St. John's Lodge, Philadelphia.

HUMPHRY MURRAY to Stock 1732 Dr . Oct . 19 for quota 6 d ... ... ... 6 Nov . 6 for entrance £ 3 ... ... ... 3 Dec . 4 for quota ... ... ... ... 6

1732-3 Jan . 1 for absence and monthly quota ... ... 16 Feb ' y 5 for quota ... ... ... ... 6 March 5 for quota ... ... ... ... 6

Humphry Murray's account continues until 24 th Jane , 1736 , during which period he was charged with bat two absences .

James Bingham was absent but twice between 19 th Oct . 1732 , and 6 th June 1737 . Thomas Hopkinson was elected Grand Master in 1736 . He was an Englishman , and Admiralty Judge in the Province of Pennsylvania under the British Crown . He

married a niece of the Bishop of Worcester , England ; was a member of the Philosophical Society ; and assisted Franklin in his discoveries in electricity . He was the

father of Francis Hopkinson , a Signer of the Declaration of Independence , and the grandfather of Joseph Hopkinson , also an Admiralty Judge , and the author of the famous American national song , " Hail Columbia . " * We quote from Thos . Hopkinson ' s record , as follows : A Dom :

THOS HOPKINSON TO 1733 ST JOHNS LODGE . . DR . Nov . 5 To your entrance and quota ... £ S 0 6 Xbr 3 To stock ... ... ... ... 6 Jan ' y 7 To stock ... ... ... ... 6 12 mo . 4 To stock ... ... ... ... 6 March 4 To Do ... ... ... ... 6 June 3 To Do ... ... ... ... o 6 £ 3 3 0

His record continues to 24 th June 1738 . ' William Plumsted was elected Prov . Grand Master of Pennsylvania in 1737 . We quote from his account :

1734 WM . PLUMSTED DR . July 1 To his Entrance ... ... ... £ 5 0 0 1735 June 2 For one year ' s Stock ... ... ,,. g 1736 ^ ne 7 „ „ „ 6 1737 Jnno 6 » » » ... ... ... 6 1738

June 24 „ „ „ 6 We quote from the record of Dr . Thos . Cadwallader , to whom Bro . Henry Bell wrote his well-known letter . ( Brother Dr . Cadwallader , the son of John Cadwallader , was born in Philadel phia in 1708 , and died in 1779 , aged 71 years ) :

DOCTOR THOMAS CADWALLADER DR . 1737 To his Entrance Money ... ... £ 3 0 0 Juno 6 To I year ' s stock ... ... " Q

_ ,. _ . £ 3 3 0 To hia Expenses in the general acc't ... 9 3 1738 June 24 To one year's stock ... „ ., g

1737 Contra OB . By Cash for entrance ... ... £ 3 0 0 1737 June By Ditto for 2 Quar'ly Payments ... 3 3 3

24 th By Cash in full ... ... ... 9 3 ( The initiation fee appears to have been reduced , about 1737 , from £ 5 to £ 3 again . )

In 1736-7 Owen Owen appears to have been the Secretary of tbe Lodge , for in that year this Ledger contains the following account :

St. John's Lodge, Philadelphia.

" Dr . Tho Lodge General Acct . of Expences To Owen Owen . Cr . "

Dr . 1736 July 5 To tho amt . of the Bill for this Night £ 1 7 0 Aug . 2 To Ditto 1 14 4 Sept . 6 To Ditto 1 11 0 & o . Cr . 1737

Juno 6 By "Wm . Allen ' s Acct . Fo . 2 . ... ... 10 10 By Benj . Franklin ' s do Fo . 3 . ... ... 14 7 By James Bingham do Fo . 21 . ... ... 10 10 By Thomas Cadwallader do Fo . 26 ... 9 3 £ 0 .

From the following entries we infer , that in 1737 and ' 38 this Ledger was used by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , for Bros . Pratt and Sing were elected Grand

Wardens in 1737 , and Bros . Cadwallader and Boude , Grand Wardens in 1738 , as appears from Franklin ' s reports of the elections of Grand Officers in his Pennsylvania Gazette of 1737 and ' 38 . Messrs PRATT and SING , Wardens for the year 1737 . Dr .

1737 June 24 To cash reo'd for the Discharge of the Dinner £ 5 15 0 Messrs THOS . CADWALLADER AND THOS . BOUDE , Wardens for the 1 p year 1738 / ° "

By Kiohard Parkhouse , cash paid his wife ... ... £ 2 0 0 By ditto for his wife ' s funeral viz .: Coffin ... ... ... ... 1 10 0 Wine 19 0 Sugar and juice ... ... 5 8 Parson and Sexton ... ... 14 9 3 9 5

5 9 5 Under date of 1736 , 30 th June , is this credit : By cash paid for cleaning the Aprons , & o . ... ... 9 We invite attention to several archaisms evident in the foregoing accounts . Until 1752 the year did not legally begin until 25 th March , hence January , February and

March are recorded as 1731-2 . So , in one instance , February is put down as " 12 th month " ( see Thos . Hopkinson ' s account ) . So the word " omition" is used for " quota , " or monthly dues , the charge invariably being 6 d . "Omition" does not signify absence . The charge for absence was ls , not 6 d .

It is evident , from this Lodge Ledger that St . John ' s Lodge met on the lst Monday of each month . This we have verified , by comparing the calendar in Franklin ' s "Poor Richard ' s Almanac" for the year 1733 ( in the Philadelphia Library ) , with the days of meeting each

month for that year of St . John ' s Lodge . It is thus identified with the Lodge , numbered 116 , at Philadelphia , mentioned in the Dublin Freemason ' s Pocket Companion , printed in 1735 , brought to light by Brother Hughan . It is also evident , that this Lodge was constituted at the close

of the year 1730 , or beginning of the year 1731 , with thirteen members , for thirteen of the members first mentioned in this Ledger are each charged , on 24 th June 1731 , with five months previous Lodge dues , while succeeding ones are only charged with their current dues .

We must now close these most interesting transcripts . They exhibit a remarkable record of continuous Lodge life , from 24 th June 1731 , to 24 th June 1738 , and refer to some of the most eminent of the early citizens of

Philadelphia . The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania may well be proud of the recovery of this invaluable volume , since it corroborates and authenticates its claim to be regarded as the premier Grand Lodge , and Philadel p hia to be the mother city of Masonry in America .

In conclusion we would say , we know that in 1755 there were actively at work in Philadelphia three Lodges subordinate to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , for on St . John the Baptist ' s Day , 24 th June 1755 , the

Rev . Bro . William Smith , D . D ., by invitation preached a sermon before the members of the Grand Lodge , and of three subordinate Lodges , in Christ E piscopal Church , Second street above Market , which sermon was shortl y afterwards printed , with the following dedication .

" To the Eight Worshipful tbe Provincial Grand Master , Duputy Grand Master , Grand Wardens and Members of the Grand Lodge , and the Masters , Wardens and Members of the Three Eegular Lodges of Free and Accepted Masons in Philadelphia , this Sermon , preached and published at their request , is dedicated by their faithful Brother and most affectionate humble seryant , William Smith .