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Article BRO. LANE'S "MASONIC RECORDS."* Page 1 of 1 Article V. CONSTITUTIONS OF 1784. Page 1 of 1
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Bro. Lane's "Masonic Records."*
BRO . LANE'S " MASONIC RECORDS . " *
SECOND NOTICE . The first point that will attract the notice of the reader when entering upon a more detailed examination of Bro . Lane's work is the very important discovery made by him in the course of his researches , and announced in the columns of this journal in letters dated October and November respectively of last year , namely , the discovery of " Morgan's Register , " with all
the wealth of light it is capable of throwing on the earliest history of the "Ancient" section of the English Craft as an organised body . This Register has been examined independently , and in ignorance at the time of Bro . Lane ' s researches , by Bro . Abbott , and his description of its contents has also been made public in a series of articles which have appeared during the current year in the Freemason . Others , too , we believe , have seen and
studied it ; but undoubtedly , to Bro . Lane belongs the credit of having been the first to light upon this early record , and make its valuable minutes , notes , and lists subservient to the purpose of fixing once and for all the date of the constitution of the " Ancients " as a separate and distinct Grand Lodge . It must be remembered that this book which has now been brought to light is the identical Register of lodges and members which Bro . John Morgan , on resigning his ofiice of Grand Secretary , handed over to his successor , Bro .
Laurence Dermott , and that it discloses information of a most important character , of the existence of which every writer of Masonic history , even Bro . Gould himself when he compiled his " Atholl Lodges " was ignorant . Consequently , it will not be difficult to understand how proud Bro . Lane must be at this particular instance of the good fortune which appears to have attended him in his laborious researches . Be it added that the lodge lists contained in * ' Morgan ' s Register " and continued by Dermott are now made public for the first time in Bro . Lane ' s volume .
It is not necessary we should occupy ourselves long with the remarks which Bro . Lane makes in his Preface on the eccentricities of lodge lists " Ancient " and " Modern , " their occasional inaccuracies and omissions , & rc , these the reader will be careful to note and apply for himself . It will be enough if we state our belief that they exhibit a nice discrimination of the values of different lists in the case of conflicting statements , and that they are as
nearly correct as the means available would seem to justify . We may nevertheless be permitted to doubt if it was worth while laying any stress on the mention of a Lodge No . I in the Atholl minutes some three years previous to the creation by warrant of the known , and still existing , No . I , or Grand Master ' s Lodge , of that body . We have seen the minutes specified bv Bro . Lane , and the entries , in which the " No . I " is present , relate to
brethren who , as he points out , " were invariably Grand Officers . lhis fact does no more , in our opinion , than confirm the very reasonable theory , first propounded , we believe , by Bro . Gould in his " Atholl Lodges" aforementioned , that Grand Lodge itself was the "Ancient" No . I , until September , 1759 , when , as the minutes state , " ' The Grand Master ' s Lodge ' was ' proclaimed and took the first seat accordingly as No . 1 . ' "
We may also draw attention to sundry displacements of lodges from their proper order of seniority , many of them having arisen from misunderstandings of the " old" and " new" styles of reckoning the year . Two opposite cases due to this cause are mentioned , those of thc Strong Man Lodge , now No . 45 , and the Medina , East Cowes , No . 35 . The former which was warranled 2 nd February , 173 J as No . no , was degraded
in 1755 Irom its legitimate place at No-57 to No . 68 , and the circumstance is thus explained . The date of the warrant was 2 nd February , 1733 , which in the " old style" of reckoning would have been 1732 , the legal year being calculated from 25 th March to 24 th March next ensuing . Owing to a misinterpretation this " 2 nd February 173 J" was subsequently taken to be " 2 nd February , 1735 " and then some subsequent compiler of lists , who lebut knew
was versed in the mysteries of " old style" and " new sty , ' nothing of the mistake made by one of his predecessors , gave the date as 2 nd February , 1734—which it undoubtedly was according lo " new style " if " 173 I" had been the correct year , and would have been as regards the creation of the lodge , had not the year in the original 1732 J , been intermediately and improperly changed to 173 ^ . On the other hand , Medina Lodge , present No . 3 * 5 was originally constituted as No . Ill on 17 th February , 173 ! ,
, that is , fifteen days later than present No . 45 , then No . no ; but in 1755 it was assigned No . 57 as its place on the roll , the precise date oi its warrant , 17 th February , 1733 , which in " old style" was includedm the year 1732 , having been misinterpreted , as regards the " new style year into 1732 . Thus , if our present numeration were revised , the Strong Man Ledge , No . 45 , would take precedence of Medina , No . 35 , to which it is in fact senior by fifteen days .
There is a further point which claims from us a passing remark . Bro . Lane ' s discovery of " Morgan ' s Register" has enabled him to show that on one occasion in the earlier part of its career—in December , 1752—¦ " the Ancients " adopted the " Modern " plan of closing up their list of lodges , when vacancies had occurred in it . This happened on the 27 th of the month and year just stated , when original Nos . 7 and 10 having been ordered
to be erased " for disobedience of the 21 st Rule of the Grand , No . 8 became No . 7 , No . 9 became No . 8 , No . 11 became No . No . 9 , and so on as far as No . 16 , which henceforth was known as No . 14 . On the other hand , Bro . Lane is able to show as the result of his " Modern " researches that the regular Grand Lodge adopted , to a far greater extent than is generand
ally supposed , its " Ancient" rival ' s practice of re-issuing old ( discontinued warrants to new lodges . Says Bro . Lane : "The ' Modern ' lodges to which old numbers were re-issued , were not , of course , so numerous as those of the * Ancients , ' but they were more than has been generally supposedfully thirty being enumerated in the following pages . "
, These are the few points out of the many which the author has dealt with at some length in his Preface , to which it has seemed good that particular attention should be drawn , either because they are new or comparatively new to the Craft generally , or because from the character of Bro . Lane ' s work they have necessarily engaged a larger share of attention than
has been devoted to them by other writers , whose labours in the same field have been more limited , or who , having ventured upon a more general consideration of Masonic history , have not been able to afford more than a limited space to what , in their case , would constitute only one out of many details .
V. Constitutions Of 1784.
V . CONSTITUTIONS OF 1784 .
I have now come to the last edition of the " Book of Constitutions " published by sanction of the regular Grand Lodge of England , during the last century , in fact , the last prior to the blessed " Union " of 1813 . It is a noble quarto volume , and was ordered to be published by resolution of the Grand Lodge on November 20 th , 1782 , another motion
providing " that the reprinting of the Book of Constitutions be left to the manage ment of the Hall Committee . " This Committee was a large body , consisting of " Present and Past Grand Officers , the Provincial Grand Masters the Master of the Stewards' Lodge , and the Masters of ten lodges within the bills of mortality " ( elected April 23 rd , 1773 ) .
The Committee evidently elected Bro . John Noorthouck as Editor under their supervision , and he seems to have done his work as well , if not better , than his predecessors . Bro . Noorthouck , as a literary man , was well qualified for the duty , being the author of a " New History of London , " 1775 , and " An Historical and Classical Dictionary , " 1776 . According to Dr . Mackay he was patronized by the celebrated printer , William Strahan , and
" passed nearly the whole of his life in the occupation of an author , an index maker , and a corrector of the press . " Bro . Noorthouck was one of the seniors , a P . M . and Treasurer of the " Lodge of Antiquity " during the period that the majority of the members were unfortunately , for a time , under the ban of the Grand Lodge , and he took an active part in opposing Bro . Preston and other brethren .
The title page is as follows : " Constitutions of the Antient Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons , Containing their History , Charges , Regulations , & c . First compiled by Order of the Grand Lodge , from their old Records , and Traditions , by Bro . James Anderson , D . D . A new edition , revised , enlarged , and brought down to the year 1784 , under the direction of the Hall Committee , by John Noorthouck . London : Printed for J . Rozen ,
Printer to the Society , No . 91 , Wardour Street , Soho , MDCCLXXXIV . " The frontispiece is a fine one ( " B . Cipriani and T . Sandby , Delin . ¥ . Bartolozzi and T . Fittler , Sculp . " ) The reverse of title page is blank ; but there is a leaf following , with an * ' Explanation of the Frontispiece " printed on one side only . Briefly , the interior of the Freemasons' Hall is represented . Truth holds a mirror , and is attended by the three Virtues—Faith , Hope , and Charity— under these being the " Genius of Masonry , "
who is descending into the Hall , bearing a lighted torch . On her arm is a ribbon , attached to which is a medal , with which " she is to invest the G . M . in token of the Divine approbation of a Building sacred to Charity and Benevolence . " The only one of the quartette noted as to the frontispiece who was not a member of the Craft was the last mentioned . Bro . Sandby was appointed " Grand Architect" by the Grand Master on May 23 rd , 1776 .
I am not quite clear whether the plate was at first issued separately at the cost of 7 s . 6 d . each , and subsequently sold at 12 s ., with the work ( in sheets ) . Although known as the Constitutions of 1784 , the volume was not issued until January , 1785 , at the earliest , according to the announcement printed in the sheet of the proceedings ol Grand Lodge for November 17 th ,
1784 , at which time the plate was advertised to be sold with the book . In the printed report of the Grand Lodge of November 23 rd , 17 S 5 , is the announcement that " It has been judged expedient for mote general accommodation , to sell this truly elegant and valuable Print separate from the Book , and they are now ready to be delivered , price 7 s . 6 d . each . "
Far onward in 1786 the volume was advertised , with the plate , for 12 s ., and the latter in most copies ot the work bears the year 1786 as that of issue on the imprint . They were evidently to be had separately ( " before letters " ) as proofs , and this may be the meaning of the reference , and that its general circulation was delayed until the year 1786 .
The regular pages 111 . and iv . contain the dedication by the Hall Committee , dated May 1 st , 1784 , to H . R . H . the Duke of Cumberland as Grand Master , surmounted by the arms-plate of his Royal Highness . Then , in most copies lhat 1 have seen is a sheet inserted , entitled " Abstract of the Laws relating to the General Fund of Charity , " consisting of xvi . clauses , and a form of petition ( pages i . to iv . ) There are thus two
pages marked iv . I he " Sanction on the next leaf to page iv . is signed by the acting G . M . ( Earl of Effingham ) , the D . G . M ., and Grand Wardens , with the two Grand Secretaries . The preface begins at page vii ., is continued to page x ., and has the initials J . N . ( the editor ) at the end , dated " Bernard ' s Inn , London , May 1 , 1784 . " Pages xi . to xii . are devoted to the " Contents , " the regular
pagination beginning with the "History of Masonry from the Creation , " which is continued to page 204 , which ends Part 111 ., the Part IV . commencing the account ol the Grand Lodgeof 1717 , which is concluded at page 350 . Then follows the " Old Charges , " as usual , exhausted at page 358 ; alter which the General Regulations are printed to page 400 . Thc " Patrons " are noted at page 401 , with a few more on the next page , after which all the Grand Officers are given , as in the Calendars of the period , from 1717
, ending at page 412 , on which also will be found a list of the Prov . Grand Masters . The next leaf is interesting , as it contains a " List of Subscribers to the Hall Loan to August , 1784 . " At that time there were 75 brethren , and 22 lodges entitled to the special privilege of wearing the now famous Freemasons' Hall Medal , the number being subsequently increased to 82 and 26 respectively , for the particulars of which see the Freemasons ' Calendar , 1787 , or my " Masonic Register , " 1878 .
The " Masonic Muse " occupies pages 415-444 , and the index then runs on to page 459 , the reverse of which has an advertisement of the two works , already noted , by Bro . Noorthouck . The " Single Leaf , page 67 , 68 , " was ordered fo be cancelled , and a " half sheet" ( of four pages ) , numbered " page 67 , 68 [ 67 ] , [ 68 ] , was supplied instead .
The plate of the Frontispiece has not been utilised for any later edition , though probably it would have been had not tho rival Grand Lod ges united ; but , strange to say , the plate , by Pine , in the 1723 "Constitutions " was also used for 1738-46 , and that of 1756 , by Cole , was also made to do duty for the edition of 1767 . This completes the series of Constitutions of the regular Grand Lodge prior to the Union of December , 1813 . W . J . HUGHAN .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Bro. Lane's "Masonic Records."*
BRO . LANE'S " MASONIC RECORDS . " *
SECOND NOTICE . The first point that will attract the notice of the reader when entering upon a more detailed examination of Bro . Lane's work is the very important discovery made by him in the course of his researches , and announced in the columns of this journal in letters dated October and November respectively of last year , namely , the discovery of " Morgan's Register , " with all
the wealth of light it is capable of throwing on the earliest history of the "Ancient" section of the English Craft as an organised body . This Register has been examined independently , and in ignorance at the time of Bro . Lane ' s researches , by Bro . Abbott , and his description of its contents has also been made public in a series of articles which have appeared during the current year in the Freemason . Others , too , we believe , have seen and
studied it ; but undoubtedly , to Bro . Lane belongs the credit of having been the first to light upon this early record , and make its valuable minutes , notes , and lists subservient to the purpose of fixing once and for all the date of the constitution of the " Ancients " as a separate and distinct Grand Lodge . It must be remembered that this book which has now been brought to light is the identical Register of lodges and members which Bro . John Morgan , on resigning his ofiice of Grand Secretary , handed over to his successor , Bro .
Laurence Dermott , and that it discloses information of a most important character , of the existence of which every writer of Masonic history , even Bro . Gould himself when he compiled his " Atholl Lodges " was ignorant . Consequently , it will not be difficult to understand how proud Bro . Lane must be at this particular instance of the good fortune which appears to have attended him in his laborious researches . Be it added that the lodge lists contained in * ' Morgan ' s Register " and continued by Dermott are now made public for the first time in Bro . Lane ' s volume .
It is not necessary we should occupy ourselves long with the remarks which Bro . Lane makes in his Preface on the eccentricities of lodge lists " Ancient " and " Modern , " their occasional inaccuracies and omissions , & rc , these the reader will be careful to note and apply for himself . It will be enough if we state our belief that they exhibit a nice discrimination of the values of different lists in the case of conflicting statements , and that they are as
nearly correct as the means available would seem to justify . We may nevertheless be permitted to doubt if it was worth while laying any stress on the mention of a Lodge No . I in the Atholl minutes some three years previous to the creation by warrant of the known , and still existing , No . I , or Grand Master ' s Lodge , of that body . We have seen the minutes specified bv Bro . Lane , and the entries , in which the " No . I " is present , relate to
brethren who , as he points out , " were invariably Grand Officers . lhis fact does no more , in our opinion , than confirm the very reasonable theory , first propounded , we believe , by Bro . Gould in his " Atholl Lodges" aforementioned , that Grand Lodge itself was the "Ancient" No . I , until September , 1759 , when , as the minutes state , " ' The Grand Master ' s Lodge ' was ' proclaimed and took the first seat accordingly as No . 1 . ' "
We may also draw attention to sundry displacements of lodges from their proper order of seniority , many of them having arisen from misunderstandings of the " old" and " new" styles of reckoning the year . Two opposite cases due to this cause are mentioned , those of thc Strong Man Lodge , now No . 45 , and the Medina , East Cowes , No . 35 . The former which was warranled 2 nd February , 173 J as No . no , was degraded
in 1755 Irom its legitimate place at No-57 to No . 68 , and the circumstance is thus explained . The date of the warrant was 2 nd February , 1733 , which in the " old style" of reckoning would have been 1732 , the legal year being calculated from 25 th March to 24 th March next ensuing . Owing to a misinterpretation this " 2 nd February 173 J" was subsequently taken to be " 2 nd February , 1735 " and then some subsequent compiler of lists , who lebut knew
was versed in the mysteries of " old style" and " new sty , ' nothing of the mistake made by one of his predecessors , gave the date as 2 nd February , 1734—which it undoubtedly was according lo " new style " if " 173 I" had been the correct year , and would have been as regards the creation of the lodge , had not the year in the original 1732 J , been intermediately and improperly changed to 173 ^ . On the other hand , Medina Lodge , present No . 3 * 5 was originally constituted as No . Ill on 17 th February , 173 ! ,
, that is , fifteen days later than present No . 45 , then No . no ; but in 1755 it was assigned No . 57 as its place on the roll , the precise date oi its warrant , 17 th February , 1733 , which in " old style" was includedm the year 1732 , having been misinterpreted , as regards the " new style year into 1732 . Thus , if our present numeration were revised , the Strong Man Ledge , No . 45 , would take precedence of Medina , No . 35 , to which it is in fact senior by fifteen days .
There is a further point which claims from us a passing remark . Bro . Lane ' s discovery of " Morgan ' s Register" has enabled him to show that on one occasion in the earlier part of its career—in December , 1752—¦ " the Ancients " adopted the " Modern " plan of closing up their list of lodges , when vacancies had occurred in it . This happened on the 27 th of the month and year just stated , when original Nos . 7 and 10 having been ordered
to be erased " for disobedience of the 21 st Rule of the Grand , No . 8 became No . 7 , No . 9 became No . 8 , No . 11 became No . No . 9 , and so on as far as No . 16 , which henceforth was known as No . 14 . On the other hand , Bro . Lane is able to show as the result of his " Modern " researches that the regular Grand Lodge adopted , to a far greater extent than is generand
ally supposed , its " Ancient" rival ' s practice of re-issuing old ( discontinued warrants to new lodges . Says Bro . Lane : "The ' Modern ' lodges to which old numbers were re-issued , were not , of course , so numerous as those of the * Ancients , ' but they were more than has been generally supposedfully thirty being enumerated in the following pages . "
, These are the few points out of the many which the author has dealt with at some length in his Preface , to which it has seemed good that particular attention should be drawn , either because they are new or comparatively new to the Craft generally , or because from the character of Bro . Lane ' s work they have necessarily engaged a larger share of attention than
has been devoted to them by other writers , whose labours in the same field have been more limited , or who , having ventured upon a more general consideration of Masonic history , have not been able to afford more than a limited space to what , in their case , would constitute only one out of many details .
V. Constitutions Of 1784.
V . CONSTITUTIONS OF 1784 .
I have now come to the last edition of the " Book of Constitutions " published by sanction of the regular Grand Lodge of England , during the last century , in fact , the last prior to the blessed " Union " of 1813 . It is a noble quarto volume , and was ordered to be published by resolution of the Grand Lodge on November 20 th , 1782 , another motion
providing " that the reprinting of the Book of Constitutions be left to the manage ment of the Hall Committee . " This Committee was a large body , consisting of " Present and Past Grand Officers , the Provincial Grand Masters the Master of the Stewards' Lodge , and the Masters of ten lodges within the bills of mortality " ( elected April 23 rd , 1773 ) .
The Committee evidently elected Bro . John Noorthouck as Editor under their supervision , and he seems to have done his work as well , if not better , than his predecessors . Bro . Noorthouck , as a literary man , was well qualified for the duty , being the author of a " New History of London , " 1775 , and " An Historical and Classical Dictionary , " 1776 . According to Dr . Mackay he was patronized by the celebrated printer , William Strahan , and
" passed nearly the whole of his life in the occupation of an author , an index maker , and a corrector of the press . " Bro . Noorthouck was one of the seniors , a P . M . and Treasurer of the " Lodge of Antiquity " during the period that the majority of the members were unfortunately , for a time , under the ban of the Grand Lodge , and he took an active part in opposing Bro . Preston and other brethren .
The title page is as follows : " Constitutions of the Antient Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons , Containing their History , Charges , Regulations , & c . First compiled by Order of the Grand Lodge , from their old Records , and Traditions , by Bro . James Anderson , D . D . A new edition , revised , enlarged , and brought down to the year 1784 , under the direction of the Hall Committee , by John Noorthouck . London : Printed for J . Rozen ,
Printer to the Society , No . 91 , Wardour Street , Soho , MDCCLXXXIV . " The frontispiece is a fine one ( " B . Cipriani and T . Sandby , Delin . ¥ . Bartolozzi and T . Fittler , Sculp . " ) The reverse of title page is blank ; but there is a leaf following , with an * ' Explanation of the Frontispiece " printed on one side only . Briefly , the interior of the Freemasons' Hall is represented . Truth holds a mirror , and is attended by the three Virtues—Faith , Hope , and Charity— under these being the " Genius of Masonry , "
who is descending into the Hall , bearing a lighted torch . On her arm is a ribbon , attached to which is a medal , with which " she is to invest the G . M . in token of the Divine approbation of a Building sacred to Charity and Benevolence . " The only one of the quartette noted as to the frontispiece who was not a member of the Craft was the last mentioned . Bro . Sandby was appointed " Grand Architect" by the Grand Master on May 23 rd , 1776 .
I am not quite clear whether the plate was at first issued separately at the cost of 7 s . 6 d . each , and subsequently sold at 12 s ., with the work ( in sheets ) . Although known as the Constitutions of 1784 , the volume was not issued until January , 1785 , at the earliest , according to the announcement printed in the sheet of the proceedings ol Grand Lodge for November 17 th ,
1784 , at which time the plate was advertised to be sold with the book . In the printed report of the Grand Lodge of November 23 rd , 17 S 5 , is the announcement that " It has been judged expedient for mote general accommodation , to sell this truly elegant and valuable Print separate from the Book , and they are now ready to be delivered , price 7 s . 6 d . each . "
Far onward in 1786 the volume was advertised , with the plate , for 12 s ., and the latter in most copies ot the work bears the year 1786 as that of issue on the imprint . They were evidently to be had separately ( " before letters " ) as proofs , and this may be the meaning of the reference , and that its general circulation was delayed until the year 1786 .
The regular pages 111 . and iv . contain the dedication by the Hall Committee , dated May 1 st , 1784 , to H . R . H . the Duke of Cumberland as Grand Master , surmounted by the arms-plate of his Royal Highness . Then , in most copies lhat 1 have seen is a sheet inserted , entitled " Abstract of the Laws relating to the General Fund of Charity , " consisting of xvi . clauses , and a form of petition ( pages i . to iv . ) There are thus two
pages marked iv . I he " Sanction on the next leaf to page iv . is signed by the acting G . M . ( Earl of Effingham ) , the D . G . M ., and Grand Wardens , with the two Grand Secretaries . The preface begins at page vii ., is continued to page x ., and has the initials J . N . ( the editor ) at the end , dated " Bernard ' s Inn , London , May 1 , 1784 . " Pages xi . to xii . are devoted to the " Contents , " the regular
pagination beginning with the "History of Masonry from the Creation , " which is continued to page 204 , which ends Part 111 ., the Part IV . commencing the account ol the Grand Lodgeof 1717 , which is concluded at page 350 . Then follows the " Old Charges , " as usual , exhausted at page 358 ; alter which the General Regulations are printed to page 400 . Thc " Patrons " are noted at page 401 , with a few more on the next page , after which all the Grand Officers are given , as in the Calendars of the period , from 1717
, ending at page 412 , on which also will be found a list of the Prov . Grand Masters . The next leaf is interesting , as it contains a " List of Subscribers to the Hall Loan to August , 1784 . " At that time there were 75 brethren , and 22 lodges entitled to the special privilege of wearing the now famous Freemasons' Hall Medal , the number being subsequently increased to 82 and 26 respectively , for the particulars of which see the Freemasons ' Calendar , 1787 , or my " Masonic Register , " 1878 .
The " Masonic Muse " occupies pages 415-444 , and the index then runs on to page 459 , the reverse of which has an advertisement of the two works , already noted , by Bro . Noorthouck . The " Single Leaf , page 67 , 68 , " was ordered fo be cancelled , and a " half sheet" ( of four pages ) , numbered " page 67 , 68 [ 67 ] , [ 68 ] , was supplied instead .
The plate of the Frontispiece has not been utilised for any later edition , though probably it would have been had not tho rival Grand Lod ges united ; but , strange to say , the plate , by Pine , in the 1723 "Constitutions " was also used for 1738-46 , and that of 1756 , by Cole , was also made to do duty for the edition of 1767 . This completes the series of Constitutions of the regular Grand Lodge prior to the Union of December , 1813 . W . J . HUGHAN .