Order of Knight Masons

The Order of Knight Masons is a chivalric Masonic order for Master Masons who are also members of both a Mark Lodge and a Royal Arch Chapter. Its members meet in Councils of Knight Masons, governed by the Grand Council of Knight Masons.^[1]

Order of Knight Masons

Emblem of the Grand Council
Formation	1923
Type	Masonic appendant body
Headquarters	Dublin,Ireland
Location	International
Website	https://knight-mason.com

Established in 1923, the Order was formed to preserve and standardize a group of degrees historically worked across various Masonic bodies in Ireland, including Royal Arch Chapters and Knights Templar Preceptories.^[1][2] These degrees draw upon themes from events following the Babylonian captivity and form the core of the Order’s ceremonial tradition.^[1][3]

Degrees

The Order of Knight Masons confers three degrees, formerly known as the Red Cross Degrees.^[1] The degrees are centered around the return of the Jewish people to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Second Temple.^[1][3] The principal character in all three degrees is Zerubbabel, a prince of the House of Judah.

The degrees are as follows:

• Knight of the Sword (formerly Red Cross of Daniel or Babylonian Pass): Focusing on Zerubbabel’s visit to the court of King Cyrus of Persia.^[1]

• Knight of the East (formerly Jordan Pass): Focusing on Zerubbabel’s later visit to the court of King Darius.^[1]

• Knight of the East and West (formerly Royal Order): Portraying Zerubbabel’s return to his fellow countrymen in Jerusalem.^[1]

Membership

The position of the Order of Knight Masons among the Masonic appendant bodies in England and Wales

Membership in the Order of Knight Masons is open to Master Masons who are also subscribing members of a Mark Lodge and a Royal Arch Chapter. A candidate must typically have held membership in both the Mark and Royal Arch bodies for at least one year prior to petitioning for admission.^[1]

In jurisdictions governed by the Grand Council of Ireland, the Order does not require a formal invitation. Interested and eligible candidates are welcome to submit an application of their own accord.^[1] However, in the United States, where the Order is administered by the Grand Council of the Knight Masons of the U.S.A. admission is strictly by invitation.^[4]

Structure and Governance

The basic unit of the Order is the Council of Knight Masons, each of which is presided over by an Excellent Chief and supported by a Senior Knight and Junior Knight.^[5] In some jurisdictions, the Excellent Chief is elected from among the two supporting officers.^[5]

Councils are grouped into Provinces, which serve as regional administrative units. Each Province is overseen by a Provincial Grand Council and coordinates local activities and ceremonial work under the broader authority of the Grand Council of Knight Masons, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.^[1][6][7]

Current Provinces under the jurisdiction of the Grand Council include: Greater Belfast, Ulster North, Mid-Ulster, Leinster, Australia, Greece, Ohio (U.S.A.), and two in England: England & Wales (North) and England & Wales (South).^[6] In jurisdictions without a Provincial structure, Councils report directly to the Grand Council.^[1][6]

In contrast to this framework, the United States is governed by an independent body, the Grand Council of the Knight Masons of the U.S.A., established in 1967.^[4][8] The sole exception is the Province of Ohio, whose Councils remain under the Irish Grand Council's authority.^[6]

History and Geographical Presence

Origins and Development

The origins of Knight Masonry can be traced back to a set of degrees historically conferred through various Masonic bodies in Ireland, including Royal Arch Chapters and Knights Templar Preceptories.^[1][2] These Irish expressions of the degrees, which are regarded by their custodians as particularly elaborate and symbolically rich, were brought under a unified authority in 1923 with the formation of the Grand Council of Knight Masons. The new body was established to standardize their practice and ensure their continuation.^[1][2]

Geographical Expansion

The Order later expanded beyond Ireland into numerous countries:

• Australia: The Order of Knight Masons has an established presence in Australia, where it operates as a Province under the Grand Council.^[6] The Province comprises seven Councils across several states: Samuel R.A. Hogg Council No. 39 in Melbourne (Victoria), Nebuchadnezzar Council No. 85 in Launceston (Tasmania), Esdras Council No. 90 in Williamstown (Victoria), Duke of Leinster Council No. 93 in Adelaide (South Australia), Ecbatana Council No. 94 in Ringwood (Victoria), Leinster Marine Council No. 95 in Sydney (New South Wales), and Achmeta Council No. 55 in Brisbane (Queensland).^[5]

• England: In England there are two councils in London (meeting at Mark Masons' Hall), with others in Birmingham, Southend, Gillingham (Kent), Howden (Yorkshire), Gateshead, and Sutton (Surrey).^[9] During 2016, two new councils were constituted in England at Leeds, and Plymouth,^[10] with another later constituted at Leyland (Lancashire), taking the English total to eleven. The two local provinces are named "England & Wales (North)" and "England & Wales (South)".^[6]

• Greece: Knight Masonry was introduced to Greece in 2008 when fifteen brethren of the National Grand Lodge of Greece received the degrees in Dublin from Babylon Council No. 6.^[7] This event led to the establishment of Council Alethia No. 96 in Athens in 2009. Additional Councils followed: Eleftheria No. 99 in Piraeus (2011), Amici Fedeli No. 106 in Zakynthos (2014), Temple of Jerusalem No. 109 in Athens (2016), and Hibernia No. 116 in Corfu (2023). The Province of Greece was officially formed in 2014 with the installation of its first Provincial Grand Officers.^[7]

• United States: In the United States, Knight Masonry quickly flourished and eventually some American Councils established the Grand Council of the Knight Masons of the U.S.A. as a distinct governing authority,^[11] which was formally established in 1967.^[4][8] This Grand Council governs Councils within various states and membership in its Councils is restricted to members of a Royal Arch Chapter and is by invitation only.^[4] Councils in the state of Ohio did not join the American Grand Council but instead chose to remain under the authority of the original Grand Council of Ireland. These Councils continue to function as a Province within the Irish jurisdiction.^[6]

• Other locations: The Order of Knight Masons has expanded beyond Ireland and the English-speaking world. Councils now exist in regions including South Africa, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Tasmania, India, Gibraltar, New Zealand, Bermuda, and Singapore.^[1]

Charitable activities

The Joseph Karmel Benevolent Fund was established in 1959 through a donation by the children of the late Very Excellent Sir Knight Joseph M. Karmel. He was a long-serving and devoted member of the Order, and the fund was created to perpetuate his name and legacy. The establishment of the fund was announced by the then Most Excellent Great Chief, Sir Knight Joseph H. Hamill.^[12]

The Fund is the only charitable entity within Irish appendant Freemasonry that is directly administered by such a body. Its mission is to provide timely emergency assistance to Knight Masons, their widows, or children who may be facing financial hardship.^[12]

Notes

Most available sources on the Order of Knight Masons originate from affiliated bodies or authors writing from within Masonic circles. This reflects a common pattern in documentation of private fraternal organizations. While care has been taken to maintain neutrality, comprehensive coverage from a strictly independent or non-affiliated perspective is challenging.