Rob Morris Literature

While Freemasonry has a long history of Brotherhood and philanthropy, it did more than encourage just these virtues. Freemasonry has, throughout history, aided in the development of the arts, from literature to music and beyond.

Such was the case for Rob Morris, who lived 1818–1888. Morris was an American poet and Freemason who was born in New York City before moving south to seek new opportunities.

In 1841, he married Charlotte Mendenhall, whom he met living in northwest Mississippi. When he was twenty-eight, Morris was initiated as a Freemason at Gathright Lodge in Oxford, Mississippi. Masonry became a large source of inspiration for Morris, who went on to write over 400 poems, most of which were centered on Masonry.¹ This feat was so important to Freemasonry that in 1884 he was crowned the “Poet Laureate of Freemasonry,” a title that had not been bestowed since Robert Burns held it in 1796.

Two of the three of Morris’ publications are housed in the Masonic Research Library and are compilations of his many poems regarding Freemasonry, including various songs, sketches, and tales. The third publication, Freemasonry in the Holy Land (1875), gives a detailed account of Morris’ travels to the holy land.

His travels came after Morris met Robert Macoy, a prominent Freemason publisher who established Macoy Publishing. The two had met earlier, when Morris became especially interested in women’s roles in Freemasonry. He desired a way for female relatives and friends to be involved in the organization and share its benefits. From 1849–1850, Morris wrote the first ever Order of the Eastern Star Ritual, The Rosary of the Eastern Star. He helped charter Chapters and eventually handed organizational authority of the Order of the Eastern Star to Robert Macoy before he traveled abroad. Rob Morris is still credited with being one of the most prolific Masonic poets, as well as being an instrumental force in the creation of the Order of the Eastern Star.

In addition to writing extensively in verse regarding Freemasonry, Rob Morris also expanded his writing to prose and analysis. One such example of Morris’ reach as an author is his book William Morgan; or Political Anti-Masonry, Its Rise, Growth and Decadence (1883). The monograph details the controversy regarding the William Morgan affair, in which the disappearance of a former Freemason from Batavia, New York, was largely attributed to Freemasons.

Morgan proclaimed his intention to publish a book exposing the secrets of Freemasonry. He was arrested in 1826, before mysteriously disappearing. Although there is little evidence regarding his disappearance, most blamed Freemasons from Western New York. The disappearance, which became known as the William Morgan Affair, ignited a wave of anti-Masonic sentiment.²

Morgan’s disappearance went on to aid in the creation of the Anti-Masonic political party of America which affected Freemasonry for years.