The history of the Oxford Working is fascinating in itself, and some of you may have read the brief outline contained in the preface to the 1991 edition, edited by our former Provincial Grand H, E. Comp. David Chisnall, with the assistance of the late E. Comp. Ted Newton, PDGSupt. While its origins are lost in the mists of time, it was codified by two remarkable men who were largely responsible for it as we know it today.
These were E. Comps. Richard James Spiers and Franklin Thomas.
Richard Spiers was initiated in the Alfred Lodge on 28th May 1844. He was Passed on 5th July and Raised on 30th July.
Comp. Spiers, exalted on 16th July 1845 at the age of 36, became a towering figure in the Alfred Chapter, whose influence lasts to this day. He rose to become Deputy Provincial Grand Master of the Province (1855- 1875) and (Acting) DGSupt. He was also Mayor of Oxford in 1853/4, as well as being one of the principal businessmen of the City.
On 28th May 1850, Comp. Spiers was elected Z. At the same meeting, he announced that the M. E. First Grand Principal, the Earl of Zetland, had bestowed on him the Office of Grand Standard Bearer, the first ever Provincial appointment to Chapter Grand Rank.
Richard Spiers collaborated with Franklin Thomas (appointed Scribe E on 1st August 1850) in the compilation and development of the Oxford Ritual.
Franklin Thomas was born in 1817 and educated at Rochester Grammar School. He was also a chorister at Rochester Cathedral. He was initiated at Chatham in the Royal Kent Lodge of Antiquity No. 20 on 19th May 1841 at the age of 23.
He moved to Oxford in 1844 and set up business as a Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer at No. 135, the High Street, and became a joining member of the Alfred Lodge on 15th September. He was exalted in the Alfred Chapter on 7th July 1848: he rose rapidly, serving as Scribe E in 1850, and occupying the three Principals’ chairs successively in 1851, 1852 and 1853.
The Oxford Ritual of Royal Arch Masonry was first privately printed for A. Lewis, London in 1884, with a preface by “An old P.Z. of the Alfred Chapter, Oxford”, whom the Author of AQC XXIX identifies as E. Comp. Franklin Thomas. The preface goes on to say that the Ritual, “is substantially the work practised by the late Comp. Richard J. Spiers and his successors in the Chairs of that Chapter”, and that some necessary corrections have been made, “the latter the results of experience gained in active work in this degree in various Provinces during the years that have elapsed since the writer passed the three Principals’ chairs”.
The origins of the Oxford Working are not certain. It is thought to have some affinity with Scottish and continental rituals, some of which also have extended opening and closing ceremonies, more reminiscent of the Craft than of the Royal Arch as most Companions know and practise it. It also bears a resemblance to some surviving late 18th and very early 19th Century Royal Arch rituals, which pre-date the attempt by Supreme Grand Chapter to standardise the ritual in 1834. What is known is that it became, and remains, the oldest published post-Union Royal Arch Ritual in the English Constitution, and hence is of unique historical worth. It is also the subject of much interest, (and occasional mystification) to visiting Companions who use other workings.
A hallmark of the Oxford Working (but not unique to it) is the different arrangement of the Chapter furniture, with the candles separate from the Altar. Past Principal Franklin Thomas gives the reason for this arrangement at length:
“In many Chapters the six lights are arranged round the pedestal. This plan has two distinct disadvantages: 1. the lights prevent the near approach of the First Principal and the newly exalted Companions during the explanation of the words, etc. on the top of the pedestal. 2. The pedestal in the midst prevents a clear view of the several angles in which the lights are arranged, and renders the explanation of them very far from clear”. There are also the health and safety aspects of trailing sleeves near to candles!
Another hallmark of the Oxford Ritual is the addresses which are given as part of the Installation ceremony. No other Chapter in Oxfordshire has these addresses, or anything similar, though I understand that they may occasionally have been unofficially “borrowed”.
The three addresses in general use today are those to the Principals, to the Officers Generally and to the Chapter at Large. I had always wondered about the title of the second address; the use of the word, “generally” seemed to imply that there was an address or addresses which were given to individuals. While researching the history of Alfred in preparation for our (official) 175th Anniversary in 2005 and coming across the older versions of the ritual, this indeed proved to be the case.
I would guess that at that point, they had not been heard in an Oxfordshire Chapter for at least 80 years, possibly more. They probably dropped out of use because it was considered that they added too much to the length of the Installation Ceremony, or that they were too difficult for the Installing Principal to learn, (although there is no reason why they could not be given by one or more P.Z.s, which is what we do now).
Apart from their rarity, they also cast some interesting historical sidelights on how the Chapter was run in the 19th Century and how Officers’ roles have developed and changed, which I shall briefly comment on.
It is worthwhile stating that, in the early 19th Century, there was, as far as is known, no real Ceremony of Installation: the Principals were simply inducted into their respective chairs with the minimum of ceremony and then appointed the Officers. The Installation Ceremony as we now know it dates from the 1830s and 40s.
Let us set the context, for the benefit of any Companions who are not familiar with the Oxford Working. The Principals have been installed, and the symbolism of each of the Robes has been explained. The Installing Principal then stands and delivers the Address to the Principals.
The Charter or Warrant is then delivered into the charge of the M.E.Z., and a copy of the Bylaws is presented. The Investiture of the Officers then proceeds, and Addresses are provided for all the regular Officers of the Chapter (except the D.C. – a relatively new office and who is presumably considered to need no instruction) and, in addition, the Stewards and the Janitor.
The first of the addresses is to the Scribe E, which was for some years a progressive Office, hence the reference to the higher duties for which he should endeavour to qualify himself.
The next address is to Scribe N. This Office may be described as being equivalent to a cross between that of Junior Warden and Inner Guard in a Craft Lodge. As a matter of interest, in the old Chapter No. 76, Winchester, the Scribe N sits by the door like the Inner Guard, rather than in the south, as in most Chapters.
There is rather more to this Office, which is viewed by many simply as a breathing space between that of Principal Sojourner and third Principal, than might appear, and this is made clear by the Address.
The reference to admitting Companions needs some explanation. Throughout the 19th Century, only Installed Principals were permitted to witness the Opening Ceremony in any Working. The rubric in the 1884 edition of the Oxford Ritual states that once the Principals were seated, Scribe N would then be called in, and the Companions would enter one by one, after giving the password, after which the ceremony of opening would be completed.
How many Scribe Ns are aware of their duty, similar to that of the Junior Warden, to examine visitors, and how confident would they be if called upon to do so?
Then follows the Address to the Treasurer. There is an address to the Treasurer in the permissive alternatives at the back of the Emulation Ritual in the Craft, but I have never heard it done, and the Master usually contents himself with saying that he would not presume to instruct Bro. Treasurer about his duties, and will he please keep on doing them! This address makes it clear that the Treasurer should not only be concerned with the money of the Chapter, but should also ensure, in conjunction with the other responsible officers, that the property of the Chapter is properly looked after.
Most Companions will agree that one of the most important offices is that of Principal Sojourner, perhaps even more so than the Deacons in a Craft Lodge, and the way in which he performs his duties can make a lasting impression for good or ill on the Visitors and above all, the Candidate. With the present emphasis on the importance of retention of new members as well as recruitment, the importance of an impressive exaltation ceremony is even more pronounced today.
To my mind, this address tells the Companion being invested not only what he is to do, but how to do it and why it is important. In the words of the advert, “It does exactly what it says on the tin”. In the Alfred Chapter during much of the 19th Century, six or seven Companions could be exalted at a time, and on one occasion in 1897, there were thirteen! How this was done is not clear, but what is certain is that the Principal Sojourner would have had to have been on his mettle to ensure that the Ceremony was well conducted.
The Assistant Sojourners are also briefly addressed. During much of the 19th Century, they were not directly appointed by the M.E.Z., but were nominated by the Principal Sojourner, whose recommendation was then endorsed by the Companions.
In a regrettably large number of Lodges and Chapters, the Stewards are often conspicuous by their absence: often there is a row of empty seats where the Stewards should be, with a number of collars hanging forlornly over the backs. However, as the Address to the Stewards makes clear, their role is an important one, not just at the Festive Board, but before the Ceremony too. The Address makes clear that, not only do they have an important role in ensuring that fitting hospitality is offered to the guests, but, as in the Craft, they are expected generally to assist the other Officers.
The Janitor is then called in and is addressed. In the Oxford Ritual, he should have a Sword, as much of the address is taken up with the use and symbolism of this implement. Those who are familiar with the Taylor’s Craft ritual may have noticed a passing similarity to the address to the Tyler in that ritual, which also dwells on the symbolism of the sword, although that ritual dates from rather later than the Oxford Royal Arch ritual.
The Address to the Officers Generally then follows, which sums up all the previous Addresses, and makes it clear, that, while each Officer has different roles and responsibilities, some greater, some lesser, each of them has a vital part to play in ensuring that the Chapter runs efficiently and the Ceremonies and the after proceedings are well conducted.
The last and perhaps the finest of the Addresses, the opening line of which I have taken as part of the title of this lecture, is the Address to the Chapter at large. This looks back to the example set by the past, and forward with hope to the future, and finally sets the earthly labours of the Chapter in the context of eternity, reminding us of the underlying purpose in all our endeavours; the honour and glory of the One, True and Living God Most High.
Taken together, the Addresses form a remarkable group, well worth hearing and studying, not only for the moral lessons they convey, but for the additional light they shed on the roles and responsibilities of the Officers and Companions, the development of the different offices through the years, and also on the remarkable men who formulated and developed the ritual, to whom both Alfred and the other Oxford Ritual Chapters, and, indirectly, the other Chapters which derive from Alfred, continue to owe so much.
E. Comp. P. J. Purves, PGSwdB, P3rdPrGPrin
Scribe E, Alfred Chapter No. 340
October 2020