The Masonic and Military Order of the Red Cross of Constantine
and the Orders of the Holy Sepulchre and of St John the Evangelist
Divisional Conclave of the Transvaal OFS and Northern Cape
R Ill Kt M L J G Burton
Intendant-General
Ill Kt D G Gamble, PG Warden of Regalia
Deputy Intendant-General
Ill Kt P S Knight, PG Prefect
Assistant Intendant-General
Divisional Recorder:
V Ill Kt I C Fraser, PG High Almoner
7 Hill Road
Emmarentia 2195
Home Phone: 011 646 8818
Cell Phone: 082 377 2396
Email: pandifraser@gmail.com
History and Origin
The full title of this Order is The Masonic and Military Order of the Red Cross of Constantine and the Orders of the Holy Sepulchre and of St John the Evangelist.
The origin of this Order is surrounded by considerable mystery, for while mention is made of the 'Red Cross' degree as early as 1813, it would be negligent to assume that the Red Cross of Constantine was the degree in question, for there were a multiplicity of organisations around 1800 which had assumed the title of 'Red Cross of . . .', all with rituals propounding widely differing legends.
It is worthy of note, however, that Robert Carlile, who was fairly accurate in his revelations, published an 'Exposure' in 1825 which featured a degree called the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine, and the working, while being a very shortened version, is strikingly similar to that in use today. It is therefore not unreasonable to assume that the Red Cross of Constantine was being actively promoted in the early nineteenth century and even possibly the late 1700s; but it is now an accepted fact that the establishment of the Order as we know it, was the work of Robert Wentworth Little who supposedly reconstituted the Grand Council with the assistance of W. H. White (Grand Secretary of United Grand Lodge) and W. J. Hughan (the famous masonic historian) in 1865. While progress was initially slow, the Order nevertheless attracted a host of devoted adherents; not only did it take root in England, but it spread elsewhere with great rapidity and within eight years over 100 conclaves had been chartered, and by 1880 six new Sovereign Grand Conclaves or Councils had been formed by conclaves originally owing allegiance to England. Today there are over 350 conclaves on the roll of the Grand Imperial Conclave and happily this delightful Order continues to flourish.
The degrees controlled by this sovereign body are:
- Knight of the Red Cross of Constantine
- Knight of the Holy Sepulchre
- Knight of St John the Evangelist
Reference: 'Beyond the Craft' by Keith B Jackson. Published by: Ian Allan Publishing
| Conclave | Meeting Place |
|---|---|
| Bloemfontein Conclave No. 232 | Bloemfontein |
| Germiston Conclave No. 237 | Johannesburg, Morningside Country Club |
| Kosmos Conclave No. 228 | Johannesburg, Park Lane |
| Omega Conclave No. 354 | Johannesburg, Park Lane |
| Pretoria Conclave No. 239 | Pretoria, The Willows |
| Royal Sussex Conclave No. 45 | Kimberley |