Grenadiers' Lodge, No. 66, London, 1738-9 To 1768.

GRENADIERS' LODGE , No . 66 , LONDON , 1738-9 TO 1768 .

Bro . Asher Barfield , P . G . Treasurer , kindly sent me recently for perusal a curious volume of notes , registers , and minutes of the " Grenadiers '" Lodge , No . 66 . The book is bound in whole calf , with clasp , and labelled on back and side , the latter being as follows : —

GRENADIERS LODGE . ARTICLES AGREED TO ON FORMING A LODGE , FEB . 26 , 173 8-9 . MINUTES FROM SEPT . 8 , 1 755 , TO FEB . 10 , 1768 .

The singular point first to be noted is that the register of attendance begins on Feb . 26 th , 1739 ( new style ) , whereas the lodge was not constituted until 25 th October in that year as No . 189 . The by-laws are dated in February aforesaid , an additional code being agreed to in December , as herein noted .

ARTICLES " To be observ'd B y the Brethen Members and Visitors of the Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons held at the House of Brother William Burridge in May Fair . "

IMPRIMIS . " Each new member shall pay for his being made a Brother and member of this lodge the sum of fifteen shillings [ Fee erased , and " One Guinea " substituted . ] ************ " 3 dly . That no person proposed to this lodge shall be admitted untill three

Lodge nig hts after proposed ( that time being allowed to Enquire into their Character ) except it be a Perticular Friend of the Master or Wardens well known to the Brethren of the Lodge to have fair character for Honesty , Sobriety , and Good Manners . " ************

" 6 thly . That no member shall be Rais'd to the Degree of Master without he pay three [ altered since to five ] shillings . " "Forfeits '' are provided for , ranging from 2 d . to 6 d ., in Rules 7 to 11 inclusive , and then the climax is reached . i 2 thly . "That if any member ( having so ask'd pardon and been forgiven )

should be any more Guilty of the like offences , he shall be imediately seiz'd on b y the Rest of the Brethren , and by them Drag'd or Push'd to the door , and then Kick'd or Push'd down stairs , and for ever Expelld this lodge . " After such treatment , " expulsion " would appear to be superfluous , but it may be noted that this terrible punishment is only to be inflicted when all else fails ! ************

" i 6 thly . That each member or visitor shall on Evry such meeting night pay \ three originally ] sixpence , to be spent . " * * * * * * * * * * * * " 20 thly . Every Member shall . meet at ye Lodge on the Quarterly Night for Enstalling a new Master and Wardens , and then and there Clear off all Forfeits which shall Remain on the Book Due to ye Lodge , or Be Expell'd ye Society , " & c .

After these laws the names are " written and subscribed " b y the members who pledge themselves to obey them , " or quietly submitt to ev ' ry punishment therein mentioned and contain'd . Dated this 26 th Day of Feby ., 1738—9 . " Bro . John Walker was the first Master , and Thomas Pringle and Edward Friend the two Wardens .

Some new Rules were agreed toon 5 th December , 1739—ten in number . The first provided for the meetings for the business of the lodge , termed " Private Nights on which no Visitor to be admitted . " The 7 th reads : " It is hereby order'd By the Master , Wardens

& Brethren of this Lodge who are Master Masons that a Masters Lodge be held Evr ' y first Sunday in Each Month , and spend Three pence ; " the 8 th providing that " A new Master and Wardens of the Masters Lodge shall be Chose each Masters Lodge Night as soon as the Work of the Lodge is over . "

I think it likely , from this regulation , that separate minutes were kept of these Masters' lodges , but evidently no past rank was obtained by service on such occasions ( as Master and Wardens ) as with the regular lodge . There is no indication whatever that the lodge was named

the " Grenadier" at this early date ; neither is it stated what house , if any , was kept by Bro . W . Burridge . I should not be surprised to hear that it was the " Grenadier Arms , " or some such name , which eventually led to the lodge being so called .

The class of members who supported the lodge does not at all suggest such a title , though Bro . John Lane , the best authority on the subject , considers it bore this distinctive title from the first , which , however , I am rather inclined to admit .

The volume contains the T yler ' s register of the attendance of members and visitors from 1739 for some years onward , frequent mention being made of the latter brethren as " St John ' s , " "Holy Lodge of St . John , " & c . Accounts are pitchforked in , amidst all sorts of memoranda

and , later on , minutes of the lodge are also written . The holding of a " Masters' lodge " is an important entry , as the meetings were held apart from the ordinary ones , and especially as these are so early as the year 1 739 .

Dec . 5 th , 1739 . — "It is hereby ordered by the Master , Wardens , and Brethren of this lodge , who are Master Masons , that a Masters' lodge be held every first Sunday in each month . "

Grenadiers' Lodge, No. 66, London, 1738-9 To 1768.

The fines were numerous , and brought in a doubtful sort of revenue , so many being inflicted for " swearing , " & c . A second Register , entitled " Tyler ' s List for the Door , " begins April 25 th , 1 744 . No lack of visitors at the meetings , each of whom at that time paid sixpence as their quota .

On May 9 th , 1 744 , it is stated : " No more than the above 5 Appearing before 9 : at night , we only Worked as Fellow Crafts . " On January 25 th , 1758 , "Bro . Deputy Grand Mastr ., Brothr . Reevis , and Bro . Spencer , Grand Secty ., " attended , and paid one shillinp- each .

The officers , first of all , only held their collars for three months , but on July 28 th , 1759 , it was agreed that the " Master be chosen for half a year instead of a Quarter . " The officers

mentioned are the R . W . M ., S . W ., J . W ., and Secretary . Sometimes the P . M . is noted , but no Treasurer is recorded from first to last , just as with the old minutes I noted recently , of a still earlier date .

There must have been some unpleasantness about the middle of the last century , for on December 26 th , 1 ^ 59 , we read" That from the reputation & antiquity of this Lodge the Blow that was intended to discredit Masonry in general

and destroy this Lodge in particular , by bigotted enthusiasm under the fals veil of Religion ; it is the sense and opinion of this Committee to support the Lodge with that Spirit & Decency Becoming the Craft . " Well done , Brethren !

On February 1 Sth , 1759 , the visitors were Bros . Spencer , Grand Secretary , Bro . James Bradford , Prov . G . M . for the Bahama Islands , and Bro . Edward Orme , " P . D . G . M . " for the City & County of Chester .

Generally the first two Degrees were given the same eve , and the " Master Mason " on suitable opportunities , but on April 30 th , 17 66 , the whole were conferred on a candidate at that meeting , by vote accordingly .

At this same lodge " Br . Cann proposed Mr . William Graham to be Re-made a Mason from ye Antient to ye Modem in this Lodge , which was agreed to nem . con . " and later on ( 176 7 ) another " Ancient" Brother was " Re-made and Raised to ye Degree of Master Mason , " the fee being half a guinea . This book enables us to note new places of meeting , viz .

"White Swan , Mount St ., Grosvenor-square , 17 6 4 . " Pytt ' s Head , Mayfair , " 1764 . And in same year the " Albermarle Arms , " the latter being two years earlier than Bro . John Lane knew of in preparing his invaluable " Masonic Records , 1717—1886 . " W . J . HUGHAN .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Staffordshire.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF STAFFORDSHIRE .

The annual meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge was held at the Borough Hall , Stafford , on the 6 th inst . There was a very good attendance , upwards of 200 members signing the Tyler ' s book . Banners belonging to the Provincial Grand Lodge , Noah ' s Ark , St . Peter ' s , Honour , Dartmouth , St . Bartholomew ,

and Staffordshire Knot Lodges were displayed on the walls . Bro . Colonel Foster Gough , Prov . G . M ., attended by Bro . Lieut .-Colonel Bindley , D . P . G . M ., Bro . F . James , P . P . D . G . M ., and other distinguished brethren , opened the Provincial Grand Lodge at 1 . 45 p . m ., Bro . J . Wooldridge , P . P . A . G . D . C ., undertaking the duties of Director of Ceremonies in the unavoidable absence of Bro . Stanger .

The officers of Provincial Grand Lodge present were Bros . Dr . Randall , P . S . G . W . ; Major F . Walton , P . J . G . W . ; J . Bodenham , P . G . Treasurer ; Major E . H . Thorne , P . G . Secretary ; F . Mountford , P . S . G . D . ; H . J . Clarson , P . J . G . D . ; J . Powell , P . G . Superintendent of Works ; J . T . Eayrs , Prov . Asst . G . S . of W . ;

J . Stevenson , P . G . S . B . ; Dr . E . W . Taylor , P . G . Organist ; F . E . F . Bailey , P . A . G . Sec ; S . Watson , P . G . Purst . ; Thomas Jones , P . A . G . Purst . ; W . D . Batkin , G . Vaughan , E . J . Mousley , R . Longden , and J . Godwin , P . G . Stewards ; and W . Twist , P . G . Tyler . A large number of Provincial Grand Officers and brethren were also present .

The Treasurer ' s accounts were presented b y Bro . BODENHAM , and were approved . Bro . BODENHAM retired from the office of P . G . Treasurer , which he had held for 17 years , and nominated as his successor Bro . C . A . Newnham , P . P . S . G . W . Bro . Col . BINDLEY seconded the nomination , and expressed great regret at the resignation of Bro . Bodenham , who had brought the accounts into admirable order . Bro . Newnham was unanimously elected . Bro . Col . GOUGH appointed the following as his officers in Prov . Grand Lodge for the ensuing year : —

Bro . J . Bodenham , P . A . G . D . C . ... ... ... Prov . S . G . W . „ E . W . W . Heelis , I . P . M . 662 ... ... ... Prov . J . G . W . „ Rev . A . H . Talbot , 726 ... ... ... ) D „ , „ Rev . W . F . Bradley , 622 j Prov . G . Chaps . „ C . A . Newnham , P . M . 419 ... ... ... Prov . G . Treas . „ E . R . Kimpton , P . M . 482 ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg .

„ Major E . H . Thorne , P . M . 526 , 1838 ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ J . B . Ashwell , P . M . 6 37 ... ... ... Prov . S . G . D . „ G . Ashmall , P . M . 1039 ••••' •••••Prov . J . G . D . „ W . Tunnicliff , P . M . 418 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . „ G . H . Stanger , P . M . 419 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . of C . „ R . A . Willcock , P . M . 419 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . D . of C . „ S . W . Page , P . M . 526 ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B .

„ R . Benbow , P . M . 451 ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br . „ W . D . Batkin , P . M . 726 ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . Br . „ Bonner , 546 ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ G . W . Walker , P . M . 526 , 1828 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Sec . „ J . Williams , P . M . 539 ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ T . Barker , P . M . 1042 ... ... ... Prov . A . G . Purst ,