# List of Freemasons (A–D)
The A–D section of a list of Freemasons covers notable men whose documented membership in a [Masonic lodge](https://www.edgepedia.org/masonic-lodge) falls between the letters A and D by surname or title. Masonic membership is normally established from lodge records such as minutes, membership registers, correspondence, and contemporary certificates, and reliable compilations cite that evidence separately from a person's public achievements.[1](https://freemasonry.wiki/index.php?title=Famous_Freemasons)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Verification standard | Membership should be documented in lodge minutes, registers, correspondence, or certificates, cited separately from occupation or public achievements[1](https://freemasonry.wiki/index.php?title=Famous_Freemasons) |
| Documented in the range | Johnson Beharry (B), member of Queensman Lodge No. 2694 in London[2](https://www.ugle.org.uk/discover-freemasonry/famous-freemasons?category=All) |
| Musicians in the range | Count Basie (B) and Duke Ellington (D), with Ellington among the Prince Hall members[3](https://americanfreemasons.org/celebrities-who-are-freemasons/) |
| Traditional lists | Christopher Wren (C) appears on the Grand Lodge of Maryland's famous Masons page[4](https://mdmasons.org/about-md-masons/famous-masons/) |
| Disputed entry | Davy Crockett (D) appears widely on lists, but the documentary evidence is regarded as insufficient[5](https://thecraftsman.org/unraveling-tall-tales/) |
| Common problem | Many names on popular lists have no lodge record; claims are copied from list to list rather than traced to a primary source[3](https://americanfreemasons.org/celebrities-who-are-freemasons/) |
## The verification problem
Lists of famous Freemasons circulate widely, and a substantial share of the names on them do not hold up. A review of claims about Masonic entertainers found two distinct groups: members reported on credible but secondhand authority, and figures who are frequently listed with little or nothing behind the claim; in some cases the assertion appears to pass from one list to the next rather than back to any lodge record.[3](https://americanfreemasons.org/celebrities-who-are-freemasons/) Researchers of Masonic history have likewise noted that earlier writers collected lists of famous Masons based on lore and legend rather than evidence.[6](https://williamowarelodgeofresearch.com/pdfs/Book-Review-Notable-Men-January-2020.pdf)
Masonic membership can also be difficult to establish from the outside, because records on a member, or even the name, number, location, or existence of a lodge, may not be readily available.[7](https://www.lodgeinverell.au/List%20of%20Notable%20Freemasons.pdf) There is no centralized, publicly searchable database of all past and present members; membership records are maintained by state Grand Lodges and are not published as a complete set.[8](https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13222)
## Documented members in the A–D range
**Johnson Beharry (b. 1979).** The British Army soldier, who earned the [Victoria Cross](https://www.edgepedia.org/victoria-cross) for driving his crew to safety under enemy fire on two occasions in Iraq, is a member of Queensman Lodge No. 2694 in London.[2](https://www.ugle.org.uk/discover-freemasonry/famous-freemasons?category=All)
**Count Basie and Duke Ellington.** The bandleaders appear on a verified list of celebrity Freemasons in the field of music, and Ellington is counted among Prince Hall Masons, the parallel branch of [Freemasonry](https://www.edgepedia.org/freemasonry) founded for Black members.[3](https://americanfreemasons.org/celebrities-who-are-freemasons/)
**Titles in the D range.** Royal and noble titles complicate alphabetical placement: HRH The Duke of Kent serves as Grand Master of the [United Grand Lodge of England](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-grand-lodge-of-england), the governing body for Freemasonry in [England and Wales](https://www.edgepedia.org/england-and-wales),[2](https://www.ugle.org.uk/discover-freemasonry/famous-freemasons?category=All) and [Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh](https://www.edgepedia.org/prince-philip-duke-of-edinburgh), was initiated into Navy Lodge No. 2612 in 1952 and remained a member until his death.[2](https://www.ugle.org.uk/discover-freemasonry/famous-freemasons?category=All)
## Disputed and traditional entries
**Christopher Wren.** The architect appears on the Grand Lodge of Maryland's published list of famous Masons, alongside figures such as [Frederick the Great](https://www.edgepedia.org/frederick-the-great) and [Charles Lindbergh](https://www.edgepedia.org/charles-lindbergh), though the page states the membership rather than citing lodge documentation for each name.[4](https://mdmasons.org/about-md-masons/famous-masons/)
**Buffalo Bill and Davy Crockett.** Grand Lodge publications have included the showman [Buffalo Bill](https://www.edgepedia.org/buffalo-bill) and the frontiersman [Davy Crockett](https://www.edgepedia.org/davy-crockett) among famous members, together with actors [Clark Gable](https://www.edgepedia.org/clark-gable) and Peter Sellers and singer Nat King Cole.[9](https://www.pgl-down.org/pdfs/Information%20Publications/Initial%20Guide%20to%20Freemasonry.pdf) The Crockett claim has been examined specifically: a widely repeated story connecting him to a Masonic apron was judged woefully insufficient to support the assertion, and in 2018 a web search returned dozens of pages repeating it, largely traceable to that single reference.[5](https://thecraftsman.org/unraveling-tall-tales/)
## Related caveats
Conspiracy claims attach to famous-member lists more often than lodge records support them. Most pop-culture assertions linking Freemasonry to secret world control have no lodge record behind them, and Freemasonry is not the [Illuminati](https://www.edgepedia.org/illuminati).[3](https://americanfreemasons.org/celebrities-who-are-freemasons/) For individuals such as the scientist [Alexander von Humboldt](https://www.edgepedia.org/alexander-von-humboldt), whose surname falls outside this range but whose case illustrates the pattern, scholarly examination found appearance on "illustrious Masons" lists and lodges named in his honor without establishing membership.[10](https://hin-online.de/index.php/hin/en/article/view/274)
## References
1. [Famous Freemasons, Freemasonry Wiki](https://freemasonry.wiki/index.php?title=Famous_Freemasons)
2. [Famous Freemasons, United Grand Lodge of England](https://www.ugle.org.uk/discover-freemasonry/famous-freemasons?category=All)
3. [Celebrities Who Are Freemasons: The Verified List, American Freemasons](https://americanfreemasons.org/celebrities-who-are-freemasons/)
4. [Famous Masons, The Grand Lodge of Maryland](https://mdmasons.org/about-md-masons/famous-masons/)
5. [Unraveling Tall Tales, The Craftsman (John Bizzack)](https://thecraftsman.org/unraveling-tall-tales/)
6. [Book Review: Notable Men, William O. Ware Lodge of Research (2020)](https://williamowarelodgeofresearch.com/pdfs/Book-Review-Notable-Men-January-2020.pdf)
7. [List of Notable Freemasons, Lodge Inverell](https://www.lodgeinverell.au/List%20of%20Notable%20Freemasons.pdf)
8. [Shaping the rise of brotherhood, Social Science Quarterly (2022)](https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13222)
9. [Famous Freemasons, Provincial Grand Lodge of Down](https://www.pgl-down.org/pdfs/Information%20Publications/Initial%20Guide%20to%20Freemasonry.pdf)
10. ["Mason without apron" - Alexander von Humboldt and the world of freemasonry, HiN](https://hin-online.de/index.php/hin/en/article/view/274)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Social life and human behavior › Communities and populations › Retained social institution classes › Fraternal and secret societies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license