History Op Freemasonry In Cornwall.

HISTORY OP FREEMASONRY IN CORNWALL .

LONDON , SATURDAY , JUNE 1 , 1867 .

By > % < Bro . WILLIAM JAMES HUGHAN , 1 S ° , Corresponding Member of the German Union of Freemasons ; Knight Companion of the Eoyal Order ; Member of Several Bites in " England , and Scotland ; Sj-c . ; Sj-c . ( Continued from page 425 . )

" The Ship , St . Ives , " is inserted in the list of lodges appended to the Freemasons' Calendar for 1784 ( published under the sanction of the Grand Lodge ) as No . 227 . The number of the lodges were altered in 1781 , and several lodges were

erased for not conforming to the laws then made , and we fear the brethren at Sfc . Ives had the mortification of seeing their lodge about this date amongst the roll of defaulters ; afc all events , this unwelcome fact must have occurred before 1792 ,

as Ave have a list from thafc date to 1799 of erased and existing lodges , wherein the Sfc . Ives Lodge does not appear . From October 3 rd , 1 780 , to May 19 fch , 1815 ,

Ave know nothing of its history , but at the latter date we find it transferred into the Sfc . Michael ' s Lodge , No . 678 , at Crowan , near the town of Hayle , its final resting-place . The R . W . Bro . Thomas Lean being the first Master . The

folloAving minute is Avell worthy of record . " The R . W . brother having called on Bros . Glasson and BaAvden for the expense attending the purchase of a set of inlaid chairs and complete set of jeAvels , purchased at St . Ives , the said brethren stated the

expense incurred to be £ 8 , and ifc was agreed that the charges be approved of by the present lodge , and that it be defrayed out of the funds , and become the joint property of the members .- " The next meeting was " held this day ( August

21 st , 1816 ) , at the house of Bro . Pool , on a dispensation had from the Grand Lodge . " The reasons for the dispensation is nob mentioned beyond the fact of " Helston " being stated , but as there Avas no lodge meeting afc the latter town afc this time ,

Ave expect the change Avas for the convenience of the members . An extraordinary lodge was convened 23 rd October , when R . W . Bro . John Knight , P . Prov . S . G . W . of Cormvall , occupied the chair . It appears from the minutes that the worthy chairman entertained the lodge Avith several instructive things , and the evening Avas spent in

perfect harmony . Bro . Knight Avas a member of No . 10-3 , Druid's Lodge , Redruth , and appointee ! Prov . S . G . W . July 5 fch , 1796 . On the 18 fcli June , 1817 , the lodge agreed to allow ten shillings to defray the expenses of a proxy Junior Warden to attend at the ProA incial Grand Lodp-e . The

W . M . aud S . W ., hoAvever , determined to pay their own expenses . To assure an improved attendance of the members , ifc Avas also agreed to fine absentees of tAvo or more lodge nights the sum of one shilling for each offence , when not sufficiently

excused . The minutes do not contain many interesting- details , consequent upon tlie general dislike of the brethren to transcribe their transactions , and hence we are ignorant of the general duties of the lodge . A collection Avas made in the

lodge on behalf of a sick brother , which realised the handsome sum of £ 3 12 s ., on the ISfcli Feb ., 1818 . The Secretary stated that the registering of the lodge according to Act of Parliament was lodged ivith the Clerk of the Peace of the Count y

of Cornwall . This , of course , refers to the Act of Parliament , passed 12 th July , 1798 , containing enactments respecting lodges , and more especially that the place or places , time or times , of its meetings , and the names and descriptions of all

aud every of the members thereof , be registered Avith such clerk of the peace aforesaid , within two months of the passing of this Act , and also on or

before the 25 th March in every succeeding year . This brief summary concludes the sketch of the lodge at CroAvan , which , for the time it lasted , was successful numerically certainly , but otherwise Ave cannot say much in its favour . Its last meeting ,

according to the records , was held December 28 th , 1819 , and the old minute book was again opened for active service on the 13 th March , 1848 , for the Cornubian Lodge , No . 659 , Crotche ' s Hotel . Hayle . Within this volume , the records of the

St . Ives , Crowan , and Hayle Lodges from July 16 th , 1765 , to December 7 th , 1759 , are contained , the Cornubian having entered in its second volume of Transactions since under most favourable circircumstances . To all appearances it is likely to

have a most prosperous existence , as the members work well together ; their Masonic ability and enthusiasm , their thorough acquaintance with the ceremonies of the Craft , as also their most perfect fraternal good feeling , have all been well attested

by the writer Avhen paying them a visit recently ; and his best thanks are hereby tendered to the officers ancl members of that lodge for their kind