Why was the office of Deacon introduced into English Craft lodges?

The general introduction of Deacons into English Craft lodges occurred at the Union of 1813, when the newly formed United Grand Lodge of England adopted the office in deference to the usage of the "Antients" Grand Lodge 1.

Prior to the Union, English practice was divided. The "Moderns" (the Premier Grand Lodge) did not originally feature Deacons in their lodge structure 1. In early 18th-century rituals, their duties were performed partly by the Junior Warden and partly by the Senior and Junior Entered Apprentices 1. The "Moderns" initially relied on Stewards for roles undertaken in Ireland by Deacons, as a paper read before Quatuor Coronati Lodge notes.

The "Antients" Grand Lodge established the office of Deacon in 18th-century England by adopting Irish Masonic practice, where Deacons were already integral to lodge work 1. Mackey suggests the symbolic precedent for the office comes from the primitive church, where deacons served as attendants and doorkeepers during assemblies 1. When the "Antients" and "Moderns" united in 1813, the Irish and "Antients" practice of employing Deacons was formally incorporated across English Craft lodges 1.