The First Grand Stewards And Their Lodges.

an order from the Grand Master , similar to the following , which appears in the Grand Lodge minutes , igth February , 1724 . " It is the Grand Master's Order that every Master or Warden bring with them the List of every member belonging to his Lodge at the next Quarterly meeting . " This List comprises 52 lodges , only 36 of which had returned the names of their members .

The next Register has a similar heading , under date 27 th November , 1725 , and the third , and last , return prior to 176 S was made in 1730 . The 1725 List is , by far , the most complete , and is simply invaluable , comprising 77 lodges , only four of which are without the names of the members .

Out of 104 lodges in the 1730 List it is much to be regretted that only 55 returned the names of their members , and from that period to 1768 is an absolute blank , as far as registration of members is concerned , a fact which I can only characterise as most unaccountable and extraordinary . The first name in the printed List of Stewards is that of Josiah Villeneau , Grand Steward in ijril , and , most appropriately , his name , although soelt

" Josias Villenau , heads the first list of members of what was then , and is now in point of age , the senior lodge on the roll of the Grand Lodge , then held at the "Goose and Gridiron , " St . Paul's Churchyard , now the Lodge of Antiquity , No . 2 . Bro . Villeneau must have been a person of considerable importance in the Fraternity , forthe same year that he served the office of Grand Steward

he was appointed S . G . W , probably as a reward or recognition of his generosity in having undertaken the whole responsibility of the Grand Feast for that year . Anderson , in the Constitutions 173 S , p . 112 , refers to him thus : " Rut the Grand Officers not finding a proper number oi Stewards , our Brother Mr . SosinI ) UillciUZUt , Upholder in the Bui-rough Soutlnvark , generously undertook the whole himself attended by some Waiters , Thomas Morrice , Francis Bailey . Sec . "

Although Villeneau stands alone as Grand Steward for 1721 , his two assistants , Morrice and Bailey , were evidently Alasons of distinction , the former having served the office of J . G . W . three years , viz , in 1718 , 1719 , and 1 7 21 , beingthe second person on record who filled thatoffice ; he is described by Anderson as a Stone-cutter , but whether he was a sculptor or what we now call a stone-mason I am unable to say . He also was a member of the old lodge at thc " Goose and Gridiron . "

Francis Bailey was a member of a lodge at Ben ' s Coffee House , New Bond-street , in 1723 , and of No . 46 in 1730 , then held at Mount Coffee House , Grosvenor-square ; this lodge was erased in 1 748 for not attending the Quarterly Communication . I find in thc Grand Lodge minutes 25 th November , 1729 , an item which , in my opinion , sheds still greater lustre on our old Bro . Villeneau and the lodge which he so worthily represented .

The Fund of Benevolence—or , as it was called in the old days , " The Publick Charity "—was first suggested to Grand Lodge by the Earl of Dalkeith in 1724 , and regulations for its distribution were passed in the following year . Previous to this the mode of relieving distressed brethren was to make a collection in Grand Lodge , or " send round the hat , " as we say . When the new scheme was promulgated it met with but a cold reception , and , as the subscriptions were to be voluntary on the part of the lodges , the tesult for several years was nil .

The first payment was made on the above date , and is thus recorded : — " Then the Deputy Grand Master earnestly recommended the Publick Charity , and ordered a second call of the Lodge ; , and that each Lodge should come up when called , and pay into the Treasurer ' s hands what money they had collected from the members of each Lodge , and the several sums underwritten were accordingly paid in as set down against their respective names . "

£ s . d . Present No . 2 , King's Arms , Paul ' s Churchyard , pr . Jos . Villeneau 4 10 o Rose and Rummer , in Holborn , pr . Will . Perkins 1 1 o ,, 16 , One Tun , in Noble Street , pr . John Kirk o 5 6 „ ! 2 , Queen ' s Head , in Knaves Acre , pr . Robt . Cale ... 1 10 o Paul's Head , in Ludgate Street , pr . Hen . Stowsten 2 2 o

£ 9 8 . 6 Three out of the above named . five old lodges are still in existence , and may be known by their present numbers . * The members will no doubt feel some little pardonable gratification in belonging to lodges that first

contributed to the 1 < und of Benevolence of the Grand Lodgeof England . No mention is made in the records of either Stewards or Festival in 1722 . This was rather a critical period forthe newly formed Grand Lodge , and an incident occurred which nearly wrecked the whole concern . Anderson on page 114 Constitutions , 1738 , says of it : —

"Grand Master MONTAGU ' good Government inclin'd the better Sort to continue him in the Chair another Year ; and therefore they delay'd to prepare the Feast . "But Philip Duke of Wharton lately made a Brother , tho' not the

Master of a Lodge , being ambitious of the Chair , got a Number of Others to meet him at Stationers-Hall 24 gillie 1722 , and having no Grand Officers , they put in thc Chair the oldest Master Mason ( who was not the present Master of a Lodge also irregular ) and without the usual decent Ceremonials , the said old Mason proclaim'd aloud

"Philip Wharton Duke of Wharton Grand Master of Masons , and Mr . J oshua Timson , Blacksmith , Mr . William Hawkins , Mason , Grand Wardens ; but his Grace appointed no Deputy , nor was the Lodge opened and closed in due Form .

" Therefore lhe noble Brothers , and all those that would not countenance Irregularities , disown'd Wharton ' s Authority , till worthy Brolher MONTAGU heal'd the Breach of Harmony , by summoning the Grand Lodge to meet 17 January , 172 *} , at the King ' s Anns foresaid , where the Duke ol Wharton promising to be True and Faithful , Defiittv Grand Master Beal

proclaim'd aloud the most noble Prince and our Brother PHILIP WHARTON Duke of Wharton GRAND MASTER of Masons . " Wharton only filled the oflice of Grand Master till the following June , when some further trouble arose in Grand Lodge on account of his erratic conduct and peculiar ruling . He seems to have well merited the name afterwards applied to him , " The Mad Duke of Wharton , " for after running

The First Grand Stewards And Their Lodges.

through a considerable fortune he died at an early age , utterly destitute , an outcast from his country , and was buried by the Fathers of a Bernardine Convent at Poblet , who had received him into their house out of charity , Pope , himself a Mason , refers to him in his moral essays

as—A Tyrant to the wife his heart approves , A rebel to the very King he loves , " The Stewards for 1723 were—Henry Prude . Giles Clutterbuck .

John Shepherd . Captn . Benj 11 . Hodges . Edwd . Lambert , Charles Kent . Henry Prude was Master in 1723 of a lodge which met at that time , and for many years afterwards , atthe Queen ' s . Head , Great Queen-street . Through

the various alterations of the numbers this lodge became No . 21 at the Union , and then met at the King's Arms , Wandsworth . It disappeared from the list before 1832 , having made no return since 1 S 13 . Giles Clutterbuck was a member ol the Ship in Bartholomew-lane in 1723 ; this lodge , which became No . 24 at the Union , and then met at Deal , was erased in 1822 . John Shepherd was a member of the 12 th Iod ^ e in the 1723 List , held

at the Greyhound , Fleet-street , and in 1725 at the Globe Tavern , Fleetstreet . I cannot trace this lodge farther , but I find Shepherd registered as Master of No 6 5 in the same List , the Blew Posts in Deveraux Court , erased in 1 797 . Captn . Hodges was a member of the above mentioned Ship in Bartholomew-lane , Edward Lambert was Master of a lodge held at the Busie Body , Charing Cross , in 1723 , and was a member of two other

lodges , No . 39 of 1723 , and No . 6 4 of 1730 , which I am unable to trace , although I believe the latter was erased in 1735 . Charles Kent was Master of the Baptist Head Lodge in Chancery-lane , the 24 th on the 1723 List , and filled the same office in 1725 . In con ? sequence of the gaps in the 1730 List I am unable to trace this lodge , but as only eleven names were returned in 1725 I am inclined to think it was erased before 1730 . * ¦* - -

Having disposed of the first List of Stewards , though not quite lo my satisfaction , for I should have been glad to have found that more of the lodges were still in existence , I will now give a few extracts from the Grand Lodge minutes relating to the Stewards as a body .

Grand Royal Arch Chapter Of Scotland.

GRAND ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER OF SCOTLAND .

The publication of the new edition of the " Laws and Constitutions of the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Freemasons of Scotland " appears an appropriate opportunity of taking a glance at the early history and origin of the governing body of Scottish Royal Arch Masonry . When the Degree was first worked in Scotland it is now quite impossible to decide ; but , accepting the introduction to the edition ot the

Regulations published in 1843 as our faithful guide , the minutes of the " Ancient Stilling Lodge , " which was formed in 1708 , contain references to the Royal Arch so early as 1743 . I have never succeeded in tracing this precious volume , and though it seems to me to be too early , by several years , for the Degree being worked in North Britain , I must not be very sceptical under the circumstances . It is to be hoped that renewed search will be made for

the records , as the next in point of antiquity , as respects the " Arch , " is the lodge at Banff , which is dated 1765 . As the first reference to Royal Arch Masonry in England is of the year 1752 , it will be seen that 1743 introduces us to a period separated from the origin of the * " Ancients , " or " Atholl Masons , " by some eight years , the latter body not having been organised until 175 1 , as Bro . John Lane has proved in the Freemason .

The matter is of considerable importance , and so I beg to draw the attention of the courteous and energetic Grand Scribe E . ( Bro , William Edwards , of Edinburgh ") to the subject , in the hope that , with his special facilities , he will succeed in bringing to the light the evidence of the Degree having been * known to a Scottish lodge so many years prior to the advent of the great secession .

As respects Mark Masonry , so lar , the earliest date of its appearance in Scotland is at Banff in 1778 , whereas in England it is noted at Durham so early as 1773 . The value , however , of the former record consists in the recital of the Mark Man and Mark Master in the minutes , the former being conferred on Fellow Crafts , whereas the latter was restricted to Master Masons .

There were many chapters in Scotland independent of any controlling authority early this century , some also working in connection with the Templar Encampments , and many were held under the protecting wings of lodges , though not legally so . On July 12 th , 1816 , members of the Degree decided to form a Grand

Chapter for the better regulation of the ceremonies , & c , the present body being the outcome of that meeting , the inauguration of the Supreme Grand Chapter taking place on August 28 th , 1817 , being just a century , singularly enough , after the premier Grand Lodge was constituted in England , at London ( 1717 ) .

Sir William Drummond was the First Grand Principal , who was succeeded by the Earl of Moray , March 21 st , 1 S 18 , on which day the seniority of forty-one chapters was adjusted , and charters of confirmation granted . Twenty . four of these are happily still on the roll , their dates , when they prcved that the Degree was first worked by themselves or predecessors

( members ) , ranging from 1 743 down to March 21 st , 1818 , two being of the latter , and therefore newly-warranted then . Twenty-four dated from the last century , and down to 1845 , when the "Regulations" were issued ( which are now before me ) , twenty more were chartered , eight only being now on the roll .

The Duke of Atholl became Grand Z . in 1820 , Sir Patrick Walker , of Coates , succeeding in 1822 , the Earl of Aboyne being the Chief in 1825 , the Earl of Elgin in 1827 , the former nobleman taking the chair again in 1835 . The Marquis of Huntly became Grand Z . in 1837 , Lord Robert Kerr in 18 38 , Eari of Buchan in 1839 , Earl of Dalhousie in 1841 , Earl of Strathmore in 1843 , followed by Lord Glenlyon in 184 4 ( afterwards Duke of Athole ) , and other distinguished and noble members of the Craft , grenerallv

holding the rank of " Grand Master Mason " of Scotland , at the time of being Grand Z , or soon afterwards . The present First Grand Principal is Colonel Sir A . C . Campbell , Bart ., who is also Grand Master , the Past Grand Z ' s . being the Earl of Rosslyn , Sir Michael R . Shaw Stewart , Bart ., and the Earl of Mar and Kellie , Past Grand Master Masons of Scotland , so that although the Degree is not recognised by thc Grand Lodge , and thus is not so favourably situated as in England , the fact of the hi ghest