Freemasonry played a major role in the economic and social life of the Victorian era but it has received very little sustained attention by academic historians. General histories of the period hardly notice the subject while detailed studies mainly confine themselves to its origins in the early eighteenth century and its later institutional development. This book is the first sustained and dispassionate study of the role of Freemasonry in everyday social and economic life: why men joined, what it did for them and their families, and how it affected the development of communities and local economies.
"This is the assured and accessible prose of an author who, over the course of a career, has mastered much about communication, Freemasonry, mariners and miners. His detailed and thorough assessment is supported by a scholarly bibliography, helpful references, 3 indexes and over 40 figures, illustrations and tables. Burt has produced an exemplar case study for family and community historians. More
Daniel Weinbren
"This work is certainly the first of what this reviewer hopes will be many of its kind. A a valuable addition to the literature available."
