Early History Of Masonry In New York.

EARLY HISTORY OF MASONRY IN NEW YORK .

BY JAMES 31 . AUST 1 X , . M . O . As there is evidently a misapprehension iu the minds of many brethren throughout the Union as to the facts relative to the early organization ofthe Grand Lodge of New York , I submit the following paper , based on official documents , for the consideration of those who may take an interest in the subject : I have noiv before me the first record book of "Solomon Lodge

, No . 1 , " located at Ponghkcepsic , Dutchess County , in this State . The first meeting of said Lodge was held on the ' ' " 22 nd day of May , 17 _ 71 . " _ " Present—Eobt . It . Livingston , * Master of Union Loelge , in New York , James Livingston , Jonathan Louis , John Childs , Anthony Hoffman , Philip I . Livingston , " & c . Then follows a copy of the warrant under which the Lodge was to be formed . The warrant names James Livingston as the

first Master , Dr . Jonathan Lewis as the first S . AVarden , and John Cbilds as first J . AVarden . The closing part of the ivarrant reads as folioAVS : "Thus done by virtue of the poiver and authority vested in us by our commission , bearing date in London , the ninth clay of June , A . D ., 1753 , A .: L ., 5753 , under the hand and seal of John Proby , Baron . of Carysfort , in the Count y of A \ ick-IOAV , in the Kingdom of Ireland , tiie then Grand * Master of

England , appointing us Grand Master in and over this Province of NCAV York in America . Given under our band and seal of Masonry , in the city of NCAV York , this eighteenth day of April , A . r > ., 1771 , A . I .., 5771 . '" ' Signed "George Harrison , P . G . M ., " and witnessed b y "Robt . K . Livingston , Master ofthe Union Lodge . " At this same meeting several rules were adopted for the government of the Lodge relative to fees , dues , and the balloting for candidates .

At the second meeting , "June 12 , 1771 , " I find among the visitors the name of Benedict Arnold . "j On the "Gth of November , 1771 , " I find the folloiving entry : "Ordered that an address be presented to Sir John Johnson , Provincial Grand Master , for the Northern District . " | On the " 5 th of August , 1772 , a body of by-laws" was adopted . Said by-laws are quite unique in their character . I will give the

first "Article" as a sample ofthe whole : — "In open Lodge , without order aud decency , a dissolution must be tlie consequence . Therefore , at the third stroke of the Master ' s hammer , a profound silence shall be observed ; and if any brother curses , sivears , or says anything irreligious , obscene , or ludicrous , holds private committees , disputes about religion or politics , offers to lay any wagers , interrupts another brother who is speaking to the Master ,

or hisses at what he is or has been speaking-, is not on his legs ivhen he has anything to say to the Master , sits doivn unclothed or AA'ith his hat on , or smokes tobacco in open Lodge , or is disguised in liquor during Lodge hours , such offending- brother shall , for the first offence , be gently reproved and admonished by the Master , for the second offence shall be fined one shilling , for tbe third offence fined tiro shillings , and for tlie fourth offence to he immediately expelled the Lodge , and never admitted again as a member or a visitor unless he be balloted for and rcceiA'ccl in like

manner with a strange brother , paying all fees due , as per these by-Iaivs , and eight shillings as a new admission fee , if be chooses to be reinstated as a member . " I will g ive but one or tivo more quotations from this old record book . In the minutes for " May , 1781 , " I find the following " Ordered that the name of Benedict Arnold be considered as obliterated from the minutes of this Lodge , a traitor . "

On the minutes for "Dec . 27 , 1782 , " I find the following " A isitors—Bro . George AVashington , Commander-in-Chief , Bro . AVoolsey , and Bro . Graham . * * Lodge being closed until after dinner , * * when the following address ivas presented to His Excellency Bro . AVashington : " AVe . the Master , Wardens , and brethren of Solomon's Lodge , No . 1 , arc highly sensible of the honour done to Masonry in general by the countenance shown to it by the most dignified character . " This is all of the " address" ivhich appears upon the minutes . Whether there was any more of it I . am unable to

say . After the formation of the Grand Lodge of NCAV York , there being five Lodges ivhose warrants hael a prior elate , this Lodge became knoivn as Solomon ' s Lodge , No . li . These five Lodges referred to above were St . John's Lodge , No . 1 , of New York City , the original warrant of ivhich was dated Dec . 7 , 1757 ; Independent Boyal Arch , No . 2 , of New York City , original

ivarrant dated Dec . 15 , 1760 ; Zion Lodge , No . 3 , of Detroit , Michigan , orig inal Avarrant dated April 27 , 170-1 ; Mount Vernon Lodge , No . I , of Albany , original Avarrant dated Feb . 21 , 1765 : anel Masters' Lodge , No . 5 , of Albany , original warrant dated March 5 , 17 ( 18 . Afterwards Zion Loelge , No . : } , of Detroit , hilling ceased to exist , Mount Vernon Lodge became No . 3 ; and St . Pat-rick ' s Lodge , of JolmstoAVii , which had been established

under a warrant ( probably issued by Sir John Johnson , " Provincial Grand Master of the Northern District"' ) granted in 17 G <> , became No . -1-. George Harrison was appointed Provincial Grand aiaster over the "Province of New York" on the " 9 th of June , 1753 , " and Sir John Johnson ivas appointed "Provincial Grand Master of the Northern District" in . 1706 . The particular date of bis commission I do not now recollect .

Besides the warrants issued by George Harrison to Zion Lodge , at Detroit , in 17 CA ( and which warrant is noiv on file iu this office ) , and to Solomon's Lodge , at Ponghkcepsic , in 1771 , there exists conclusive evidence that be granted a Avarrant to St . John ' s Lodge , at Nor walk , Connecticut , on the " 23 rd of May , 1765 . " Can it not , therefore , be safely inferred that he granted the warrants to St . John ' s Lodge , No . 1 ; Independent ltoyal Arch , No . 2 :

Mount Vernon , No . 3 ; and Masters' Lodge , No . 5 ; if not that of St . Patrick's Lodge , No . 1 , all now under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of NCAV York ? The impression has seemed to prevail throughout the United States that Freemasonry in NCAV York originated under the auspices of the " Athol or Dermott Grand Lodge" of England . It canhoAveverbe plainly perceived that this is an

errorinas-, , , much as the Baron of Carysfort , from whom George Harrison receiveci bis appointment as Provincial Grand Master of the Province of Neiv York , iu 1753 , was Grand blaster of the old Grand Lodge of England , being elected to that distinguished position on the 20 th of March , 1752 , nearl y tii'O years before the Athol Grand Lodge claimed to have an existence . The Baron of Carysfort continued to be Grand Master until March 1754 when

, , he was succeeded by the Marquis of Carnarvon . Sir John Johnson must have received his commission from Lord Biayuey , who was Grand Master of the same Grand Lodge from 1701 to 1767 ; otherwise there could not hai'c existed that familiar and friendly intercourse , which it is evident prevailed among the Lodges , which had been established by George Harrison and Sir John Johnson .

The first appearance in Neiv York of Masons bailing from tbe Athol Grand Lodge , of which wc have any account , was in or about the year 1781 or 1782 . The warrant wbich ivas issued by the Athol Grand Lodge to form a Provincial Grand Lodge iu the cifcy of NCAV York , and which Avarrant was dated Sept . 5 , 1781 , ivas probably brought here by persons connected with the British army . Be this as it may , it is certain that six of the nine Lodges

represented at the opening of the Provincial Grand Lodge , on the 5 th of December , 1782 , were " Regimental Lodges" in tbe English army . And most of the Grand Officers , including the Provincial Grand Master , as also the " Regimental Lodges , " left at the evacuation of the city of Neiv York by the English army , in November , 1783 . Another fact worthy of notice isthat of the nine Lodges

, represented at tbe opening of the Provincial Grand Lodge , nofc one of them is noiv in existence in this country . It has generally been supposed , and Bro . Bob Morris himself admits the supposition , by copying it in the Freemasons' Ahmnmc for I 860 , that tbe Grand Lodge of NCAV York ivas not established

until 1787 . Such , however , is not the fact . Can it not be justly claimed that the Grand Lodge of New York became an independent body immediately after the acknowledgment of the independence of the United States by the mother country ? It is true that it does not appear that any formal convention was held to form a Grand Lodge , but the body then existing here continued to meet , and to exercise the ri g hts and prerogatives of an inde-Warrants issued to

pendent and sovereign Grand Lodge . were form Lodges in 1784 , 1785 , and 1780 ; and it also appears by the record that in March , 1785 , the Grand Lodge proceeded to form a constitution for its government , which it could not have done if it bad remained subordinate to the Grand Loelge of England . It is probable that the error as to date of the establishment of the Grand Lodof Neiv York may have ori ginated in the

circumge stance that the Grand Lodge did not , until the year 1787 , discover the impropriety of using the old Provincial blanks for the issuing of warrants for Subordinate Lodges . In the latter year , however , these warrants were recalled , and new warrants were issued in lieu thereof . But I have already extended this paper to a greater length than