Great fire of London

[ozkann]

First of all I have strong doubt putting this information in to this category.
We dont have much choices in English categories on this web site.

This is some part of Edwin A. Shermans book 'New Edition of the Brief History of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite"
The parts are about the Great Fire of London...

Sounds like an antimasonic text, claiming like; freemasons use the fire and rebuilding to put the 'order' in control. Especially the second part is that claim which is citation from 'a' writer. The whole book must be read to understand the subject fully. My aim is to share a connection between freemasonry and  the Great fire of London.

I think Ms. Isabell was pointing this issue on past conversation with Mr.Adam and she wanted to hide it because it sounds like an antimasonic text.

Ms Isabell gave the year 1666 on her subject and it was a clue that the great library fire is nothing seperate than Great fire of London.

From the book
-----
Two years afterward, on the 3d of September, 1666, the Great Fire of London broke out, which raged for three days, in which over thirteen thonsand houses and ninety churches were destroyed, including St. Paul's, which was also laid in ashes. To restore and
reibuild the city caused the influx of an immense gathering of Operative Masons from all over the kingdom and from abroad to find employment in London, which also received a new addition of population from the expatriated Huguenots from France and other religious reformers, who, in exile, sought security from persecution, hoping to find that freedom of conscience denied them at home. These people having to depend upon their own industry for their maintenance fused with the guilds of London and the other cities in their various branches of labor and swelled the ranks of Operative Freemasons and
other organizations, and indoctrinated them with their own ideas of religious
liberty.
---
One writer says that "
Christopher Wren was the President of the London
Guild of Freemasons at the time of the Commonwealth (under the Protectorate
of Oliver Cromwell) ; that they held their meetings secret in the Common
Hall of Freemasons, and that their real object teas political—the restoration of
the monarchy—hence the necessary exclusion of the public and the oaths of
Becrecy enjoined on the members. The pretense of promoting architecture
and the choice of the place where to hold their meetings, suggested by their
President, were no more than blinds to deceive the existing government."—
C. W. King.
---

[ADAM]

As a matter of fact I would regard to discuss this topic in this forum as it may be a matter of interest concerning History of Britain but not so significant in History of Freemasonry.

However, I am inevitably involved in this discussion having my name referred to, and consider myself as obliged to state my view as well.

First of all, why has the Great London Fire been mentioned in the general history of Freemasonry?

For two basic reasons:

1. The operative art  is regarded as the basis of speculative science, i.e. speculative freemasonry has been derived from the operative, hence reconstruction of London has also been a matter with historic significance in Modern Freemasonry and

2. Sir Christopher Wren has an active role in both this renewal as well as being one of the outstanding characters in the foundation of the Grand Lodge of London in 1717.

Personally, I disagree to the former. Furthermore I disagree to the comment made by C.W.King (whoever he is) vis-à-vis his statement that Christopher Wren was the President of the London Guild of Freemasons at the time of the Commonwealth. At that time he was in his late 20’s and was interested in quite a number of subjects from mechanics to astronomy being an amateur enthusiast of architecture. That’s why he was sent over to Paris for further education in the second Stuart era following the catastrophic fire event, so that the Neoromanesque style that is being developed in he Continent could be brought in to England as well.

I will discuss the significance of Sir Christopher Wren being a member of Royal Society and even the president of this institution later from 1680 to 82 as well as the architect of the renovation of St. Paul’s in detail in my article of THOSE UNTOLD IN THE HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY, however that shall be in Turkish and I don’t think that I can take the challenge of narrating an English version of the text as well.