M. M. J.

leileg sie
my af - en a ovale eNO
ABBREVIATIONS
A.B. Account Book (of the Lodge to which refer- ence is being made).
Anderson. Anderson’s Constitutions.
A.Q.C. Ars Quatuor Coronatorum.
B.MS. Beteilhe Manuscript.
Entick. Entick’s Constitutions (1756).
F.J. Franklin’s Journal.
Gould. Gould’s (larger) History of Freemasonry. Edition of John C. Yorston & Co., 1889.
Note: There are four editions of Gould’s larger “History of Freemasonry.” The first two were published in London and Edinburgh in editions of three and six volumes between the years 1882 and 1887. The first American edition appeared in Phila- delphia in 1889, complete in four volumes. This is the edition cited. The last edition was published in 1906 as the principal part of a five-volume set known as “A Library of Freemasonry.” References in the following pages to Volume IV of Gould will not be found in the three- or six-volume editions where the page numbers are given below 295; they will be found, however, in Volume IV of the “Library of Freemasonry.”
L.B. pa brerie
L.H.B. Lane’s Handy Book to the Lists of Lodges.
L.M.R. Lane’s Masonic Records, 1717-1894, 2nd Ed.
Mackey. Mackey’s Revised History of Freemasonry, by Robert I. Clegg. (Masonic History Com- pany, 1921.)
1 Mass. Printed Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, 1733-1792 (containing the Proceedings of the Provincial Grand Lodges at Boston).
xii
Mass. N.E.F. O.L. O.M.L.P. O.R.
ba.
Prichard. led ba
Preston. Pro. G.M. P-t.
O.C.A. S.& H.
ABBREVIATIONS Printed Proceedings of Grand Lodge of
Massachusetts for year given.
The Freemason’s Monthly Magazine, by Charles W. Moore, commonly known as Moore’s Freemasons’ Magazine. Nickerson’s New England Freemason. Official Engraved Lists of the Lodges, pub- listed by authority of the Grand Lodge of England.
Sachse’s Old Masonic Lodges of Pennsyl- vania.
Original Record (of the body to which ref- erence is being made).
The Pocket Companion and History of Free- masonry by J. Scott, 1754.
Prichard’s Tubal-Kain (Dublin, 17607). The Charles “Pelham List’? of the Brethren made and accepted in the First Lodge in Boston, and of those raised and accepted in the Masters Lodge, written in 1751. (Orig- inal in archives of Grand Lodge of Massa- chusetts. )
William Preston’s Illustrations of Masonry. Provincial Grand Master.
A photo-stat made under the direction of the author is on file in archives of Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.
Quatuor Coronatorum Antigrapha.
Stillson & Hughan’s History of Freema- sonry.
The abbreviation for a state or country pre- ceded by a year and followed by a page, refers to the printed proceedings of the Grand Lodge for that jurisdiction.
CHAPTER
I II III
IV
VI VII
VIII
Ix
XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII xrx
CONTENTS
BEGINNINGS ° ° . . . . AUTHORITIES . . . : . .
EARLIEST TRACES IN THE WESTERN HEMI- SPHERE e ° . . ° . s
THES POUNDING OF) DULY CONSTITUTED FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA . . °
HENRY PRICE . . : . ° . BOSTON——-PHILADELPHIA—GEORGIA . °
THE FIRST PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER OF NORTH AMERICA
FRANKLIN S APPOINTMENT AS PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER FOR THE PROVINCE OF PENNSYLVANIA : , : :
ILS OI ee te
1 OT Geert: a2 ce Mal 6S tye hls SO i) Oe AC ee Ly, Ste8 1a coe te ee, Be ee eo ee Se PAO) Re De Oe) te Cle, ein Lh ge RE Ta ee os Screed see TH cel et) Ean a a a ee EIN | ean, PNT ed, | ee a |. hs 1 FEAST aS) Paoli eM RN eared PI Waa Saye SO ee Gee ae A
EPA pit COAL WO Gr LE i Cited Ais Malar ae
Xili
PAGE
19 28
43
74 92 104
115
124 133 152 168 203 219 235 247 264 Lb 2 284 297
XIV CHAPTER xX D:O.8 XXII XXIII XXIV
XXV
CONTENTS
1746
1747
1748
1749
ARCANA OF THE PERIOD CONCLUSION
INDEX .
PAGE
303 316 g20, one 373 379 387
ILLUSTRATIONS
HENRY PRICE, FOUNDER OF DULY CONSTI=
TUTED MASONRY IN AMERICA . . _ Frontispiece PAGE PAGES 13 anp 14 oF BETEILHE MANUSCRIPT . 39-40 THE MASONIC(?) sroNEOF 1606. . . . 44 PAGE OF “LIBR B’” . : : hh al ate! FACSIMILE OF ENTRY IN FRANKLIN’S JOURNAL . 65 WILLIAM ALLEN. oe FACSIMILE OF PETITION FOR FIRST LODGE IN BOS- TON. ’ Lei 39. FACSIMILE OF PAGE 6 OF ENGLISH OFFICIAL EN- GRAVED 1761 List. , : . 84 FACSIMILE OF PAGES 4, 5 AND 6 OF BETEILHE MANUSCRIPT . 85-87 ORIGINAL STONE OVER GRAVE OF HENRY PRICE . 94 FACSIMILE OF RECORD OF 1733 BY-LAWS OF FIRST LODGE IN BOSTON : chy gE OR ITEM FROM Boston Gazette ror aprit 1, 1735 . III FACSIMILE OF TWO PAGES OF FRANKLIN’S JOUR- NAL: 9 i ; : . 120-121 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. ; fol GS,
FACSIMILE OF TWO COLUMNS OF American Weekly Mercury ror “Marcu 20-27, 1735” . 130 JAMES HAMILTON . ey an teks:
FACSIMILE OF 1757 ROSTER OF SOLOMON’S LODGE,
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA . ; . 142 XV
xvi ILLUSTRATIONS
FACSIMILE OF PETITION FOR FIRST LODGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE . . ° ° : .
FACSIMILE OF LIST ACCOMPANYING LETTER OF FIRST LODGE IN BOSTON, RECOMMENDING MR. BENJ. BARONS, JUNE 23, 1736 . ; : 3
THOMAS HOPKINSON : : : ; : WILLIAM PLUMSTEAD . - ; : : JOSEPH SHIPPEN . ; : :
FACSIMILE OF PAGE OF RECORDS OF FIRST LODGE IN BOSTON FOR DECEMBER, 1738, AND JANUARY,
1738/9 PETER G PELHAM pcs. imes) aie hae
FACSIMILE OF PAGE OF RECORDS OF THE LODGE AT PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE, 1739/40
FACSIMILE OF RECORD OF FIRST LODGE IN BOSTON
FOR APRIL 23, 1740 . SILHOUETTE OF BRO. PHILIP SYNG . : BENJAMIN SMITH . ; ; :
OXNARD S DEPUTATION AS PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTER FOR NORTH AMERICA; SEPTEMBER 23,
14S a7. Me a a an a CHARLES PET H AMg es ag ae ee
FACSIMILE OF LETTER RECALLING PRICE TO THE CHAIR IN 1767
PAGE OF RECORD BOOK OF TUN TAVERN LODGE
FACSIMILE OF THE ““HUMBLE REMONSTRANCE” OF ocToBER 7, 1751 ; f
FACSIMILE OF PART OF RECORD OF MEETING OF GRAND LODGE IN BOSTON, APRIL 13, 1750 :
PAGE
149
158 160 180 206
212
230
232
240 RBS 270
276
292
344 he)
368
370
THE BEGINNINGS OF FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
ye : st A es r eh romani “4 Daw t k 1 ee eres htaea ‘ i ‘ a : iy i Wy ir id 4 va a . ay ae \ ne a i ss . ithe ey ih is ‘ MAN CURA ie Pin: an a dee a uy 1 mete Ff PAs Ny 1 oe % di there? aa si fea yee ‘ “im! Da ie LL ik : j Vay, | Ay Ps a
+ ' Ny 1 Hi i 1 y ’ ‘ | y i , a ’ i { ‘ 1 7 a ; b ? M t Ay ‘ 1! , A, . ; “ey ity fr » 5 ‘ ’ f : | Het ton i ne ( a) ‘ oP { a iy » 7 4 F oT. Ti » hI u +t i, ae >} 5 i " 9) 4 ae 1) j ' +e ay i + re u ™ Be! ; Pp - i y pu Vols a : 7 ; ! Aid Koy « ¥ J Ay i i ? ‘ pint ' bs hth eek
THE BEGINNINGS OF FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
CHAPTER [| BEGINNINGS
The male secret society is the oldest human institu- tion, older than any other form of religion, older than any other form of education, older indeed than any other form of civil government. And all down through the centuries, the secret society has maintained a powerful hold upon the hearts and minds of men.
Whatever its origin, however its life may be meas- ured, Freemasonry is admittedly the oldest secret society of the civilized world, as well as the largest. Yet, strangely enough, its history is shrouded in mystery. The true facts of its ancient days are a secret, more un- known, more mysterious than its arcana.
Its earliest manuscripts, the “Old Charges” or “Old Constitutions,” are Homeric. The scriveners recorded the traditions handed down to them verbally through the centuries and doubtless believed they were really writing history. What they gave us, we now know to be a curi- ous blending of fable and some demonstrable facts. But the facts have so utterly lost their true surroundings as to be as misleading historically as those things which are obviously fable. Euclid, who lived in Alexandria about three hundred years before Christ is, for instance,
made a contemporary and pupil of Abraham. 19
20 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
Too many so-called Masonic historians since the days when they should have known better have added fiction to fable and imagination to both, using the manifest errors of their predecessors as gospel, dreams as evidence, and guesses as proof. Moreover, we must confess that there are many speakers and writers on Masonic sub- jects to-day who do not seem to realize that such meth- ods do our cause more harm than good. Let one instance suffice to illustrate. A very celebrated and respected brother, whose name is a household word in this country, and who is known the world around, once made the statement in a public address that all but two of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were members of the Craft. That declaration from his lips was at once accepted at par and has been repeated thousands of times in addresses throughout the land. For some years the writer tried to verify that statement without success. Among other things, he applied to that brother who had turned the statement loose for his authority. The reply came quickly to the effect that undoubtedly he had in mind authority for what he said at the time he said it, but that he could not remember what it was. Now the fact may be exactly as stated, bu: many diligent seekers who would like to prove it have utterly failed in their efforts so to do. So many of the Lodges of those days failed to keep or preserve records and so many carefully recorded minutes have been burned or otherwise lost or destroyed that we shall never be able to prove the truth or the falsity of the claim.
Gould was the Thucydides of Masonic history. He first introduced the critical method. He attempted to
disentangle the fable from the fact. He fell into many errors. His conclusions are, many of them, wrong. His
BEGINNINGS 21
work cannot be called authoritative for even he accepted at par many assertions of others which we now know to be in error. And, too, later study has disclosed demon- strable facts unknown to him. But he did point the way to the proper method of studying and of writing Ma- sonic history. Others had written the true facts of their day and generation as well as those learned from the lips of their contemporaries. Gould first, however, taught us that the Masonic historian should be subject to the same tests of accuracy as all other historians. Not that we must have a photograph of each event or the written word of an eye-witness. Legitimate in- ference and reasonable conclusion have their place here as well as in all other phases of human affairs. Tradition even has its just place. But dreamland and the “wish that is father to the thought” must not be permitted longer to influence the writing of what purports to be real history. This does not mean that it should be neces- sary to present written documents in proof of what we shall conclude to be Masonic fact. Since the days when the printing press has come into general use, less weight is given to tradition and other evidences of fact. Prior to the days of the printing press but since the evolution of modern writing the same tests which are applied to conclusions of the ordinary historian are to be applied to the conclusions of the Masonic historian, with this ex- ception—that Masonry being a secret society, much less of its affairs would be committed to writing than other- wise. Back of the days of the development of the writ- ing of documents, the Masonic historian must depend upon such evidence as is relied upon by any scientific anthropologist.
How old is Freemasonry? From when does it date its
22 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
origin? ‘These and similar questions will never be an- swered by a date. Before an attempt can be made to find a point at which to start the discussion, a question of definition arises,;—When you ask the question, what do you mean by the word “Freemasonry”? If you mean the structural form of the present Grand Lodge system, with particular lodges together with the appendant de- grees of the so-called “York” and “Scottish” Rites, then the answer may be made that the stage of stability of this present structure did not come until at least the latter half of the nineteenth century. Indeed, now in the twentieth century that structure is not yet fixed and independent. In important respects such as the “Mark Degree,” the English system now differs radically from the American. Definite recognition of the ‘Scottish Rite’ did not become fixed in America until the last quarter of the nineteenth century, and Ireland to-day has not yet reached this stage.
Nomenclature is not now and probably never will be made historically correct. The “Scottish Rite’? does not descend from Scotland and the “York Rite” was not founded at York. The ‘‘Moderns” were older than the “Ancients.” These are but examples.
If by “Freemasonry” is meant the Symbolic system of “blue” degrees as now organized and practised, then the date of crystallization has not yet come. Between 1717 and 1725 (cérca) there was a radical recast of ritual. At the end of some nine years of considerable Masonic disturbance and debate, beginning in 1730 with the publications of Prichard’s ‘‘Masonry Dissected,” other radical changes were made by the English Grand Lodge. These were not followed in Scotland or Ireland and, in part, led to the organization of the “Grand
BEGINNINGS 23
Lodge of the Antients” in 1751. Both the Ancients and the Moderns planted Lodges in America and elsewhere during the long years thereafter until the English recon- ciliation of 1813. Thus at least these two systems (for they radically differed from each other) were slipped and planted where they took firm root and were in turn slipped and transplanted with the result that even to-day there is much divergence of ritual. And this is true even as to essentials, as to many things which have by stu- dents and Grand Lodges been called “Landmarks.”
If ‘Freemasonry’ means only what has descended from the Grand Lodge of England, then it dates from the organization of that Grand Lodge in 1717. But that Grand Lodge was organized by lodges theretofore existing and there is abundant evidence of speculative Freemasonry through earlier centuries.
The caterpillar builds its cocoon and changes its shape into a chrysalis, but the life of the chrysalis is the per- petuation of the life of the caterpillar. Even the ma- terial elements of its body are those of the caterpillar’s body transformed. And so, also, we follow that same life essence and those identical material atoms into the emerging moth, but how different in outward appear- ance! Just such, the writer believes has been the life- history through countless centuries of what we now call Freemasonry.
Defined as an organization of men, teaching monothe- ism, morality and immortality, in secret, by symbolism, and inculcating the worship of Deity and friendship for one another, it can have no fixed date of origin. In dif- ferent forms through the long years of human life upon the earth, its true essence and life may be believed to have been transmitted through the “‘Men’s House” of
24 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
pre-historic barbarism, the ancient mysteries, the Roman colleges, the cathedral builders, and many other connect- ing links transmuted and transformed, known by many names, into the Freemasonry which is the highest type of such an organization in this modern world. Recent studies furnish confirmatory evidence of this theory of the descent of Freemasonry which I have been insisting upon in Masonic addresses since 1913.
BEGINNINGS IN AMERICA
It has been argued that Freemasonry began with the Mayas and Quiches in the Western Hemisphere much more than one hundred centuries ago; and that the mys- teries migrated to the old world over a land bridge that was broken when Atlantis was destroyed.
Sacred Mysteries among the Mayas and the Quiches, 11500 years ago, etc., by LePlon- geon.
This theory is purely fanciful and pabulum only for the dreamer.
X The Builder (Jan. 1924) 7
When the Western Hemisphere began to be colonized from Europe, our present system of Grand and particular lodges had not come into being. Masonry was then nomadic and lodges were ‘‘occasional.” It was more operative than speculative. But we still have the Old Charges of a Freemason reduced to manuscript be- fore Colon, the Jew (now generally called Columbus) set his foot upon an island in the West Indies. When first thereafter some of those Freemasons under the Old Constitutions, or Old Charges, came with other colonists to these shores, the fog of time effectually conceals from
BEGINNINGS 25
our historic vision. It is unlikely that the early planting of European civilization in Central America and else- where in the Western world brought Freemasonry with it, although the operative Masons certainly came. And there are certain indications in their work to be found in Panama and northwestern South America which indicate that they were speculative as well as operative Masons. Nearly all of their work is marvellously like that of those operative Masons of the Middle Ages’from whom we descend. There is less likelihood that either the Pil- grims or the Puritans were of our Craft. As a reasonable inference or at least speculation from known facts, it may be said (though not asserted as definite) that Free- masonry first came to the Western Hemisphere through mariners, merchants and officers, civil and military. This was unmistakably the case in the early eighteenth century.
“Duly constituted” Lodges of Freemasons, as we use the words, never existed prior to June 24, 1717. The unnumbered and mostly unknown Lodges theretofore were but voluntary and indefinite assemblages of those Freemasons who casually or for business reasons found themselves in a given neighbourhood. ‘To this rule there were exceptions becoming more numerous toward the close of the seventeenth century, but it may be said as a generality that there was no such thing as Lodge ‘“‘mem- bership.”’ All were Freemasons “at large.” With cer- tain definite exceptions, no Lodge was a continuing body or had officers with terms which overran each closing or kept records. They were usually occasional bodies hav- ing no persevering entity. They were, however, “‘regu- lar.”
The reincarnation or transmutation commonly known
26 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
as the “Revival of 1717” changed all this. It provided not only Grand Lodge organization and administrative machinery but included definite provisions for Lodge con- tinuity. It established for all future time the funda- mental test of regularity and due constitution as exist- ence under explicit authority lawfully granted by a Grand Master.
In a world which had not harnessed the energies of steam or electricity or gas for the transportation of per- sons or freight or intelligence, some years passed before these rules of regularity were thoroughly known, much less accepted, by all the Masons familiar with the old haphazard customs. But finally the whole Fraternity wheresoever dispersed recognized and conformed. ‘The Regulations governing regularity (formally adopted June 24, 1721) comparatively soon obtained full sway and have ever since been universally recognized by the Craft. No “duly constituted” Lodge of Symbolic Ma- sonry exists or has ever existed since then—except only the four which together organized the Grand Lodge of 1717 and Mother Kilwinning and her children—without warrant and/or constitution by act of a Grand Master or of his Deputy.
See 1700, énfra.
The early Lodges and Provincial Grand Lodges were careless about the keeping of records. Even the Mother Grand Lodge itself has no formal record book for more than six years after its organization. And the premier Provincial Grand Lodge of the Western Hemisphere, organized in Boston, Massachusetts, July 30, 1733, has no formal and continuous records written in a book at the time of the recorded events, until 1750.
This has led some argumentative Brethren to assert
BEGINNINGS 27
that there is naught but tradition of duly constituted Masonry in America prior to 1750. And it has led to this attempt to make a chronological compilation of all the real known facts of Masonry in America prior to the middle of the eighteenth century with references to the original evidence, nearly all of which has been per- sonally and critically examined. Now and then are also included, for convenience of the student, references to certain things which even some of our best historians and their readers have swallowed with much consequent ptomaine poisoning.
No pretension is made that this is complete. It does contain, however, everything for which the investigations of the writer have disclosed credible and authentic evi- dence. It is hoped that others may be stimulated to publish all possible facts of the period for which they can and do cite authority worthy of and available for examination and test as to historical accuracy.