History Of The Lod Ge Of Emulation , No. 21.

lion of Br . Moore , and from the Treasurer ' s accounts of i 8 th Nov ., 17 82 , we learn that a Chair was sold to the Honorable Artillery Company for £ 5 5 s ., £ 1 17 s . being allowed for repairing the same . On 17 th Sept ., 1781 , "A Motion being made and Seconded that a Lodge of Instruction , for the members onl y , be held

on the first Monday in every month , and that 106 be allowed from the Lodge Fund towards the expence of each Lodge of Instruction . " This sum was permanentl y increased to £ 1 is . at the Lodge meeting in December following . The 5 th November , 1781 , may be described as a civic red

letter day in the annals of the Lodge of Emulation . " The Lodge being open'd in clue Form the R . W . Master informed the Brethren that he had convened this Extra

Lodge at the request ot several members , some Respectable Gentlemen being desirous to be proposed as Candidates for Masonry . Brothei Wm . White then proposed the Right Hon ,,: c ' Sir Watkin Lewes , the present Lord Mayor and one of the Representatives of this Cit y in Parliament , to be made a Mason in this Lodge , and that he be ballotted for this

evening , which being seconded and the Question put , it passed unanimousl y in the Affirmative . He was accordingl y ballotted for , and , being unanimously accepted , was Initiated into the first two Degrees of Masonry . " In 1788 Sir Watkin Lewes , M . P ., joined the Grand

Master ' s Lodge , No . 1 , under the sanction of the Antient Grand Lodge , of which bod y he was Junr . Grand Warden 1790-91 , and Senr . Grand Warden , 1791-92 . " Bro' ' ' White then proposed Nathaniel Newnham , Esqr . Alderman , and one of the Representatives of this Citv in

Parliament , to be made a Mason in this Lodge . He was accordingly ballotted for , and being unanimously Accepted was Initiated in the two first degrees of Masonry . Bro . Ruspini , R . W . Alaster of the Lodge of Rural Friendshi p , requested that Barnard Turner , Esq ., Alderman , who was

Initiated in the two first degrees in said Lodge , should be now passed and raised to the third degree . " The Lord Mayor and the two Aldermen named were then raised to the degree of Master Mason and became members of the Lodge .

Nathaniel Newnham was Lord Mayor of London , 1782—3 , Grand Steward in 1785 , and Junr . Grand Warden in 1786 . In 179 8 he was a member of the Britannic Lodge , now No . 33 . 1783 , Jan . 20 th . —At this meeting , on the proposition of Bro . Wm . White it was agreed to lend the sum of £ 25 to the Grand Lodge in aid of the Hall Fund , then being raised

in order to liquidate the debts incurred on account of the building of Freemasons' Hall ( the present Grand Lodge room ) in l "/" /^ , —6 . Hitherto the Lodge had not been distinguished by a name since the union in 1 780 , the Minutes being headed

" Lodge No . 12 , " but on the 20 th April , 1783 , it was agreed , in conformity with a report of the Committee , that in future it should be known as the Lodge of Emulation , and the subsequent minutes were so headed . At a special private Lodge held on 2 nd June an

examination of the Furniture , etc ., was made , when the following were found to be missing : —A Ballotting Box , a Rough Ashlar , a Tambour Inkstand , a Senior Warden ' s Jewel , Stewards ' Wands , Illustrations of Masonry , a Forming Board , and a Step to the Senior Warden ' s Chair . "As many things were

found useless it was resolved that they should be put into the Chest and be sold . " 1784 , March 15 th . — "A Motion was made b y Bro . Clarke , and dul y resolved ; that the Furniture of the Lodge selected by the Committee , be immediately removed to Mr . Harkness ' s

Warehouse , No . 9 6 High Holborne , in order to be disposed of under the direction of the Master and Wardens . " " Resolved , that the extra Bible and two Constitution Books be put up lo sale by Publick Auction ; which were sold accordingl y , the Bible for Seven Shillings and Sixpence

, the two Constitution Books for Five Shillings . " The Treasurer ' s account for Dec . 20 th , 1784 , shows that a new Senior Warden ' s Jewel was supplied b y Bro . Ritherdon , and the others burnished at a cost of £ 1 10 .-,. There wasalso

a charge for Regikling , £ r 14 s . ; Setting the Hall Medal , £ 3 13 s . od ., and a case for the same , 7 s . fid . I fancy the regikling had no relation to the Lodge Jewels but that it referred lo the tops of the chairs . On Sept . 19 th , 1785 , it was ordered that Bro . John Bailey be paid his account for making a Book Case , £ 1 18 s . 2 d . and on Dec . 19 th "the

R . W . Master informed the Lodge that agreeable to the wish of the Members thereof he had sold the Furniture for £ 7 17 s . 6 d ., which sum he had paid into the hands of the Treasurer of the Lodge . " 1786 Nov . 20 th . — " Resolv'd that the Chairs for the Master

, and Wardens be new cover'd with ( he bestSaltin Horse Hair , neatly brass nail'd & Green Baize Cover . " " Resolv'd that the Ty ler be accountable for all the Damage that may at any time happen to any part of the Furniture while in his possession . "

Dec . 18 H 1 . — " Paid Bro ' - John Abbot his Bill for repairing the Furniture & c . . £ 14 . 3 . " 1787 , Jan . 15 th . — "The Master , Officers and Members of the Jerusalem Lodge paid this Lodge a Visit in due Form . " On this occasion there were eighteen visitors from the

Jerusalem Lodge , each paying a fee of 3 s . 6 d ., Grand Officers , Past Grand Officers , and wearers of the Red Apron were allowed to visit the Lodge free of charge . Feb . 19 th . — "The R . W . Master proposed to return the Visit of the Jerusalem Lodge on their next Lodge Night , which was unanimously agreed to . "

Dec . 3 rd . — " The R . W . Master inform'd the Lodge that at a Quarterly Communication held at Free Masons Hall the 28 th Nov last he had reported to the Grand Lodge the Resolution ol this Lodge of the 19 th Nov ' - last , presenting them witli the £ 23 formerly lent and that in consequence of which it was unanimousl y resolv'd ' That the thanks of the

Grand Lodge be given to the Lodge of Emulation for their liberal and generous present . " 1788 , Nov . 17 th " Bro - John Hemming moved that after the first day of January next , the Fee for Making , Raising & Registering be £ 3 . 13 . 6 ., and that an Apron be presented

to every Gentleman on his Initiation in this Lodge , to be paid for out of the Fund thereof , which was seconded and passed unanimously . " 1789 , Jan . 5 U 1 . —The Audit Meeting on this day showed a balance in the hands of the Treasurer of £ 8 3 18 s .

March 2 nd . — " This being the meeting of the Members , held by annual Custom for the purpose of nominating three Brethren lo be balloted for the next Lodge Night to succeed to the Steward ' s Apron , ' Br . Ritherdon moved that every Brother who shall hereafter be elected by this Lodge

to serve the Office of Grand Steward , shall , on his election , deposit into the Hands of the Treasurer for the time being the sum of £ 15 . 15 ., which sum shall ! e returned to him when he has served the Office . ' This being duly seconded , was put and carried unanimousl y , as was also another

proposition , 'That no person is entitled ti ballot for Grand Steward whose Subscription for the current year is not paid . " "

In March , 1788 , Bro . James Maidment was elected Grand Steward for the Festival of 1789 . By a Resolution of the Lodge on 5 th May in that year he was summoned to attend the next Regular Meeting "to account for the Reason of the Board of Stewards taking into their own possession the Red Apron belonging to the Lodge , and which was not

again recovered but with considerable difficulty . " No answer being received to this summons , Bro . Maidment was forthwith expelled the Lodge " with but one dissenting voice . "

At the summer I-estival . held at The Three Crowns , Stoke Newington , 20 th July , 1789 , Bro . Clark ( Treasurer ) observed to the Lodge that the Money in his hands was now considerable , and appeared lo be increasing , he therefore thought the Lodge ought to have some Security for it and accordingly moved " That the present , and every future

Treasurer do give his personal Securit y by Bond to three Members of the Lodge for the properly in his hands , which was carried unanimously . "