Celebrating 150 Years since the Royal Ark Mariner came under the auspices of the Mark Grand Lodge 

The history of how Mark Grand Lodge become the governing body of the Royal Ark Mariner Degree is far from straight forward, and a story full of intrigue and duplicity.

In May 1870 Mark Grand Lodge decided that the opportunity of working the Royal Ark Mariner degree, previously carried out in some Mark lodges, should be extended to all lodges under its control.

For the next three years there followed between Mark Grand Lodge, and the self-styled Royal Ark Mariner Grand Lodge created by Morton Edwards: lengthy and often terse correspondence, meetings, discussions, agreements, dis-agreements, all combined with disingenuous and duplicitous behaviour on both sides that ultimately culminated in Mark Grand Lodge taking control of the Royal Ark Mariner Degree.

Whilst it may be true to say that there are usually two sides to every story, in this particular instance it is a more of a question of two very different stories running in parallel, that happen to impinge on each other from time to time.

In not adopting a strict chronological approach, the need for a running commentary with appropriate cross-referencing has been circumvented thereby avoiding a fragmented story-line that would be both confusing and difficult to follow.

An overview and commentary help put the key events into context. In doing so it provides a framework for what at first sight may appear to be unconnected incidents that run parallel to the main narrative.

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