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MASONIC HALL , CROYDON , HABEWOOD HOUSE , 105 HIGH STEEET . I THIS HaU has every requirement for Masonic pnrposes . It contains a large Organ , blown by hydraulic power , aud has an excellent collar for Lodges to keep their own wines . The following Lodges , & c . hold their meetingi here : — Frederick Lodge , No . 152 ; Addiscombe Lodge , No . 1556 ; Mozart Lodge , No . 1929 ; Croydon Hark No . 193 ; Frederick Chapter , No . 152 . For terms , & c , address- JOHN RHODES P . M ., P . P . G . O . Surrey , and P . P . G . M . O . Middlesex and Surrey .

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BRO . G . S . GRAHAM , The Popular Tenor and Buffo Vocalist , from St . James ' s Hall , Crystal Palace , & c . ( Provincial Grand Organist Middlesex ) IS OPEN TO ACCEPT ENGAGE 11 KNTS FOR Concerts , ( Jpirteriahimeitts , # J | t ascitic jjaiujiwfs . Bro . G . S . Graham's Party of Eminent Artists can be engaged for Masonic Bwmiets , Consecrations and Installations , & c . For Opinions of the Press , and terms , address—G . S . GRAHAM , St . John ' s Villa , 91 Fevnlea Road , Balham Surrey .

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g MSSSSSVm -J ^ Wm ' m ^ ^ ^ VSVS ^ rVX ^^ M 23 GREAT QUEEN" STREET , W . C .

Occasional Papers.—No. Ix.

OCCASIONAL PAPERS . —No . IX .

THE SO-CALLED " ANCIENT" MASONS ,

IT is very doubtful if the circumstances which led to the great secession of last century will ever be satisfactorily cleared up , neither is it likely we shall ever be in a position to fix the time when the Seceders became a sufficiently compact and numerous body to justify their organising a Grand Lodge after the manner of that which

governed the body with which they had severed their connection . The discovery of unknown records might help us somewhat , but though they might explain many points which are now far from being clear , and might possibly

also su pply more than one hiatus , I am greatly in doubt if the whole career of the Great Schism , from its inception to its culmination in the establishment of a Grand Lodge , will ever be much better known . So far , however , as I can do so , T purpose , in the present paper , to give a clear and

connected sketch of the ori gin and progress of this so-called " Ancient" Masonry . Very few years had elapsed after the establishment , in 1717 , of our Grand Lodge ere there seemed to be the prospect of a somewhat serious schism in the ranks of

the Craft . It is on record that John Duke of Montagu , who was the first nobleman chosen to be Grand Master ' , gave so much satisfaction to the brethren that he was nominated a second time to fill that high office . His renomination , however , gave umbrage to the friends of the

eccentric Duke of Wharton . An irregular meeting was heir ] , at which the latter nobleman was chosen Grand Master , and there seemed every likelihood of a violent

disruption of the Fraternity even at this early period of its history—all this happened in 1722 , or only five years after t » e establishment of Grand Lodge—when the Duke of Montagu , with a generosity and forbearance which must

ever endear his memory to the Craft , stepped forward and waived his undoubted rinfht in favour of his rival , and the jJ uke of Wharton was duly installed his successor . During the twelve years that followed , out- Society appears to have inade substantial progress . New Lodsres were constituted

«<> come and abroad , tho brethren increased not only in jitimbera but in influence , and were favourably regarded by no public , and there seemed every prospect of the Craft , ° ™ 7 ? to work harmoniously . In 1734 , however , when t " * jarl of Crawford was Grand Master , it was necessary 0 pass a somewhat severe enactment with a view to

Wu Step t 0 tll ° malpractices of certain unworthy wetbren who had "lately met secretly , and to the inrt ° ihe S ° ciety , " had "initiated person . it vii Sonvy on sma 11 and inadequate fees ; " and I trfl L probabl y surprise most of my hearers when tliem among the brethren who thus brought them-

Occasional Papers.—No. Ix.

selves under the ban of Grand Lodge was no less a person than Bro . Anthony Sayer , onr first Grand Master . To this unworthy conduct , comparatively trifling as it must seem to us at the present time , is traceable , in my humble opinion , all ( he dissensions that followed . Moreever , it is in

accordance with general experience that most of the great events which have happened in the world ' s history had their origin in some small and insignificant beginnings One irregularity begets another and perhaps greater irregularity , and one departure , however slight from the letter

and spirit of the law , is pretty certain to be followed by another which is not so slight . This admission of unworthy persons into the ranks of the Fraternity was sure to creato trouble . They could not very well be driven out again ; indeed , having regard to the short time our Grand Lodge

had been in existence , any such course of proceeding would have been impolitic . Still no very serious harm would have been done if the authorities had shown greater wisdom in their administration of tho Craft . But about this time , or , to be more precise , in the year 1735 , extraordinary

privileges were granted to the then newly-constituted Grand Stewards' Lodge . It was permitted to send to Grand Lodge a deputation of twelve members , who were allowed to wear red aprons , and vote as

individuals ; and it was further resolved that in future the Grand Officers should be chosen from its ranks . This , as Kloss very properly points oat , was a grievous mistake , and very soon caused wide-spread dissatisfaction . Then , as now , the office of Grand Steward

was an expensive one . This innovation , therefore , was tantamount to placing a premium on mere wealth , as contradistinguished from merit , and brethren began to look upon this wealth as henceforth the basis of promotion to tbe highest offices of tbe Masonic State . Such a step

would have been unwise at any time , but it was additionally unwise so soon after sundry of the brethren had been taken severely to task . But a course of impolicy , having been once entered upon , was pursued to even greater lengths , and when the new edition of the Book of

Constitutions made its appearance in 1738 , it was found that sundry alterations had been made in the charges as published in 1723 . I am not disposed to lay any great stress on these alterations , and I think it very unlikely that , had they stood alone , they would have greatly imperilled the

unity of the Ci-aft . But , following as they did on the innovations already referred to in connection with the Grand Stewards' Lodge , and the difficulties caused b y the initiation of unworthy persons , there is , I imagine , no

reason to doubt that these alterations brought matters to a climax , and a crisis in our history was hastened , which might have been avoided had greater wisdom been shown in the government of the society . Thus far I have endeavoured to shew how the Masonic

Schism of last century was brought about , and I think it will be pretty generally admitted that it was due , not so much to any one particular cause as to a number of causes put together . Other reasons , however , have been assigned by other writers , and this sketch wonld be decidedly

incomplete if I omitted noticing them . Preston , for instance , in his enumeration of the causes which brought about this lamentable disunion , remarks : " A number of dissatisfied brethren , having separated themselves from the regular Lodges , held meetings in different places , for the purpose

of initiating persons into Masonry , contrary to the Laws of the Grand Lodge . These Seceding brethren , taking advantage of the breach which had been made in the friendly intercourse between the Grand Lodges of London and York , on being censured for their conduct , immediately

assumed , at the irregular meetings , convened without authority , the character of York Masons . " Now , it appears to mo , and I have the authority of the learned Findel

in support of my opinion , that this notion of Preston ' s is entirely erroneous . I am not questioning the occurrence of the irregularities be refers to , for I have already included them among- the causes which I consider to be at

the bottom of the Secession , but I see no reason for importing in to the controversy tho G . Lodge of all England at York and its supposed disagreement with the G . Lodge in London . So far as is . known , the two were on amicable terms . I have shown , in a former paper , that this was so in 1726 , and

again in 1767 , and , moreover , at the time the feeling of lissatisfaction in tho Craft was most acute , and for years afterwards , the Grand Lodge at York was in a state of dormancy . It is difficult to understamd how a body so circumstanced could have taken umbrage at the presumed