History of the Grand Court Heroines of Jericho

On a cold winter's day in January of 1882 in Jacksonville, and with the blessing of Grand Master Tillman Valentine, a constitutional number of independent Courts from Pensacola to Key West joined together to form the General Grand Court, Heroines of Jericho, Inc. This regime of Christian minded men and women formed a Grand Court and elected Heroine Ada Braddocks as the 1st Most Ancient Grand Matron and Hero Timothy Williams to serve as the1st Grand Venerable Patron (now Most Worthy Grand Joshua). For 18 years, MAGM Braddock worked hard to build the jurisdiction and became world renowned organizing several jurisdictions as the National MAGM. After the death of Grand Master S.H. Coleman and a disagreement with the newly elected Grand Master Dickerson, recognition was pulled from the General Grand Court of HOJ.
In 1900, Grand Master John H. Dickerson chartered the Union Grand Court as the Grand High Court of the Grand Lodge. Elnora Hunter Yellowhair of Tallahassee served as Most Ancient Grand Matron during that pivotal time. In 1910 the Union Grand Court under the leadership of MAGM Sally L. King endured a split that led to another schism in the Jurisdiction.
On June 7, 1916, the Union Grand Court was granted sovereignty as a concordant body of the Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge (MWUGL). In 1920’s, Rev. J.B. Green then created the MWUGC Manual and the structure of the Grand Court was revised. We’ve had champion leaders who were great visionaries who left us a legacy to be proud of and respect. Through the years, God has endowed our leaders with a vision, a vision that has been the safe keeping of such an exalted body as is the Grand Court of the Heroines of Jericho. We have endured good times, happy times, sad time and a few bad times. We’ve managed to do so much with so little.
We have been led by wives of Prominent Masons and members of the A.M.E. Church, Educators, Poets, First Ladies, Reverend Clergy, Presiding Elders, even a Bishop. The works and progress of this body have sustained us through Jim Crow Laws, Segregation and Discrimination. To date Sixteen Heroines have served as Most Ancient Grand Matron and Seventeen Heroes have served as Most Worthy Grand Joshua.
The Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge of Florida F&AM and Union Grand Court HOJ have held a harmonious relationship through the years. As the first chartered adoptive rite of the Grand Lodge, several key Grand Lodge Officers served as (Grand Venerable Patrons) now Most Worthy Grand Joshuas’ of Subordinate and Grand Court. Many of the Grand Joshuas’ have served in the MWUGL as Deputy Grand Master, Senior and Junior Grand Wardens and it is noted that the Union Grand Court was a key contributors to the construction of the Masonic Building on 410 Broad Street in Jacksonville, Florida.
On September 14, 2013 the name of the Most Worshipful Union Grand Court was officially changed to the Most Ancient Union Grand Court HOJ PHA.