00:00 Introduction
01:57 Freemasonry in France during the Napoleonic Period
11:10 Was Napoleon a Freemason?
16:44 Napoleonic Masons as Prisoners of War
(by Robert M. Walker 32°, April 1964)

This presentation delves into the intriguing history of Freemasonry during the tumultuous era of the Napoleonic Wars, with a focus on the unique role Masons played as prisoners of war. It explores the background to French Freemasonry during the late eighteenth Century, the vexed question of whether Bonaparte himself was a Mason, and finishes with how approximately 200,000 members of the French Army, including Freemasons, were captured and incarcerated in England. Despite the harsh conditions, these Masonic prisoners demonstrated remarkable resilience and brotherhood, establishing lodges even within the confines of prison ships and land prisons. The paper highlights how these lodges functioned as a testament to the Masonic values of fraternity and mutual support, shedding light on a little-known aspect of Masonic history during one of Modern Europe’s defining periods.