The Royal Arch At York.

necessary to refer briefly to tho history of Masonry in York abont tho p-riii'l tho minutes commence . I ' n . MI tho Second Edition of " Mahhabono , or the Grand Lodge Door Open'd , " published in 1766 , I find in the " List of Lodges" app . n . dcd thereto , . that a warrant was granted dated 12 th Jatiy . 17 ( 51 , f > r it Lodgo to meet at the Punch [ Jowl Tim , Stonogato , York , on the first

and third Mondays of each month . Hie numbu . " of tho warrant was 259 . From tho minute book of this Lodge , also in tho possession of tho York Lodge 236 , I find that its first meeting was held on the 2 nd Feby . 1761 , " at Mrs . Chadclock's , at tho Punch Bowl , in Stonogato . " It would seem as if this event had stirred up the energies of the surviving members of the dormant Grant ! Lodge at York , for it was in

tho following month ( March 17 th , 17 G 1 ) , that thoy met and revived that body " at tho House of Mr . Henry Howard in Lendall , York , " as Masonio students well know , from Bro . Hughan ' s valuable History of Freemasonry in York . In the following year then it was , on the 7 th Feby . 1762 ( Sunday ) that " A most Sublime or Royal Arch Lodge open'd at the sign of the Punch Bowl in Stouegate , York . "

The first Master of tho Lodgo No . 2 D 9 was Bro . Bridge Frodsham , who was in his day a Mason of prominence . Tho first S . W . was Bro . Oram , who was the manager of the York Theatre , in thoso days a playhouse of great renown . The Grand Lodge of All England must havo boon on excellent terms with the Lodge hailing from London at this time , for in the minnto of the revival meeting , held on 17 th

March 1761 , I find amongst the names of tho visitors present a number who appear on the minutes of Lodgo 259 to havo been made Masons under its warrant , whilst in the very first minute of Lodge 259 , on the other hand , appears the name of Bro . Centos , who was a Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of All England . These interchanges of visits appear through the minutes , and prove that at this

period there was no animosity between the York and London bodies . Bro . Beckwith , who was elected a member of tho Grand Lodge at its revival meeting , had enly been made a Mason in Lodge 259 on Feby . 16 th , 1761 , just a month previously , and in May , 17 G 1 , Bros . Agar , Palmes , Bowley , and Howard , of the Grand Lodge , were all elected

joining members of Lodge 259 . In a future notice I hope to say something more about the minute book ' of this Lodge , but having briefly noticed tho condition of Masonry in York , in 1761 , I will at once go to the subject immediately in hand , the Royal Arch Minute Book .

It is a small quarto volume , and has , neatly written on its title page— " Minnto Book belonging to the Most Sublime Degree or Order of Royal Arch , appertaining to the Grand Lodge of All England , hold at the City of STork , 1762 . " The first minute is as follows : "A most Sublime or Royal Arch Lodgo open'd at tho Sign of the Punch Bowl , iu Stonegate , York , ou Sunday , the 7 th of Foby 1762 .

Present—* Frodsham P . H . J Oram . . Z . L . > in the Chairs . Granger . J . A . ) Owen . At this Lodgo Brothers Burton , Palmes , Tasker , and Dodgson , petition'd to be raised to tho 4 th Degree of Masonry , commonly call'd tho Most Sublime or Royal Arch , were accepted , and acordingly made . " '

Then comes the cash accotint of the Chapter for tho evening , by which it appears that the feo ' •' for advancement to tho 4 th Degree " was lis 6 d , and then"This Lodgo was closed till tho 14 th inst , by tho Master ' s Directions . " I have already mentioned that Bro . Frodsham was the . first Master of the Lodge 250 , and that Bro . Oram was his S . W . From

tho Lodge minutes it also appears that Bro . Granger was its first Secretary , and Bro . Owen had joined that Lodge ou the 4 th Jatiy . 17 ( 52 . The " Grand" Chapter would seem therefore to havo been retillv formed , at this date , of brethren of tho Lodgo at the Punch Bowl . The next meeting of tho Chapter was held on the 21 st of tho samo month , when the chairs wero filled by Frodsham , Palmes and Tasker ,

and Bro . Beckwith was chosen Secretary . The meetings wero always held on Sunday at this period , and several members were tho samo year ( 1762 ) " excluded" for neglecting to pay their quarterages , and apparently there was a general laxity of interest , for , on the 16 th May 1702 , tho "Lodgo was closed till the most convenient opportunit y , by order of the Masters in the chairs . " I \ o meeting was held until Jany .

16 th , 1 / 63 , and on Feby . 6 th , at a Lodge of Emergency , Bros . Palmes , Agar and Tasker were elected to the chairs . Again , on the 3 rd April of that year , the Lodge was closed " to a convenient opportunity , " and no meeting was held until 22 nd Jany . 1764 , when it was resolved , " that this Lodgo should be continued by subscription for four nights . " Meetings were held on March 4 th , April 1 st , May 6 th of 1764 , and then

there is a gap until 16 th Feby . 1766 , and then an adjournment sine die . These few last named meetings wero very thinly attended , and there were no candidates . It was about this time , probably , that the Lodge 259 ceased to exist . I have shown that on that year it appears on a list of Lodges , though in Dec . 1767 the Grand Lodge at York informed the Grand Lodge in London that the Lodge 259 ° had

been "for some years discontinued . " The next meeting of the Royal Arch Masons was held on the 29 th April 1768 , and it is noteworthy that this is the first minute in which the body is entitled a " Chapter , " previously it having been always denominated a Lodge . Tho samo principals occupied the chairs as on the last occasion , and six " brethren petitioned to become Sublime or

Royal Arch Masons ; they wero admitted and accordingly made . " Three new principals were also appointed , and a now Secretary . The fee for tho raising was at this time 6 s . At a Chapter hold on May 1 st , 1768 , a Sword Bearer ( Janitor ) was appointed , audit was agreed " that the regular meetings should bo held ou the 1 st Sunday iu every calendar month . " It was also agreed that every member should pay a quarterage of two shillings , and "ho shall bo allow'd to have every

The Royal Arch At York.

regular Chapter sixpenny-worth of any sort of Liqnor ho chouses . " Tho fees wcio also fixed at 5 s , and Is to tho Sword Hearer for each member admitted of the Grand Loc ' go in York , and hutt ' -n-guitieaaud Is to tho Sword Bearer for every other candidate . Kvcry visitor was also to pay a shilling rnoh timo ho attended , but was to bo

allow'd to have sixpenny worth of " any sort of Liquor he chouses . " At this timo candidates woro proposed , ballotted for , and made on the samo evening , and on tho 5 th Jnno 1768 , a Bro . Bumand was refused , on tho ballot , and a Bro . Thorp , " of tho Lodgo at Hull , " was made a Royal Arch Mason . On tho 17 th August , at an Emergency

Meeting , the day of meeting was altered from Sunday to the first Wednesday in each month . On the 2 nd Nov . of that year , Bro . Bussey , afterwards Grand Secretary at York , was admitted , and wo ( hid Bro . Lakeland ' s name also prominent at tho meetings . Nothing specially remarkable occurs thenco until ISth Oct . 17 ( 59 , when Bros .

Meek and Atkinson , of Ripon , wero made R . A . Masons , and at an Emergency Meotiug , on the 2 Sth Dec ., Bros . Kins aud Campay , of Ripon , wero also made . " At this Chapter Bros . Atkinson , King , and Campey , of Ripon , petitioned to have a Constitution granted to hold a R . A . Chapter at Ripon , the consideration of which is Ho for'd to

tho next Lodgo Night , and Notico thereof is to bo given in tho summonses . " On tho 7 th Feby . 1770 , •' Bro . R . C ' onsitt petitioned for to havo a constitution granted to open a Royal Arch Chapter at Ripon for tho use of the Brethcren , tho which was ballottcd for and pas'd N . C .

Bro . Atkinson to be P . H . King . . . Z . L . Campey . . J . A . and at the March meeting . "The constitution for opening and holding a R . A . Chapter at Ripon was granted and sined in ample form ; it was agreed to make them a present of it , only they paying tho

Secretary his feo . " At the same Chapter Bro . Kedar , of Knaresborongh , was made a R . A . Mason , and at the April meeting Bros . Bateson , Ackroyd and Taylor , from Koaresborough , were made , and "tho Brethren from Knaresborough petitioned to have a Constitution granted , to bo opened and held at tho sign of tho Crown in Knaresborough , which was agreed to : —

Bro . Bateson to be P . H . Cowling Ackroyd Z . L . Hen . Taylor J . A . " At the noxt meeting , in June , 1770 , this Knaresborough Constitution was " seal'd and sign'd . " In October 1770 , I find tho following

visiting brethren wore present : —Bros . Proudfoot , O'Brien , Cannon , and Burke . These brethren probably belonged to the regiment , then lying in York Barracks , for it was " agreed to grant a Constitution for the opening and holding a . most Sublime Royal Arch Chapter iu tho Inniskilling Regiment of Dragoons at all seasonable times , and when

duly congregated to make Royal Arch Masons . On tho 1 st March 1771 , tho days of meeting wero again altered , to the " first Wednesday after Lady Day , Midsummer , Michaelmas , and Christmas , Old Stile . " A candidate from Leeds was uiado iu April 1771 , and tho same vear Bro . Kitson , a very prominent member of tho Giand Lodgo

was received . On the 3 rd Juno 1772 , tho titles of tho presiding Officers arc alt-. ired , and instead of P . H ., Z . L ., and J . A ., I find S ., H . T ., and H . A ., and after ibis minute occur a number of blank pages , as if rough minutes of nicotines had been made and not ontornd up , and then comes an

entry made Gth January JV / . I , ot the holding ot a Chapter on that day , when three candidate .- ! wero " raised . " This is the last minnto in the book , and I find nothing between that and the entry alluded to by Bro . Hughan , of the St . ! i February 1778 , when Sunday was again adopted as tho day of meeting , at the Grub Tavern , York . In this

last named minnto book the tblus ot tho chairs remain S ., H . T ., and H . A . throughout , until tho last entry on 10 th Sept . 1871 . Not tho least interesting of the contents of this valuable old relic are tho " Rules aud Orders of tho Grand Chapter of All England , "

which aro inserted at the end of the book in tho neat handwriting of Bro . Lakeland , who seems to havo acted as Secretary about 1776 . Thoy chiotly refer to fees , times of mealing , & c , and provide that in all cases tho ballot mnst bo unanimous . The last of the rules ia as follows : —

" The fees charged on auy Constitution granted by this Grand Chapter aro usually paid on delivery of tho Warrant , and aro in future to bo always so paid . " And then como " The Principia to be observed by all Regular

Constituted Chapters of the Degree of Royal Arch . " These provide for Annual Returns to bo made to the Grand Chapter at York , for bylaws to be subject to approval of Grand Chapter , for the Jcswols aud Ornaments , and then the following , which I think worth giving in full : —

" That they make no innovation in tho Business of the Chapter , and if auy Doubts should arise they must always bo refcrr'd to the Grand Chapter for decision . " That they shall contribute annually to tho Grand Chapter at York so much as they reasonably can towards the fund , to be employed to benevolent and advantageous purposes .

" That no man of bad or immoral character ho admitted a Companion * nor any one until ! ho hath passed the several probationary Degrees of Craft Maceonry , and thereby obtained tho necessary Passport as a reward for his services . And no man may bo admitted for an nnworthy consideration .

" That they tako every Method to forward tho true Purpose of our Order , to promote all tho uscfnl arts and Sciences , and create universal Peace and Harmony , and that every Companion do consider it as hi 3