The author, WBro. F.K.M. van Zoggel, is a Past Master of The Conyers Lodge 1916EC in Christchurch and is also a current member of the Zealandia Rose Croix and the Canterbury Royal Arch Chapters.
Introduction
"On the field of battle, in the solitude of the uncivilized forest, or in the busy haunts of the crowded city, the principles of Masonry have made men of the most hostile feelings, most distant relations and most diversified convictions rush to the aid of one another and given satisfaction in the fact that they have been able to afford relief to a brother."
Tolerance, Endeavour, Charity, Integrity and Fidelity are but five virtues that good men aspire to practice in their lifetime.
The famous men you will meet in the following pages were notable for their achievements in many widely differing fields of human endeavour.
Consider for a moment that amongst them are poets and writers, composers and novelists, statesmen and sportsmen, politicians and musicians, Kings and showmen, scientists and diplomats, generals and explorers, admirals and presidents, judges and artists, inventors and astronauts, industrialists and adventurers. All have one thing in common - they were all Freemasons.
It is not for me to speculate whether these famous men, who happened to be members of some of the thousands of Masonic Lodges worldwide, would have been more or less well known had they not been brothers in the craft of Masonry. Neither do I presume to imply that they are more famous or worthy of more acknowledgement than other equally prominent individuals who were not Freemasons.
The intention of this publication is simply to introduce to you, the reader, some notable men who were proud to be known as Masons, happy to follow the principles, doctrines, tenets and virtues of Freemasonry and proud to have made a difference to this world in which, when said and done, we all live.
There is little doubt to a Freemason that the tenets of brotherly love, relief and truth, when coupled with the principles of the craft, built up from the achievements of every single Mason since 1717, have inspired many of its members to greatness.
Many Masons carry out great acts of benevolence and charity on a daily basis, they are prominent in our communities, industry and arts today and I have every confidence that the history books of tomorrow will be as peppered with their names as are those of both the recent and distant past.
I am of the belief that Freemasonry is beginning a resurgence at present as men find its fraternity and uniqueness a refreshing change from the busy and sometimes impersonal world of today.
This fraternal society, having gained notoriety for its rigid adherence to traditions and ?secrecy?, is probably the best known and most misunderstood of all fraternal organisations.
Even today it spans cultures, continents, religions and borders to unite millions of men who, regardless of their everyday position in society, can meet as equals without quarrel or pith, class or hierarchy.
Every Mason, be he King or pauper, has been initiated using the same Masonic ritual, in the same manner, in the same Lodge room and often in the presence of the other.
The rich decorations found in the Masonic Lodge room and symbolism evident in the allegory of the rituals are designed to make one think, not just for the few hours a month spent at the actual Lodge meeting but rather for every waking moment, of the strict adherence men of honour have to the principles of the Craft.
Masonry has withstood many attacks over the last 287 years and will continue to be a focus of concern for the uninformed or insecure.
Modern communication tools such as the Internet have given the fraternity an opportunity to open up to the world and there is ample information on the web to educate those interested.
I realise that there are thousands of famous Masons that are not included in this book. There is no intention on my part to exclude any Mason; quite simply in many cases I was unable to verify their Masonic credentials. A very wise man said to me that when writing a book on Freemasonry one should write the second edition first. When I queried this statement he smiled and said that once this edition was published every Freemason in the world would be writing to me to add, delete or make corrections to my work.
This book is in its first edition. I invite criticisms, corrections, suggestions and additional information for the next edition. I have been careful not to overstate the facts, and all statements are made in good faith, based upon the best information available by wide reading and personal research using the Internet.
The information on the following pages is therefore, to the very best of my knowledge, correct. If I have made any errors they are not intentional but they are just that ? my mistakes or misinterpretations.
I welcome any additional information, particularly Masonic, on any Mason, famous or infamous.
Finally some acknowledgements are in order. I would like to thank my wife Rose-Marie, my brother Peter, my very good friend Hamish Beard, Sue Chappell and all the members of Conyers Lodge 1916 E.C. for their support and encouragement over the time I have spent putting this work together.
Special thanks also to Trevor Coulter, Nick Nicholis, Jason Castle and John Mee who have assisted me greatly by lending me their reference books.
Frans van Zoggel
