Some Memorials Of The Globe Lodge, No.23, And Of The "Red Apron."

year before his death in 18 33 . His name is not on the Register of the British Lodge in 1814 , and we have no means of ascertaining the period of his-membership of that Lodge . It seems , however , that the " Globe " was his favorite Lodge , although he joined several others iand served the office of Master in all of them .

GEORGE SHILLIBEER , MEMBER OF THE GLOUE LODGE . An engraved portrait drawn by his friendJohn Harrisof

, , Tracing Board fame , published in 1820 , bears the following inscription : " To the Globe Lodge of Freemasons , No . 25 . This portrait of one of their Past Masters , is , with their permission , most respectfully Dedicated by their most Obedient Servant , Brother Jno . Harris . " The portrait , of which the

accompanying is a reduced copy , is said to have been a striking likeness . In 1822 he was presented by some of his pupils with a handsome Past Master's jewel set with brilliants , which he had intended to bequeath to Br . Meyer of the Globe Lodge ,

but that brother having pre-deceased him , he left it to another of his pupils , Bro . Key , also a member of this Lodge , whose fame as a teacher of Masonry is said to have been nearly equal to that of Gilkes himself . This Jewel ultimately became the property of the Percy Lodge , which Lodge was good

enough to allow me to have it for reproduction in my recent history of the Emulation Lodge of Improvement , in which a short sketch of the life of Peter Gilkes appears . In 1888 , while seeking information relative to the Installation Ceremony , I was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of a venerable brother who had been on terms

of personal intimacy with Peter Gilkes , and had worked with him in various Lodges of Instruction . This was the late John Canham , Past Master of the Lodge of Honour and Generosity , who was initiated in that Lodge as far back as 1825 . As Master of his mother Lodge he attended the

meetings of the authorized Board of Installation appointed by the Duke of Sussex in 1827 , and was , therefore , able to give most valuable information on the subject of my search , as well as to relate some amusing reminiscences of Peter Gilkes and other old craftsmen . Our worthy brother passed away on the 15 th of July , 18 93 , in his 90 th year , and his 68 th year as a Mason . I was , I believe , the only one of his Masonic friends who attended

his iuneral in Norwood Cemetery , most of them having preceded him , and those that were left being unable to be present . In the course of my previous address the name of George Shillibeer was mentioned as having joined the Globe Lodge in 1829 , and as being the inventor of a certain vehicle used

by undertakers for their patrons of the humbler class—a combination of hearse and mourning coach—one part being for those who had " gone before , " and the other part for those who were " left behind . "

This distinguished brother , who , I lind , was initiated 111 the Etonian Lodge , Windsor , 25 th February , 1827 , has , quite unwittingly , of course , been a source of considerable anxiety to me . He is registered as a coachmaker , residing at No . 12 , Bury Street , Bloomsbury . Having some knowledge of the period when the vehicle which bears his name , a very

uncommon one be it noted , came into use , I considered myself justified in crediting him with its invention . But after-dinner speaking is one thing and printing your remarks is another ; so before venturing into type I deemed it advisable to verify my statement .

The fame of this gentleman is based , not so much upon the afore-mentioned invention , as upon the fact of his having undoubtedly been the first to introduce that popular and useful conveyance , the omnibus , to the streets of London , and eventually all over the country . On consulting such

ordinary books of reference as we have in our library , I found that the gentleman in question is generally described as " Mr . Shillibeer , " and occasionally as " J . Shillibeer , " but one of these works , which professes to give the fullest information , boldly refers to" him as " John Shillibeer , coach proprietor . "

This description seemed hardly to tally with the Grand Lodge Register , but , in my experience , historians are not quite infallible , nor , for that matter , are Grand Lodge records .

Happening to have in the library a copy of Pigot ' s London and Provincial Directory for 1826-7 , I consulted that , and found to my disgust that the only Shillibeer therein mentioned was " Shillibeer and Cavill , Livery Stable Keepers , " I , however , derived no little consolation from the fact that the address there given is the same as that given in the Grand

Lodge Register . Being still in doubt as to whether there might not have been two Shillibeers at the same house , I have since extended my research to that never failing source of reliable information , the British Museum , when I had the satisfaction of learning that the Grand Lodge Register is correct , and

that his name was George and not John . He was born in Tottenham Court Road in 1797 , and at an early period of his life served for a short time as a midshipman in the Royal Navy , on board the San Josef and the Royal George . He afterwards learnt coach building in Long

Acre , London , subsequently setting up in business for himself and building the first two omnibuses in England , which he started on the 4 th of July , 1829 , from The Yorkshire Slingo at Paddington , to the Bank . Each of these vehicles carried 22 passengers inside , with only the driver outside ,

and were drawn by three horses abreast , the fare for the whole journey was one shilling , half way , sixpence , with light literature thrown in . It is said that his first conductors were the sons of naval officers , and that they were succeeded by men attired in a handsome uniform .

The enterprise was financially successful until railways , litigation , and competition , drove Shillibeer off the road . He then set up in business as an undertaker , and invented the machine before referred to , thereby greatly reducing the cost of funerals . As secretary to the committee of post-masters he took

the lead in securing the repeal of the post-horse duties and the tax upon carriages let on hire . In celebration of this auspicious event a large gathering of the post-masters of England , Scotland and Wales took place at The London Tavern on the 10 th of October 1853 on which occasion a

, , valuable testimonial was presented to Bro . Shillibeer in acknowledgment of his services . The testimonial took the form of a handsome silver candelabrum bearing the following inscription : — " Presented by the Postmasters of Great Britain to George Shillibeer as a testimonial of their respect ,