Old Charges

Is there definitive information on the origins of Freemasonry being traceable to Operative Masonic Guilds from 14th and 15th centuries or earlier?

Historical evidence confirms that operative trade regulations for masons existed as early as the 14th century, such as the 1356 London regulations governing hewers and layers. Manuscript constitutions known as the Old Charges—which contained a traditional history of the guild alongside moral and administrative rules—date back to medieval times, with mandates as early as the reign of Edward III requiring them to be read upon a candidate's admission.

JonesWilmshurstArs Quatuor CoronatorumMackey