9/02/2010

Stadholder William IV and freemasonry

The Institute for History in the Netherlands has made the inventories of the houses/posessions of the House of Orange (1576-1795) accessible online. A search for masonic terms generated just one item. The Inventory of clothing and precious objects of stadholder William IV [= ‘Inventaris van kleren en kostbaarheden van Willem IV, 1750], includes:

‘No 359: one decoration of enamel on copper, made in Berlin, representing a freemasons lodge’.

[= ‘No. 359: 1 plaque emaille sur cuivre, faite a Berlin, et representant un loge des francs-macons’.]