The Royal Ark Mariner
A short Order of its own, worked under the same Provincial structure as Surrey Mark.
The Royal Ark Mariner is the short Order of the Mark family whose ritual scene is the legend of the Deluge, as recorded in Genesis. It is held in quiet regard by those who have taken it, and to many Mark Master Masons it is the natural next step.
Linked to the Mark
In England and Wales the Royal Ark Mariner has been under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Mark Master Masons since 1871. In 1884 the Mark Grand Lodge formally acquired the rights to the older Grand Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners for the sum of £25. The same Grand Master leads both Orders today, through the Grand Master's Royal Ark Council.
At lodge level, a Royal Ark Mariner Lodge is moored to a Mark Lodge and takes its number on the Roll. In Surrey, Mark and Royal Ark Mariner brethren share the same Provincial leadership and, very often, the same room.
Who can join
The Royal Ark Mariner is open to every Mark Master Mason. A Brother must first have been advanced in the Mark to be proposed, seconded and balloted into a Royal Ark Mariner Lodge. Many Surrey members find it a natural next step once they have settled into the Mark.
The ceremony of Elevation
The ceremony commemorates the providence and mercy of God, drawing on the story of Noah and the Ark. It traces analogies between the dangers of the flood and the dangers of life unmoored, with the candidate striving to reach the Ark as a haven of rest, and being finally instructed to advance in the spirit of the cardinal virtues.
On Elevation a Brother receives a distinctive apron and breast jewel of the Order, which he may wear alongside his Mark jewel at Mark meetings. A Royal Ark Mariner Lodge is governed by a Worshipful Commander rather than a Worshipful Master.
Uplifting and memorable. The ceremony strikes a fine balance between solemnity and inspiration, and I came away feeling genuinely enriched by the experience.
Bro. Stephen Barney · Elevated as a Royal Ark Mariner, 2025