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. A.D. 1762.
NOTES ON THE OLD MINUTE BOOKS OF THE BRITISH UNION LODGE , NO . 114 , IPSWICH . A . D . 1762 .
BY BRO . EMRA HOLMES , 31 . P . M ., M . E . Z ., St . Luke ' s Chapter , P . M . M ., P . E . C ., P . E . P ., M . W . S ., Victoria Chap ., Rose Croix ,, Past Provincial Grand Registrar of 'Suffolk , Past Grand Inspector of IVorlcs ( Mark ) Past Grand Provost , Order of the Temple , die ., < hc .
A VERY interesting book is the first Minute Book of this old Lodge—though it has seen much service and fared ill in the hands it has passed through . It seems to have got into the possession of some cowan , and to have been given over
to the tender mercies of some child or children , for almost every leaf has a piece snipped out of it , and youthful scraAvls and attempts at caligraphy disfigure almost
every page . The first page in the book , apparently one is lost , Avhich is dated Sth April , 1762 , contains a part of the 3 rd rule , or by-law , which has reference to the ballot , Avhite and black beans being used as at present in determining the important question as to whether a candidate should or should not be received into the time-honoured
fraternity . " Fourthly , " runs the rule , " That after every brother has put in a bean as directed the box be then delivered to the master bv the secretary for his inspection . Fifthly and lastly—that if the master find a black bean in the box no further mention shall
be made to the intended member . " A very considerate rule this last , and one Avhich might be more generally adopted than it is . The secrecy of the ballot we have knoAvn to be more honoured in the breach than the observance—though not
m the loclffe of Avhich Ave are Avriting . IT And touching this said system of ballot it would be Avell if there Avere some fixed rule as to IIOAV it should be exercised . Tn England an entered apprentice can exercise his ri ght of voting on question before
any the lod ge , from the election of W . M . to the admission of a candidate to the mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry . In America , v * e believe , it is different ; no brother can vote until he is a Master Mason .
Iu England the ceremony of voting differed in differait lodges . In some the deacon carried round the ballot box to each member , and a most objectionable practice , since the officer could hardly fail to see how the brother voted , and the secrecy of the ballot became a farce . Iu
other lodges the brethren went indiscrimately and all in a heap up to the treasurer ' s desk , and thus confusion Avas made , and the importance of the ballot was not impressed on the . neophyte by a ceremony winch should always be done " decently
aud in order . " But to return to the British Union and its first record of minutes . This volume appears to have served the double purpose of a minute and presence book , and underneath the by-laAvs quoted we have the
signatures of the brethren present . Jno . Clarke , Master ; John Hunter , Senior Warden ; W . Clarke , Junior Warden ; John Prentice , Stephen Buston , Thos . R . Scott , John Concour , Joseph Clarke , Wm . Prentice . There is no date to this meeting , but the next one is dated Sth April , 1702
, when , iu addition to the names mentioned iibove , there appear to have been two visitors present , Jonas Phillips and Marchal Cvdksen , the latter probably a foreigner . A note is put af the bottom of the entry to the effect that a certain brotherAvhose
, name has been cut out , bemg absent forfeits sixpence . The next meeting appears to have been held 19 th April , 1762 . At this lodge Bros . Thos . Nichol-Scott , Jon - Clarke and John Concour Avere raised Masters ; and there is a N . B . that certain of the
brethren , all but the visitors and candidates in fact , each paid Gd ., we will suppose for refreshment . At the meeting dated 17 th May , 1762 , only four brethren appear to have been present , and the lodge seems to have been under the rule of the J . W .,
neither the W . M . nor S . W . being there . At a lodge held on the 21 st June , Wm . Paxman Avas proposed for ballot on St . John ' s day , together with Robert Fenn , and accordingly on the 24 th June it appears they Avere regularly made , agreeable to the
by-laAvs heretofore entered iu this book . At the same time John Hunter was , Avith the unanimous consent of this lodge , elected Master for the ensuing half-vear , Wm . Clarke , S . W ., and J . Prentice , J . W ., of the lodge . This is a very interesting minute , since it would apviear that a century ago
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. A.D. 1762.
NOTES ON THE OLD MINUTE BOOKS OF THE BRITISH UNION LODGE , NO . 114 , IPSWICH . A . D . 1762 .
BY BRO . EMRA HOLMES , 31 . P . M ., M . E . Z ., St . Luke ' s Chapter , P . M . M ., P . E . C ., P . E . P ., M . W . S ., Victoria Chap ., Rose Croix ,, Past Provincial Grand Registrar of 'Suffolk , Past Grand Inspector of IVorlcs ( Mark ) Past Grand Provost , Order of the Temple , die ., < hc .
A VERY interesting book is the first Minute Book of this old Lodge—though it has seen much service and fared ill in the hands it has passed through . It seems to have got into the possession of some cowan , and to have been given over
to the tender mercies of some child or children , for almost every leaf has a piece snipped out of it , and youthful scraAvls and attempts at caligraphy disfigure almost
every page . The first page in the book , apparently one is lost , Avhich is dated Sth April , 1762 , contains a part of the 3 rd rule , or by-law , which has reference to the ballot , Avhite and black beans being used as at present in determining the important question as to whether a candidate should or should not be received into the time-honoured
fraternity . " Fourthly , " runs the rule , " That after every brother has put in a bean as directed the box be then delivered to the master bv the secretary for his inspection . Fifthly and lastly—that if the master find a black bean in the box no further mention shall
be made to the intended member . " A very considerate rule this last , and one Avhich might be more generally adopted than it is . The secrecy of the ballot we have knoAvn to be more honoured in the breach than the observance—though not
m the loclffe of Avhich Ave are Avriting . IT And touching this said system of ballot it would be Avell if there Avere some fixed rule as to IIOAV it should be exercised . Tn England an entered apprentice can exercise his ri ght of voting on question before
any the lod ge , from the election of W . M . to the admission of a candidate to the mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry . In America , v * e believe , it is different ; no brother can vote until he is a Master Mason .
Iu England the ceremony of voting differed in differait lodges . In some the deacon carried round the ballot box to each member , and a most objectionable practice , since the officer could hardly fail to see how the brother voted , and the secrecy of the ballot became a farce . Iu
other lodges the brethren went indiscrimately and all in a heap up to the treasurer ' s desk , and thus confusion Avas made , and the importance of the ballot was not impressed on the . neophyte by a ceremony winch should always be done " decently
aud in order . " But to return to the British Union and its first record of minutes . This volume appears to have served the double purpose of a minute and presence book , and underneath the by-laAvs quoted we have the
signatures of the brethren present . Jno . Clarke , Master ; John Hunter , Senior Warden ; W . Clarke , Junior Warden ; John Prentice , Stephen Buston , Thos . R . Scott , John Concour , Joseph Clarke , Wm . Prentice . There is no date to this meeting , but the next one is dated Sth April , 1702
, when , iu addition to the names mentioned iibove , there appear to have been two visitors present , Jonas Phillips and Marchal Cvdksen , the latter probably a foreigner . A note is put af the bottom of the entry to the effect that a certain brotherAvhose
, name has been cut out , bemg absent forfeits sixpence . The next meeting appears to have been held 19 th April , 1762 . At this lodge Bros . Thos . Nichol-Scott , Jon - Clarke and John Concour Avere raised Masters ; and there is a N . B . that certain of the
brethren , all but the visitors and candidates in fact , each paid Gd ., we will suppose for refreshment . At the meeting dated 17 th May , 1762 , only four brethren appear to have been present , and the lodge seems to have been under the rule of the J . W .,
neither the W . M . nor S . W . being there . At a lodge held on the 21 st June , Wm . Paxman Avas proposed for ballot on St . John ' s day , together with Robert Fenn , and accordingly on the 24 th June it appears they Avere regularly made , agreeable to the
by-laAvs heretofore entered iu this book . At the same time John Hunter was , Avith the unanimous consent of this lodge , elected Master for the ensuing half-vear , Wm . Clarke , S . W ., and J . Prentice , J . W ., of the lodge . This is a very interesting minute , since it would apviear that a century ago