Was
Catherine (Sweet) Babington A Mason?
By James Heath Davis
For
many years North Carolina Masons have pondered over the statement that the
subject of this paper was a member of the Masonic Fraternity, or rather,
that she had received the Masonic Degrees. This paper shall present the
story and offer an opinion, in the light of authentic information.
Inasmuch
as nothing was written about Mrs. Babington until after her death, we will
offer an obituary notice, which appeared in the Shelby Aurora, Shelby, NC,
on June 28th, 1886:
“BABINGTON.ÑAn
aged and estimable lady, Mrs. Catherine (Sweet) Babington died in Shelby,
on Monday evening, June the 28th, 1886, and she died, as she lived, a
Christian. As the sun was marshaling his golden, crimson and safron hues
in the West, and preparing for his departure, her sun set to arise on a
fairer shore, and her soul took its flight to a land where there is no
night. She was born in Kentucky, in 1815, and married in 1834, to B. B.
Babington, who died ten years ago. For over a half century she was a
gentle and true member of the Methodist church, and frequently expressed
in her last illness a willingness to die. At her death she was the only
female Mason in the United States, and was well versed in the mysterious
workings of the Blue Lodge. Having overheard the secrets of Masonry when
she was a girl of sixteen years, it was thought best to initiate her as a
member and thus prevent any disclosure.”
Thus,
was it proclaimed to the world that Mrs. Babington was a Mason; thus, was
it accepted by many that the statement was true, and unfortunately no one
exercised the necessary foresight to authenticate the statement while more
information was available than can be secured today.
Some
time after the death of his mother, Brother J. P. Babington, who was a
member of Cleveland Lodge, No. 202, AF & AM, Shelby, NC, and
afterwards of Lee Lodge, No. 253, located at Taylorsville, N. C., prepared
and published a biographical sketch of his mother, giving the story of how
she became a Mason. The title of this little work was: “Biography of
Mrs. Catherine Babington, the only Woman Mason in the World, and how she
became a Blue Lodge Mason, by J. B. Babington.” The demand for the
work carried it into three editions and it was the subject of much comment
for many years thereafter.
Before
discussing the statement that she was a Mason, the story will be related,
as written in the little book just mentioned, that we may be familiar with
the assertion. The writer will condense the story.
Miss
Catherine Sweet was born on December 28th, 1815, the only daughter of
Charles and Margaret Sweet, near Princess Furnace (now Princess) in Boyd
(that part of which is now Greenup) County, Kentucky. Her father died when
she was but six years of age and she spent the greater part of her
girlhood and young womanhood at her grandfather’s, Benjamin Ulen, who
lived but a short distance from the place of her birth.
In
the Ulen household there were six boys and one girl; the girl being much
older than Catherine Sweet; the little niece spent most of her time with,
and appears to have been the favorite of her uncles.
The
story continues that near the grandfather’s residence had been erected a
frame two-story building. The lower floor was used as a schoolhouse and
the upper, although intended for use as a church, was secured by Masons
and fitted into a lodge room. At one side of the room an old fashioned
pulpit had been constructed, which remained unused by the Lodge.
Little
Miss Catherine often assisted her uncles in sweeping and cleaning the
Lodge room and was familiar with the apartment. Too, she and other
children, who attended school on the floor beneath, often climbed the
scaffolding at the back of the building and entered the Lodge room through
an opening in the weatherboarding and played hide-and-seek; often hiding
in the old pulpit, or rather under it. It appears that there was an
opening under the pulpit, through which a person could see, as several
slits were uncovered.
The
story continues that Miss Sweet became curious about the lodge, since she
so often watched her uncles and other men attending the meetings. Finally,
she determined to slip into the room and see what was the real interest of
Masonry, which caused so many men to constantly attend.
The
lodge met during the afternoon, which was favorable to the girl, and so on
an afternoon when Miss Sweet knew there was to be a meeting of the lodge,
she slipped, unseen, into the lodge room and hid herself under the pulpit.
The members arrived, opened the lodge and conferred the Degree of Entered
Apprentice. The girl was very much mystified and decided to return to her
hiding place again and behold further degrees. We are informed that she
followed this plan, witnessing all three degrees in secret. Spying, she
heard more and more, until finally she had learned all of the esoteric
work of all the degrees. She also witnessed several “side degrees,”
which were conferred in the room: “The Master Mason’s Reliance,”
“The Trader’s Degree,” “Master Mason’s Wife and Daughter,”
“The Twelve Tall Cedars of Lebanon,” and others.
It
appears from the story that the girl continued attending nearly all of the
communications of the lodge and even the rehearsals and lectures of a
noted lecturer of the state. From a careful observation of the proceedings
she became as proficient in the ritualism of Freemasonry as any of the
members of the Lodge.
After
more than a year, the girl was finally discovered by one of her uncles. It
appears that he had left his rifle in the ante-room (the book states that
the members carried their rifles to meetings, as that period was during
the time when Indians were about and also the Anti-Masonic excitement was
strong in the country), and on returning to the second floor, he beheld
his niece crawling from her hiding-place.
The
book states that her uncle sent her to the house and called his brothers
together. After discussing the incident, they called the girl before them
and asked her about the incident. She confessed and told them of her many
visits to the pulpit. She continued by stating that she was as proficient
as were any of the members. The uncles attempted to discover just how much
she really knew, but she would not answer; offering, however, to answer
any Masonic questions properly asked. In desperation, her uncles began
with the Degree of Entered Apprentice and examined her. To their surprise,
they discovered that she not only had heard and seen all of the degrees,
but was unusually well versed therein, the book says that she was better
informed than were her uncles. It appears that she had even caught the
pronunciation of the most secret parts, etc.
To
follow the story as recorded, all members of the Lodge were notified to
appear at a special communication of the lodge the following day and for
many days thereafter. A month was finally consumed in the debates which
followed. Finally, the members decided to legally obligate the girl in the
degrees and declare her a regularly-made Mason, but not a member of the
Lodge. This, so the story runs, was done and she became a Mason.
It
is not deemed necessary to relate the many incidents recorded in the
little book, which tell how Mrs. Babington used her knowledge of the
Fraternity to save herself from embarassment and danger. Several items
concern things which happened in the presence of the author. Other items
would have definite bearing upon the subject, but are unauthenticated and
furnish nothing definite and of value to us in this study. The major
thought in our minds now is: “Was Catherine (Sweet) Babington a
Mason?”
In
writing the story, as he was familiar with it, her son did not think of
the questions which would arise in the minds of his readers. He was
positive that the story of his mother was true and he therefore did not
trouble himself to check dates, places and people. He did not for a minute
believe there could be any doubt as to the membership of his mother. He
had, doubtless, heard her discuss Masonry with her husband and other
members of the Fraternity and merely accepted literally and without
question that his mother had been legally made a Mason.
Modern
Masonic students, however, accept no statement until it has been proven
from legal information and is true beyond the shadow of a doubt.
Therefore, the story that Mrs. Babington was a Mason is not at all
sufficient to indicate that such was true, regardless of the fact that her
own son published the accounts. Further, although the editor of the Shelby
Aurora, who was a member of the Fraternity, concurred in the statement, we
are to believe that his routine notice was not the result of any research,
or investigation, which would authenticate the story.
We
are therefore in darkness concerning this oft repeated story.
There
are several things worthy of consideration in respect of this story, which
tend to refuse the acceptance of the statement as being true. We might
state, first, that there was not located near Princess, Kentucky, a lodge
under the jurisdiction of any Grand Lodge during the period when Mrs.
Babington was presumably familiarized with the secrets of Masonry. The
only lodge located in the entire county was located at Greenup, and bore
that name. The lodge was many miles away from Princess and could not
possibly be the lodge mentioned in the story.
Further,
records do not disclose that any of the Ulens were members of the Masonic
Fraternity, save Benjamin and Charles Ulen, the last not being one of the
uncles, though probably a relative.
While
there are many incidents related in the book which would tend to indicate
that Mrs. Babington had some knowledge of Masonry, yet these are, with
possibly one or two exceptions, in such form as to be of no use to us in
this study.
There
is one thing concerning this story which indicates that Mrs. Babington had
information concerning the Masonic degrees. The many references to her
conversations with Masons and the statements that many Masons stated that
she was well informed. Yet, none of these many statements can be
authenticated, as the men are all now dead. However, one or two items
concerning North Carolina have been found true.
Giving
full weight to the unauthenticated statements, we would then assume that
Mrs. Babington was familiar with Masonic ritual; which position the writer
takes. The next question asks where she obtained this information. There
are three possible sources: (1) she had secured a copy of one of the many
exposes which were broadcasted throughout the land, and had memorized the
ritual, (2) she had secured the information from her husband, who was a
past master of a North Carolina lodge, or (3) she actually received the
information as the story relates and was “healed,” or reobligated,
although this need not be true, since she could have received the
information illegally and never been obligated at all.
In
discussing the three possibilities, we will consider them in their reverse
order: (1) It is possible that Mrs. Babington overheard the three degrees
in a lodge room, but inasmuch as there was no lodge Ñ unless it was a
spurious lodge Ñ located, as the story relates, near her grandfather’s
home, then that possibility is difficult to consider. However, even
allowing the existence of such a spurious Lodge Ñ and they were not rare
Ñ it is difficult to believe that a sixteen-year-old girl could memorize
the entire ritual of Freemasonry within a period of a bit over a year,
even granting that the lodge had many petitions and worked weekly, or even
more often. That assumption seems rather too far fetched to consider. (2)
Mrs. Babington could have received the information from her husband, which
is, however, hard to believe.
Too,
following the story, her husband was not too well informed in the Mystic
Art Ñ regardless of the fact that he served as master of a lodge! Ñ and
therefore could not have instructed her. Further, the story, if we are to
accept anything in it, relates many incidents transpiring before her
husband became a Mason. Thus, it is a bit difflcult to assume that she was
instructed by her husband. We are left with the consideration of either
Morgan’s expose, or that of some other enemy of Freemasonry, as the
means whereby Mrs. Babington became instructed with the ritual of the
Fraternity. This appears pertinent. Both from the statements of her son,
which indicates that she always boasted of her Masonic membership, as well
as her constant reference to secrets of Freemasonry and her
over-willingness to impart “instruction” to every Mason whom she
considered “bright,” we may assume that she certainly had information
which passed for authentic.
The
writer does not presume to express an opinion on the manner in which Mrs.
Babington received Masonic information of a ritualistic nature, but he is
willing to state that he believes that she had such knowledge. To the
reader it is left to determine for himself the manner of the receipt of
such knowledge; it is certain that she knew Masonic ritual and was
referred to during her lifetime as a Mason and there are many today who
credit her with Masonic membership, or rather knowledge.
Thus,
another enigma remains unsolved: “Was Catherine (Sweet) Babington a
Mason?”
NOCALORE
Volume
3-Part 3-1933, pp. 75Ð83.
Copyright, Grand Lodge of North Carolina, AF & AM
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