Last Wednesday (June 15), David Zwahr gave a presentation about Masonic records and how to use them for genealogy purposes. Many of you may recognize David from his many research trips to the library on Wednesday and his work with Lynna Kay Shuffield.
The presentation was full of very useful information that many of our customers may be interested in:
There are many histories of lodges compiled by members of Masonic groups and some of the Grand Lodges. Each state has a Grand Lodge that records the initial application for membership, payment of dues, offices held, transfers, and any demits. Original applications and paperwork are held by the individual Lodge Secretaries through the Lodges. Original petition for membership (application) has some information about the candidate and his family, such as fathers name and where the father was born. Also, since 1955 an original birth certificate is required to be turned in with the petition. An explanation of name changes is also required to be disclosed on the form.
When a lodge closed down, the records of the lodge were supposed to be transferred to the Grand Lodge Secretary for storage at the Grand Lodge.
The best way to start looking for Texas Masonic heritage is to contact the Grand Lodge of Texas. The website for the Grand Lodge of Texas is http://www.grandlodgeoftexas.org/. There is also a Grand Lodge Library and Museum in Waco that has much information.
Upon request and the appropriate fee, the Grand Lodge of Texas will send a researcher an index card with compiled information about the membership activity of a member in Texas. With this information, the researcher can then contact the secretary of the lodge that the ancestor belonged to and request information from the original petition for membership. Not all lodges allow copies of the petitions or other documents. Many only allow digital photography or copying of the information.
In addition, many lodges keep photographs of members which could be the only surviving photograph of ancestors. This could also be a benefit of contacting the lodge secretary.
Other resources of information about ancestors include:
Proceedings of Grand Lodge of Texas from 1837 onward
Transactions Texas Lodge of Research
Roster of Members (published every five years)
There is also the Houston Masonic Library and Museum http://www.houstonmasonilibrary.org/.
Hope the information is useful to some of you!
Heather
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