Lodges and Grand Lodges whose charters' roots derive from the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of England, The Grand Lodge of Ireland or the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Scotland use the expression, A.'.F.'.& A.'.M.'.
Those Grand Lodges that don't use the appellation "Ancient", claim descent from the "Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons under the constitution of England".
This Grand Lodge was constituted from four lodges on June 24, 1717 and designated "Modern". The "Moderns" and "Ancients" united in November 25, 1813 to form the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of England.
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Ancient or Antient Freemasons
Mostly Irish Freemasons formed this Grand Lodge in London in 1751. Properly titled "Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of England according to the Old Institutions ". Also called Atholl Freemasons, after the Third and Fourth Dukes of Atholl.
Free
A Free Mason was free of his Guild; he had the freedom of its privileges and was entrusted with certain rights.
Free and Accepted
This term was first used in 1722 in Robert's Print; "The Old Constitutions belonging to the Ancient and Honourable Society of Free and Accepted Masons".
Accepted
"Acception" was an Inner Fraternity of
Speculative Freemasons found within the Worshipful Company of Masons of the City
of London. Operative members were "admitted" by apprenticeship,
patrimony, or redemption; speculative members were "accepted". First
recorded use of the term dates from 1620.
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Mackey. Albert G., Encyclopedia of Freemasonry. Macoy Publishing: Virginia.
1966.
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