Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 3, Albany, New York.

Craft warrants of 1759 , 1765 , and 1773 , duly certified by the Secretary , Bro . John Lomax , P . M . ( now in the custody of the Grand Secretary of New York ) , so that , with these particulars before me , the way seems clear for a brief sketch of the lodge , especially in relation to its several charters and their peculiar orig in and character .

The " silver-haired mother of lodges " took the name of the ¦ ' Union " apparently in 1765 , but possibly earlier , and was then known as "No . 1 , of Albany . " From 1806 its title has been altered to ¦ " Mount Vernon , " the third on the roll of the Grand Lodge having been its distinguishing number from about that period to now .

In 1737 the Grand Lodge of Ireland chartered a lodge to be held " in the Second Battalion Royal " ( ist Foot ) , by authority of Lord Tyrone , Grand Master , the following being a transcript ( of the copy made in 1765 ) corrected by another of the same year , published by me lately * and numbered 77 .

Tyrone , G . M . By the Right Worshipful and Rig ht Honorable Lord fumes Brenan , D . G . M . Visct . Tyrone , Grand Master of all the Lodges of Free-Co / -. Callairhan , J ., S . G . W . Masons in the Kingdom of IRELAND ; the Rt . Worship-John Putland , J . G . W . fid James Brenan , M . D ., Deputy Grand Master , the Worshipful Cornelius Callaghan , Jiiur ., Esq ., and John Putland , Esq ., Grand Wardens .

0 WHEREAS our Trusty and well beloved Brothers Mr . James Nelson , Mr . Thomas Brew & Mr . Thomas Swingler have besought Us that we would be pleased to erect a Lodge of Free-Masons in the Second Battalion Royal of such Persons who by their skill and knowledge in Masonry may contribute to the well being and advancement

thereof . We therefore dul y weighing the Premises and having . , nothing more at heart than the Prosperity and true Advancement ' ' 4- 0 f Masonry & reposing Special Trust and confidence in our Trusty and Well-beloved Brothers , the said James Nelson , Thomas Brew & Thomas Swingler of whose Abilities and Knowledge in Masonry we are satisfied Do by these PRESENTS , of Our certain Knowledge

and meer motion Nominate Create Authorize and Constitute the said James Nelson , Master , Thomas Brew & Thomas Swingler Wardens of a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons to be held by them and their Successors lawfull y Admitted in said Lodge for ever . AND we do hereby Give and Grant unto the said James

Nelson , Thomas Brew & Thomas Swingler and their Successors full Power and lawful Authority from Time to Time to proceed to Election of a new Master and Wardens , to make such Laws , Rules & Orders as they from time to time shall think Proper and

Convenient for the Well-being and Ordering of the said Lodge reserving to Our Selves and Our Successors , Grand Master or Grand Wardens of IRELAND , the Sole Ri ght of deciding all Differences which shall be brought by Appeal before Us and our Successors , Grand Master or Grand Wardens of Ireland .

In Witness whereof , we have hereunto set Our Hands and Seal of Office , this twenty-sixth day of October in the year of our Lord God 1737 & in ihe year of Masonry 5737 . Intratur per John Pennel Secretary .

Although a doubt has been expressed as to the correct date of this warrant , there need not be one , as No . 77 was issued in the same year and by the same authority . Bro . Gould mentions the fact that " only thirty-seven Irish lodges" are noted in the Dublin Pocket Companion for 1735 I " , but the Grand Lodge

rapidly increased from that period , and was very popular with our military brethren during the last century . The year 178 3 , that appears in the official records , must refer to a subsequent issue of the same number , in consequence of the original lodge

having ceased to work , or some other cause , according to the custom of that Grand Lodge , which has continued to this day , the numerical position on the Irish roll not being an indication of actual seniority , as it should be .

The regiment was evidently domiciled at Albany for some years , and during its sojourn the members of the Lodge No . 74 had plenty of work to do in initiating residents , who naturally desired to meet as a lodge when the regiment was ordered to move . In order to render these meetings as regular as possible ,

until due authority had been obtained from the Grand Lodge of Ireland , the Master and Wardens of their Alma Mater furnished the citizens of Albany , who had joined their ranks , with a copy of the warrant of No . 74 . This was in 1759 , and was the result of the " unanimous consent and agreement" of the military

brethren , who fully relied on their local members taking steps to secure a charter from Dublin . Whether they did or not cannot be decided , but their existence as a lodge may fairly be dated from such authorisation , for in many respects that semi-official origin was of a much more Masonic character than in many

other instances that could be mentioned of the period . It would be absurd to claim for the initial proceedings of lodges , under the difficulties peculiar to the Craft in early days , the same regularity and fidelity as to all details that should be observed under more advantageous circumstances , and as we now demand .

The endorsement fully sets forth the facts as follows : We the Master , Wardens and Brethren of a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons , No . 74 of the Registry of Ireland , held in the Second Battalion Royal , adorned with all the Honors and Assembled in due form , do hereby Declare , Certify , and Attest that Whereas our Bod y is very numerous by the addition of many new members , Merchants and Inhabitants of the City

Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 3, Albany, New York.

of Albany , They having earnestly requested and besought us to enable them to hold a Lodge during our absence from them . And we knowing them to be MEN of skill and ability in Masonry & desirous to promote the welfare of the CRAFT , We have therefore , by unanimous consent and agreement given them

an exact and true COPY of our WARRANT as above & have properl y IN . STALLED Mr . Richard Cartwright , Mr . Henry Bostwick & Mr . William Furguson as Assistant Master and Wardens of our Body , allowing them to Sit and Act during our absence or until they , by our assistance can procure a separate Warrant for themselves from the GRAND LODGE in IRELAND .

Given under our hands and Seal of our Lodge in the Cit y of Albany , the nth Day of April in the Year of Masonry 5759 and the Year of our Lord God 1759 . Amos Sutherland . Master .

Charles Calder S . ) » ,, , Thos Parker J . ) Wardens . John Steadman Secretary

The first appointment for New York was that of Bro . Daniel Coxe in 1730 ( including New Jersey and Pennsylvania ) , the second being in favour of Captain Richard Riggs in 1737 . After a lapse of several years , the third Prov . G . Master was appointed in 175 1 , Bro . Francis Goellet , followed by Bro . George Harrison

in 1753 , and Sir John Johnson in 17 67-1771 . These were all in connection with the premier Grand Lodge , known as the " Moderns , " yet , though five Prov . Grand Masters had thus the oversight , Masonically , of New York , 1730 to 1771 , only one lodge was ever returned to headquarters ( England ) as having

been constituted in the City ! The one so favoured was " St . John ' s Lodge , No . 2 , " chartered 27 th Deceember , 1757 , and numbered 272 on the English Register . There were , however , numerous

lodges at work , either before or during the period named , possibly constituted by one or other of the authorities named , though no fees were transmitted , or returns made , to the regular Grand Lodge of England .

There was , doubtless , a " St . John ' s Lodge , No . 1 , " meeting in New York during the fourth decade of the last century , and the numerous Regimental lodges , hailing from the Grand Lodges of Great Britain and Ireland , must have also had a busy time of it in that City and State ; accounting in part for the existence

01 lodges about whose origin we are m ignorance , and whose presence in the American Provinces " might furnish a partial explanation " of the numerous problems yet unsolved regarding

lodges before and after 1737 , as Bro . McClenachan suggests . Anyway , the St . John's Lodge , aforesaid , dates from 1757 , as the senior lodge of New York , and is closely followed by the subject of my sketch , in 1759 .

The members of the " Union" Lodge must have petitioned the Prov . G . M ., Bro . Geo . Harrison , for a warrant , as on February ist , 1765 , a charter was granted the members by that brother , under the name as noted , and it seems that from that date the brethren considered the ) had been " duly constituted , " as their by-laws

of 1773 declare . The rules are reproduced in the handsome history from which I quote , and consist of 25 articles , many of which are exceedingly good . The fifth Prov . G . M . for New York , Sir John Johnson , in response to an application from the Master and Wardens ( on behalf of the members ) , granted the

lodge a new warrant , as a " renewal and confirmation of their Patents , " on July 3 rd , 1773 , in which the Union Lodge was required to " pay quarterly to us [ the Prov . G . M . ] the sum of Currency , to be applied towards the Grand Charity in London" which is a most amusing regulation , considering no

fees had previously been sent to that Grand Lodge , and , of course , was never acted upon subsequently . The document confirmed to the lodge their former Patents " in its full extent and meaning , together with such Precedency and other Privileges as they may or ought to claim by virtue thereof . "

Internal dissension about 1803 led to an open rupture , but the secession was a small one , and did not last long . On December 3 rd , 1806 , still another warrant was needful , as the previous charters had to be surrendered and a new one obtained from the

Grand Lodge of New York , an outcome of the " Atholl or "Ancient" warrant of 1781 , granted to Rev . William Walter , as Prov . G . M . The name of the lodge was changed to "Mount Vernon , and its number from then to now has been three . Of the

subsequent career of this distinguished lodge more will be told in a later volume of the exhaustive history of one of the oldest and most prosperous Grand Lodges in America . W . J . HUGHAN .

An Oration.

AN ORATION .

The following oration was delivered at the laying of the foundation-stone of a new Masonic Hall at Altoona , Pennsy 1-

vania : — We are assembled upon an interesting occasion— -to lay ' corner-stone . The act implies a beginning and a developme ' Both call forth our admiration . How beautiful the day _ dawns , brightening the East with its resplendent rays , touching < - ' * mountain tops and pouring forth its light so softly that , sW » t '