Freemasonry is many centuries old, and as a result there can be no absolute agreement as to how, when or where it began. It is accepted that it had its origins in the days of the great cathedral builders - those people who erected magnificent structures throughout Europe in early Mediaeval times.
In days when travel from place to place was often very hazardous and when most men never ventured more than a few miles from where they were born, construction of the larger structures such as cathedrals and castles required a far greater and sophisticated workforce than that which could be recruited locally, so there arose the travelling craftsman who journeyed from town to town across the land seeking work.
In the Middle Ages, a large proportion of the population was illiterate and a man's credentials could not be established by his union card or a telephone call. It was necessary, however, to establish that these craftsmen were suitably qualified for the work they were to be engaged upon, because the building of such immense and scientifically advanced structures was at the leading edge of the technology of the day.
Accordingly they formed themselves into Guilds to train apprentices in order to maintain the level of qualification for their membership and to protect their trade secrets, therefore preventing outsiders from gaining unauthorised entry into the craft of masonry and risking their reputation and employment.
These Guilds were in fact professional societies which acted to protect their members and, in general, the reputation of their craft. Much of their work still survives today after many centuries - cathedrals, castles, churches and many ancient buildings throughout the UK and Europe. They were craftsmen of the greatest skill, devotion and integrity, and we still find in them a living inspiration to bring like qualities to the creation of a fraternity of all men of good will.