History Of Freemasonry In Maryland.

Lodge minutes , and the biograhical sketches of eminent Brethren in the early days of Masonry , are eminently readable and of continuing- valne . Bro . Schnltz prefaces his history with a sketch of the formation of the Grand Lodge of England in 1717 ; an

account of the schism of 1738-40 , and division of the Craft for a time into " Moderns " and " Ancients ; " and a resume of the introduction of Masonry into America . Under this last head we are surprised to find certain errors of statement into which Bro . Schnltz shonld not

have fallen . For example , he repeats the old and oftexploded errors , that tho authority of Bro . Henry Price , Provincial Grand Master of New England , in 1734 " wns extended to cover all North America , " and that in the

same year " St . John ' s Grand Lodge , at Boston , " granted a warrant for " a Lodge in Philadelphia . " There is not an iota of reliable evidence existing to support either of these assertions , and even prominent Boston Brethren havo positively denied both of them . Bro . Schultz does

say : " Within the present year thero was discovered a Ledger of ' St . John ' s Lodge , ' Philadelphia , from Juno 24 . 1731 , to June 24 , 1738 , in which Bro . Franklin and others are charged with five Lodge days ( months ) cities , clearly showing that tho Lodge mast have been in existence as early as the latter part of 1730 . "

Bufc he adds to this : "It would appear that Philadelphia has established a claim to the first' Lodge meetings of Masons' held in this country , and Boston to that of the first ' Warranted' Lodges . Here our Brother is wrong again . So far as any

evidence remains , NO WARRANTS WERE ISSUED for subordinate Lodges in those early days . St . John ' s Lodge , No . 1 , of Boston , never had a Charter until it received one from the United Grand Lodge of Massachusetts in 1792 . Warrants or Deputations were granted only to Provincial Grand

Masters ; and the relative position of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts in this respect is as follows : There is indisputable evidence , the very best possible , that a Deputation was granted by the Grand Lodge of England , in 1730 , to Bro . Daniel Coxe , as Provincial Grand Master of

New York , New Jersey and Pennsylvania ; while there is no original and entirely trustworthy evidence that Brother Henry Price received a Deputation as Provincial Grand Master of New England in 1733 . The Grand Lods-e of England lias no entry of the fact anywhere on its records of

thafc date , nor in the years immediately following , nor has it any mention whatever at that era of Bro . Henry Price ; and all thafc is relied upon to prove the allegation is an alleged copy of the Deputation , made 1751 , eighteen years after the event , and the naked assertions of Bro . Price

himself . In other words , the original of this alleged Deputation nowhere exists , nor any contemporaneous official record of or reference to it , either in America or in England ; nor does a contemporaneous copy of it exist , bnt only a copy long afterwards made by Bro . Charles Pelham

in 1751 or 1752 . In other words it is the shadow of a shade . Bro . Price often asserted , some thirty years after 1733 , to the Grand Lodge officials in London , that he had been appointed Provincial Grand Master in 1733 , but he never produced his Deputation therefor , nor any

enlargement thereof , and it was only upon the strength of his persistent aud unsupported asseverations that he finally obtained recognition , and that many years after fche alleged

event itself . This all a matter of recorded history , contained in tbe Proceedings of tbe Grand Lodge of Massachusetts , and it speaks for itself . It will thus be seen that the reverse of Bro . Scbultz ' s statement is true :

Freemasonry in PENNSYLVANIA was lav fully warranted in 1730 by an undisputed Deputation to Bro . Daniel Coxe , while Freemasonry in MASSACHUSETTS in 1733 had no warrant , so far as officially appears , unless we accept the assertions of Bro . Henry Price , supported by the alleged copy of his

alleged Deputation made eighteen years after its granting , and contained in a record ( that of St . John ' s Lodge , Boston , written up in 1751-2 ) that has been proven , as to its

early allegations , to be full of errors . Bro . Schnltz should either not have gone into these matters , or else carefully studied the subject in the light of all the officially recorded facts .

The earliest Lodge in Maryland , according to the records of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts , was authorised in 1750 , by Bro . Thomas Oxnard , Provincial Grand Master of North America . None of its records are known to be in existence . In 1759 there was a Lodge ab Leonardtown ,

History Of Freemasonry In Maryland.

possibly a " branch , " it is stated , of that held at Annapolis . Bro . Schnltz says : — " Tin ; records of tho Leoiiaidtown Lodge , with one exceptionthose of St . John's Lodge , Boston—are the oldest original Lodge proeeedings discovered in this country . "

These minutes , however , extend over a period of only four years and a half , the Lodge about then ceasing to exist , while we havo in Philadelphia , Lodge No . 3 , still actively at work and prosperous , the minutes of

which are - perfect and complete from 3 n ? December 17 ( 17 to the present time . The lately discovered Ledger of St . John ' s Lodge , Philadel phia , 1731-8 also long antedates them .

In those days the brethren were fond of attending divine service on St . John ' s Day , 24 th June , and in the evening thereafter , a ball . For example , in the minutes of 1759 we read : — " Being ass nhlod at the Court House , after hearing a Polite ,

Acurate and most Edyfying discourse , delivered by onr Rev'd Brother John MoI'lu-rson , wo returned to the Lodge Boom . In the evening was a Goiiteel Ball , at the opening of whioh was sung by the Members of the Lodge , Locked in a Circle , the Entered Apprentice ' s

Song . In tho morning the members as » ain repaired to the Lodge Room , when it wns ordered that the money due to the Lodge be applied towards the expenses of the Ball , and what may remain undischarged to be collected from the members . "

In June 1761 there was " no clergyman to perform divino service" for this Lodge , nevertheless , "it was ordered that the clerk of the parish read the Evening

Service , " after which they went to the ball . In December 1761 they had another merry making , when " fche ball was opened by Bro . Plater , aud the evening concluded with great mirth and decency . "

Under date 3 rd November 1762 , we read , " The Secre . tary presents to the Lodge a petition signed by Archd . Campbell , with a certificate of his being made a Mason at

the Royal Arch Lodge at Glasgow . " The last entry on the minutes of the Leonardtown Lodgo is of date 27 th December 1764 . It is not known by what authority this Lodge was warranted .

In 1765 a Lodge was chartered at Joppa , Baltimore county , by Lord Blaney , Grand Master of England ( " the Ancients" ) . Among its regulations was the following , aimed afc " Modern " Masons : —

" That none who hath been admitted in any Modern Lodge shall be ndmitted as a member of this Lodge without taking the respective Obligations Peculiar to Ancient Masons . "

This , too , is significant : — " That the Master ' s Lodge begins on each Communication at 10 o ' clock , the Crafts afc 12 o'clock , and E . P . at 3 o ' clock , whioh shall be and is hereby Ruled to be the Closing of the Communication .

"That no Follow of fche Craft shall be raited to the Sublime Degree of M . M . until he passes an Examination , and is found Otpible thereof by a Committee of at least Three M . M ., to be appointed for that purpose , and if found on the said Examination Rn * ty in the Former parts must Wait until Brightened bxj further experience before he can be Raised . "

On 27 fch December 1765 the Lodge again attended Divine Service and Sermon . Afterwards"Then at the Church door a glass of Wine and Cake to the Brethren by the Treasurer and Deacons , then any that pleased to Accept .

" Then marched ns before , backed to the Lodge . At Entering the door the Entered Apprentice ' s Song , and after Adjournment dined . Ball following , Consisting Chiefly of Masons , Masons' Wives and Buirns . " Bro . Schultz says , " Lodge chests in those times had .

three locks , with a distinct key for each lock . One of these were kept by the W . M ., one by the S . W ., and one by the J . W . In these chests the charter , jewels , & c , of the Lodge were kept , and in some old Lodges the Bye-laws provided that these chests should not be opened except when these three Officers ' were present and agreed . ' "

Novv-a days such a regulation would insure fche punctual attendance of the Officers , or else , as then , the nonopening of the Lod ' j-e . The Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania may be said to have been the Mother Lodge of fche Craft in

Maryland . Prior to 1782 it chartered nine Lodges in Maryland , viz .: Nos . 6 , 7 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 27 , 29 , 34 and 37 . No . ' l 5 , at Baltimore , chartered by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in 1770 , is now Washington Lodge , No . 3 , and the oldest

Lo'lge in the State . Among its Bye-laws were the following : — " Any Brother who shall enter the Lodge without Clean Linen and Decent Clothing , to be reprimandcl from the Chair , and ordered to withdraw for that Night .