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

it was originally " Catte Street , corruptly called Catteten Street " —but that it probably took the name from one of its early residents , or the owner of the property on which it was situated . In 18 45 the name was changed to Gresham Street . "

VIEW Of THK MOURNING liUSH TAVEliN IN lS 3 rt . Phut , ii / rnpheil from a print ill Hie finihllioll Lilii-ui-i / . lly permii'i'iiiii of Ihe l . ibi-nry Committee if the Coi-porittlnn of Lmiilon . The Antwerp Tavern , Threadneedle Street , 1800-1815 . In the early part of the 18 th century there were two

taverns bearing this name used for masonic purposes , both being situated in the same neighbourhood—one known as The Old Aiittvcrf ) Tavern behind the Royal Exchange , at which a lodge was held from 173 6 to 1741 , and the other as The Antwerp Tavern , Threadneedle Street .

I can find no trace of the former in our Lists of Lodges after 1741 , but the latter , which appears to have been the more popular , was in use for masonic meetings from 1733 up to 1818 . The last loclge to meet there was the present Albion Lodge , No . 9 .

The George and Vulture Tavern , Cornhill , 1815-18 45 . This house was not situated in Cornhill proper , although it is so described in the Lists of Lodges . It was No . 6 , George Yard , Lombard Street , and was accessible from Cornhill by way of St . Michael ' s Alleys and sundry other passages .

The Loclge of Emulation appears to have been almost the first to discover its merits as a house of masonic entertainment , and to have had the place to itself for several years . Two other old lodges ( now extinct ) were held there in the latter part of the 18 th century , but only for a year or two .

From aboiu 1825 to 1855 it was by far the most popular masonic house in the City , upwards of forty regular masonic bodies being located there during various periods . In 18 55 , owing to the bankruptcy of the proprietor , there was a sudden exodus of all the lodges and chapters from this house , some of thein experiencing considerable difficulty in recovering their property which had been seized on behalf of the creditors .

The learned authors of The History of Signboards having failed to account for the strange conjunction of the George and Vulture as a tavern sign I shall make no attempt to do so . Of Georges and Dragons , and Georges minus the Dragons , we have abundance , and can easily account for their origin , but the George and Vulture is comparatively rare , although there

are two other houses still bearing the name in the metropolis It is quite clear that the house now under notice is the lineal descendant of a long line of ancestors reaching back to mediaeval times , fot ^ Sto . w , writing in 1598 , of Lombard Street , says , " Next is a common hostelry for travellers called the

George , of such a sign . " He also refers to it as having been the London lodging of Earl Ferrers in the 12 th century . As a matter of opinion I suggest that the sign of the house was originally The George , and that the Vulture was added probably about the middle of the 18 th century to distinguish the house from another " George" in the same neighbourhood . In 1767 a lodge , No . 409 , was constituted at The George , in

George Yard , Lombard Street , and doubtless this was the house , or one on the same site , subsequently known as The George and Vulture . Whether or no , it must have formerly been a place of considerable magnitude and importance , the

present George Yard having probably formed a part of the original establishment . Its connection with Freemasonry apparently ceased in the year 18 55 . The City of Loudon Tavern , Bishopsgate Street ,

1 773 a n d 1845-18 4 6 . This celebrated house , better known as The London Tavern , WAS built in 1767-1768 on the site of the old While Lion , destroyed by fire in 1765 . The lirst lodge to hold its meetings at this subsequently popular masonic home was the

Lodge of Emulation , as far back as 1773 . six years prior lo its amalgamation with the Mourning Bush Lodge . In 1812 the Moira Lodge took up its quarters there and was followed by some dozen or so other lodges and chapters . In 18 45 the Loclge of Emulation returned to its

old love , bat for some , doubtless , good reasons only remained there for about two years . In 18 7 6 the house was demolished , the premises having been acquired by the Royal Bank of Scotland , now occupying the site .

The Albion Tavern , Aldersgate Street , since 18 4 6 . I can say very little as to the early history of this wellknown and deservedly popular house of entertainment , the authorities I have been able to consult being pro \ okingly silent with regard to the history of the building , although cordially unanimous in praise of its wines and cuisine . It

T 11 K CITY OF LONDON' TAVEliN , HlSIIOl'SflATE STIIEET , 17 ( 18—1 H 7 D , THE MEETING l'LACE OK THE LODGE 01 ' ' EMULATION , 177 : 1-178 ( 1 AND 1 KM—181 G . seems to have been a kind of sister establishment to the house last mentioned , being under the same proprietorship for many years—the London Tavern Company—and enjoying similar patronage both general and masonic .