St. John's Lodge, Philadelphia.

probably be more interesting to our readers than that of any other of the Brethren named , we give below his entire Masonic record from the St . John's Lodge " Libr . B . " It reads ( page 10 and page 45 ) as follows : —

ST . JOHN'S LODGE IN ACCOUNT WITH BENJAMIN FEANKLIN . "BENJAMIN FRANKUN TO STOCK . Dr . AJ ) . 1731 . June 24 To S Lodge days omition @ 6 d per diem ... 26 To remainder of your £ 3 entrance is £ 2 ... 2 0 July 5 To stock for this Lodge day ... ... 6 Aug 2 To stock for this day ... ... ... 6 Sept . 6 „ your monthly quota 6 d ... ... ... 6 Oct . 4 „ quota ... ... ... ... ... 6

Nov . 6 for absence Is & monthly quota 6 d ... ... 16 Deo . 6 for quota ... ... ... ... ... 6 1731-2 . Jan . 3 for Do . ... ... ... ... ... 6 Feb . 7 for Do . ... ... ... ... ... 6 Mar . 6 for absence Is & auota 6 d ... ... ... 1 6

1732 . April 3 to quota 6 d ... ... ... ... 6 May 1 for absence la and quota 6 d ... ... 16 June 5 for quota 6 d ,,, ... ... ... 6 2 11 7

July 3 „ „ ... ... ... ... ... 6 Aug . 7 „ „ ... ... ... ... ... 6 Sept . 4 „ „ ... , „ ... ... ... 6 Oofc . 19 „ „ ... 6 Nov . 6 for absence Is & quota 6 d ... ... ... 1 6 Deo . 6 „ ditto ... 1 6 2 16 7

1732-3 Jan . 1 for quota ... ... ... ... 6 Feb . 6 „ „ ... ... ... ... ... 6 Mar . 5 „ „ ... ... ... ... ... 6 1733 April 2 for absence Is & quota 6 d ... ... ... 1 6 May 7 for quota ... ... ... ... 6 June 4 „ „ ... ... ... ... ... 6

3 0 7 July 2 „ „ ... ... 6 Aug . 6 „ 6 This day moneys Pd you for day book , & o . ... ... 15 6 Sept . 3 „ „ ... ... ... ... ... 6 » 29 ,, „ ... ... ... ... ... 6

3 18 1 Nov . 5 „ „ ... ... ... ... ... 6 Xbr . 3 „ „ 6 Jan . 7 „ „ ... ... ... ... ... 6 Feb . 4 „ „ 6 Mar . 4 „ „ ... ... ... ... ... 6 June 3 „ „ ... ... ... ... ... 6

4 11 1735 June 2 To one year ' s stock ... ... ... 6 1736 June 7 To ditto ... ... ... ... ... 6

12 1737 June 7 To ditto ... ... ... ... ... 6 Ditto „ the Lodge ' s general acot . of expence ,., 14 7

10 7 1738 June 24 To one year ' s stock ... ... ... 6

PER CONTRA Or . A . D . 1731 j June 24 To moneys reo'd overpluss of yr . expence entering ... ... ... ... £ 2 2 7 July 5 By moneys to stock for this Lodge day ... 6 Aug . 2 By moneys to stock ... ... . „ 6

Sept . 6 By moneys you paid for monthly quota ... 6 Oct . 4 By moneys for quota ... ... ... 6 Deo . 6 By moneys paid ... ... ... ... l 6

-. *„ , 2 6 1 1731 . 2 Jan . 3 By ditto ... ... ... ... ... Q Feb . 7 By ditto ... ... ... ... " a 1732

April 3 By do , quota and for last time absence ... 2 0 June 5 By quota ... . „ ... ,,, g 2 9 7 j , 19 By moneys for absence and quota ... . „ l 6 2 11 1

St. John's Lodge, Philadelphia.

July 3 By moneys for quota ... ... 6 Aug . 7 „ ' 6 Sept . 4 „ „ ... ... 6 16 1 G

2 12 7 1732 . 3 Mar . 5 By moneys paid ... ... ... ... 4 6 By moneys lent the Lodge for William Pringle 5 0 3 2 1 July 2 By moneys for quota ... ... ... 6 Aug . 6 „ „ ... ... ... 6 Nov . 5 „ „ ... ... ... 6

3 3 7 Cr . by Day Book , 13 s ... l # . ... 13 0 3 16 7 Deo . 3 By do ... ... ... ... ... 6 Jan . 7 „ ... ... ... ... ... 6 Mar . 4 „ ... ... ... ... ... 6

3 18 1 1734 By cash rec'd ... ... ... ... ... 3 0 4 11

1734 . 5 March , By cash reo'd for 3 Or . 'by Paymt ... ... 4 6 1735 Deo . 1 „ ditto for 2 ditto ... ... 3 0 1736 April 6 „ ,, 1 ditto ... ... 1 6 June 24 „ „ for a payment due the last year ... 16 Do . By ditto in full to this date ... ... ... 1 6

12 0 1737 June 7 By cash in full ... .. ... ... 8 7 10 7

Of the interest and value of the revelations of this Lodge Ledger we cannot speak in too high terms . This is by far the oldest Masonic Lodge Book in America . In it we find official Lodge details concerning the Masonic lives of such Masons as William Allen , Humphry Murray ,

Benjamin Franklin , James Hamilton , Thomas Hopkinson , William Plumsted , Joseph Shippen , and Philip Syng , all Provincial Grand Masters of Pennsylvania , from 1732 to 1741 ; and also concerning Brother Thos . Boude , Doctor Thos . Cadwallader ( to whom Bro . Henry Bell , of

Lancaster , wrote his famous letter , of 17 th Nov . 1754 , concerning the origin of this same St . John's Lodge , in the fall of 1730 ) , Joseph Shippen and Thomas Bond . The entire volume is richly worthy of re-production in print , and by

photograph . It far outranks in age any Lodge record on this continent , and is one of the oldest in the world . It is more than we ever anticipated finding , and therefore the more valued when found .

We may indicate the comparative uniqueness of this volume by stating , that the oldest existing Lodge Becord Book in Pennsylvania dates back only to 1767 , that of Lodge No . 3 , Philadelphia ; the oldest Lodge Becord Book in Massachusetts , that of St . John ' s Lodge , Boston , was

compiled and written in 1751-2 , and records events only from July 1733 , when Masonry was first established in Massachusetts ; while the Lodge Record Book of the first St . John's Lodge , Philadelphia , contains the complete Secretary's Ledger Record account with all the members

of St . John ' s Lodge from 24 th June 1731- to 24 th June 1738 .

The following is a general description of the appearance of the volume : It is of the blank book pattern , in size 5 £ by 12 inches , and 2 inches thick . At the beginning is an alphabetical index of the names of the Brethren , whose accounts with St . John ' s Lodge are contained in the body

of the book . There are numerous blank pages , together with some few commercial entries , the volume evidently having been used for a short time by one of its possessors as a mercantile book of entry , with reference to the printing and binding , in 1790 , of copies of the Prayer Book ,

New Testament and the Laws of Pennsylvania . The binding is of stiff vellum , and the entire volume is quite well preserved . This original Philadelphia Lodge Record of the year 1731 , and thereafter to 1738 , by courtesy of the authorities of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania ( John Jordan jun . Vice President , and Frederick D . Stone