CHAPTER IV

THE FOUNDING OF DULY CONSTITUTED FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
1733, April 13. London-New England.
On this day, in the Grand Mastership of Lord Vis- count Montague, a Deputation issued to Henry Price as “Provincial Grand Master of New England and Do- minions and Territories thereunto belonging.” ‘This was the second Deputation issued for the western world. That issued to Coxe, however, never having been exer- cised, the Deputation to Price becomes the first to be transmitted across the seas and being immediately put into operation is the first regular Masonic authority for American Masonry.
The date of Price’s Deputation has often been given as April 30th and it is possible the latter date is correct. It was so written by Pelham when he recorded the Com- mission in the first book of the Provincial Grand Lodge records. It is also so recorded in the earliest volume now extant of the Proceedings of the First Lodge in Boston, in the handwriting of Ebenezer Swan. An inspection, however, of the original record discloses that Swan started to write the word “thirteenth” and after writing the first “e’”’ changed the word to “thirtieth.” This indi- cates that he had something which led him to think the date was the thirteenth but concluded to accept Pelham’s authority and therefore changed it to the thirtieth. Probably Pelham was wrong and Swan’s first inclination
was correct. The fourth page of the Beteilhe Manu- 74
FOUNDING OF FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA 175
script, written between July 27 and August 23, 1737, expressly gives the date as the thirteenth. (Facsimile, page 85.) The original petition for the First Lodge in Boston, written July 30, 1733, also clearly gives the date as the thirteenth. (Facsimile, page 81.) In the Deputation of the Duke of Beaufort to John Rowe (1768) is found the recitation, “Our Right Worshipful and well beloved Brother Henry Price Esq’ of North America, Constituted Provincial Grand Master for North America by Viscount Montague Grand Master April both, 1733.” 1 Mass. 150.
It is likely that when Charles Pelham wrote his copy, he misunderstood whoever was dictating it to him or mis- read the original and that his blunder was followed by Ebenezer Swan, though in Swan’s mind he had remem- bered it was the thirteenth. April 13 is confirmed by an entry made by Grand Secretary French in a volume of manuscript records of the Grand Lodge of England which reads as follows:
“N.B. The Deputation of Bro’ H. Price has never come to my hand, but among other loose papers I have found the following memorandum. (Signed) Tho* French.
“Viscount Montague, G.M.
Henry Price, Esq" P.G.M. for all North America and the Territories thereunto belonging, Date April 13", 1733, desire the favour to resign his Provincialship in favour of John Rowe, Esq* to be Provincial G.M. over North America where no other Provincial is appointed.
(Signed) Beaufort, G.M.
He resigning recommends John Rowe, Esq’. We therefore do hereby con-. . .””
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Henry Price received this Deputation in person (1 Mass. 402) paying the fee of three guineas therefor to Thomas Batson, Esq., then Deputy Grand Master, who with the Grand Wardens signed the Deputation.
1 Mass. 134.
In Civil War days, when paper stock was scarce, the late Right Worshipful Brother Thomas W. Davis, (Mass. Junior Grand Warden, 1883; Grand Secretary, 1908-1914) then a boy, was employed in buying for a dealer all the old papers that could be found in Townsend, Massachusetts, and vicinity. He has told the author that he then bought nearly all the old papers there were in the residences of that town. He distinctly remembered buying of the Wallace (or Wallis) family. What he collected he piled into his wagon and carted to Fitchburg, where it was sold to paper makers. He felt firmly convinced that he had gathered, among others, all the papers of the Wallaces and other heirs of Henry Price and thus had ignorantly and innocently been the instrument of destruction of this very Deputation.
Price’s Deputation as copied by Pelham is as follows:
Montague (seal) G:M.
To all and every Our R' Worsh' Worshipful and Lov- ing Brethren now Residing or who may hereafter Re- side in New England,
The R‘ Hon? and R‘ Worsh' Anthony Lord Viscount Montague Grand Master of the Free and Accepted Ma- sons of England,
Sendeth Greeting
Whereas Application has been made unto us by our R‘' Worsh and well Beloved Bro” M" Henry Price in behalf of himself and several other Brethren now Re- siding in New England aforesaid Free and Accepted Masons, that We would be pleas’d to Nominate and Ap-
FOUNDING OF FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA "7
point a Provincial Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons in N: England aforesaid.
Now Know Ye That we have Nominated, Ordain’d, Constituted and appointed and do by these Presents Nominate, Ordain, Constitute and appoint Our said Worsh' and well Beloved Bro" M" Henry Price, Pro- vincial Grand Master of New England aforesaid and Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging with full power and Authority to Nominate and appoint his Dep- uty Grand Master and Grand Wardens, and We do also hereby Impower the said M* Henry Price, for us and in Our place and Stead, to Constitute the Brethren (Free and Accepted Masons) now Residing or who shall here- after reside in those parts, into One or more Regular Lodge or Lodges, as he shall think fit, and as often as Occasion shall require, He the said M* Henry Price, taking special care that all and every Member of any Lodge or Lodges so to be Constituted have been or shall be made Regular Masons, and that they do cause all and every the Regulations Contain’d in the Printed Book of Constitutions (except so far as they have been alter’d by the Grand Lodge at their Quarterly meetings) to be kept and Observ’d and also all such other Rules and Instructions as shall from time to time be Transmitted to him by us or by Thomas Batson Esq" Our Deputy Grand Master, or the Grand Master or his Deputy for the time being, and that He the said M* Henry Price or his Deputy do send to us or Our Deputy Grand Mas- ter and to the Grand Master of England or his Deputy for the time being annually, an acco‘ in Writing of the number of Lodges so Constituted with the Names of the several Members of each Particular Lodge, together with such other Matters & things as he or they shall think fit to Communicate for the Prosperity of the Craft.
And Lastly we Will and Require that our said Pro- vincial Grand Master of New England do Annually cause the Brethren to keep the Feast of S* John the Evangelist, and Dine together on that Day, or (in case
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any Accident should happen to prevent their Dinning to- gether on that Day) on any other Day near that time as he shall Judge most fit as is done here and that at all Quarterly Communications, he do recommend a General Charity to be Establish’d for the Relief of Poor Brethren in those parts. Given under Our Hand and Seal of office at London the Thirtieth Day of April 1733 & of Masonry 5733. By the Grand Master’s Command Tho* Batson D.G.M. G. Rooke 8.G.W. J. Smythe J.G.W.
It has been urged that there is no account of Price’s Deputation in the records of the Grand Lodge of Eng- land for 1733, and that, therefore, it was not voted by the Grand Lodge. It certainly was not voted by the Grand Lodge, for according to the regulations it was the Warrant of the Grand Master that was a deputation in those days, not a Charter or other instrument from a Grand Lodge. Price’s Deputation is by no means the only unrecorded authority to a Provincial Grand Master. It is true that a copy of the Warrant to Coxe appears in the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of England, but it is also true that there was a recognized Provincial Grand Lodge in Chester before May 10, 1727, yet no record was made of its Warrant, Charter or other au- thority (X Q.C.A. 73). The same is true of the Pro- vincial Grand Lodge of South Wales, which existed earlier than June 24, 1727 (X Q.C.A. 75); also of the Provincial Grand Lodge of East India, which dates from prior to December 13, 1733 (X Q.C.A. 237).
There is no record of the appointment of a Provincial Grand Master for Ireland, yet a Brother appeared and was recorded as such at the meeting of the Grand Lodge
FOUNDING OF FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA ‘179 of England on November 21, 1732 (X Q.C.A. 232).
There are many later instances. As the late Brother Sadler, Librarian and Curator of the Grand Lodge of England, wrote in 1910:
“The appointment of Provincial Grand Masters, then as now, was a prerogative of the Grand Master (and) consequently never appeared in the Grand Lodge Muin- utes except in some few instances in the early days of the Grand Lodge.” (Brother Henry Sadler, Librarian and Curator of the United Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. Masons of England to Bro. Julius F. Sachse, Dec. 31, 1910, quoted in 1 O.M.L.P. 11, note 16.)
1733, April 26, Philadelphia. *« The Pennsylvania Gazette copies from the Boston
Weekly News Letter the notice referred to under April 5, _ 1733, supra.
1733, April 30, London. The date of Henry Price’s Deputation as recorded by Pelham and Swan. 1 Mass. 1. But see, 1733, April 13, supra.
1733, May 7, Philadelphia.