Old Warrants.

Old Warrants .

No . 14 .

No . 13 , Ancients ; No . 23 , at the Union , A . D . 1813 ; No . 22 , A . D . 1832 and 1863 . Now held at Guildhall Tavern , London .

Seal AUGUSTUS G . M . Figure of Neptune , No . 22 . <"' thariot , drawn Jy # three sea horsea .

JTo all rntb tbtra our Right Worshipful Worshipful and loving Brethren WE Prince Augustus Frederick of Brunswick Lunenburgh Duke of Sussex Earl of Inverness Baron of Arklow , Knight of the Most Noblo Order of the Garter & o 4 c & o

GRAND MASTER of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of FREE and ACCEPTED MASONS of ENGLAND SEND GREETING

WHEREAS it appears by the Records of our Grand Lodgo that a Warrant of Constitution bearing date 18 th July 1759 was granted to certain Brethren therein named authorising them to open and hold a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons at the Sign of THE GRIFFIN in the Town of Deptford in the County of Kent and which was then

registered in the hooks of the Grand Lodge No 73 And whereas by the Union of the two Grand Lodges on the 27 th December 1813 the said Lodge became No 23 and by tho general alteration of the numbers in the year 1832 it became and is now registered in tho Grand Lodge Books No 22 meeting at the Black Boy Tavern Wapping in the County of Middlesex under the Title and Denomination of

THE NEPTUNE LODGE AND WHEREAS the Brethren composing the said Lodge have by their memorial represented to us that their said Warrant hath by some accident been lost or destroyed and they have prayed us to grant them a Warrant of Conformation . Now KNOW YE that we being

satisfied of the reasonableness of the said request and from the Confidence reposed in tho Brethren do hereby grant this our WARRANT of CONFIRMATION unto our right trusty and well beloved Brethren HENRY ROWE , HENRY THOMAS DOUBTFIRE , CHARLES JOHN OSBORNE , WILLIAM SANSUM , JOHN ALBERTIJ SMITH , BENJAMIN COOPER ,

JOHN BEGBIE and the other Brethren composing the said Lodge authorising and empowering them and their Successors to continue to assemble and hold a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons at Wapping aforesaid on the Second Tuesday in every Month or at such times as to the Brethren thereof may appear necessary and be regn .

lated by their Bye-laws in conformity with the general laws of the Craft and then and there when duly congregated to make pass and raise Tree Masons according to the ancient custom of the Craft in all Ages and Nations throughout the known World AND FURTHER at the Petition of the said Brethren WE DO APPOINT the said HENRY

ROWE to be tbe Master Tbe said HENRY THOJIAS DOUBTFIRE to bo the Senior Warden And tho said CHARLES JOHN OSBORNE to be tho Junior Warden for continuing to hold tho said Lodge until snch timo as another Master shall be regularly elected and installed strictly charging that every Member who shall be elected to preside over tho

said Lodge shall be installed in ancient form and according to the Laws of the Grand Lodge that he may thereby bo fully invested with the dignities and powers of his office AND we do require yon tho said HENRY ROVE nnd your Successors to tako special care that all and every tho Brethren are or havo been regularly made Masons

AND that you and they and all other the Members of the said Lodge do observe perform and keep the Laws Rules and Orders contained in tho Book of Constitutions and all others which may from time to time be made by our Grand Lodge or transmitted by ns or our Successors Grand Masters or by our Deputy Grand Master for the

time being AND we do enjoin yoa to make such bye-laws for the government of your Lodge as shall to tho majority of the Members appear proper and necessary , the same not being contrary to or inconsistent with the general Laws and Regulations of the Craft a copy whereof yon are to transmit to us AND we do require you to

cause all such b ye-laws and regulations and also an account of tho proceedings in your Lodge to be entered in Books to be kept for that purpose AND yon are in no wise to omit to send to ns or our Successors Grand Masters or to THE RIGHT HONORABLE LORD HENRY JOHN SPENCER CHURCHILL our Deputy Grand Master or to tho

Deputy Grand Master for tho time being at least once in every year a list of the Members of your Lodge with the names and descriptions of all Masons initiated therein and Brethren who shall have joined the same , together with fees and monies payable thereon according

to the Rnles laid down in the Book of Constitutions it being onr WILL and intention that this our Warrant shall continue in force so long only as you shall conform to tho laws and regulations of oar said Grand Lodge .

William H . White )„ _ Edw . Harper j * b > Given under onr hand nnd Seal of the Grand Lodge at London this day of October A . L . 5835 . A . D . 1835 . By command of the M . W . Grand Master . fl . John Spencer Churchill D . G . M .

The present No ., title , 4 c , are 22 , Nepture Lodge , Guildhall Tavern , E . O . * Evidently executed recently .

We were " in wandering mazes lost after a perusal of the fore * going Warrant of Confirmation of the Neptune Lodge , " and so soli * cited the good offices of our esteemed friend , Brother Hughan , who has kindly sent the following interesting reply , which will prove not only of value to the members of the Lodge in question , but also to the Craft generally . —JOHN CONSTABLE .

Truro , Sth July 1876 . MY DEAR CONSTABLE , —No doubt you are puzzled on reading tho Warrant of Confirmation of No . 22 , London , and if all were true aa recited , the key could not be forthcoming . The facts are these : The Lodge No . 13 became extinct , and on the 6 th December 1758 , Lodge No . 63 paid to the Charity Fund of the

"Ancients" the sum of Two Guineas , to assume its number and position on the Roll , which was agreed to by the Grand Lodge . Such a traffic was not at all uncommon amongst the seceders , unfortunately , and has given rise to so many complications that in several instances it is quite impossible , at the present time , to decide as to the actual age of certain Lodges which are distinguished by numbers ,

of themselves indicating considerable antiquity . The " Warrant of Confirmation" is in error as to No , 73 , which did not become 23 at tho " Union , " but the Neptune did as No . 13 at that period , and before 1758 as No . 63 . The Lodge which met at the Black Boy , Wapping , was No . 63 , and not No . 73 , the truth of which may be confirmed by reference to the lists of the " Ancient" Lodges ,

printed in 1807 and 1813 . No . 73 was held in Suffolk , and became 97 at tho " Union . " No . 63 was continued by another Lodgo , at the "Union" becoming 86 , in 1832 No . 76 , and again to the original number ( 63 ) in 1863 ; St . Mary's Lodge , London , being its present title . If our able Brother H . G . Buss had been installed in the Grand Secretary's Office A . D . 1835 , tho errors before noted would not have occurred . With best wishes , Your friend and brother , WILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN .

No . 15 .

No . 74 , "Ancients ; " No . 98 at tho Union ; No . 83 A . D . 1832 ; and No . 70 from A . D . 1863 . No . 74 . ATHOLL , GRAND MASTER . IIAU . DERMOTT , D . G . M . WM . CLARKE , S . G . W .

JOHN CHRISTIAN , J . G . W . jfa nil Mjom it mnn nmwm . We , tlie GRAND LODGE of the Most Ancient and Honourable FRATERNITY of FREE and ACCEPTED MASONS , according to tho Old Constitutions granted by His Royal Highness Prince Edwin

at York , Anno Domino Nine hundred twenty and Six , and in the Year of Masonry Four Thousand Nine hundred twenty and Six , in ample form assembled , viz . The Risrht Worshipfnl and Mest Noble John , Dnke and Marquis o ? Atholl , Marquis and Earl of TnlVibardine , Earl of Strathtay and Strathardle , Viscount of Balquhidar , Glenal .

mond , and Glenlyon , Lord Murray , Belvenie , and Gask , Heritable Captain and Constable of the Castle and Constabulary of Kincleaven , one of the sixteen Peers of Scotland , Knight of the most noble Order of the Thistle , and in that part of Great Britain called England , GRAND MASTER OF MASONS;—The Worshipful LAU . DER .

MOTT , Esqnire , DEPUTY GRAND MASTER ,- The Worshipful WILLIAM CLARKE , Esquire , Senior Grand Warden ; and the Worshipful JOHN CHRISTIAN , Esquire , Junior Grand Warden , ( with the approbation and consent of the WARRANTED LODGES held within the cities and suburbs of London and Westminster , ) Do

hereby authorise and empower our trusty and well-beloved Brethren , viz : Mr . William Gardiner , ono of our Master Masons , Mr . William Dyor , his Senior Warden , and Mr . Richard Player his Junior Warden , to form and hold a LODGE of FREE and ACCEPTED MASONS aforesaid , at tho sign of tho Castle ( or elsewhere ) in the city of

Exeter , * upon the second Monday of each Kalendar Month , and on all seasonable times and lawful occasions : and in the said LODGE ( when duly congregated ) to admit and make FREE MASONS according to the most Ancient and Honourable Custom of the ROYAL CRAFT in all ages and nations throughout the known world . And

we do hereby farther authorise and empower our said trusty and well beloved brethren , Messrs . William Gardiner , William Dyer , and Richard Player , with the consent of the members of their Lodge , to nominate , chnso , and install their successors , to whom they shall deliver this WARRANT , and invest them with their powers , and

dignities , as FREE MASONS , & c . And snch successors shall in like manner nominate , chuse , and install their successors , & c . & c . & o . such installation to be upon or near every St . John ' s Day during the

continuance of this Lodgo for ever . Provided the above named Brethren and all their successors always pay duo respect to the Worshipful Grand Lodge , otherwise this Warrant to be of no force or virdie .

Given under the Hands and the Seal of our Grand Lod ge in London , this Eleventh day of November , in the Year of our Lord one Thousand Seven Hundred Seventy and One , in the Year of Masonry Five Thousand Seven Hundred Seventy and Ono . WM . DICKEY , Grand Secretary .

A Renewal bears date March 21 st 1759 . NOTE . —This WARRANT is registered in the GRAND LODGE , Vol . 3 , Letter C . * A Removal to Plymouth , bearing date 6 th October 1828 , was granted by tho Right Honourable Hugh , Viscount Ebrington , Pro . vincial Grand Master of Devon , & c . & c . Tbe present title , locality , 4 c . are , The St . John ' s Lodge , No . 70 , Hnyshe Masonic Temple , Plymouth ,