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History Of The Revival
Of Masonry In The South Of
England
SECTION viI
BOOK Iv - The History of Masonry in England
illustrations of masonry
william preston
On the accession of George I. the masons in London and its
environs, finding themselves deprived of sir Christopher Wren, and their annual
meetings discontinued, resolved to cement under a new Grand Master, and to
revive the communications and annual festivals of the Society. With this view,
the lodges at the Goose and Gridiron in St. Paul's Church-yard, the Crown in
Parker's-lane near Drury-lane, the Apple-tree tavern in Charles-street
Covent-garden, and the Rummer and Grapes tavern in Channel-row Westminster, the
only four lodges in being in the south of England at that time, with some other
old brethren, met at the Apple-tree tavern above mentioned in February 1717; and
having voted the oldest master-mason then present into the chair, constituted
themselves a Grand Lodge pro tempore in due form. At this meeting it was
resolved to revive the quarterly communications of the fraternity; and to hold
the next annual assembly and feast on the 24th of June, at the Goose and
Gridiron in St. Paul's Church-yard, (in compliment to the oldest lodge, which
then met there,) for the purpose of electing a Grand Master among themselves,
till they should have the honour of a noble brother at their head. Accordingly,
on St. John the Baptist's day 1717, in the third year of the reign of king
George I. the assembly and feast were held at the said house; when the oldest
Master-mason, and Master of a lodge, having taken the chair, a lift of proper
candidates for the office of Grand Master was produced: and the names being
separately proposed, the brethren, by a great majority of hands, elected Mr.
Anthony Sayer Grand Master of masons for the ensuing year; who was forthwith
invested by the said oldest Master, installed by the Master of the oldest lodge,
and duly congratulated by the assembly, who paid him homage. The Grand Master
then entered on the duties of his office, appointed his wardens, and commanded
the brethren of the four lodges to meet him and his wardens quarterly in
communication, enjoining them at the same time to recommend to all the
fraternity a punctual attendance on the next annual assembly and feast.
Among
a variety of regulations which were proposed and agreed to at this meeting, was
the following: "That the privilege of assembling as masons, which had hitherto
been unlimited, should be vested in certain
lodges or assemblies of masons convened in certain places; and that every lodge
to be hereafter convened, except the four old lodges at this time existing,
should be legally authorised to act by a warrant from the Grand Master for the
time being, granted to certain individuals by petition, with the consent and
approbation of the Grand Lodge in communication; and that without such warrant
no lodge should be hereafter deemed regular or constitutional." In consequence
of this regulation, some new lodges were soon after convened in different parts
of London and its environ, and the masters and wardens of these lodges were
commanded to attend the meetings of the Grand Lodge, make a regular report of
their proceedings, and transmit to the Grand Master, from time to time, a copy
of any bye-laws they might form for their own government; that no laws
established among them might be contrary to, or subversive of, the general
regulations by which the fraternity had been long governed.
In compliment to
the brethren of the four old lodges, by whom the Grand Lodge was then formed, it
was resolved, "That every privilege which they collectively enjoyed by virtue of
their immemorial rights, they should still continue to enjoy; and that now law,
rule, or regulation to be hereafter made or passed in Grand Lodge, should
deprive them of such privilege, or encroach on any landmark which was at that
time established as the standard of masonic government." When this resolution
was confirmed, the old masons in the metropolis, agreeably to the resolutions of
the brethren at large, vested all their inherent privileges as individuals in
the four old lodges, in trust that they would never suffer the old charges and
ancient landmarks to be infringed. The four old lodges then agreed to extend
their patronage to every new lode which should hereafter be constituted
according to the new regulations of the Society; and while they acted in
conformity to the ancient constitutions of the order, to admit their Masters and
Wardens to share with them all the privileges of the Grand Lodge, excepting
precedence of rank.
Matters being thus amicably adjusted, all the brethren of
the four old lodges considered their attendance on the future communications of
the Society as unnecessary, and therefore trusted implicitly to their Masters
and Wardens, resting satisfied that no measure of importance would ever be
adopted without their approbation. The officers of the old lodges, however, soon
began to discover, that the new lodges, being equally represented with them at
the communications, would, in process of time, so far out-number the old ones,
as to have it in their power, by a majority, to subvert the privileges of the
original masons of England, which had been centered in the four old lodges: they
therefore, with the concurrence of the brethren at large, very wisely formed a
code of laws for the future government of the Society, and annexed thereto a
conditional clause, which the Grand Master for the time being, his successors,
and the Master of every lodge to be hereafter constituted, were bound to
preserve inviolable in all time coming. To commemorate this circumstance, it has
been customary, ever since that time, for the Master of the oldest lodge to
attend every Grand Installation; and taking precedence of all present, the Grand
Master only excepted, to deliver the book of the original constitutions to the
new installed Grand Master, on his promising obedience to the ancient charges
and general regulations. The conditional clause above referred to, runs
thus:
"Every annual Grand Lodge has an inherent power and
authority to make new regulations, or to alter these, for the
real benefit of this ancient fraternity; providing always
THAT THE OLD LAND-MARKS BE CAREFULLY PRESERVED: and that such alterations and
new regulations be proposed and agreed to at the third quarterly communication
preceding the annual grand feast; and that they be offered also to the perusal
of all the brethren before dinner, in writing, even of the youngest
apprentice; the approbation and consent of the majority of all
the brethren present, being absolutely necessary to make the same binding and
obligatory."
This remarkable clause, with thirty-eight regulations preceding
it, all of which are printed in the first edition of the Book of Constitutions,
were approved, and confirmed by one hundred and fifty brethren, at an annual
assembly and feast held at Stationers'-hall on St. John the Baptist's day 1721, and in their presence subscribed by the
Master and Wardens of the four old lodges on one part: and by Philip duke of
Wharton, then Grand Master; Theophilus Desaguliers, M. D. and F. R. S. Deputy
Grand Master; Joshua Timson, and William Hawkins, Grand Wardens; and the Masters
and Wardens of sixteen lodges which had been constituted between 1717 and 1721,
on the other part.
By the above prudent precaution of our ancient brethren,
the original constitutions were established as the basis of all future masonic
jurisdiction in the south of England; and the ancient land-marks, as they are
emphatically styled, or the boundaries set up as checks to innovation, were
carefully secured against the attacks of future invaders. The four old lodges,
in consequence of the above compact, in which they considered themselves as a
distinct party, continued to act by their original authority; and so far from
surrendering any of their rights, had them ratified and confirmed by the whole
fraternity in Grand Lodge assembled. No regulations of the Society which might
hereafter take place could therefore operate with respect to those lodges, if
such regulations were contrary to, or subversive of, the original constitutions
by which they were governed; and while their proceedings were conformable to
those constitutions, no power known in masonry could legally deprive them of any
right which they had ever enjoyed.
The necessity of fixing the original
constitutions as the standard by which all future laws in the Society are to be
regulated, was so clearly understood by the whole fraternity at this time, that
it was established as an unerring rule, at every installation, public and
private, to make the Grand Master, and the Masters and Wardens of every lodge,
engage to support these constitutions; to which also every mason was bound by
the strongest ties at initiation. Whoever acknowledges the universality of
masonry to be its highest glory, must admit the propriety of this conduct; for
were no standard fixed for the government of the Society, masonry might be
exposed to perpetual variations, which would effectually destroy all the good
effects that have hitherto resulted from its universality and extended progress.
During the administration of Mr. Sayer,
the Society made no very rapid progress. Several brethren joined the old lodges;
but only two new lodges were constituted.
Mr. Sayer was succeeded in 1718 by
George Payne esq. who was particularly assiduous in recommending a strict
observance of the communications. He collected many valuable manuscripts on the
subject of masonry, and earnestly desired that the brethren would bring to the
Grand Lodge any old writings or records concerning the fraternity, to shew the
usages of ancient times. In consequence of this general intimation, several old
copies of the Gothic constitutions were produced, arranged, and digested.
On
the 24th of June 1719, another assembly and feast was held at the Goose and
Gridiron before mentioned, when Dr. Desaguliers was unanimously elected Grand
Master. At this feast, the old, regular, and peculiar toasts or healths of the
free-masons were introduced; and from this time we may date the rise of
free-masonry on its present plan in the South of England. The lodges, which had
considerably increased by the vigilance of the Grand Master, were visited by
many old masons who had long neglected the craft, several noblemen were
initiated, and a number of new lodges constituted.
At an assembly and feast
held at the Goose and Gridiron on the 24th June 1720, George Payne esq. was
re-elected Grand Master, and under his mild but vigilant administration the
lodges continued to flourish.
This year, at some of the private lodges, to
the irreparable loss of the fraternity, several valuable manuscripts, concerning
their lodges, regulations, charges, secrets, and usages, (particularly one
written by Mr. Nicholas Stone, the warden under Inigo Jones,) were too hastily
burnt by some scrupulous brethren, who were alarmed at the intended publication
of the masonic constitutions.
At a quarterly communication held this year at
the Goose and Gridiron on the festival of St. John the Evangelist, it was
agreed, That, in future, the new Grand Master shall be named and proposed to the
Grand Lodge some time before the feast; and
if approved, and present, he shall be saluted as Grand Master elect: and that
every Grand Master, when he is installed, shall have the sole power of
appointing his deputy and wardens, according to ancient custom.
At a Grand
Lodge held in ample form on Lady-day 1721, brother Payne proposed for his
successor, John duke of Montague, at that time master of a lodge. His grace,
being present, received the compliments of the lodge. The brethren expressed
great joy at the prospect of being once more patronised by the nobility; and
unanimously agreed, that the next assembly and feast should be held at
Stationers'-hall; and that a proper number of stewards should be appointed to
provide the entertainment; but Mr. Josiah Villeneau, an upholder in the Borough,
generously undertook the whole management of the business, and received the
thanks of the Society for his attention.
While masonry was thus spreading its
influence over the southern part of the kingdom, it was not neglected in the
North. The General Assembly, or Grand Lodge, at York, continued regularly to
meet as heretofore. In 1705, under the direction of sir George Tempest bart.
then Grand Master, several lodges met, and many worthy brethren were initiated
in York and its neighbourhood. Sir George being succeeded by the right hon.
Robert Benson, lord mayor of York, a number of meetings of the fraternity was
held at different times in that city, and the grand feast during his mastership
is said to have been very brilliant. Sir William Robinson bart. succeeded Mr.
Benson in the office of Grand Master, and the fraternity seem to have
considerably increased in the North under his auspices. He was succeeded by sir
Walter Hawkesworth bart. who governed the Society with great credit. At the
expiration of his mastership, sir George Tempest was elected a second time Grand
Master; and from the time of his election in 1714 to 1725, the Grand Lodge
continued regularly to assemble at York under the direction of Charles Fairfax
esq. sir Walter Hawkesworth bart. Edward Bell esq. Charles Bathurst esq. Edward
Thomson esq. M. P. John Johnson M. D. and John Marsden esq. all of whom, in
rotation, during the above period, regularly filled the office of Grand Master
in the North of England.
From this account, which is authenticated by the
books of the Grand Lodge at York, it appears, that the revival of masonry in the
South of England did not interfere with the proceedings of the fraternity in the
North. For a series of years the most perfect harmony subsisted between the two
Grand Lodges, and private lodges flourished in both parts of the kingdom under
their separate jurisdiction. The only distinction which the Grand Lodge in the
North appears to have retained after the revival of masonry in the South, is in
the title which they claim, viz. The Grand Lodge of all England; while
the Grand Lodge in the South passes only under the denomination of The Grand
Lodge of England. The latter, on account of its situation, being encouraged
by some of the principal nobility, soon acquired consequence and reputation;
while the former, restricted to fewer, though not less respectable, members,
seemed gradually to decline. Till within these few years, however, the authority
of the Grand Lodge at York was never challenged; on the contrary, every mason in
the kingdom held it in the highest veneration, and considered himself bound by
the charges which originally sprung from that assembly. To be ranked as
descendants of the original York masons, was the glory and boast of the brethren
in almost every country where masonry was established; and, from the prevalence
and universality of the idea, that in the city of York masonry was first
established by charter, the masons of England have received tribute from the
first states in Europe. It is much to be regretted, that any separate interests
should have destroyed the social intercourse of masons; but it is no less
remarkable than true, that the brethren in the North and those in the South are
now in a manner unknown to each other. Notwithstanding the pitch of eminence and
splendor at which the grand Lodge in London as arrived, neither the lodges of
Scotland nor Ireland court its correspondence. This unfortunate circumstance has
been attributed to the introduction of some modern innovations among the lodges
in the South. As to the coolness which has subsisted between the Grand Lodge at
York and the Grand Lodge in London, another reason is assigned. A few brethren
at York having, on some trivial occasion, seceded from their ancient lodge, they
applied to London for a warrant of constitution; and without any inquiry into
the merits of the case, their application was honoured. Instead of being
recommended to the Mother Lodge to be restored to favour, these brethren were
encouraged in their revolt; and permitted, under the banner of the Grand Lodge
at London, to open a new lodge in the city of York itself. This illegal
extension of power justly offended the Grand Lodge at York, and occasioned a
breach, which time, and a proper attention to the rules of the Order, only can
repair.
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