The Mother City Of American Freemasonry.—Iii.

The Minutes of this date [ 24 th Feb . 1735 ] also record the payment of two guineas for its constitution , by the Lodge meeting at the Duke of " Marleburgh ' s" Head , No . 126 in the two Pocket Companions , and No . 128 in the later 1734 and subsequent lists .

The compiler of the Dublin work may , of course , have consulted back numbers of the Engraved Lists , until he found one in which the 79 th place was full , and Bro . Hughan ' s theory as to the Philadelphian Lodge getting on our roll in 1731 is supported by the fact—which I am

aware tells against my own hypothesis—that a careful examination of the names and descriptions of Lodges represented at G . L . during 1730-32 , has failed to indicate any Lodge , which was not previously known to me . Or , in

other words , that if the No . 79 was filled prior to its occupancy by the Lodge at the Castle , Highgate , on the 21 st November 1732 , as seems highly probable , the Lodge numbered 79 in 1731-32 was clearly not a . London Lodge .

The number may indeed have been allotted , but never taken up , as occasionally happened . * I forget whether the " Hoop " tavern is spoken of in

Bro . McCalla ' s bookf ( apart from Bro . Hughan ' s discovery ) , but I think not . If I am right in this belief , it may be worth inquiring how this description could have originated .

The " Signs of the Houses " where Lodges assembled were shown in reduced fac simile in the Engraved Lists , aud it has occurred to me that the " Three Tuns , " [ or the

" Tun " ] in Water St ., Philadelphia " may have been so pichtrecl in an official list , as to have been taken for a " Hoop " by the person from whose report the description of No . 79 was written dmm .

I invite Bro . Hughan ' s notice to the preceding supposition , as it appears to me that the bearing of the circumstances under review , supports the theory of which he is the champion .

If no such tavern as the " Hoop " is known to have been in existence , then I think the probability of the " Something at Water Street , Philadelphia , " having appeared at the No . 79 on the English roll of Lodges is much increased , and for the following reasons : —

The actual signification of the tavern signs is not easily determined by a casual inspection of their pictured impressions in the Engraved Lists . Private lists , i . e ., copies of

the official lists , abound therefore with errors of interpretation ; for example , the " Dolphin " is generally given as the " Whale , " the " Three Cranes " as the " Three Swans , " the " Raven and Bell" as the " Bell and Blackbird . " and

so on . Some " signs , " however , would have baffled even the critical insight of Messrs . Hofcten and Larwood . The fourth in order on the Engraved list for 1723 , J is especially incomprehensible , and after successively interpreting it , as " the Moon , " " Black Ball , " and " Cushion , " the accidental

discovery of its ivritten description in the records of Grand Lodge showed me that tbe pictured impression in the official List was the representation of a " Cheshire Cheese . " Many other signs , for example , the " Sash and Cocoa Tree , " the " Green Lattice , " the "Woolpack , " the "SugarLoaf , " Ac , & c , are equally incomprehensible .

In conclusion , whilst conceding the balance of argument to be , perhaps , in favour of the view espoused by Bro . Hughan , I will briefly enumerate the chief points which in my judgment bear against the Philadelphian theory .

FINAL CONCLUSIONS . 1 . The Dublin list was copied from a list of 1734 , not 1731 , and it seems unlikely that the copyist should have taken 125 Lodges from a list of the then current date , and one from a list published three years earlier .

2 . The improbability of a foreign Lodge appearing on our roll during a single year . 3 . The double vacancy of No . 79 [ 1732 arid 1733 ] which is essential to the maintenance of Bro . Hughan ' s theory .

4 . According to the Bell-Cadwallader" letter , a local Charter was granted by Daniel Coxe in 1730 . Coxe was present in Grand Lodge on the 29 th January 1731 , and the appearance of his name amongst the members of

* See " Four Old Lodges , " p 56 . The No . 248 [ 1740-55 ] , dated 7 th June 1754 , appears to have been vacant on all lists . f Bro . Hnghan lent me his copy of this very interesting work at the beginning of the year , bat the notes I made only refer to the subject of " Military Lodges . " % Four Old Lodges , p 3 .

The Mother City Of American Freemasonry.—Iii.

No . 8 ( Devil ) in a list carried up to 1732 , affords evidence from which we may infer that he was in England , and member of a London Lodge before the No . 79 was allotted in theirs / instance [ 1731 ] , and until the payment for its constitution by the Lodge at the Castlo , Highgate , on

21 st November 1732 . The No . 79 , or indeed any other nnmber , would scarcely havo been bestowed on a Philadelphian Lodge without consulting the Prov . G . M . present in London . Indeed , there can hardly bo a doubt that if the Lodge in Water Lane , Philadelphia , over got

on our English roll , this must have been due to the direct application of Daniel Coxe . Equally true , I tako to be the resulting inference , viz ., that its disappearance must have been controlled by a similar agency .

Therefore , whilst I concede that Daniel Coxe may have been desirous of seeing a Lodge of his creation placed , I cannot believe that he would afterwards have been instrumental in having it displaced .

Since penning the foregoing article , I have referred to one of the many books kindly sent me by Past Grand Master Nickerson ( Massachusetts ) , viz ., " Grand Master Gardner ' s Address upon Henry Price , " and shall be obliged by the insertion of the following Addendum : —

Henry Price in a letter dated Aug . 6 , 1755 , says : — "I Rec - my Deputation . . in April 1733 ... I have some remote thoughts of once more seeing London with all Brethren in the Grand Lodge after twenty-two years' absence . "

This letter plainly evidences that Price was in London and personally received his deputation , the same being dated April 30 , 1733 . Now , as Price was in London in April 1733 , and "

personally acquainted -with Grand Officers , " & c . [ vide G . M . Gardner ' s excellent address ] , it is almost impossible thafc he did nofc know of an American Lodge having been placed at the No . 79 , if such event occurred ( as contended )

in 1731 , whilst it is quite impossible , that possessing such knowledge ( even if subsequently acquired ) he would have plainly expressed in the letter already quoted from , his belief in having established Masonry in North America . R . F . G .

Antient And Primitive Rite.

ANTIENT AND PRIMITIVE RITE .

Rose of Sharon , Rose Croix Chapter , Wo . 6 . —The regular meeting of this Chapter was held at the Chapter House , 77-JBishopsgate-street-within , on Tuesday , 7 th inst . Present—Sir Knights Henry Meyer 32 , 111 . W . James Hill 33 P . 111 . W . and Sec , John H . Sonthwood P . M . P . Z . 32 acting S . W ., William Stephens P . M . P . Z . 32 ( Sub . Gd . Com . Senate No . 6 ) as J . W ., Henry Stephens P . M . 31 Orator , Edward Harrison 31 Treasurer , Richard Marshall

30 Captain of Guard , Thomas Sims 30 Gnard of Tower , and J . H . Peach 30 Archivist ; also an IU . Bro . Visitor . The Chapter waa opened in due form with solemn prayer . The minutes of the pre . ceding meeting were read and confirmed . There being no further bnsiness the Chapter was closed , and the meeting adjourned till the first Tuesday in the New year . The 111 . brethren afterwards partook of refreshments , served in the ante-room .

Mystic Temple , Province of Middlesex . —A special convocation of the S . P . M . 32 assembled at the Rooms , 77 £ Bishops , gate-street-within , on Tuesday , 7 th December , under warrant from the Gd . Sec . Gen . ( acting as the G . M . L . for the Province ) . The following 111 . brethren attended , viz .: —James Hill 33 ( acting G . M . L . ) , William Stephens 32 Grand Orator , Henry Meyer 32 Gd . Treas ., J . H . Southwood 32 Gd . Examiner , W . J . Meek 32 Grand

Keeper of Rites . Convocation having been opened in ample form with solemn prayer , declared on tho 31 ( G . D . R . ) , and received several 111 . brethren . The appointment of the Officers of the G . D . Tribunal ( 31 ) were then proclaimed , and the following 111 . brethren invested with the insignia of their rank , viz . : — -Edward Harrison 31 Gd . S ., Bernard Meyer 31 Gd . D . ( in absentio ) , Henry Stephens 31 Gd . A . Convocation was then closed and the 111 . brethren attended the " Rose of Sharon" Chapter of Rose Croix , held on the same

evening . The Primitive Pilgrim Chapter Rose Croix , No . 5 , Holyhead . —Met on Thursday , 9 th inst ., for the purpose of ad . mitting four candidates to this interesting degree . Two of them were prevented by illness from attending , the other two being present , the ceremony was carried out most efficiently by the M . W .

and the Grand Expert Gen . of the Rite . A large contingent of Irish members attended . The brethren subsequently adjourned to the Royal Arcade Hotel , and partook of a most recherche" banquet . After which the usual Loyal and Ancient and Primitive toasts were given and heartily responded to . A moat pleasant evening was spent .