Was Winston Churchill a freemason

Answer 1

Yes, Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was a Master Mason in the Studholme Lodge No. 1591 under the United Grand Lodge of England.

He was initiated into the Lodge in 1901 at the age of 27. However, he felt that he could not keep up his committment to the Lodge due to his burgeoning political career and responsibilities so he resigned from his Mother (first) Lodge in 1912.

However, it is rarely reported that he still remained active visiting as an "unattached" brother and was even involved in the Petition for the formation of 2 new Lodges in 1917 again in 1918. This included writing two letters to the Grand Secretary. His last recorded visit to a Lodge was in December 1928 to the Royal Naval Lodge No.29 as a guest of a Bro. Bernau.

The rumour that he was a 33rd degree master mason is unfounded and totally untrue as he never joined the Ancient & Accepted Rite of Freemasonry.