Provincial Grand Lodge Of New York Under The "Ancients."

Grand Master at the lime cited , and still less likely to have brought it abnui'in the seventh year of his Grand Mastership . ' Neither does this charter contain , as is customary , the signature of the Grand Master , but of the Grand Secretary , and in the minutes of the London Grand Lodge of the so styled Ancient Masons there is no mention of the bestowal of a Constitution for the founding of a Provincial Grand Lodge ot New York . ''

Having recently gone through the minutes of the said Grand Lodge , I propose offering a few observations on the passage quoted from Bro . Findel's History , in the hope and belief that I may be able to throw additional light upon the subject , and perhaps induce that learned writer to change , or at all events to modify , the unfavourable opinion he seems to have formed of the charter referred to .

Premising that I labour under the disadvantage of not having seen Rohr ' s " Amerikanish-Deutsche Jahrb . " 18 5 6 ; Bro . Dr . R . Barthelmess's " History of Freemasonry in New York" in "Reform , " Vol . II ., No . 3 ; and Bro . F . G . Fincke ' s critical examination of " The Early History of the Original Charter of the Grand Lodge of New York , " which are cited as authorities by Bro . Findel in certain foot notes to the passage quoted , and that my remarks are based almost entirely on what . I have read in the

minute books of the "Ancient Grand Lodge , I may state at the outset that my observations will be directed principally to three points : —( 1 ) the genuineness or spuriousness of the patent , so far as either can be determined by 1 , 2 ) and ( 3 ) and other circumstances which have come to my knowledge either from the minutes ot the " Ancients" or elsewhere ; ( 2 ) "the person represented as having drawn up the patent ; " ( 3 ) the absence or presence ol certain signatures in the patent . I shall net , however , always observe any particular order in dealing with these points .

1 have found in the minutes of Grand Lodge " Ancients" no direct mention ol a warrant having been granted for the formation of a Prov . G . Lodge of New York , and to this extent , of course , Bro . Findel is right in drawing attention to the absence of such mention ; but the following extracts —three in number—from those minutes point conclusively to the fact of a warrant for such a lodge having been issued , or having been in course of issue , at or about the date assigned to it—viz ., 5 th September , 1781 .

( a . ) 18 th < > ct ., 1781— 5781 . G > and Lodge open at 4 o'clock in the afternoon in the City ot New York , North America , iSth Octr ., 1781—5781 . ? The Revd . Brother William Walter , P . G . M . elect , as D . G . M . Br . John M . Browning , Esq ., P . S . G . W . elect , as S . G . W . The Rev . John BarUley , P . J . G . W ., elect , as J . G . W . Br . Andw . Barkley , P . Mr , of No . 169 , as Gd . Secy . Present Jams . McEwen , Mr . " ) Peter Meers , Mr . " ) c M . „ , ArcdCunninghamSW { -of No 169 Ma-k WriahtSW ° "P * '

34-. .. . , .. r- Ricd . " Hall , J . W . ) JamesMcCur ' dy ^ J W . j ScotIand-Isaac Collins , Mr . " ) John Fumerton , Mr . ") f M Joshua Walton , S . W . 5-of No . 210 " James Longford , S . W . f , , j ' Ricd . Jenkins , J . W . ) Daniel Wylie , J . W . J Ireland . Thos . Crovvtl , Mr . " 1 James Courtney , S . W . I Natl . Child , J . W . > oi No . 212 Thos . Hudson , P . Mr .

Peter Linch , do . J lnstai ed According to Ancient Usage , James Stokes , Master . John Greenlay , Sr . Warn . John Drew , J . Warn . All matters relating to this Constitution being complaited , the Grand Officers aforesaid , in the name of the Most Noble Prince John , Duke of Athol , & ca ., & ca ., & ca ., piociaimed the new Lod ^ e duly constituted , No . 213 , registered in the Grand Lodge Books , Vol . 8 , Letter H , to be held in the fourth Batallion Royal Regt . of Artillery .

Closed at 7 o'clock , adjourned to the Gand Lodge of Lon on . lb ) 2 i ^ t Feb . 17 S 2 . Grand Lodge Open'd at 4 o'CIck in the City of New York , North America , on the 21 February , An : Do 1782 , An : Lap . 5782 . f The R . W . and Kevd . Br . Wm . Walter , P . G . M . rilect , as D . G . M . The R . W . Br . John St . Browning , Esq ., P S G . W . Elect , as S G . W . The R W . and Rev . Br . John Barkley , P . J . G . W . Elect , as J G . W . The R . W . Br . Isaac Collins , P . M . of No . 169 , as G . Sec . Present

Br . Cunningham , Mr . of No . 169 . Br . Cock , Mr . of No . 212 . Warden , S . W . do . Courtney , S . W . do . Luwnds , J . W . do . Hanison , J . W . do . Barclay , P . M . do . Hodson , P . M . do . Mchwen , do . do . Crow , do . do .

Collins , Mr . of No . 210 . Drew , Mr . of No . 213 . Wason , S . W . do . Fife , S . W . do . Gregg , J . W . do . Geddes , J . W . do . Stokes , P . M . do . Installed According to Ancient Us 2 ge . Maximil an De Strait Master .

The Revd . John Phillip trb , S . W ., vice David Schoeph , absent . George Doig # J ., vice Fcrdd . Foerster , dead . All matters relative to this Constitution being complaited , the Gd . Officers aforesaid in the name of the Mot Noble Prince John , Uuke of Athol , G . M , proclaimed the new Lodge Duly I onstituted No . 215 registered in Grand Lodge Book , Volume 8 , Letter H , to be held in the Second Regt . of Anspach Berauth . Closed before 7 o'clock , adjourned to the Grand Lodge in London .

( c ) ist March , 1872 , Grand Lodge Opened at 4 o'Cluck at the Royal Exchange , in the City of New York , North America , ist March , 1872—5782 . % The R . W . and Revd . Willm . Walter , P . G . M . Elect , as D . G . M . The R . W . John Stud . Browning , Ksq ., P . S . G . W . Elect , as S . G . W . The R . W . Jams . McEwen , P . M . of No . 16 9 , as J . G . W . " The R . W . Archibald Cunningham , of du ., as Gd . Secy . Present Geo . Waiden *\ John Drew ~ \

Jams . I laike f ,.- Adam Fife [ J . hnLownds f Peier Geddes f 3 Andrew Barclay J Sam . Stokes J Isaac Collins "J Maxn . De Strait ~ \ Jacob Watson > 2 io David . Shoepff £ 215 John Greig J George Doig ) Installed According to Ancient Usage . Willm . Cock , Mr ., vice Thos . Hodson . Jams . Courtney , S . W ., vice Thos . Hiat .

Laurence Harrison , J . W ., vice Wm . Cock . All matters relative 10 this Constitution beinu complaited , the Grand Officers aforesaid , in the name of the R . W . and Most Noble Duke of Atholl , G . M ., proclaimed the new Lodge duly constituted No . 212 , registered in Grand Lodge Book , Vol . 8 , Letr . H ., to be held at the Royal Exchange in New York , North America . Closed before 7 o'Clock , adjourned to the Gd . Lodge in London . The constitution of the first of the above new lodges ( N 0 .. 213 ) by Bro . Rev . W . Walter , " P . G . M . Elect , as D . G . M ., " is noted by Bro . Gould in

Provincial Grand Lodge Of New York Under The "Ancients."

his " Atholl Lodges , " and it appears to me that we could not have stronger and more convincing evidence of a Provincial Grand Lodge warrant for New York having been granted , and issued , or being in course of issue , than the entry in three separate and distinct minutes of Bros . Walter and

Browning—should be Brownrigg-, no doubt an ancestor of the present Prov . G . M . Surrey—as P . G . M . elect and P . S . G . W . elect respectively , and of Bro . Barclay as P . J . G . W . elect in two of them , the said entries being in the minutes of the Grand Lodge , which alone could have granted the said Provincial Grand Lodge warrant and authorised its issue . ( To be continued . )

The History Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS

PROM ITS ORIGIN , 1788 , TO ITS CENTENARY , 1888 .

The Committee lost no time in prosecuting their inquiries for a plot of ground suitable for the purposes of the Institution , and in August a letter from JBro . Cooper , one of its members , was laid before the General Committee , in which he announced that one could be had in Gray ' s Inn Lane , on lease for 90 years and upwards , measuring

about 70 feet front , and some 130 feet deep , at 10 s . 6 d . per foot , and he requested that a Special Court mi g ht be summoned to meet on the 12 th September , in order to consider the propriety of taking it . The Court was accordingl y held , but when Bro . Cooper ' s proposition had been submitted , and it was stated that more ground could be had

on the same terms , or that an equally suitable plot could be had nearer Holborn at 12 s . per foot , another proposition was laid before the brethren , " with a p lan thereto annexed , of a p iece of Ground in that Part of St . George ' s Fields , leading from the Obelisk to Westminster Bridge Eoad , in the Tenure of Mr . Gilbert , held b y an

Under-Lease from the Corporation of London , which would expire at Lad y Day , 1810 , containing 89 Feet in front b y 200 in depth , at 6 s . per Foot . " The Court having been informed of the tenour of subsisting leases under the Corporation , and having given the whole subject

their most careful consideration , the rival p lans were put to the vote , when the Gray ' s Inn Lane one was rejected and the St . George ' s Fields accepted unanimously . Thereupon the Chevalier Ruspini , Bro . Carpenter , the Treasurer of the Institution , and Bro . Forssteen were

appointed a Committee to conclude an agreement with Mr . Gilbert on the terms proposed , and lay it before the' next General Committee . It was at the same time resolved that the Trustees , with the abovenamed brethren , should be a Committee , to prepare and sign a

memorial to the Corporation of London , praying them to grant the Institution a reversionary lease of the ground " for a sufficient length of time to enable the Governors to erect a Substantial Building for a School House thereon . " The Petition , drawn up in accordance with these instructions , was as follows : —

To the Right Honourable The Lord Mayor , Aldermen , and Common Council of the City of London , & c , & c , & o . Tko Petition of the Right Honourable Lord Macdonald , James Heseltine , William Addington , William Birch ., and James Galloway , Esquires , Trustees , and The Chevalier Ruspini , Charles Carpenter , and William Forssteen , Esquires ,

being the Committee Specially appointed for this purpose at a General Meeting of the Numerous and Respectable Governors , Subscribers , and Supporters of that Excellent Charity called The Royal Cumberland Free Mason School , under tho Patronage and Protection of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , Grand Master of the Ancient Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons .

Shewefch—That having , under the sanction of the Orders of such . General Meeting , agreed with Mr . Gilbert , the Under Lessee of James Hedger , Esqr ., for a piece of Ground in St . George ' s Fields , situate on the North side of the High Road leading from the Obelisk to Westminster Bridge , extending 77 Feet in Front next to the said Road , and running 220 Feet in depth , for the remainder of the Term

under which the same is held by Mr . Hedger from the City of London , expiring at Lady Day , 1810 , with a view to erect thereon a commodious Building capable of receiving the many distressed Objects that the Noble and Generous Patronage of this Charity may extend to the comfortable support of : Your Petitioners are authorised and directed to make application to your Honorable Courtever famed

, for the most liberal attention and encouragement to all useful and beneficial Charities , for an Extension of Term by a Reversionary Grant from the City otthose Premises , to take Effect after the Expiration of the present Lease in such Manner as to your Honorable Court shall seem reasonable . The better to enable

the Royal , Noble , and Liberal Supporters and Promoters of this Charity to make such a creditable Solid and Permanent Establishment of their Benevolent Designs as will do Honour to the High Patronage of the Society of Free and Accepted Masonsto the Corporation of Londonand to the Nation at l .

, , arge Your Petitioners , therefore , Pray the Indulgence of the Court in granting such Reversionary Lease of these Premises .

At the Quarterl y Court in October , Bro . Forssteen announced that Lord Macdonald and he had presented the petition , and that from the conversation they had had with the Lord Mayor and some of the Aldermen there was good reason to hope for a favourable answer-He also announced that they had agreed to take certain ground , whicii

had ori ginall y formed part of what Mr . Gilbert had offered , but which , as it turned out , he was under a prior engagement to leaS ® a & a roadway to a Mr . Waite , Mr . Gilbert having agreed to let

MrWaite have other ground for the purpose instead , and also to pay £ 15 , being one half of the £ 30 demanded b y Mr . Waite for closing up the windows of certain houses of an inferior character , would overlook the School , while the Institution was to pay * ot e