The Grand East Of Ulster.

opposition to the Grand Lodge of Ireland . ' Another resolution points to tlie facfc that " some feAV credulous and misguided Lodges " had already submitted to the authority of the Grand Lodge of Ireland . It is also announced that the next meeting of the Grand Lodge Avonld be held on the 5 th of Alarch , 1811 , but Avhero that meeting Avas held , or Avhether ifc was eA * er held afc all , lam nofc aAvare .

When Ave find , hoAA * eA * er , that Ave have no record of this meeting , and that revolurtionary tactics Avere being carried on wi fch reneAved vigour on fresh ground , Ave are the less surprised to learn that the leaders deemed it advisable to shift tho headquarters of the reA-olt from Dungannon . In accordance Avith this determination Ave find that a meeting of t ' . ie Grand East of Ulster AV . IS held in the town of Belfast

on the 18 th of September , 1811 , in connection Avith AA'hich the folloAA'ing list of Grand Officers is given : James Craig , Esq ., Af . P ., Grand Master ; John Shaw , Esq ., Deputy Grand AIaster ; the Rt . Hon . A . T . Blayney , Senior Grand AVarden ' ; Sir G . Hill , Bart ., Junior Grand AVarden ; George D'Arcy Irvine , Grand Secretary : the Rev . Francis BUITOAVS , Granel Chaplain ; A . Seton , Esq .,

Deputy Grand Secretary ; and AVilliam BI-OWHIOAA * , Esq ., ALP ., Treasurer . The chief business transacted at this meeting was the formation of a '' Master ' s Lodge , " similar in composition and function to the present "Board of General Purposes , " the result of Avhose deliberations A \* as to be reported to the Grand Lodge ' at each Quarterly Communication . It is also announced hy " Wm . Berriman ,

Secretary to the Alaster ' s Lodge , " that " the next meeting of the Grand Lodge of Ulster AVI' 11 be held at the Donegal ] Arms , Belfast , on AVednesday , the 4 th day of December , 1811 , at High Meridian . " Appended to the yearly abstract published by the Grand Lodge of Ireland for the year 1811 , we find that body adopting a

conciliatory spirit in relation to the rcA-olting party , and Ave read a statement to the effect that " in numberless instances this forbearance has succeeded , " but that CA ' mercy having its limits , they Avere " firmly resolved to SUSPEND or CANCELL all lodges , and expel all Alasons persisting in rebellious defiance to its LEGITIAfATE and

UNQUESTIONABLE AUTHORITY . " They also caution the members of the Order against recognising the PRETENDED A \* arrants and spurious . certificates issued by the party in revolt , reminding them that none are genuine excepting those signed by their OAVU properly authorised officers . Appended to the abstract in question AVC find tAvo letters , one from Lord Blayney , and the other from Sir G . F . Hill , Bart ., repudiating in the strongest possible

terms their countenance of the Grand East of Ulster , the formei stating that in attending its meetings ho had been misled by the misrepresentation "that the lodgo assembled in Dungannon Avas h y permission of thc Grand Lodge , and under their direction and control , for the accommodation of the Province of Ulster , " and the latter assuring Grand Lodge that he had never authorised the use

of his name , nor had he attended a Alasonic lodge since the year 1798 . in the same paper we find that Somerset , Eail of Belmore , AVUS Junior Grand AVarden of tho Grand Lodge of Ireland for the year 1811 . Thus , at one full swoop , AVC find a G . AL , a S . G . AV ., and a J . G . W . of the Giand East of Ulster , repudiating their connection with the revolt !

The next item of intelligence is dated 2 nd December , 1812 , Avhen at a meeting of " The Grand Lodge of Ulster , " held in Belfast , "James Craig , Est ] ., on the Throne , " ifc was resolved to establish it "Alasonic Orphan Asylum" in Belfast , and a Committee AVIIS appointed to draw up a code of rules for its management .

A communication of the Grand Lodge AA * HS advertised to be held at the Donegal I Arms , Belfast , on the Jlrd of August , 1813 , at Avhich the collectors of the fund for the erection of the Alasonic Orphan Asylum were requested to report progress . A similar meeting AVIIS summoned for the same place on the

3 rd of June following , and it was announced that " The Alost Noble the Alarquis of Donegall had given a grant of a lot of ground for the erection of the Alasonic Orphan Asylum , " plans for the building of which had been prepared , and estimates for the building were invited .

1 have been unable to discover any record of the lotlge subsequent to this date , and I am inclined to the belief thafc'the legal decision of the Court , pronounced iu July , 1813 , finally terminated its existence . But b y far the most interesting relic of this revolt , with Avhich I am yet acquainted , is a " List of Lodges on the Roll of the Grand

Kast of Ireland , from 27 th December , 1806 , up till 6 th December , 1809 , " Avith a copy of Avhich I have been furnished , by a highlyesteeined brother—himself an ardent Alasonic archaeologist . The list in question comprises 157 lodges , a cart'l ' ul analysis of which is extremel y interesting and important , as tending to exhibit , thc astute generalship of our worthy Bro . Scton in collecting anti

The Grand East Of Ulster.

marshalling his revolutionary forces . Tn a "List of Lodges Erased from the Books of the Grantl Lodge of Ireland , orded to be printed on the 5 th of November , 1801 , " and signed "A . Seton , D . G . Sec , " we . find reference made to no less than 169 lodges , the Avarrants of Avhich Avere-thereby cancelled . In the " List of Lodges on the Roll of the Grand East of Ulster , " find no less than 43 lodges

mentioned m the " List of Erased Lodges " Nine of these cancelled AA'arrants , IiaA'ing been either in Bro . Seton ' s own possession prior to his dismissal from the Office of D . G . Sec ; or his previous knoAvled ge having enabled him readily to lay his hands upon them , Avere at once utilised for the purposes of the Revolt , Avhilst the remaining 34 Avere revived by the Grand East of Ulster . Eight other Avarrants Avere

revived , Avhich must have been cancelled at some other time , as they do not appear in the List of 1801 , and fees Avere paid for such revivals , tothe amount of £ 175 3 s . * Gil . ; 14 IIOAV AVarrants Avere issued , the fees for Avhich amounted to £ 63 14 s . ; 90 Lodges , whose AVarrants were in full force at the time , are given in the list , and may , therefore , bc termed disaffected ; . Avhilst in t , Avo instances onlyviz .

, , in the case of Lodges 242 and 439 , have I been unable to satisfy myself as to tho nature of their connection Avith the movement . A further analysis of the list of disaffected Lodges , shows 81 Lodges for the Ulster Comities , ' viz ., Antrim 21 , Down 18 , Tyrone 17 , Fermanagh 8 , Armagh 7 , Londonderry 4 , Alonaghan 3 , Cavan 2 ,

Donegal I . And 9 Lodges for the remainder of Ireland , A'iz ., Clare 2 , AVexford 2 , Longford 2 , Tipperary 1 , Gahvay 1 , and Louth 1 . Thus clearly establishing the facfc that the revolt had its ori gin , and was almost entirely supported by Ulster Alasons , the number of malcontents olscAvhere being both few and far betAveen .

Three different seals appear to have been in use at different times , copies of Avhich are IIOAV reproduced . The first' seal is attached to a document emanating from

Taylor ' s Hall , Back Lane , Dublin , dated 6 th August , 1807 ; the second to a Dungannon document of the year 1809 ; and the third to a Belfast document of 1811 .

The causes of this revolt appear to be of a twofold natnre—tho ostensible causes being abuses on the part of the Gra , nd Lodge of Ireland in the selection of its officers , threatened interference on the part of that body in the

DUNGANNON 1809

Avorking of the Higher . Alasonic Orders , aud- a system of finance both faulty and extravagant . But , whether the treatment extended to them Avas justifiable or not , to our mind the real cause is to bo found in a determined feeling of resentful opposition to tho

properly constituted authorities of the . order on the part of Bros . Irvine ami Seton ; AVIIO , in " consequence of Bros . Irvine ' s undoubted popularity * in the North , when they found it impossible'to carry on the Avar in the enemy ' s camp , transferred the scene of their operations to Ulster . That I am right in this conclusion Avill , I think , be readily ceded on a candid and impartial

consideration of the foregoing facts . Thc determination which characterised the commencement of hosilitics in Dublin ; the removal to the North ; the extraordinary apathy of the brethren in the South , East , and , AVest , on ' . whom real grievances , had they existed , must have pressed-Avith equal scA'crity ; the repudiation b y three * individuals , of exalted position ami unblemished character ,

both in the . Order . and in . Society ; and the fact that , out of the entire Held , Irvine atid Scton alone , are fo be found in the race Irom start to finish ; , to my . mind clearly establish the fact that motives of resentment on ( hc part of these ' two brethren incited them to a course of action , their persistence in which might have been of more protracted duration , ' but for the intervention of the legal decision pronounced against them by the Master of the Rolls .

Permit me to add that these are all the facts with Avhich I am acquainted in this connection ; that I trust their narration may tend to elicit further information on this most important and interesting event in the history of Irish Freemasonry ; and that lam most deeply grateful to the Editor of ( he Freemason for having so graciousl y opened his columns to mv too protracted observations .

FRANCIS C . CROSSLE . Newry , 18 th November , 1892 . i