Histories Of Our Lodges. Tranquillity, No. 185.

HISTORIES OF OUR LODGES . TRANQUILLITY , No . 185 .

THE above Lodge has had a precarious and eventful career from its constitntion , the Warrant is dated 20 th December 1787 , and was granted by tho Earl of Antrim , G . M . of the " Grand Lodge according to the Old Constitutions" ( or "Ancients" ) , as tho following transcript testifies : —

# ] fo WBarrantt . —No . 10 .

No . 244 . GRAND MASTEK , ANTRIM . THOMAS HARPER , S . G . W . LAU DERMOTT , D . G . M . JA . PERRY , J . G . W . So all inborn it man « mmn , ® U \\ i < H > im \> ^ fobgt of the most Ancient and Honourable FRATERNITY of FREE and ACCEPTED

MASONS , according to the old Constitutions granted by His Royal Highness Prince EDWIN , at York , ANNO DOMINI Nino hundred twenty and Six , and in the Year of Masonry Pour thousand Nine hundred twenty and Six in ample Form assembled , viz .: The Right Worshipful Most potent and puissant Lord the Right Honorable

Randal William McDonnell Earl and Baron of Antrim Lord Viscount Dunluce , Lord Lieutenant of the County of Antrim , in the Province of Ulster and Kingdom of Ireland , Knight of the most honorable Military Order of the Bath and ono of his Majesties Most honorable Privy Counsel and in that part of Great Britain called England and

Masonical Jurisdiction thereunto belonging . . . GRAND MASTER of MASONS , The Right Worshipful Laurence Dermott , Esqr . DEPUTY GRAND MASTER , Tho Right Worshipful Thomas Harper Esqr . SENIOR GRAND WARDEN , and the Right Worshipful James Perry , Esqr . 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 impower our Trusty and Well beloved Brethren , viz .: The Worshipful Joseph Bennet ono of our MASTER MASONS , Tho Worshipful Edward Scott , his SENIOR WARDEN , and the Worshipful Thomas

Craig his JUNIOR WARDEN , to Form and hold a LODGE of FREE and ACCEPTED MASONS aforesaid at the Anacreon Coffee House , Great Russell Street in tho Parish of St . Paul ' s Covent Garden and County of Middlesex ( or Elsewhere ) as aforesaid Upon tho Second , Third and Fourth Monday in every 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 Honorable Custom of the ROYAL CRAFT in all Ages and Nations throughout the known World . And We do hereby farther authorise and impower our said Trusty and Well beloved

Brethren Joseph Bennet , Edward Scott , and Thomas Craig ( with the Consent of the Members of their LODGE ) to nominate , chuse , and install their Successors , to whom they shall deliver this WARRANT and invest them with their Powers and Dignities as FREE MASONS & o . And such Successors shall in like Manner , nominate , chuse , and

install their Successors & c . Such Installations to be npon ( or near ) every ST . JOHN ' DAY during the Continuance of this LODGE for ever . Providing the above named Brethren and all their Successors always pay due respect to this Right Worshipful GRAND LODGE otherwise this WARRANT to be of no Force , or Virtue .

Given under our Hands and the SEAL of our GRAND LODGE in LONDON , this Twentyeth day of December in the Year of our LORD One thousand Seven hundred eighty and seven and in the Year of MASONRY Five thousand Seven hundred eighty and Seven . JOHN M . CORMICK , Grand Secretary . N OTE . —This WARRANT is registered in the GRAND LODGE , Vol . 6 , Letter F .

Tho present place of meeting is the City Terminus Hotel . Its original number was 244 ; iu 1813 , at the " Union , " 308 , in 1834 it was 218 , and in 1863 it was 1 S 5 . Its name was not mentioned nntil 16 th March 1816 , ( see report of Quarterl y Communication of that date , which is kept in the Grand Secretary ' s Office , Freemasons' Hall ) ; there being no minute to show assumption of title . The names of tho Grand

Officers who signed the Warrant , and of those who were the Founders of the Lodge , are given in the above copy of the Charter . The first initiate was Patrick Connor , to whose name , iu tho Minute Book , is appended , "this is y first making . " The Lodge has worked by the same Warrant from its constitution , never having purchased an older number , as many Lodges did under tho " Ancientx , " and the

members possess the valuable old Charter as their prized heirloom and memorial of their departed brethren . Iu 1700 it held its meetings at the Ipswich Arms , Thames Street ; in 1791 at the Mail Coach , Sherborne Lane , aud at the Rose , Rose Alley , Bishops ^ ate Street ; in 1793 at the White Hart and Lamb ; in 1795 ° at the Crown and Anchor , Leadenhall Street , and at the White

Horse , Bartholomew Lane ; in 1797 at the Dolphin , LndgatoHill ; in 1807 at the Ship and Star , Miuories ,- in 1813 at the Angel , John Street , Minories ; in 1824 at the White Hart , Abchurch Lane ; iu 1834 at the George aud Vulture , Cornhill ; in 1841 at the Piazza Coffee House , Covent Garden ,- in 1847 at Freemasons' Tavern ; in 1849 at the George and Vulture , Cornhill ; in 1855 at the Bridge House Hotel , Blackfriars } in 1860 at Radley ' s Hotel , Blackfriars ° and in 1871 at tho City Terminus Hotel , Caaaoa Street , E , C , The . following

carefully compiled account of distinguished members , with dates of their initiation and offices served , will no doubt prove interesting to all concerned : —James McCann initiated 18 th May 1807 , Secretary 1809 , S . W . 1811 , W . M . 1812 , elected a member of the Lodge of Reconciliation at the Union 1813 , elected on Board of General

Purposes 5 th June 1816 , and also 7 th June 1820 , appointed J . G . D . 29 th April 1818 , elected on Board of Finance and Works 7 th June 1820 , Treasurer 1818-20 , WM . 1830-1 ; Robert McCann initiated 1809 , Grand Sword Bearer 1813 , Junior Grand Warden 1813 , and member of Board of Works ; Thomas Satterley initiated 21 st September 1807 ,

S . W . 1809 , 1813 , W . M . 1810 , 1817 , 1823-4 , 1828-9 . J . W . 1826-7 , 1831 , Treasurer 1832-3 , elected on Board of General Purposes 5 th Juno 1816 , re-elected 4 th June 1817 ; Dr . Hermann Beigel initiated 1 st February 1863 , I . G . 1865 , J . D . 1866 , S . D . 1867 , J . W . 1868 , S . W .

1869 , W . M . 1870 , appointed , in 1870 , a Staff Surgeon to the Prussian Army . He was the first founder of a Lodge in Austria this century ( the Lodge , thongh virtually an Austrian one , meets for work afc Pressbnrg ); he is also editor of a Masonic journal . As to its fluctuations of fortune and position , we may state that iu September 1802 it was resolved , "Suppers be done away with , as Lodgo

was in debt to Treasurer £ 1015 s 8 Jd . " This was subsequently reduced to 3 id . In the following May the balance against the Lodge was £ 10 8 s 2 Jd , and in June 1803 £ 9 4 s OJd . In November 1837 the tide turned , and the Lodge held a balance iu its favour of £ 31 7 s lOd , which in 1842 was further increased to £ 40 2 s 8 d . In December 1842 ifc was again adverse , in the sum of £ 5 8 s lOd , in 1813 £ 1110 s 4 d , and

in July following £ 19 17 s 4 d . In 1846 there was a favourable balance of £ 20 lis 9 d . In 1848 , apparently the worst period of its existence , the adverse balance was £ 35 , and as a consequence the Lodge ceased to meet from April 1848 until January 1849 , at which period it was resuscitated by seceding members from the Lodgo of JoppaNo . 188 the dues being all paid . Since then success

, , has attended the Lodge , it having , at the present time a balance of upwards of £ 70 to tho credit of the general fund . The average number of members from 1787 to 1812 was 14 , from 1812 to 1837 3 » , from 1837 to 1862 10 ± , 1862 to 1876 ( April ) inclusive , for fourteen years average number 1 1 . | In the way of special presentations to zealous members , silver tea and coffee services have been

presented to the Treasurer , the Secretary and Past Master E . Harfeld , a silver claret jug to P . M . A . E . Sydney , illuminated testimonials to P . M . Saul Solomon and Bro . F . Croaker , a Life Governorship of tho Girls' School to P . M . S . E . Moss , a salver to P . M . M . Hart , a silver salver , gold jewel and illuminated testimonial to P . M . J . Constable ( tho originator of the drawings for the Life

Governorships of the great Masonic Charities , by which means many hundreds of pounds have been raised through his exertions , and the example thus set has been followed in tho provinces to such an extent that already the good so achieved has been most gratifying ) , and an ormolu clock and vases to Bro . J . H . Ross , and , in addition , each P . M . has receivedon retiring from office , a P . M . 's jewel . The

, financial position of tho Lodge is now most satisfactory , there being ninety-eight subscribing , aud four honorary members . Its present W . M . is Joseph D . Barnett , John Peartree is S . W . and Treasurer , D . Posener J . W ., and Philip Levy Secretary . Names of surviving P . M . ' s , with dates of their initiation : —Alexander Levy , initiated ' in 18 S 4 th January 1817 , W . M . 1851 ; Saul

Solomon , initiated 17 th February 1851 , W . M . 1855 ; Meyer Harris , initiated 21 st March 1853 , W . M . 1858 ; Maurice Hart , initiated 16 th November 1856 , W . M . 1861 ; Algernon E . Sydney , initiated 16 th March 1857 , W . M . 1 S 62 ; Samuel E . Moss , initiated 15 th December 1856 , W . M . 1863 ; Ellis Harfeld , initiated in 205 8 th November 1859 , W . M . 1866 ; Lewis A . Israel , initiated 17 th November 1862 ,

W . M . 1867 ; John Holbrook , initiated 19 th May 1862 , W . M . 1869 j Louis Barnett , initiated 16 th November 1863 , W . M . 1871 ; Richard Z . Bloomfield , initiated 21 st November 1864 , W . M . 1872 ; Nathan Moss , initiated in 216 14 th September 1865 , W . M . 1873 ; John Constable , initiated 19 th December 1870 , W . M . " 1874 ; John H . Ross , initiated 19 th December 1870 , W . M . 1875 .

Tranquillity Lodge has not neglected the " distinguishing charac teristic of a Freemason's heart , " as its present position with respect to the Masonic Charities indicates , the Lodge being a Life Governor in perpetuity of both the Girls' and Boys' Schools . To tho former it has subscribed £ 21 since 1873 , and to the latter £ 31 9 s since 1864 . Ifc is also a Life Governor for fifteen years of tho Royal

Masonic Benevolent Institntion , to which ifc has subscribed £ 20 since 1867 . Its Benevolent Fund , which was established in 1852 , and to which every member pays six shillings per annum , afc present has cash ia hand to the amount of £ 30 , while £ 600 has been invested in India Railway Bonds . Since the first demand was made npon the Fund , in 1856 , grants have been made varying in amounts from £ 5 to £ 100 , and aggregating a total

of £ 705 . In 1874 a History of the Lodge was compiled , by Bro . John Con . stable P . M ., and afterwards printed by the authority of the Lodge . By thoso competent to judge , the work has been pronounced a "Model Lodge History . " The initiation fee , which in 1787 was £ 2 2 s , is now £ 7 7 s , and the joining fee , iu 1787 5 s , is now £ 3 3 s . Tho Lodge has mado ' payments to Grand Lodge in : —

1802-7 , five years , £ 31 11 0 J 803-12 „ BO 10 0 1814-18 „ 40 7 0 1819-23 „ 25 18 0 1824-28 „ 11 11 o 1829-33 „ 9 11 0 1831-38 „ 34 12 6

1839-43 „ 46 1 6 1844 . 48 „ 47 13 0 1819-53 „ 112 4 0 1854-58 „ 162 2 0 1859 . 63 „ 121 19 6 MW . W „ 184 0 0