Grand Master of Masons of Illinois,
London, Eng., Dec. 20th, 1907.
Dear Sir and Brother—We have remained here in London, England, longer than we intended to, and since writing to you I have made a visit to Dublin, Ireland. A large number of people in Dublin, Ireland, are doing fairly well, but from time to time there is a large number of people there leaving and going to United States. The other day I went to the Masonic headquarters here in London, England, to find out and investigate for myself if the Grand Lodge of England recognized the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts as I had always heard that our Masonry in America among Colored people came from Grand Lodge of England and the officials of the Grand Lodge of England who were very courteous to me took the occasion to inform me that the Grand Lodge of England does not recognize or affiliate with the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. How is that Bro. Jones, that some of the Colored Masons keep saying in America that they got their charter from the Grand Lodge of England, when the Grand Lodge of England says that they do not recognize the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, and it was at Boston, Mass., that the Colored Masons in Massachusetts have stated that they got a charter for a Lodge from the Grand Lodge of England?
I want nothing more to do with any of the members that belong to the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Our Colored brethren in United States should be informed about this matter.
Yours Fraternally, H. S. COLLINS, 33.
THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE PRINCE HALL GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS SPURIOUS AND CLANDESTINE.
1—Prince Hall, Boston Smith, Thomas Sanderson and their associates of Boston, Mass., could not have been made Master Masons in a Lodge in General Gages Military Regiment on the 6th day of March, 1775, at Boston, Mass., for General Gages Military Regiment was not in the United States at that time.
2—Prince Hall of Boston, Mass., never was appointed provincial Grand Master in the United States by the Grand Lodge of England.
3—The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts having connected itself with the spurious National Compact Grand Lodge of North America in 1847 surrendered all of its rights if it had any as a Grand Lodge.
4—The White Masonic Grand Lodge of England that African Lodge No. 459 obtained a charter from was a clandestine and unlawful Grand Lodge of Modern Masons in England.