About
A little bit about Royal Arch in general and St. John's Chapter in particular
This is a Masonic website, all are welcome to visit but to be a member of a Royal Arch Chapter you must already be a Master Mason.
An inextricable link to Craft Masonry
The origins of Royal Arch are obscure but there are snippets that suggest it was active in Ireland in the 1720s, becoming more organised in the 1740s and eventually coming to England around that time.
The 1813 Act of Union between the Antients and Moderns, which formed the United Grand Lodge of England, saw an agreement on the fundamental place of the Holy Royal Arch in freemasonry and the Supreme Grand Chapter was formed in 1817.
Joining Royal Arch
The ceremony of joining Royal Arch is called an Exaltation - it is the only ceremony in the Degree. Regalia consists of an apron, a sash and a jewel which features the seal of Solomon.
Initially Exaltation into Royal Arch was restricted to those who had been through the Chair in a Craft Lodge but this was dropped in 1823. Today any Master Mason, who has been Raised for four weeks or more, may join and all are encouraged to do so.
The Degree has continued to evolve - in 2003, the United Grand Lodge of England stated that the Supreme Order of the Royal Arch is an extension to, but neither a superior nor a subordinate part of, the degrees which precede it and in 2004 the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England declared the Royal Arch to be a separate degree in its own right and the completion of pure antient Masonry.
St. John's Chapter
Members of Royal Arch are referred to as Companions and we meet in Chapters. Each Chapter carries a registration number - which is linked to the Craft Lodge that initially sponsored it.
St John's Lodge was founded in 1919 and St John's Chapter was founded in 1946. Both carry the number 3972 and both meet in Northampton.
There is no automatic passage from a particular Lodge to a particular Chapter and, although most of them are Northampton masons, our members represent a number of Craft Lodges and at least three different Craft Provinces.
Any Master Mason interested in discussing joining St John's Chapter is invited to contact our Scribe E, the Chapter equivalent of a Secretary.
More Information
Whether you are curious about Freemasonry in general or the Royal Arch in particular here are some useful sites to look at:
UGLE - The home of Freemasonry
Provincial Grand Chapter
Supreme Grand Chapter
Member's Log-In
Details of meetings, info and contact details for Chapter officers.
Curious about Freemasonry?
The main purpose of this site is as a repository of information for members, although visitors are welcome to browse. To join us you must already be a Mason.
If you are not a Mason but considering joining it is a popular myth that you have to be asked to join Freemasonry - like a lot of what is said about us online this is just not true. To find out more, and to discuss whether Freemasonry might by something for you, simply get in touch via your local provincial website.