Freemasonry
From The Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia
Arthur Conan Doyle has been a freemason several times in his life.
From 1887 to 1889 in the Phoenix Lodge No. 257 (Southsea) ; in 1901 in the Lodge of Edinburgh No. 1 (Mary's Chapel) as honorary member ; from 1902 to 1911 in Phoenix Lodge No. 257 (Southsea) again ; and another honorary membership in 1905 at Lodge Canongate Kilwinning No. 2 (Edinburgh).
Chronology
1887
- 26.01.1887 : Arthur Conan Doyle was initiated into Freemasonry under the auspices of the Phoenix Lodge, No. 257, 110 High Street, Southsea, Portsmouth, at the age of 27. His sponsors were Mr. W. D. King (a former mayor) and John Brickwood (a brewer). [1]
1889
- 1889 : He resigned from the Phoenix Lodge No. 257.
1900
- 05.04.1900 : During the Boer War in South Africa, he attended a meeting at a scratch lodge: Rising Star Lodge No. 1022, at Bloemfontein with Bro. Rudyard Kipling.
1901
- 23.03.1901 : He accepted an honorary membership in the Lodge of Edinburgh No. 1 (St. Mary's Chapel, 96 George Street) in commemoration of his return to England.
1902
- 1902 : He rejoined the Phoenix Lodge No. 257.
1905
- 25.01.1905 : He accepted an honorary membership to the Lodge Canongate Kilwinning No. 2 (Edinburgh).
1911
- 1911 : He resigned from the Phoenix Lodge No. 257 for the second time without having progressed beyond the third degree in the Craft. [2]
Articles
- Dr. Conan Doyle, honorary member of St. Mary's Chapel Lodge of Freemason (The Leeds Mercury, 26 march 1901)
- Bro. Dr. Conan Doyle (The Masonic Illustrated, october 1901)
- Death of Major A. H. Wood, Prominent Freemason (The Evening News (Portsmouth), 22 april 1941)
Freemasonry in Conan Doyle's fictions
- Crabbe's Practice (1884) : Barton said that he took advantage of the freemasonry which exists in the medical profession.
- A Study in Scarlet (1887) : On Drebber's body was found a gold ring with masonic device.
- The Doings of Raffles Haw (1891) : There is a Freemasonry among smokers which overrides every social difference.
- A Scandal in Bohemia (1891) : Holmes said that there is a wonderful sympathy and freemasonry among horsey men.
- The Red-Headed League (1891) : Holmes deduced that Jabez Wilson was a Freemason because of his arc and compass breastpin.
- The Adventure of the Norwood Builder (1903) : Holmes deduced that John Hector MacFarlane was a bachelor, a solicitor, a Freemason, and an asthmatic.
- The Lost World (1912) : Gladys' father-in-law bounced off out of the room to dress for a Masonic meeting.
- The Valley of Fear (1914) : "... through the outer guard and inner guard who close-tiled it." The verb "tile" means to post a guard at a Masonic meeting.
