M. D." Bro. Dove has been an

active member of the Grand Lodge of Virginia for fifty, and its Grand Secretary for more than thirty, years. He says: "The first Lodge of An- cient York Masons was chartered Dec. 22, 1733, in the village of Norfolk, by the title of Eo/al Exchange Lodge, No. 172. The second Lodge was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland for Port Royal, by the name of Kilwinning Cross, in 1755. The third was chartered by the same Grand Lodge for Petersburg, by the name of Blandford Lodge No. 83, in 1767. The fourth was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for Fredericksburg, July 21, 1758, having some years before obtain- ed a dispensation. The fifth was chartered by the Grand Lodge of England for Hampton, Nov. 6, 1773, by the name of St Tamany; and, on the same day, by the same grand body, the sixth Lodge was chartered for Williamsburg, by the name of Williamsburg. The seventh was chartered by the same for Gloucester, Nov. 6, 1773, by the name of Botetourt. The eighth was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland for Cabin Point, April 5, 1775, by the name of Cabin Point Eoyal Arch. Beside these are found on the registry of the Grand Lodge of Scotland that St. John's Lodge No. Ill was constituted at Norfolk in 1741; also there was a Lodge at Falmouth, and one chartered for Yorktown, Aug. 1, 1755, by the Grand Lodge of England. That there were others in the State (mili- tary lodges no doubt) is proven by a letter written in 1843, by K. W. John Barney, the Grand Lecturer of Ohio, in which he says : ' Capt. Hngh Maloy, aged ninety-three, is now living in or near Bethel, Clei- mont Co., who was initiated in 1782, in Gen. Washington's Marquee; Gen. Washington presided in per- son, and performed the initiatory ceremonies. ' " At a convention of delegates from Norfolk, Kilwinuing Port ltov.il Cross, Blandford, Vril-
liamsburg, ai^d Cabin Point BoyiJ Arch lodges, met at Williamsburg, Va., May 6, 1777, for the purpose of choosing ;., Grand Master for the State of Virginia. The convention decided, by unanimous vote, that a Grand Master ought to be chosen to preside over the Craft in Virginia, and a committee was appointed to present, to the Fraternity at large, the reasons for this step. May 13, following, the convention received the committee's report, which pre- sented four reasons for the course contemplated, viz : 1. That the lodges in Virginia were working under jive distinct and separate au- thorities, viz: the Grand Masters of England, Scotland, Ireland, Penn- sylvania, and America, the last at second hand; consequently, they could not assemble in annual com- munication to manifest the distin- guishing characteristics of Masonry, or settle whatever differences might arise among the respective lodges for want of a common tribunal. 2. No precedent could be found by the committee where Masonry had ever derived any benefit from the foreign appointment of a Grand Master in this country, those officers being but little known and slightly regarded. 3. There was no tribunal for the correction of abuses, and no settled authority for the establish- ment of new lodges. 4. The Grand Lodges of England, Scotland, and Ireland, having established their own right of election upon the inherent privilege of Masons, dis- tinct from all foreign power what- ever, the committee conceive that the Masons of Virginia have the same rights and privileges which Masons in other lauds, hi all times, heretofore had confessedly enjoyed. After the discussion of this able paper, the convention then ad- journed to meet at Williamsburg, June 23, ensuing. Upon that day, the delegates of five lodges assem- bled, agreeably to adjournment, and declared themselves unanimously of opinion that a Grand Master of Virginia is essential to the prosperity and dignity of Masonry in general; but. the-re not being a majority of the Virginia lodges represented
GENERAL HISTORY OF FBEEMASONRF.
they declined proceeding at that time to an election. The conven- tion recommended, however, that each lodge petition its own Grand Master (in England, Scotland, etc. , as the case might be,) to appoint some one worthy Mason, resident in .this State, as Grand Master thereof, with power to resign such authority to a convention of all the lodges when they should meet and elect a Grand Master. And for this purpose the convention re- commended that GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON, commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army, should be the individual to whom the charter of appointment should be made, but he declined. The convention re- assembled, Oct. 13, 1778, four lodges being represented, and adopted a resolution, unanimously, that there was a sufficient number of lodges present to proceed to business. Decided that the power and au- thority of Cornelius Harnet, as Deputy Grand Master of America, had ceased to exist. John Blair, of Williamsburg, was then unani- mously elected Grand Master. He M'as installed Oct. 30, ensuing, and thus the long-desired object of an Independent Grand Lodge was accomplished.
Royal Arch Masonry was intro- duced into Virginia under the auspices of Joseph Myers, one of the Inspectors General of the An- cient and Accepted rite, of the southern jurisdiction, at Charleston, S. C. The SUPREME GRAND ROYAL, ARCH CHAPTER was organized at Norfolk, May 1, 1808. This grand body is not in affiliation with the General Grand Chapter of the United States.
The GRAND ENCAMPMENT was or- ganized about 1823; was represented in the Grand Encampment of the United States in 1826; soon became dormant. Organized new Grand Encampment in 1845, without ap- proval of the Grand Encampment of the United States. In 1851 united again with the Grand En- campment of the United States; seceded again in 1861 ; renewed her allegiance to the Grand Encamp- ment of tLe United States in 1866.
WASHINGTON, TERBITOBT oy. A convention of delegates fiom Olympia Lodge No. 5; Steilacoom Lodge No. 8 ; Grand Mound Lodge No. 21, and Washington Lodge No. 22, all having received charters from the Grand Lodge of Oregon, met in Olympia, territory of Washington, Dec. 6, 1858, for the purpose of considering the propriety of estab lishing a Grand Lodge for said ter- ritory. The convention appointed the usual officers, and committees, and on the 7th regularly organized a Grand Lodge, adopted a consti- tution, elected and installed Grand Officers. T. F. McElroy was elected the first Grand Master.
WEST VIRGINIA. A conven- tion of delegates from nine lodges of West Virginia met at Fairmount, on Wednesday, April 12, 1865, when, after the transaction of other busi- ness, the convention elected Grand Officers. W. J. Bates was elected Grand Master, and T. H. Logan Grand Secretary. The couventioii adjourned to meet again May 10, of the same year, when the Grand Officers were installed in ample form, and the Grand Lodge of West Virginia regularly established..
WISCONSIN. The introduction of Freemasonry into this territory began in January, 1843, by dispen- sations granted to Mineral Point Lodge, at Mineral Point; Melody Lodge, at Platteville, and Mil- waukee Lodge, at Milwaukee, by the Grand Lodge of Missouri. A convention of the delegates from the lodges just named assembled at the city of Madison, on Monday, Dec. 18, 1843, when the convention adopted the resolution that it waa expedient to form a Grand Lodge in the territory of Wisconsin. A constitution was adopted, officers elected and installed. Rev. B. T. Kavanaugh was elected the first Grand Master.
The GRAND CHAPTER of Royal Arch Masons was founded Feb. 13, 1850. DwightF. Lawton was elected the first Grand High-Priest.
The GRAND COUNCIL of Royal and Select Masters was organized in 1857. James Collins was elected the first Grand Master.
68
GENERAL HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY.
The GRAND COMMANDEBY, Knights Templar, was organized Oct. 20, 1859. Henry L. Palmer, was elected the first Grand Commander.
GENERAL GRAND CHAPTER
or THE UNITED STATES. Until the year 1797 no Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was organized in America. Previous to that period, a competent number of companions of that degree, possessed of suffi- cient ability, under the sanction of a Master's warrant, exercised the rights and privileges of Royal Arch Chapters, wherever they thought it expedient or proper. This unre- strained mode of proceeding was subject to many inconveniences and of great injury to the society. Fully sensible of the many irregularities to which the Order was^ exposed, and wjth the view of preventing these difficulties in the future, in the year 1797, a convention of representatives from the several chapters in the State of Pennsyl- vania met at Philadelphia, and organized a Grand Chapter for the State. This was the first Grand