History Of The Lodge Of Emulation, No. 21.

usual fee in conformity with the usages and customs of the body they desired to join . In the course of years , however , the anger of the rivals became softened , they found that neither of them could gain the mastery , and as they became better acquainted edicts and excommunications for which " nobody seemed one

penny the worse , " were practically disregarded , and eventually , owing to the exertions of some of the enlightened members of both Grand Lodges , an Union , on terms mutually honourable , was consummated in Freemasons' Hall , on 27 th Dec , 1813 . Since this event our Society has been known as " The

United Grand Lodge of Ancient , Free , and Accepted Masons of England . " James Deans , who , with William White and his son , took a prominent part in promoting the union of the two Grand Lodges , being one of the three commissioners acting with

the Duke of Sussex , signed the Articles of Union on behalf of the " Moderns . " He was initiated in the Lodge of Emulation , 20 th October , 1783 , was Grand Steward in 1801 , W . M . in 1811 and 1812 , and appointed J . G . W . in 1811 . In November , 1813 , he initiated his son in the Lodge , who was afterwards ; appointed Grand Sword Bearer .

CHI . VA I'l'N-C'll IKiWl . S . I ' nwntal to the I . oilier of Emulation i" 177 a by Thomas AV , i > , »« . CHIXA CHI'S AND COVERS . rresrlllril by A , Moritoll ill ijyto .

Bro . Deans is described in the Register of members , as a Hosier , residing in W ood Street . In 1786 he joined the Jerusalem Lodge ( now No . 197 ) and continued his membership of both lodges up to within a few years of his death , which occurred in 18 3 8 , in his eighty-second year . In 1809

he was appointed by the Earl of Moira , Senior Warden of the Lodge of Promulgation , a Lodge formed for the . express purpose of paving the way to the Union before referred to , and in , or about , 1815 , he was appointed on a Special Board of Installed Masters consisting of nine of the

leading members of the former rival Grand Lodges , with the object of arranging and deciding upon the future ceremony fjf Installation . For upwards of forty years he was Captain and Paymaster of the Royal London Militia . In short he was a man , taking him all round , of whose membership the :

Lodge of Emulation may justly be proud . The Articles of Union were read in the Lodge of Emulation , on 20 th December , 1813 , as well as the plan of the Lodge of Reconciliation for carrying them into effect . Brother White , P . M ., proposed , " That it appearing to be

the intention of the Grand Lodges , when united , to take under its cognizance the Royal Arch as the completion of the Third Degree , and that for that purpose all Lodges will be entitled to hold a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons and that

no Chapter will be allowed to meet independent of a Lodge . Many Members of the Cyrus Chapter being also Members of the Lodge of Emulation , —this Lodge will be ready , in the event of this regulation being carried into effect , to receive that Chapter under its banner should the Members thereof be inclined to such a junction . It is not , however , proposed

that the Members of either body , who are not Members of the other body , should by the proposed junction , become Members of both . " This motion was unanimously adopted , and by a letter from Brother T . Taylor , Scribe of that Chapter , was approved by that body ; but it was not till April , 181 : 8 ,

that the Chapter consented to admit Royal Arch Masons , who were Members of the Lodge , without the usual joining fee . RECORDS OF THE LODGE OF EMULATION , XO . jr . FRO . V 1 S 14 ,

The seventh clause in the Articles of Union is to the following purport . " The two first Lodges under each Grand Lodge to draw a lot in the first place for priority ; and to which of the two the lot No . 1 shall fall , the other to rank as No . 2 ; and all the other Lodges shall fall in alternately , that

is , the Lodge which is No . 2 of the Fraternity whose lot it shall be to draw No . 1 , shall rank as No . 3 in tlie United Grand Lodge , and the other No . 2 shall rank as No . 4 , and so on alternately through all the numbers respectively . And this shall for ever after be the order and rank of the Lodges

in the Grand Lodge , and in Grand Processions , for which a plan and drawing shall be prepared previous to the Union . On the renewal of any of the Lodges now dormant , they shall lake rank after all the Lodges existing at the Union , notwithstanding the numbers in which they may now stand

on the respective rolls . " No . 1 of the Regular Grand Lodge was the Lodge of Antiquity , a Lodge working from time immemorial , and one of the four old Lodges that formed the Grand Lodge of England in 1717 , while No . 1 of the other body was the

Grand Masters Lodge , constituted in 1759 . The Lodge last mentioned had the good fortune to draw the first place and has ever since headed the numerical list of Lodges on the register of the United Grand Lodge , while the Lodge of Antiquity has occupied the second place .

This will explain an apparent anomaly in the order ot arrangement of Lodges in the present day , i . e ., the junior Lodges in many instances taking precedence of those of a much older date .