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