History of the Golden Dawn

I - Before the G.D.

1801 – Francis Barrett advertises for students in London in the pages of his textbook on Ceremonial Magic, The Magus, or Celestial Intelligencer.  Historically he operates a school which may have been related to the one operated by Johannes Falk around the same time 

1810 - Johann F. Falk is supposed to have succeeded to the directorate of a secret Society of Students of the Kabbalah – this is loosely identified with the School established by Francis Barrett around 1816.  Frederick Hockley, who was a member of the S.R.I.A., was taught by a pupil of Francis Barrett 

1824 – Frederick Hockley experiments with crystal gazing, begins career in esotericism 

1828 - Francis George Irwin born 

1840 Chuch of the Carmel - an esoteric Rosicrucian Order, founded in France 

1842 - Lord Bulwer-Lytton publishes Zanoni 

1850 - Lord Bulwer Lytton is supposed to have been admitted to a Lodge at Frankfurt-an-Main 

1854 - Eliphas Levi visits London (1854 and 1861) 

1861 - Eliphas Levi visits London (1854 and 1861) 

1861 - Kenneth MacKenzie visited Eliphas Levi in Paris 

1864 - Frederick Hockley joins British Masonic Lodge No. 8 

1865-66 - Robet Wentworth Little found some old Rosicrucian Papers and founded the S.R.I.A.  - Westcott implies he collaborated with Kenneth R. H. MacKenzie. John Hervey, the Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England (the standard "non-esoteric" or Orthodox Masonic Temple in the U.K.) was Kenneth MacKenzie's uncle 

1867 - S.R.I.A. – Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia – founded by  Robert Wentworth Little (1840-78).  Westcott later claimed that Kenneth MacKenzie provided Little with a permission from Count Apponyi in Austria, from whom MacKenzie is supposed to have received “Rosicrucian Initiation” 

1870 - Kenneth MacKenzie joins a conventional English Masonic Lodge, Oak Lodge, No. 190 

1872 - Kenneth MacKenzie is made an Honorary member of S.R.I.A. 

1872 - Royal Oriental Order of Sikha (Apex) and the Sat B'hai, supposedly imported from India.  The order admits women.  It is controlled by Jonathan Yarker, who was known for spawning “bogus” – or at least very irregular -  Masonic Orders. 

1873, 24 April - Eliphas Levi is made an honorary member of S.R.I.A. 

1874 - Kenneth MacKenzie is made Assistant Secretary of the S.R.I.A 

1875 - Frederick Holland is elected to the Metropolitan College of the S.R.I.A. and Kenneth MacKenzie resigns from the S.R.I.A. 

1875 - Madame Helena P. Blatavsky and Colonel H. S. Olcott form Theosophical Society in New York 

1877 - Blatavsky publishes Isis Unveiled 

1878 - Robert Wentworth Little dies.  Dr. W. R. Woodman succeeds him as Supreme Magus of the S.R.I.A. 

1880 - Dr. William Wynn Westcott joins the S.R.I.A. 

1881 - The Occult World published by A.P. Sinnett is popular in England, and introduces the concept of  Theosophy which is already popular in America. 

1883 - An elite esoteric masonic organization called The Society of Eight, is founded by Kenneth MacKenzie.  Notables such as Francis George Irwin and Frederick Holland were members.  It is unclear whether Hockley was a member.  In a note to F.G. Irwin, MacKenzie says that Stainton Moses (a noted Spiritist) and William Wynn Westcott were not to be admitted.  It is unclear whether Westcott was eventually invited to join, or even whether the organization ever really came into existence. 

1883 - Anna Kingsford President of London Lodge of the Theosophical Society - at this time a very small and insignificant organization. 

1884 - the Theosophical Society is embarrassed by alleged trickery uncovered at Adyar during investigation by Richard Hodgson of the Society for Psychical Research 

1884 - Anna Kingsford resigns, forms Hermetic Society.  Westcott and Mathers both lecture there. 

1884 - A Grand Council of Allied Masonic Degrees is formed in England, which to coordinate, to some extent, the various "side degrees" of Masonry including the S.R.I.A.  Submission was voluntary and virtually none of these organizations actually applied to the Grand Council.  The Grand Council did not extend its authority to firmly embrace these "side degrees" until 1902, by which time there was little interest in them. 

1884 -  The Rosicrucian/Christian Martinist Order in France, which has existed irregularly since the turn of the century is given a constitution and formally organized along modern lines. 

1885 10 November - Frederick Hockley dies 

1886,  3 July -  Kenneth MacKenzie dies.  Swedenborgian Rite - Westcott active became Grand Secretary after Kenneth MacKenzie's death in 1886.  Collected his loose papers, probably including the cipher manuscripts. 

1887, 23 December - A.F.A.Woodford dies 

1888 - Stanislas de Guita forms Rose+Cross in France 

1888 - February 2, Anna Kingsford dies from chronic lung disease 

12 February - Dr. William Wynn Westcott (Sapere Aude - S.A. - originally Non Omnis Moriar), Dr. William Robert Woodman (Magna es Veritas - M.V.), and Samuel Liddell Mathers (‘S Rioghail Mo Dhream - S.R.M.D.) signed the Order of G.D. pledge. 

1 March - G.D.  Isis-Urania Temple No. 3 (see "the cipher manuscript" for discussion of Temples No. 1 and 2) issued a warrant.  First initiate was Mina Bergson (Vestigia nulla retrorsum - “Vestigia”) .  She was later Moina Mathers. 

October - Helena P. Blavatsky launches the Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society.  Membership in other Hermetic organizations is forbidden. Rev. William Alexander Ayton (Virtue orta, occidunt rarius - V.O.O.R.) initially writes to some of his Yorkshire colleagues, and they launch a protest over Blavatsky's refusal to allow membership in other organizations.  The requirement is dropped, though approval must be had from Annie Besant. 

October - Isabelle de Steiger (Alta Pero - A.P.) enters the G.D. 

8 October - G.D. Temple No. 4 Osiris at Weston Super-Mare founded by Benjamin Cox (Crux dat salutem - C.D.S.), a freemason, and associate of Westcott's from the days when he was a pharmacist.  

11 October - Westcott (S.A.) makes a reference to the G.D. at a meeting of the Metropolitan College of the S.R.I.A. in which he refers to Woodford as a member. 

19 October -  G.D. Temple No. 5, Horus, at Bradford, chartered by T.H. Pattinson ( Vota vita mea - V.V.M.) a watchmaker at Baildon in Yorkshire. 

February - 60 members joined Temple No. 3, Isis-Urania before this date.  Isis-Urania met at Mark Masons' Hall 

9 February - First public reference to the G.D. appeared in Notes and Queries, in the Theosophical Society Periodical Lucifer.  The reference was in response to a letter asking about a "School of Kabbalah" - It can be assumed that the letter was written by Westcott (S.A.), probably in response to a query he placed himself. 

20 May - Mathers (S.R.M.D.) Travels to the southern United States by invitation of unknown parties to lay the groundwork for a Temple in New Orleans, Louisiana. He travels alone, taking only what he needs to begin a new branch of the organization.

14 June - Temple No. 6, Thoth, is opened in New Orleans with Tom Anderson listed as the body's master. They meet in a back room at Anderson's Arlington Saloon.

16 June - Mathers is trapped in New Orleans as it is cut off from the outside world by what he feels is a magickal storm. This storm had threatened to destroy the city but was averted by local Vodou practitioners.

August - Mathers determines that he is trapped in the city for longer than he had expected and asserts his authority and becomes the master of Thoth temple. Anderson takes the role of deputy master and the Temple continues to meet at The Arlington.