'He was a Free Mason, and an Odd Fellow, and he endeavoured to exemplify in his life the great value of truth, of love and of fellowship.' - from the tribute at his memorial service.
the Freemasonry connection
It appears that John Thomas Minott played a significant role in the development of Freemasonry in Jamaica in the second half of the 19th century. I have some data on this role, which I am putting on this page, but I hope that others will be able to contribute other material to fill out the story.
Daily Gleaner, March 16, 1881
The advertisement shown above seems to have no context, and nothing seems to have come from it. The Masonic Knights Templars seem to be strong in the USA, but I need to make enquiries about their presence in Jamaica. I have found no further references to the organisation in the press.
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However, there is information both in the Gleaner, and in letters preserved in Masonic records in London, at the Library and Museum of Freemasonry, which indicates John Thomas Minott's impact on Jamaican Freemasonry.
At the end of March 1884 a brief advertisement appeared in the Gleaner, announcing the creation of a new Masonic lodge in Kingston:
Two days later a repeat of that advertisement (with the secretary's name corrected) was followed by two items emanating from the local Masonic organisations, fiercely attacking the newly created Lodge.
These attacks clearly identified the Future Hope Lodge as linked to the Prince Hall Freemasonry of the USA, which was an organisation established there, in the 18th century, by Black men, when the existing Masonic Lodges had refused to accept Black men as members.
J T Minot promptly responded, setting out his reasons for creating the new Lodge, and repudiating the attacks by the local masonic Lodges.
Although the anti-Minot items were published one more time, J T Minot does not appear to have published the promised continuation of his rebuttal. However, it is fairly clear from what he had written that the issue involved was the membership of Black Jamaican men in Masonic lodges in the island. It seems that there would be no need for the establishment of a Prince Hall lodge if the existing Scottish and English lodges would accept Black members, as they seemed in fact ready to accept Minott. The whole issue disappeared from the press after this, and further information has to be sought elsewhere.
