Tylers And Tyling.

Tylers and Tyling .

BY IIENltY SADLER . Grand Tyler , and Sub-Librarian ot tlio Grand Lodge of England .

lfJ 3 S ^ Sfj | 0 much has already b-cn written on Freemasonry in general that § s /((( SSvfcivilf it is somewhat dilliculfc'tn find anything fresh to say on tlie iw ^ fc = S ^~ y subject . There is , however , one topic which appears to }|||\^ 3 § 5 J * N ) n have been severely left alone , or but lightly touched upon , f « J / -- ~§« S § y ? t ^ Masonic writers generally , and for that reason I have fzyl tTSs ^^& S , selected it as my contribution lo the Christmas Number of tho Freemason .

I have occasionally been ashed for my opinion as to the origin of the name and office of Tyler in connection with Freemasonry , and my answer has been to thc purport that I believe it may bo traced back to tho early operative Masons who were accustomed to assemble and work in buildings or lodges erected in the neighbourhood of their labours . Wc can easily imagine that those lodges , being of a temporary character would be of tho plainest and most economical description , probably little better than huts or sheds of one storey , constructcd of boards ,

clay , or some other material less costly than either brick or stone . Glass , being expensive , would probably bo dispensed with , and apertures in tlie walls for thc necessary light and ventilation would supply the place of ordinary windows . We will suppose that tho masons or builders have finished their part in the erection or formation of their lodge , then the Tyler would conic upon thc scene to cover tho roof with tiles , and make all secure against the weather , as well as the eyes of the idly inquisitive .

It seems but natural that a person of this description , whose work , although of an inferior order to that of tho masons , was closely allied to it , whose presence , however , would not bo required inside the lodge , should have been employed as a guard , or sentinel , outside of tlie building to keep off all intruders and cowans , or eavesdroppers . This would probably be the extent of his duties in connection with operative lodges , for whatever preparation was

required for the candidate , was , no doubt , performed within the walls of tho lodge by tho Masons themselves . I think it probable that tho Tyler of the olden time , although not a regular member of the Craft , was bound by an obligation to properly perform his duties and not to reveal the secrets of the Brotherhood , as in thc case of the Tyler of the Wigan—non Operative—Lodge , hereafter

mentioned . With tho advent , however , of Speculative Masonry , witli its everincreasing popularity and more elaborate ceremonies , it became necessary that tho Tyler , or Gnarder—as he was sometimes called—should be a member of the Fraternity , and here it seems to mo that , in the designation Tyler of a lodge , we liave an instance of the survival of a name several centuries after its original adoption in Freemasonry .

The Gild of Operative Tylers dates back to a remote period , and is probably coeval with that of the Fraternity of Operative Jiasons , or , at all events , to the period when tiles and slates began to supersede reeds and straw for the roofing of houses and other largo buildings . The Gild of Tylers and Bricklayers is one of tlio minor companies of the City of London ; it has for its motto "God is our Guide" —a motto formerly used by thc Masons' Company and also by the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of England certainly as far back as 1730 .

The earliest mention I have mot with of thc word Tyler is in the history of our own country , and probably the person there referred to was the most celebrated Tyler that over lived , at any rate he created a greater stir in the world than any one of his successors . Hc will always be remembered for his simple , yet effective , method of settling with the tax collector . Briefly tuhl , tho story is this : In the year 1381 there lived in the town of Dartford , Kent , a man known

as Wat Tyler , or , to give him his full name and title , Walter the lylcr . What is known as the Poll tax , i . e ., a tax on every person upwards of 15 years of age , had just conic into operation , and , like some of our taxes of the present day , it was the reverse of popular , especially with those who were called upon to pay it . A tax collector one day called at the house of Wat Tyler aud demanded the tax for one of Wat's daughters , which the mother refused to pay , alleging that tho girl was not of tho age specified . That collector

was probably paid by results , but in this case he got rather more than ho had bargained for . lie behaved in a most offensive manner to tho mother and daughter which they naturally resented , when Wat , who was tiling a house in tho neighbourhood , arrived on llie scone and in a moment of passion struck the obnoxious collector on the head and killed him . Thc neighbours applauded the action and appointed Wat their leader in opposing payment of the tax , hence tho beginning of " Wat Tyler ' s great rebellion . "

At lirst sight it may appear somewhat strange that we should be unable to trace the name of Tyler in connection with speculative Masonry farther back than the year 1732 , but , Masonic records prior to that period are extremely rare

and such as arc now available arc of the most brief and meagre character , it is not , therefore , very surprising that no earlier mention of tho nam 3 has yet como under our notice . Another probable reason may be found in the fact that the T yler of the ohlen time was on quite a different footing to the Tyler of a more recent period . In the first printed Constitutions of Speculative Masonry , published in 1723 , the word Tyler is not to be found , there is , however , the following reference to his

ollice and duties on page G 3 : Another Ill-other ( who must be a Fellow Craft ) should be appointed to look after thc Door of the Grit ml Lotbjc ; but shall be no member of it . " In the next edition ( I 73 S ) , a similar paragraph reads thus " Another Brother and Matter Mason should be appointed the Tyler , to look after the Door ; but he must be no member of the G . Lodye . " In tho same edition , on

page 170 , appears this curious paragraph— "In an'ient Times tho Master , Warden * and Fellows on St . John ' s Hay met either in a Monastery , or on tho Top of tho highest Hill near them , hy l'ecp of Day : and having there chosen their Nciv G . Officer * , they descended walking indue form to the I'lace of the feast , either a Monastery or tho House of an Eminent Mason , or some large House of Entertainment as they thought best tyled . "

Thc nominal editor , or compiler of these Constitutions was Dr . James Anderson , a 1 'resbytcrian Minister . When ho was made a Mason is unknown , but I should imagine it was not many years anterior to his entering upon tho work of revising tho regulations , and I am strongly of opinion that Dr . Djsigulicrs , who was Deputy Grand Master in 1722 and 1723 , had more to do with the first book than did Dr . Anderson . Desaguliers himself dedicated it to thc Duke of Montague ,

Grand Master , and judging from his other books , it has not the appearance of being entirely the work of Anderson . In all probability it was a conjoint production ; but , however that may be , I am inclined to think that these worth y doctors learned more of the history and usages of the operative masons after tho publication of their first book of the Constitutions than they know before its compilation , hence the omission of thc name of Tyler from its pages may have been purely accidental .

The early records of the regular Grand Lodge of England contain no mention of the appointment of a ' . Grand Tyler ; wo learn , however , from other sources , that there was such an ollicor , although he may not have been always honoured by thc prefix " Grand . " The rival body known as the " Ancients , " or " Tlie Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons according to the Old Institutions , " an organisation formed in London in 1751 , consisting chiefly of Irish Masons , elected a " Grand Tyler" regularly every year down to the time of tho union of tho two Grand Lodges in 1813 .

In tlje minutes of thc proceedings of the regular Grand Lodge for 26 th November , 1728 , the following incident is recorded : " It being told to the Deputy Grand Master that a brother , who was a Warden of u Lodge , attended without in expectation of his Master ' s coming , who had tho custody of the jewels belonging to their Lodge , and for want of which he cold not gain admittance , and several members present vouching for him , tho Deputy Grand Master ordered the oflicer who kept the door to admit the said brother , who accordingly took his place in tho Lodge . "

Tho earliest reference I have met with by name , to a Tyler in Speculative Masonry is in the minutes of the Grand Lodge of tho Sth of June , 1732 , and is as follows : — " Several of the Stewards making complaint to the Grand Lodge that they had employed Br . Lewis as au Attendant upon them at tho last Grand Feast ; and more particularly had entrusted him to lock up and take care of Thirty Dishes of Meat , which were designed for the Grand Master and other persons of Quality and Distinction when the business of tho Grand Lodge was over , But

that the said Br . Lewis , by his carelessness aud neglect , had suffered the same to be embezlcd and carried away by l'eople who had no manner of Right to the same , And when the Stewards had called him to account for such his misbehaviour , Ho answered insolently , and instead of extenuating his Fault , aggravated the same in a very provoking maimer , and Br . Lewis now attending was called upon by the Grand Lodge to answer the said charge , who making a very frivolous and trilling Defence , the Grand Lodge in General were about to Censure the said Br . Lewis , and to deal with him in such manner as his Behaviour deserved .

" Hut some Brethren observing that Br . Lewis was Tyler to several Lodges , and that , if the Grand Lodge should strictly jny-sue their Resentment it might deprive him of the best part of his Subsistence . " The Deputy Grand Master proposed it to the Stewards " That as we are a friendly Society and far from doing a hard thing by any Brother , but rather , always willing and ready to serve him , if lir . Lewis would publickly ask pardon of the Stewards in the Grand Lodge , that they would forgive him .

Whereupon Hr . Smyth , Junr Grand Warden , mid one of tho Stewards , Declared that the Stewards would bo satisfied if Br . Lewis would make such acknowledgment and promise to behave in a more careful ! and decent manner for tlie future . " Upon which Br . Lewis did publickly ask pardon of the Stewards and

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