Superintendents Of English Buildings In The Middle Ages.—Ii.

Mr . Papworth mentions that "the term ' freemason' does not appear to have been used in Scotland at all . " The year 1636 appears to be the earliest dated reference to the term in that country , but virtually "!! goes back to 5581 , the year in which the original of the " Melrose MS . " now existing was dated , but these are too late for the purposes of the author , whereas in England the title is met with some two centuries earler . Mr .

Papworth and Bro . Gould are in accord respecting the so called " Travelling bodies of Freemasons , " vvho are said to have erected all the great buildings of Europe . The latter devotes considerable space to an examination and refutation of the theory , as in duty bound . The former emphatically declares " nothing more , however , is to be here noted than that I believe they never existed . "

As to the " Fnitres Pontis , " no surprise need be felt as regards England , " that amongst the numerous references in my ( Mr . Papworth's ) notes concerning bridge building especially , no intimation of any such institution appears . " The talented author concludes his remarks by observing " that nothing has been met in the long course of reading required for these Papers to

connect the chartered Guilds of Masons and Freemasons , noticed in the Statutes of 1360 and of 1425 , and the ' artificers , handicraftsmen , and labourers' of 1548 , with the Companies or Lodges of Freemasons mentioned by Ashmole in 1646 and 1682 , by Dr . Plot in 16 S 6 ; a general assembly held somewhere in 1663 ; the one in which Sir Christopher Wren was ( not ) elected in 1691 ; or the four Lodges vvhich formed the Grand

Lodge at the commencement of the last century , since vvhich period the Society of c Free and Accepted Masons' has attained its position and deveiopement . " Possibly , to be exact , directly , this has not been met with according to the careful definition of Mr . Papworlh , but we shall rest contented if he acknowledges that we belong now , substantially , lo a body

of Freemasons continued in one form or other from the period noted , of which Ashmole , Holme , Boswell , and other initiates of the 17 th century were members , whose lodges owned and issued copies of the " Old Charges , " as did their predecessors , and moreover observed similar laws and customs .

Personally , I feel much indebted to Mr . Papworth for his interesting and invaluable researches , and feel certain that to no Body will his papers now reprinted prove more acceptable than to the Society of Free and Accepted Masons . W . J . HUGHAN .

The History Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS

FllOM ITS OUICUtf , 1788 , TO ITS CKNTKAVIU ' , 1388 . CHAPTER IV .

Fuoii Tin ; DjiATit at * * Tin : " IxsrifurnK , '' 1813 , TO TIUO JUWLKI * . AXXIV . EJ'SAKT , ix 1838 . Tlie dentil of : the Chevalier Ruspini preceded by a few days that rablic ratification of tlio Act of Union between the rival Grand Lodges of England which lias contributed so materially to tlie

prosperity of our Society during tho present century , By this Act au end was put at once and for over to the rancorous spirit which had so often aud so largely prevailed between the two bodies , and what had previously been little else than jealousy and hatred Avas transformed , as by a magician ' s wand , into a condition of perfect peace

tiud harmony . As a matter of course , the change was not without its effects upon thc Educational Institutions of the two Societies—the Girls' School , which had been established under the auspices of the "Moderns , " and the Boys' Institution , founded ten years later , which had been so generously fostered by their " Ancient " rivals . The

latter at once adapted itself to the altered conditions of Masonic life , aud , on the recommendation of its General Committee , adopted at the first convenient opportunity a resolution " authorising the admission of children of Brethren initiated under the Fraternity of

which H . R . Highness the Duke of Sussex was lately Grand Master , subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Institution . " But , for reasons which it would bc impossible to try to divine at this distant date , the authorities of thc Girls' School do not seem to have fallen

111 so readily with the change . At a special meeting of the Honse Committee , held on the 1 st March , 1814 , and presided over by Bro . Forssteen , the Treasurer , "thc Secretary informed the Committee "—• as the Minutes tell us— " that he had convened them i ' or this day instead of Thursday next in consequence of two letters which he

had received from the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of England . He then read the first letter , dated February 23 rd ult ., requesting him to attend the Board of Schools at the Grand Lodge with the Books of this Society to answer interrogatories respecting the State of the Charity ; to which he reported that he had returned

for answer that he felt himself unauthorised so to do ; and that thereupon he had received the second letter of the 26 th , which ho also read , announcing that a Deputation had been appointed by the Board of Schools to attend here this morning . Accordingly , the Deputation from the Board of Masonic Schools appointed by the

Grand Lodge attended , consisting of the following gentlemen , viz ., the Rev . Dr . Coghlan , Col . O'Kelly , Col . Elliott , and Thos . Harper , Esq .. and were most cordially received ; Avhereupon they proceeded with the Consent and Approbation of the Committee to enquire respecting the present state of this Charity ; and having examined

the treasurer ' s Aecompt and the Bills and Aects . of Expenditure , the _ Minutes of Management , as stated in the several Books of Society , they retired and drew up a Report thereof , which , on their return , they read to the Committee , and which ' appeared to be

correct , and expressed then * entire satisfaction with the perspicuity of the Accts . and of the able manner in which the affairs of the Charity are conducted . " So far there is nothing to which tho slightest exception could be

The History Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls

taken , unless , indeed , it be to tlie conduct oi the Board oi Schools in peremptorily demanding information to which it was not entitled . Secretary Hucklebridge , as the paid officer of the Institution , was justified in declining to attend the Board without the authority of the Committee , previously obtained ; while nothing could havc been

in better taste than the courteous reception by the House Committee of the Deputation , and the readiness with which the accounts and minutes were submitted for its inspection . At the General Court on the 14 th April , Bro . Thomas Harper , Past Dep . G . Master , gave

notice of motion for the next Quarterly Court to the effect " That as only one Register of Masons exists in the Craft at this time , so much of the Regulations of this Charity as Restricts the Admission of Children under the Old Law be rescinded ancl that all candidates in

future shall be alike eligible from , both Societies now United . At the July Court this resolution was agreed to , with the proviso added , " upon producing a Certificate from the joint Grand Secretaries of the United Grand Lodge of the Father of the Candidate ' s having been duly registered . " Unfortunately , when the question as to

confirming the minutes was placed before the brethren at the Quarterly Court on thc 13 th October , Ave read that they were so confirmed , " except that part thereof which relates to the rescinding * of the LaAV respecting the Admission of Children into this School . Ancl the Court proceeding * to take the same into further

consideration , it was the unanimous opinion that the Daughters ot Free Masons made under the Athol Constitution , anterior to the Union in Dec . 1813 cannot be considered as eligible ; but it Avas the declared opinion of tins Court that all the Female Children of Masons registered at the Grand Lodge subsequent to the Union are eligible to be elected into this School . " Wc are at a loss to account for this

rapid change of opinion , but AvhateA'er may have been the reasons by which the brethren Avere actuated , and however just and proper they may have seemed , Ave imagine they will enlist but scant sympathy from the readers of this history . It was imperative that at this early period after the Union eA erything should be done in order to

stamp out the feeling of jealousy ivhich had before existed , and strengthen and promote the general harmony vvhich Avas certain to prevail sooner or later among all classes of the Fraternity if no obstacle Avere interposed to its promotion . Yet , in the face of this necessity , the Governors took the highly imprudent step of rescinding their OAVU

generous resolution and adopting in its stead one which , Avhatever might bc its value in thc course of a few years , Avas certain to create a feeling of soreness among the Athol Masons . However , at a Special House Committee held on the Oth March , 1815 , under the presidency of Bro . Harper , the Secretary reported that he had

received from Bro . Hancock , the Secretary of the Boys' Institution , the copy of a resolution which the Governors of that Charity hael unanimously adopted for extending its benefits to children of the Sussex brethren , and in thc face of this act of generous consideration the House Committee had no alternative but to recommend to

the Quarterly Court to revert to its original proposition and place the children of all Masons , Avhether of the Sussex or of the Athol persuasion , on precisely the same footing of equality as regards their eligibility ior admission into their School . The recommendation Avas acted upon at once , and the Special Court unanimously agreed

to apply the benefits of the Institution to the children of Masons of both Societies indiscriminately . The incident then terminated , but it is not to the credit of the general body of Governors and Subscribers that there should have been this hesitation to adopt a course , of the Avisdom and expediency of which it is difficult to see IIOAV

there could have been any division of opinion . Nor was this the only instance of the unreadiness of the Girls' School authorities to fall in with the harmonious spirit of the time . At the same Special House Committee just referred to , at which the admission of Athol children was recommended , we find it recorded in the minutes that the Vice President and Board of Stcivards for the ensuing * Festival

had applied to H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex , M . W . G . M . to occupy the chair , but that his Royal Highness had declined until he knew Avhether the Institution considered itself amenable to the Board of Schools of Grand Lodge . On this a deputation , consisting of Bros . Forssteen , Treasurer , Thos . Spencer , and Thompson Scott , accompanied by

Col . Elliott and Lt .-Col . Macdonald , Avas appointed to ivait upon the Grand Master and tender such explanations as may have appeared necessary or desirable ; and as his Royal Highness ' presided at the Quarterly Court next ensuing and afc the Festival in June , Avhen a

total of subscriptions amounting * to £ 695 18 s . 9 d ., ancl including ' £ 178 10 s . 2 d ., the proceeds of Dr . Coghlan ' s Anniversary Sermon , Ave presume the explanation tendered must have proved satisfactory . ButAvhat makes this disinclination of the authorities to accommodate

themselves to the change the more remarkable is the fact that in March , 1814 , United Grand Lodge had passed the following resolutions : —( 1 ) " That the Charge of registering new-made Masons initiated Avithin the London District shall in future be One Guinea , of which Five Shillings shall be applied toAvarcls the maintenance of

the Schools "; and ( 2 ) "That the Registry of ncAv-mado Masons in Distant , Foreign , and Military Lodges to be Half-a-Guinea , of which Two and Sixpence shall be applied to the Schools . " Moreover at the Quarterly Communication in the June folloAving it had voted to each Institution a donation of £ 50 . This impartial treatment by

United Grand Lodge of the tAvo Schools and the adoption of the Athol plan of subvention by capitation fee on newly-initiated Masons —Avhich in its early days the Girls' School had vainly sought to obtain from the "Modern" Grand Lodge—contrasts most favourably Avith the one-sided course adopted b y this Court . ( To be continued . )