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Article THE FIRST GRAND STEWARDS AND THEIR LODGES. ← Page 2 of 2 Article FRENCH FREEMASONRY IN ENGLAND. Page 1 of 2 →
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The First Grand Stewards And Their Lodges.
The Stewards for the Festival in honour of the Installation of H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex on the 2 nd May , 1814 , were Past Grand Stewards nominated by the W . Master of the Grand Stewards Lodge at the command of the Grand Master , who gave strict injunctions that they were not to allow theirexpenses to exceed the amount of money received for the tickets , which on this occasion were to be One Guinea each ; this , under the circumstances ,
was rather hard on the Stewards , and , like many other orders issued by authority , was found to be somewhat difficult of execution , especially after the lavish expenditure at former Grand Festivals , and , notwithstanding the experience of the Stewards ( for they seem to have been most judiciously selected ) , their expenses exceeded their receipts by £ 194 13 s . 6 d . Meanwhile , I presume , the Grand Master had quite decided what lodges were to
have the privilege of the Red Apron in the United Grand Lodge , for he himself nominated the Grand Stewards for 1 S 15 , and they at the conclusion of their duties reverted to the old custom of presenting their successors . There cannot be two opinions as to the wisdom of the Grand Master ' s selection , when we consider that out of the eighteen lodges from which his choice was made sixteen have maintained the privilege unimpaired up to
the present date ; he seems to have carefully included all the lodges then in existence that had formerly been most regular and punctual in returning Grand Stewards , at a time when Masonic matters generally worked less smoothly than now ; and this distinction was not looked upon with any particular favour by the great body of the Craft , and it was onl y by the strenuous exertions of the heads of the Order that brethren could at first be
found willing to undertake an office , attended as it was in the old days with a great amount of trouble and responsibility as well as considerable expense . The 18 lodges referred to are : — No . The Grand Masters' Lodge ... ... ... 1 ,, Lodge of Antiquity ... ... ... ... 2 „ Royal Somerset House and Inverness Lodge ... 4
„ St . George and Corner Stone Lodge ... ... 5 „ Lodge of Friendship ... ... ... ... 6 ,, British Lodge ... ... ... ... 8 „ Tuscan Lodge ... ... ,.. ,,, 14 „ Lodge of Emulation ... ... ... ... 21 ,, Globe Lodge ... ... ... ... 23
,, Castle Lodge of Harmony ... ... ... 26 ,, Old King ' s Arms Lodge ... ... ... 28 „ St . Alban's Lodge ... ... ... ... 29 „ Lodge of Felicity ... ... ... ... 58 „ Lodge of Peace and Harmony ... ... ... 60 „ Lodge of Regularity ... ... ... ... 91
„ Shakespeare Lodge ... ... ,,, 99 „ Pilgrim Lodge ... ... .,, ... 238 ,, Prince of Wales'Lodge ... ... ... 259 The Pilgrim Lodge , which in 1815 was in a very flourishing condition , being composed of a large number of wealthy Germans resident in this country , relinquished its privilege in 1834 for want of members , * and the Grand Master nominated the Jerusalem Lodge to take its place .
The Old King ' s Arms Lodge , one of the first of the old lodges to send a Steward to the Grand Festivals , lost its privilege in 1852 through not returning the name of a Grand Steward in time for the Festival of that year , and was succeeded by the Old Union Lodge , No . 46 . At first sight it would appear that the selection of the Grand Master
partook of a rather one-sided character , as 17 out of the 18 lodges mentioned were all , prior to the Union , on the * ' Modern , " or Regular , Grand Lodge side , the only one from the so-called " Ancients " being the Grand Masters' Lodge , No . 1 , which I should say was b y far the most respectable lodge on their list .
I am not aware that there is anything of a documentary nature now in existence that can enlighten us as to the reason the red apron was not more equally distributed between the two former rival bodies , but it must be borne in mind that there was a considerable difference ( from a purely social point of view ) in the character of the lodges , and it may be that the heavy expense attached to the office of Grand Steward had a deterrent effect , for , as I have shown , the Grand Stewards of the * ' Moderns " were expected to dip their hands pretty deeply into their pockets every year , whereas the
expense of a Stewardship on the other side was comparatively nothing . There is not a word in the records to indicate the least dissatisfaction with the appointments made by the Grand Master ; indeed , the Duke of Sussex seems to have been quite as popular in the United Grand Lodge as he had previously been amongst those brethren with whom he had first identified himself , as is evidenced by the following extract from the minutes of Grand Lodge , 6 th September , 1815 :
"A motion was made by Brother Goldsworthy , P . M . of Lodge No . 3 , and seconded by Brother Godwin , P . M . of the Lodge of Peace and Harmony , No . 82 : That the Thanks of the United Grand Lodge be most dutifully presented to His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex , M . W .
Grand Master , for his zealous , unremitting , and paternal care in watching over the Interest of the Craft , in maintaining its Ancient Landmarks and preserving inviolate its true principles and tenets . And all the Brethren present testified their unanimous and unqualified concurrence by the accustomed Honors . "
Bro . Goldsworthy had formerly been a most active member of the " Athole " Grand Lodge . At the next meeting Bro . Perry , a Past Deputy Grand Master of that body , nominated the Duke of Sussex as Grand Master , which nomination , the minute book says , " was received with every demonstration of respect , gratitude , and attachment . " Havirlg now furnished all the information concerning the Red Apron Lodges of the last century which is contained in the official records of the
" Modern " Grand Lodge , I will conclude by expressing a hope of being able shortly to devote some little attention to the method of keeping holiday adopted by its energetic contemporary . Bro . Gould ' s " History of the Athole Lodges " gives a list of 127 lodges now in existence , which were constituted by the " Ancient " Grand Lodge , and I make no doubt that many of the present members of these lodges will be glad to know something of the Stewards and festival arrangements of their ancestors .
French Freemasonry In England.
FRENCH FREEMASONRY IN ENGLAND .
I have lately come across a curious certificate , dated 20 th July , 1 S 13 , purporting to be issued by a number of officers and members of the lodge " Enfans de Mars et de Neptune , " held at Abergavenny , Monmouthshire , in favour of Bro . Benjamin Plummer , as a joining member , who originally belonged to an " Ancient" or " Atholl " Lodge , but later on became connected with a " Modern , " or Regular Lodge and R . A . Chapter . I have
been able to trace several points of interest relating to Plummer , who was a member of the Baldwyn Encampment of K . T . Bristol , in 1816 , and it appears also once belonged to another French lodge " Le Paix desiree , " assembling at Wincanton , Somersetshire . The certificate in question is signed , by De Grasse Tilly , 33 ° as the W . Master in the chair . ( " Le Ven . en Exercise" ) and ten others , officers and brethren . It is written in
French and English , around being a number of Masonic emblems drawn by an expert artist , the certificate proper , being enclosed by two columns , with a tesselated pavement at foot , and surmounted by eradiated circular rays , with the triangle in centre having the sacred word in Hebrew , under which are the familiar letters *¦ A . L . G . D . G . A . D . L'U . " The seal stamped on the certificate has the name of the lodge
" Enfans de Mars et de Neptune ' in capital letters , which enclose a column on either side , above being a five pointed star , and below , the orthodox square and compasses . My friend Bro . G . W . Speth , who is the best authority I know of on Continental Freemasonry ( to whom I sent the document for examination ) , states that the certificate is a rarity , and agrees with me in the belief that the brethren who composed the lodge ,
as also the one at Wincanton , were prisoners of war from France . Bro . Speth considers one of the lodges named most appropriately , viz ., " Desired Peace , " or " Longed for Peace . " De Grasse Tilly was vtot only the Grand Commander of the Supreme Council for France , but was also an officer of the Grand Orient . He was a prisoner in England , so Bro . Speth tells me , from 1809-10 to early in 1815 . The Grand Orient warranted lodges and chapters up to the Rose Croix , the Supreme Council keeping to the Degrees 0
from the 19 to the 33 , inclusive , at least , down to 1 S 16 . On this point Vol . 5 of Bro . Gould's " History of Freemasonry " should be consulted , as it is rich in valuable information respecting the Craft in France . The portion in French in the certificate is not quite the same as the English side , the former not having the words * ' Dedicated to St . John of Scotland According to the old and new constitutions held under the sanction of the G . O . of France . " Neither is the Duke of Athol ' s
name mentioned . The names of those who signed the certificate have been deciphered by Bro . Speth , for I could not make out anv but the Master ' s , De Grasse Tilly , 33 . The R . W . Bro . William Kelly refers to French lodges at Ashby-de-la-Zouch , and Northampton , a fact ( which he rightly declares in his most interesting History of the Prov . G . Lodge of Leicestershire , 1870 ) " hitherto unnoticed by any of our Masonic writers . " Bro .
Kelly will exhibit at Shanklin photographs of two certificates ( Craft and Rose Croix ) belonging to a member of the lodge , " Des Vrais de L'Ordre , " held in the former town by prisoners of war from France , on parole , of 1 S 10-1 , the lodge being held under the immediate protection of the Earl of Moira ( afterwards Marquis of Hastings ) acting Grand Master of England . Copies are also to be found in Bro . Kelly ' s history aforesaid . The Craft
diploma bears the signatures of 27 members , and the Rose Croix of 16 . My impression is that these French brethren restricted themselves to conferring Degrees on any of their fellow prisoners ; refraining , of course from initiating English residents , though they may have elected some of the latter as joining members , just as was dene in the case of B . Plummer in 1813 . Otherwise we may be assured that Lord Moira would
not have patronised them in any way . His lordship ' s seat at Donnington Park was in the vicinity of Ashby-de-la-Zouch . Appended is a copy of the Certificate of A . D . 1 S 13 , of which De Grasse Tilly , 33 , was the Master , and the names of all the signers , excepting two that it is impossible to make out ; at least Bro . Speth cannot , and that amounts to the same thing in my view :
Certificate , 1813 ( English side verbatim ) . " The right worshipful Lodge held at Abergavenny , Monmouthshire , in England , dedicated to St . John of Scotland , of free and accepted M . M .- . according to the old and new constitutons . held under the sanction of the G . \ 0 . \ of France , under the title of Enfans de Mars and de Neptune , to all free accepted lawful M . \ all over the World , Union , Strength , and Salvation .
" We free , accepted , lawful M . M . do hereby certify that Br . . Benjamin Plummer , Superintendant , grand commander of the Order of Knights Templars , & c , for the principality of Wales under the patronage of his royal highness , the Duke of Kent , and past Senior Grand Warden of the free and accepted Masons in England , according to the old Constitutions ( his grace the Duke of Athold ; —Born the 10 th Day of October , 1771 , in the town of Shepton Mallett , County of Somerset , and at this time resident
in London ( profession ) Commercial Agent , —Late member of the French Lodge under the title of desired peace , held at Wincanton , county of Somerset , has been affiliated in our lodge , that he has behaved in every respect as a true and faithful Br . \ and has proved himself worthy of our friendship and brotherly love . Promising the same kind welcome to every lawful brother who may come from your part , we beg you to give him joy , satisfaction , and assistance . ** Given under our hand and Seal , this 20 th of the 5 th month A . L . 5813 . "
"The W . M . in the Chair . ?) "De Grasse Tilly , 33 ° . R . C " Senior Warden . Junior Warden " E . De Ormier du Medic " R . C . The Orator . K . H
" Solmac . " (? Chapter do . ) Lampo "Pasqitier , R . C . " 31 , Inqr " 1 st Axpert "A . L'Avelan , The Hospitaller " R . C . St . Martin .
"R . C . " Sealed and stamped by us " By command of the Wor . Lodge , " Keeper of the Seals Menard , Sec . " (?) . "
The certificate is beautifully written , and its size is 16 by 14 J inches . The Craft diploma mentioned by Bro . Kelly is brief compared with the foregoing , and is of a different form . The Rose Croix certificate is longer and states that " en raison de L'impoisibilite de communiquer soit [ avecj le Grand Or . ' , soit avec aucun autre Chapitre Regulier de France , confere au sus dit F . \ Jean le grade le Ch . - . D'or . " I find that the brethren were Rose
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The First Grand Stewards And Their Lodges.
The Stewards for the Festival in honour of the Installation of H . R . H . the Duke of Sussex on the 2 nd May , 1814 , were Past Grand Stewards nominated by the W . Master of the Grand Stewards Lodge at the command of the Grand Master , who gave strict injunctions that they were not to allow theirexpenses to exceed the amount of money received for the tickets , which on this occasion were to be One Guinea each ; this , under the circumstances ,
was rather hard on the Stewards , and , like many other orders issued by authority , was found to be somewhat difficult of execution , especially after the lavish expenditure at former Grand Festivals , and , notwithstanding the experience of the Stewards ( for they seem to have been most judiciously selected ) , their expenses exceeded their receipts by £ 194 13 s . 6 d . Meanwhile , I presume , the Grand Master had quite decided what lodges were to
have the privilege of the Red Apron in the United Grand Lodge , for he himself nominated the Grand Stewards for 1 S 15 , and they at the conclusion of their duties reverted to the old custom of presenting their successors . There cannot be two opinions as to the wisdom of the Grand Master ' s selection , when we consider that out of the eighteen lodges from which his choice was made sixteen have maintained the privilege unimpaired up to
the present date ; he seems to have carefully included all the lodges then in existence that had formerly been most regular and punctual in returning Grand Stewards , at a time when Masonic matters generally worked less smoothly than now ; and this distinction was not looked upon with any particular favour by the great body of the Craft , and it was onl y by the strenuous exertions of the heads of the Order that brethren could at first be
found willing to undertake an office , attended as it was in the old days with a great amount of trouble and responsibility as well as considerable expense . The 18 lodges referred to are : — No . The Grand Masters' Lodge ... ... ... 1 ,, Lodge of Antiquity ... ... ... ... 2 „ Royal Somerset House and Inverness Lodge ... 4
„ St . George and Corner Stone Lodge ... ... 5 „ Lodge of Friendship ... ... ... ... 6 ,, British Lodge ... ... ... ... 8 „ Tuscan Lodge ... ... ,.. ,,, 14 „ Lodge of Emulation ... ... ... ... 21 ,, Globe Lodge ... ... ... ... 23
,, Castle Lodge of Harmony ... ... ... 26 ,, Old King ' s Arms Lodge ... ... ... 28 „ St . Alban's Lodge ... ... ... ... 29 „ Lodge of Felicity ... ... ... ... 58 „ Lodge of Peace and Harmony ... ... ... 60 „ Lodge of Regularity ... ... ... ... 91
„ Shakespeare Lodge ... ... ,,, 99 „ Pilgrim Lodge ... ... .,, ... 238 ,, Prince of Wales'Lodge ... ... ... 259 The Pilgrim Lodge , which in 1815 was in a very flourishing condition , being composed of a large number of wealthy Germans resident in this country , relinquished its privilege in 1834 for want of members , * and the Grand Master nominated the Jerusalem Lodge to take its place .
The Old King ' s Arms Lodge , one of the first of the old lodges to send a Steward to the Grand Festivals , lost its privilege in 1852 through not returning the name of a Grand Steward in time for the Festival of that year , and was succeeded by the Old Union Lodge , No . 46 . At first sight it would appear that the selection of the Grand Master
partook of a rather one-sided character , as 17 out of the 18 lodges mentioned were all , prior to the Union , on the * ' Modern , " or Regular , Grand Lodge side , the only one from the so-called " Ancients " being the Grand Masters' Lodge , No . 1 , which I should say was b y far the most respectable lodge on their list .
I am not aware that there is anything of a documentary nature now in existence that can enlighten us as to the reason the red apron was not more equally distributed between the two former rival bodies , but it must be borne in mind that there was a considerable difference ( from a purely social point of view ) in the character of the lodges , and it may be that the heavy expense attached to the office of Grand Steward had a deterrent effect , for , as I have shown , the Grand Stewards of the * ' Moderns " were expected to dip their hands pretty deeply into their pockets every year , whereas the
expense of a Stewardship on the other side was comparatively nothing . There is not a word in the records to indicate the least dissatisfaction with the appointments made by the Grand Master ; indeed , the Duke of Sussex seems to have been quite as popular in the United Grand Lodge as he had previously been amongst those brethren with whom he had first identified himself , as is evidenced by the following extract from the minutes of Grand Lodge , 6 th September , 1815 :
"A motion was made by Brother Goldsworthy , P . M . of Lodge No . 3 , and seconded by Brother Godwin , P . M . of the Lodge of Peace and Harmony , No . 82 : That the Thanks of the United Grand Lodge be most dutifully presented to His Royal Highness The Duke of Sussex , M . W .
Grand Master , for his zealous , unremitting , and paternal care in watching over the Interest of the Craft , in maintaining its Ancient Landmarks and preserving inviolate its true principles and tenets . And all the Brethren present testified their unanimous and unqualified concurrence by the accustomed Honors . "
Bro . Goldsworthy had formerly been a most active member of the " Athole " Grand Lodge . At the next meeting Bro . Perry , a Past Deputy Grand Master of that body , nominated the Duke of Sussex as Grand Master , which nomination , the minute book says , " was received with every demonstration of respect , gratitude , and attachment . " Havirlg now furnished all the information concerning the Red Apron Lodges of the last century which is contained in the official records of the
" Modern " Grand Lodge , I will conclude by expressing a hope of being able shortly to devote some little attention to the method of keeping holiday adopted by its energetic contemporary . Bro . Gould ' s " History of the Athole Lodges " gives a list of 127 lodges now in existence , which were constituted by the " Ancient " Grand Lodge , and I make no doubt that many of the present members of these lodges will be glad to know something of the Stewards and festival arrangements of their ancestors .
French Freemasonry In England.
FRENCH FREEMASONRY IN ENGLAND .
I have lately come across a curious certificate , dated 20 th July , 1 S 13 , purporting to be issued by a number of officers and members of the lodge " Enfans de Mars et de Neptune , " held at Abergavenny , Monmouthshire , in favour of Bro . Benjamin Plummer , as a joining member , who originally belonged to an " Ancient" or " Atholl " Lodge , but later on became connected with a " Modern , " or Regular Lodge and R . A . Chapter . I have
been able to trace several points of interest relating to Plummer , who was a member of the Baldwyn Encampment of K . T . Bristol , in 1816 , and it appears also once belonged to another French lodge " Le Paix desiree , " assembling at Wincanton , Somersetshire . The certificate in question is signed , by De Grasse Tilly , 33 ° as the W . Master in the chair . ( " Le Ven . en Exercise" ) and ten others , officers and brethren . It is written in
French and English , around being a number of Masonic emblems drawn by an expert artist , the certificate proper , being enclosed by two columns , with a tesselated pavement at foot , and surmounted by eradiated circular rays , with the triangle in centre having the sacred word in Hebrew , under which are the familiar letters *¦ A . L . G . D . G . A . D . L'U . " The seal stamped on the certificate has the name of the lodge
" Enfans de Mars et de Neptune ' in capital letters , which enclose a column on either side , above being a five pointed star , and below , the orthodox square and compasses . My friend Bro . G . W . Speth , who is the best authority I know of on Continental Freemasonry ( to whom I sent the document for examination ) , states that the certificate is a rarity , and agrees with me in the belief that the brethren who composed the lodge ,
as also the one at Wincanton , were prisoners of war from France . Bro . Speth considers one of the lodges named most appropriately , viz ., " Desired Peace , " or " Longed for Peace . " De Grasse Tilly was vtot only the Grand Commander of the Supreme Council for France , but was also an officer of the Grand Orient . He was a prisoner in England , so Bro . Speth tells me , from 1809-10 to early in 1815 . The Grand Orient warranted lodges and chapters up to the Rose Croix , the Supreme Council keeping to the Degrees 0
from the 19 to the 33 , inclusive , at least , down to 1 S 16 . On this point Vol . 5 of Bro . Gould's " History of Freemasonry " should be consulted , as it is rich in valuable information respecting the Craft in France . The portion in French in the certificate is not quite the same as the English side , the former not having the words * ' Dedicated to St . John of Scotland According to the old and new constitutions held under the sanction of the G . O . of France . " Neither is the Duke of Athol ' s
name mentioned . The names of those who signed the certificate have been deciphered by Bro . Speth , for I could not make out anv but the Master ' s , De Grasse Tilly , 33 . The R . W . Bro . William Kelly refers to French lodges at Ashby-de-la-Zouch , and Northampton , a fact ( which he rightly declares in his most interesting History of the Prov . G . Lodge of Leicestershire , 1870 ) " hitherto unnoticed by any of our Masonic writers . " Bro .
Kelly will exhibit at Shanklin photographs of two certificates ( Craft and Rose Croix ) belonging to a member of the lodge , " Des Vrais de L'Ordre , " held in the former town by prisoners of war from France , on parole , of 1 S 10-1 , the lodge being held under the immediate protection of the Earl of Moira ( afterwards Marquis of Hastings ) acting Grand Master of England . Copies are also to be found in Bro . Kelly ' s history aforesaid . The Craft
diploma bears the signatures of 27 members , and the Rose Croix of 16 . My impression is that these French brethren restricted themselves to conferring Degrees on any of their fellow prisoners ; refraining , of course from initiating English residents , though they may have elected some of the latter as joining members , just as was dene in the case of B . Plummer in 1813 . Otherwise we may be assured that Lord Moira would
not have patronised them in any way . His lordship ' s seat at Donnington Park was in the vicinity of Ashby-de-la-Zouch . Appended is a copy of the Certificate of A . D . 1 S 13 , of which De Grasse Tilly , 33 , was the Master , and the names of all the signers , excepting two that it is impossible to make out ; at least Bro . Speth cannot , and that amounts to the same thing in my view :
Certificate , 1813 ( English side verbatim ) . " The right worshipful Lodge held at Abergavenny , Monmouthshire , in England , dedicated to St . John of Scotland , of free and accepted M . M .- . according to the old and new constitutons . held under the sanction of the G . \ 0 . \ of France , under the title of Enfans de Mars and de Neptune , to all free accepted lawful M . \ all over the World , Union , Strength , and Salvation .
" We free , accepted , lawful M . M . do hereby certify that Br . . Benjamin Plummer , Superintendant , grand commander of the Order of Knights Templars , & c , for the principality of Wales under the patronage of his royal highness , the Duke of Kent , and past Senior Grand Warden of the free and accepted Masons in England , according to the old Constitutions ( his grace the Duke of Athold ; —Born the 10 th Day of October , 1771 , in the town of Shepton Mallett , County of Somerset , and at this time resident
in London ( profession ) Commercial Agent , —Late member of the French Lodge under the title of desired peace , held at Wincanton , county of Somerset , has been affiliated in our lodge , that he has behaved in every respect as a true and faithful Br . \ and has proved himself worthy of our friendship and brotherly love . Promising the same kind welcome to every lawful brother who may come from your part , we beg you to give him joy , satisfaction , and assistance . ** Given under our hand and Seal , this 20 th of the 5 th month A . L . 5813 . "
"The W . M . in the Chair . ?) "De Grasse Tilly , 33 ° . R . C " Senior Warden . Junior Warden " E . De Ormier du Medic " R . C . The Orator . K . H
" Solmac . " (? Chapter do . ) Lampo "Pasqitier , R . C . " 31 , Inqr " 1 st Axpert "A . L'Avelan , The Hospitaller " R . C . St . Martin .
"R . C . " Sealed and stamped by us " By command of the Wor . Lodge , " Keeper of the Seals Menard , Sec . " (?) . "
The certificate is beautifully written , and its size is 16 by 14 J inches . The Craft diploma mentioned by Bro . Kelly is brief compared with the foregoing , and is of a different form . The Rose Croix certificate is longer and states that " en raison de L'impoisibilite de communiquer soit [ avecj le Grand Or . ' , soit avec aucun autre Chapitre Regulier de France , confere au sus dit F . \ Jean le grade le Ch . - . D'or . " I find that the brethren were Rose