CHAPTER XX

1746
1746, April 4, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. Brother Richard Gridley raised. 1916 Mass. 30. O.R.; A.B.
Richard Gridley.
Richard Gridley was born in Boston on January 3, 1710, the youngest of six children of Richard and Re- becca Gridley. As his elder brother had entered the law, it was the desire of his parents that Richard should enter a business career, and he was apprenticed to Mr. Atkinson, a wholesale merchant of Boston. Brother Huntoon says, “Apt and learned in the arts and sciences, he was one of the greatest mathematicians of his day; of romantic honour, chivalrous ambition, and adventurous bravery; nature made him a soldier, and art could not make him a merchant.”” He became a surveyor and civil engineer. He was the first, and for a long time the only gauger in America. He was the projector of Long Wharf, which was constructed according to his plan. He became proficient in military science in part through as- sociation with John Henry Bastide who became Director of His Majesty’s Engineers and Chief Engineer of Nova Scotia.
303
304 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
In the southeastern part of Cape Breton was the city of Louisburgh. It was perhaps the best fortified city in America. To this city in 1745, the New England Colo- nists laid siege under the command of Colonel William Pepperrell. Gridley was commissioned “Lieutenant Colonel” and ‘Captain of Train and Company,” and was given the command of the Grand or Royal Battery, which stood directly opposite the Harbour of Louis- burgh and which was captured by His Majesty’s forces on May 2, 1745. On August Ist Governor Shirley com- missioned him First Bombardier, and he continued in the double capacity of First Captain of Artillery and First Bombardier until the end of the siege. Such was his skill that he succeeded on the third fire in dropping a shell directly into the citadel, which was the immediate cause of the surrender of the city. All of the Pepperrell batteries were erected by Gridley. In this command he won his first military laurels. Returning home, he drew the designs for a battery and other fortifications on Gov- ernor’s Island in Boston Harbor, and then left the mili- tary service in 1749. Again taking up fortification work, in 1752 he erected Fort Halifax on the Kennebec River. In 1755 he was Chief Engineer of the Army and later in the year was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Provincial Artillery and Colonel of Infantry, drawing pay in both positions. He joined the expedition against Crown Point and under his supervision all the fortifica- tions around Lake George were constructed. On August 4, 1756, he was selected by General Winslow to attend him in a visit to His Excellency the Earl of Loudoun, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England, then Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty’s forces in America. This year Paul Revere, who had just become
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of age, was commissioned Second Lieutenant in Grid- ley’s Regiment.
Cape Breton having been restored to France, Louis- burgh, in 1758, again became the seat of war. Gridley participated in the siege and was present at the second taking of the city. In 1759, he was appointed by Gen- eral Amherst to command the Provincial Artillery, which was about to besiege Quebec. It was Gridley’s corps that dragged up to the Plains of Abraham the only two field pieces which were raised to the Heights. Grid- ley stood by the side of General Wolfe when that gallant officer fell victorious. Gridley then went to England to adjust his accounts with the government. For his dis- tinguished services he was given the Magdalen Isles, and one-half pay as a British officer. For several years there- after he maintained his home upon these islands, but in 1762 purchased a house in Prince Street in Boston. In 1770, in connection with Edmund Quincy, he entered the business of smelting ore in Sharon, leaving there in 1773.
In 1774 he signed a secret agreement with his intimate friend, General Joseph Warren, pledging each other that in the event of hostilities with the Mother Country they would join the Patriot Army. When his British agent in England requested to be informed upon which side he would take up arms, he replied: “I shall fight for justice and my country,’ and cast his lot with the Patriots. April 21, 1775, he was summoned to attend the Com- mittee of Safety, and was appointed to the command of the First Regiment of Artillery, the only artillery regi- ment in the Provinces at the opening of the war. On April 23rd he was appointed Chief Engineer of the Pa- triot forces and voted a pension for life. On April 26th
306 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
he entered the service and planned the fortification of Bunker’s Hill. On the 16th of June, 1775, the Patriot troops assembled on Cambridge Common and marched silently to Charlestown. Upon arrival acrimonious dis- cussion arose as to whether Breed’s Hill or Bunker’s Hill was the proper one for fortifications. Gridley with all his force argued that Bunker’s Hill was the only one whereon to erect breastworks. One of the Generals coin- cided with him, but the other was stubborn and deter- mined not to yield. At length Gridley said to the latter, “Sir, the moments are precious, we must decide at once. Since you will not give up your individual opinion to ours, we will give it up to you. Action, and that in- stantly, only can save us.”’ Gridley at once in person marked the place for the fortifications, gave orders, and even worked himself, spade in hand. Though this battle is generally known as the Battle of Bunker Hill, the fact is that the fortifications were erected and the fight staged on Breed’s Hill. Military authorities tell us that Grid- ley’s choice would have been much better. The next morning, the 17th of June, Gridley, owing to his age and the exhausting labour of the previous night, was sick and obliged to leave the hill, although he resolved so as to return later in the day and take command of his own battery, which consisted of ten companies and four hundred and seventeen men. It had only two brass pieces and six iron six-pounders. He was near to Warren when he fell. Almost at the same moment Gridley was struck by a musket ball and was unable to continue longer in the fight. Only two days after, however, as- sisted by one of his sons, he took charge of a battery at the Highlands.
To the skill and ingenuity of Richard Gridley America
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is indebted for the first cannon and mortars ever cast in this country.
On September 20, 1775, he received from the Provin- cial Congress the rank of Major General. Washington said of him that there was no one better qualified to serve as Chief Engineer of the army. But the infirmities of age were creeping upon him. MHe was obliged to resign his commission, and the council of officers agreed that it was better to place the command of the artillery in younger hands. Nevertheless in March, 1776, he di- rected the fortifying of Dorchester Heights, and they were made so formidable that the British dared not attack them and deemed it best to evacuate Boston. After the evacuation, he was entrusted by Washington with the duty of demolishing the British intrenchments on the Neck, and after these were destroyed he laid out and strengthened various fortifications in and about the city.
On the 8th of April, 1776, the body of Major General Joseph Warren was reinterred, Bunker’s Hill having again come into the possession of the Americans, and Richard Gridley was one of the pallbearers. Twelve days after, he was ordered by Washington to attend to the fortifications on Cape Ann and protect the harbour of Gloucester. His last military work which 1s his- torically demonstrable was upon the fortifications at Cas- tle William and Governor’s Island from March, 1778, to the first of January, 1781. The strength of his patriot- ism was certainly tested at this time for we find that in 1780 he wrote to Major General Heath that he had had no pay for thirteen months, and begged that something should be sent to him. His last appearance in public was in 1795, when he assisted in laying the corner-stone of the State House with Masonic ceremonies.
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Our first knowledge of him Masonically is that on January 22, 1745/6 he was made or admitted a member of the First Lodge in Boston, receiving the Degree of Master Mason in the Masters Lodge on April 4, 1746. He was Junior Warden of the Masters Lodge in 1753 and 1754, Senior Warden of the Second Lodge in 1755, Master of the Masters Lodge in 1756, and Master of the First Lodge in 1757. In Grand Lodge he was Junior Grand Warden in 1758 and 1759 and Senior Grand Warden in 1760 and the early part of 1761. Again he appears as Master of the Masters Lodge in 1763 and 1764, serving during the same years as Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge. When R. W. John Rowe was chosen Provincial Grand Master after the death of Jeremy Gridley he appointed on January 22, 1768, R. W. Richard Gridley, Past Grand Warden, to be Dep- uty Grand Master, and in this position Richard Gridley continued until after the death of John Rowe, and as late as August 4, 1787. On numerous occasions other than those already stated we find him constituting Lodges under special commissions.
Much has been said and written of his manly character, his urbanity, his uniform politeness, and graceful de- meanor, as well as of his charitable and philanthropic disposition. His personal appearance was that of a handsome, remarkably tall, commanding presence, with a frame firm and vigorous, and a constitution like iron. His death, which occurred on June 21, 1796, was caused by blood poisoning, and on Thursday, the 23rd, he was buried in a small enclosure near his home. On October 28, 1876, his body was disinterred and conveyed to the cemetery in Canton, where the remains were reinterred and a monument was erected over his grave.
1746 309
See oration (ef czt.) by Daniel T. V. Huntoon at the Memorial Services of Commemoration Day, held in Can- ton, May 30, 1877, under the auspices of Revere En- campment, Post 94, Grand Army of the Republic; also
1 Mass. passém.
1746, April 9, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. OR: ALB: 1746, April 23, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B. 1746, April 29, Jamaica.
Lodge Constituted at St. Jago de la Vega (now Span- ish Town), Jamaica.
O.L: Entick 337. L.M.R. 89. Prichard 29 1746, May 2, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. OiRi-7A.B: 1746, May 14, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B. 1746, May 29, Boston.
Meeting of the First Lodge. Robert Williams made. ©7R:: P.L.; A.B:
310 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
1746, June 6, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. O.R.; A.B. 1746, June 11, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B. 1746, June 24, Boston.
Celebration of the Festival by the Grand Lodge, twenty-five Brethren in attendance.
O.R. of First Lodge.
1746, June 25, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1746, July 4, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. Election. Brother Joseph Holbrook raised.
OURS Peli vAcb. 1746, July 9, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Election. O.R.; A.B. 1746, July 23, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B. 1746, August I, Boston.
Meeting of the Masters Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1746 311
1746, August 13, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. OE A.B: 1746, August 27, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1746, September 5, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1746, September 10, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. ORS sAtb:
1746, September 24, Boston. The records of the First Lodge state that by reason of an “Alarm of French Fleet” the Lodge was not opened. O.R.; A.B. 1883 Mass. 165.
1746, October 3, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. ORT tAB:
1746, October 8, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Rev. John Woods made. OTR Pi bs:2Alb:
1746, October 13, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Robert McKennen (Mackinen) made. OR eR BAB:
312 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
1746, October 22, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R. A.B. records this meeting as the 24th.
1746, November 7, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. Brother Rev. John Woods raised. OORe3 Ee AaD:
1746, November 12, Boston.
Meeting of the First Lodge. Capt. John Bradford and Joseph Sherburne made. James Buck ‘made for a Lylar ©
O.R.: Poe ASB:
1746, November 26, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1746, December 5, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. Election. O.R.; A.B.
1746, December 10, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Fee for making raised from 15 Pounds to 20 Pounds. O.R.; A.B.
1746, December 24, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Election. Voted: ‘“That all Visiting Bro™ who are Town inhabi-
1746 313
tants shall pay 15/ each night, and Transient persons lu O.R.; A.B.
Boston—Newfoundland. Pro. G. M. Oxnard grants a Constitution for a Lodge to be held in Newfoundland. 1 Mass. 9. L.M.R. 472.
1746/7, January 2, _ Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1746/7, January 14, __ Boston.
Meeting of the First Lodge. James Day, Jonathan Prescott, Newcoming Herbert, Andrew Irwin, Andrew Dure, Joseph Aberry, and Estes Hatch made. Brother Jonathan Rush ‘“‘made F. C.”’ Brother Robert Cummins admitted.
CURES. Ae
1746/7, January 16, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Meeting of the Lodge. Election. Capt. Nathaniel Pierce made.
O.R.
1746/7, January 28, Boston.
Meeting of the First Lodge. Capt. William Day, Peter Hammond, William Martin, and Simeon Patter made and admitted. Rev. Brother Charles Brockwell, King’s Chaplain, admitted.
Gon aE te A.B;
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1746/7, February 5, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1746/7, February 11, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Brother Benjamin Stans- bury admitted. O.R.; P.L.; A.B.
1746/7, February 25, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1746/7, March 7, Boston.
Meeting of the Masters Lodge. Brothers Samuel Waterhouse, James Day, John Colson (Collson), and Robert Williams raised.
OG a eget ig a Ee Pei \d ob
1746/7, March 11, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1746, Nova Scotia.
Lord Cranstoun, Grand Master of England, appointed Robert Commins, Provincial Grand Master for Cape Breton and Louisburgh.
Preston (Portsmouth, 1804) 192. Entick 334. PIG \2ndsbne wid) a6:
Respecting Capt. Robert Commins little or nothing is known. His name is not to be found in any naval history nor is it in any account of the war operations
1746 315
which preceded the capture of either Louisburgh or Quebec. Commins may have been an army officer al- though searches have not found his name in the army list of 1749. Along about this time there were many traders between New England ports and Louisburgh and Commins may have been one of these. With so little known about Commins and the practical certainty that he did not exercise his commission, we may with pro- priety dismiss him from further consideration.
1 Nova Scotia Lodge of Research 3, page 44.
Cf. Closing items of Chapters XI and XII; also
1746/7, January 14.
CuHapTer XXI
1747 1747, March 25, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Quis ACB: 1747, April 3, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. O.R.; A.B. 1747, April 8, - Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B. 1747, April 22, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O-Re ALB: 1747, May 1, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. O.R.; A.B. 1747, May 13, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B. 1747, May 27, Boston
Meeting of the First Lodge. Brother Andrew Mc- Kenzie admitted.
O.R.; A.B. 316
1747 317
The Pelham List says “pass’d F.C.”’ But it is wrong.
McKenzie was pass’d July 22, 1747. O.R.
The few errors which from time to time we find in the Pelham List, in the Beteilhe Manuscript, in the Barons Letter, and in the records prove their general correctness. In them there are no more errors than the average secretary or copyist makes in his work. The fact also that names are often differently spelled, although tdem sonans, is a further indication that much of Pel- ham’s information was obtained from other sources than the books now in our possession. The agreement, how- ever, between the original Proceedings which we have and the Pelham List from January 10, 1738/9, to Au- gust 28, 1751, is the best possible evidence of the cor- rectness of the List for the period from July 30, 1733, to November 8, 1738, a period for which we have no original records except now and then a document such as the petition of July 30, 1733, the Beteilhe Manuscript, and others cited supra. In this connection the surpris- ingly accurate agreement between the Pelham List, the Beteilhe Manuscript, and the Barons Letter for the periods when they overlap is worthy of special notice. All of these facts and others noted now and then szpra give remarkable proof that we may rely upon the Pelham List except for such an occasional error as might be made by a reasonably accurate scrivener.
(Notre. As a modern instance of just such errors creeping in, note instances in the article on The Estab- lishment and Early Days of Masonry in America, found in 1914 Mass. 243 to 288, and in The Budlder for the months of May, August and October, 1915, g.v. The date of Henry Price’s commission is given as April~2,
318 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
1733, which should of course have been April 13, 1733. The Provincial Grand Lodge of New South Wales in June, 1727, was referred to. It should of course have been South Wales. The date of the Deputation to Philipps as Provincial Grand Master for Nova Scotia was stated as 1740 when it should have been 1738. The date of the Portsmouth petition was quoted as February 9, 1735/6, instead of February 5; and the establishment of the Second Lodge in Boston February 17 instead of February 15, 1750. The author has gone over this book dozens of times, yet some such errors may escape him and a number of other Brethren who have kindly assisted him by verifying citations, etc. )
Henry Price himself made a similar error on one oc- casion by stating that his extension of authority over all North America was in 1735 instead of 1734.
1914 Mass. 270.
1871 Mass. 330.
See Chapter II, 4, c, and e; also 1739, July 25, supra.
1747, June 5, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1747, June 6, West Indies. Lodge Constituted by the Grand Master of England at St. Eustatius. O.L. Entick 337. L.M.R. 90. Prichard says January 6, 1747, but he is wrong.
1747 319
1747, June 10, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Election. O.R.; A.B. 1747, June 24, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Cr. e4Ac DB. i747, July 3, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. Election. QR .2vAlB. 1747, July 8, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B. 1747, July 22, Boston.
Meeting of the First Lodge. Capt. Archibald Gray- ham made.
else R: Brother Andrew McKenzie “‘Rais’d F.C. in due Form.” O.R.; A.B. 1747, August 7, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. Oe vA: Bb: 1747, August 12, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. ORes A.B! 1747, August 26, Boston.
Meeting of the First Lodge. Committee appointed to
320 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
send congratulations to Governor Belcher upon his ap- pointment as Governor of the Jerseys (New Jersey). O.R.; A.B. 1 Mass. 391. 1883 Mass. 162.
1747, September 3, Boston.
Letter of congratulation sent from the Provincial Grand Master and from the First Lodge to Governor Belcher upon his safe arrival to assume his new office as Governor of the Jerseys (New Jersey).
1 Mass. 391. 1871 Mass. 376. O.R. of First Lodge for September 9, 1747.
1747, September 4, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1747, September 9, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. John Ray (Rae) made. The report of the committee appointed to send con- eratulations to Governor Belcher together with their letter is spread in full upon the records. O.R.; A.B. 1883 Mass. 163.
1747, September 18, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Meeting of the Lodge. Samuel Solly, Charles Gor- wood, John Salmon, and Alexander Malcum made.
O.R.
1747 321
1747, September 23, Boston.
Meeting of the First Lodge.
O.R.; A.B.
The Pelham List gives Robert Bowers as made, John Salmon as passed on this evening. ‘The record is silent as to both.
See 1747, October 28, znfra.
1747, September 24 Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Meeting of the Lodge at which a vote was passed that application be made to Pro. G. M. Oxnard that there be a Provincial Grand Master for New Hampshire.
O.R. 1747, October 2, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1747, October 6,
Governor Jonathan Belcher from Kingswood House in the City of Burlington wrote to R. W. Thomas Oxnard, Esq., Provincial Grand Master of North America, and the Master, Wardens and Fellows of the First Lodge in Boston, a letter in acknowledgment of and thanks for the letter of September 3, 1747.
1 Mass. 392. O.R. of First Lodge for November 11, 1747.
1747, October 14, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Brothers John Salmon and Robert Bowers admitted. a ine: AJB:
322 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
1747, October 28, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Brother Charles Gor- wood passed. OFAViPE: Brother John Salmon passed and Brother John Rowe admitted. O.R.; A.B.
1747, November 3, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. John Conally (Conolly, Connally), Hugh Hardgrove, and Sampson Hodge made. ODP Pils Are
1747, November 11, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Letter of October 6, 1747, from Governor Belcher read and recorded. O.R.; A.B. 1 Mass. 392. 1883 Mass. 163.
1747, November 25, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Brother Alexander Mal- colm passed and admitted.
@ Pan vated CA) ates Wl 8
1747, December 9, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B. 1 Mass. 9.
1747, December 23, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Election. John Husk (Huske) made. Ome PL eeArD.
1747 323
1747/8, January 13, Boston.
Meeting of the First Lodge. Rev. Alexander Malcom, Capt. Aeneas Mackay (McKay), Samuel Levins, ‘Thomas Newton, and Samuel Stone (‘‘Master of the House’) made.
OAee bls? AL Bt
1747/8, January 15, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Meeting of the Lodge. O.R.
1747/8, January 21, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Meeting of the Lodge. O.R.
1747/8, January 25, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Meeting of the Lodge. O.R.
1747/8, January 27, Boston.
Meeting of the First Lodge. Capts. William Norris, Thomas Bogle, and Pat. Montgomery (Montgomerie ) made.
ORs bytes Asp,
1747/8, February 5, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. Election. O.R.; A.B.
324 FREEMASONRY IN AMERICA
1747/8, February 10, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Jonathan Dwight and James Abercrombie made.
OF) BS iy Wak ad Bp
1747/8, February 24, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. Capt. Paul Binney made. OLR ag Ac
1747/8, March 4, Boston. Meeting of the Masters Lodge. Brother John Husk (Huske) raised. OR bls sat,
1747/8, March 9, Boston. Meeting of the First Lodge. O.R.; A.B.
1747/8, March 23, Boston.
Meeting of the First Lodge. Benjamin Smithers made.
OS lets,