Records Of Old Lodges.

and he tells us how , after being rather shabbily treated by the then Lord Mayor ( Wm . Brearey ) , he went To honest Mr . Kayes in Cunny-street , Heentertain'd me well , for which I thank him , And gratefully amongst my friends I'll rank him . George Prickett was the landlord in 1716 , and in 1739 the George was

kept by Mr . Joshua Oldfield , who was also post master , an office which remained in his family until a very few years ago . Joshua Oldfield was a Freemason , having been initiated in the Grand Lodge of All England at York in 176 S . There was one most beautiful room in" the George Hotel which , until the demolition of the house , retained its elegant ornamentation in wainscoting , plastering , and stained glass . Many political and

social clubs held their meetings within the walls of this fine old house , amongst others the Rockingham Club , a Whig society formed under the auspices of the Wentworth family , and it was from this circumstance , I suppose , that Mr . Hargrove , in his history of York , states erroneously that there was a Rockingham Lodge of Freemasons which "held its meetings in the George Inn , Coney-street ; but it no longer exists as a body , though the

room iii which the members assembled is still called ' the Rockingham . ' " The circumstance that renders the memory of the George Inn interesting to Freemasons is the fact that it was there for some years that the Apollo Lodge held its meetings . The Apollo was warranted June 7 th , 1773 , from London , and was the rival and , I believe , the chief cause of the decline and decease of the Grand Lodge of All England , which then was in good working order .

In an old Treasurer s book of the Apollo Lodge there occur a number of entries particularly interesting to York Masons , and not unworthy of notice by the Craft generally . It seems that the fees of admission for candidates were one guinea for each Degree , and half-a-crown for the Tyler , whilst from the commencement of the working the lodge and charity funds were

kept distinct . The fees for the constitution of the lodge amounted to £ 7 17 s . Gd ., and were paid to Bro . J . Heseltine , the then Grand Secretary , on November 17 , 1773 . Plainly Grand Secretaries in those days were very confiding . Col . Clerke would be rather astonished if he were asked to give a set of petitioners credit for five months for the fees due on application for

a warrant . As I have shown in previous papers on York Masonry , it was the custom to advertise the half-yearly celebrations of the lodge in the local newspapers , and accordingly we find an entry on December 15 th , 1773 , of a payment to the York Chronicle ( now the Yorkshire Gazette ) of 6 s . 6 d ., and to the York Courant ( now the York Herald ) of 3 s . 6 d ., for advertising St . John's

Day Feast . It was also the custom in those days for visitors to pay their shot , and on the occasion of the " feast" referred to , the Mayor , who was Henry Jubb , an apothecary , and Charles Turner , M . P ., who had been Lord Mayor the previous year , were visitors , and paid 3 s . each for their share of the " feast . Bro . Chas , Turner had been made a Mason in the Grand Lodge at York in 1771 ; but of Bro . Jubb ' s Masonic career I can find

nothing . William Spencer was the first Master of the Apollo Lodge , and presided on this occasion , and the bills for the music amounted to one guinea , which , considering the period , was rather heavy . However , the name of the lodge would incline one to believe that its founders were musical men , and possibly they indulged themselves with concords of sweet sounds

proportionately . We shall see presently that they indulged themselves in other pleasures . Bro . Mountain was paid on St . John's Day , 1875 , a guinea " for drawings . " Whether this means for Masonic paintings , or whether Bro . Mountain drew ale for the lodge , does notappear ; but I suspect that he was employed by the Apollos to do their charcoal drawings on the floor on each lodge night , and that this was his fee for the work .

Sir Thomas Tancred was at this time Provincial Grand Master of Yorkshire , and carried on the work of his province through the medium of the Apollo Lodge . In consequence of this , the minutes of that lodge are to a great extent those of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Yorkshire . Similarly , in thc Treasurer's book are found items relating to payments for lodge

warrants , forwarded on to the Grand Lodge of England through the hands of the Treasurer of the Apollo Lodge . In 1776 we find an item " Received of Bro . Lawson for the Constitution at Middleham £ 3 3 s . fid ., " and on the opposite side— "Jan . 28 . Remitted to Grand Lodge for the Constitution No . 473 , at Middleham , £ 3 3 s . "

On May 29 th the lodge paid Bro . Spencer four shillings for the "Spirit of Masonry , " which had been published by Bro . Hutchinson the previous year . On November 6 th Wm . Cole was paid seven guineas for engraving the certificate , Bro . Cole ' s " Engraved Lists of Lodges " are well known to Masonic students , and doubtless brought him Masonic patronage in business . The sum charged is very large for that time , and the certificate must have been of an elaborate nature . I do not remember to have ever seen a copy ,

but perhaps some may be in existence . On St . John ' s Day , December 27 th , 1776 , the ringers were paid 5 s . and a gallon of ale , and 2 s . 6 d . was put in the poor box . On February 19 th , 1777 , Bro . Joseph Halfpenny saw the light of Masonry . Halfpenny was an engraver of great ability , the predecessor of Henry Cave , and has left us many valuable records of his talents . Indeed , were it not for the etchings of Halfpenny and Cave , the present generation would know very little of old York .

In these days it would seem that warrants granted for lodges were actually written , and issued by Provincial Grand Masters themselves , for we find an entry , dated March 5 th , 1777 , "Paid Bro . Geo . Russell for the Ripon Constitution , £ 1 is ., " and on the other side the sum of £ 4 . 4 s . is entered as having been received for that Constitution . Bro . Russell was

Secretary of the Apollo Lodge , and had been initiated in the Grand Lodge in 1768 . It appears that the vellum for the Ripon Constitution cost Ss . 6 d . ( The date of the issue of the warrant from London is June 22 nd , 1776 . ) At the same time , two guineas were forwarded , through the Master , to the General Charity Fund in London , and two guineas to the Grand Lodge for the Ripon Constitution .

On May 27 th , 1778 , John Camidge was initiated , and took his Second and Third Degrees on the 17 th June . Bro . John Camidge was appointed organist of York Minster in 1756 . He had been apprenticed to Dr . Green , of London ; and was a musician of considerable note , having taken lessons of Handel . Thc manner of his introduction to York is worth relating . He had come down to try for the post of organist of Doncaster Church , then one of the best salaried offices of the kind , but after the trial a local man

was selected . An elderly gentleman , who was present at the trial , accosted Mr . Camidge , and asked if it was true that he had not been successful , and upon being informed that this was the case , said , " Then Mr . Camidge , you are organist of York Minster , if you like . " The elderly gentleman was Dean Fountayne , of York , who had received notice that Dr . Nares , his own organist , had been appointed organist of St . James ' s Chapel Royal , and had taken advantage of the contest to look out for a good man . Matthew

Records Of Old Lodges.

Camidge succeeded his father as Cathedral organinst , and his son , Dr . Camidge , a musician of world-wide celebrity and the highest ability , again followed in the same office , but neither of the last named were , strange to say , Alasons . Dr . Camidge's son , Tom , followed him as Cathedral organist , was initiated in the Union Lodge at York ' many years ago , and remained a member until his removal to Hexham , Northumberland , where he is now

parish organist , his son being organist of Beverley Minster , and also a Freemason . Dr . Camidge ' s brother was vicar of Wakefield , and his son , Canon Camidge , of Thursk , is also a Mason and a Past Chaplain of both Yorkshire Provinces . Bro . John Camidge took a great interest in his lodge , and in Masonry , and was Master more than once . His portrait in oils ,

representing him seated at a table and holding a scroll of paper lettered " Masonic Ode , " was presented a short time since b y his great grandson to the York Lodge , 236 , and is now in their possession , The musical arrangements on St . John ' s Day , 177 S , which would doubtless be under his direction , were unusually elaborate , for they cost £ 2 7 s .

On December 6 th the lodge paid Hampston and Co . £ 7 17 s . 6 d . for two cups , presented to the Secretary , Bro . Russell , who must have been a worthy and energetic brother . The Union Lodge , which appears as warranted on April 26 th , 1777 , seems to have had an extraordinary long term of credit , for its first payment of £ 1 is . for its warrant was made on July ioth , 17 S 0 , and so late as

January 17 th , 1782 , two guineas was received in part for constitution of the Union Lodge , At this time the Apollo Lodge seems not to have forgotten the principle of relief , for a number of items appear indicating donations to distressed brethren . Many visitors from Wetherby and Doncaster seem also to have been present at meetings . In 17 S 2 , £ 2 is . 6 d . was paid for engraving a plate for summonses ; probably this would be to Mr . Cave , the

York engraver . The same year four guineas passed through the hands of the Secretary , to the Grand Secretary in London , as afee for re-instating the Rodney Lodge , at Hull , a lodge which had a most turbulent and disastrous career , and eventually came to a troublous end on December Sth , 1 S 20 , when , " after a speech most feeling and elaborate , the W . M . declared he must be under the necessity , under the present circumstances , to close the Rodney Lodge . "

In 1783 the celebration of the Winter Feast was unusually extensive , if we may judge from the bill , for we find on December 19 th , " To lemons on St . John ' s Day £ 1 3 s . gd . " There is a story about a certain punch bowl , constructed at the coming of age of a Duke of Rutland , so large that a boy floated on the surface of its contents in a canoe , and baled out the punch to the guests ; and I have heard of a yarn of a Transatlantic bowl , wherein a

boy was sent down in a diving bell when the sugar had to be stirred up , and really the amount expended in lemons in York on that anniversary would lead the modern reader to suppose that the extent of the potations of the members of the Apollo Lodge exceeded largely the usual limits extended to members of the Craft . It is said that the wife of a Dewsbury Freemason , on being asked what were the three grand principles of Freemasonry , lied

rep , " Eating , drinking , and sitting up late at ni ghts , " and this goodnatured , though , of course , groundless , calumny has often been repeated , but all accusations of such a nature sink into nothingness as utterly inadequate if we can imagine the beginning and ending of a Masonic meeting at which £ 1 3 s . gd . was expended in lemons alone . Let us hope that lemons cost , at least , a shilling a-piece in 1783 . I suspect the solution of the entry is that , with a view to the comments of future critics of his accounts , the of

Treasurer Apollo Lodge made "lemons" stand for the combined constituents of a bowl of punch , and that the brand }' , the rum , the sherry , the lemons , and thegreen tea are all piously grouped and entered as " lemons . " On the same day on which this notable jorum of punch was brewed , nine old women were relieved with a shilling a-piecc , and Mr . Camidge provided a musical treat , performed by boys , presumably choristers from York Minster . This year also " a Brother Turk " was relieved with a gift of a guinea .

On June 25 th , 1783 , the constitution for the Alfred Lodge , at Wetherby , was written . Mr . Hogg , of Wetherby , was its promoter apparently . In 1784 , 011 September 27 th , the lodge had a pleasant little gathering and a supper , for we find an entry of " Paid Bro . Camidge for crabs , 6 s . 6 d . " Evidently there was a fish supper that night . At Midsummer of the following year the lodge became ravenous for music , lor we have on lune 2 dth

"Paid the Inmskilling Band of Music , by order of the R . W . M ., £ 1 is To an organ man , by order of Bro . Garland , 2 s . 6 d . " Fancy the combination ! But perhaps the band played the brethren to church , and the organ man consoled them in the evening , for there was an evening entertainment , whereat they conscientiously consumed cheesecakes , tarts , tobacco , cheese , a quarter of Iamb , and a salmon ; in addition to which the Treasurer

expended a portion of his funds on pipes and lemon-squeezers . Are not these things written in the book of the chronicles of the Treasurer of the Apollo Lodge ? A new scabbard for the Tyler ' s sword was bought that year , and engraved with an inscription . At this time the lodge was meeting in the Merchants' Hall in Fossgale , in connection with which there was a hospital for poor and aged men and women ; and in the month of December 1785

, , we find the ledge extending their Charity to the five poor women by the gift of a shilling to each of them . The rent paid by the Apollo for the Hall was £ 445 . There is below the meeting room in the Merchants' Hall a very curious old chapel , used periodically by the Merchants' Guild , and it would seem that the Masons must have held religious services therein , for we have an entry made in December , 1785 , "To Nanny , for her extra trouble in airim ?

the Chapel and Hall , and washing out the rooms on St . John's Day , 2 s . 6 d . " And another— " To Mr . Lund , for officiating as Clerk on St . John ' s Day , 5 s . " About the same time the City Waits were paid £ 1 5 s ., and the Inniskilling Band £ 1 1 is . 6 d ., so that there must have been a great flow of music on that anniversary . In 17 S 6 the summonses were printed by Cave , the engraver , who was paid 3 s . for 300 copies . In 17 S 7 we find , under date of February 23 rd , " Paid Alexander Larmouth ( an impostor ) , by order , Surel

5 s . " y Charity could no further go . They would not even turn an impostor empty away . Again , on the 25 th June of that year , we read " To a distressed sister ( on the recommendation of Brother Tommy Atkinson ) by order of the Lodge , 5 s . " At this time Bro . John Watson was Treasurer , and on December 28 th the following entry was made : " Then examined this account , which we find to be perfectly just and agreable to what we might expect from so worthy a Treasurer . D . P . G . M ., Thomas Thrackray ; W . Stavely , S . W . ; Ed . Benson , P . M . ; J . Thompson , Chaplain . "

And so ends this Treasurer's book . In spite of the apparent popularity of the Apollo Lodge , and its fatal effect upon the Grand Lodge at York , it came to an end itself early in the present century . Its warrant and paraphernalia were removed lo Hull , having been purchased by some brethren of that town .