The contribution of Freemasons to social and economic development in North Worcestershire c .1760-1824

This article is a reassessment of a topic neglected by academic historians- freemasonry as a social institution. It examines what attracted 364 men to freemasonry in north Worcestershire between 1760 and1824 and evaluates their contribution to the social and economic development of the area . The research is based on extensive use of both masonic and non-masonic primary sources. Data extracted from locally and centrally held masonic records have been incorporated within a database and integrated with non-masonic data to create a historic record of the activities of those freemasons. Based on the information gathered, it is argued that freemasonry, through its values and structure, enabled its members to contribute to the social and economic development of north Worcestershire. As an organisation it straddled the roles traditionally attributed to business networks and benevolent institutions so that, not only were freemasons actively involved in the industrial development of the area, they were also promotors of the well-being of local communities facing the social challenges of industrialisation

Economic growth · Economics · Industrialisation · Institution · Political science · Social change · Social science · Sociology · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes · Law · Religious Studies and Spiritual Practices

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