The Four Old Lodges.

XIX . —ROBERT C APELL .... Master . Isaac Mansfield .... ] Wardens # William Ely ) XX . —Jonx GORMAN .... Master . Charles Garey . . . . \ Wardens . I Edward Morphey . )

(!) Grand Master 1719 . ( ) Grand Master 1717 . (? . ) Grand Master 1718 and 1720 . ; ('") Senible—tho son of author of E . A . song , the words of -which are j bound up with this Edition of tho Constitutions , headed "by tho late j

Mr . Mat . Birkhead . " ( ) Grand Master 1723 . ( ) Author ( or Editor ) of tho "Book of Constitutions , " published by tho " Grand Lodgo of England " in 1723 aud 1738 respectively .

The above list comprises the four old Lodges , together with the sixteen new Lodges , constituted between 1717 and 1721 . It will be seen that Bro . Anthony Sayer , the premier Grand Master of Freemasons , was a member of

original No . 3 , aud Bro . Georgo Payne , his successor in the Grand Mastership , a member of original No . 4 . Indeed , to the close connection between Bro . Payno and this latter Lodge is entirely due its present continuance on the roll . § 4—LIST No . 2 . ( Extracted from Pine ' s lists in Grand Secretary's office . ) *

1723 No . Dates 1725 Gooso and Gridiron St . Paul's Church . 1 No change yard Queen's Head Knave ' s Acre 2 „ Queen's Head Turn Stile 3 „ Moon or Black Ball (?) Arundel-streot 4 Out Horn Westminster 5 No change

Head Ivy . lano 6 17 Jan . 1720 „ Griffin Newgato-street 7 „ Three Swans Poultry 8 11 July 1721 Out Three Compasses Silver-street 9 No change Three Fishes (?) In tho Strand 10 „

The Four Old Lodges.

Crown & Cushion (?) King-street , 11 A o change Westminster Greyhound Fleet-street 12 Crown Near Cripplegate 13 Out Rummer Charring Cross II No change Crescent In the Strand 1 ") „

St . John ' s Gate Clerkenwell 10 Out Castlo Drury-lane 17 „ D B and Figure Sonthamptou-row , 18 No change Covent-gardon

Castle St . Giles 19 E C aud Figure Charring Cross 20 „ Swan Fish-street-hill 21 „ Bull Southwark 22 „ Anchor Dntchy-lane , in 23 28 Mar 1723 the Straud i

This is the earliest of tho engraved lists , and gives neither Numbers or dates of Constitution . The above numbers are , therefore , only appended for purposes of reference , or to facilitate a comparison with other lists . Dates are also added in a few instances , where identification is complete .

The list for 17 * 25 is an exact reprint of that cf 1 / 23 , as far as tho above extract extends , except that Nos . 4 , 8 , 13 , 16 , and 17 , have dropped out , in the interval between tho two publications . The entire absence of dates ancl numbers , renders thoso

lists of little or no value at present , though they might still prove of great service , as connecting links in the chain of Masonic history , could copies of the missing lists for 1726-27-28 be recovered . In the above list , tho Hoi'n , Westminster , ono of the Time Immemorial Lodges , stands

fifth in order , with four senior Lodges preceding it , which we know conld not be the case . The conclusion , therefore , is forced upon us that in these very early lists , the seniority and precedency of Lodges were very little attended to by the engraver .

The Four Old Lodges.

§ 5 . —LIST No . 3 . LIST OF LODGES 1729 ( PINE ) . LIST OF LODGES 1730 ( PINE ) . Constituted Constitut ed 1 St . Paul ' s Church-yard 1 G 91 1 King ' s Arms In St . Paul ' s Church-yard 1 G 91 2 Furnivals Inn , near Holborn 1712 2 Rose and Buffler Asrainst Furnival ' s Inn in Holborn 1712

3 Westminster 3 Horn Tavern At Westminster 4 Ivy . lano 4 Swan At Hampstead Jan . 17 th 1720 5 Poultry July 11 th 1721 5 Three Swans In the Poultry July 11 th 1721 6 Clare-street Jan . 19 th 1722 6 Tom ' s Coffee House In Clare-street , near Clare-market Jan . 19 th 1721

7 Behind the Royal Exchange Jan . 28 th 1722 7 Rummer In Queen-street , Cheapsido Jan . 28 th 1722 8 Edgworth April 25 th 1722 8 Devil Tavern At Temple Bar April 25 th 1722 9 Noble-street May 1722 9 One Tun In Noble-street May 1722 10 Brewer-street Nov . 25 th 1722 10 Lion and Shield In Brower-stroet Nov . 25 th 1722

11 Knave's-acro Feb . 27 th 1722 11 Queen ' s Head In Knave ' s-acre Feb . 27 th 1722-3 12 Swithin ' s-alley March 27 th 1723 12 Three Tuns In Swithin ' s-alley March 27 th 1723 13 Ducby . laneJ March 28 tb 1723 13 AnchorJ In Dutchy-lano March 28 th 1723

$ Vide footnote to List No . 2 . It is singular that whilst 10 Lodges drop out between 1723 and 1720 , none lapse between 1729 and 1736 .

The Four Old Lodges.

In these lists we for the first time touch firm ground , and an examination of the numbers and dates of

constitution given therein , tend to the inference that all four of the old Lodges were then in existence , this inference being strengthened and confirmed by the lists of later date , especially that appended to the Constitutions 1738 ( List 4 ) . In

1729-30 the old Lodges would seem to have been thus described , viz .: — Original No . 1 , as No . 1 , King's Arm ' s , St . Paul ' s Churchyard , now No . 2 . Antiquity .

Original No . 2 , as No . 2 , Rose and Buffler , Furmval s Inn , died out circa 1737 . Original No . 3 , as No . 11 , Queen ' s Head , Knave ' s Acre , now No . 12 , Fortitude and Old Cumberland . Original No . 4 , as No . 3 , Horn , Westminster , now No . 4 , Royal Somerset House and Inverness .

§ 6 . —LIST No . 4 . ( From Anderson ' s Constitutions 1738 . ) A LIST OF LODGES IN AND ABOUT LONDON AND WEST MINSTER .

Many Lodges have by accidents broken up , or are partitioned , or else removec to new places for their conveniency , ancl so , if subsist , ing , they are called and known by thoso new places or their signs . But the subsisting Lodges , whoso Officers have attended the GRAND LODGE or Quarterly Communication , and brought their Benevolence to tbe Grand Charity within twelve months past , are here set down according to their Seniority of Constitution , as in the GRAND LODGE Boolis and tho Engraven List .

The Four Old Lodges.

Nos . Signs of tho llonscs . 1 KING ' ARMS TAVERN St . Paul's Church-yard This is the Senior Lodge , whose Constitution is immemorial . 2 HORN TAVERN In New Palace-yard , Westminster The Old Lodge removed from tho RUMMER and GRAPES , Channel How , whose Constitution is also immemorial , it being one of the Four Lodges mentioned p 109 . —( See § 2 . )

3 SHAKESPEARE ' S HEAD Marlborough-street 17 th Jan . 172 ' " 4 BELL Nicholo . s-lane 17 th Jul y 1721 5 BRAUND ' HEAD JVcio Pond-street 19 th Jan . 172 J 6 RUMMER TAVERN Queen ' s-street , Cheapsido 28 th Jan . 172 J

7 DANIEL ' COFFEE HOUSE Temple liar 25 thAprill" 22 8 RED CROSS Barbiean May 1722 9 KING ' ARMS TAVERN New Bond-street 25 th Nov . 1722 10 QUEEN ' HEAD Knaves Acre 27 th Feb . 172 =

This was one of the four Lodges mentioned p 1 . 09 , viz ., the APPLE TREE Tavern , in Charles Street , Covenf Garden , whose Constitution is immemorial . But after they removed to the QUEEN ' S HEAD , upon some difference , tho Members that met there came under u Nevj Constitution , though thuy

¦ wanted it not , and it is therefore placed at this number . N . B . —Tho CROWN , in Parlcer ' s-lune , the other of the four old Lodges , is now extinct . 11 CASTLE March 172 ?

12 BURY ' S COFFEE HOUSE Bridges Street 2 Stk March 172 . ' ! Where there is also a Masters' Lodge . ( To he continued . )