Sketch Of An Old Lodge Book, No. 6, Ancients.

sixpence for offering to lay a wager . " Later , the Lodge received " a letter from the Grand Secretary in regard to the R . A . or Gd- Cr- , dated 3 rd September 1772 , copy of which is the Book of Rules and Orders . " In the minute of 21 st Dec 1772 we find it ordered that tho

Fes-. , tival of St . John ' s day shall bo held on the 30 th , the brethren to bo summoned to meet exactly at 1 o ' clock , dinner to be on table at 2 o ' clock precisely . It Avas further agreed that the election and installation shonld

take placo the same day . On 15 th March 1773 , a brother desired to be discontinued , and that dues might be mitigated , as he had not attended Lodge for some time . The request , however , was not complied with , the return of his certificate , and tho granting of another being made

contingent on payment . In June of the same year "Bro . Withers , with his own consent , was unanimously continued as M . for the ensuing | year . " During this year but littlo activity among the officers was exhibited , there being several entries to the effect " No Lodge opened , never an

officer being present . ' At tho first meeting in 1774 , tho Lodge nights were altered from the first and third Monday to the second and fourth Tuesday . At first , however , the change seems hardly to have worked well , as it is not till the month of June we find the meetings follow with

anything like regularity . In October , it seems , the W . M . exhibited much patience . We read that he " attended his duty about 7 o ' clock , but no other brother coming before nine " the Lodge was not opened . The following month occurs this record : " Not opened the W . M . unwell , tbe

Senior confined in business , and the Junior Warden same . " In 1775 , the conduct of the Senior Warden appears to have given rise to some suspicion , and justly , too . On the 4 th September both he and his jewel were absent , and inquiry was ordered . On the 14 th of the same month it was

resolved he be excluded if he did not appear by St . John ' s Day next , and on the 24 th December effect was given to this resolution , the S . W . being excluded and reported to the G . L . During the interval between the last two dates we gather the brethren met regularly , but no business

was transacted , "there being only five members belonging to the Lodge , and having no Tyler , the Lodge could not be opened , the Landlord not being willing to become a Mason . " Moreover , in December it was resolved that "the Warrant , Jewels and Furniture "

of the Lodge , " should be removed to the house of Bro . Charles Bearblock , till a proper place of meeting be agreed to . " Accordingly , we find the Lodge adjourned on this occasion , " till another opportunity , of which every member shall have notice . " In April 1776 , a move is made to

the house of Mr . John Treakins , the Bricklayers Arms , Bristol-street , Blackfryers , " and Mr . John Treakins , in spite of the resolution we have already quoted , is proposed as a member . We learn , also , that notice of removal is

sent to Bro . William Dickey , Grand Secretary . The change seems to have benefited the Lodge , for henceforward the meetings are held regularly , outstanding dues are likewise called in , and notice is sent to one brother that he would be , excluded in the event of his not

forwarding his arrears . In October of the same year , we find Bro . John Treakins makes " a present of a Secretary ' s desk to the Lodge , so long as it continues at his house . " In November , it is mentioned that notice be sent to a

member , calling upon him to pay up his dues , under pain of being " summoned before the Stewards' Lodge . " On 24 th December , Bro . John Treakins becomes W . M ., though landlord of the house in which the Lodge meets , and his installation takes place this 27 th of the month .

On 28 th January 1777 it is minuted that one who had been "made a Modern Mason in the Lodge No . 42 at the 3 Morris Dancers , in the Old Change , Cheapside , in the year 1772 " was made an Entered Apprentice , Crafted and raised and " paid 10 / 6 for his making . " The same evening " Cash

for the Deficiency of the Supper on St . John ' s Day last " was collected . At the next Lodge , " John Clementson , at the Crown and Anchor , in Lombard Street , White Fryers , " is unanimously chosen Tyler . The next record of any moment is of an agreement between the Lodge and one of

its members , to the effect that the latter shall be returned to Grand Lodge as a member on condition that he present the Lodge " with a new Past Masters Jewell and repairing

the old one , such presentation and repairs to be in acquittance of the arrears due by him to the Lodge . On the 22 nd April , " a Modern Mason belonging to the Lodge No . 5 , in Totenham Court Road , " was proposed and unanimously elected . On the 28 th May , it is minuted that

Sketch Of An Old Lodge Book, No. 6, Ancients.

" under tho Warrant of this Lodgo a Royal Arch Lodge opened at 6 o ' clock according to Regulation . " The following were proposed and approved : —Bro . Simeon A . Bayley P . M . No . 4 , Bros . John Errington and Richard Tideonibo P . M . ' s No . 6 , Bro . John Treakins W . M . No . 6 , and Bro . John

Clementson P . M . " formerly of No . 93 , now of St . John ' s , in order to qualify him to Tylo this Graud Chapter . " The other brethren present were Bros . Chars . Bearblock of No . 4 , Moses Choppen of No . 81 , George Archer of No . 81 , and Thomas Wiston , Chas . Cupid , and William Bayley , all of St . John's . On the 27 th of tho samo month wo find it

mentioned " that a Lodge of Emergency be called on Sunday next , thelst Junel 777 , at 6 o ' clock intheevening , on account of several of tho members not having complved with the former By Laws of this Lodge . " The "Lodge of Emergency " was accordingly held , when it was unanimously proposed to

make the following alterations in the " Hangings belonging to this Lodge , " namely : " The linings to be blue and tho middle crimson , with three rows of silver laco on two hangings , viz ., on the Master and Past Masters' hangings . The same linings and the same middle , with two rows of

the same silver lace as above , on three hangings , viz , tho Senior and Junior Wardens and Secretary ' s hangings . And the same linings and same middle , with two row . of silver lace , but narrower , on the two Deacons' hangings . " On St . John ' s Day we note that the installation of officers

follows the dinner , and that a brother was installed Senior Deacon " in tho room of Bro . Edward Jenkins , who was rejected for his being absent this day . " The ceremony over , " Several Loyal toasts were drunk to the praise of Masonery . " Shortly after , we read that Bro . John Rule ,

Senior Deacon of this Lodge , having occasion to leave this place on his own private business , begs leave to depart the Lodge for a time , and that he may be granted a Grand Lodge certificate for such purpose , which was agreed to . In October , another Emergency Meeting is ordered to be

held , on a Sunday evening . We cite the following as an instance of the frequency with which members declare off and then rejoin the Lodge . It is recorded on 19 th October , that " Bro . John McCormick declared off from being a member of this Lodge , on . the 6 th October 1777 , which

was omitted in that night ' s transaction . On the 25 th November following , we read that "Bro . John McCormick was unanimously admitted to join this Lodge on his paying his dues for the last quarter , being 6 s 6 d , and Is for his Grand Lodge dues for this quarter , and 3 s to the Lodge for

three nights expences . " This is only one of many cases of a like character . In December , " The General Rules from the Grand Lodge was read , and an alteration was made in the 8 th Rule . " On 28 th April 1778 , a case occurs of a brother being advanced to the degree of a Fellow Craft

and Master Mason . On 26 th May following , the "Worshipful proposed the question for augmenting the Grand Charity , and was unanimously agreed to pay as formerly , or to bo at their own free will to pay annually what ever sum they can afford towards the Charity , and it was further agreed

that the moneys belonging to the Charity shall not be expended no other ways than to Distressed Brethren , and that no Imolument shall be voted for by the Officers of this Lodge to be paid out of the aforesaid Charity to any person whatsoever . " Perhaps , however , the most

important announcement in the whole series of minntes is entered under date of 9 th June , 1778 . We read " the W . Past Master Bro . John Fakins gave an account of tho Proceedings of ye Grand Lodge , No . 2 was propos'd to be dispos'd of by ye grand and the members present of No .

6 Agreed to purchase the said number m Case the upper Numbers do not accept of it . " This is very valuable , as showing the practice amongst the "Ancients" which allowed of an inferior Lodge—speaking , of course , as to their numerical sequence only—obtaining by purchase the

rank of a superior . No such purchase , however , appears to have been effected , at least prior to the month of September 1798 , that being the latest entry in the statement of accounts contained in this " Lodge Book , No . 6 . " We

may infer , therefore , that one of the " upper numbers " did accept of this No . 2 , or , perhaps , the disposal of the number never took place after all . Be this as it may , we call the attention of our more curious brethren to the

interesting fact we have recorded , in the hope that one of them —Bro . Hughan ' s name naturally occurs to us at the moment of writing—may be able to throw additional light on the subject . On the 23 rd of June the half-yearly election of officers took place , but owing to the number of absent members the feast was postponed till the next stated