THE EARLY LODGES IN
PROMINENT BRETHREN OF THAT BYGONE
ERA
By Herbert G. Gardiner
PGS,
Grand Historian
Grand Lodge of
September
2003
The early
Masonic Lodges in
Freemasonry was
formally established in
A.A.S.R., Supreme
Council of France
during the reign
of
Kamehameha III (Kauikeaouli). At the time the
was
occupied by British Forces under the command of Lord
George
Paulet of HMS "Carysfort." The Hawaiian Flag was replaced by
the
1843,
until
On
occupation
Joseph-Marie Le Tellier
constituted Lodge Le Progres
de l'Oceanie
under the auspices
of the Ancient &
Accepted
Scottish
Rite of
the Supreme Council
of France in the store
of Jules Dudoit, who
was the French Consul at the time. Le
Tellier was the Captain of the French Whaler "
it into
This was the
first Masonic Lodge to be
constituted in
In 1905, Lodge Le Progres de'Oceanie transferred its allegiance
to the Grand Lodge of
At this
point it seems
appropriate to correct some past
claims
about early
Freemasonry in
Lodge le Progres de l'Oceanie.
Through the
years there have been stories claiming that
James
Cook the
famous British Explorer
who was the first
Westerner
according to
most accounts, to discover the Hawaiian
Islands was a Freemason. The United Grand Lodge of
has never confirmed
this assertion. The UGLE has
traced their
records
back through
the 18th Century and advised us nothing
has
ever been found
indicating that Captain
Cook was a
Freemason.
Some earlier publications
about Lodge Le Progres de
l'Oceanie indicate
the Lodge was constituted aboard
the French
Whaler
"
has
revealed that the Lodge was constituted by him in the
Store
of Jules Dudoit as indicated in the above.
It has
been assumed by some brethren and understandably
so, that Le Tellier was
the first Master of the Lodge he founded,
or
certainly a
charter member. Once again recent
research has
revealed
that although
Le Tellier founded Lodge Le Progre
de
l'Oceanie, odd as it may seem he never became a
member.
Hawaiian Lodge No. 21 Free & Accepted Masons was the second
Lodge to be
established in
Grand
Lodge of
California on
Lodge
in
Lodge is the
oldest Lodge in the Hawaii
Jurisdiction that has
operated
continuously, with no
interrupted periods since its
inception.
The first
Lodge established on
the
Charted
by the Grand Lodge of
in 1872. The Lodge
prospered for a few
years but in 1877,
surrendered its
Charter due to a lack
participation.
In 1904,
the Brethren on
the
sought to establish
a Lodge on the
Grand
lodge of
so the Brethren
contacted Henry Ernest Cooper
Past Master of
Hawaiian
Lodge and
founder of Pacific Lodge No.822
under the
Grand
Lodge of Scotland, for
recommendations. It appers that
Cooper
was the
Representative of the Grand Lodge
of Scotland
in
Grand
Lodge
of
Grand
Lodge
of
Pacific Lodge
No. 822 was organized by dispensation on
Lodge of
transferred
its allegiance
to the Grand
Lodge of California
and became Honolulu Lodge 409.
Neither
Lodge Le Progres de l'Oceanie, Hawaiian Lodge
nor the Scottish Rite Bodies
were involved in the power politics
of the 1890s
and remained aloof from the political intrigues
of the annexationists and the royalists associated
with deposing
Queen Liluokalani. However, there were some brethren who were
active participants in one camp or the other.
The role
of some of
the brethren in both the
political
and
military activities
beginning shortly before January 17,
1893, when Queen Liliuokalani was
deposed, and the annexation
by the
and beyond the scope of this paper.
On
Freemasonry
in the
of the Grand
Lodge of California,
the twelve Hawaii Lodges
constituted
the Grand
Lodge of Free & Accepted
Masons of the
State of
SOME PROMINENT BRETHREN OF BYGONE
TIMES
Prince Lot, Kamehameha
V, 1830-1872
Prince
Lot was the first native Hawaiian to become a
Freemason.
He became a
Master Mason in Hawaiian Lodge No.21 F&AM in May
1853.
Prince Alexander Liholiho,
Kamehameha IV, 1834-1863
King Kamehameha IV became
a Master Mason in Lodge Le Progres
de l'Oceanie No. 124 A.A.S.R. in December 1856. He served as
Worshipful Master in 1859, 1861 and 1862.
King David Kalakaua,
1836-1891
King
David Kalakaua became
a Master Mason in Lodge le Progres
de l'Oceanie No. 124 A.A.S.R. in January 1859. He served as
Worshipful Master in 1876, shortly after he was
elected King.
Prince William Pitt, 1855-1877
Prince
William Pitt Leleiohoku Kalahoolewa
brother of David
Kalakaua and Liliuokalani (Mrs.
John Dominis)
became a Master
Mason in Hawaiian Lodge No. 21 F& AM in June 1874.
He was named
heir to the
throne by King Kalakaua, but unfortunately he
died
of
pneumonia at the
age of 22. As a consequence the King named
Liliuokalani heir
to the throne of
Prince David Kawananakoa, 1868-1908
Prince
David Laamea Kawananakoa nephew
of King Kalakaua became
a Master Mason
in Lodge Le Progres de l'Oceanie A.A.S.R. in
August
1900. David was very well educated, he attended schools
in
in
politics for
a brief period and was active in
the Democrat
Party,
but never held an elective office.
John Dominis, 1832-1891
John Owen Dominis Consort
of Queen Liliuokalani
and Governor
of
No. 124 A.A.S.R., in
April 1858. He served as Master of the
Lodge in 1863, 1864, and 1868. Dominis served as General Legate
and
Deputy of
the Supreme Council
for the
As a practical
matter, he served as the Deputy of the
Scottish
Rite Bodies from 1874-1891.
Dominis served as
chamberlain and secretary to Kamehameha
IV, and was appointed
Governor of Oahu and Commissioner of Crown
Lands by Kamehameha V. John Dominis died seven months after
his wife Liliuokalani became
Queen of Hawaii.
He tended to
exercise
restraint over his
somewhat headstrong wife, and it
is
thought by
some historians that
had he lived during the
critical periods of her reign, the total downfall
of the Hawaiian
Monarchy
might
have been averted.
Archibald Cleghorn,
1835-1910
Archibald
Scott Cleghorn the husband of Princess Miriam Kapili
younger
sister of King Kalakaua
and father of Princess Victoria
Kaiulani, succeeded John Dominis as Governor of
a Master Mason in Hawaiian Lodge No.21 F & AM in
December 1873.
He was an
active member of
Hawaiian Lodge and served as a
Trustee
from 1882- 1895.
Cleghorn was a highly valued
advisor
to the Hawaiian Monarchy for a great many years.
Curtis Iaukea, 1855-1940
Curtis Piehu Iaukea became a
Master Mason in Pacific Lodge
No. 822 (Later
as a highly
competent One-man Diplomatic
Corps and except for
King Kalakaua was the
most traveled member
of the Hawaiian
Kingdom. Curtiss Iaukea was
one of the most decorated men in
the
entire history of
Curtis Iaukea
served as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Special
Envoy to the
Coronation of Czar
Alexander III of
accompanied
Queen Kapiolani to
the
as her interpreter
with President and
Mrs. Grover Cleveland
and also at
the Golden Jubilee
of Queen
in 1887. Some years
later Curtis Iaukea attended
Diamond
Jubilee with representatives of the
During his
lifetime he visited
many European countries as an
envoy of
of
Henry Cooper, 1857-1929
Henry
Ernest Cooper
became a Master
Mason in a Lodge in San
1894. Cooper
organized Pacific Lodge
No. 822 under
the
Jurisdiction
of the
Grand Lodge of
District
Grand Lodge
of
as its firs
Master in 1895
and again in 1896. He served as
Deputy of the
Orient of
from 1896-1915.
Henry Cooper
was a close
associate of Lorrin Thurston
the
leading advocate
of deposing Queen Liliuokalani
and with
Thurston
was active in establishing the Provisional
Government,
the
by the
the way and
served as President
of the
three months during the absence of President Dole.
Unfortunately, in
the current atmosphere of
anti-anyone
who was actively
involved in, or
supported replacing the
Hawaiian
Monarchy with
any other form
of government, that
currently
prevails among certain
elements of the
population,
Henry Ernest Cooper
has virtually become
a
"Non-person" or, is
portrayed along with Lorrin Thurston as
one of the
arch villians in Hawaiian history. To pursue the
interesting
career of
Henry Ernest Cooper
any further would
immerse
us into
the realm of
politics...so for the purpose
of this paper
we'll close here with the knowledge that Henry
Ernest
Cooper was
indeed a dedicated
Freemason and public
servant.
Robert Wylie, 1798-1865
Robert
Crichton Wylie
was Minister of Foreign Affairs
for the
and his interest
and support of the Hawaiian Monarchy seemed
to be his
one and only
passion. He was
made a Master Mason
in a Lodge
in
Wylie
frequently visited
Lodge Le Progres de l'Oceanie and
Hawaiian Lodge.
Herbert G. Gardiner
PGS,
Grand Historian
References
Le Progres de l'Oceanie Institute for Masonic
1843 Studies, Grand Lodge
The First Masonic Lodge in
(
Research Lodge. 2001
Authors: Jorge Soto,
Herbert G.
Gardiner,
Jacques Huyghebaert
History Makers of
Publishing,
Grand Lodge of
Grand Lodge of
Honolulu 2003
Archives of Hawaiian Lodge At
& Lodge Le Progres de l'Oceanie Various dates
Highlights, Lodge
Lodge