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  • Jan. 1, 1876
  • Page 15
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The Masonic Magazine, Jan. 1, 1876: Page 15

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    Article EARLY MEETINGS OF THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. ← Page 2 of 3 →
Page 15

Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Early Meetings Of The Grand Lodge Of England.

Master to constitute a Lodge in the East Inches . " " Ancl at the same time the Grand Master and Wardens , ancl most of the gentlemen present took tickets to appear in Avhite gloves at the Theatre Royal in Drury

Lane as last night , Avhere the Play of Henry IV ., Part II ., was acted for their Entertainment , and a Prologue and E pilogue Avas spoken suitable to the occasion , and in honour of that society . " This Avas a very long report for the

"Post , " the paragraphs generally only averaging four or five lines , and is an indirect proof , Avith others Ave mi ght mention , of the Avouderful prosperity of the Grand Lodge at that time , though only some eleA'en years from its constitution .

The fact indeed points to the great probability that the Grand Lodge is an outgroAvth of numerous Lodges , and many members scattered OA'er the country , in addition to the four old Lodges , ancl the Brethren AVIIO directly instituted it—Lodges Avhich Avere

content to accept Warrants from the neAv Grand Lodge , though previously working according to ancient usage . In the Constitutions of 173 S is the following account of the meeting , not quite in agreement with the foregoing , and a much shorter narrative of the business . The editions since simply perpetuate the same meagre extract .

" Assembly and Feast at Mercer ' s Hall on St . John ' s Day , Friday , 27 Dec , 1728 . D . Grand Master Choke Avith bis Wardens , several noble Brothers , former Grand Officers , aud many Brethren , duly clothed , atteuded the Grand Master Elect in coaches

from his Lordshi p ' s House in Leicestersquare to the Hall Eastward ; and all Things being regularly transacted as above , D . G . M . Choke proclaimed aloud our noble Brother . VIII . James King , Lord Viscount

Kingston , Grand Master of Masons ! Avho appointed Nathaniel Blakerby , Esq ., D . G ., Master . Sir JAMES TIIOKNIIILL , 1 Grand Mr . MARTIN O'CONNER , J Wardens , ancl the Secretary was continued . "

IN the Post for November 21 st-23 rd , 1732 , is the folloAving : — "Last ni g ht a Quarterly Com was held at the Devil Tavern , in Fleet-street , & c , present Rt . Hon . Lord Iiichiquin , Rt . Hon . Earl Sutherland , Pro . Grand Master ,

Ireland , & c ., tfec . Between , £ 40 ancl £ 50 was brought in for charity from different Lodges . " The account in Constitutions 1738 , ancl others read thus : —• " Grand Lodge in due form at the Devil 'foresaidon Tuesday ,

, 21 st November , 1732 , with Lord Coleraine , Lord Southwell , and other former 67 . Officers and those of 49 Lodges . " The amount contributed for charity was surely large for the period , ancl proves that our predecessors forget not to cherish that

" distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason ' s heart . " From the 'Post , ' Dec . 7 th to the 9 th 1732 , Bro . Clarke has extracted the folloAving : —

" There AA-as a Grand Committee of the Free and accepted Masons from several Lodges met at the Plom Tavern , iu Palaceyard , to consider of proper measures for raising by subscrip tion , a sum of money for the relief of their poor Brethren

throughout England and Ireland . " It is important to note that the historians of the Grand Lodge of Englaud are silent as to this meeting , and doubtless at that time Avere not anxious for the poverty of many of their members being published

to the Avorld . This paragraph preserves the account of the first meeting of the Grand Lodge of England to provide for a systematic benevolent scheme , and Avas in all probability the beginning , in a humble Avay , of our present

Grand Lodge of BeneA'olence . But let us also note the fact that the revival , as it is called of the Society , only occurred some 1-5 years before this meeting , and yet funds Avere being accumulated to relieve distressed Brethren , ancl the casual

sums previously obtained—even as much as upwards of , £ 40 at a meeting , Avere insufficient for the purpose .

Surely all this points to the tact that there Avere more Masons in existence than those initiated since 1717 , and that in all probability it was the operative portion of the Fraternity who required assistance . At the period in question , a great many Noblemen belonged to the Order , and it is

not likely that a society of " yesterday " w-ould have secured their patronage to the extent that Freemasonry did , neither is it probable that the class of their Members Avas such as to Avant pecuniary aid ; so that Ave may relieA'e iu distress as formerly ,

“The Masonic Magazine: 1876-01-01, Page 15” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 8 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmg/issues/mmg_01011876/page/15/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
Untitled Article 1
Monthly Masonic Summary. Article 2
THE HONBLE MRS. ALDWORTH. Article 3
THE ORIGIN AND REFERENCES OF THE HERMESIAN SPURIOUS FREEMASONRY. Article 4
THE MASONIC SIGN. Article 6
AN INDIAN MASONIC WELCOME TO OUR GRAND MASTER. Article 7
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF SCOTTISH FREEMASONRY. Article 8
BYE-LAWS OF THE YORK LODGE: No. 236. Article 10
EARLY MEETINGS OF THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. Article 14
CURFEW MUST NOT RING TO-NIGHT. Article 16
THE FREEMASONS AND ARCHTECTURE IN ENGLAND. Article 17
WOMAN'S CHOICE —THE STORY OF A HERO. Article 18
UNDER CURRENTS. Article 23
THE LAST WISH. Article 25
NOTES ON THE OLD MINUTE BOOKS OF THE BRITISH UNION LODGE, NO. 114, IPSWICH. AD. 1762. Article 25
AN ORIGINAL TOAST, Article 30
SONNET. Article 30
A WORD TO THE WISE. Article 31
CONTEMPORARY LETTERS ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. Article 32
THE NEW YEAR. Article 35
THE WIDOW'S STRATAGEM. Article 36
NOTES ON LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART. Article 39
ADDRESS OF THE V. H. AND E. SIR KT. COL. W. J. B. MACLEOD MOORE, Article 43
THE SITE OF SOLOMON'S TEMPLE DISCOVERED. Article 45
Review. Article 48
SONNET. Article 49
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Early Meetings Of The Grand Lodge Of England.

Master to constitute a Lodge in the East Inches . " " Ancl at the same time the Grand Master and Wardens , ancl most of the gentlemen present took tickets to appear in Avhite gloves at the Theatre Royal in Drury

Lane as last night , Avhere the Play of Henry IV ., Part II ., was acted for their Entertainment , and a Prologue and E pilogue Avas spoken suitable to the occasion , and in honour of that society . " This Avas a very long report for the

"Post , " the paragraphs generally only averaging four or five lines , and is an indirect proof , Avith others Ave mi ght mention , of the Avouderful prosperity of the Grand Lodge at that time , though only some eleA'en years from its constitution .

The fact indeed points to the great probability that the Grand Lodge is an outgroAvth of numerous Lodges , and many members scattered OA'er the country , in addition to the four old Lodges , ancl the Brethren AVIIO directly instituted it—Lodges Avhich Avere

content to accept Warrants from the neAv Grand Lodge , though previously working according to ancient usage . In the Constitutions of 173 S is the following account of the meeting , not quite in agreement with the foregoing , and a much shorter narrative of the business . The editions since simply perpetuate the same meagre extract .

" Assembly and Feast at Mercer ' s Hall on St . John ' s Day , Friday , 27 Dec , 1728 . D . Grand Master Choke Avith bis Wardens , several noble Brothers , former Grand Officers , aud many Brethren , duly clothed , atteuded the Grand Master Elect in coaches

from his Lordshi p ' s House in Leicestersquare to the Hall Eastward ; and all Things being regularly transacted as above , D . G . M . Choke proclaimed aloud our noble Brother . VIII . James King , Lord Viscount

Kingston , Grand Master of Masons ! Avho appointed Nathaniel Blakerby , Esq ., D . G ., Master . Sir JAMES TIIOKNIIILL , 1 Grand Mr . MARTIN O'CONNER , J Wardens , ancl the Secretary was continued . "

IN the Post for November 21 st-23 rd , 1732 , is the folloAving : — "Last ni g ht a Quarterly Com was held at the Devil Tavern , in Fleet-street , & c , present Rt . Hon . Lord Iiichiquin , Rt . Hon . Earl Sutherland , Pro . Grand Master ,

Ireland , & c ., tfec . Between , £ 40 ancl £ 50 was brought in for charity from different Lodges . " The account in Constitutions 1738 , ancl others read thus : —• " Grand Lodge in due form at the Devil 'foresaidon Tuesday ,

, 21 st November , 1732 , with Lord Coleraine , Lord Southwell , and other former 67 . Officers and those of 49 Lodges . " The amount contributed for charity was surely large for the period , ancl proves that our predecessors forget not to cherish that

" distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason ' s heart . " From the 'Post , ' Dec . 7 th to the 9 th 1732 , Bro . Clarke has extracted the folloAving : —

" There AA-as a Grand Committee of the Free and accepted Masons from several Lodges met at the Plom Tavern , iu Palaceyard , to consider of proper measures for raising by subscrip tion , a sum of money for the relief of their poor Brethren

throughout England and Ireland . " It is important to note that the historians of the Grand Lodge of Englaud are silent as to this meeting , and doubtless at that time Avere not anxious for the poverty of many of their members being published

to the Avorld . This paragraph preserves the account of the first meeting of the Grand Lodge of England to provide for a systematic benevolent scheme , and Avas in all probability the beginning , in a humble Avay , of our present

Grand Lodge of BeneA'olence . But let us also note the fact that the revival , as it is called of the Society , only occurred some 1-5 years before this meeting , and yet funds Avere being accumulated to relieve distressed Brethren , ancl the casual

sums previously obtained—even as much as upwards of , £ 40 at a meeting , Avere insufficient for the purpose .

Surely all this points to the tact that there Avere more Masons in existence than those initiated since 1717 , and that in all probability it was the operative portion of the Fraternity who required assistance . At the period in question , a great many Noblemen belonged to the Order , and it is

not likely that a society of " yesterday " w-ould have secured their patronage to the extent that Freemasonry did , neither is it probable that the class of their Members Avas such as to Avant pecuniary aid ; so that Ave may relieA'e iu distress as formerly ,

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