The Families of the Old Charges
The manuscripts of the Old Charges exhibit a basic similarity, but they fall readily into “families,” each of which displays a large measure of textual uniformity. This classification was first worked out by the great Masonic scholar Dr. Wilhelm Begemann in 1888. There are eight families, each indicated by a name and a code letter.
A Regius Manuscript (1 text)
B Cooke Family (3 texts)
C Plot Family (6 texts)
T Tew Family (9 texts)
D Grand Lodge Family (53 texts)
E Sloane Family (21 texts)
F Roberts Family (6 texts)
G Spencer Family (6 texts)
H Sundry Family (8 texts)
Operative Masons Charges
Manuscript Name & Date
York 1370 (French Translation)
Preambolo Veneziano relativoalle Mariegole dei Taiapiera, dei tagliatori dipietra (1307)
Anglo-Norman Charges 1356 England
King David and the Temple of Jerusalem
Strassburg, Ratisbona 1459 Germany
Torgau Ordinances 1462 Germany
Jones 1607 ( Possibly 1655)
Wood 1610 Worcester
Thorp 1629 Leicester
Sloane No. 3848 1646 British Museum
Sloane No.3323, 1659 British Museum
Atcheson Haven 1666, Grand Lodge of Scotland
Aberdeen 1670, Aberdeen Lodge No.1 (copy published “Voice of Masonry” December 1874)
Henery Heade 1675, Inner Temple, London
Melrose No.2 1675, Melrose St. John Lodge No.1
Stanley 1677 West Yorkshire Library
Plot 1686 Epitome in Nat. Hist. Staffordshire
Clerke 1686
Antiquity 1686, Lodge of Antiquity No.2
William Watson 1687, West Yorkshire Library
Beaumont 1690, West Yorkshire Library
Waistell 1693, West Yorkshire Library
York No.4 1693, York Lodge No.236
Edinburgh 1696 (French Translation)
Foxcroft 1699
Buchanan 1600’s
Phillips No.1 1600’s Cheltenham
Phillips No.2 1600’s Cheltenham
Speculative Masons Charges
York No.5 1600’s York
York No.6 1600’s York
Kilwinning, 1600’s Kilwinning Lodge No.0
Lansdowne 1560 – 1600’s British Museum
Harleian No.1942 1600’s British Museum
Harleian No.2054, 1600’s British Museum
Grand Lodge No.2 1600’s London
Colne No.1 1600’s Royal Lancashire Lodge No.116, Colne
Harris No.1 1600’s Bedford Lodge No.157, London
Dumfries No.1 1600’s Dumfries Kilwinning Lodge No.53
Dumfries No.2 1600’s Dumfries Kilwinning Lodge No.53
Dumfries No.3 1600’s Dumfries Kilwinning Lodge No.53
Stirling 1600’s, Ancient Lodge No.30, Stirling
Hope 1600’s Benevolent Lodge No.303, Teignmouth
Bain 1600’s London
Dring-Gale 1600’s London
Langdale 1600’s Rochdale
Clapham 1600’s West Yorkshire Library
Dauntesey 1600’s Manchester
Taylor 1600’s West Yorkshire Library
Lechmere 1600’s Worcester
Beswicke-Royde, 1600’s East Lancashire
David Ramsay, 1600’s Hamburg
Embleton 1600’s, West Yorkshire Library
Sloane No.3329, 1700 British Museum (French Translation)
Drinkwater No.1, 1700 Manchester Association
Drinkwater No.2, 1700 Manchester Association
Chetwode Crawley 1700 (French Translation)
Boyden 1700, Washington, DC.
Strachan 1700 QC Lodge No.2076
York No.2, 1704 York Lodge No.236
Heaton 1705 England
Scarborough, York 1705 Grand Lodge of Canada
Dumfries N.4 1710 London (French Translation)
Talents 1700-20 London
Brooks Hill 1700-20 London
Cama Circa 1705 London
Inigo Jones 1705 Worcester
Trinity College 1711 (French Translation)
Ancient Charges of a Free Mason 1723
Regulations of a Free Mason 1723
Haddon 1723 London
Grand Mystery of Freemasons 1724 Printed
Grand Mystery of Freemasons 1724 (French Translation)
Institution of Free Masons 1725
Institution of Free Masons 1725 (French Translation)
Whole Institution of Free-Masons Opened 1725
Spencer 1726 Massachusetts
Graham 1726 London (French Translation)
Songhurst Circa 1726 London
Fisher 1726 London
Wilkinson 1727 (french Translation)
Tho. Carmick 1727 Pennsylvania
Woodford 1728 London
Cole 1728 Engraved in Cole’s Constitutions
Free Masonry according to the Scriptures 1737 (spanish translation)
La Reception d’un Frey Maçon 1737
Langley 1738 Printed
Dodd 1739 Printed
Levander-York 1740 Port Sunlight
Free Masons Catechism 1740 Harry Carr (Spanish translation)
Holywell 1748 Lancashire
Fortitude 1750 Fortitude Lodge No. 281, Lancaster
Thistle Manuscript 1756, Thistle Lodge No. 62, Dumfries
Three Distinctive Knocks 1760 Printed
Melrose No.3, 1762 Melrose St. John Lodge No.1
Tew 1700’s West Yorkshire Library
Portland 1700’s Wilbick Abbey
Hughan 1700’s West Yorkshire Library
Phillips No.3, 1700’s Cheltenham
Newcastle College 1700’s Newcastle
Probity 1700’s Probity Lodge No.61, Halifax
Colne No.2, 1700’s Royal Lancashire Lodge No.116, Colne
Harris No.2, 1700’s British Museum
Rawlinson 1700’s Bodleian Library
Dumfries No.4, 1700’s Dumfries Kilwinning Lodge No.53
Gateshead 1700’s Lodge of Industry No.48
Krause 1806 (Printed from an Older MSS)
Dowland MSS (An Older MSS which was Printed in 1815 date unknown)
Hargrove 1818 Printed
Tunnah 1828 London