Freemasons of the Irish Constitution in Bermuda have dominated the local spotlight for the past week or more.

Their brethren have been hosting the Hon. Leslie A. Lewis, the Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Most Wor. Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, Jurisdiction of Massachusetts (pictured inset).

The Irish festivities have revolved around the AGM of the Rt. Wor. Provincial Grand Lodge of Bermuda. They included a reception at the Spanish Point Boat Club for MW Lewis and his first lady, Dr. Sandra Malloy, a Harvard University PhD. The formal AGM was at Freemasons Hall on Reid Street in Hamilton, which was followed by a banquet. And on Saturday night a gala Irish Night dinner at Hamilton Princess Hotel was open to all Masons, their ladies and friends.

Chief host at all events was Rt. Wor. St. Clair (Brinky) Tucker, the Rt. Wor. Provincial Grand Master of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Bermuda, Irish Constitution. GM Lewis was the keynote speaker at the gala. He was introduced by Bro. Tucker, who noted the honoured guest is the oldest in a family of eight children. He is a former US Air Force veteran now celebrating his 35th year with the Massachusetts Trial Court system.

GM Lewis gave a most illuminating discourse on the legacy of Prince Hall, whose initiatives in 1775 established Freemasonry among blacks in America, bearing the Prince Hall designation that has spread to hundreds of thousand members state-side and overseas. Following are excerpts from his speech:

Prince Hall was the kind of individual who did not seek notoriety, he did not keep a diary, he did not leave notes or write an autobiography. He just went about his work, doing what he could to advance his people and his Fraternity.

Let me try to paint a picture of this man, with the little information we have.

We Prince Hall Masons believe that Prince Hall was born some time in 1738, possibly in September; where, some say Africa, others say Barbados, we do not know for sure.

Prince Hall married Sarah Ritchie on November 2, 1763. She died at the age of 24, on February 26, 1769. Both she and Prince Hall are buried at Copps Hill Burying Grounds in the North End of Boston. As we paint this picture of Prince Hall, this is where it begins, with his marriage and death of his wife.

The next thing we hear of Prince Hall is when, one month after the Boston Massacre, he was given his manumission paper by William Hall. It stated that "Prince Hall has lived with us for 21 years and served us well upon all occasions". The paper is very revealing as it states that Prince Hall "is no longer to be reckoned a slave, but has been always accounted as a freeman by us".

After his manumission, he became a leather dresser, and had a business near the old Massachusetts Statehouse. It was there that he met many of the outstanding citizens of Boston and elsewhere, and it was there that he found that many of these men were Masons. We learned from bills of sale, now held by the Massachusetts Historical Society and other records that have been found, that among them were John Hancock, Joseph Warren, Jeremy Belknap and William Bentley.

From 1770 to 1775, we have no records of Prince Hall, except an occasional bill for work he had done; he was not able to gain any ground, publicly at least, in his quest for equal treatment for Blacks in Boston. This should not be a surprise. Who would listen to a lone Black voice; how could he get the populace to hear his plea: "Together We Aspire ¿ Together We Achieve".

ON MARCH 6, 1775, PRINCE HALL AND 14 OTHER MEN OF COLOUR BECAME MASONS ON CASTLE WILLIAM ISLAND, BOSTON HARBOR AND IT W AS AT THIS POINT THAT PRINCE HALL BEGAN TO MAKE INROADS IN HIS DESIRE TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BLACKS.

On July 3, 1776, African Lodge No.1 was organised, with Prince Hall as the Worshipful Master

On January 13, 1777, he petitioned the Legislature to free all slaves in Mass.

On July 3, 1777, he petitioned George Washington to permit Blacks to enlist in the Army.

On March 2, 1784, Prince Hall as Worshipful Master of African Lodge No.1 petitioned the Grand Lodge of England, for a warrant or charter to organize a regular Masonic Lodge, with all the rights and privileges thereunto prescribed.

On September 29, 1784, the Grand Lodge of England issued a charter to African Lodge No. 459, the first Lodge of Blacks in America. That charter is kept in the archives of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

On November 26, 1786, he offered Gov. Bowdoin the services of the members of African Lodge to keep the peace during Shay's Rebellion.

On January 4, 1787, Prince Hall petitioned the Legislature to support a return to Africa Movement.

On October 17, 1787, he petitioned the Legislature for the education of Black children.

On February 27, 1787, he petitioned the Legislature for the return of some kidnapped Black seamen (who happened to be Freemasons).

It wasn't until 1803 that Prince Hall was able to get a regular school for black children in Boston. Supported by African Lodge and others. The response to the school was so great that it eventually became a Boston Public School.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that Prince Hall accomplished much of what he set out to do, but he did it from a Masonic Platform, as Master of African Lodge.

Many of his contemporaries, such as Richard Allen (founder of the AME Church) and (AME Bishop) Absalom Jones had portraits made of them, but not Prince Hall. He was a poor man when he died, his estate totalled $47.22. He did not have a church to support him as Jones and Allen did, he was essentially on his own with a very poor constituency, his Brothers in Freemasonry. He spent all of his time and efforts promoting his cause, not himself. As a result he had to sacrifice his own personal advancement in order to advance the cause of Freemasonry among Blacks in America.

According to all we have been able to gather, his closest associates were William Bentley, Jeremy Belknap, Andrew Croswell and John Marrant. Each of these individuals were ministers of the gospel. Three of these friends were Harvard graduates. Although Prince Hall had no formal education, he was evidently, on an intellectual equal with his friends, birds of a feather flock together. Prince Hall's writings were that of a learned man, now we know why, without a formal education, Prince Hall surrounded himself with those possessing intellect and education.

We now have some idea about who Prince Hall was, but if we are to identify him, we must know what he looked like. We can find only one description of the physical appearance of Prince Hall, and that was given by someone who knew him well, Reverend William Bentley of Salem, Massachusetts. William Bentley was not only a minister, but the author of many books, a newspaper journalist, and a popular speaker. More importantly, he was a Masonic scholar. When Paul Revere was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, he called on him to deliver many addresses, including the one at the first installation of officers of the first Masonic Lodge in Roxbury in 1796.

In Prince Hall Life and Legacy by Dr. Charles Wesley, Bentley relates a story of Prince Hall being the chief cook at a turtle feast given in Salem, Massachusetts. He describes Prince Hall as the Master of African Lodge and a "person of great influence among his colour in great Boston". In pursuing the book, we find this description of Prince Hall by Bentley: :A tall, lean Negro of great dignity, he always carried himself with the air of one who ruled many. Some theorised that he was of "Royal African blood, descended from some Kingly ancestor.

Photos: Visiting Prince Hall Grand Master and his lady Dr. Sandra Malloy is seated (below) with his counterparts who are regarded as the Heads of State of Freemasonry in Bermuda. From the left, Rt. Wor. Bro. Sinclair B. Tucker, Prov. Grand Master of Irish Lodges in Bermuda; V.W. Bro. Less Center, head of Scottish Lodges and wife; Bermuda District Grand Master of English Lodges Robert Rego and wife; and Deputy Prov. Irish Grand Master Keith White. Top: Very Wor. Brethren of the Irish Grand Lodge at the AGM at Freemasons Hall, Hamilton, back row Lincoln Outerbridge, Bernard DeShields and Victor Fishington. Center, Roy Bray, Clinton Curtis MW Leslie Lewis, Rt. Wor. Sinclair B. Tucker and Leroy Douglas.