Supreme Grand Chapter.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER .

The following is the agenda paper of the business to be transacted at the Quarterly Convocation of Supreme Grand Chapter , at breemasons ' HalLon Wednesday evening next , at six o ' clock : The minutes of ' the last Quarterly Convocation to , be read for confirmation . THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF GENERAL PURPOSES . To the Supreme Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of England . The Committee of General Purposes beg to report that they have examined the accounts from the 16 th July to the 14 th October , 1884 , both

inclusive , which they find to be as follows : To Balance , Grand Chapter £ 16 53 16 1 By Donations to the 3 Ma-„ Unappropriated sonic Charitable lnsti-Account ... 19 S 13 4 tutions ... ... £ 1500 Q o „ Subsequent Receipts ... 21 4 910 „ Disbursements during the 1 Quarter 212 l < 3 o „ Balance 16 7 6 11

„ „ Unappropriated Account ... 1 S 6 16 4 X 2066 19 3 £ 2 a 66 ' 9 3

Which balances are in the Bank of England , Western Branch . The Committee have likewise to report that they have received the following petitions : , 1 st From Comps . Henry Edmund Frances , as Z . ; 1 nomas Holland , as H William Henry Harris , as J . ; and six others for a chapter to be attached to the St . Ambrose Lodge , No . 1 S 91 , London , to be called the St . Ambrose Chapter , and to meet at the Barons Court Hotel , West

Kensington , London . , _ , ., „ . "nd From Comps . Edwin Matthew Lott , as Z . ; Theophilus Thomas Phillips , as H . ; Henry Joseph Lardner , as J ., and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Mozart Lodge , No . 1929 , Croydon , be called the Mozart Chapter , and to meet at the Griffin Hotel , Kingston , in the county

3 rd . From Comps . Edward Masters , as Z . ; William Webster , as H . ; Alban Gee , as J ., and six others for a chapter to be attached to the Parramatta St . George Lodge , No . 1943 . Parramatta , to be called the Cumberland County Chapter , and to meet at the St . George ' s Masonic Hall , Parramatta , New South Wales . . ,, ¦ . The foregoing petitions , being in all respects regular , the Committee

recommend that the prayers thereof be respectively granted . The Committee recommend that the Excellent Comps . Sir Albert W . Woods , P . G . W ., Grand Director of Ceremonies of the Grand Lodge , and Frederick Adolp hus Philbrick , Q . C ., Grand Registrar , be added to the Committee appointed b y Grand Chapter on the 6 th of August last to revise the Royal Arch Regulations . . ( Signed ) JOHN CREATON , P . Pr . G . Soj ., Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C , President . 15 th October , 1884 .

Some Ancient York Masons And Their Early Haunts.

SOME ANCIENT YORK MASONS AND THEIR EARLY HAUNTS .

BY BRO . T . B . WHYTEHEAD . Continued from page 493 . In 1711 Sir Wm . Hawkesworth , Bart ., seems to have been elected President , and in 1712 he occupied that position at the time of the first known existing minute , which runs as follows :

" March the 19 th . 1712 . At a private lodge , held at the house of James Borehams , situate in Stonegate , in the citv of York , Mr . Thomas Shipton , Mr . Caleb Greenbury , Mr . [ no . Norryson , Mr . Jno . Russell , Jno . Whitehead , and Francis Norryson were all of them severally sworn and admitted into the Honourable Society and Fraternity of Freemasons . GEO . BOWBS , Esq ., Deputy President . Jno . Wilcock also admitted at the

same' lodge . " ., and then follow the signatures of the seven candidates . Ihe Bowes iamily occupied leading positions for some centuries in York , and a brother of the Deputy President was Sheriff in 1720 . Geo . Bowes died in 1724 . He lived in Petergale , and his wife was a daughter of Sir John Legard , the first baronet of the Ganton family , and ancestor of Bro . Sir Chas . Legard , of

Ganton . Bro . Bowes ' s grand-daughter married a Foord , of Driffield . 'Ihe Greenburys were also a leading local family . John Whitehead , or Whytehead , for they spelt the name both ways in those days , was Sheriff of York in 1717 . His brother William was Lord Mayor in 1734 , and his brother Thomas , who was my great great great grandfather , was Mayor of Scarbro in 1736 . I can make out nothing of the other candidates , but

Russell subsequently became Secretary of the lodge , as will be seen hereafter . This is the first intimation that we have of the place where our earliest brethren met , but I have no doubt that the same roof sheltered William Baron and his lodge in 1 G 63 , for in those days , especially houses , had their specialities , and connections were generally long lasting . The question is , where was the house of James Borehams ' < I believe in those days there

were only four good houses of entertainment in Stonegate , those known later ( and possibly even then ) as the Saracen ' s Head , in Coffee Yard , the Punch Bowl , the Star , and the White Dog , afterwards called the White Hart . The latter was pulled down a few years ago and a modern house erected on the site . It was a famous house , and I remember well its picturesque appearance , with overhanging gables in the best style , and broad eaves , it contained a large room capable of dining 150 persons , but there is no tradition

of its ever having had a Masonic connection . "James Borehams , " was not the Star Inn , as will be seen by a later minute , and there is every probability that it was the Punch Howl , a house that certainly had a Masonic connection last century , as we all know . The Punch Bowl still exists and is a good example of the old fashioned town hostelrie in the times when clubs and guilds were the order of the day , and conviviality was the rule , and not the exception .

It was very natural that the earliest meetings should be held in Stonegate , the street up which the bulk of the material for the erection of the Cathedral was hauled from the river side . The operatives would certainly frequent houses in the neighbourhood of their work , and it is said that the foundations of the houses in that street rest on and are surrounded by

stone chippings . James Borehams , was again the place of meeting on June the 24 th , 1713 ( the date of lhc next minute ) . On this occasion " Sir Walter Hawx-

Some Ancient York Masons And Their Early Haunts.

worth , Knt . and Barrt , President , was present . An engraved mezzotint portrait of this worthy was published b y "A . Lumley , " and the York and Eboracum Lodges each possess a copy . He appears in the enormous fullbottomed wig and ruffles of the period , and has a most genial and benevolent cast of face . Probably the original portrait would be found at Farnley Hall , for the Fawkes family are the present representatives of the Hawksworths .

Sir Walter died in 1735 , leaving an only daughter , who married Thomas Ramsden , of Crawsthorne , and from them came the present Fawkes , of Farnley Hall . Sir Walter ' s wife was a daughter of John Ayscough , of Osgodby . In 1715 our brother , the last baronet , was associated with the Lord Mayor , Sir Wm . Robinson , and other city magistrates , in the proceedings against the recusants , work which must have sadly gone against the grain , for some of these unfortunates were brother Masons , and members of the lodge at York .

The next minute records a meeting at the same house on the 7 th August , 1713 , and on this occasion "Robert Fairfax , Esq ., Tobias Jenkyns , Esq ., and the Reverend Mr . Robertt Barker " were admitted and sworn before Bro . Geo . Bowes . The Rev . R . Barker was ordained in York Minster in 169 S , and was an M . A . of Sydney Sussex College . He was curate of Holme , on Spalding Moor , in 1726 .

This Robert Fairfax was a very important person in York in those days , and was Lord Mayor in 1715 . He was a grandson of Sir William Fairfax , of Steeton , who was a Cromwellian , and was killed at the siege of Montgomery Castle . Robert Fairfax was a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy , and married a daughter of Robert Bushell , of Ruswarp . Exactly a month after he was made a Mason he fought the election , to which I have

before referred , with Bros . Jenkyns and Robinson , and in 1714 he was made an Alderman . He was a most benevolent man and founded some of the York charities that still exist . He died in 1725 , and was buried at Newton Kyme , the present seat of his descendants . His daughter married Henry Pawson , who was Sheriff of York in 1723 and a member of the lodge at York . S

Bro . Tobias Jenkyns was another prominent York man , and a great politician . He was Lord Mayor in 1701 and again in 1720 , but as early as 1695 he had defeated Edward Thompson in a Parliamentary contest for York . He was a son of Col . Jenkins , of Grimston , near York . His wife was a daughter , of Charles Duke of Bolton , and his only daughter married Sir Henry Goodricke , Bart ., of Ribston . The Goodrickes were at one time the owners of the site of the Ancient Priory of the Holy Trinity in Micklegate , York .

The next meeting was held on the iSth December of the same year , at Borehams ' , when " Mr . Thomas Hardwick , Mr . Godfrey Giles , and Mr . Thomas Challoncr " were admitted before Sir Walter Hawxworth . Giles may have been a relative of the celebrated glass painter . Of the other two nothing can be said , but Challoncr could not write , for he made his " mark " underneath the signatures of the other candidates .

The next minute informs us thatat Mr . James Borehams' " John Taylor , of Langton-in-the-Woulds , " was admitted into the Society and Company of Freemasons before the Worshipful Charles Fairfax , Esq . Langton is a village near Malton , in the East Riding , 18 miles from York . It will be

noted that we have had no minute of the admission of Charles Fairfax , which shows , unless he were made before 1712 , that these parchment records are imperfect . We may suppose that at this time he was President of the lodge . Two years and a half afterwards he was Deputy President , for the next entry says :

"At St . John ' s Lodge in Christmas 1716 , at the house of Mr . James Borehams' , situate Stonegate , in York , being at a General ! Lodge held then by the Honorable Society and Company of Free Masons in the City of York , John Turner , Esq ., was sworne and admitted into the said Honble . Society and Fraternity of Free Masons . "CHARLES FAIRFAX , Esq ., Depy . President . "

This Charles Fairfax was , I believe , a brother of Robert Fairfax , the Lord Mayor , but he was a Jacobite , and in 1714 refused , with several others at York , to take the oath of allegiance . In the following year , that of the Rebellion , he was fined for recusancy , and 'his house in Micklegate was searched and his gun confiscated . His house stood next to that of tne Bourchiers . In October of that year he , and others , were brought before the

Lord Mayor ( his brother , as well as brother Mason ) , Sir Henry Goodricke , Sir Walter Hawksworth , and Sir Wm . Robinson , and he was committed to gaol . It seems very probable that the troublous nature of these times interfered materiall y with the holding of Masonic meetings . With the President or Deputy President in prison , one could hardly expect the lodge to flourish . At all events , we have no entry of any meeting after Christmas , 1716 , for five years .

I am uncertain about John Turner , Esq ., but he was most likely one of a family , which supplied several prominent citizens , and was connected with good families . Sir John Turner was Recorder in 1664 , and , in an old MS . which I have before mc , is said , on the occasion of the visit of the Duke of Albany to York in that year , to have delivered an address of welcome to the Duke at his entry into the city from a stage erected near Micklegate

Bar , and to have presented at the same time a purse of gojd to His Royal Highness . Charles Turner was M . P . and Lord Mayor of York in 1772 . The next entry we have runs as follows : — " At St . John ' s Lodge , in Christmas 1721 , at Mr . Robert Chippendale's , in the Shambles , York , Robert Fairfax , Esq ., then Deputy President , the said Robt . Chippendale was admitted and sworne into the honourable Society of Freemasons . " ROB . FAIRFAX , Esq ., D . P . "

This was the Fairfax who was Lord Mayor in 1715 . The name o £ Chippendale has been long known in York , and the famil y intermarried with the Nicholsons , who were engaged in the same business in Coney-street . Chippendale ' s house was most likely the very old hostelrie now known as the Globe , opposite the church of St . Crux . It is the oldest house of entertainment in the Shambles , and was a coaching and posting establishment in the early days . ( To be continued ) .

MOURNING . —Is used for a lodge , and lodge jewels , by order of Grand Lodge or Provincial Grand Lodge , on the death of some Masonic notability . It is also competent for the W . M ., with consent of the brethren , to order a lodge to be draped in some way for the purpose of mourning . Black is the Craft colour , though in some of the hi gher grades it is violet . When

Masonic restheticism is in vogue , for the E . A . and F . C . lodges the lodge room is hung in blue ; for the Third Degree in black ; and in the R . A . Chapter red and blue hangings are made use of . We are ourselves very favourable , on every ground , to the ritual accessories in our lodges . — Kenning ' s Cyclopedia ,