Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Revews.
REVEWS .
Th- Uithvg nf the Ln . lje nf I ' nitg , Xo . 183 ( formerly-111 , 376 , 289 ; 290 , -J 12 , 30 . "> , 215 ) . Extracted from the Minutes and other 1 ) > cu . moots of the Lodge , and from the Records and Register of GIMIK ] Lodge . by George William Speth , P . M . Iioudon : G .- irgv Kenning , the l- \ venui . < i > i < Office , 1 ( 3 Great Queen-street , W . C , 18 S 1 .
NOXK but a harsh critic , and certainly no Masonic critic , would dream of dealing otherwise than gently with what he is told is the maiden literary effort of the author . Vet Bro . Past Master Speth need not have been at the pains of claiming tho indulgence of his readers on the score of his inexperience . As invariably happens to all who at . tempt the task of compiling the history of a Masonic Lodgo , he was
met at tho very threshold of his labours with the old , old story of lost Minute Books , imperfect registers , and a general absence of trustworthy information , at certain periods moro or less prolonged . In the case of this Unity Lodge , No . 1 S 3 , there is , first of all , a period of twelvo years , from 1769 to 1781 , of which no particulars are to bo found , even in the archives of Grand Lodge . Some kind
of record , in tho shape of a " Quarterage Book , " appears to have been kept from 1782 to 1811 , but the earliest available minute belongs to the year 180 ( 5 ; and , to make matters still worse , thero are no Minnte-Books relating to the twenty-three years from 1815 to 1838 . If we add to this that it was not till 1855 , on tho appointment to the post of Secretary of the lato Bro . Speth ( the author ' s father ) , that
the minutes were kept with anything like a regard for accuracy , onr readers will bo able to appreciate tho difficulties that must havo been encountered in tho compilation of this history . That anything like a connected and acceptable narrative should have been pnt together from materials so scanty is a matter on which we , who
havo had no small amount of experience of this kind of labour , beg to congratulate Bro . Speth most cordially . Ho has done his Avork admirably , and should ho try his no longer prentice hand at Avritingthe history of any other Lodge in which he may be interested , and where there is something like a connected series of minutes , wo are convinccd it will be a success .
Having noticed only tho most salient facts in the history of the Craft from 1769 , the year in which tho warrant for tho Lodge of Unity , No . 411 , was granted by tho Duke of Beaufort , the then Grand Master of tho " Moderns , " Bro . Speth almost immediately sets about tho task of questioning the accuracy of the view entertained by tho authorities of Grand Lodge , namely , that the
Unity Lodge had no real existence until 1781 , or , in other words , that tho Drtke of Beaufort's warrant of twelve years previously remained all that time unacted npon . He , first of all , points out with much show of reason , that " the probability of any brethren petitioning for a Warrant , receiving it , and then taking no steps for twelve long years , is hardly conceivable . "
These being , after all , only " negative reasons" in favour of his theory , he goes on to addnco " stronger and positive ones" in its behalf . Ho points ont that the Lodge is included in Cole's engraved List of Lodges for 1769 , as " No . 411 , Ratcliffe Highway , Ap . 11 , 1769 . " It is described almost in the same words in the list issued by order of the Grand Master in 1770 , " Ship Tavern , Ratcliffe Cross , " being
given as tho place of meeting , and " No . 376 " through the closing up of the Lodges in that year as tho number . In 1781 it is said to have been located at " The Vine Tavern , Broad Street , Ratcliffe , " and had become "No . 2 S 9 . " The year following , owing to tho omission of a Lodge , it was altered to "No . 290 , " aud met at "The King Henry ' s Head , Whitechapel . " But , ns Bro . Speth very sensibly remarks , a
Lodge that was dormant conld not well have moved from one tavern to another , neither would it , at tho successive closing-up of Lodges , have retained its place on the roll of Grand Lodge . Now tho Grand Lodge authorities base their assumption , that the Unity Lodgo had no real existence till 1781 , on a statement inserted in the margin of the aforementioned Quarterage Book against the
year 1773 , to the effect that "Bro . Hughes , Master of the Lodge , certifies that to his knowledge none were made or admitted from 1769 to 1781 . " The value of this statement , however , is very materially weakened by a counter argument of Bro . Speth's , that the marginal note in question , which was inserted in connection with some inquiries as to the doings of the Lodgo prior to 1781 , does not belong to the
year 1783 , to which it is assigned , but to 1790 , when Bro . Hughes , who was not admitted into the Lodge till 1782 , was its Worshipful Master . " How then , " very pertinently asks Bro . Speth , " could he know of his own knowledge what took place before 1781 ? " His testimony " may probably only mean that he knows of nono having been made-he does not assort that none wero made ; indeed , he
conld not do so" —not having been admitted a member till 1782 . Wo will not go so far as to affirm that the author ' s arguments are conclusive . Cole may have fancied the Lodgo met as stated in his lists when ifc was really dormant , the result being that , in the estimation of our authorities , Grand Lodge lists are less valuable as an authority than the unsupported testimony of a member of tho Lodgo , who was
not even a member during any part of the period of Avhich he speaks . But though Bro . Speth's argnment may not bo absolutely conclusive , ho certainly has the greater show of reason in his favour . Tho amount of information contained in the Quarterage Book , 1782-1811 , labours under the twofold disadvantage of being scanty and apparently inaccurate , or , at all events misleading , as regards the
members of the Lodge . Yet , limited as the information is , it is not without its interest , and Bro . Speth has , after much painstaking research , been able to extract more than might have been looked for under the circumstances ' . Tho book shows tho professional or business st-itus of the member . " , so that we can jndgo for ourselves what kind of men
they wore who constituted the Lodge of Unity . The description intolerably comprehensive , and includes gentlemen , coal merchants , tallow chandlers , bakers , painters , oilmen , and tobacconist , engrave ; , draper , bricklayer , pewtercr , poulterer , coppersmith , dancing-mister , attorney , hatter , shoemaker , & c . Most of them lived east of Aldgatu rump—chiefly in Whitechapel aud Ratcliffe . Gradually , however ,
Revews.
" merchants from Mincing-lane , gentlemen from the suburbs , and lawyers from tho Inns of Court , put in a goodly appearancebrethren , doubtless , of moro refined manners and bettor education , than our first members , " and Bro . Spoth very naturally commonts on this— "That in tho beginning of this contnry , when class distinctions were moro marked than now , wo should havo attracted this
infusion of the upper classes , is perhaps somewhat remarkable , cs . pecially as , neither then nor sinco , was Ratclilfo a very desirable neighbouhood . There must havo been sterling staff and good Masouio qualities in our ancient brethren to have attracted those now mombers , and this fact , whilst gratifying to us , redounds to tho honour of Masonry as tho groat institution for promoting
sjood fellowship amongst all ranks of life . Many years lator , tho Lodge was largely recruited "by brethren hailing from salt water . " What is still more noteworthy , however , is the fluctuation in the number of members . Thus 1784 closed with a membership of sixty , " yet , if we conld ascertain at what dates during the year the twenty , eight members were admitted , and the forty-nine resignations took
place , it is very probable that at some or other we may have numbered over 120 members . " However , in 1803 the number had dwindled to eleven , in 1805 it increased by twenty . two , and the year following by seven more . Towards the close of 1806 " no less than thirty , six members left the Lodge , " the greater number , Brother Speth surmises , " on account of the expense , " the initiation and
subscription fees having been raised to five and four guineas respectively . This surmise is so far borne out that in 1 S 07 , when the fee for making Avas reduced to three guineas and a half , many old members rejoined , being specially invited to do so without expense A second period of dwindling dates from 1819 . In 1822 Bro . Gill , a pillar of the Lodge for many years , died . From 1823 to 1830 " only one
member Avas made , and he resigned the same year . " In 1824 there were only five members , who continued to form the Lodge till 1829 , when two of them disappeared from tho list , and tho Lodge was composed of three , namely , Bros . R . Ackroyd , C . M . Demages , and Josiah Edwards , tho two that disappeared being W . Claremont and Charles Condor . In 1833 " six new Masons were made , and thirteen joined ;
but in 1831- the Lodge onco again fell off to seven ; iu 1835 thero were eight , and in 1836 again seven members . By 1839 , however , there had been a recovery to fourteen , while sinco 1840 , tho year of the late Bro . Bnrmoister ' s initiation , the fortunes of the Lodge may be said to havo recovered , and have since remained on the whole prosperous . "
The Lodge Bye-laws , as entered in tho Quarterage Book in 1782 , like most we have seen , are distinguished by an absence of grammar , and a chartniug indifference to the laws of spelling . Their tenor is of the usual character , and some of the rules may profitably be noted in brief or at length . Thu 3 article 1 st enacts , — " Without order and Decency in this Society a dissolution must bo the consequence
therefore at the third stroke of the Master ' s Mallett profound silence shall be observed and no private Committee held and any Brother who swears curses or talks obscenely disputes about Politicks isdisgnis'd in Liquor or becomes disguis'd therein or offers to lay Wagers dispose of Play-house tickets sits down unclothed hisses at what another
brother proposes or debates or refuses to stand up and address himself to the Master in anything he may have to relate such behaviour shall be publicly reprimanded by the Master for the first offence and for a second offence shall be fined two shillings and sixpence if the majority of the present members confirm the same whioh if he refnses shall be dealt with as they think proper . "
Article 2 nd provided that the Lodge night shonld be the fourth Monday in every month , the hour of meeting being from 6 to 9 p . m . from Michaelmas-Day to Lady-Day , and from 7 to 10 p . m . from Lady-Day to Michaelmas , " and never to exceed eleven ; " in the absence of the Master "the Lodge to be opened by the Past Master Wardens as soon as there is a sufficient number of brethren . "
By Article 3 the liquor drunk during Lodge hours and the beer drunk at supper by the brethren , " not exceeding a pint eaoh , " was fo be charged in the bill of expenses for the night ; " but no liquor called for before or after Lodge hours shall be allowed by the Lodge except on account of making & c . & c . no person shall bo admitted to sup in the Lodge-room during Lodge hours . " Other Articles provide for the
payment of a quarterage of three shillings aud sixpence , one quarter in advance , any one in arrears for four quarters to have his name erased ; visiting or travelling brethren to pay eighteen pence each to the Tyler for the use of the Lodge before admission ; for being made a Mason two guineas , and ten shillings for registration ; anyone pro . posing an appropriation of anv portion of the Lodge fands " to any
party affairs , Avhother for or against Church or State , " to be fined half-a-crown the first time , and to be excluded for a second offence . By Article 9 , new officers were to be elected by ballot on the Lodge nights nearest the Festivals of St . John the Baptist and St . John the Evangelist respectively . Article 10 provided for tho election of Tyler , and Article 11 for an allowance to the Master when attending the
Committee of Charity of half-a-crown , and with his Wardens at the Quarterly Communication , or when summoned , five shillings . Under Article 14 landlord of house where the Lodgo meets to have no interest in the furniture of the Lodge beyond that of an individual member , and by Article 15 landlord to forward any lett < r or message left for the W . M . under penalty of a fine of half-a-crown . By Article 16 a
member on being elected W . M . paid half-a-crown for a bottle of wine , the Treasurer a like sum for the same purpose , while tho Wardons paid such sum between them , " but nothing when re-elected , " the qualification being applicable , we presnme , to all three offices . By Article 19 any one breaking tho rules to be fined a sum not exceeding five shillings , if the W . M . and a majority so thought fit , and a refusal
to pay such fine resulted in exclusion . Article 20 , and last , directs that the laws should bo publicly read on certain occasions in open Lodge , tho Master , in the event of non-compliance with this law , being finable to the extent of half-a-crown . Tho occasions aro mentionod as being " tho last Lodge night in every quarter" and " before tho election of Officers . " [ To bo continued . ]
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Revews.
REVEWS .
Th- Uithvg nf the Ln . lje nf I ' nitg , Xo . 183 ( formerly-111 , 376 , 289 ; 290 , -J 12 , 30 . "> , 215 ) . Extracted from the Minutes and other 1 ) > cu . moots of the Lodge , and from the Records and Register of GIMIK ] Lodge . by George William Speth , P . M . Iioudon : G .- irgv Kenning , the l- \ venui . < i > i < Office , 1 ( 3 Great Queen-street , W . C , 18 S 1 .
NOXK but a harsh critic , and certainly no Masonic critic , would dream of dealing otherwise than gently with what he is told is the maiden literary effort of the author . Vet Bro . Past Master Speth need not have been at the pains of claiming tho indulgence of his readers on the score of his inexperience . As invariably happens to all who at . tempt the task of compiling the history of a Masonic Lodgo , he was
met at tho very threshold of his labours with the old , old story of lost Minute Books , imperfect registers , and a general absence of trustworthy information , at certain periods moro or less prolonged . In the case of this Unity Lodge , No . 1 S 3 , there is , first of all , a period of twelvo years , from 1769 to 1781 , of which no particulars are to bo found , even in the archives of Grand Lodge . Some kind
of record , in tho shape of a " Quarterage Book , " appears to have been kept from 1782 to 1811 , but the earliest available minute belongs to the year 180 ( 5 ; and , to make matters still worse , thero are no Minnte-Books relating to the twenty-three years from 1815 to 1838 . If we add to this that it was not till 1855 , on tho appointment to the post of Secretary of the lato Bro . Speth ( the author ' s father ) , that
the minutes were kept with anything like a regard for accuracy , onr readers will bo able to appreciate tho difficulties that must havo been encountered in tho compilation of this history . That anything like a connected and acceptable narrative should have been pnt together from materials so scanty is a matter on which we , who
havo had no small amount of experience of this kind of labour , beg to congratulate Bro . Speth most cordially . Ho has done his Avork admirably , and should ho try his no longer prentice hand at Avritingthe history of any other Lodge in which he may be interested , and where there is something like a connected series of minutes , wo are convinccd it will be a success .
Having noticed only tho most salient facts in the history of the Craft from 1769 , the year in which tho warrant for tho Lodge of Unity , No . 411 , was granted by tho Duke of Beaufort , the then Grand Master of tho " Moderns , " Bro . Speth almost immediately sets about tho task of questioning the accuracy of the view entertained by tho authorities of Grand Lodge , namely , that the
Unity Lodge had no real existence until 1781 , or , in other words , that tho Drtke of Beaufort's warrant of twelve years previously remained all that time unacted npon . He , first of all , points out with much show of reason , that " the probability of any brethren petitioning for a Warrant , receiving it , and then taking no steps for twelve long years , is hardly conceivable . "
These being , after all , only " negative reasons" in favour of his theory , he goes on to addnco " stronger and positive ones" in its behalf . Ho points ont that the Lodge is included in Cole's engraved List of Lodges for 1769 , as " No . 411 , Ratcliffe Highway , Ap . 11 , 1769 . " It is described almost in the same words in the list issued by order of the Grand Master in 1770 , " Ship Tavern , Ratcliffe Cross , " being
given as tho place of meeting , and " No . 376 " through the closing up of the Lodges in that year as tho number . In 1781 it is said to have been located at " The Vine Tavern , Broad Street , Ratcliffe , " and had become "No . 2 S 9 . " The year following , owing to tho omission of a Lodge , it was altered to "No . 290 , " aud met at "The King Henry ' s Head , Whitechapel . " But , ns Bro . Speth very sensibly remarks , a
Lodge that was dormant conld not well have moved from one tavern to another , neither would it , at tho successive closing-up of Lodges , have retained its place on the roll of Grand Lodge . Now tho Grand Lodge authorities base their assumption , that the Unity Lodgo had no real existence till 1781 , on a statement inserted in the margin of the aforementioned Quarterage Book against the
year 1773 , to the effect that "Bro . Hughes , Master of the Lodge , certifies that to his knowledge none were made or admitted from 1769 to 1781 . " The value of this statement , however , is very materially weakened by a counter argument of Bro . Speth's , that the marginal note in question , which was inserted in connection with some inquiries as to the doings of the Lodgo prior to 1781 , does not belong to the
year 1783 , to which it is assigned , but to 1790 , when Bro . Hughes , who was not admitted into the Lodge till 1782 , was its Worshipful Master . " How then , " very pertinently asks Bro . Speth , " could he know of his own knowledge what took place before 1781 ? " His testimony " may probably only mean that he knows of nono having been made-he does not assort that none wero made ; indeed , he
conld not do so" —not having been admitted a member till 1782 . Wo will not go so far as to affirm that the author ' s arguments are conclusive . Cole may have fancied the Lodgo met as stated in his lists when ifc was really dormant , the result being that , in the estimation of our authorities , Grand Lodge lists are less valuable as an authority than the unsupported testimony of a member of tho Lodgo , who was
not even a member during any part of the period of Avhich he speaks . But though Bro . Speth's argnment may not bo absolutely conclusive , ho certainly has the greater show of reason in his favour . Tho amount of information contained in the Quarterage Book , 1782-1811 , labours under the twofold disadvantage of being scanty and apparently inaccurate , or , at all events misleading , as regards the
members of the Lodge . Yet , limited as the information is , it is not without its interest , and Bro . Speth has , after much painstaking research , been able to extract more than might have been looked for under the circumstances ' . Tho book shows tho professional or business st-itus of the member . " , so that we can jndgo for ourselves what kind of men
they wore who constituted the Lodge of Unity . The description intolerably comprehensive , and includes gentlemen , coal merchants , tallow chandlers , bakers , painters , oilmen , and tobacconist , engrave ; , draper , bricklayer , pewtercr , poulterer , coppersmith , dancing-mister , attorney , hatter , shoemaker , & c . Most of them lived east of Aldgatu rump—chiefly in Whitechapel aud Ratcliffe . Gradually , however ,
Revews.
" merchants from Mincing-lane , gentlemen from the suburbs , and lawyers from tho Inns of Court , put in a goodly appearancebrethren , doubtless , of moro refined manners and bettor education , than our first members , " and Bro . Spoth very naturally commonts on this— "That in tho beginning of this contnry , when class distinctions were moro marked than now , wo should havo attracted this
infusion of the upper classes , is perhaps somewhat remarkable , cs . pecially as , neither then nor sinco , was Ratclilfo a very desirable neighbouhood . There must havo been sterling staff and good Masouio qualities in our ancient brethren to have attracted those now mombers , and this fact , whilst gratifying to us , redounds to tho honour of Masonry as tho groat institution for promoting
sjood fellowship amongst all ranks of life . Many years lator , tho Lodge was largely recruited "by brethren hailing from salt water . " What is still more noteworthy , however , is the fluctuation in the number of members . Thus 1784 closed with a membership of sixty , " yet , if we conld ascertain at what dates during the year the twenty , eight members were admitted , and the forty-nine resignations took
place , it is very probable that at some or other we may have numbered over 120 members . " However , in 1803 the number had dwindled to eleven , in 1805 it increased by twenty . two , and the year following by seven more . Towards the close of 1806 " no less than thirty , six members left the Lodge , " the greater number , Brother Speth surmises , " on account of the expense , " the initiation and
subscription fees having been raised to five and four guineas respectively . This surmise is so far borne out that in 1 S 07 , when the fee for making Avas reduced to three guineas and a half , many old members rejoined , being specially invited to do so without expense A second period of dwindling dates from 1819 . In 1822 Bro . Gill , a pillar of the Lodge for many years , died . From 1823 to 1830 " only one
member Avas made , and he resigned the same year . " In 1824 there were only five members , who continued to form the Lodge till 1829 , when two of them disappeared from tho list , and tho Lodge was composed of three , namely , Bros . R . Ackroyd , C . M . Demages , and Josiah Edwards , tho two that disappeared being W . Claremont and Charles Condor . In 1833 " six new Masons were made , and thirteen joined ;
but in 1831- the Lodge onco again fell off to seven ; iu 1835 thero were eight , and in 1836 again seven members . By 1839 , however , there had been a recovery to fourteen , while sinco 1840 , tho year of the late Bro . Bnrmoister ' s initiation , the fortunes of the Lodge may be said to havo recovered , and have since remained on the whole prosperous . "
The Lodge Bye-laws , as entered in tho Quarterage Book in 1782 , like most we have seen , are distinguished by an absence of grammar , and a chartniug indifference to the laws of spelling . Their tenor is of the usual character , and some of the rules may profitably be noted in brief or at length . Thu 3 article 1 st enacts , — " Without order and Decency in this Society a dissolution must bo the consequence
therefore at the third stroke of the Master ' s Mallett profound silence shall be observed and no private Committee held and any Brother who swears curses or talks obscenely disputes about Politicks isdisgnis'd in Liquor or becomes disguis'd therein or offers to lay Wagers dispose of Play-house tickets sits down unclothed hisses at what another
brother proposes or debates or refuses to stand up and address himself to the Master in anything he may have to relate such behaviour shall be publicly reprimanded by the Master for the first offence and for a second offence shall be fined two shillings and sixpence if the majority of the present members confirm the same whioh if he refnses shall be dealt with as they think proper . "
Article 2 nd provided that the Lodge night shonld be the fourth Monday in every month , the hour of meeting being from 6 to 9 p . m . from Michaelmas-Day to Lady-Day , and from 7 to 10 p . m . from Lady-Day to Michaelmas , " and never to exceed eleven ; " in the absence of the Master "the Lodge to be opened by the Past Master Wardens as soon as there is a sufficient number of brethren . "
By Article 3 the liquor drunk during Lodge hours and the beer drunk at supper by the brethren , " not exceeding a pint eaoh , " was fo be charged in the bill of expenses for the night ; " but no liquor called for before or after Lodge hours shall be allowed by the Lodge except on account of making & c . & c . no person shall bo admitted to sup in the Lodge-room during Lodge hours . " Other Articles provide for the
payment of a quarterage of three shillings aud sixpence , one quarter in advance , any one in arrears for four quarters to have his name erased ; visiting or travelling brethren to pay eighteen pence each to the Tyler for the use of the Lodge before admission ; for being made a Mason two guineas , and ten shillings for registration ; anyone pro . posing an appropriation of anv portion of the Lodge fands " to any
party affairs , Avhother for or against Church or State , " to be fined half-a-crown the first time , and to be excluded for a second offence . By Article 9 , new officers were to be elected by ballot on the Lodge nights nearest the Festivals of St . John the Baptist and St . John the Evangelist respectively . Article 10 provided for tho election of Tyler , and Article 11 for an allowance to the Master when attending the
Committee of Charity of half-a-crown , and with his Wardens at the Quarterly Communication , or when summoned , five shillings . Under Article 14 landlord of house where the Lodgo meets to have no interest in the furniture of the Lodge beyond that of an individual member , and by Article 15 landlord to forward any lett < r or message left for the W . M . under penalty of a fine of half-a-crown . By Article 16 a
member on being elected W . M . paid half-a-crown for a bottle of wine , the Treasurer a like sum for the same purpose , while tho Wardons paid such sum between them , " but nothing when re-elected , " the qualification being applicable , we presnme , to all three offices . By Article 19 any one breaking tho rules to be fined a sum not exceeding five shillings , if the W . M . and a majority so thought fit , and a refusal
to pay such fine resulted in exclusion . Article 20 , and last , directs that the laws should bo publicly read on certain occasions in open Lodge , tho Master , in the event of non-compliance with this law , being finable to the extent of half-a-crown . Tho occasions aro mentionod as being " tho last Lodge night in every quarter" and " before tho election of Officers . " [ To bo continued . ]