For centuries, they have been the glue linking the most revered figures in British society, from kings and statesmen to authors and explorers.
But the mysterious rituals of the Freemasons, and questions about what they really do in their secretive meetings has prompted many to believe the worst rumours.
So now, some masonic lodges are turning to social media to de-mystify what goes on behind the closed doors of their grand bases.
One clip posted on the London Freemasons’ TikTok account claims that members’ notorious special handshake is not ‘some cloak-and-dagger mystery’, but instead a ‘purely ceremonial’ gesture that represents ‘trust, unity and the values of fraternity’.
Another, posted by a club set up for young Freemasons, explains that the ‘Four Cardinal Virtues’ of the organisation are ‘Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice’ – the same as those found in classical philosophy.
The ‘media secretary’ of the same group, the London-based Connaught Club, explains in a clip that Freemasonry is not a religion but instead designed to ‘sit alongside’ faith.
Other clips take viewers inside lodges and ceremonies, with one showing an ‘investiture’ – the process which sees members get promoted – in Freemasons Hall in Central London.
There are also several ‘meme videos’, including one showing a dancing woman as it proclaims: ‘That feeling when there are only a few tickets left for the Christmas Dinner, but you bought your ticket months ago.’
This young Freemason explains that he followed his mother and father into the organisation. He explains it is ‘open to everyone’ and ‘easy to join’
One clip posted on the London Freemasons’ TikTok account claims that members’ notorious special handshake is not ‘some cloak-and-dagger mystery’, but instead a ‘purely ceremonial’ gesture that represents ‘trust, unity and the values of fraternity’
In the final joke of the video, two stonemasons pretend they are about to reveal the group’s secret handshake
And members of the Connaught Club are seen taking part in lavish dinners, skiing trips and excitable Christmas parties.
Its media secretary, Lewis Hooper, explains in a rather more serious video that there are ‘three degrees’ of Freemasonry in England.
He says: ‘The purpose of those degrees and those rituals is to teach you those life lessons but also to teach you how to apply them in your everyday life, so that you don’t only become a better version of yourself but a better person to society, that you contribute more and more effectively.’
Mr Hooper, who works day to day as a solicitor, cites charitable giving – including donating £3million to the London Air Ambulance Service – as examples of how Freemasons contribute to society.
The Connaught Club’s website says it is ‘for young Freemasons in London’.
The London Masons have more than 22,000 followers on TikTok. They have posted several ‘explainer’ videos, including one revealing the reasons why Freemasons wear white gloves.
A narrator explains: ‘Freemasons wear white gloves as a symbol of purity and innocence, reflecting the importance of maintaining a clean and virtuous life in both actions and thoughts.
‘The gloves signify equality among Masons, as all members, regardless of rank or position, wear the same white gloves during ceremonies and meetings.
‘This tradition is rooted in the practices of operative masons, who wore gloves to protect their hands, while working with rough materials and tools in the physically demanding tasks of stonemasonry.’
The clip adds: ‘Overall, wearing white gloves embodies the ideals of moral integrity and the commitment to uphold the values of Freemasonry.’
Another explainer tells viewers about the meaning of the Masons’ ‘blazing star’ symbol.
It says the star ’embodies the idea of striving for higher ideals and virtues, encouraging individuals to seek wisdom and understanding in their lives.’
The Freemasons’ lambskin aprons are also explained. The narrator of another clip says the apron is not just a ‘piece of clothing’ but a ‘profound symbol of purity, moral integrity and the journey of self-improvement that every Freemason undertakes.’
A 78-second clip uploaded by the London Masons on TikTok has given a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the ancient fraternal organisation
Other clips take viewers inside lodges and ceremonies, with one (above) showing an ‘investiture’ – the process which sees members get promoted – in Freemasons Hall in Central London
There are around 200,000 Freemasons in the UK, and about six million globally.
Members have to swear an oath that threatens them with ‘having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots and buried in the rough sands of the sea at low-water mark’ if it is broken.
And they make this vow blindfolded and bare-chested, with nooses around their necks and a dagger aimed at their heart.
But many of the London Masons’ videos are light-hearted, including a 78-second clip that plays on a recent trend where people address stereotypes about their day-to-day activities.
One member says: ‘I’m a Freemason, of course I take my regalia case everywhere I go.’
Another jokes: ‘I’m a Freemason, of course I know all the words to the National Anthem’.
A third says: ‘I’m a Freemason, of course I have several pairs of white gloves in my case’.
And in the final joke of the video, two stonemasons pretend they are about to reveal the group’s secret handshake – before proceeding to raise their hands to their face in a mocking gesture.
The origins of Freemasonry in Britain stretch back to at least the late 1300s.
The Connaught Club’s media secretary, Lewis Hooper, explains in a rather more serious video that there are ‘three degrees’ of Freemasonry in England
There are also several ‘meme videos’, including one showing a dancing woman as it proclaims: ‘That feeling when there are only a few tickets left for the Christmas Dinner, but you bought your ticket months ago’
Members of the Connaught Club – a group of young Freemasons – are seen at a lavish dinner
Another clip shows young Freemasons on skiing trips
The Freemasons’ lambskin aprons are also explained. The narrator of another clip says the apron is not just a ‘piece of clothing’ but a ‘profound symbol of purity, moral integrity and the journey of self-improvement that every Freemason undertakes
But members believe their roots go back even further, to the stonemasons who built the likes of Salisbury Cathedral in the early 13th century.
By the end of the 17th century, there were several masonic lodges in Britain. At least seven were in London.
As a result, the most influential men in London started to become members. They included painter William Hogarth, writer Alexander Pope and more than one duke.
The group’s lavish Grand Lodge in Great Queen Street in London was opened in 1776. It survived until the 1930s, when it was replaced by Freemasons’ Hall.
Although the society is largely made up of men, there are two women’s groups in Britain – The Order of Women Freemasons and The Honorable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons.
After the end of the First World War in 1918, the numbers of Freemasons ballooned, with 350 lodges being set up in the three years following the conflict.
Similarly, in the three years after the Second World War, nearly 600 were set up.
The Freemasons said this was down to greater numbers of men wanting to ‘continue the camaraderie they had built up during their war service, and were looking for a calm centre in a greatly changed and changing world’.
Another, posted by a club set up for young Freemasons, explains that the ‘Four Cardinal Virtues’ of the organisation are ‘Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice’ – the same as those found in classical philosophy
Another explainer tells viewers about the meaning of the Masons’ ‘blazing star’ symbol
This video explains what the ‘First Degree’ in Freemasonry is about, saying it ‘encourages Masons to invoke God’s aid in their lawful undertakings and to approach Him with awe and reverence’
Masons wear white gloves as ‘a symbol of purity and innocence, reflecting the importance of maintaining a clean and virtuous life in both actions and thoughts’, another clip explains
In 2015, a released membership list showed the incredible reach of Freemasonry into British society.
The list of two million names dating from 1751 to 1921 included kings Edward VII, Edward VIII and George VI and the statesmen Winston Churchill, Lord Kitchener and the Duke of Wellington.
Authors Rudyard Kipling and Arthur Conan Doyle; England’s World Cup-winning manager Alf Ramsey and explorer Ernest Shackleton were all also on the list.
Last year, the Mail revealed how infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper was protected from conviction because he too was a Freemason.
Historian Russell Edwards – who recently identified the Ripper as Polish immigrant Aaron Kosminski – revealed a conspiracy of silence that shielded Kosminski.
At least five people associated with the official British inquiry into the sinking of the Titanic were Freemasons.
The man who led the investigation, Lord Mersey, was one of them. It was also claimed that the chairman of the Belfast shipyard that built the Titanic was a member.
Two of the inquiry’s experts were also Freemasons. Many later believed the inquiry was a whitewash.
Kenneth Noye, who received a life sentence for the ‘road rage’ murer of Stephen Cameron in 1996, was also a Freemason.
The lifelong criminal had avoided being charged for handling stolen goods in 1977. He happened to be both a police informer and to have joined a Hammersmith-based lodge of the Freemasons that year.
It also emerged that he was put up for membership by two police officers and ended up becoming master of the lodge.
Noye went on to build up a criminal empire that stretched across the world. He was however eventually kicked out of the Freemasons.
In 2016, the police watchdog the IPCC announced it was investigating whether Freemason membership influenced senior police officers after the Hillsborough disaster.
Overall match commander had been a Freemason since 1975 and became head of his local lodge – a worshipful master – the year after the 1989 disaster.
He told an inquest that he did not know if his promotion within South Yorkshire Police in the weeks before the tragedy was influenced by his membership of the so-called ‘secret society’ but added: ‘I would hope not.’
The idea that Freemasonry has played a significant role in police corruption has even made its way into popular culture, with hints in the hit drama Line of Duty that copper Ted Hastings was in the secretive order.
