised them in such form as to receive the approval of the leading members of the Craft.
New editions of his book were regularly demanded, and up to the present time it has gone through 20 editions in England, 6 in America, and several more in other European languages.
- "He was one of the first men to influence a change in the social standards prevalent in the old lodges. From a position as the youngest Entered Apprentice standing in the North East corner of his lodge, he progressed until he was recognized as the foremost Masonic Scholar of his generation, the name of William Preston is still pre-eminent in the annals of Freemasonry".