Laurence Dermott

Frontispiece of the 1764 Ahiman Rezon, designed by Dermott with the engraver Patrick Larkin; reproduced in W. J. Hughan's 1874 documentary history.

Laurence Dermott (1720–1791) was an Irish Freemason, administrator and compiler of Ahiman Rezon, the book of constitutions of the Antients' Grand Lodge. He became its Grand Secretary in 1752 and later served as Deputy Grand Master. His work helped the organisation expand in Britain and overseas.^[1]

Ireland and London

Dermott was Master of Lodge No. 26 in Dublin in 1746. He moved to London in 1747 or 1748 and worked as a journeyman painter. The QC Correspondence Circle's biography treats the often-repeated details of his birth in County Roscommon as uncertain. It records his appearance in the Antients' General Register on 1 February 1752, when he was chosen to succeed John Morgan as Grand Secretary.^[2]

His circumstances improved after his early years in London. He became a wine merchant and took over the management of the Five Bells Tavern, where the Antients met. His commercial life, marriages and Masonic office were closely connected through the tavern and the wine trade.^[2]

Administration and charity

Dermott's responsibilities extended beyond correspondence. Research reported by Rob Soames identifies his role in developing lodge warrants, membership certificates and local by-laws. Such records helped maintain connections with lodges at a distance, including those serving military communities overseas. Soames also emphasises Dermott's management of funds and the Antients' provision of charitable relief.^[3]

Publishing and controversy

The first edition of Ahiman Rezon appeared in 1756. Its dedication to the Earl of Blessington presented Freemasonry as an association concerned with moral conduct and mutual assistance. Dermott's introductory essay made fun of elaborate Masonic histories reaching back to the creation of the world.^[4]

Later editions challenged the rival Grand Lodge's claims to authority. The 1764 frontispiece, designed with Patrick Larkin, used heraldry to advance the Antients' claim to an older tradition. The Museum of Freemasonry interprets the illustrations as part of the competition between the two organisations.^[5]

Dermott died in 1791, more than twenty years before The Union of 1813. The QC Correspondence Circle's account describes a less confrontational relationship between the Grand Lodges after his death. His influence on the Antients' development should therefore be distinguished from the negotiations carried out by their later leaders.^[1]

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 QC Correspondence Circle, The Antients & Laurence Dermott, 1723 Constitutions research website. Accessed 30 September 2026.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 QC Correspondence Circle, Laurence Dermott, 1723 Constitutions research website. Accessed 30 September 2026.
↑ Rob Soames, Laurence Dermott - Enigma and Trailblazer, United Grand Lodge of England, 12 January 2021. Accessed 30 September 2026.
↑ Laurence Dermott, Ahiman Rezon: or, A Help to a Brother (London, 1756), title page, dedication and “The Editor to the Reader”, pp. v–xii. Scan provided by the Nebraska Masonic Foundation.
↑ Museum of Freemasonry, An illustrated rivalry. Accessed 30 September 2026.