Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On The Old Minute Books Of The British Union Lodge, No. 114, Ipswich. Ad. 1762.
of this lodge . " In Jan . 1771 we find that Thomas Milner , Avho had been previously rejected as a Minor , was IIOAV " made in due form ancl raised Fellow Craft . " It Avas ageeed ancl ordered that the sum of three shillings be paid into the hands of
the Treasurer by every Brother belonging to the Lodge ; no more than the sum of Is . being spent on every lodge-night for each member then present , the remainder to be applied as a Fund for such purposes as the Lodge should think fit . EleA'en Brethren
Avere present on this occasion , and four noted as absent . On the 27 th Dec . 1774 , Ave find the following note : — " At the above Lodge held this day , John Spooiier was chose ( sic ) S . W . in the room of Bro . R . Tovell , and after was chose
R . W . M . ; W . Paxman , S . W . ; John Prentice J . W . ; W . Usher , Tyler ; Robert Manning , Secretary ; Peter Wotton , Treasurer . It Avould seem from this note , that the Brethren thought it necessary that a Brother should fill the office of S . W . -
pre vious to his election to the chair of K . S ., but as our readers find this is not so , the Book of Constitutions merel y directing that a Master shall Jnove filled the office of
Warden ( either Senior or Junior is sufficient to render a candidate eligible ) for tAvelve calendar months . A very salutary regulation . In Jan . 1775 , Jas . Woollard ancl Eobert Mannning Avere raised to the degreeof Master , and paid to Peter AVootton ,
Treasurer , 5 s . each . It Avould appear from this , that an extra ancl special charge was made for this degree a century ago . What AVOUIC ! our Brethren say if such were the practice now 1 Woollward had been made Aug . 1771 and
, Manning Jan . 1774 ; so it is clear that at this time it Avas customary for a much longer period to elapse betAveen the conferring of the second ancl third degrees than is at present practised . On the other hand a much shorter interval occurred between the
1 st aud 2 nd degrees , Avhich Avere in fact , mostly given the same night . Our present system , Avhich keeps the mean betAveen the tAvo extremes ( as the Preface to our good old Prayer-book says ) seems , after all , the besta month ' s interval betAveen each
, degree being , to our thinking , much better than the Scotch rule , Avhich alloAvs all the degrees to be given at one Lodge on one nig ht ; or the Prussian , Avhich requires an interval of a year between each degree . On
the 1 st Feb . 1776 " , we find it resolved that the Lodge do remit to the Grand Fund of Charity £ 1 Is ., also the sum of four shillings towards the building of the Hall ! At this time Lord Petre , a Roman Catholic , was Grand Master , and under his
auspices Freemasons' Hall Avas commenced and completed . The Committee formed for that purpose purchased the ground in Gt . Queen-street , ancl the conveyance of the premises was made out in the names of Lord Petrethe Dukes of Beaufort and
, Chandos , Earl Ferrers ancl Viscount Dudley ancl Ward , who Avere appointed Trustees . In 1792 , , £ 20 , 000 had been expended on the building , and if other Lodges contributed as liberally as the British Union , we can understand readily the statement made by
Preston , that a considerable debt remained on the building . On the 1 st Feb . 1775 , Ave find a note AA'hich , Ave Avill ansAver for it , will not be found in the Minutes of this year of grace , 1875 . "Received of the Visiting Brethren , 5 s . ' >
Whatever was the case a century ago , the Members of the British Union of to-day pride themseh'es on the exercise of a courteous reception to all and sundry , ancl evidence in their conduct their full belief
in the sacred rites of hospitality . May the clay be long distant Avhen visitors are otherwise received , and lvhen the stranger is expected to pay for all he gets . At a Special Lodge held at the Green Man , 2 Sth April , 1775 , it was agreed and ordered that "from this night forward , every
Brother belonging to this Lodge , shall meet on the first Tuesday of every month and spend one shilling , or being absent forfeit as undermentioned , ancl the forfeits to be expended once a quarter of a year , aud Avhatever Brother shall not pay off his arrears once a quarter to be excluded—viz ,,
R . W . M 2 s . Od . S . & J . Wardens Is . 6 d . Any other of the Brethren Is ., on not
showing sufficient cause of such absence . Nine Brethren Avere present at tins meeting and four are recorded as absent . Would it not be a good thing to revive these fines in some of our Lodges where there is too often a lax attendance on the part of the Officers . The Lodge seems flourishing at this time , for at the May meeting in 1776 , held on the 7 th , Ave find 12 members present , 9
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Notes On The Old Minute Books Of The British Union Lodge, No. 114, Ipswich. Ad. 1762.
of this lodge . " In Jan . 1771 we find that Thomas Milner , Avho had been previously rejected as a Minor , was IIOAV " made in due form ancl raised Fellow Craft . " It Avas ageeed ancl ordered that the sum of three shillings be paid into the hands of
the Treasurer by every Brother belonging to the Lodge ; no more than the sum of Is . being spent on every lodge-night for each member then present , the remainder to be applied as a Fund for such purposes as the Lodge should think fit . EleA'en Brethren
Avere present on this occasion , and four noted as absent . On the 27 th Dec . 1774 , Ave find the following note : — " At the above Lodge held this day , John Spooiier was chose ( sic ) S . W . in the room of Bro . R . Tovell , and after was chose
R . W . M . ; W . Paxman , S . W . ; John Prentice J . W . ; W . Usher , Tyler ; Robert Manning , Secretary ; Peter Wotton , Treasurer . It Avould seem from this note , that the Brethren thought it necessary that a Brother should fill the office of S . W . -
pre vious to his election to the chair of K . S ., but as our readers find this is not so , the Book of Constitutions merel y directing that a Master shall Jnove filled the office of
Warden ( either Senior or Junior is sufficient to render a candidate eligible ) for tAvelve calendar months . A very salutary regulation . In Jan . 1775 , Jas . Woollard ancl Eobert Mannning Avere raised to the degreeof Master , and paid to Peter AVootton ,
Treasurer , 5 s . each . It Avould appear from this , that an extra ancl special charge was made for this degree a century ago . What AVOUIC ! our Brethren say if such were the practice now 1 Woollward had been made Aug . 1771 and
, Manning Jan . 1774 ; so it is clear that at this time it Avas customary for a much longer period to elapse betAveen the conferring of the second ancl third degrees than is at present practised . On the other hand a much shorter interval occurred between the
1 st aud 2 nd degrees , Avhich Avere in fact , mostly given the same night . Our present system , Avhich keeps the mean betAveen the tAvo extremes ( as the Preface to our good old Prayer-book says ) seems , after all , the besta month ' s interval betAveen each
, degree being , to our thinking , much better than the Scotch rule , Avhich alloAvs all the degrees to be given at one Lodge on one nig ht ; or the Prussian , Avhich requires an interval of a year between each degree . On
the 1 st Feb . 1776 " , we find it resolved that the Lodge do remit to the Grand Fund of Charity £ 1 Is ., also the sum of four shillings towards the building of the Hall ! At this time Lord Petre , a Roman Catholic , was Grand Master , and under his
auspices Freemasons' Hall Avas commenced and completed . The Committee formed for that purpose purchased the ground in Gt . Queen-street , ancl the conveyance of the premises was made out in the names of Lord Petrethe Dukes of Beaufort and
, Chandos , Earl Ferrers ancl Viscount Dudley ancl Ward , who Avere appointed Trustees . In 1792 , , £ 20 , 000 had been expended on the building , and if other Lodges contributed as liberally as the British Union , we can understand readily the statement made by
Preston , that a considerable debt remained on the building . On the 1 st Feb . 1775 , Ave find a note AA'hich , Ave Avill ansAver for it , will not be found in the Minutes of this year of grace , 1875 . "Received of the Visiting Brethren , 5 s . ' >
Whatever was the case a century ago , the Members of the British Union of to-day pride themseh'es on the exercise of a courteous reception to all and sundry , ancl evidence in their conduct their full belief
in the sacred rites of hospitality . May the clay be long distant Avhen visitors are otherwise received , and lvhen the stranger is expected to pay for all he gets . At a Special Lodge held at the Green Man , 2 Sth April , 1775 , it was agreed and ordered that "from this night forward , every
Brother belonging to this Lodge , shall meet on the first Tuesday of every month and spend one shilling , or being absent forfeit as undermentioned , ancl the forfeits to be expended once a quarter of a year , aud Avhatever Brother shall not pay off his arrears once a quarter to be excluded—viz ,,
R . W . M 2 s . Od . S . & J . Wardens Is . 6 d . Any other of the Brethren Is ., on not
showing sufficient cause of such absence . Nine Brethren Avere present at tins meeting and four are recorded as absent . Would it not be a good thing to revive these fines in some of our Lodges where there is too often a lax attendance on the part of the Officers . The Lodge seems flourishing at this time , for at the May meeting in 1776 , held on the 7 th , Ave find 12 members present , 9