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Article ST. JOHN'S LODGE, PHILADELPHIA. ← Page 2 of 3 Article ST. JOHN'S LODGE, PHILADELPHIA. Page 2 of 3 →
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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
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
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