Short Talk Bulletin Vol 13 No 02

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Short Talk Bulletin

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SHORT TALK BULLETIN - Vol.XIII   February, 1935   No.2 

LEWIS AND LOUVETEAU 

by:  Unknown 

Old English Tracing Boards of the entered Apprentice degree show the  
Lewis, a peculiar tool of operative masons. 
The instrument is made of a pair of dovetail wedges, provided with a  
hook or ring.  Inserted in a hole in a large stone, pulling on the  
hook or ring spreads and locks the wedges securely in the stone, so  
that it may be raised by derrick or other lifting force, without  
putting a rope or chain about it.  The greater the pull, the heavier  
the stone, the more securely is the Lewis locked in the hole. 
From this the Lewis easily became a symbol of strength, and is so  
denominated in certain old English rituals. 
In the transactions of “Quatuor Coronoti Lodge,” the great research  
organization of London, in Volume X (1897) appears the following: 
“In a Charter of Ethelbert, dated 862, Lewisham is known a “Liofshema  
mearc’,’ the mark of the inhabitants of ‘Liofsham,’ the home or  
dwelling of some person whose name began with the element ‘Liof’ or  
‘Leof,’ i.e., dear.  This prefix appears to be corrupted from Keof- 
su, which was from Leofsuna, literally, dear son.  It still survives  
in the family named Leveson, pronounced Lewson.  The place name  
appears to go through some digressions, for the seventeenth century  
it was written Lews’am, and was spelt phonetically as Lusam, end  
eventually it became, through change of etymology, Lewis.  In Masonic  
language, we have also another lewis to account for, namely the  
combination of pieces of metal, which form a dovetail; now if the  
urchin who assisted his father was called Lewis, it is possible that  
the comparatively small piece of mechanism, in comparison to the  
weight it is capable of sustaining, as a saving of labor, may have in  
trade vocabulary been called a lewis - dear one.” 
The Harris Masonic manuscript, No.1 (seventeenth century) defines the  
word as follows: 
“A Lewis is such an one as hath served an Apprenticeship to a Mason,  
but it is not admitted afterwards according to the custom of making  
Masons.: 
Compare this with the curious statement in the Carmick manuscript, in  
the possession of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania: 
“You shall not make a Mould or Square for any that is cut a Kenis,  
for a Kenis is one that hath not admitted afterwards according to the  
Custom of Making Masons.” 
Hughan, the great Masonic scholar, read “Cut a Kenis” to mean “But a  
Lewis” - in other words, the prohibition to Masons is that no Mould  
or Square may be made for any one who is “only” a Lewis, not actually  
a member of the Craft. 
The son of an English Mason is called a Lewis, for a reason which is  
set forth in Browne’s “Master Key,” which purports to be a verbatim  
account of a part of the original Prestonian lecture.  It reads: 
What do we call the son of a Freemason? 
A Lewis. 

What does it denote? 
Strength. 

How is a Lewis depicted in Mason’s Lodge? 
As cramp (clamp) of metal, by which, when fixed into a stone, great  
and ponderous weights are raised to a certain height, and fixed upon  
their p[roper basis, without which Operative Masons could not so  
conveniently do. 
What is the duty of a Lewis, the Son of a Mason, to his aged parents? 
To bear the heavy burden in the heat of the day and help them in time  
of need, which, by reason of their great age, they ought to be  
exempted from, so as to render the close of their days happy and  
comfortable. 
His privilege for so doing? 
To be made a Mason before any other person, however dignified by  
birth, rank or riches, unless he, through complaisance, waives this  
privilege, 
In France the son of a Freemason is called a Louveteau (daughter  
Louvetine) which may have been derived from “louffton” a word  
occasionally used in place of Lewis in the seventeenth century; the  
French word for the operative instrument is “Louve.”  Here a curious  
verbal bypath invites the student; Louveteau also means a young wolf.   
In the Egyptian Mysteries, the candidate, wearing a mask or covering  
simulating a wolf’s head, was often called “wolf.” Apparently the  
reason for the masking of a candidate as a wolf is found in the  
tenuous connection between the sun, which scatters the flocks of  
stars from the sky, and the wolf, which scatters the flocks of sheep  
and cattle.  The sun was the central symbol of many ancient mystery  
religions.  Similarly, the Greek “Lukos” is both the sun and a wolf. 
Albert Pike said that a Louveteau might be received as such when  
twelve years of age, or over.  According to this authority, any  
Symbolic Lodge might receive any Louteteau by a special ceremony,  
which while it did not especially obligate the Lodge to support or  
educate him, did promise that the Lodge would watch over him, protect  
him, give him counsel and advice.  In his book, “Offices of Masonic  
Baptism, Reception of a Louveteau and adoption,” Pike states: 
“It (the ceremony of reception) entitles the Louveteau to be received  
an Apprentice at the age of twenty-one years, if he be found worthy  
and intelli-gent.” 
The qualifying phrase obviously takes away from the privilege the  
first promises, since all men who are “worthy and intelligent” may be  
“received an Apprentice at the age of twenty-one years.” 
Pike lays down rules regarding the reception of a Louveteau;  the  
question may be considered at a regular meeting of the Lodge;  
application must be made in writing by the father, if living;  
otherwise, in writing by the mother, or other relative or friend; the  
father must be a member of a Lodge, except that, by unanimous vote, a  
Louveteau may be received even if the father is not a member - “the  
son may be worthy, though the father may constitute the strongest  
claim of the child on the Lodge;” action may be had without a  
Committee, in the absence of objection; if a brother desires, a  
Committee of three “will be appointed, to report at the next regular  
meeting;” ordinarily, a two-thirds vote is sufficient to insure  
reception; applications refused may be re-presented in six months;  
“bad character of applicant or unworthiness of the father is good  
cause for rejection,” otherwise, “to become a Louveteau is a matter  
of right;” vote is in an Entered Apprentices’ Lodge and “the result  
with the names of those voting yea and nay” is to be entered on the  
records. 
Pike’s “reception of a Louveteau” covers sixty pages.  A single  
quotation will suffice: 
“It is one of the duties of Brotherhood, arising out of that holy  
relationship, to guide and guard, and rear and educate, if need be, a  
Brother’s children.  Let us recognize this duty, and add to its  
obligation our solemn pledge to watch incessantly over this youth, to  
avert from him pestilential influences, warn him against ill  
examples, and rescue him from perils.  Let us, according to our  
ancient custom, and by the ancient and symbolic name, receive him as  
our Ward in the hope that he will in due time become our Brother.” 
Where Pike got the authority for the statements he makes or the  
inspiration for his beautiful if lengthy ceremony, cannot be stated.   
No American Grand Lodge authorizes such a ceremony.  But Pike’s  
statement that it is “one of the duties of Brotherhood to guide and  
guard, to rear and educate” a brother’s children is followed in both  
letter and spirit by many Grand Lodges; which maintain Homes, Schools  
or Charity Foundations by which the children of Master Masons are  
guide, guarded and educated when the father has passed beyond his  
power to do a father’s duty.  Spiritually, then, if not by Masonic  
law, the children of a Master Mason are indeed treated as Pike would  
have had Louveteaus and Louvetines treated. 
Erroneous statements are often made that a Lewis may be initiated at  
eighteen years of age.  Washington, who received his Entered  
Apprentice degree when he was twenty years and eight months of age;  
is often mentioned to prove the point. 
Whatever the practices in an older day, in England a Lewis cannot now  
be initiated before he is of “lawful age,” without a dispensation.   
There is no evidence whatever that Washington was ever considered a  
Lewis.  His initiation before being twenty-one can much more  
logically by laid to the lax practices of an easy age when  
Freemasonry in this country was very informal, far from original  
authority, developing largely from its own motion in a time when  
experiment in a new land, with a new government, in ideas, in hopes  
was in the air. 
In middle ages England it was an invariable custom for a son to  
follow in his father’s footsteps; such names as Smithson, Wrightson,  
etc., come from the days when the smith and the wheelwright had sons  
who became also wheelwrights and smiths.  Most fathers have a hope  
that their sons will follow where they led, take up the same  
profession, carry on the old firm; it is human expression of the  
longing for that form of immortality, expressed in the desire that  
what has been honorable and useful in the family will continue to be  
so. 
Masons who have sons are usually intensely interested in seeing them  
become members of the ancient Craft.  A Petition and fee is often  
made a coming-of-age gift to a young man on his twenty-first  
birthday.  From this natural hope of a Mason that his son will go  
where he preceded him, in turn to receive Masonic light and the  
happiness and education that may come from membership in a Lodge, has  
arisen the feeling in most Lodges, the stronger that it is not  
expressed in formal law, of interest in the boys of members.  Lodges  
are not consciously influenced in their judgment of petitions from  
the sons of members by that fact, but Masons would be less than human  
if they did opt look with some indulgence on the young men who ask to  
follow in the path their fathers have walked. 
In this sense, then, the Lewis has a privilege in all Lodges; he is  
already known, by proxy at least, to the Lodge to which he applies,  
and there is a natural predisposition favorably to consider his  
application, and for the committee to judge him with mercy. 
It is a sound tribute to the common sense of American Masonic law  
that the Lewis has few if any legally stated privilege.  The Grand  
Lodge of North Dakota has in its by-laws (page 38, revision of 1928): 
“Candidate:  Age reduced in some Cases - Lewis.   
Any Lodge in this Grand Jurisdiction may lawfully receive and ballot  
upon a petition for the degrees of a son or nephew of an affiliated  
Mason within the last six months of such petitioners twenty-first  
year; however, if elected, he shall not be initiated an Entered  
Apprentice until he has attained the age of twenty-one.” 
The Constitution of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia prior  
to 1924 stated: 
“No Lodge shall initiate any candidate who is under 21 years of age,  
etc.” 
Questions arising as to the age at which application might be  
received, Grand Master Roberts ruled (1924) that no petition might be  
legally received from a minor, basing his ruling on civil law which  
makes minors unable to execute contracts.  Later, the Constitution  
was revised to read: 
“No Lodge shall accept the petition of any candidate who is under 21  
years of age at the time of the presentation of his petition to the  
Lodge, etc.” 
Generally speaking, Grand Lodges require petitioners to be of legal  
age; all in this country require them to be either “twenty-one” or of  
“lawful age” before initiation. 
During the Great War, many Grand Jurisdictions waived not only  
“suitable proficiency” between degrees, but often the matter of  
“lawful age” for sons of Masons in the armed forces of the nation. 
Lodges with a restricted membership often provided that the petitions  
of sons or fathers of members may be received and ballot had,  
regardless of whether the roster is full or not. 
The Order of DeMolay for boys is for sons of Master Masons, and their  
friends; which in effect means any boy who can be recommended by a  
Master Mason.  The Order continually insists that its membership is  
not in any way to be considered as helpful in later receiving Masonic  
membership. 
Lewis and Louveteau, sons of Masons, in this country, then, are words  
with no special Masonic standing; the words are scarcely known to a  
majority of Masons.  But in the spirit of our Lodges the old idea of  
the son following in his father’s footsteps persists; hence it is not  
infrequent to find Lodges arranging “father and son” nights, and it  
is still an event in any Lodge when a father raises his son to the  
Sublime Degree - more rare, and even more interesting, when it is the  
son’s good fortune to raise his father. 
Predicating the whole philosophy of Freemasonry upon a certain  
Fatherhood, it would be odd indeed, however little official  
recognition we give them, if Masons had no special tenderness of  
feeling for their Lewises and Louveteas.