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Post by Tamrin on Jan 17, 2010 21:41:18 GMT 10
From Jones’ excellent Freemasons' Guide & Compendium (1956 edition, p.76), we read: The Company would have liked to have seen every London mason forced into its membership, but the interest of the authorities was to get work done, not to worry over-duly about the strength of the companies associated with the various sections of the building trade. This trouble became extremely acute following the Fire of London [1666], when, frankly, the membership of the Company was quite inadequate to deal with the tremendous amount of rebuilding suddenly forced upon the community. In spite of the livery companies concerned, it was made lawful for members of the building trade not freemen of the City to work in London until the rebuilding was completed, such foreigners being regarded at the end of seven years as having earned the right to continue to work there. We find ( ibid. p.78), by way of example: Prominent members of the Masons’ Company took part in the building of St Paul’s (1675 - 1707), but, says Douglas Knoop, about four-fifths of all the masonry contracting work at the cathedral was carried out by contractors of country origin and training. The London Company of Masons
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Post by Tamrin on Feb 1, 2010 20:38:16 GMT 10
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Post by Tamrin on Mar 3, 2010 10:47:39 GMT 10
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