History of the Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge
In 1865, Brother Charles F. Dailey accepted the Deputy
Grand Mastership for the Southern Jurisdiction, under Hiram Grand
Lodge of Pennsylvania. Brother Charles F. Dailey, was born in St.
Thomas, West Indies in 1820. In 1840, he was in the fruit trade
between Florida and Europe. He was the leading black Mason in the
South. Brother Dailey received his first three degrees in a lodge in
Liverpool, England and the Scottish Rite in Glasgow, Scotland and
was knighted at Greenock, Scotland. It is believed that Brother
Dailey was unaware of the irregularities of Hiram Grand Lodge of
Pennsylvania and the National Compact Lodge at the time of his
appointment. Brother Dailey was a man of unusual ability to be able
to organize black men in the south during the time period of high
racial tension.
In 1867, the first three lodges were
established by Brother Dailey in the state of Florida: Solomon Lodge
# 50, Saint Johns Lodge # 51, and Mt. Moriah Lodge # 52. The lodges
were chartered by Hiram Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. (Note: Hiram
Grand Lodge was a spurious offspring of the Most Worshipful Prince
Hall Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The two Grand Lodges later
reconciled after the dissolution of the National Compact). On June
17, 1870 in the city of Jacksonville, Florida, a general assembly of
the Craft was called to meet, presided over by the RW Charles F.
Dailey, Deputy Grand Master for the Southern Jurisdiction, under
Hiram Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, with RW Charles H. Pierce as
Grand Secretary. The convention lasted two days. A code of laws for
the jurisdiction was adopted and the lodges were consolidated,
renumbered, and charted by the Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge of
Florida. The following Grand Officers were elected for the ensuing
year: Harry H. Thompson, Grand Master; John H. Robinson, Deputy
Grand Master; Robert Smith, Grand Senior Warden; James Roberts,
Grand Junior Warden; Emanuel Fortune, Grand Treasure; F.H. Dunkins,
Grand Secretary; Rev. Charles H. Pierce, Grand Chaplin. This is the
creation of The Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge of Florida. In
1877, in Wilmington, Delaware, the dissolution of the National
Compact Grand Lodge occurred. A resolution was unanimously adopted:
Resolved that each State is its Sovereign head… etc. With this
action being taken, the State of Florida was on its own to decide if
it would go its own way or be affiliated with other Prince Hall
Bodies. The State chose to be among the legal and legitimate Prince
Hall Bodies and became Prince Hall Affiliated.
The Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge, Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity,
Free and Accepted Masons, Prince Hall Affiliated, Florida and
Belize, Central America, Incorporated, has existed for 150 years and
counting. The Grand Lodge is located at 410 Broad Street,
Jacksonville, Florida.
"Submitted by A.T. Stafford, Senior Grand
Warden Approved by Reverend Dr. Michael R. Moore, Most Worshipful
Grand Master" - 2005
The current 2023-24 Grand Lodge Officers
are as follows:
MW Jeffrey Jones, Grand Master;
RW Gus Harris, Jr., Deputy Grand Master;
RW Kendall T. Moore, Senior Grand Warden;
RW Marlon Honeywell, Junior Grand Warden;
RW Tommie Wright, Grand Secretary;
RW Melvin Wright, Grand Treasurer;
RW Carl Finerson, Grand Chancellor;
Pastor Ernest Powell, Grand Chaplin;
Marcus Brinson, Committee Chairman of Foreign Correspondence
The Grand Lodge currently has chartered one hundred twenty-one lodges (121) and has a membership of 3200.