Lewis in Masonry

By R.W.Bro. Bharat V. Epur

Past Deputy Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of India
Past Regional Grand Mark Master, Regional Grand Mark Lodge of Eastern India
Past Deputy Regional Grand Mark Master (RGMLSI, RGMLNI & RGMLWI)
PM – M 106 (2003), PM – M 19 (2008), PM – M 100 (2013), PM – M 81 (2017), FM – M 178 (2017)
PM – M 651 SC (2009), PM – M 907 EC (2012),

(A Paper originally presented at the Meeting of the Dakshin Mark Masters

Lodge No.100 held at Freemasons’ Hall, Chennai on Sunday, 20th July 2008)

[Foreword: This Paper contains additional matter based on the

feedback obtained from the Brethren present at the above Meeting.]

I have chosen “Lewis in Masonry” as the topic of my paper today as it

is something that has piqued my interest ever since I was ‘Advanced’ into this
honourable Degree way back in 1999. Various explanations were provided by diverse
Masons to my query as to who or what is a Lewis. The Mark Ritual itself gave an
explanation. So, I began to wonder which is the correct explanation, or, are there
several meanings?

To answer this question, I re-read the Mark Ritual, browsed through many Masonic
websites, read some books and spoke to a few erudite seniors. I give below the result of
my endeavours.

The word “Lewis” has many meanings in the Masonic context. It is

• an Operative tool
• a Masonic symbol
• A peculiar Masonic Grip
• a son of a Freemason or a young man adopted by a Lodge

“Lewis” as an Operative tool

A “Lewis” is an instrument in Operative Masonry. It is a cramp iron which is inserted into

a cavity, in any large stone, prepared for that purpose, to which a pulley and hook can
be attached whereby the stone may be conveniently raised to any height and deposited
in its proper position. It is most useful when it is not possible to lift the stone with chains
or slings, because of either the location or shape of the stone. The “Lewis” is inserted
into a specially prepared seating in the top of a stone, directly above its centre of mass,
and works by transferring the stone's weight into leverage on the seating.

This contrivance was known to the ancient Romans, and several taken from old ruins
are now in the Vatican. In addition, in the ruins of Whitby Abbey in England, which was
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founded by Oswy, King of Northumberland, in 685 A.D., large stones were discovered
with the necessary excavation for the insertion of a “Lewis”.

“Lewis” as a Masonic symbol

In the Speculative system of English Masonry, the “Lewis” is found on the Tracing
Board of the Entered Apprentice, where it is used as a symbol of strength, because, by
its assistance, the operative Mason is enabled to lift the heaviest stones with a
comparatively trifling exertion of physical power. It has not been adopted as a symbol by
American Freemasons, except in Pennsylvania, where it receives the English
interpretation.

“Lewis” as a peculiar Masonic Grip

In the Ceremony of Advancement, the Worshipful Master, while entrusting the

candidate, says: “The p.g. is given by c.t.f.o.t.r.h.a.i.t.t. in the form of a c. The p.w. is
J. It is said to have taken its rise either from the Degree having been established
there by H.A. before he went to Jerusalem, or from the timber for the Temple felled
and prepared in the forest of Lebanon, being carried on floats by sea to that place
where Masonic tradition informs us that the shore was too steep that it was
impossible to ascend from the rafts without assistance from above, which was
rendered by persons stationed there for that purpose, and by this s.g., which is
called a Lewis.”

This, to many Freemasons, represents one’s own ability to improve oneself and rise
above one’s vices and faults.

“Lewis” as a son of a Freemason or as a young man adopted by a

Lodge

In Browne’s Master Key, which is supposed to represent the Prestonian lecture, we

have, in part, the following dialogue:

Q. What do we call the son of a Freemason?

A. A Lewis

Q. What does that denote?

A. Strength

Q. How is a Lewis depicted in a Freemason’s Lodge?

A. As a cramp of metal, by which, when fixed into a stone, great and ponderous
weights are raised to a certain height and fixed upon their proper bases,
without which Operative Masons could not so conveniently do.
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Q. What is the duty of a Lewis, the son of a Mason, to his aged parents?
A. To bear the heavy burden in the heat of the day and help them in time of
need, which, by reason of their great age, they ought to be exempted from, so
as to render the close of their days happy and comfortable.

Q. His privilege for so doing?

A. To be made a Mason before any other person, however dignified by birth,
rank, or riches, unless he, through complaisance, waives this privilege.

From these old catechisms are derived the references in modern rituals. In modern
Speculative Craft Lodges, as well as being depicted on the Tracing Board, a “Lewis” is
often displayed inserted in a perfect ashlar suspended from a tripod. The perfect ashlar
is customarily raised from its base when the Lodge is opened and set back on its base
when the Lodge is closed, respectively signifying that the Lodge has commenced labour
or that it has ceased labour and is going to refreshment.

In 1871, the Supreme Council 330 of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite (Southern
Jurisdiction) published Reception of a Louveteau by Albert Pike. This 70-page treatise
details the rules and ceremonies for a young man being formally adopted by a Masonic
Lodge. The public ceremony takes place in the spring. The boy’s mother or godmother
is present, dressed in white, as is his father or other near male relative, dressed in
black. If any of these are absent or considered unfit, they are replaced by the sisters or
wives of Masons or by past officers of the Lodge. There is a special arrangement of the
Lodge room, specific ritual paraphernalia, and an elaborate, inspiring ceremony.

The ceremony specifically mentions the age of 14, but it is clear that a “Lewis” may be
younger, but under 21. Ill. Bro. John J. Robinson, 33°, in A Pilgrim’s Path,
recommended the revival of this Masonic custom because it can provide beneficial adult
guidance to young men during their formative years. Ill. Bro. Robinson outlined a
ceremony, no longer than 45 minutes, where the young man, ideally age 12, is
introduced to the Lodge by his father, a Mason. The Worshipful Master then briefly
explains the Lodge and Freemasonry to the young man, accenting that any man in the
room "is with your father in Masonic brotherhood. Just as any one of them would
help your father, so any of them will help you, if ever you need it." The Lodge then
closes with a benediction, refreshments, and the presentation of a gift, such as a
baseball cap with the Square and Compasses on it, to the young man.

Ill. Bro. Robinson concludes: "That boy will go home and tell his mother, brothers,
and sisters what he experienced that night. And what will he talk about to all his
friends at school the next day? In terms of membership, he won’t even be eligible to
apply for membership for nine more years, but there should be more immediate
benefits. He will no longer be puzzled by or feel left out of a part of his father’s life.
As to the fatherly complaint about the subject of Masonry expressed in “I don’t
know how to bring it up,” that problem is gone. Chances are rather good that his
son will bring it up. And when the boy hears that dad is going to a Lodge meeting
tonight, he knows very well where his father is going. He will feel special" (pp. 140 -
43).
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The origin of the name

A great deal has been written about the origin of the name, but much of it is fanciful,
such as the suggestion that it arose in consequence of its use by an architect in the
service of Louis XIV of France (1638 – 1715 A.D.). In fact the device and its name were
in common use in France from an early date, but that was as a direct result of the
Roman occupation and the similarities of language. The Latin word leuis, meaning to
levitate, gave rise to the Middle Latin word levis meaning light in weight. Both of these
words aptly reflect the purpose of the “Lewis”, which is to make the lifting of a stone
easy, or in the vernacular to lighten the load. The early Latin leuare, the Middle Latin
levare, the Old French leveor, the Middle English levour and the modern English lever
are all descendants of the Latin leuis and have the same meaning. Moreover, leuis
would be spelt as Lewis in modern English.

It is of interest to note that by 1676 the Compagnonage, the Brotherhood of Masons

who comprised the Compagnons du Tour or Traveling Masons of France, had changed
their name for the lifting anchorage to louve meaning a she-wolf, which is the feminine
of loup meaning a wolf. It is said to be in allusion to the vice-like grip of a she-wolf's jaws
when angry. From that date onwards the Compagnonage also referred to the son of a
Mason as a louveteau meaning a wolf cub and to the daughter of a Mason as a
louvetine. These expressions seem to have originated from a play on words, most
probably having in mind a requirement in ancient Egypt for the candidate in the
Mysteries of Isis to wear the mask of a wolf, in deference to the wolf-headed god
Upuaut, which signifies "he who opens the way", which is a most appropriate symbolism
for a candidate in Freemasonry. The god Upuaut must not be confused with another
Egyptian god of similar appearance, the jackal-headed god Anubis which signifies "the
Lord of the Land".

An anachronism

In Scottish Operative Lodges in olden times, if an apprentice serving his indentureship

failed to complete his practical training and could not pass his tests, then he could not
be recorded in the books as an Entered Apprentice. Accordingly he was released from
his bond and thereafter was described in the old Scots tongue as a lowsance, which
sometimes was spelled incorrectly as lousance. The Scots word signified freedom from
bondage, that is, liberty, being derived from the verb lowse, which has a pronunciation
midway between the words loose and louse in English. Lowse means to loose, to
unyoke or to redeem.

In common usage it was customary to use the verb lowse instead of the longer noun
lowsance. A lowsance was not precluded from all stonework but, like the cowan or dry-
stone diker in Scotland, he was not allowed to be engaged on any tasks requiring
special skills, nor was he allowed to participate in any ceremonial work restricted to
those having the Mason Word. A curious clerical error that purports to describe a
“Lewis” appears in the Harris MS No 1 that dates from the second half of the
seventeenth century in which the rehearsal of the charges to a Free Mason says:
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"You shall not make any Mold, Square or Rule for any that is but a Lewis; a Lewis
is such a one as hath served an Apprenticeship to a Mason but is not admitted
afterwards according to this manner and Custom of making Masons."

Clearly the Lewis that is recorded in this manuscript was intended to be read as a
Lowse, but had been confused by the draftsman who probably was not aware that in
Scotland the verb lowse was commonly used in place of the noun lowsance.

An Anglo-Saxon “Lewis”

According to Don Falconer, although “Lewis” was not used in England in a Masonic
context until 1738 A.D., the word evolved in the Anglo-Saxon language with a very
similar usage many centuries earlier. Britain is renowned for its interesting place names,
the origins and evolution of which illustrate the derivation, diversity and richness of the
English language. Countless articles have been written on the subject, including an
extensive series called Notes and Queries which includes an article on Lewisham, a
suburb of London south of the River Thames. The name literally means the home of
Lewis, which is derived from the Old English ham meaning a home, whence hamlet also
is derived. It is recorded in the Charter of Ethelbert dated 862 A.D., that Lewisham was
then known as Liofshema mearc which means the place of Liofshema, which is derived
from the Old English mearc meaning a boundary or a limit. This Ethelbert was not the
sixth century King of Kent who became the first Christian ruler of Anglo-Saxon England,
but the son of King Ethelwulf who became King Ethelbert I of England when his father
died in 858 A.D. As Liof or leof means dear and sunu, suma or shema means son, the
name Liofshema literally means dear son. By the seventeenth century the place was
called Lews'am, whence the present name evolved through changes of etymology.
Thus “Lewis” evolved through Old English meaning dear son, at the same time coming
through Latin and French and denoting son of a Mason.

“Son of a Mason”

The speculative meaning is ‘the son of a mason’ – any son, whether born before or after
his father’s Initiation. The word appears to have first been used in this sense in the Book
of Constitutions of 1738, where it was applied to the child (later to be King George III) of
Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales, who had been Initiated, Passed and Raised on 5th
November 1737. This first instance of the word “Lewis” was in an additional stanza and
chorus, written during the pregnancy of the Princess of Wales, for ‘The Deputy Master’s
Song’. It seems possible that the Brother who produced this new verse was well aware
of the importance of a Lewis within Freemasonry and seized upon the Prince’s second
forename (an Anglicization of ‘Louis’) to create a kind of pun. Be that as it may, the word
has since most certainly been used to denote a Freemason’s son. There are early
instances of ‘Lewisa’ being bestowed as a forename on the daughters of Brethren!
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Conclusion

I trust that I have been able to shed some light on the various significations of this word
“Lewis”. I am open to comments and suggestions from anyone who wishes to add or
detract from my interpretations.

References:

1) ‘The Craft Ritual Book’ of the Grand Lodge of India

2) ‘The Mark Ritual Book’ of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons of India
3) Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia
4) Don Falconer’s Essays
5) MasonicDictionary.com
6) ‘Short Talk Bulletin’ – Feb 1935
7) ‘New Orleans S. R. Trestleboard’ Nov/Dec 1998
8) ‘Reception of a Louveteau’ by Albert Pike