St. Andrew's Royal Arch Chapter, Boston (U.S.A.)

' In 1767 the degrees of Perfection of the Scottish Rite were conferred at Albany , New York , among which was the Royal Arch of that Rite , sometimes called the 'Ancient Royal Arch of Solomon . '" In 1756 , ajiplioation was made to the Grand Lod ge of Scotland by certain " Ancient Masons" in Boston for a Charter , and on the 13 th November in that year , the petition was granted . Bro . Gardner says the number of the Warrant was 82 . The Constitutions of the G . L . of Scotland states that it was 81 the

, number 82 being for " Blanclford , " Virginia . Probably the then G . Sec . reversed the numbers in error , and that such is probable , is evident from the fact that the Warrant for Virginia was issued on March 9 th ; whereas St . Andrew ' s Lodge was not chartered until November of the same year . These two Lodges were the first of their kind granted for any portion of America by the G . L . of Scotland . On May 30 th , 1769 , was issued a commission to the revered Joseph Warren as Grand Master under the

Grand Lodge of Scotland , in response to a petition from the four Lodges , then in Boston , viz— " St . Andrew ' s , " Lodge , No . 82 , and " Duke of York Regiment , " No . 108 ( 106 according to G . Lod ge list ) , of the Scottish Grancl Lodge ; " Fourteenth Regiment of Foot , " No . 58 ; " Ancients of England ; and Twenty-ninth Regiment , " No 322 , of Ireland . Boston was then occupied by British Troops , and hence tile number and class of petitioners . Some of the members of St . Andrew ' s Lodge were Royal Arch Masons

prior to 1762 ; but in Oct . of that year , a Committee , in a letter to the Grancl Master of Scotland , declare that , " We should likewise be glad to know if a Charter could be granted to us for holding a Eoyal Arch Lodge , as a sufficient number of us have arrived to that sublime degree . " To this letter no reply was vouchsafed , and no wonder , for that Grand Lodge has never recognized in any way , the degree of Royal Archfrom its Constitution in 1736 to the present time .

, The first meeting of the Chapter , of which there is any account , is dated August 18 th , 1769 , when " At Lodge of Royal Arch Masons , held at Mason ' s Hall , " it was " voted Bro . Saml . Sumner be made a Royal Arch Mason . " Sumner was to be the Tyler , and so was " made gratis . " At this and the following meeting of the 28 th , of the same month and

year , the Officers , as in the regular Lodge , are mentioned , but no word of those peculiar to the degree in question . On the 28 th Aug ., 1769 , "The petition of Bro . William Davis coming before the Lodge , begging to have and receive the parts belonging to a Royal Arch Mason , which being read , was received , and he unanimously voted in , and was accordingly made by receiving the four steps , that of Excellent , Super Excellent , Royal Arch , and Knight

Templar . " It is clear therefore that these meetings were not the first of their kind in connection with the chapter , and that in all probability they owed their origin to the Lodge held iu the 14 th Regiment , being No . 58 of the "Ancients . " Bro . Gardner states that the reference to the Knight Templar " is believed to be the first record of conferring that degree in America . " We not only think so , but so far as our research goes , it is the earliest of the kind relating to the degree that we know of in any Country . It was thus given as an Honorary Degree , under the wing of the Arch until Dec . 19 th , 1791 , after which no further notice is taken of the degree by the Chapter .

Ihe other degrees were jirobably taken from the Irish Ritual , or , as some think , from the " Ancients " of England , then represented in Boston by their Lodge , No . 58 , for the three first mentioned were worked beyond question in this Country at that time , and earlier . The "Ancients , " however , included all under the title of Royal Arch Masonry , though practically the separate degrees were worked . The Grancl Master , General Warren , had the " several steps " conferred upon him honoris causa , on May , 14 th , 1770 . In June , 1775 , "his earthly career was abruptly

closed , and he fell on Bunker ' s Hill , one of the first martyrs to the cause of liberty which he had so zealously espoused . ' ' The Eoyal Arch Lodge ( or Chapter ) , in consequence of the state of public mattery ceased work about this time until 1789 . There being no Warrant for the Chapter , it was agreed by the members of St . Andrew ' s Lodge , Nov . 11 th 1790 , " That the Royal Arch Lodge be indulged with the use of the Charter of St . Andrew's Lodge so long as the majority of the members of the Royal Arch .. Lodge are members of the St . Andrew ' s