Centenary Celebration Of The Vigilance Chapter, No. Iii.

The proceedings commenced at half-past four , when the companions assembled at the Freemasons' Hall , Darlington . The Present and Past Principals having entered the chapter room , the chapter was opened , after ¦ which the companions of the Chapter of Vigilance entered , and took the

places allotted to them , and psalm cl ., " O praise God in His holiness , ' was chanted . The companions being seated , the M . E . Z .. Comp . S . F . BOUSFIELD , requested the Scribe E .. Comp . C . D . Hill-Drury , to read the minutes relating to the application for a centenary warrant .

Comp . HILL-DRURY complied with the request , and stated what steps had been taken with regard to the matter . The Grand Superintendent and officers of the Provincial Grand Chapter of Durham , and other distinguished visitors , were then announced , and entered in the following order , viz .: Comps . D . Whitehead , P . P . G . O . ;

W . Logan , P . G . D . of C . ; C . Spencer , P . A . G . S . ; H . E . O . Muller , P . A . G . S . ; T . J . Johnson , P . G . P . S . ; R . Hudson , P . G . S . E . ; Colonel Addison Potter , C . B ., Grand Superintendent of Northumberland ; Canon Tristram , P . P . G . H . ; B . Levy , P . P . G . H . ; Babington Boulton , P . G . H .: and Sir Hedworth Williamson , Grand Superintendent of Durham .

While the distinguished visitors were intenng , a processional march was played by Comp . Tovey . The Prov . G . Chapter officers having taken their places , the hymn , " Hail , Eternal 1 by Whose aid , " was sung . The Grand Superintendent , Comp . Sir HEDWORTH WILLIAMSON , Bart ., then addressed the chapter . He congratulated the companions on the completion of the iooth year of their active existence . He had been

much interested in looking over their old minutes , which went back for nearly 120 years , and said though they were the second warranted chapter , they had an actual existence 16 years previous to any other chapter in the Province of Durham . He had much pleasure in formally handing over to the First Principal the warrant of centenary , signed by H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , as G . Z . ; Lord Lathom , as G . H . ; and Lord Leigh , as G . J .

At the conclusion of his address , the Grand Superintendent formally handed over the centenary warrant to the M . E . Z ., Comp . Bousfield , the companions of the Chapter of Vigilance upstanding while he did so . The Scribe E ., Comp . HILL-DRURY , at the request of the M . E . Z ., read the warrant , and the M . E . Z . returned thanks to the Grand Superintendent on behalf of the chapter .

The Masonic anthem , " Hail ! Masonry Divine ! " having been sung , Comp . C . D . HILL-DRURY , M . D ., Scribe E ., read an interesting paper on " Early Royal Arch Masonry in Darlington , " in which he said that , although Masonic history and literature were receiving more notice at the present time than hitherto , yet even now they did not obtain that attention at the hands of Freemasons which the valuable and interesting records of

the fraternity deserved . This probably arose from the fact that all were in these busy times working at high pressure , and had not the necessary leisure to devote to such studies , and the majority considered their work complete when they regularly attended to their lodge duties . As most of them had to depend upon the work of others , it was well that there were so many distinguished Masons who had given them the result of their

indefatigable labour and resources , and they were much indebted in that respect to Comp . W . J . Hughan , the Masonic historian of Torquay . The first G . Lodge ever formed was constituted as the G . Lodge of England by members of the four old London lodges and some old brothers on St . John the Baptist ' s Day , 1717 , and on the same saint's day in 1725 the York Masons founded the " Grand Lodge of all England" at York . About 1750 , disputes

occurred between some of the members of London lodges and the Grand Lodge , and a rival organisation was started and named the " Grand Lodge of all England according to the old Constitutions . " The members of this were known as "the Ancients , " or Athol Masons , while the members of the premier Grand Lodge were termed " Moderns , " or regular Masons . In 1779 , another Grand Lodge was formed by brethren of the Lodge of

Antiquity , who had got into trouble with the regular Masons for taking part in what was considered an illegal procession . They called it the Grand Lodge of England South of the River Trent . About 1790 the York Lodge collapsed , and was followed by the South of the Trent Lodge , the brethren having been restored to all their Masonic privileges . From this time to 1813 there were only two Grand Lodges , and in triat year they became one .

as " 1 he United Grand Lodge of England , ' which flourished at the present day . He was not qualified to enter into the question as to how , when , and by whom the Degree of the Holy Royal Arch was arranged , but it was certain that about the middle of the last century the Degree began to be worked in various parts of England and Ireland in an irregular and unauthorised manner . He suspected that it became known to the Darlington

brethren by the military lodges sojourning in the neighbourhood , military lodges being numerous at that time , and the Quaker town was one of the resting places of troops from York to Newcastle in the stirring times of the latter half of the eighteenth century . He had hoped to settle the question by reference to the minute books of the Restoration Lodge , warranted June 19 th , 1761 , to which that chapter was attached , and by whose members it

was founded , but their earliest records did not go back further than December 26 th , 1679 . The brethren of the Marquis of Granb y Lodge , Durham , however , owed their first knowledge of Royal Arch Masonry to the 2 nd regiment of Greys , and Darlington brethren were acquainted with it six years before it was known to those at Durham , and actually worked the Degree 16 years before they met with evidence of its

existence in their cathedral city . A small copy book , lost for he did not know how long , was discovered two years ago by Bro . Bailey , and on the first page ot this was the inscription , "Transactions of the Hierarchical Lodge , at Darlington , from the 27 th August , 1769 , " and there was a minute in it dated August 27 th , 1769 , to the effect that Bro . Jno . Pratt , as Principal , or Grand Master ; James Knox , as Banker ; James McCoal , as

Recorder of the Hierarchical Order ; and William Fowler as Assistant ; Jeremy Owen , a visitor and R . A . Master , were present when it was resolved that the said brethren , together with William Thompson and Daniel Stewart , Royal Arch Masters of the said lodge , should form , and after that date establish , a Hierarchical Lodge , and the same continue in all its parts . This was the earliest reference to Royal Arch Masonry in Darlington so far traced . The brethren who formed that lodge were all

members of the Darlington Lodge , No . 26 3 , on the roll of the Moderns . It was evident to his mind from this minute that the Royal Arch Degree must have been known in the town much earlier than that . A minute of a most sublime or Royal Arch Lodge opened at the sign of the Punch Bowl in Stonegate , York , on Sunday , the 7 th of February , 1762 , was the earliest chapter minute yet traced of the working of the Degree in this country . The next , and , as far as they-were concerned , most important record was the minutes of a Chapter of Regular Masons ( those under the Premier

Centenary Celebration Of The Vigilance Chapter, No. Iii.

Grand Lodge ) , held on March 22 , 1765 , at Mr . Inges ' . The great importance of this minute lay in the fact that this lodge of Royal Arch Masons by a charter of compact in 1767 became virtually the Grand Chapter of the Grand Lodge of the Moderns , and therefore the predecessor of the present Supreme Chapter , and by its authority their chapter was constituted in 17 88 . The minutes of the Hierarchical Lodge at Darlington , which , as he

had stated , commenced on August 27 th , 1769 , continued to 1785 , at which point there were 10 pages missing , which had evidently been cut out , and the following page was devoted to a list of those who paid fines for nonattendance during the year 1815 , which showed that up to that late date the same book had been used for chapter purposes . In another part the book continued to the year 1837 , or three years after their esteemed

Companion George Johnson Wilson was exalted . These records brought thetrt down to 1786 . Thirteen months later they obtained the charter , the Centenary of which they were celebrating that day . They might therefore fairly claim to have been continuously an active working chapter since August 27 , 1769 , or nearly 120 years , and their chapter was one of the oldest six connected with the Supreme Grand Chapter . It was probable

that but for the energy of Comp . Thomas Dunckerley , one of the signatories of the charter of compact , who was once Grand Z ., the Grand Chapter would have collapsed ; and , had it not been for some military brethren , it was probable that their chapter would not have been warranted until a much later date than even 1788 . The Durham Chapter in 1787 , probably on the advice of the companions attached to the King ' s 1 st

Regiment of Dragoon Guards stationed at Durham , applied for a warrant , and thus , though 16 years younger than the Darlington Chapter , took rank as the first warranted chapter in the province . The five Darlington . companions then went to Durham , were re-exalted , and the same night applied to be constituted as the Chapter of Vigilance , with Comps . Timoth y Cloudsley , John Mowbray , and James Wilson , as Z ., H ., and J . They

were celebrating the centenary of the chapter warranted on March 14 th , 1788 , yet the warrant hanging on their walls was dated November 5 , 1823 , and this was in consequence of their being requested in 1817 by the Supreme Grand Chapter to send in the old warrant , which they found since had not been preserved , and they had some difficulty in getting the new one , which was dated back 11 years from the year it was received , being received in December , 1834 , and dated Novembers , 1823 .

Psalm cxxxiii ., " Behold , how good and joyful a thing it is , was then chanted , after which Comp . LEVY , acting as Prov . G . J ., then , in sympathetic and eulogistic terms , on behalf of the chapter , presented to Comp . iG . J . Wilson abeautiful centenary jewel , and spoke of his long connection with Masonry and with the Arch Degree , he having been exalted in the year 1834 . Comp . Wilson was , he said , now the oldest Past Principal in England , if not in the

world . Comp . WILSON suitably replied . Comp . BABINGTON BOULTON , Prov . G . H ., on behalf of the chapter , presented to Comp . C . D . Hill-Drury , S . E ., a similar jewel , and in congratulating him on the interesting paper he had read , spoke of his many Masonic services and the great interest he took in all that concerned the Craft .

Comp . HILL-DRURY , in replying , said that the study of Masonic history was ol itself so interesting that it carried with it its own reward , but that to know that his companions appreciated his work was a pleasure and satisfaction which he could not adequately express in words . Wherever he went he would wear the jewel with pride , and , remembering each companion he had met in the chapter , would think with gratitude of the kind motives which prompted them to present him with that mark of their esteem . The alms were then collected for the Masonic Charities while the

companions sang " Give alms of thy goods , ' & c . Letters of congratulation and regret for absence were then read from Comps . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , G . S . E . ; Rev . T . Randell , J . M . Meek , C . J . Bannister , P . G . D . C . Eng . ; C . Fendelow , P . G . Std . Br . Eng . ; Rev . R . J . Simpson , Sec ; J . G . Clay , P . G . J . ; T . B . Whytehead , P . P . G . H . North and East Yorks ; W . J . Hughan , P . A . G . Soj . Eng ., the Masonic historian ; and others .

The visiting companions having offered their congratulations , the Grand Superintendent and officers of Provincial Grand Chapter retired , the other companions singing the closing hymn , " Now the evening shadows closing , " and the chapter was closed . A banquet was afterwards held in the adjoining rooms , the chairs being occupied by Comps . S . F . Bousfield , Sam Wilson , and T . M . Barron , who were suppported by Sir Hedworth Williamson , Canon Tristram , Coli

Addison-Potter , C . B ., B . Levy , Robert Hudson , and others . The cloth being removed , and the grace " For these and all Thy mercies , Lord , " having been sung , Comp . BOUSFIELD proposed the toast of "The Oueen ; " Comp . SAM WILSON , H ., prooosed "H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , G . Z . ; the Right Hon . the Earl of Carnarvon , Pro G . Z . ; the Right Hon . the Earl of Lathom , G . H . ; the Right Hon . Lord Leigh , G . J ., and the rest of the Grand Chapter Officers , " to which Comp . R . HUDSON , Prov . G . Scribe E ., responded .

The M . E . Z . then gave " The Grand Superintendent , Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart , and the Grand Chapter Officers of the Province oj Durham , " and remarked that they had as their chief a companion esteemed by all , not only for his genial nature , but also for the business-like qualities which he brought to bear on all connected with the province over which he so ably presided , and spoke of the occasion of his silver wedding , when the Masons showed their appreciation of his services and the respect in which he was held by presenting him with a most valuable silver vase .

Sir HEDWORTH , in replying , said that it gave him the greatest possiDie pleasure to be present that night , on the occasion of the celebration of the centenary of one of the six oldest chapters in England , and that too in his own province . He was glad to see the great interest shown in this Degree by the officers of the chapter , whom he heartily commended , particularly alluding to the valuable paper read by Comp . Hill-Drury , which he hope the chapter would have printed for distribution in the provinces . ,

Comp . Canon TRISTRAM , in rising to propose " Prosperity to ' Vigilance Chapter , " remarked that a French statesman who had visite this country , in a very interesting book he had published observed that 0 of the great characteristics of Englishmen appeared to be their _ in ten interest in the history of past times , and said that nowhere was this m . ° observed than among the Freemasons , who appeared to attach mU . ^ ' jie portance to the history of their lodges . Had he been present that nigh would have had ample confirmation of his views in an interesting P ^ L . read by Comp . Dr . Hill-Drury . He had not had much opportunity of stu y _ ing this Degree , but there was evidently much in its history worthy ot at