The Old Charges Of British Freemasons.*

jf we take into account those which are referred to incidentally in old records , but of which no present trace can be found , we have a total of no less than 85 "Old Charges , " which have been

orouped together by Dr . BEGEMANN in a number of families , an d concerning which Bro . HUGHAN has been pleased to furnish a hig hly interesting critical dissertation in these pages .

It is not our intention—nor indeed is it necessary—to quote particulars respecting the whole of the MS . or printed versions , or even of the groups or families into which , as we have said , they have been classed by Bro . Dr . BEGEMANN , the

classification having been accepted and adopted by Bro . HUGHAN in his commentary . Class A is limited to what was known as the Halliwell MS ., because it was first recognised as a Masonic document by Mr . J . O . HALLIWELL , and included by him in his

work entitled "The Early History of Freemasonry in England , " published in 1840 . It has since been re-christened , at the suggestion of Bro . GOULD , the " Regius , " because it is among the MSS . contained in the " Royal Library" at thc British

Museum . This is the oldest of the Constitutional Rolls , and has been assigned by CASLEY to . the end of the 14 th century—circa 1390— -though others are inclined to place it early in the 15 th . It was published in Vol . I . of the " Masonic Reprints , " brought

out by the Quatuor Coronati Lodge , and had the great advantage of being accompanied by what Bro . HuGHAN justly designates as " a most scholarly ' commentary '" by Bro . GOULD . Class B comprises the Cooke MS ., so-called because

die version published by SPENCER and Co . in 1861 was taken by the late Bro . MATTHEW COOKE from the MS . in the British Museum—additional MS . 23 , 198—and the Woodford and Supreme Council MSS . of A . D . 1728 , marked respectively

according to Bro . HUGHAN ' numeration as B 2 and B 3 , which are copies of the Cooke . Group C . includes Dr . PLOT ' S version ( Ci ) , printed in 1686 , the recently discovered " William Watson MS . " ( C 2 ) of 1687 , which Bro . HUGHAN esteems of the very

highest value , second only to the "Regius , " while we are told that Dr . BEGEMANN considers it even more valuable as regards its important character in explaining a good deal of the historical development of Masonic tradition . This is properly named the

"William Watson , as it was purchased by him for the West Yorkshire Masonic Library , the late Bro . TEW , P . G . M . being the donor . The Crane MS ., No . 2 , of the 18 th century , also belongs to this group . The D group or family comprises no less

than 39 versions , among which may be mentioned " Grand Lodge , No . 1 , " assigned to i 583 , the "Lansdowne , " the "York , No . 1 , " the " Phillips , Nos i . and 2 , " the "Buchanan , " " Kilwinning , " "Ancient Stirling , " all of thc " 17 U 1 century , " together with

" Atcheson Haven / 1666 , in the possession of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , the "Aberdeen , " 1670 , "Melrose , No . 2 , " of 1674 , the "Stanley" and "Carson , " of 16 77 , the "Antiquity" and "Col . Clerke , " both of 1686 , the "Haddon , " which is given in full , of 1733 , and

many others . The E family is headed b y the Sloane MSS . in the British Museum of the years 1646 and 16 59 respectively , and includes 13 other versions . The F group includes " Roberts ' Pamphlet "—printed version of 1722—Grand Lodge , No . 2 ,

and Harleian , 1942 , of the 17 th century , with the Rawlinson , of the 18 th century , in . the Bodleian Library . Group G comprises "ie Spencer , the Inigo Jones , and Cole ' s and Dodd ' s reprints , while H comprises three MS . versions and one printed of the

18 th century , and two printed versions of the present century . Brief particulars are given of these , and where it has been found necessary , the remarks and annotations extend to the length of a most elaborate commentary . Such particulars as

were obtainable have also been given of the missing MSS ., which are 10 in number , and include the MS . roll of prodigious fcngth which is said to have been in the possession of MORGAN , the 'irst Grand Secretary of the " Ancient" Masons ; and that upon

which his successor in that office—the famous LAURENCE "ERMOTT —lectured , and which he said had been given to him about the year 1748 . However , it is not necessary we should give any further account of the contents of the Volume .

Office it to say that it has been compiled with the utmost care , evcr y point of importance having been noted , and , where Pessary , analysed , so that we are in no way surprised to hear lat it is b y far the most laborious of the many literary tasks M ' "ich Bro . HUGHAN has undertaken . There are , however , two

The Old Charges Of British Freemasons.*

features on which we have not laid sufficient stress . Thev are in thc first the entire reproduction of thc . Haddon MS ., which occupies no less than 10 full pages ; and the tq Illustrations , being reproductions in facsimile of portions of sundry

versions . These add greatly to the appearance as well as to lhe importance of the work . They have been taken , in some cases , from blocks lent b y the Prov . Grand Lodge of North and East Yorkshire and by the West Yorkshire Masonic Library , while the others have been specially prepared for this Edition .

We will add that the work has been issued at 12 s . fid . nett , and can be obtained only from the Publisher , Bro . GEORGE KENNING , 16 and 16 A , Great Queen-street , or of the author himself—Bro . W . J . HuGHAN , "Dunscore , " Torquay , Devon .

Only 250 copies have been printed , but more than half of these were subscribed for before the work was published , so that those brethren who may be desirous of possessing the work must lose no time in securing copies . Lastly , the work is dedicated to Bro .

G . W . SPETH , Secretary of Quatuor Coronati Lodge , No . 2076 , and Editor of its Transactions and Reprints , to whom more especially in this particular branch of study Masonic literature is so deeply indebted .

Mare Patent And Endorsements. 1858—1892.

MARE PATENT AND ENDORSEMENTS . 1858—1892 .

My friend , Bro . John T . Thorp , has kindly transcribed , from the original document , the following patent and endorsements granted to the lamented brother , the R . W . William Kelly , F . S . A ., of Leicester , as Prov . Grand Master of Leicester , & c , in Mark Masonry . 1 do not know of another such , its interest being so great as to render its publication most desirable .

Bro . Henry Stocker , in an admirable introduction to the Mark By-laws of Devon , claims that his ( our ) province was the first of its kind to be inaugurated , and I believe rightly so , though , as a matter of date , those of Wilts and Kent have preceded it . The patent to the revered and Rev . John

Huyshe , M . A ., was dated nth December , 1857 , and the one to the R . W . Bro . Wm . Kelly was signed some six months later . In no province has the Mark Degree been more prosperous and continuous than in Leicestershire . The valuable original is , I believe , in the library of Freemasons' Hall , Leicester . W . J . HUGHAN .

PATENT OF 23 RD JUNE , 1858 . To all to -whom these Presents shall come . The Right Honorable The Lord Leigh Grand Master of Mark Masters in England and Wales and the Colonies and Possessions of the British Crown .

Sends Greeting Beit known that the Grand Master reposing great trust in his well beloved Brother William Kelly , of Humberstone Road Leicester in the County of Leicester Doth hereby Appoint him to be Provincial Grand Mastcr of Mark Masters in the County of Leicester for a period of Three Years from the date thereof With , full power and authority to regulate Lodges within his Province and to do every other act appertaining to the Office in accordance with the constitution taking special care

that the Members of all Lodges within his Province do observe the regulations contained in the Book of Constitution except such as may have been repealed at any General Meeting . And also all such regulations and instructions as shall from time to time be transmitted to him by the Grand Master or the Deputy Grand Master for the time being And it is especially required that the said Provincial Grand Master do cause at least one General Meeting to be held within his Province in every year that he do promote on these and all other occasions whatever may be for the

honor and advantage of Mark Masonry that he do yearly send to the Grand Master an Account in writing of the proceedings at such Meeting and transmit a particular Statement of the Lodges working within his Province and when and where they are holden with a List of the Members of each and copies of all such regulations as shall be made for the good Government of the same with a Report of whatever else shall have been done by virtue of these presents In Witness whereof the Grand Master hath hereunto set his hand , and caused his Grand Registrar to affix the Seal of the Grand Lodge of Mark Masters this twenty third day of June One thousand eight hundred and fifty eight .

LEIGH ( SEXT T ) AL ™ f i WGWA y \ j Ud . Kegisr . \ "^

ENDORSEMENTS .

( No . 1 ) . I William Wither Bramston Beach M . P . Grand Master of Mark Master Masons of England and Wales and the Colonies and Dependencies of the British ^ Crown do hereby nominate and appoint Brother William Kelly of Stoneygate

Leicester Provincial Grand Master of Mark Master Maso . is in the County of Leicester for a further period of Three years from the date hereof and do confirm to him all the powers and privileges contained in the Patent of his original appointment . W . W . B . BEACH

14 th . March 1868 . G . M . ( No . 2 ) . This patent to be in force until a successor shall have been duly installed in the stead of the R . W . Brother herein named should no fresh appointment of a Provincial Grand Master be made on the expiration of three years from the date hereof . GEO . RAYMOND PORTAL Dec . 5 , A . D . 1870 . G . M .