Notes On The Early Minute Book Of The Premier Grand Lodge Of England.

NOTES ON THE EARLY MINUTE BOOK OF THE PREMIER GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

A recent visit to Grand Lodge gave me opportunity to examine , more critically and in detail , the contents of the earliest Minute Book , now known as volume I ., which commences in 1723 . Some of the particulars I g leaned will be , I trust , of sufficient interest for publication . One naturally regrets the absence of any authentic records prior to 1723 .

I have little doubt , however , that minutes of the proceedings and lists of lodges were kept in some form previous to those vve now possess , but they have all disappeared . The Minutes commence vvith a record of the Assembly and Feast held at Merchant Taylors' Hall , on Monday , June

24 th , 1723 , and are followed by the proceedings of the subsequent Quarterly Communications . But at the commencement of the volume , and prior to the recorded minutes , there are two lists of lodges to vvhich I vvould refer . The first commences thus : —

* ' This Manuscript was begun on the 25 th November , 1723 . " The Rt . Honble . Francis , Earl of Dalkeith , Grand Ma ' - " Br . John Theophilus Desaguliers , Deputy Grand Ma - " Francis Sorell , Esq ., ) rr , \\ r „ r . j „„ r . „ ,, , , c . ( jrand Wardens . " Mr . John Senex , )

«• A list of the Regular Constituted Lodges , together with the names of the Masters , Wardens , and Members of each lodge . " Then follow the names of the 52 taverns or houses where thc lodges met , arranged as a register , or in ledger form , Two lodges to a page . This

list , therefore , contains one lodge more than is noted in the engraved List of 1723 , which ends vvith "Blue Posts , near Middle Row , Holborn , " the Manuscript list having , after "The Blew Posts in Holborne , " a Lodge at "The Red Lyon in Richmond , in Surry . "

It is therefore manifest that , as the Lodge at the Blue Posts in Holborn , vvhich subsequently was numbered 27 , bears date 27 th March , 1724 , the Engraved List must be one of 1723-4 , and that the Manuscript received several additions after the date when it vvas commenced , viz ., 25 th

November , 1723 . To 36 of these 52 Lodges the names of members are subjoined , the other 16 not having any members registered . Immediately following the foregoing List , and still previous to the entry

of the regular minutes ( vvhich commence ] in 1723 ) is List No . 2 . " A List of the Regular Constituted Lodges , together with the names of the Masters and Wardens and members of each Lodge , as by Account deliver'd at a Quarterly Communication held 27 th November , 1725 . "

This List is also entered in ledger form , but unlike its predecessor has THREE Lodges to each page [ not Two , as stated in Bro . Gould's valuable "Four Old Lodges , " p . 49 ] with the exception of "The Horn at Westminster , '' which , from its having 71 members , required two columns .

It contains all the Lodges enumerated in the Engraved List of 1725 , second edition * except the 30 th on that List , " Ship behind y Royal Exchange , " which is omitted or dropped from the Manuscript List . It comprises , however , eight other Lodges not included in the Engraved List , viz . :

f " Bell Tavern , Nicholas Lane . "Cock and Bottle in Little Britain . 7 th Janry , 1725 . [ 35 ] " *^ India Arms at Gosport , Mr . Timothy Raggett . 27 Febry ., 1726 . [ 34 ] " Naggs head and Star in Carmarthen , South VVales . 9 June , 1727 .

[ 48 ] " King ' s Head in Salford , near Manchester . [ 49 ] " Castle and Leg in Holbourn . [ 51 ] "Green Lettice , Brownloe Street , Holbourn . [ 52 ] "Wool Pack , in the Town of Warwick . "

The last four names are in a different handwriting to the former part of the List , and it is very clear that these lodges vvere added after the original list was transcribed . The dates given above ( two of which are misprinted in " Four Old Lodges " ) may indicate the time of entry in this book , for they cannot mean the dates of constitution , inasmuch as to the . lodge at

Carmarthen is added this significant note : — "This lodge was first constituted by those five Gent , [ viz ., Emanuell Bowen , Edward Oakley , Rice Davis , Henry Wilson , and William Lloyd ] by deputation given by his Grace the Duke of Richmond , then Grand Mar ., to the said Mr . Emanuell Bowen . " The Duke of Richmond having been Grand Master only from

24 th June , 1724 , until 27 th December , 1725 , it necessarily follows that the 9 th June , 1727 , could not be the date of constitution of this lodge at Carmarthen . In this Second List , as in the former , the names of members are given , but to a greater extent , as only four lodges out of 77 have no names recorded .

After these two lists we arrive at the Minutes proper , commencing , as I have said , vvith 24 th June , 1723 , and terminating with 17 th March , 173 ? -, the Minutes subsequent to that date being transcribed in what is designated the new " Large folio Book of the finest writing paper for the records of the Grand Lodge , richly bound in Turkey , and gilded ; on the frontispiece in

vellum , the Arms of Norfolk displayed , vvith a Latin inscription ot his titles , and at the end the Arms of Masonry likewise amply displayed and illuminated . " ( Const . 1784 , pp . 223-4 ) . As the first Book was not then required for the entry of Minutes it vvas used for the insertion of a Third List of Lodges which bears this heading : —

" List of the Names of the Members of all the regular Lodges as they were returned in the year 1730 . The Rt . Honble . Thomas , Lord Lovell , being then GRAND MASTER .

Notes On The Early Minute Book Of The Premier Grand Lodge Of England.

"And " The Minutes and proceedings of the Grand Lodge vvere then begun to be entred in the New Book , which was presented by His Grace , Thos , Duke of Norfolk , the proceeding Grand Master . " Then follow the names of the Taverns or Houses at which the Lod ges were held , each Lodge , in this case , having an ENTIRE PAGE to itself , the " Horn Tavern in Westminster , " without any names , having two whole

pages . Although this list is said to be of the year 1730 , yet as it was compiled when Lord Lovell vvas Grand Master , it must have been commenced in 1731 at the earliest , lor that Nobleman vvas not proposed as Grand Master until 17 th March . 173 1 ( 173 " old Style ) , and he was elected and proclaimed on

the 37 th of the same month ( 1731 ) . The List , moreover , is entered in the Volume alter the Minutes of the 17 th March , 173- ' ! and hence it could not have been earlier than that period . It is very probable that the date hitherto assigned to this List [ 1730-32 ] is wrong , in consequence of a misinterpretation ol the method ot denoting the " Old Style " of da te ; a proper allowance not having been made for that style of Chronology .

In this Third List 102 Lodges are noted , but only 54 of them contain the names of members . There are three pages entirely blank , two of them corresponding to the positions of numbers 42 and 67 on the 1729 list , whilst after number 63 a page seems to have been left for the insertion of additional members' names , sixty-four of whom are registered under that lodge . The list terminates vvith the Lodge at the " Virgins' Inn in Derby , " and then follow 139 blank pages , the Volume concluding vvith a list of Grand Masters and Deputy Grand Masters from 1717 to 1 744 .

lo this third List are prefixed the numbers of the Lodges , written iu pencil on each page , and corresponding vvith the numbers on the Engraved List of 1729 , but 1 think these were added at a very much later period , The Minute book contains no list vvith Lodge numbers , and their absence has proved a source of inconvenience , and in some cases , of considerable perplexity . In saying this I am well aware that numbers are prefixed to the

Lodges represented as attending Grand Lodge on several occasions ; in fact , out of fourteen meetings recorded between 19 th December 1727 , and 14 th May 1731 inclusive ( vvhen this peculiarity ceases altogether ) the Lodges are in eleven instances numbered down in consecutive order , as in a catalogue , but these figures certainly do not represent the actual numbers assigned to or borne by the Lodges as indicative of their seniority or position , but in

every case , they simply indicate the total number of lodges in attendance , irrespective of their order of constitution or precedence , as well as of any distinctive numbering ; the first positive enumeration , of vvhich we have any authentic evidence , being in the engraved List of 1729 . That this Third List is not entirely ot the year 1731 , when it appears to have been commenced , is evident from the fact that it contains Lodges down

to September , 1732 . The entries are , however , all in the same handwriting , but a careful inspection convinced me that , in several instances , the lists of members received additions after the first or original entry ; and there are three cases where the removal from one place to another has been noted , by the same hand , but of course at a later period . [ 37 ] " Three Kings at Spittle Fields , removed to the Sash and Cocoe

Iree in Upper Moore : Fields . [ 38 ] " Swan in Tottenham High Cross , removed to the Three Tuns and Bull Head in Cheapside . " [ 71 ] "Bricklayers Arms in Barbican . —now removed to the Rose in Cheapside . "

Of these three lodges the first was at the " Three Kings at Spittle Fields " on 3 rd December , 1731 , and at the " Sash and Cocoe Tree in Upper Moorefields , " by 21 st November , 1732 . The last vvas located at the " Bricklayers Arms in Barbican , " on Sth June , 1732 , but had removed to the " Rose Tavern , Cheapside , " by the 21 st November , 1732 ; so that these notifications of removal appear to have been made during the latter half of the year 1732 .

But another source of proof remains . A careful comparison of this Third List vvith the Lodges attending Grand Lodge as recorded in the Minutes for the years 1731 and 1732 furnishes conclusive evidence , I think , as to the date vvhen it was compiled . For example , No . 5 , described in this List as at the " Ship behind the Royal Exchange " appears to have been at " Three Cranes in Poultry , " as late as 14 th May , 1731 , and No . 43 , " Cross

Keys in Henrietta Street" was at the " Rose at Mary La Bonne " to the same period ; both Lodges removing between 14 th May and 3 rd December , 1731 , and consequently the List must , have been made after such removal . Again , No . 19 , " Queen ' s Arms , in Newgate-street" was at the" Crown , Snow-hill , " as late as 3 rd December , 173 1 , and , therefore that portion ofthe list was made , or transcribed , subsequent to that date .

Lastlv , Nos . 93 and 98 , " Crown in Walbrook , " and " Prince Eugene ' s Head Coffee house in St . Albans street , " are first noted as attending Grand Lodge from those places respectivel y , on 21 st November , 1732 , on which day they paid for their Constitutions , the former removing to the "Goose and Grid Iron , St . Paul ' s Churchyard , " and the latter to the " Duke of Lorrain ' s Head , Suffolk street , " on or before 29 th May > 1733 .

These facts induce me to conclude that the List vvas compiled very late m the year 1731 , and that it received additions , from time to time , down to the end of 1732 . JNO . LANE .

BRO . GOULD ' S FORTHCOMING VOLUME . — We have just received a telegram to the effect that the concluding volume of the " History of Freemasonry , " by Bro . R . F . Gould , P . G . D ., will be published within the next few days , much to the satisfaction of thenumerous subscribers , and doubtless also to the accomplished author , who has written the best history on the subject that has ever been published in Europ e or America . As this volume

deals with the origin and progress of Freemasonry in the Linked States ana the British Provinces , much speculation ( and even anxiety in some quartets ) is rife as to the views taken b y the historian on several debateable questions-Bro . Gould deserves the unstinted thanks of the Fraternity for his most conscientious , exhaustive , and important labours and researches , which have been so ablv described and utilised in thp vnium « a \ r * A ; = ci , ori and we ,

„„ therefore , heartily congratulate him on the conclusion being so near at hand . The considerable task he undertook some five years ago , we apprehend ' increased in magnitude as the days went on , thus accounting for the delay in the publication ; but better thus than scant justice be meted out to any portion of the elaborate enquiry , which , so far as we have had opportunity to judge , has been thorough and most reliable .