How and when did it all begin? These very simple questions rarely have simple answers. The origins of the Order of the Eastern Star is no exception. In celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Grand Chapter of Missouri, Order of the Eastern Star, we celebrate their story and their tireless support for the Masonic Home of Missouri.
Secret degrees for female relatives of Masons goes all the way back to about 1730 emerging in France, called “Adoptive Masonry.” In 1774, this became more formalized by the Grand Orient of France with the establishment of the “Rite of Adoption.” This outlined the rules and regulations for its government, including the requirement that each Adoptive Lodge should be placed under the warrant of a regularly constituted Masonic Lodge, whose Master or his deputy would be the presiding officer assisted by a woman president or mistress. While it is unclear if the ritual was used from 1730 or a new one was adopted, what is known is that the “Rite of Adoption” consisted of four degrees.
While these early societies with female members connected to Freemasonry were in existence, they were not what we know today as the Order of the Eastern Star. During the early eighteenth century in America, there were various degrees conferred on ladies known as “Ladies’ Masonry,” “Holy Virgin,” “Heroines of Jerico,” and many more. Although some of these may have resembled what would become the Eastern Star, the Eastern Star, as it is known today, would trace its origins to a man named Rob Morris.
Sister Sarah H. Terry, Grand Secretary of Grand Chapter of Kentucky, described the Order of the Easter Star’s history as one that could be divided into three eras. The first era is from 1850 to 1866 with the creation of the Order of the Eastern Star beginning with Rob Morris. The second era is from 1866 to 1876 lead by Robert Macoy. The third era begins with the organization of the General Grand Chapter in 1876.
The First Era: 1850-1866
Robert Morris (1818-1888)
Robert “Rob” William Peckham Morris was born on August 31, 1818, to Robert and Charlotte (Shaw) Peckham. Early histories cited his birth in Taunton, Massachusetts, but this no longer appears to be correct. Robert and Charlotte’s first two children died in infancy. John Anson (1816), Robert Peckham (Morris) (1818), and Charlotte Fales Peckham (1821) were all born in New York City where their father was an accountant.
In 1821, the couple split, with Charlotte taking their daughter, Charlotte, to live in Taunton, Massachusetts. Robert kept his sons, John and Robert, until he passed away in 1825 at a New York City hospital. It was at this time John and Robert went to live with their mother. She would pass away in 1837.
Records from the Old Colony Historical Society in Taunton, Massachusetts, show that Robert W. Peckham was a student at Bristol Academy. He was enrolled from age 10 to 16 at the academy with the spring of 1834 being the final record of attendance. It was during this time that Rob Peckham changed his surname to Morris.
Although born and raised in the New England States, he ventured west and south to earn a living. He secured a job as a teacher at the DeSoto Academy, a few miles from Germantown, Tennessee. It was here in Shelby County that he met his future wife Miss Charlotte Mendenhall. They married on August 26, 1841. Their union would be blessed with nine children of which seven made it to adulthood.
In 1845, Rob became president and professor of Mt. Sylvan Academy near Burgess, Mississippi, twelve miles west of Oxford. A year later, at the age of 28, Rob’s life would change again when he found Freemasonry, joining Gathright Lodge No. 33, Oxford, Mississippi, being raised to Master Mason on March 5, 1846. His mentor and the man who initiated him in Masonry was Judge James Moorman Howry, Past Grand Master of Mississippi. It was a friendship of mutual respect and love for each other and the Fraternity that would last a lifetime.
Eureka Masonic College in Black Hawk, Mississippi, where Robert Morris taught in 1848.
Rob’s career would change from schoolteacher to salesman to Masonic lecturer, a transition that required frequent trips away from his wife and children. In 1847, Rob left Mt. Sylvan Academy to explore other career opportunities. He began selling magazine and newspaper subscriptions visiting small towns all over Mississippi.
In 1848, Morris taught at Eureka Masonic College in Black Hawk for a short period of time, then went on a trip north and east to see family he had not seen since leaving at the age of 18. Along the way, he visited Masonic Lodges and collected Masonic literature. Upon returning to Black Hawk in the fall, he moved Charlotte and the children. This proved to be a very difficult time for Charlotte. Rob continued traveling, selling subscriptions, not realizing the strain on Charlotte who suffered from yellow fever along with caring for three young children. In 1849, Rob continued to travel, but he moved the family to Jackson, Mississippi.
When he found himself laid up for two weeks in February, 1850, with an attack of rheumatism, he began his work creating the Eastern Star. The first task was to settle upon a suitable name, and he settled upon the Eastern Star. Next was determining the points, five, to correspond with the emblem on the Master’s carpet—the pentagon—the signet of King Solomon. He then turned to the Bible for the Biblical heroines determining the first four points: Jephthah’s Daughter (named Adah), Ruth, Esther, and Martha. Finally, he settled upon Electa for the fifth star point. He worked on the degrees, the themes, the colors, the emblems, the floral wreaths, the signs and the passes.
Copy of a signet designed by Charlotte Fales Morris of the Order of the Eastern Star.
Toward the end of his life, Dr. Morris would reflect upon his role in the creation of the Order of the Eastern Star. In his own words, he shared why he was so moved to create this organization:
“From the period of my initiation into Masonry I had entertained the desire of introducing the female relatives of Masons into closer relationship with the Order… If committees of charitable women, female members of the families of Freemasons, would but undertake our charitable disbursements, the widow, the orphan and the destitute need no longer suffer neglect upon the plea that ‘such oversight is not the proper work of men.’”
Rob Morris went on to state:
“In the winter of 1850, I was a resident of Jackson, Mississippi. For some time previous I had contemplated, as hinted above, the preparation of a Ritual of Adoptive Masonry, the degrees then in vogue appearing to me poorly conceived, weakly wrought out, unimpressive, and particularly defective in point of motive.”
By 1950, Morris was dissatisfied with his subscription business, but he had made many Masonic contacts during his travels. Morris became convinced that he could have a career as a paid Masonic Lecturer visiting Lodges across the United States while also writing and publishing Masonic material. In November 1850, at Colliersville, Tennessee, Morris gave the first series of lectures before a public audience on “The Building of King Solomon’s Temple.” He also conferred the Eastern Star degree, later sharing with Charlotte that it was enthusiastically received.
As Morris continued to share the Eastern Star degree, he began to receive threats and warnings that his endeavors to establish the Eastern Star would hurt his Masonic connections and work in the Fraternity. However, Morris found his Masonic journey would expand becoming further involved in the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. In 1855, Morris was elected Junior Grand Warden of Kentucky, and he became Grand Master in 1858.
In 1855, Morris created a system of “Constellations of the Eastern Star” with the presiding officer known as the “Luminary” or “Giver of Light.” In 1855, a Supreme Constellation was organized with the Mosaic Book written by Rob Morris as the ritual book. The headquarters were in New York with Dr. Morris holding the title of Most Enlightened Grand Luminary. The Supreme Constellation issued charters throughout the United States. By December 25, 1855, out of the seventy-five charters granted nationally Missouri had twenty-seven. The next closest states in number of charters were Indiana and Illinois both with six.
By 1860, Morris concluded that the “Constellations” were not successful. He attributed part of its failure to the opposition to “Ladies’ Masonry.” Dr. Morris tried again with an easier plan called “Families of the Eastern Star” to avoid some of the complexities that may have contributed to the failure of the “Constellations.” Each “Family” consisted of not less than five ladies, seconded or assisted by not less than five Master Masons.
In 1865, Dr. Morris would go on to create and publish “The Rosary of the Eastern Star.” This helped to clarify the ritual and illustrate the following virtues: Jephthah’s Daughter, as illustrating respect to the binding force of a vow; Ruth, as illustrating devotion to religious principles; Esther, as illustrating fidelity to kindred and friends; Martha, as illustrating undeviating faith in the hour of trial, and Electa, as illustrating patience and submission under wrong.
From 1850 to 1861, the Masonic University of Kentucky in LaGrange, Kentucky, had full enrollment and was doing very well. Rob Morris was actively engaged in watching this Masonic University with the hope of transforming Eureka Masonic Collage at Richland, Mississippi, to a similarly prosperous endeavor. In 1860, Morris moved his family to live closer to LaGrange. He was recruited by the University to teach ancient history. The Masonic University of Kentucky was granted the right to confer the title of LL.D, a doctor of law degree. Morris was the recipient of this honor, and he would go on to use his title, Dr. Rob Morris, LL.D, in all his correspondence upon receiving it.
It seemed that the family had found their permanent home in LaGrange. However, the Civil War would impact everyone in the south and no institution was spared. Morris took over leadership at the University, but the war took its toll as enrollment decreased and deficits increased. In 1861, Morris traveled to Indiana on a Masonic lecture. In his absence, Confederate guerillas set fire to his home. A detachment of Union soldiers nearby salvaged some of his Masonic literature.
Although a pacifist, he was called into military service by Governor Magoffin in July 1862 as Provost Marshall of Oldham County. A month later he received the commission as a Colonel in the Union Army. As the war closed, Morris began to turn his attention to fulfill his dream to visit the Holy Land.
The Second Era: 1866 to 1876
Robert Macoy was born October 4, 1815, in Armagh, Ulster County, Ireland, moving to the United States at the age of four months. When he became old enough to work, he went into printing. He would spend his life as a printer, writer, and publisher.
Macoy became a Master Mason on February 3, 1848, in Lebanon Lodge No. 191 in New York City, New York. He would later affiliate with Adelphic Lodge No. 348. He was elected Deputy Grand Master of New York in 1856 and reelected in 1857. Macoy began his Masonic publishing career in 1848. In 1869, Macoy published A Dictionary of Freemasonry. Robert Macoy and Rob Morris were close friends visiting each other in Kentucky and New York.
In 1866, Rob Morris collaborated with his friend Robert Macoy to perfect the Eastern Star system he had created. The name was changed to the “Order of the Eastern Star,” and a manual was printed for the degree work called Manual of the Order of the Eastern Star published by the Masonic Publishing and Manufacturing Company, in which Macoy was a partner. In this publication, Robert Macoy referred to himself as the “National Grand Secretary.” He would retain this title in the materials published from that company until 1876 when he assumed the title of Supreme Grand Patron.
In 1868, Dr. Rob Morris announced his intention of going to the Holy Land, and he turned over all of his work and authority within the Eastern Star to Robert Macoy. It was during this period that Macoy published new Ritual based on Dr. Morris’ Rosary. He established a Supreme Grand Chapter, and he authorized Deputies throughout the United States to create Chapters in the place of the Families. These deputies were given charters, rituals, and other supplies to form Chapters in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, to be organized under the Supreme Grand Chapter. While Chapters were created, it was often done in the absence of basic and uniform rules.
In December 1871, a charter from the Supreme Grand Chapter of Adoptive Masonry was provided to Queen Esther Chapter No. 1, in Hannibal, Missouri. Missouri was a leader in forming Chapters with over 140 created in less than a four-year period. Missouri found itself in second place in number of new Charters being surpassed by Illinois with just over 180.
In the New York Courier, August 30, 1874, Brother Willis D. Engle from Indiana wrote an article expressing concerns with the Supreme Grand Chapter. At the time he wrote the article, he had been a Mason for four years and a member of the Eastern Star for two years; and he was only twenty-eight years old. In his article he state:
“Two things, it seems to me, are needed immediately: First, a Supreme Grand Chapter composed of representatives from the several Grand Chapters; second, revision and general boiling down and finishing up of the ritual, which is now defective, both in style and language.”
Engle would go on to write articles for the Masonic Advocate (Indianapolis) along with correspondence across the country seeking support for a meeting of Grand Chapters to discuss the issues.
By 1875, Provisional Grand Patron Thomas C. Ready (GM 1877-1878) and Deputy Grand Patrons Harmon G. Reynolds and John R. Parsons (GM 1892-1893) issued a letter requesting representatives from all Eastern Star Chapters in Missouri to convene in St. Louis to discuss the creation of a Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star for the State of Missouri.
On October 13, 1875, sixty-five representatives from forty-five chapters convened in Masonic Hall in St. Louis. Grand Master James E. Cadle (GM 1875-1876) was Worthy Patron of Chillicothe Chapter #113, and he offered the following Resolution:
“Resolved, That this Convention do now proceed to organize a Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star for the State of Missouri.”
The resolution was adopted, and the constitution was adopted calling for triennial meetings. The first triennial meeting was to be held on the Wednesday after the second Tuesday in October, 1878, with triennial meetings held every three years thereafter. There were also a large number of Grand Officers—seven elected and seventy appointed. A board of seven commissioners was given the authority to conduct the affairs of the Grand Chapter, except legislation, with meetings to be held annually in the intervening years.
During the session, Reverend John D. Vincil (GM 1866-1867, 1868-1869) was elected Grand Patron and Mattie A. Yost was elected Grand Matron. However, PGM Vincil had not been able to attend the session. Upon examining the published proceedings, he had many concerns with the constitution that was adopted, so he ordered a session of the Grand Chapter to be held October 9-11 in 1876.
Twenty-two Chapters were represented by thirty-six members. At this session, Brother Willis D. Engle of Indiana was introduced, and he explained why he felt there was a need to create a General Grand Chapter. Seven representatives were appointed to represent Missouri at the proposed meeting in Indianapolis on November 16, 1876. The committee consisted of Rev. John D. Vincil, Mary J. Wash, Mattie A. Yost, Frances F. Holden, Thomas C. Ready, P.D. Yost, and John R. Parsons. All were able to attend the conference except Brothers Holden and Ready.
The session also adopted revisions to the constitution bringing it more in line with the laws and regulations adopted by other Grand Chapters. The State was divided into districts and a Deputy Grand Patron or Deputy Grand Matron was appointed for each.
The Third Era: 1876
On November 15 and 16, 1876, the Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star in the State of Indiana received delegates from the Grand Chapters of California, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and New Jersey assembled at the Masonic Temple in Indianapolis.
The Grand Patron of Indiana, James S. Nutt, called the convention to order. John M. Mayhew of New Jersey was chosen President. Missouri’s Mattie A. Yost was selected as Most Worthy Grand Matron and John R. Parson was chosen as Secretary. Each Grand Jurisdiction represented at the convention had a representative on the committee to form a constitution which was chaired by Engle. The committee presented a constitution that was adopted, and the General Grand Chapter came into existence.
A committee on ritual was appointed to prepare a ritual to be reported out at the second session of the General Grand Chapter to be held in Chicago in 1878. The Most Worthy Grand Patron was authorized to issue dispensations to all subordinate Chapters holding charters originating from the Supreme Grand Chapter, upon their surrendering of those charters, without expense.
The meeting closed with a public installation of officers. The Most Worthy Grand Patron-elect, Reverend John D. Vincil, was installed by the Most Worthy Grand Patron pro tem., and then Most Worthy Grand Matron Elizabeth Butler and the remaining officers were installed. Engle would be installed as Right Worthy Grand Secretary, a position he would hold until 1889.
Dr. Morris did not attend the organization of the General Grand Chapter. On October 2, 1877, he wrote an open letter indicating that he was not consulted regarding the organizational meeting and was not invited. Engle would respond in the Masonic Advocate stating:
“Whatever omission was made that should not have been was probably owing to an oversight on the part of the committee which made the original call… Certainly no member of the Order would have been excluded, and, in fact, the convention passed an order ‘that all members of the Order be entitled to seats and to speak in the convention.’”
On December 17, 1884, Rob Morris was crowned the Poet Laureate of Freemasonry in the presence of several thousand Masons at the Masonic Temple in New York City. Morris was only the second Mason given this honor; the first Poet Laureate of Freemasonry being Robert Burns who received the honor in 1787.
By the time Morris received the honor, he had penned over seventy volumes of work which included close to four hundred poems. The largest volume of poems was published in The Poetry of Freemasonry this same year. Morris had traveled in three continents and visited more than three thousand Lodges. The Masonic Museum and Library at the Masonic Complex in Columbia, Missouri, contains examples of his work. They are also celebrated in the book published by the Masonic Home of Missouri called A Collection: The Missouri Masonic Library and Museum and in the art gallery collection featured in the Masonic Complex lower level outside of the Masonic Library (works featured: The Poetry of Freemasonry; Freemasonry in the Holy Land; William Morgan, Or, Political Anti-Masonry: Its Rise, Growth and Decadence; Light and Shadows of Freemasonry).
Brother Morris attended the General Grand Chapter session again in St. Louis in 1886, and he supported the organization until his passing on July 31, 1888.
Macoy was most definitely not a supporter of the General Grand Chapter. Engle suggests that Macoy’s displeasure of the General Grand Chapter might have been due to its financial impact, because Macoy benefited personally from the sale of charters and ritual books through his publishing company. Macoy cited copyright infringement as his grievance with the General Grand Chapter. As the General Grand Chapter formalized its ritual and began publishing with another publishing company, Macoy felt his work had been stolen. He threatened lawsuits and made many public and private attacks on members of the General Grand Chapter leadership.
Despite these disagreements, the General Grand Chapter in 1895 adopted the following:
“Robert Macoy, Past Grand Patron of New York, although never connected with this body, but rather opposed to it, rendered most valuable service to the Order by his talent and great executive ability, giving it the chapter form of organization which has resulted in its present highly prosperous condition…and inscribe his name upon the General Grand Chapter memorial scroll.”
Missouri’s Order of the Eastern Star members would continue to provide important leadership through the early development of the General Grand Chapter. From 1878 to 1880, Emily Foley served as Most Worthy Grand Matron and Mary J. Wash served as Worthy Grand Conductress. John Parson served as Right Worthy Grand Secretary with Benjamin Lynds as Right Worthy Associate Grand Patron from 1886 to 1889. Lynds would go on to serve the following three years as Most Worthy Grand Patron. William F. Kuhn served as Right Worthy Associate Grand Patron (1901-1904) and Most Worthy Grand Patron (1904-1907).
The Missouri Order of the Eastern Star and the Masonic Home of Missouri
The year 1875 is significant for both the Order of the Eastern Star in Missouri and what would become the Masonic Home of Missouri. On October 12, 1875—the day before the Grand Chapter of the Order of the Easter Star in Missouri was created—Past Grand Master John C. Ralls introduced the following resolution at the Grand Lodge of Missouri’s Annual Session:
“A select committee be appointed to enquire into, and report upon, the expediency and necessity of making suitable provision for the erection of a ‘Home’ for the indigent widows and minors (orphans) of worthy (deceased) Master Masons…to be located in some suitable and healthy place.”
Calls for action to create a Home would continue at Grand Chapter. On October 14, 1878, Worthy Grand Matron Elmira Foley addressed the assembly with her report in which she puts forth a call for a Home:
“I hope the sisterhood of our Order may determine to establish some monument of Charity that will be a living witness and conclusive evidence that we are in earnest in this work; something like a Home or Industrial School for the Widows and Orphans of our Order.”
A special committee was appointed “On Establishment of Widows’ and Orphans’ Home” to include Brothers William R. Stubblefield (GM 1880-1881), James E. Cadle (GM 1875-1876), and Sister Louisa J. More. The following year, Brother Cadle, Chairman of the Widows’ and Orphans’ Home Committee asked for more time.
Despite these calls to action, the creation of a Home was still many years away.
The three windows have been reunited to their original positioning and can be enjoyed today at the Masonic Complex, just as the residents and children of the Home would have viewed them in the Eastern Star Chapel built in 1897.
A decade after Ralls’ call to action, another plea to the Grand Lodge was made by Grand Master Robert D. Stevenson (GM 1884-1885):
“46 Masons were dependent, in whole or in part, upon their respective Lodges
101 widows of Master Masons are under similar circumstances
82 orphaned children are receiving some attention from the Craft
37 out of the 147 aged persons are reported as only able to attend to personal necessities”“These are your Brothers, your widows, and your orphans in charge. If you take them in the manner proposed, duty will not permit you, by acts of omission, to suffer them again to fall upon the cold charities of the world around them. Now is the time for you to determine what duty requires of you.”
In 1886, the Masonic Home became officially incorporated by the State of Missouri. The Board of Directors was created with Noah M. Givan (1878-1879) becoming the first Board President. That same year, John R. Parson was serving on the newly created Masonic Home Board as Grand Secretary of the Order of the Eastern Star, and as Chairman of the Triennial Committee of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar. He organized a Grand Concert held at the fairgrounds in St. Louis raising over $35,000. This would become the financial foundation to bring the Masonic Home into a reality.
A year later, Worthy Grand Patron H.M. Pettit made a call for the Order of the Eastern Star to join in the support of the Masonic Home Board’s efforts. In 1888, Worthy Grand Patron Rhodes issued an appeal to each subordinate Chapter calling for support of the Masonic Home. Board President Givan would thank him stating:
“I desire to thank you heartily for the interest you are taking in the Masonic Home and the effort you are making with the Order of the Eastern Star in its behalf…if you can succeed in enlisting the Masonic women of Missouri to work for the Home, its success is assured beyond questions.”
The Home purchased property at what was then the “edge” of St. Louis for $40,000. It consisted of 15 acres near Forest Park with a two and a half story brick home with about 20 rooms, a good sized barn, and a gardener’s cottage.
In 1889, the Masonic Home would open its doors and welcome its first resident, a young girl named Della Gale Farthing. Worthy Grand Matron Flora M. Clarkson stressed the importance of the newly established home stating:
“Would it not be well for this Grand Body to consider at its present session the propriety of selecting a day to be observed by our Order throughout the State each year, and known as ‘Orphan’s Day.’”
At the Order of the Eastern Star’s Annual Session, it was determined that October 13 would be Eastern Star Masonic Home Day. It is fitting that this is the same day that Grand Chapter came into existence.
In 1894, Rev. John D. Vincil asked the membership at the 20th Annual Grand Chapter Session of the Order of the Eastern Star to build a chapel at the Masonic Home of Missouri in St. Louis. The membership answered the call, and at the time of its construction it was reported to have been the only Eastern Star Chapel in the world—dedicated October 21, 1897. In 1904, the Order of the Eastern Star began to contribute 25 cents annual per capita dues for each member. The Order of the Eastern Star would continue their support of the Delmar Campus in St. Louis furnishing items needed in the operation of the Home, while expanding their support when the Western Unit was built in the Kansas City area.
The transition away from bricks and mortar facilities to the Outreach Programs not only changed how the Masonic Home assisted Brothers and Sisters in need, but it also changed how the Order of the Eastern Star helped support the clients of the Masonic Home.
In August 2009, the Order of the Eastern Star began providing a gift of $20 to each Long-Term Financial Assistance client with the monthly assistance check. For clients dependent upon charitable assistance to pay their monthly bills, this gift, in addition to what is approved by the Masonic Home Board, means so much to those in dire financial need.