Royal Black Preceptory Apron of the Orangemen
Thanks to a comment from a reader, it looks like the mystery “Masonic” apron has been identified. It turns out not to be Masonic after all!
According to James McDonald, “[t]his is a Royal Black Preceptory apron. To become a member one must first be an Orangeman.”
Cool. While I have heard of Orangemen (is that a proper pluralization?) I really didn’t know anything about them. Here’s what Wikipedia has to say:
The Orange Institution (more commonly known as the Orange Order) is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and the United States. It has been strongly tied to unionism since its beginning. The Institution was founded during 1796 in the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland. Its name is a tribute to Dutch-born Protestant King William of Orange, who had defeated the army of Catholic James II at the Battle of the Boyne (1690).
Apparently the Royal Black Institution is considered a higher, although technically independent, order Orangemen may join — as such it is reminiscent of the Commandery of York Rite in Freemasonry. Interestingly, the Royal Black Institution uses much Masonic imagery, but is not itself a Masonic organization.
