CHAPTER IL

*

Commencement qf Masonry in America*

FREEMASONS' lodges in America are of re-^
cent date. Upon application of a number of bre«
tkren residing in Boston^ a warrant was grantii^

FREEMASON^S^ MONITOR. 29d

hy the right honourable and most worshipful An*
thony. Lord Viscount Montague, grand master of
masons in England, dated the 30th of April, 1733,
"^ppcnnting the right worshipful Henry Price grand
master in North America, with full power and au-
fhorify to appoint his deputy, and other masonic
officers necessary for forming a grand lodge; and
also to constitute lodges of free and accepted ma-
sons, as often as occasion should require.

In consequence of this commission, the grand

master opened' a grand lodge in Boston,* on the
30th of July, 1733, in due form, and appointed the

right worshipful Andrew Belcher deputy grand
master, the worshipful Thomas Kennelly and John
Quaiin, grand wardens.

The grand lodge, being thus organized, under
the designation -of St. John^s "Grand Lodge, pro-
ceeded to grant warrants for instituting regular
lodges in various parts of Ameriea ; afid from this
grand lodge, originated the first lodges in Massa-
chusetts, New-Hampshire, Rhode*Island, Connec-
ticut, ISewJersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Vir^
gtniiBt, North^Carolina, South-Carolina, Barbaddes>
Antigua, Newfoundland, Louisburgh, Nova-Scotia^
Quebec, Surmam and St. Christopher's.

^; « SoometitneB cnUed "The Grand Lod^ of Modern^ Mo-^

800 FREEMASON'S MOKITOiU

Jn 1775, hostilities' commenced between Opetl*
Britain and America. Boston became a garrison^
and was abandoned by many of its former inha-
bitants. The regular meetings of the grand lodg-
es were terminated^ and the brethren of Su
John's Grand Lodge held no assembly until after
the re-establishment of peace.

There was at that time also a grand lodge hold*
en at Boston^ upon the ancient establishment^ un-
der the designation of '^ The Massachusetts Grand
Lodge y^^ which originated as follows :

in 1755> a number of brethren residing in Bos-
ton, who were ancient masons, in consequence of
ft petition to the grand lodge of Scotland, reeelved
a deputation, dated Nov. 30th, 175i7from'Sholto
Charles Douglas, Lord AherAour, then grdiid
master^ constituting them a regular lodge, under
the title oi St. Jndrew^s JLodge, No^ 82, 4o be
holden at Bostoa*

This establishment was discouraged and oppos-
ed by the St. John's grand lodge, who thought
their privileges infringed by the grand lodge of
Scotland ; they therefore refused to ha^e aqy in-
tercourse with St. Andrew^s iodge^ for ^veral
years.

The prosperous* state of St. Andrew's lodge
soon led 4ts members to make great exertions for
the establishment of an ancient grand lodge kk

-America J which was soon effected in Boston^ by
the assistance of travelling lodges^ belonging to
^he British army, who were stationed there,

Dec. 27, 1769. The festival of the Evangelist
"was celebrated in due form. When the brethren
were assemblcd> a commission from the right ho-
nourable and most worshipful George, E^rl of
Dalhouse, grand master of masons in Scotland^
dated the 60th of May, 1760, appointing Joseph
Warren to be grand master of masons in 8oston>
ismd within one hundred miles of the same, was
"read, and he was, according to ancient usage, du*
ly installed into that oflSce. The grand master
then appointed and installed the other grand offi-
cers, and the grand lodge was at this time com-
^pletely organized.

Between this period and the year 17D1, this
grand lodge granted warrants of constitution for
lodges to be holden in Massachusetts, New-Hamp-
shire, Connecticut, Vermont and New- York.

In the year 1773, a commission was received
from the right honourable and most worshipful
Patrick, Earl of Dumfries, grand master of ma*
sons in Scotland) dated March 3, 1772> appoint^
ing the right worshipful Joseph Warren, Esq%
grand master of masons for the Continent x^
America.

C c

902 FRE£MAS0N'3 MONITOR,

In 1775, the meetings of the grand lodge were
suspended^ by the town of Boston becoming a gar*
rifion. -^

At the battle of Bunker's hill, on the 1 7th of
June, this year, masonry and the grand lodge met
tvith a heavy loss, ki the death of grand mas-
ter Warren, who was slain contending for the li-
berties of his country.

Soon after the evacuation of Boston by the Bri-
tish army, and previous to any regular communi'
cation, the brethren, influenced by a pious regard
to the memory of the late grand master, were in-
duced to search for his body, which had been
rudely and indiscriminately buried in the field pf
slaughter. They accordingly repaired to the place,
and, by direction of a person who was on the
ground at the time of his burial, a spot was found
where the earth had been recently turned up.
Upon removing the turf, and openmg the grave,
which was on the brow of a hill, and adjacent to
a small cluster of sprigs, the remains were disco*
vered, in a mangled condition, but were easily as-
certained ;* and, being decently raised, were
conveyed to the state-house in Boston; from whence,
by a large and respectable number of brethren,
with the late grand officers, attending in procet*

* By an aitificial tooth.

yR£EMA$0N'9 MONITOR. SQ?

fiion, Aey were carried to the Stone Chapel, where
an animated eulogium was delivered by brother
Perez Morton. The body was then deposited in
the silent vault, *' without a sculptured stone to
mark the spot ; but^ as the whole earth is the se-
pulchre of illustrious men, his fame, his gloriou^s
actions, are engraven on the tablet of universal re^
membrancej and will survive marble monuments,
or local inscriptions.*'

1777, March 8. The brethren, who had been
dispersed in consequence of the war, being now
generally collected, they assembled to take into
consideration the state of masonry. Being de*
prived of their chief by the melancholy death of
their grand master, as before mentioned, after due
consideration, they proceeded to the formation of
a grand lodge, and elected and installed the most
worshipful Joseph Webb, their grand master.

1 783, January 3. A committee was appoint-
ed to draught resolutions explanatory of the pow-
er and authority of this grand lodge. On the 24th
of June following, the committee reported as to\r
lows, V iz.

'* Thfi committee appointed to take into consi-
deration the conduct of those brethren who assume
the powers and prerogatives of a grand lodge, on
the ancient establishment in this place, and ex-
amine the extent of their authority and jurisflO

804 FRBEMASON'S MONITOiU

tion, together with the powers of .any other mk
cient masonic insUtution within the same^ beg
leave to report the result of their examination^
founded on the following facts: viz»

" That the commission from the grand lodge ,of
Scotland^ granted to our late grand master Joseph
Warren^ Esq. having died with him^ and of coursf
his deputy^ whose appointment was derived from
his nomination^ being no longer in existence^ they
•aw themselvf^s without a hcad^ and without a
single grand ollicer; and of consequence it was
cvidentj that not only the grand lodge^ but all Ihf
particular lodges under its jurisdiction^ must cease
to assemble, the brethren be dispersed, the penny-
less go unassisted, the craft languish, and ancieni
masonry be extinct m this part of the world.

*^ That in consequence of a summons from the
former grand officers to the masters and wardens
of all the regular constituted lodges, a grand com-
munication waa held, to consult and advise on
some means to preserve the intercourse of the
brethren.

• " That the political head of this country having
destroyed all connection and correspondence be-
tween the subjects of these states and the country
from which the grand lodge originally derived its
commissioned authority, and the principles of the
cvaft inculcating on its professors submissicux t%

IREEMASON'S MONITOR* 305

the commands of the civil authority of the coun-
try they reside in ; the brethren did assume an
elective supremacy, and under it chose a grand
master and grand officers, and. erected a grand
lodge, with independent powers and prerogatives,
to. be exercised however on principles consistent
with and subordinate to the regulations pointe4
out in the constitutions of ancieat masonry.

<^ That the reputation and utility of the craft,
^nder their jurisdiction, has been most extensively
diffused, by the flourishing state of fourteen lodges
ponstituted by their authority, within a shorter pe-
rtod than that in which tJn^e only received dispen-
sations under the fornaer grand lodge.

" That in the history of our craft we find, that
in England there are two grand lodges indepen*
dent of each other ; in Scotland the sa>me ;; and
in Ireland their grand lodge and grand master are
independent either of England or Scotland. It is
dear that the authority of some of their grand
lodges originated in assumption; or, otherwise^
they would acknowledge the bead from whence
they derived^

" Your committee are therefore of opinion, that
the doings of the present grand lodge were dictat-
ed by principles of the clearest necessity, founded
in t^e highest reason, and warranted by prece*
dents of the most approved authority,"

C c a

300 VREEUASON'S MONITOXs

This report was accepted, and correspooding
solutions entered into by the grand lodge, and re«
torded,

1791) Dec* 5. A committee was appointed,
agreeably to a vote of the second of March, 1707^
« to confer with the officers of St. John's grand
lodge upon the subject of a complete masonic
union throughoulithis commonwealth,^

On the 6th of March, 1792, the committee
brought in their report, and presented a copy of
the laws and constitution for associating and unit^
ing the two, grand lodges, as agreed to by St»
John^s grand lodge, which, being read and delib^
rately considered, was unanimously approved of*

June 19, 1792. The officers and members of
the two grand lodges met in conjunction, agreeat
bly to previous arrangements, and 'installed the
most worshipful John Cutler, grand master ; and
resolved, ''that this grarKi lodge, organized af
aforesaid, shall forever hereiafler be known by the
name of The Grand Lodge of the Most j4ncien$
and Honourahle Society of F*ree and Accepted
Masons for the Cotnmowwealth of Massaeku^
setts.''

In addition to the powers vested by cl^^rter in
the two grand lodges before mentioned, for insti-
luting subordinate lodges, the grand lodge of
Kngland appointed provinoicd grand masters^ m

IKiEElilASON^S MOKITCHU SOT

several of the states, and invested ihetn also ^itb
authority to grant warrants for holding lodges.

The revolution, which separated the American
States from the government of the ntother coun-^
try, also exonerated the American Lodges from
their allegiance to foreign grand lodges ; because
the principles of masonry inculcate obedience tcy
the governments under which we live. The
lodges, in the several states, therefore, after the
termination of the war^ resorted to the proper
and necessary means of forming and establishing:
independent grand lodges, for the government of
the fraternity in their respective jurisdictions^