Notes On The Old Minute Books Of The British Union Lodge, No. 114, Ipswich. Ad. 1762.

Coffee House in Ipswich , if the Deputy Grand Master thinks proper . " On the 8 th July , the Lodge , still meeting at the Green Man , Godfrey Burdett Avas proposed , ancl he AA'as made and passed a Fellow Craft at the August meeting . Up

to this time the Lodge had no name ; but on the 29 th July , 1777 , Ave find a very important and very interesting minute . It runs as folloAvs : — " From this evening 'tis resolved this Lodge is called by the title of the British Union Lodge , IpsAvich , and ordered to be inserted in the Grand

List of Lodges accordingly . On the 2 nd Sep ., Ave find the Lodge had removed to the Coffee House , aud Bro . J . Philby proposed that night General Green as a candidate for Masonic honours , and at the folloAving Lodge meeting in Oct ., the gallant officer and AVm . Lane " were made Masons , and admitted to the degree of Fellows of the Craft . "

On the 4 th Nov . Ave come across another entry Avhich Avill be of interest to the present members of the Lodge , since some of the old jeAvels are still in use : —¦ "To Bro . Jno Prentice for P . M . JeAvel , 17 s ., paid by the Treasurer , also to Bro .

Spooner for the Secretary ' s JeAvel and the P . M . ribband 19 s . paid also by the Treasurer ; ancl that the saicl jeAvels are now the property of the saicl Lodge . Later on , AA'e may have something to say anent one or tAVO of the old jeAvels belongiug to the

Lodge ; for the present , hoAvever , Ave pass on to further notes . On the 13 th Nov . Bros . Lord , Philby , Burdett , Drake , Green , ancl Land , Avere raised to the degree of Master , and paid the sum of 5 s . each , and Is . each to the Tyler . "

Either the ceremony must haA'e been much shorter than it is now , or the brethren must have been taken all together , for it would be impossible to go through the ceremony Avith each separatel y , as is IIOAV generally the practice in Avorking this

sublime degree . In this night ' s cash account , we find " To Bro . Prentice for the book of the History of Masonry , 3 s . " One would be anxious to knoAV what history this was , Avho it Avas by , and where the copy IIOAV is . On the 21 st Dec .

the Brethren went to the Play to see the "Merry AYives of Windsor , " by our Brothei- Shakespeare , as our excellent Bro . Parkinson would say . TAventy members aud twelve visitors , including one clergyman , the

Rev . Drake ( as they say-in Suffolk ) , appear to have been present , and eight are entered as absent . The Lodge appears to have flourished at this time . Removing to Bro . Philby ' s Coffee House had probably raised it in public estimation , hence the influx of

neAV members . On the 2 nd Dec . the thanks of the Lodge Avere given to Bro . Philby for a present of a set of jeAvels and working tools . On the 27 th Dec , 1777 , fifteen members Avere presentancl being the Festival of St .

, John , the Officers Avere elected . The minute is thus recorded : — " The brotherhood elect Bro . Joseph Clarke Master of this Lodge for 1778 ; Bro . Benj . PoxAvell , S . AV ,, and Bro . J . Blomfield , J . AV ., for the saicl year . Also Bro . AVm .

Drake , Secretary and Treasurer . Also that the Lodge do present to Bro . John Blomfield , late Secretary and Treasurer , a medal for his indefatigable services in his late office . "

Under date Jan . 6 th 1778 , Ave find a long array of names of Brethren of the Lodge , though Ave can hardly imagine them all to have been present . No less than 42 are entered , amongst them Ave note many Avell-knoven Ipswich names : Churcbmau , Gooding , KingCanhamPopperCatcbpole

, , , , Crisp , SparroAV , Spalding , Garrett , Toosey , EUiston , DeAvard , and Mils being amongst the number . The Lodge this night bought a neAV Book of Constitutions , price 10 s . 6 d ., rather a high figure for the Avork . On Feb . 24 th , Thos . Asken and Wm . Christie

Avere regularly made and admitted Fellow Crafts . Both are Ipswich names , and no doubt relatives of both are living , though Ave fancy they are not now Masons .. At the May meeting it was resolved that the yearly subscription should be 12 s . At the end of this first volume of the

minutes , Ave find a Debtor ancl Creditor account of the Lodge , from Avhich it appears that Bro . Joseph Clarke , Avho Avas made March 8 th , 1762 , paid £ 1 lis . Gd . for his initiation , and the subsequently made Masons paid £ 1 is . One brother hailed from Sunderland , the majority Avere from

Harwich , ancl one Avas a Yarmouth man . At the June meeting in 1778 twentyfive Avere present , so the Lodge must have been flourishing then . Under date Sep . 1 st 177-8 , Ave find that by the unanimous consent of the Lodge , Bro . R . * * * H . * * * AVas rejected becom-