textfiles/magazines/STB/stb-1935-02.txt

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.