Masonic Notes And Queries .

Several remarkable distinctions have been paid to this Lodge by main' honourable and right worshipful brethren who have visited it very frequently . Man )' , also , have been initiated in the solemn mysteries and antient science of Alasonry ; but as an extraordinary instance of the great regard shown to this Lodge , the Right Hon . the Lord Lovel , Earl of Leicester , when he was Grand Alaster , summoned the Alaster and brethren to hold a Lodge at

Houghton Hall . There were present , the Grand Master , his royal highness the Duke of Lorrain , ancl many other noble brethren ; and when all ivas put into due form , the Grand Alaster presented his grace the Duke of Newcastle , the right hon . the Earl of Essex , Major General Churchill , and his own chaplain , who were unanimously accepted of and made Alasons by the Eight "Worshi pful Thomas Johnson , then Alaster of this Lodge . These particulars are extracted from the Freemasons' Maoazine . Vol . 7 , published bv G . Cawthorn . Strand , 179 b . — D . IIAIIT . ' Prov . G . M ., Trinidad .

Tl'lIW . Ali MASOXltV . Would your correspondent , signing " Alex , llidgway . of Blackaiiton . near Totnes , " ( vol . v ., p . 404 ) , favour us with his knowledge of the history of Templar Alasonry , to which lie refers when expressing his regret at the many fables with which Templar r . nil Craft history are disfigured?—TEMPI . An .

IIAIA'WAUIC FOLK . The Eev . John Ashe , in his Masonic Manual , mentions " a set of men called 'halywark folk , ' to whom were assigned certain hinds , which they held by the service of repairing , defending , or building churches ancl sepulchres . * * * These men were stonecutters and builders , and mi ght also be of onr profession . The count ) - of Durham entertained a particular set of these halywark folk , who were guards of the patrimony and holy sepulchre of 8 . Cuthbert . " Is any more known of these people ? And from what work is the above likely to have been taken?—AVPRI ' XTICF ..

. -VXTIQL'ri'IES OF YOIUC . Seeing you admit extracts from standard works , as being conformable to your plan of "AlasonicNotes and Queries , " I thought the accompanying extract , might interest your readers in general , and our Yorkbrethren in particular , and as the work from which it is taken , Hargrove ' s History of York , " 2 vols . 8 vo . York , 1818 , is both valuable and very scarce , its reproduction in your

pages may be none the less esteemed . Tbe seal alluded to I have traced for you , and I presume sufficiently intelligibly , that your draughtsman will find no difficulty in copying it if you think it worth while to engrave it . In vol . ii . of the work ' alluded to , pp . 475 et sec / ., our historian in describing the various wards of the city , arrives at Bootham-ward , and in the place referred to states as follows : — 11

The Masonic Coffee-house . —This tavern was originally the Roman Catholic chapel ; but being disused as such after the ' erection of the new building , it was purchased by the members of the York Union Lodge of Freemasons , in Eebruary , 1800 , in sixteen shares of £ 25 each , and subject to a mortgage ol 200 guineas ; the alterations ancl repairs at that time having incurred an additional expense of . £ 200 . " "This leads us to a brief notice of tbe history of the several .

Lodges of Freemasons that have existed iu York . In searching the archives of Masonry , we find the first Lodge wns instituted in this city at a very early period ; indeed , even prior to any other recorded in England . It was termed the most Antient " Grand Lodn-e of all England ; and was instituted at York , by Jung-Edwin , 920 , as appears by the following- curious extract , from the ancient records of the fraternity : —¦ " When the antient mysterie of

Masonrie had been depressed in England , by reason of great ' ¦ 'arrs , through diverse nations , then Athelston , our worthye king , did bring the land to rest and pence . And though the ' ancient records of the brotherhood were manye of them destroyed or lost , yet did the Craft a great protector find in the royal folwin , who being teached Masonrie , ancl taking upon him the charges of a Maistcr , was full of practice , and for the love he bare it caused a charter

to be issued , with a commission to hould every yearc an assembl y where he would , within the realmc of England , and to correct within themselves statutes and trespasses done within the ' raftes . And he held an assembl y at York , ancl made Masons , and gave them thoir charges , and taught them the manners of Alasons , and commanded that rule to be holden ever after ; and gave them the charter and commission to meet annually in coinnumictiytion there ; and made ordinances that it should he ruled from kings to knit's . " •'

"And when this assembly was gathered together , they made a cry that all Alasons . both old and younge , that had any writeing or understanding of the charges that were before in this land , or iu 11113 * other land , that 11103 ' should bring them forth ; and when they were secured and examined , there was found some in Erench , sonic in Greek , some in Englishc , ancl some in other languages ; and he commanded a- bookc thereof to be made , and to give his

charge : and from that time to this Alasons have kept and observed that form , & c . " "The Grand . Lodge of all England , thus instituted at York , acknowledged no superior , paid homage to none , existed in its own right , and granted fonstitntions , certificates , & c . The Grand Lodgeof England , held at the Queen-i Head Tavern , Holborn , in London , had ' its constitution granted by this Lodge in 1799 , being only for that part of England which lies south of Trent . This Lodge also granted constitutions to the Lodges held at Ripon , Knnrephoroush . llov'ing- obver = c

ham , Rotherain , & c . The i seal of this Lodge , affixed to its constitutions and certificates , was as here represented . There is a tradition , that in the vault or crypt

under the choir of the cathedral , king Edwin held his infant Lodge ; and some Alasonic brethren conceive there are certain appearances in the columns which

support it , that justify the rumour . Be ' this as it may , not many years ago several brethren of that ancient bod y held nLodge in the third degree , iu the same place * in

ho-, nour of Edwin , the great patron andfoundcr of the Alasonic Order in York . This Lodge , which had flourished during more than forty years iu the eighteenth century , was ,

from causes whicli are not at present known , discontinued for a length of time ; but , on the 17 th of Alarch , 1701 , it was renewed by six surviving members , viz ., Bro . FrancisDrake , F . E . S ., author

Itovovsc .

of " Ehoracuw , Grand Master ; Bro . George Eeyi . ioklson , D . G . AI . ; Bros . G-. Coates ancl Thomas Mason , G . Ws . ; Bros . Christopher Coulton and Martin Croft .

* In the Anacalypsi . i by the late Godfrey Higgins , vol . i ., book . v ., chap , viii ., sec . 1 , p . 70 S , speaking of the Culdees tit York , as Masons , he says : — "In consequence of-this f went to York and applied io the only survivor of the Lodge , who shewed me , from tho documents which he possessed , ttr . it the Druidical Lod ge , or Chapter of Koval Arch Masons , or Templar Encampment , all of which it calls itself , was held for the Inst time in the crypt , on Sunday , May 27 th , 1778 . At that time the . Chapter was evidently on the declineand it is since dead "

, . A little further on in the same page , before alluded to , fliggiiu- ; states : — "The documents from which I have extracted the above information respecting the York Masons , were given me by -- Blauchard , Esq ., and transferred by mo to the person who now possesses them , and ' ivith whom they ought most properly to be p / acetl , Hi ' s . Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex . It appear .- ! , from the documents above named , that Queen Elizabeth became jealous of the York Masons , and sent au armed force to York to

put them down . " The above extracts are important : by them we are enabled to trace the records alluded to in the possession of the late Duke of Sussex . But where are they now , and in whose custody are such precious documents placed' ! Tbey ought- to be fae-similed , and the originals deposited in some established place of security . Our correspondent , " History , " will also find in this note an answer to that part ofhis question which touches on Queen Elizabeth ' s interference ,