# Finding out if ancestors were Freemasons.



## jvserpico (Oct 24, 2012)

Is there a way of finding out if any of my ancestors were Freemasons? I only met my biological father once, and my grandfathers on both sides were deceased before I was born. I'd like to try and figure out if there were any other masons in my family history besides myself. Problem is anything is be looking up would be pre 1970 and all I have are names and states they loved in.


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## jvarnell (Oct 24, 2012)

I wish I could find out also.  The only thing I know that my family had to do with Masonry was on the wrong side of it.  I had a great great uncle Tom Powhatan Varnell who shot a man by the name of Land in the Hillsburo area who was a Mason.  (look at the book "Tom P. Fiddles").  I also don't know who the Mason was that signed to get me into Scotish Rite Hospital as a kid.


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## crono782 (Oct 24, 2012)

Are membership records available by request from a GL in any fashion?


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## RHS (Oct 24, 2012)

If you suspect your father was a mason and know the state he was in, you can call the GL and ask the secretary there to look up his info... they'll ask for his full name and date of death or birth. Thats how I found the info on my great grandfather, raised 1948. The WM of his lodge actually sent me a copy of his petition. Very cool. Good luck


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## MarkR (Oct 25, 2012)

Yeah, the Grand Lodge of Illinois responded to my email request by sending me a pdf copy of my grandfather's Masonic record.


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