The Centre for Research into Freemasonry was established in the academic session 2000-1 as the first centre in a British university devoted to scholarly research into Freemasonry.

On the occasion of the public launch of the Centre for Research into Freemasonry at the University of Sheffield in March 2001, the Director of the Centre, Professor Andrew Prescott, wrote an article for the university newsletter introducing his major new humanities research initiative. You can read a copy of the article by clicking here or on the link in the left-hand menu.

Since 2001, the Centre has produced a wide range of published work, organised many seminars and conferences, and developed extensive collaborations with other scholarly projects in Europe and elsewhere.

In 2006, the Centre moved into new premises named in honour of Douglas Knoop, the Sheffield scholar who was a pioneer in research into the history of Freemasonry. More information about the new premises is available here.