History Of The Lodge Of Emulation, No. 2 1.

History of the Lodge of Emulation , No . 2 1 .

( By HKXKV SADLKK , Sub-Librarian to the Grand Lodge of England . )

GLEAXIXGS FROM THE GRAXD LODGE RECORDS .

WITH ( he exception of the returns of members previously referred to , the lodge is not mentioned in the Grand Lodge book prior to December 19 th , 1727 , on this occasion the lodges attending are for the first time recorded , hitherto only the names of the Grand Officers present being - entered . At the meeting last named the Masters and Wardens

of eighteen lodges are staled to have been present , these are indicated by the signs of the various taverns , the fifth on the list being The Green Dragon , Newgate Street , but as there was no lodge held at a house in Xewgate Street known as The Green Dragon it was evidently a clerical error and should have been The Griffin . The Master and W ' ardens appear to

have been fairly regular in their attendance at the subsequent meetings of the Grand Lodge , and on the 27 th December , 1 729 the lodge is credited with its first contribution to the newly-formed Fund of Charity . The amount was certainly

AXniM'W . MOXTOOMKIiY , " (! AltHKIt Ol' Yl . ( lltAN'l ) LOUCI ' , " TVLKIt OK T / IK . MOLItXIXi ; JirSlI I . OIKiK . ( Itiil l " - "r . not extravagant , being only live shillings , but it was bettet than some of the lodges did , for there were thirty-two represented and only seventeen of ( hem contributed , ' ( he total

amount collected being £ 41 os . 6 d ., more than half of which came from the lodge at The Horn Tavern , Westminster . The next payment to the Fund from this lodge was one guinea in December 1 730 , the same in 1731 , and two guineas in 1732 , after which munificence it tookashort rest for reasons doubtless

considered good and sufficient from the point of view of its members , which are referred to in the minutes of the Grand Lodge of June 17 th , 1736 , as follows : — "The Master aud Wardens of ( he Lodge held a ( the Mourning Bush , near Aldersgate , presented a Memorial

setting forth that haying had formerly , [ for ] sundry reasons , remonstrated against the General Charity , but being now thoroughl y satisfied that ( he disposal of ( he said Charity is

now in a regular and satisfactory manner , they desire to withdraw their Remonstrance , and that they do intend for the future to contribute till that is in their power to support and maintain the said Charity , and paid in Charity accordingly . £ 1 is . od . " The minutes of the Grand Lodge of December 3 rd , 1731 ,

contain two items which should be of interest to the Lodge of Emulation ; first in order being the name of Captain Ralph Far Winter , one of i ( s members in 1730 , appearing amongst the Grand Officers present as " Provincial Grand Master of East India . " If appears by the records that he had been appointed to ( his important office in 1729 , and was

the first to hold that rank in India . A Mr . George Pomfret is said ( o have been appointed provincial Grand Master for Bengal in 1728 but the evidence of such appointment is inconclusive and whether he ever discharged the duties of the office is doubtful . His name is not in a list of Provincial Grand Masters written by the

Grand Secretary about 173 6 ( the fourth name on the list being that of " Captain Ralph Far Winter , " ) nor is he anywhere mentioned in the records of the period as Provincial Grand Master . The sixth name on the above-mentioned list is that of '' Randolph Tooke , Esq ., for South America . " This brother was also a member of the lodge in 1 730 .

The other item alluded to relates to a discussion in the Grand Lodge on the advisability , or otherwise , of voting a sum of money from the Charity Fund to pay the debts of a petitioner , when "Sir William Keith ( also a member of the lodge ) toolnotice that he thought ( he Grand Lodge was not to think of

paying Debts with the Charity money , for that there would be no end of , nor would our Stock afford it ; But if we cont'd , Insuch a Contribution as should be adjudged proper , aid and assist our poor Brethren in distress by way of Subsistance by weekly Payments or otherwise , that would , in his opinion , be

the best method of bestowing the said Charily . " Xathaniel Blackerby , Past Deputy Grand Master and Treasurer of the Charity Fund , spoke to ( he same purport , but ultimately the matier was deferred for further consideration . It is worthy of noting that the views of these distinguished brethren have

b _ 'en acted upon by the dispensers of our Fund of Benevolence from that period down to the present , so far as the non-payment of the debts of petitioners is concerned .

On the 13 th December , 1733 , Sir William Keith , Bart ., in ( he absence of John Ward , Esq ., sat as Junior Grand Warden . At this meeting the lodge was represented by the Master and Wardens , but whether Keith was one of the three is not shited . He was never appointed to office iu the Grand Lodge , -and I think it highly probable that he was Master of

the lodge tit the time , as only Grand , and Past Grand Officers , and Masters and Wardens , or their representatives , were allowed to attend the meetings of the Grand Lodge at this period . At this meeting a proposition was made with regard to

planting the new Colony of Georgia in America , and to collect subscriptions with a view lo enable the Trustees to send distressed Brethren to that colony , " where they may be comfortably provided for . Which being seconded b } Br . Rogers Holland , Esq . ( one of the said Trustees ) who opened the

nature of the Settlement , and by Sir William Keith , Bart ., who was many years Governor of Pensilvania , by Dr . Desaguliers , Lord Southwell and many others , very worthy Brethren , it was recomended accordingly . " At a later period of lite evening " Br . Edwards , Warden

of the Horn Lodge , informed the Grand Lodge that our Rt . Worshipful Brother , Capt . Ralph Far Winter , Provincial Grand Master of East India , & c , had sent over a Chest of Arack for the use of the Grand Lodge , and ten Guineas to