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Article FREEMASONRY IN BERKS AND BUCKS. Page 1 of 3 Article FREEMASONRY IN BERKS AND BUCKS. Page 1 of 3 →
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Freemasonry In Berks And Bucks.
FREEMASONRY IN BERKS AND BUCKS .
AS is the casein most of onr Provinces , the early records of Freemasonry In Berks and Bucks were so indifferently kept or looked after , that it is well nigh impossible to throw any light on tho history of its introduction into these connties , and tho progress it subsequently made . However ,
from Cole s List of Lodges for 17 G 3 , we gather that a Lodge , No . 244 , constituted on the Gth June 1759 , was held at the Mermaid , "Windsor , and from an historical sketch by Bro . Biggs , till recently Grand Secretary of the Province , we learn that a Lodge , No . 195 , existed anterior to 1783 at
Reading , there being in possession of Lodge Union , No . 414 of that town , two mahogany columns Clonic and Corinthian ) for tho Wardens ' pedestals having , on a brass plate let into the bottom , the inscription , " Lodge , 195 , the gift of Bro . Wm . Coyler , W . Master , 18 th April 1783 . "
There are , likewise , in possession of tho same Lodge , a mahogany box of the same stylo of -workmanship for the Secretary ' s use , " The gift of William Chaplin and Edward Richardson , Lodge , 195 , " and a Cambridge Bible , printed in the year 1769 , " tho gift of T . Burton P . M . to
Lodge , 195 . " According to Hughan ' s List of Lodges on tlie Roll of the United Grand Lodf / e of ' England A . D-1814 , there was a Lodge of Virtue , No . 122 , at Reading , holding under the Grand Lodge Ancients , which on the re-numbering of Lodges became Lodge No . 147 after the
Union , and deceased , as will he seen hereafter , some time between the years 1814 and 1832 . In the same list we find a St . John ' s Lodge , Windsor , which in 1813 , stood No . 269 on tho Roll of the Ancients , became by the Union No . 340 in 1814 , and , by the alteration of numbers ,
No . 230 in 1832 . This Lodge has since passed away . The oldest existing Lodge , the Etonian , Windsor , was warranted by the Duke of Atbollon 27 th May 1794 , and held , therefore , under the Grand Lodge Ancients , the Warrant being originally granted to meet at the Crown and Cushion
Inn at Eton , in the county of Bucks , and was No . 284 , " Ancients , " in 1813 , 359 in 1814 after the Union , 252 in 1832 , and 209 in 1863 . In 1794 , according to Bro . Biggs , Colonel John Deacon was appointed Prov . Grand Master of Berkshire by the then Grand Master , George Prince of
Wales , and in 1796 Sir John Throgmorton , Bart ., had conferred upon him the same office for the county of Bucks . The latter of these is mentioned in the Freemasons' Magazine , Vol . VI ., for January and June 1796 , as having been present in his capacity of Prov . Grand Master for
Buckinghamshire at the Grand Feast for that year held at Freemasons' Hall on 11 th May , under the presidency of his Royal Highness the Grand Master . On the retirement in 1817 of Bro . Arthur Stanhope , who succeeded Colonel Deacon , in 1795 from the Prov . Grand Mastership of Berks ,
Sir John Throgmorton was re-appointed Prov . Grand Master for tho united counties , and from that date till now they have remained one Province . This is about all that is known of Freemasonry in these counties till the year 1813 , when we find the earliest authentic record known to be in
existence , in the shape of a minute book of the aforesaid Lodge of Virtue , No . 122 , of Reading , and from this , which commences with 4 fch January 1813 , we learn that the Officers of the Lodge at that day were J . B . Monck , Esq .,
M . P ., W . M ., John Parker S . W ., John Hornbuckle J . W ., Joseph Warry S . D ., Thomas Williams J . D ., Matthew Boulter Treasurer , and Nathan Elliott Secretary . The minutes of the first meeting record , that owing to the irregularities which had occurred , all arrears of
Freemasonry In Berks And Bucks.
fines up to St . John ' s Day should be considered void . In 1814 Bro . H . Hall , the then Secretary , having misapplied the funds of the Lodge , was expelled , and tha same year , owing to , the Union which had happily taken place between the Gr , and Lodges of the " Moderns " and
" Ancients " respectively , the Lodge was renumbered , and became No . 147 on the Roll of the United Grand Lodge . At this time the Lodge included among * its members Bro . Lctchworth , Mayor and Alderman , the well known classical scholar Dr . Valpy , James and John Sutton , Blaokall
Simonds , Esq ., —described as " still living" at the time Bro . Biggs compiled the sketch from which we have extracted most of these particulars , that is , in 1871 , —
William Montagu , of Caversham , and Dr . Workman . On the 7 th September 1814 , the Lodge bespoke , at the Theatre , Reading , the play of The Way to get Married , but it does not seem to have recovered from the financial
difficulties caused by the late Secretary s defalcations , for on the 2 nd November of the same year , a Mr . Coles ' s bill , of a fraction over £ 16 , was " ordered to be paid as soon as the Lodge funds wonld permit . " The historian , however , has not recorded whether this order—albeit it waa
formally entered on the minutes and read and confirmed , we presume , at the next regular meeting—was deemed satisfactory by the aforesaid Mr . Coles . On the 18 th of this month , Cornet Brandon was passed and raised on the same night , a nofc uncommon practice in those days . Ou
the 7 th December a letter was read from Grand Lodge inviting a deputation to attend for the purpose of receiving instructions as to the Union of the Grand Lodges , and accordingly a deputation , consisting of the Master , Wardens , and a Bro . Bath—one of the masters in Dr . Valpy ' s school
—attended and received the requisite instruction on 7 th June 1815 . On the 3 rd May just preceding , application for a Warrant , signed hy the Officers and members , to hold a new Lodge at Newbury , was granted by G . Master the Duke of Sussex , and this was constituted in
the following year under the style and title of the Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 672 , John Parker being the first W . Master , and John Hoskins and Edward Poynter Hoskins the first Wardens . Its existence , however , was of tho briefest . It made no returns to Grand Lodge after 1818 ,
and ceased to be on the 5 th March 1828 . But to return to the Lodge of Virtue . Nothing further is recorded till the year 1820 , when there appears to have been a falling off in the number of members . But few meetings were held , and on the 8 th May 1822 , the Lodge was closed in perfect
harmony with but six brethren present . For nearly twelve years after this , it remained in abeyance , the furniture and effects being removed to Coley Park , the residence of J . B . Monck Esq ., M . P ., W . M . in 1813 , for safe custody . In fact , it actually ceased to exist , for when on the 17 th September
1833 , the brethren again assembled together as a Lodge of Freemasons , it was under a new Warrant , as the Lodge of Union , No . 507 , since altered to No . 414 . Why a new Warrant should have been deemed necessary , does not appear on the record , for many existing Lodges have been
in abeyance for as long , or even a longer time . The effect is , of course , to place the Lodge of Union as the second on the roll of Lodges in the Province of Berks and Bucks , the post of honour falling to the Etonian , which till the alteration in numbers in 1832 ranked as No . 359 only . However ,
the Lodge of Union met , as we have said , on the 17 th September 1833 , at the " Wheat Rick Inn , " on the East side of London-street , and Bro . Graynham Rackstraw was installed first W . Master , while Bros . Baker and Munday were the Senior and Junior Wardens respectively , the celebrated
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Freemasonry In Berks And Bucks.
FREEMASONRY IN BERKS AND BUCKS .
AS is the casein most of onr Provinces , the early records of Freemasonry In Berks and Bucks were so indifferently kept or looked after , that it is well nigh impossible to throw any light on tho history of its introduction into these connties , and tho progress it subsequently made . However ,
from Cole s List of Lodges for 17 G 3 , we gather that a Lodge , No . 244 , constituted on the Gth June 1759 , was held at the Mermaid , "Windsor , and from an historical sketch by Bro . Biggs , till recently Grand Secretary of the Province , we learn that a Lodge , No . 195 , existed anterior to 1783 at
Reading , there being in possession of Lodge Union , No . 414 of that town , two mahogany columns Clonic and Corinthian ) for tho Wardens ' pedestals having , on a brass plate let into the bottom , the inscription , " Lodge , 195 , the gift of Bro . Wm . Coyler , W . Master , 18 th April 1783 . "
There are , likewise , in possession of tho same Lodge , a mahogany box of the same stylo of -workmanship for the Secretary ' s use , " The gift of William Chaplin and Edward Richardson , Lodge , 195 , " and a Cambridge Bible , printed in the year 1769 , " tho gift of T . Burton P . M . to
Lodge , 195 . " According to Hughan ' s List of Lodges on tlie Roll of the United Grand Lodf / e of ' England A . D-1814 , there was a Lodge of Virtue , No . 122 , at Reading , holding under the Grand Lodge Ancients , which on the re-numbering of Lodges became Lodge No . 147 after the
Union , and deceased , as will he seen hereafter , some time between the years 1814 and 1832 . In the same list we find a St . John ' s Lodge , Windsor , which in 1813 , stood No . 269 on tho Roll of the Ancients , became by the Union No . 340 in 1814 , and , by the alteration of numbers ,
No . 230 in 1832 . This Lodge has since passed away . The oldest existing Lodge , the Etonian , Windsor , was warranted by the Duke of Atbollon 27 th May 1794 , and held , therefore , under the Grand Lodge Ancients , the Warrant being originally granted to meet at the Crown and Cushion
Inn at Eton , in the county of Bucks , and was No . 284 , " Ancients , " in 1813 , 359 in 1814 after the Union , 252 in 1832 , and 209 in 1863 . In 1794 , according to Bro . Biggs , Colonel John Deacon was appointed Prov . Grand Master of Berkshire by the then Grand Master , George Prince of
Wales , and in 1796 Sir John Throgmorton , Bart ., had conferred upon him the same office for the county of Bucks . The latter of these is mentioned in the Freemasons' Magazine , Vol . VI ., for January and June 1796 , as having been present in his capacity of Prov . Grand Master for
Buckinghamshire at the Grand Feast for that year held at Freemasons' Hall on 11 th May , under the presidency of his Royal Highness the Grand Master . On the retirement in 1817 of Bro . Arthur Stanhope , who succeeded Colonel Deacon , in 1795 from the Prov . Grand Mastership of Berks ,
Sir John Throgmorton was re-appointed Prov . Grand Master for tho united counties , and from that date till now they have remained one Province . This is about all that is known of Freemasonry in these counties till the year 1813 , when we find the earliest authentic record known to be in
existence , in the shape of a minute book of the aforesaid Lodge of Virtue , No . 122 , of Reading , and from this , which commences with 4 fch January 1813 , we learn that the Officers of the Lodge at that day were J . B . Monck , Esq .,
M . P ., W . M ., John Parker S . W ., John Hornbuckle J . W ., Joseph Warry S . D ., Thomas Williams J . D ., Matthew Boulter Treasurer , and Nathan Elliott Secretary . The minutes of the first meeting record , that owing to the irregularities which had occurred , all arrears of
Freemasonry In Berks And Bucks.
fines up to St . John ' s Day should be considered void . In 1814 Bro . H . Hall , the then Secretary , having misapplied the funds of the Lodge , was expelled , and tha same year , owing to , the Union which had happily taken place between the Gr , and Lodges of the " Moderns " and
" Ancients " respectively , the Lodge was renumbered , and became No . 147 on the Roll of the United Grand Lodge . At this time the Lodge included among * its members Bro . Lctchworth , Mayor and Alderman , the well known classical scholar Dr . Valpy , James and John Sutton , Blaokall
Simonds , Esq ., —described as " still living" at the time Bro . Biggs compiled the sketch from which we have extracted most of these particulars , that is , in 1871 , —
William Montagu , of Caversham , and Dr . Workman . On the 7 th September 1814 , the Lodge bespoke , at the Theatre , Reading , the play of The Way to get Married , but it does not seem to have recovered from the financial
difficulties caused by the late Secretary s defalcations , for on the 2 nd November of the same year , a Mr . Coles ' s bill , of a fraction over £ 16 , was " ordered to be paid as soon as the Lodge funds wonld permit . " The historian , however , has not recorded whether this order—albeit it waa
formally entered on the minutes and read and confirmed , we presume , at the next regular meeting—was deemed satisfactory by the aforesaid Mr . Coles . On the 18 th of this month , Cornet Brandon was passed and raised on the same night , a nofc uncommon practice in those days . Ou
the 7 th December a letter was read from Grand Lodge inviting a deputation to attend for the purpose of receiving instructions as to the Union of the Grand Lodges , and accordingly a deputation , consisting of the Master , Wardens , and a Bro . Bath—one of the masters in Dr . Valpy ' s school
—attended and received the requisite instruction on 7 th June 1815 . On the 3 rd May just preceding , application for a Warrant , signed hy the Officers and members , to hold a new Lodge at Newbury , was granted by G . Master the Duke of Sussex , and this was constituted in
the following year under the style and title of the Royal Sussex Lodge , No . 672 , John Parker being the first W . Master , and John Hoskins and Edward Poynter Hoskins the first Wardens . Its existence , however , was of tho briefest . It made no returns to Grand Lodge after 1818 ,
and ceased to be on the 5 th March 1828 . But to return to the Lodge of Virtue . Nothing further is recorded till the year 1820 , when there appears to have been a falling off in the number of members . But few meetings were held , and on the 8 th May 1822 , the Lodge was closed in perfect
harmony with but six brethren present . For nearly twelve years after this , it remained in abeyance , the furniture and effects being removed to Coley Park , the residence of J . B . Monck Esq ., M . P ., W . M . in 1813 , for safe custody . In fact , it actually ceased to exist , for when on the 17 th September
1833 , the brethren again assembled together as a Lodge of Freemasons , it was under a new Warrant , as the Lodge of Union , No . 507 , since altered to No . 414 . Why a new Warrant should have been deemed necessary , does not appear on the record , for many existing Lodges have been
in abeyance for as long , or even a longer time . The effect is , of course , to place the Lodge of Union as the second on the roll of Lodges in the Province of Berks and Bucks , the post of honour falling to the Etonian , which till the alteration in numbers in 1832 ranked as No . 359 only . However ,
the Lodge of Union met , as we have said , on the 17 th September 1833 , at the " Wheat Rick Inn , " on the East side of London-street , and Bro . Graynham Rackstraw was installed first W . Master , while Bros . Baker and Munday were the Senior and Junior Wardens respectively , the celebrated