John Coustos

John Coustos (1703 in Bern – 1746) was an 18th-century Swiss businessman living in England. Coustos is primarily known for his involvement with Freemasonry after joining the Premier Grand Lodge of England in London (where he was allegedly a spy for British Whig Prime Minister, Robert Walpole). He subsequently was active in Freemasonry in Lisbon and came into conflict with the Portuguese Inquisition. The fallout in the aftermath of this was a major event in the struggle between Catholicism and Freemasonry.