Freemasonry In York In The Eighteenth Century.

Mason a month before his brother , although he was not raised until January 1763 . In the Courant of 19 th June 1770 , is an announcement of a meeting of the lodge at

Knaresborough" KEDAR—MASTES . The Free and Accepted Masons are requested to meet at the house of W . Robert Revell , the Crown in Knaresborough , on Taesday , the 26 th day of June instant , to celebrate thp anniversary of St . John

the Baptist , and attend a regular procession to the Church to hear Divine Service , when a Sermon will be preached by a Brother suitable to the occasion . JEr }**—*

The Brethren are desired to meet at nine o ' clock , as Divine Service will begin at ten . " The Rev . Charles Kedar , Robert Revell , and William Batesou had been mado Masons at York in October 1769 , and at tho same time a Constitution had been granted to

them to open and hold a Lodge at the Crown , at Knaresborough , a small town a few miles from York , on the river Nidd . Four names were included in the Constitution , the fourth being that of John Brulart , nominated as Secretary , who also had been made at York .

In July of the same year a Constitution had been granted to John Atkinson as Master , George Dawson as S . W ., Wm . Askwith as J . W ., and John Carlisle as Secretary , to open and hold a Lodge at the Royal Oak , at Ripon , in

Yorkshire , Askwith having been previously made a Mason at York . The Ripon brethren must have soon tired of their York connection , for a warrant appears to have been applied for and granted to them from London in June 1776 .

Processions were fashionable about this time for the winter Festival of St . John is thus announced :

" PALMES , Grand Master . " The Free and Accepted Masons are desired to meet the Grand Master on St . John ' s Day , the 27 th December instant ( 1770 ) , at the York Tavern , at nine o ' clock in the morning , to attend him in procession to St . John ' s Chnrcb , in Micklegate , where a sermon suitable

to the occasion will be preached by a brother , and afterwards to dine with him at the same tavern . Dinner will be on the table at two o ' clock .

" Tiokets to be had at Mr . Kidd's Coffee House , in Coney-street . Such brethren as purpose to attend are desired to take ont tickets by themselves or friends before the 24 th inst . " This was one of the most successful gatherings of the century in York . The brethren assembled with their

visitors to the number of 120 . They marched with their " colours , " headed by the city band and the band of the iDniskilling Dragoons , to church , where a sermon was preached by Bro . the Rev . Wm . Dade , on " God is Love . " The bells of St . Martin ' s , Coney-street , rang out a merry

peal ; they had a famous dinner , and they appropriately ended a happy day by getting np a handsome subscription for charitable purposes . The Rev . W . Dade was rector of Barmston , in the East Riding , and an author of a " History of Holderness . "

On the 24 th June 1771 , Gascoigne , Grand Master , and his Wardens , Harrison and Lakeland , publicly summoned their summer Festival at Mr . Matthew Kidd's , the York Tavern , and again at the same house for the 27 th

December . In 1772 Lakeland and Bussey were Wardens , and summoned meetings for 24 th June and 28 th December , the latter meeting being advertised in the York Chronicle as well as the Courant , by order of the Lodge .

Sir Thomas Gascoigne was the last baronet of the family and died in 1810 . Their Yorkshire seat was at Parlington , and they claimed to be descended from the historic Lord

Chief Justice Gascoigne , temp . Hen . IV . Sir Thomas was initiated at York , with Sir Walter Vavasour , in January 1768 , but was not again heard of until he was elected Grand Master in absentia in December 1770 . I fear he

was not a very good Mason , for in December 1779 he was struck off the books for non-payment of arrears . In 1773 , Chaloner Grand Master , and Bussey and Bagley

Grand Wardens , advertised their gatherings for 24 th June and 27 th December , at the York Tavern , and in the Courant for 21 st December appears the announcement of the Apollo Lodge , thus :

"APOLLO LODGE . —The members of this Lodge are desired to meet their brethren on Monday next , the 27 th inst ., being St . John ' s Day . All Free and Accepted Masons desirons of visiting this Lodsje admitted by applying for tickets at tbe bar of the George Inn , Coney . street . Diuuer will be on the table at three o ' olook . "

Freemasonry In York In The Eighteenth Century.

Charles Chaloner , who was Grand Master in 1773 , was initiated on the same night as George Palmes , in 1761 , at a time when several men of position took an interest in the Lodge , but Chaloner's interest was very transient , for he never attended any meetings , and resigned in 1767 , but

rejoined in 1770 . He was one of the old family of Chaloner of Guisborough , in the North Riding . John Bagley , his Junior Warden , was a York tradesman , and served the office of Sheriff of the City in 1790 . Chaloner resigned his membership in 1775 .

The Apollo Lodge was warranted 31 st July 1773 , so that this must have been its first annual festival . Many distinguished brethren were connected with this Lodge , and several of the members of the old Lodge , who should have stood by their mother , went over to the more

fashionable body which met at the George Hotel , in Coney-street . Early in the present century most of the minutes , & c , of the Apollo Lodge were sold , with other Masonic property , to the brethren of a Hull Lodge , and are now in the possession of tho Humber Lodge .

In 1774 Grand Lodge met as usual at the York Tavern , under Stapilton Grand Master , and Bagley and Bewlay , Grand Wardens . There must have been some feeling of rivalry between the Apollo and tbe Grand Lodges , or the meetings would not have been called as they were on the same day and hour .

Henry Stapilton was a scion of a very old house , in which , however , even in that day , very little of the original Tees-side blood was to be found , owing to lack of male heirs . He probably lived at Wighill , near York , where they had estates . They were connected by marriage with

the Vavasours , of Copmanthorpe , near York , hence most likely the Masonic association . He joined the Lodge in 1773 , and seems to have been popular with the brethren . In the spring of 1775 , he presented the Lodge with a deer , for the purpose of getting up an extra banquet . On 20 th December 1774 , appears the following :

" TANCRED , " Provincial Grand Master for Yorkshire . " The officers and brethren of the different lodges of Free and Accepted Masons in this oounty , under the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of England , are desired to meet in the Apollo , at

the George Inn , in Coney . street , York , on Tuesday next , the 25 th day of December , being the anniversary of St . John , in order to form proper rales and regulations for the further progress of the Society . " N . B . —Tickets to be had at the bar of the said inn . Dinner at three o ' clock . "

Sir Thomas Tancred was the third recorded Prov . Grand Master , the first having been Wm . Horton , Esq . ( 1738 ) , and the second Edward Rooke ( 1740 ) . The Tancreds are

a very ancient race , their seat being at Boroughbridge , within easy reach of York . " The Freemasons' Calendar" is advertised in the Courant for 20 th December , 1774 .

" Never before printed . This day is published , price 9 d , stitched , "THE FREEMASONS' CALENDAR , " or an almanack for the year of Christ , MDCCLXXV ., and ANNO LUCIS ,

MMMMMDCCLXXV , being the third of the Bissextile , or Leap Year ; con . taining , besides an accurate nnd useful calendar of all the remarkable occurrences for the year , many useful and curious particulars relating to Masonry . Inscribed with great respect to the Rt . Hon , Lord Petre , G . Master , by a Society of the brethren .

Est etfideli tuta silentio merces . London : Printed for the Company of Stationers , and sold by all the Booksellers and sellers of almanacks in Town and Country . "

The files of the Courant for the years 1775-6 and 7 , appear to have been mislaid , but in Btherington's York Chronicle of Friday , 22 nd December 1775 , appear three advertisements :

MORIAH LODGE , NO . 176 , of Free and Accepted Masons under the Constitutions of the Ancient Grand Lodge of England . The members hereof are desired to meat

the Master , Wardens , & c , at the house of Mr . William Blanchard , the Star and Garter , in Nessgute , York , on Wednesday , the 27 tb inst ., being tbe anniversary of St . John . Dinner on the Table at Two o ' clock .

This ( according to Bro . R . F . Gould in his " Atholl Lodges " ) was a Lodge warranted by the Ancients in 1772 for tho 1 st Regiment Yorkshire Militia , at Sheffield , and afterwards removed to the Star and Garter , in Nessgate . 1 do not know that it anywhere else appears under the name of " Moriah . " STAPILTON , Grand Master . Free and Accepted Masons are desired to meet the brethren of tbe