The Four Old Lodges.

THE FOUR OLD LODGES .

Bi :. > . R . V . Gon , i > . § 1 . — It is the design of the following remarks , primarily , to eluciil : it « t . h ;> history nnd status of the survivor ? of the Four Old Lodges who , on the Festival of St . John the Baptist A . D ., 1717 , met and instituted the premier

Grand Lodge of tho World * - -and , incidentally , to trace back to their earliest periods and places of assembly in the last century , various Lodges noAV existing , which were called into being during the half century immediatel y followinsr such Masonic revival .

We all , as Masons , enter into tho original inheritance of tradition , but thore is no brother who has a larger share in that noble inheritance , than he who has had the good

fortune to bo received into the Craft , under the auspices of either of those old Lodges , whoso vigorous offspring , the United Grand Lodgo of England , has now attained such a meridian splendour .

An interest , however , in tho Time Immemorial Lodges , is not restricted to their own members , since every brother holding under the English Constitution , is directly concerned in the history , privileges , and status , of the Masonic parents of all English Lodges now existing . But our

" Old Lodges " havo , in truth , been too much neglected and forgotten , to tho lasting reproach of the English Craft ; not so , however , nnder the Masonic government of a sister kingdom—the old Lodges of Scotland aro encircled by a halo of prestige , enjoy an honourable precedency over all

Lodges of later date , and in Bros . R . D . Lyon ancl Laurief have found able chroniclers , with whom it has indeed been a labour of lovo , to dilate upon their unrivalled antiquity . The oldest Lodge records in the world , those of the Loclo'e

of Edinburgh , St . Mary ' s Chapel , No . 1 ; the archives of the Grand Lodge of Scotland ; tho store of manuscripts preserved iu Mother Kilwinning , and other pre-oighteenth century Lodges , having each in turn been laid under contribution by these indefatigable brethren .

With us , however , a history of Freemasonry and the Grand Lodge of England , remains to be Avritten ; our premier Lodges yet await an adequate and enduring memorial , of their exertions as the pioneers of Masonic progress ; neither have they been compensated for this

neglect of tho Craft , by any especial favours from Grand Lodge , which has not judged it unreasonable that the equanimity of its " Masonic parents " should ho periodically disturbed , by having passed over their heads Lodges of later date , to higher positions of rank ancl precedency .

The following slight sketch of the history and privileges of the Four Old Lodges , is , in the main , based on materials accessible to the entire Craft , viz ., the Constitutions , published from time to time by order of Grand Lodge ; the various lists of Lodges , and the "Illustrations of Masonry "

( Editions 1775 , 1706 ancl 1804 ) by the late W . Preston . It is a curious coincidence , that the establishment of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , on 30 th Nov . 1736 , was also due to the exertions of Four Metropolitan Lodges ( Edinburgh ) , who convened a meeting " at St . Mary ' s Chapell , "

in order to concur in the election of a Grand Master . " Thirty-three Lodges arc recorded to have beeu represented on this occasion , and at the first Quarterly Communication , almost all the Lodges applied for new Constitutions , ancl

by a ready and voluntary renunciation of their former rights , evinced the steadiness of their attachment to the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and their unfeigned acknowledgment of her jurisdiction ancl power . ?

lt will be convenient to proceed , firstly , with a chronological record of the Four Old Lodges ; secondly , with a consideration of the especial privileges ( if any ) stipulated for by , ancl accorded to them ; ancl , thirdly , with some concluding observations on their status at the present clay

§ 2 . — "And after the Rebellion was over , A . D . 1716 , || the few lodges at London , finding themselves neglected by Sir Christopher Wren , thought fit to cement under a Grand Master , as the Centre of Union and Harmony , viz ., the Lodges that met—1 . At the Goose and Gridiron Ale-house in St . Pauls Churchyard . 2 . At the Crown Ale-house in Parkers Lane near Drury Lave .

The Four Old Lodges.

:. At tho Apple Tree Tavern in Charles Street , Cm-en t Garden . 1 . At the / iV . ii . icv and Grapes Tavern in Channel lluv : Westminster , "They iu-. ] . erne eld Brothers met at the said Aypk- Tree , aud having pal . into tho chair tho oldest Mn ^ ter Mason ( now tho Muster

ot a Lodtjc ) , they constituted a Gu . \ . \ i > Loum : pro tempore in due firm , and forthwith revived tho Quarterly Coinuiuniciitiou . of the Officers of Lodges ( euH'd the Grand Lod . / e ) , resolved to hold tho annual

A . s . sKJir . r . v and Feast , and then to chuse a GIUXD MASTER from among themselves till they should have tho Honour ol" a , nJ , h : llroHcr ab their Head .

Accordingly On St . John Baptist day , in the 3 rd year of King Georgo the 1 st , A . D . 1717 , THE ASSKMBLY and Feast of tho Free and Accepted Masons was held at tho foresaid Goose , and Gridiron Alehouse .

" Before Dinner , tho oldest Master Mason ( now tho Master of a Lodje ) ia the chair , proposed a list of proper candidates : and the Brethren by a majority of hands elected Mr . ANTONY SAYER GENTLEMAN Grand Master of Masons ,

who being forthwith in- f Capt . Joseph Elliot , " ) f , , vested with tho BADGES 1 Mr . Jacob Lamball [ ^ " , of Office and Power by the ( . Carpenter ) a ™ " said Oldest Master and install'd was duly congratulated by tho Assembly who pay'd him the Homaje . "

§ 3 . —LIST OF LODGES , No . 1 . Tho following is the first List of Lodges ever printed , and was appended to the earliest Book of Constitutions , published in 1723 .

PHILIP , DUKK or WHARTON , GRAND MASTER . J . T . DESAGULIERS ^) , LL . D . and F . R . S ., DEPUTY GRAND MASTEU . JOSHUA LIMSON ") ,, . . . WlLLIAM H . UVMSS j G " WARDENS .

And tho Masters and Wardens of particular Lodges , viz .: — I . —THOMAS MORKIS SEN . . . . Master . John Bristow . . . " ) ,, . Abraham Abbot .... j Wardens .

II . —RICHARD HALL .... Master . Philip Wolvcrston . . . . " ) , „ , T l-. n „ i Wardens . John Doyer ..... ) III . —JOHN TURNER .... Master . Anthony Sayer ( - ) . . . ") ... . EdwcrclCalo .... j Wardens .

IV . —Mr . GEORGE PATXE ( ) . . . Master . Stephen Hall , M . D . . . . ) ,,., Francis Scroll , Esq . . . . j Wardens . V . —Mr . MATH . BIRKHEAD ( ) . . Master . Francis Baily . . . . ")„ -. Nicholas Abraham . . . j Wamens .

VI . —WILLIAM READ .... Master . John Glover . . ' . . . ' ) ,,,, Hubert Corcloll .... j "a ™™ . VII . —HENRY BRANSON .... Master . Henry Lug " ) -,,- , JohnTowCslicnd .... Wardens .

VIII . — . . . . Master . Jonathan Sisson . . . . ) .,., JohnShipton .... j untos . IX . —GEORGE OWEN , M . D . . . . Master . Eman Bovvcn ) ,,. ., John Heath j Wardens .

X . — Master . John Lubton " ) ,,. T Richard Smith .... j ^ <* s . XL—FRANCIS , EARL OF DALKEITH ^" ' ) . Master . Capt . Andrew Robinson . . ¦) .,,. ., Col . Thomas Inwood . . . j Wardens .

XII . —JOHN BEAL , M . D . and F . R . S . . Master . Edward Pavvlet , Esq . . . , ) ,.. Charles More , Esq . . . . j Wardens . XIII . —THOMAS MORRIS JUN . . . . Master . Joseph Ridler . . . ") , _ , John Clark ..... ] Wardens .

XIV . —THOMAS KOIHIK , Esq . . . . Master . Thomas Crave . . . . " ) . „ .-. Bray Lane j Wardens . XV . —Mr . JOHN SHEPHERD . . . Master . John Senex ) „ . , John Barter j Wardens .

XVI . — JOHN GEORGES , Esq . . . . Master . Robert Gray , Esq . . . . ) „ , Charles Grymes , Esq . . . . j Wardens .

XVII . —JAMES ANDERSON , A . M . (¦ ' ¦) . . Master . The glilCijOiii of this V , Q ® % Gwinn Vaughan , Esq . . . . ) ,,., Walter Greenwood , Esq . . . j Wardens .

XVIII . —THOMAS HARBIN .... Master . William Attley . . . . ¦) ,,,. , John Saxon . . . . Wardens .