The Story of the Ecossais Lodge of Toulouse

The correspondence between the Ecossais lodge at Toulouse covers only two years, but provides very interesting insights regarding Masonry in the 18th century, revealing that in 1750 there was a High Degree body at Toulouse practicing either a Trinitarian Ecossais system of the Parisian Ecossais des Trois I.I.I. and we see how these were replaced by the ‘Ancienne Maitrise’ of Bordeaux. There followed a clearly non-masonic quarrel that originated in rivalry between actors of the Toulouse Opera! The return of the Grand Master, who had been absent, enabled the crisis to be resolved and the lodge’s unity restored. There is also a letter revealing recruitment difficulties facing the lodge and requesting some statutory modifications; a fresh proof of the regard for regularity that determined the attitude of the Elus parfaits and their daughter lodges.