Thomas Dunckerley.

Jlasonry Explained , being ' the substance of a charge delivered at Plymouth , in , 1757 . " In the title of this production he sty les himself simply a " Master Mason , " slaving that he had not been long enough in the Order to have obtained official

position , ancl in the body of the charge he apoligizes for the apparent presumption of one " who had been so feAV years a Mason . " It is probable that he Avas initiated about the year 1755 j and as he Avas at that time : in the Navy , in one of the Lodges of

. Plymouth , which was then , as UOAV , frequented by vessels of Avar .. In this charge , , it is Avorthy of note , that a prayer , written by Dunckerley , appears for the first time , Avhich , slightly abridged , has ever since ; been used in all English and American

i Lodges at the initiation of a candidate . Oliver says , that shortly after his return .: to England he Avas elected the Master of a Lodge . This must have been in the year 1766 or 1767 ; for in the latter year •he received from Lord Blaney , the Grand ¦ ¦¦ Masterthe deputation for Provincial

, ' Grand Master of Hampshire , Avhich I sup-¦ pose Avould scarcely have been given him ; if he had not " passed the chair . " Preston ; speaks of his " indefatigable assiduity" in | the discharge of the duties of the office

, : and of the considerable progress of Ma-¦ sonry in the province through his instru-. ; mentality . He was soon after appointed . to the superintenclency of the Lodges in ! Dorsetshire , Essex , Gloucestershire , Somer-. ; setshire , and Herefordshire . Ancl some

; years afterwards the Grand Lodge , in grate-; : hil testimony of his zeal in the cause of { Masonry , resolved that he should rank as \ a Past Senior Grand Warden , and in all _ processions take place next the present ¦ Senior Grand Warden for the tune being . I During the rest of his life

Dunckerlrey i ceived many evidences of the high esteem : in Avhich he was held by the Masonic - authorities of the clay , ancl at the time of ' his death was occupying the fqlloAving j prominent positions , in addition to that of ; Provincial Grand Master , which appointaent

j he held from the Prince of Wales , ! viz : Grand Superintendent and Past | wand Master of Royal Arch Masons of j Lristol and several counties , appointed by ; wie Duke of Clarence ; and Supreme Grand ! faster of the Kni ghts of Rosa Cruris , J and

-emplars , Kadosh , under Prince Edward , afterwards Duke of Kent . His f ,,

royal kinsmen did not neglect his claims to patronage . But far higher than any of these titles ancl offices , and of far more lasting importance to the Craft , AA'as the position occupied by Dunckerley as an instructor of the

Lodges and a Reformer , or at least a remodeller of the system of lectures . To these duties ho Avas called by the Grand Lodge of England , Avhich authorized him to construct a neiv code of lectures , a careful revision of the existing ritual , ancl a collation of all ancient forinulas .

For this task he was pre-eminently qualified . Possessed of a fair share of learning , ancl imbued Avith a phdosophical spirit , he was prepared to amplify the existing system of Martin Clare by the addition of much new symbolism , and the improvement of that Avhich had already been introduced by

his predecessor . He was also liberal in his vieAvs , and not partaking of the prejudices then so active , against Avhat were called the innovations of Dermott , he did not hesitate to avail himself of his labors , as that schismatic had previously not hesitated to profit by the suggestions of the Chevalier Ramsay . Oliver says that he often visited

the Lodges of the " Ancients , for the pinpose of ascertaining Avhat Avere the essential differences between the tAvo systems , and of that which was good he culled the best , and transplanted it into the workings of the legitimate Grand Lodge . The results were not eA anescent , but are

felt oven in the ritual of the present day . The most important Avas that Avhich affected the third degree . Dunckerley reconstructed : the Royal Arch of Dermott , and httro-1 ; duced it into the Grand Lodge of England , ' ' *) not , liOAA'ever , Avithout opposition , Avhich- » Avas oidy overcome , Oliver says , by the pa-, ti'onage . of the Duke of Clarence and hisu OAVU personal influence . By this innova-. 1

tion , the true Avord , which bad tntiierto ¦ , been a part of the Master ' s degree , was transferred to the Royal Arch , and the third degree was made incomplete , and required to be supplemented by a higher one , which should supply its deficiency . The Master ' s degree , as UOAV given in

England ancl America , differs very considerably from that Avhich Avas left by Martin Clare , and is indebted for its present organization to the labors of Dunckerley . It might , indeed , )*) . be properly called Dimckorley ' s degree . ;¦ f Dunckerley also introduced into his system \ \