In 1745 the three-degree system was in place. Splitting the first degree into two degrees, and taking the then second degree and making it the third degree accomplished this. This was not a very effective ritual, so in order to make the work more “acceptable” revisions were begun in 1769 by Wellins Calcutt and William Hitchinson. In 1772 William Preston joined them. In two years, Preston had completed his work, and rewrote the ritual of the three degrees. He was an excellent ritualist, and his original work is some of the most beautiful ever created. There was one small problem…it was long! In fact, it is said the 12 parts of his lecture of the Master Mason degree actually took a half-day to recite.
Enter the colonial Thomas Smith Webb. Webb loved the Preston rituals…however he quickly identified their major flaw. In 1797 he published his first “Freemason’s Monitor, or Illustrations on Freemasonry” – in which he gave full credit to Preston for all his work – but made sure that the readers knew that they were Preston’s work – but with some “necessary alterations.” Webb never really wrote any ritual – he simply rearranged, and shortened some sections of Preston’s work so that it would fit the lifestyle of North America.
In 1839 the Grand Lodge of Alabama called for a meeting of all the “Grand Lecturers” to discuss and determine a “common ritual” for the Craft. After a preliminary meeting in Washington DC in 1842, the “Baltimore Convention” was held in that city in 1843. The objective of the convention was to “produce uniformity of Masonic Work and to recommend such measures as will tend to the elevation of this order to its due degree of respect throughout the world at large.” In 1844 the Baltimore Convention published the “Trestle-Board.”
The Webb-Form ritual is used in 50 of the Mainstream Grand Lodges of the United States.
Old Ancients:
The exclusive ritual used by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania is derived from the ritual of the Ancient’s Grand Lodge during the schism of the Ancients and Moderns (1751 – 1813).
Scottish Rite:
Ten lodges of the 16th Masonic District of Louisiana use the first three rituals of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite.
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