How Grand Lodge Was Built Up.

the year 1726-7 . The reason assigned by Bro . William Preston for this considerate—and in its results , exceedingly beneficial—act of his lordship is a remarkable one , and unauthenticated , as are most of that writer ' s statements respecting our early history , by any scrap of evidence which even a novice in the study of history would consider trustworthy . This particular period , he tells us , " was

rendered remarkable by the Brethren of Wales first uniting under the banner of the Grand Lodge in London . " He seems to have drawn upon his imagination for this union in consequence of the existence in Wales of " some venerated remains of ancient Masonry , and miny stately ruins of castles executed in the Gothic style . " The

connection between the two is not very obvious , but it is an undoubted fact—teste the list of P . G . Ms , and D . G . Ms , appointed from 1717 to the present time in Grand Lodge Calendai—that in 1726 Lord Inehiquin did grant deputations or patents of appointment to Bro . Hugh Warburton as P . G . M . for North Wales , and Bro . Sir Edward Mansel as P . G . M . for South Wales .

•Passing on to the G . Mastership of Lord Coleraine—1727-8—we are told by the same eminent historian that at the last Communication held under his lordship ' s auspices Bro . Dr . Desaguliers brought forward a resolution for the revival of the ancient office of Steward , the appointments to be annual , their number to be restricted to 12 , and their duties to be to assist the Grand AVardens

in the preparation of the Grand Feasts . Why Preston should have found iu the undoubted antiquity of the Steward ' s office a reason for describing the first appointment of Grand Stewards as a revival it is impossible to say at this distance of time . There is , however , something interesting about their appointment , or rather about their having been subsequently granted sundry extraordinary privileges not

possessed by the rest of the brethren . Thus , under Lord . Lovel , G . M . 1731-2 , they were allowed to nominate their successors . Then in the G . Mastership of the Earl of Crawford , in 1734-5 , it was agreed that in future the Grand Officers , with the exception of the Grand Master , should be chosen from their ranks . About the same time they were constituted into a Lodge , which in 1770 was p laced at the head of

the roll of Lodges without a number . The grant af these privileges , but moi'c particularly the claim tbey advanced at the outset of their career as a . Lodge , to vote in Grand Lodge as individuals , was the cause of much discontent among the Fraternity , and may be said to have been imperceptibly acquiesced in , rather than formally bestowed upon them . In the Earl of Morton ' s time it was resolved that the

ofiice of Treasurer should be an annually elective one , and that the Treasurer , Secretary , and Sword Bearer should be permitted to rank iu future as members of Grand Lodge . Subsequently the regular Grand Lodge agreed upon the creation of the office of Grand Chaplain , while in 1782 , when H . R . H . the Duke of Cumberland , brother of

George III ., waselected G . M ., it was resolved-tliat he , and any , other Prince of the Royal blood who might in future be elected to the same office , should enjoy the privilege of nominating a peer of the realm as Acting Grand Master , the peer appointed by the Duke of Cumberland being the Earl of Effingham , whose successor was the Earl of Moira , afterwards Marquis of Hastings .

I mnst now hark back to the year 1751 , when the then existing Lodges of " Ancient" Masons , or Macons according to the old Institutions , met in solemn form at the Turk ' s Head Tavern , Greek-street , Soho , on the 17 th July , and formed themselves into a sepai-ate organisation , with a Grand Committee to regulate its affairs until such time as a Grand Master was elected , and Bro . John Morgan as

its Grand Secretary or principal executive . We know what regulations were adopted for the government of this Society at the Turk ' s Head meeting , but not much as to what was done by the Lodges under Morgan ' s auspices . It is on record , however , that on the 5 th February , 1752 , at a meeting of the nine Lodges then existing

in and adjacent to London , Bro . Laurence Dermott , a P . M . ot Lodge No . 26 , Dublin , who had joined the Society , was unanimousl y elected Grand Secretary , vice Morgan resigned , and , as 1 have before said , installed in office with almost the same pomp and circumstance as was an Eastern monarch on his throne . Yet there are few

How Grand Lodge Was Built Up.

Masons who have more richl y deserved the honour's bestowed upon them than Laurence Dermott , who was not onl y Grand Secretary in the ordinary sense of the term , but a Grand Secretary who fulfilled duties of every imaginable kind . One time we read of him in the character of a Grand Lecturer , when after he had been

re-mstalled m bis office , " according to the ancient custom and manner of installing Grand Secretaries , " he " repeated the whole ceremony of Installing Grand , & c , in the manner which he had learn'd from Brother Edward Spratt , Esq ., the celebrated Grand Secretary of Ireland , " and we are told in the minutes that " the long

Recital of the Solemn Ceremony gave great satisfaction to the audience , many of which who never had the opportunity of hearing the like before . " On another occasion he was engaged in "altercations not fit to be written , " with other brethren , because he had suggested that the election of a noble Grand Master to preside over

the Ancient Craft should be postponed until they had a more suitable place than the "Temple Eating House" in ' which to instal him . Again , after having expatiated at great length on the contents of an old MS ., which had been " written or copied by one Hramhall , of Canterbury , in the Reign of King Henry the Seventh , " and

presented to him in 1748 , ' objection was taken by the adherents of the Temple Eating House " against any thanks or even approbation of the Secretary ' s conduct , who , instead of being useful , has actually sung and lectured the Brethren out of their senses . " Upon this Dermott expressed his willingness to resign , if a better Secretary

could be found , and then in his quiet , humorous way remarked that " if he was so unfortunate as to sing any Brother out ot his senses , he hoped the Worshipful Master in the chair and the Gfiiml Committee would allow him an hour ' s time , and he would endeavour to sing them into their senses again . " The request , we are told .

" was granted with great good humour , and the Secretary made proper use of his time . " Later we find him organising th . e Committee of Charity , receiving instructions to constitute new Lodges , regulating the business to be transacted in Grand Committee , and praying to be relieved of the trouble of delivering

the summonses , on the ground that the " Servitude was exceeding troublesome as he was oblidged to work twelve hours in the day for the Master Painter who ein ploy'd him . " In October , 1753 , it was proposed and agreed that " the Grand Secretary shall attend and regulate all processions , and at Funerals take particular

care that all persons walk iu proper rotation . " A few yeajrs after the date of this last minute , he issued the first edition of his " Ahiman Rezon , " the Book of Constitutions of the ancient Fraternity , so that in his case the duties of the Grand Secretaryshi p included those which more properly belong to the Grand Lecturer , Grand Director of Ceremonies , Grand

Organiser , and in fact he was the heart and soul of the Society , which , but for his ability and zeal , in season and out qf season , would never have attained to the position of eminence which it ultimately occupied . Tn the snmmer of 1768 he found himself under the necessity of appointing an Assistant Secretary , for whom

he held himself accountable to Grand Lodge , but the experiment does not appear to have been wholl y successful . Bro . William Dickey , junr ., whom he selected for the office , was a most able man , but Dermott and he do not appear to have been able , to work together very harmoniously . I judge so from the fact that two

years later the minor office was discontinued without apparent cause , and when a vote of thanks was passed by G . Lodge to Bro . Dickey for his services , Dermott appears to have remonstrated and to have complained that his Assistant had neglected his duties and had resigned just at the very time when ho ( Dermott ) " was so ill with the gout that he was oblidged to be carried put of his bed ( when incapable

fo wear shoes , stockings , or even Britches ) , to do his duty at the Steward ' s Lodge . " Some years ago when the second French Empire was in the full swing of its glory , great amusement was caused by the announcement in the Court journals that , in future , gentlemen attending the Emperor ' s Levees wero not to appear in trousers , and in one of Marryatt ' s best known novels there is a certain boatswain

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