Since 1892 the Leicestershire and Rutland Lodge of Research No.2429 has published in a continuous sequence an annual volume of "Transactions" containing papers and shorter items on matters of Masonic Research. Some have been historical, others have examined issues concerning ritual and ceremonial, while yet others have considered Masonic artefacts, particularly those in the Museum at Freemasons’ Hall, Leicester.
Many papers over the years have been contributed by distinguished Masonic scholars as visitors to the Lodge, including a number of presentations of the Annual Prestonian Lecture, in which context it must be remembered that the Lodge has two "Prestonians" to its credit, W.Bros. Walter Bunney and Aubrey Newman.
Visiting brethren have contributed material on, inter alia, the growth and development of Freemasonry in jurisdictions other than England, including France, Southern Africa, India and the United States, so that there is a wealth of matter dealing with "Masonry Universal" as well as our own domestic concerns.
Indeed it may justly be claimed that the "Transactions" rank only second to those of Lodge Quatuor Coronati as a source of masonic scholarship delivered on a yearly basis.
Since the beginning of the series it has always been available to members of the Lodge and to its Correspondence Circle, which has included institutional members, such as overseas Grand Lodges, Provincial and District Grand Lodges, and Masonic research circles, as well as individuals on a local, national and world wide basis.
Now, with the launch of the "Solomon" resource by the United Grand Lodge of England, the time has come to make the invaluable storehouse of the "Transactions" available to all, save with some exceptions relating to whatever in any given year constitutes the last five years of issues, though as the years progress those issues will be made available on a rolling basis.
The Transactions have been painstakingly digitised by Microform Imaging Ltd and uploaded onto our website with a linked index by our webmaster W.Bro. Dr. Andrew Green assisted by W.Bros. David Sharpe and Derek Andrews.
The digitised Transactions can be accessed here (https://research2429.org.uk/transactions-index/)
It is hoped that all those with any interest in Masonic research, history, ritual and ceremonial, as well as the place of Freemasonry in the wider life of the nation and the world will find this new resource a timely and welcome addition to the material available to them.