They were not very clear because it's hard to say when the Fraternity truely started , no one really knows when and how it all began . There is quite a bit of conjecture as to exact dates . The "Regius Manuscript" , which is known as the oldest Masonic text, dates back to 1390 . There is evidence that there have been lodges in Scotland since the late sixteenth century ( the Lodge of Kilwinning has records that date back to the 1500's) . The first Grand Lodge was the Grand Lodge of England which was founded in 1717 .