Freemasonry In The Seventeenth Century: Warrington, 1646.

Young , Mr . John Shorthose , Mr . William Hamon , Mr . John Thompson , and Mr . Will : Stanton . " Wee all dyned at the halfe Moone Taverne in Oheapeside , at a Noble dinner prepaired at the charge of the New-= aecepted Masons . " It would be all but impossible at the present time to describe upon Avhat constitutions the Lodge at Warrington was basedor what was the character

, of its speculative masonry . It AVOUM at the same time be equally absurd to fall back upon the common and often unfounded statement of " architects , " " builders , " and the like , and to say that Ashmole , Col . Mainwaring , and the rest were of that class . In "Kenning ' s Cyclopedia" * it is stated that " recent researches have proved that Ashmole was not a member of the Masons' Companythough almost all

, the persons he named were . It then is clear that the ' Fellowship of Freemasons ' was a lodge of separate Freemasons more or less speculative . " Had Ashmole been a member of the Masons' Company , he , so particular in notifying his other associations , would surel y have mentioned this one . The latter portion of the sentence referring to the other " fellows " I take to apply to the names of those mentioned as being present at the Lodge in London , but whether

this is what is intended or not , I would submit that it does not enter directly into the question . Ashmole himself was not a member of the Masons ' Company , and yet he was summoned to appear at a Lodge , and was the senior FelloAV present ; hence , I suppose he took the chair , and according to the old custom became the acting " Master . " The meeting , although held in Masons ' Hall , therefore coulcl not be a meeting of the Masons' Company , otherwise why was Ashmole , the " senior fellow " present , " summoned " to , and present at , what must have been a private meeting where a number of gentlemen were admitted Fellows .

Ashmole leaves no record in his diary as to his attendance at any lodge between 1646 and 1682 ; but it is worth remarking , that although he was first admitted to the " Fellowship " at Warrington , he was summoned thirty-five years afterwards to a Lodge held in London , is particular to specify that Mr . Thomas Wise was the Master of the Masons' Company , and is equally particular to call the " Fellowship " that of the " Free Masons , " except where he Avrites of the " NeAV-accepted Masons . "

I . am indebted to my friend Mr . William Beamont , of Warrington , for the use of his printed copy of the Memoirs of Elias Ashmole , published by Charles Burmaii , Esq ., Loudon , 1717 . The copy from the original MS . used for this edition , it is stated in the preface , is in the handwriting of Robert Plot , L . D ., collated by David Parry , M . A ., both in their time Keepers of the Ashmolean .

Dr . Robert Plot was a friend of Ashmole ; some entries relating to him occur in the diary : December 10 th , 1677 . —Dr . PLOT came to me to request me , to nominate him to be Reader at OXI-OKTI of the Philosophical Lecture upon Nat-oral Things . I told him if the University liked him , he should have my SufErage . f August 18 th , 1684—Dr . PLOTT sent from OXFOED to visit me came to me . Nov . 191684—DrPLOT presented me -withhis BookDE ORIGINE FoNiruMwhich he

, . . , , , had dedicated to me . May 23 rd , 1686 . —Dr . Plot presented me with his Natural History of STAMORDSHIBE . 7 th October , 1687 . —Dr . PLOT came to me at my office , and told me that the Earl Marshal had chosen him Register of the Oourt . J The Preface is dated from " Newington , Feb . 1716-17 , " and signed Charles Burman . Iu Mr . Beamont ' s copy , with what authority I know not , some