Editing Freemasonry (section)

====Jamaican Freemasonry====

Freemasonry was imported to [[Jamaica]] by British immigrants who colonized the island for over 300 years. In 1908, there were eleven recorded Masonic lodges, which included three Grand Lodges, two Craft lodges, and two Rose Croix chapters.<ref name="Handbook of Jamaica">{{cite book |date=1908 |title=Handbook of Jamaica |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-LwCAAAAYAAJ |location=Google Books |publisher=Jamaica Government |page=449 }}</ref> During slavery, the lodges were open to all "freeborn" men. According to the Jamaican 1834 census, that potentially included 5,000 free black men and 40,000 free people of colour (mixed race).<ref>{{cite book |date=1908 |title=Handbook of Jamaica |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-LwCAAAAYAAJ |location=Google Books |publisher=Jamaica Government |page=33 }}</ref> After the [[Slavery Abolition Act 1833|full abolition of slavery in 1838]], the Lodges were open to all Jamaican men of any race.<ref name="Jamaica Gleaner Newspaper">{{cite news |date=10 December 2017 |title=Charting The History Of Freemasons In Jamaica |url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/art-leisure/20171210/charting-history-freemasons-jamaica |work=Jamaica Gleaner Newspaper |archive-date=28 January 2019 |access-date=28 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128191302/http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/art-leisure/20171210/charting-history-freemasons-jamaica |url-status=live }}</ref> Jamaica also kept close relationships with Masons from other countries. Jamaican Freemasonry historian Jackie Ranston, noted that:

{{Blockquote
|text=Jamaica served as an arms depot for the revolutionary forces when two Kingston Freemasons, Wellwood and Maxwell Hyslop, financed the campaigns of Simón Bolívar, the Liberator, to whom six Latin American Republics owe their independence". Bolívar himself was a Mason, enjoying contacts with Brethren in Spain, England, France, and Venezuela until after gaining power in Venezuela, he prohibited all secret societies in 1828 and included the Freemasons.<ref name="Jamaica Gleaner Newspaper"/> }}

On 25 May 2017, Masons around the world celebrated the 300th anniversary of the fraternity. Jamaica hosted one of the regional gatherings for this celebration.<ref>{{cite news |date=18 April 2017 |title=English Freemasons To Celebrate Their 300th Year In Jamaica |url=http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170418/english-freemasons-celebrate-their-300th-year-jamaica |work=Jamaica Gleaner Newspaper}}</ref><ref name="Handbook of Jamaica"/>