With any luck, by the end of this year my book on the Early Sources on the emerging high degree Masonic bodies that became the Scottish Rite will see the press. COVID-19 has been challenging on all aspects of the economy and society, and the publishing industry is no exception. One positive aspect is that one finds themselves with extra time on their hands, allowing for some experimentation. These French sources will comprise a bilingual book (French and English) with all known correspondence from 1744-1767, containing all of the Sharp documents [a collection of Elus Parfaits corresponce covering France, the Antilles and Louisiana], the Etienne Morin letters published in St. Claudius by Choumitzky, along with the correspondence from the former Grand Lodge of France, that came into the possession of the Grand Orient de France. The project is a collaboration between the Grand Collège des Rites écossais and the Scottish Rite Research Society. It has been a massive undertaking and will yield an extremely useful source book for both Historians and Masons alike. I will try to give the data that went into the project here on FactGrid so that the research community can use and expand this base into any direction.
The curious question leading me here is: What did Freemasonry look like in the colonial possessions of France during the 18th century?
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