Table Of Contents.

TABLE OF CONTENTS .

PAGE THE ALNWICKE MS . AND RECORDS . OF THE ALNWICKE LODGE 35 & 3 6 ENCYCLOPEDIA METROPOLITANA 36 THE

CRAFTMetropolitan 36 & 37 Middlesex 37 Provincial 37 , 3 8 , 39 ROYAL ARCHMetropolitan 39

Provincial 39 MARK MASONRYMetropolitan 39 ORDERS OF CHIVALRYRed Cross , of Rome and Constantine ... ... 39

Knights Templar 39 BIRTHS , MARRIAGES , AND DEATHS 40 ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS 40 MASONIC LEGENDS ... 40 & 41 MULTUM IN PARVO 41 & 42

LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE 42 ROSICRUCIAN SOCIETY OF ENGLAND 42 ANCIENT AND PRIMITIVE RITE OF MISRAIM ... 42 MASONIC ORDER OF MIZRAIM 42 & 43 ORIGINAL

CORRESPONDENCEThe Robert Wentworth Little Testimonial ... 43 A Cowan ... .. ... ... ... ... 43 A MASONIC TOUR 43 & 44 SCOTLANDDundee AA

TURKEY 44 MASONIC M ISCELLANEA 45 THEATRICAL 45 MASONIC CHARITIES ^ 45

OBITUARYBro . Col . James Roger Western , P . M ., P . R . 45 MASONIC MEETINGS FOR NEXT WEEK 46 ADVERTISEMENTS 33 , 34 , 46 , 47 , & 4 S

The Alnwicke Ms. & Records Of The Alnwicke Lodge.

The ALNWICKE MS . & RECORDS of the ALNWICKE LODGE .

BY BRO . W . J AMES HUGHAN , P . M . 131 , Prov . G . Sec . Corn-wall , Hon . Member "Mother Lodqe Kilwinning" ( Scotland ) , No . 75 ( Falmouth ) , No . 1010 ( Hull ) , No . 1159 ( London ) , & c , & ° c ., & = c .

Bro . " E . T . T . " has kindly placed in my hands for perusal and publication the records of the Alnwicke Lodge , the rules of which are dated 29 th September , 1701 , and are signed by the members belonging to the

lodge of that period , and subsequently as late as August 31 st , 1722 . At the commencement is a good copy of the " Masons ' Constitutions , " evidently of date A . D . 1701 , or a little earlier , and certainly a transcript from a much older document . It is similar

to the "York Constitutions of A . D . 1704 , " which we made known to the Craft , in the " Masonic Annual for 1871 " ( M . C . Peck and Son , Hull ) . It differs , however , from

it and other MSS . in some few unimportant particulars , and belongs to a year in which no other was written of those still preserved . The following beginning to thc MS . is new to us : —

"Draw near unto me , ye unlearned , and dwell in the house of Learning . " Ecclcsiastieus , cap . 5 , ver . 23 . "In the hands of the Craftsmen shall tlic work be commanded . "

Ecclcsiastieus , cap . 9 , ver . 19 . Then follows the commencement of thc MS . proper : — "The might of thc Father of heaven with thc wisdom of his Glorious Son , through the Grace and

Goodness of the Holy Ghost , Three Persons in one Godhead be with us att our beginning , and give us Grace soe to govern us hec in our living That we may come to his Blisse thatt never shall have ending . Amen . "

It finishes with" These charges thatt we have reckoned , and all other that belongeth to Masonry you shall truely keep and well observe , so helpc you God and I-Iolydoome , and this Book to the uttermost of your power . " FINIS . The rules of the lodge are of much value , as they are dated A . D . 1701 , and follow

The Alnwicke Ms. & Records Of The Alnwicke Lodge.

immediately after the MS . ; besides which their antiquity is such as to attach much value to the clauses then agreed on as the laws for the members . They are headed : Orders to be observed by thc company and Fellowship of Free Masons at a Lodge held at Alnwick Scptr . 29 , 1701 , being the genii , head meeting day .

1 st . First it is ordered by the said Fellowship thatt there shall be yearly Two Wardens chosen upon the said Twenty-ninth of Septr . being the Feast of St . Michaell the Archangel , which Wardens shall be elected and appoynted by

the most consent ofthe Fellowship . 2 nd . Item thatt the said Wardens Receive , summonie and sue all such penaltyes and Forfeitures and fines , as shall in any wise be amongst the said Fellowship , and shall render and vield up

a just Account att the year's end of all such fines and forfeitures as shall eome to their hands , or oftner if need require , or if the Master and Fellows list to call for them , for every such offence to £ s d pay ... ... ... ... 068

3 rd . Item , That noe mason shall take any worke by task or by Day , other then the King ' s work , butt thatt att thc least he shall make Three or Four of his Fellows acquainted therewith , for to take his part ; paying for every such offence ... ... 3 6 8

4 th . Item , Thatt noe mason shall take any work thatt any of his Fellows has in hand with all to pay for every such offence the sume off ... ... ... 168 5 th . Item , Thatt noe mason shall take any Apprentice , Enter him ancl give him

his charge within one whole year after . Nott soe doing , the Master shall pay for every such offence ... ... ... 034 6 th . Item , Thatt every master for Entering his apprentice shall pay ... o o 6 7 th . Item , Thatt every mason when

he is warned by the Wardens or other of the Company , and shall nott come to the place appoynted , Except he have a reasonable cause to shew the Master and Wardens to thc contrary ; Nott soe doing shall pay ... ... ... .,. 068

Sth . Item , Thatt noe Mason shall throw his Fellow or give him the lye or any ways contend with him or give him any other name in the place of meeting then Brother or Fellow , or hold any disobedient argument , against any of the

company reproachfully , for every such offence shall pay ... ... ... 006 9 th . Item , There shall noe apprentice after he has served scaven years be admitted or accepted but upon the Feast of St . Michael the Archangel , paying to thc

Master and Wardens ... ... 06 8 10 th . Item , If any Mason either in the place of meeting or att work among his Fellows , swear or take God ' s name in vain thatt he or they soe offending shall pay for every time ... ... ... 054

nth . Item , Thatt if any Fellow or Fellows shall att any time or times discover his master ' s sccretts , or his owne , be it nott onely spoken in the Lodge or without , or thcsecrectsandcouncellof his Fellows , thatt may extend to the Damage

of any of his . Fellows , or to any of their good names ; whereby the Science may be ill spoken of , For every such offence shall pay ... ... ... ... 168 12 th . Item , Thatt noe Fellow or Fellows within thc Lodge shall att any time

or times call or hold Assemblys to make any mason or masons free : Nott acquainting the Master or Wardens therewith For every time so offending shall pay ... 368 13 th . Item , Thatt noe Rough Lavers

or any others thatt has nott served their time , or admitted masons , shall work within thc Lodge any work of masonry whatsoever ( except under a Master ) for every such offence shall pay ... ... 3 13 4 14 th . Item , That all Fellows being

younger shall give his elder fellows the honour due to their degree and standing . Alsoe that the Master Wardens and all the Fellows of this Lodge doc promish severally and respectively to performe all and every the orders above named ,

and to stand by each other ( but more particularly to the Wardens and their successors ) in sueing for all and every the forfceturcs of our said Brethren , contrary to any of thc said . orders , demand thereof being first made . '

Sixty-nine signatures are attached to these rules , some of which were written A . D . 1 7 01 , when tlie rules were inserted in the . book , and the remainder were appended according to the dates of initiation : e . g ., " Patrick Mills 1706 , made Free Deer . 27 th , and

George Potts made Free this 20 th of Jany , 1708 . " To some of the names marks are attached in the form of monograms , & c , The records are mostly taken up with the narration of fines , the arrangements for indentures , and such like , as from the

earliest minute to the last ( ranging from 1703 to 1757 ) the lodge was of an operative character , and the members assembled for the purpose of aiding one another , in sickness , for the preservation of their secrets as

Freemasons , and for the proper conduct of Master and Fellows , both within and without the lodge . The earliest minute of the Alnwicke Lodge preserved is dated October 3 rd , 1703 :

Item . Itt is agreed by us whos names is under written thatt Wm . Bahnbrow for a brech of ye 12 Artickole shall be prosecuted according to Law , and furder James Mills of sume other offence thatt will be mad apeer at time convenient . " On Dec . 27111 , 1705 : " It is agreed and concluded

upon by the genii , consent ot the Lodge thatt James Mills and James Gammon , Matthew Doores [ these names are all subscribers to theorders of A . D . 1701 ] Jno . Kennington and othrs . offendrs . be prosecuted and fined Nobles each for their absence from Warkworth and Alnwicke Lodge , as witnesse or .

hands the clay & year above written . The Fines upon the said offendrs . to be forthwith prosecuted as agreed by us present this clay att the Lodge holden att Alnwick . " ( Signed ) . At the Lodge held i 7 o 6 (?) several brethren , " for not meeting at the Lodge held on this Day at

the usuall place upon clue summons are fined six shillings Eightpence each of them . " —( Signed by Thomas Davidson , master , and 14 members . ) Dec . 27 th , 1 707 : "Agreed upon by the consent of this Lodge holden att Alnwick this St . Jnos . Day ,

the Day and year above written , Thatt James Mills of Alnwick aforesaid is by general consent of the sd . lodge chosen and elected master of the sd . Lodge . Thomas Dally jr . and Thos . Davidson Wardens . "

The next election occurred 27 th Dec , 170 S . At Alnwick Dec . 27 th , 1710 : "Its ordered by thc genii , consent of our Lodge that on the Third Day of February next after the Date hereof that all the Brothers and fellows concerned in the sd . Lodge

then & there to appear & to concert & enquire into all such offences contrary to the Orders and Constitutions of thc sd . Lodge & and lo put thc same in Execution , according to Law , as they shall answer the contrary the Penalty for not answering

on the Day aforesaid six shillings , eightpencc , as witnesse our hands thc Day and year above written , " — ( SignedJ THOMAS DAVIDSON , Master ; MATTHEW FORSTER ) Wardens . DARRICK MILLES {" araens , and Brethren .

Then follow several instances of fines for non-attendance and disobedience . The next minute is the most important of those recorded , and is the only instance I can find of a reference to sermons

beinppreached on behalf of thc Society , or , indeed , of any public appearance of the members of the Lodge in the book . That the Masons walked in procession with their aprons on , and that the Masters for the time being were held responsible for such

taking place annually , the record proves clearly ; and these old minutes are therefore of much value , apart from the importance which is necessarily attached to the " MS . Constitution " of A . D . 1701 , which prefaces thc volume : —

That at a true and perfect Lodge kept at Alnwicke at the house of Mr . Thomas Davidson , then one of the Wardens of the said Lodge the twentieth Day of this instant Jany . 1708 . It was ordered that for the future noe member of thc said Lodge

Master , Wardens , or Fellows should appear at any Lodge to be kept on St . John ' s Day in Christmas without his appron and common square fixt in the belt thereof ; upon pain of forficting two shillings sixpence , each person offending , and that care be taken by thc Master and Wardens ( or the time