Crafty Characters (Paperback)

Many Freemasons have made the world a better place, while some have been villainous criminals. Members of the Craft have developed forensic science, solved famous crimes and invented all manner of things. Several members of the Royal Family have been members and the declining interest in the organisation from younger royals is also discussed. Masons have been very active in the criminal justice system – both as ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’. It was a Mason who formed the Special Branch to fight terrorism and another who brought the Moors Murders to an end. In some cases, such as the Cleveland Street Scandal, Masons found themselves on both sides of the law. The medical profession is also well represented in lodges. Happily, it was a member of the Craft who rescued the Elephant Man and a Masonic doctor was the first to identify an occupational cancer. On the other side of the coin, there have been evil Masonic doctors, who committed murder. One Masonic surgeon may have committed regicide with the “mercy killing” of a king. In addition, there are stories of weird and wonderful Masons – celebrities, film makers, soldiers, explorers, world-famous businessmen, politicians, forgers and scoundrels. All are covered in this book.