Freemasonry in Gibraltar 1727 - present

Transcription

Freemasonry in
Gibraltar
1727 - present
Michael Jenkyns © 2006
Freemasonry in
Gibraltar
1727 - present
Compiled by
Michael Jenkyns, FCF
WM (1999/2000 and 2005-2006)
Acacia Lodge, No. 561 GRC, Ottawa
2 Westfield Cres.,
Nepean, ON K2G 0T5
CANADA
Tel: 1-613-828-6433
Email: [email protected]
© 2006
The Approach
I was initiated into the mysteries of Freemasonry on February 27, 1990, passed on November 10,
1990 and raised on January 22, 1991. For anyone who has joined this organization, or any organization for
that matter, there is a great “unknown.” A prevalent thought is “How am I supposed to know that?,” or “Aren’t
there any manuals/history books/ritual books?”
I spoke with many learned brethren and read many well-written papers and books on a variety of
masonic subjects. And it always seemed to me that so much was written about the length of a poniard, or
a cable-tow, whether a ring should have the points of the compasses towards, or away from, the wearer, or
whether an apron should be worn inside or outside a suit jacket. And so little was written about the details
of the Lodges to which Freemasons belong, and the impact which those Lodges might have had on the
society within which they were found. Mind, you, this is not an easy subject to consider, research, or write
about and it is made more difficult because many lodges have never taken the time to write their own history.
I have spent about fifteen years consolidating everything I can find about Freemasonry in the British
army and its allies and loyalist forces. As I can locate information on Patriot forces, for example (being a
Canadian and having read up on the American Revolution, followed the aftermath of the Loyalists, the War
of 1812, and various Rebellions in my own country), the French (there are pointers but no accessible
information) I have brought this together as well. Mind you, it is another matter altogether to contemplate
how to get this out to interested people around the world.
Geographic locations like Gibraltar, Halifax and Quebec, served as assembly and staging points
early in the development of the British Empire (on which the sun never set until the time of the second world
war) and were soon expanded with the capture of Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Coromandel and the Cape of
Good Hope, to name a few more. As Masonic lodges were formed on land it was only a matter of a few
decades before military personnel found that they needed their own lodges to accompany them wherever
their unit went. Thus was born the ambulatory or travelling lodge. Thus I had to learn about the British army
and its development over several centuries. I was surprised to find that the Royal Artillery is an entity
composed of battalions which are, in turn, composed of companies and which at one time contained artillery
drivers and support services to move the guns. While RA battalions might be numbered as were companies,
the latter tended to adopt the name of their commander (usually a Captain). But that had little meaning since
the Royal Artillery would attach artillerymen to various infantry forces and they would train the infantrymen
in the movement, set-up, loading and firing of the field artillery. Royal Artillery battalions and companystrength units tended to be assigned to major garrison points like Gibraltar, Halifax or Quebec etc.
After assembling the military lodge material I tried to review and understand research papers and
books on Freemasonry as it evolved in particular geographic areas. For Gibraltar, there is an excellent
website. But there is little that I could locate on the entire development of masonry there from 1724 to
today—a span of 180 years.
These notes are simply a start of what may well be a lengthy process of writing about Freemasonry
in Gibraltar. I ask only that anyone who reads them would provide feedback to correct outright errors or to
fill in the many empty spots. Many of them are empty because I have not been able to access information.
But between us all, I would hope that these notes might be completed and prove interesting, informative and
beneficial for others.
I am grateful to W. Bro. Lionel Boxer for the opportunity of sharing this paper with interested masons
through the medium of his website.
Michael Jenkyns, Nepean, July 27, 2006
Abbreviations and Acronyms used
In compiling this material generally standard abbreviations and acronyms have been used which
have been adopted over the years. In some case, however, new ones have been “invented” to permit
selected abbreviation of material.
Andalucia
ER(A)
ER(M)
GR
IC
J.G.W. (or G.J.W.)
Local (or local)
PGLAnd
PGLLC(A)
PGLGib(A)
PGLGib(M)
PGLMass(M)
PGLMWH
PGLNE(M)
PGLNS(A)
PGLNY(A)
PGLNY(M)
PGLQ(A)
PGLQ(M)
DGLQTR
PGLUC(A)
PGM
PGSec (or PGSecy)
PRMass(M)
PRMWH
PRNS(A)
PRNY(A)
PRNY(M)
PRQ(A)
PRQ(M)
PRQTR
PRUC(A)
SC
S.G.W. (or G.S.W.)
UD
interchangeable name with “Gibraltar”
Registry of the Antients Grand Lodge in London
Registry of the Moderns Grand Lodge in London
Grand Registry of a Grand Lodge (e.g. GRMich = Grand Registry of the
Grand Lodge of the State of Michigan)
Irish Constitution (refers to Warrants issued by that Grand Lodge)
Junior Grand Warden (or Grand Junior Warden)
Refers to a (local) warrant issued by a provincial Grand Lodge
Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalucia (an Antients organization)
Antients Provincial Grand Lodge of Lower Canada
Antients Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar
Moderns Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar
Moderns Provincial Grand Lodge of Massachusetts
Provincial Grand Lodge of Montreal and William Henry (formed 1822 under
the United Grand Lodge of England)
Provincial Grand Lodge of New England (Moderns)
Antients Provincial Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia
Antients Provincial Grand Lodge of New York
Moderns Provincial Grand Lodge of New York
Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec (Antients)
Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec (Moderns)
District Grand Lodge of Quebec and Three Rivers (formed 1822 under the
United Grand Lodge of England)
Provincial Grand Lodge of Upper Canada (Antients)
Provincial Grand Master
Provincial Grand Secretary
Moderns Provincial Registry, Massachusetts
Montreal and William Henry Provincial Registry
Antients Provincial Registry, Nova Scotia
Antients Provincial Registry, New York
Moderns Provincial Registry, New York
Antients Provincial Registry, Quebec
Moderns Provincial Registry, Quebec
Quebec and Three Rivers Provincial Registry
Antients Provincial Registry, Upper Canada
Scottish Constitution (refers to Warrants issued by that Grand Lodge)
Senior Grand Warden (or Grand Senior Warden)
Under Dispensation (an authority to form a new Lodge and to meet, usually
under supervision, and permitting the Lodge to work some, all or none, of
the degrees; the final step preceding issue of a Warrant)
Table of Contents
Gibraltar - A Short History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Early Freemasonry at Gibraltar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The Moderns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Antients in Gibraltar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The Union of 1813 and afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Irish Civilian Lodges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Scottish Civilian Lodges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Military Lodges - English, Irish and Scottish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Gibraltar’s resident lodges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Concordant Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Premier and Moderns Stationary Lodges at Gibraltar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mother St. John Lodge, No. 24, ER(M) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lodge of Inhabitants, No. 159 ER(M) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hiram’s Lodge, No. 400 ER(M) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Royal Lodge of Friendship, No. 278 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lodge of Friendship, No. 577 ER(M) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Antients Stationary Lodges at Gibraltar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inhabitants Lodge, No. 153 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Provincial Grand Lodge, No. 220 ER(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
English Warranted Lodges at Gibraltar (post 1813) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ordnance Lodge, 715 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Calpean Lodge, No. 748 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Robert Freke Gould Lodge, No. 2874 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Connaught Lodge, No. 2915 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Letchworth Lodge, No. 3503 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
United Services Lodge, No. 3813 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gibraltar Masters Lodge, No. 3825 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Masonic District Grand Stewards Lodge, No. 9217 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Irish Civilian Lodges warranted at Gibraltar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Irish Masters Lodge, No. 915 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scottish Civilian Lodges warranted at Gibraltar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lodge of St. Thomas, No. 576 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Al Moghreb al Aksa Lodge, No. 670 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Coronation Lodge, No. 934 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
St. Bernard Lodge of Research, No. 1817 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Royal Artillery lodges at Gibraltar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Waterloo Lodge, No. 230 ER(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Perth Lodge, No. 148 ER(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gibraltar Lodge, No. 209 ER(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Gibraltar Lodge No. 5, PRGibraltar(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lodge No. 68 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15
17
19
22
23
24
25
27
29
31
33
35
36
37
38
41
42
43
44
45
47
52
53
55
56
58
59
61
63
65
68
69
71
Gibraltar Lodge, No. 187 ER(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Ordnance Lodge, No. 202 ER(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Ambulatory (travelling) lodges in infantry regiments based at Gibraltar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Lodge No. 11 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Lodge, No. 74 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Lodge No. 244 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Lodge No. 390 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Lodge No. 12, PRGibraltar(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Lodge No. 604 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Duke of Norfolk’s Lodge No. 58 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Mount Calpe Lodge, No. 1126 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Lodge No. 211 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Lodge No. 58 ER(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Lodge No. 168 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Lodge No. 351 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Lodge No. 156 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Minden Lodge, No. 63 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Lodge No. 309 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Lodge No. 6 PRAndalusia(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Lodge Glittering Star, No. 322 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Lodge No. 85 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Lodge No. 535 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Lodge, No. 5 PGLGibraltar(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Meridian Lodge, No. 1045 ER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Lodge No. 61 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
White’s Lodge, No. 73 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Officers’ Lodge No. 617 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Gibraltar Lodge No. 128 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Lodge No. 290 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Hibernia Lodge No. 42 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
St. Andrew Lodge, No. 310 SC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Dominica Lodge No. 174 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Lodge No. 112A ER(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Orange Lodge No. 94 ER(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Lodge No. 690 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Lodge No. 420 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Lodge No. 130 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Lodge No. 714 IC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Lodge, No. 4 PRAndalusia(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Lodge No. 8, PRAndalusia(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Lodge No. 3 PRGibraltar(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Lodge No. 4 PRGibraltar(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214
Two erroneously labelled “Gibraltar” Lodges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Gibraltar Lodge, No. 187 ER(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Lodge, No. 356 ER(A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Freemasonry in Gibraltar
1
FREEMASONRY IN GIBRALTAR
(1727 - present)
Gibraltar - A Short History
Gibraltar, a two-and-a-quarter-square-mile peninsula of limestone and shale is linked to the Spanish
mainland by a long, half-mile wide sandy isthmus. The almost three mile long “Rock” reaches 1,398 feet at
its highest point.
In classical antiquity the Rock was called Calpe and was the symbolic limit of the known world.
Mount Calpe, in the north, and Mount Abyla, on the African coast were named the Pillars of Hercules and
travellers did not sail beyond them. During historical times the peninsula passed from the Phoenicians to the
Carthaginians (600-300 BC) and then the Romans (until 500 AD, and who called it Fretum Gaditanum) after
which it fell successively to the Vandals and Visigoths. In 711 Moslem invaders crossed the straits from
North Africa and attacked Spain. The Rock was heavily fortified and was named Jebel al Tariq (Hill of Tariq,
after the Moorish General). The City of Gibraltar was founded in 1160 by Abdel M’umen. In the final struggle
between Arabs and Christians Gibraltar was seized by the Spanish in 1462. In 1540, Khair-ad-din Barbarossa
led an expedition of Barbary pirates against Gibraltar and laid waste the entire coast but did not capture the
Rock which was modernized as a fortress by Charles V. Gibraltar played an important part in the long fight
between the Netherlands and Spain: in 1607 the Dutch fleet forced its way into the port and destroyed a
Spanish squadron and in 1621, just off Gibraltar, a Spanish fleet was victorious over a Dutch one.
During the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-13), the Duke of Marlborough decided to attack
the Spanish Mediterranean fleet and capture Gibraltar to prevent a linkup between the French Mediterranean
and Atlantic fleets. British forces consisting of landing parties of Marines supported by the guns of the fleet
which was under the command of Admiral Sir George Rooke captured Gibraltar on July 23, 1704, after a
siege of three days. An immediate counter attack by Spanish forces was not successful. Eleven Spanish
sieges in the next two years were unsuccessful, as was the twelfth siege in 1705, which lasted six months.
The base at Gibraltar was enhanced in 1708 with the capture of Port Mahon, Minorca1. The conquest of
Gibraltar by British forces in 1704 was ratified in the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713 which recognized British
control of the fortress, the town and all military installations.
The strength of Gibraltar as a military fortress and facility relied historically on the various units of
the Royal Artillery which maintained and fired the Rock’s many cannon, on the infantry regiments which often
used Gibraltar as a staging point enroute to, or from, other scenes of action, and the Royal Navy which has
always had a dominating presence there. In 1779 a land and sea siege by the Spanish did not reduce
Gibraltar and the maritime blockade was broken by Admiral Rodney’s squadron in January 1780.
When the Suez Canal was opened in 1869, Gibraltar assumed great importance for Britain as the
gateway to India and the Far East. During World War II, German plans for a land attack on the Rock were
thwarted by Spanish neutrality. Italian seaborne attacks were ineffective. An air base was added to
Gibraltar’s arsenal during World War II.
Gibraltar’s population grew to about 26,000 at its maximum—a society which remains strongly and
1
Minorca was lost to the French in May 1756 by Admiral John Byng. Although Byng was tried for treason
and shot on the deck of his own flagship for the loss, the Admiralty had interpreted the French move against the
islands as a bluff and had not provided Byng with more than minimal reinforcements.
© 2006 S. M. Jenkyns
2
closely linked to Great Britain. The government of Gibraltar is administered by a Governor who is also
Commander-in-Chief of the Garrison. He is appointed by the Queen. He is assisted by a Legislative Council
which includes the Governor, his appointees and seven members who are elected by British subjects
meeting strict residence requirements.
Throughout its history, daily work on the Rock is performed by Spanish labourers who commute each
day from the Spanish city of La Linea just to the north of the narrow Neutral Zone which marks Gibraltar’s
political boundary.
In spite of the apparent healthy location of Gibraltar with no marshy areas, the population were
subject to various epidemics which spread through the area from time to time, perhaps being spread by
sailors and the cargoes which were carried. In August 1828 a cholera epidemic swept through the Colony
and 1,667 people died. Churches, hospitals and even Lodges were forced to close for the duration. A second
cholera epidemic, less virulent, occurred in 1834.
Early Freemasonry at Gibraltar
When looking at Freemasonry in Gibraltar over almost two centuries it is apparent that the small
resident population could only support a few permanent Lodges and that they would receive, accept,
“entertain,” many ambulatory lodges and masons normally resident in military units. Periods of growth and
demise in lodges and members, per se, reflected the “temporariness” of the military passing through the
colony.
The first Lodge to be warranted to work on Gibraltar is believed to have been working unofficially
in (or before) 1724. Although it is entered as the second deputation received from a Lodge abroad, it may
well have been the earliest as the original application had been submitted to the Duke of Richmond as Grand
Master (and he held that office in 1724)2. The Lodge was not constituted until 1728 when the premier Grand
Lodge issued a Deputation to form Lodge of St. John of Jerusalem at Gibraltar, a copy of which is
transcribed on the following page. Warrant No. 51 was later issued. This was the second English Lodge to
be warranted outside the British Isles.
As Henry Sadler notes, the request from the Lodge leading to the Grand Lodge Deputation of 1728
was not a request for permission to form a new Lodge but was a request to legalize an existing Lodge under
the “new” system which had been formed in 1717. Sadler also notes that this was a very early use of a name
of a Lodge which had no bearing on its location. Originally Lodges were known by their location only (such
as the Lodge at the Rummer and Grapes) and then by their number and location after numbering of
Warrants and Lodges became established.
Lodge of St. John of Jerusalem continued working under the authority of the Moderns’ Grand Lodge
2
According to Henry Sadler in Masonic Facts and Fictions, 1887, the first Deputation to constitute a
foreign Lodge appearing the records is dated February 6, 1728/9 for a Lodge at Fort William, Bengal. St. John’s at
Gibraltar is the second recorded and the third is for the Lodge in Madrid which had been founded by the Duke of
Wharton in 1722. The Dispensation for this Lodge is dated February 17, 1728 and apparently no numbered Warrant
was ever given to the Lodge. Sadler is following the story as portrayed by Gould in Vol. 2 of The History of
Freemasonry (p 384).
3
following the Antients3-Moderns split of 1751 but lapsed before the Union of 1813. The second Lodge to be
founded in Gibraltar was No. 128 IC in the 39th Foot, receiving its Warrant in 1742.
Transcript of Grand Lodge Deputation to form St. John’s Lodge, Gibraltar, dated March 9, 1728/9
Whereas application was made to our Right Worshipfull Brother His Grace the Most Noble Charles
Lenox Duke of Richmond, late Grand Master by our Brother John Bailie, Master and Thomas Wilson, and
Benjamin Radenhurst, Wardens of a Lodge of St. John’s at Gibralter, for and on the behalfe of several of our
Brethren Commissioned and non-commissioned Officers and others; representing: That as they have nothing
more at heart than their duty to God, our King and Country, and to his Grace as Grand Master, They desire that
they may be constituted a regular Lodge in due form.
These are therefore to Impower and authorize our wellbeloved Brother John Bailie, Thomas Wilson,
and Benjamin Radenhurst to convene our Brethren at Gibralter aforesaid, and that they do in our place and
stead, constitute a regular Lodge in due fform, at Gibralter aforesaid (taking especial care that they and every
of them have been regularly made Masons) with like Priviledges as all other regular Lodges do enjoy, and that
they be required to conform themselves to all and every the Regulations contained in the Printed Constitutions,
and observe such other Rules and Instructions as shall from time to time be transmitted to them by us, or
Nathaniel Blackerby, Esq., our Deputy Grand Master, or the Grand Master, or his Deputy Grand Master for the
time being, and that they do with the first opportunity send to us, or our Deputy a List of the members of their
Lodge, together with the Rules agreed on to be by them observed, to the end they may be entered in the Grand
Lodge Book. Given under our hand and Seal of Office at London this 9th day of March 1728/9, and in the year
of Masonry 5728.
By the Grand Master’s command,
Nat. Blackerby, Deputy Gd. Master.
J. Thornhill,
) Grand
Mn. O’Connor, ) Wardens
[Source: Sadler, Masonic Facts and Fictions, p 36.]
In 1731 Captain James Cummerford4, a founder member of St. John of Jerusalem Lodge, was
appointed as Provincial Grand Master of Andalucia5. The expression “Andalucia” covered Gibraltar and
“adjacent places”. There is no indication of anyone else being appointed to the office until 1752 when
Cummerford was replaced by Colonel J. G. Montresor, another founder of St. John of Jerusalem and also
the Chief Engineer of the Fortress. Cummerford was reappointed in 1754 when Montresor embarked for
America, at the time he had been promoted and was a Colonel in the infantry.
Interestingly, the second Lodge to be established at Gibraltar was “No. 128 IC held in the 39th
Regiment of Foot” whose warrant had been issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland on November 3, 1742. The
39th had just completed several years’ duty in Ireland and it is probably that members of the Regiment had
become masons in Ireland.
3
The use of the spelling “Antients” rather than the more common “Ancients” is nothing more than the
preference of the present author.
4
Cummerford (Sadler) and Commerford (Gould) appear in documents and refer to the same person.
5
This would make Gibraltar either the second or third Provincial Grand Lodge to be established—the
other two being Hanover in 1730 and Russia (also) in 1731.
4
As Michel Brodsky6 notes, the role of English Provincial Grand Masters was made difficult for a
variety of reasons including: weak administration at Grand Lodge until about 1750; a negative transition
period from 1750 to 1763 which saw an overall decline in membership in Freemasonry in Europe; and a
tremendous growth (and consequent competition) in Grand Lodges throughout the British Isles and Europe.
In addition there were the constant ongoing series of wars between Britain and various European countries
which delayed, if not prevented, communications, and also because there was a lack of written policy and
even ritual by the English, Irish and Scottish Grand Lodges. It was normal practice that when a Warrant was
issued to a Lodge, a copy of the Book of Constitutions was also issued. Until the advent of the Antients in
1753, only the normal first three degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason were worked
by English Lodges.
The Moderns
Problems in England between masons who considered changes in the organization of Grand Lodge
and the ritual to be detrimental and those who considered them beneficial resulted in the split of the premier
Grand Lodge into two organizations. It is unclear when this schism began, but it could have existed since
about 1730 and appears to have been influenced by an influx of “Irish masons.” Research indicates that the
Antients’ Grand Lodge was composed of those brethren who claimed to wish to preserve, without change,
the original organization and workings of Freemasonry. As the self-styled “protectors” of the “ancient
landmarks” they referred to themselves as “Antient Masons.” They named the others, who sought changes,
as “Moderns.”
It is not intended, here, to detail or justify the schism. But it is important to understand that the split
was felt around the globe as the rivals established parallel organizations and although matters became very
difficult in England from 1751 until the Union of 1813, there do not seem to have been the same difficulties
elsewhere, particularly in Gibraltar (and even more-so in North America) where the masonic scene was
dominated by military masons who were subject, daily, to sail off to fight a “real” enemy.
In Gibraltar, the Moderns’ Grand Lodge established a Provincial Grand Lodge in 1731. Although St.
John of Jerusalem Lodge held fast to its allegiance to the premier (now Modern) Grand Lodge, it was not
until 1762, that the first “new” Lodge (Inhabitants Lodge) was established under a Moderns Warrant (No.
285). It was followed in 1781 by Lodge of Friendship (No. 577/486), Calpean Lodge (No. 556) and Hiram’s
Lodge (No. 460). These five Lodges were “civilian,” based permanently on Gibraltar and represented the
maximum extent of the Moderns on Gibraltar.
The arrival of an Antients’ Lodge in the Royal Artillery in 1772 (Lodge No. 148 in the 2nd Battalion
RA) saw the beginning of a period of difficulties with the Moderns’ Lodges attempting to deny the new
arrivals the right to join the procession on St. John’s day, December 1773. Interestingly the plight of No. 148
was seen by four Irish military Lodges who supported No. 148's right to join the procession. The situation was
reported in due time to Dublin.
The end for the Moderns Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar occurred about 1785/6 when the
members of the Provincial Grand Lodge applied to the Antients for a Provincial Warrant. The History of
Calpe Lodge, No. 325 ER notes: “In a communication addressed by the Grand Secretary of the Moderns to
6
English Freemasonry in Europe 1717-1919, by Michel Brodsky, Prestonian Lecture for 1994, as
published in The Collected Prestonian Lectures 1988-1996, QC Correspondence Circle Ltd., London, 1997, ISBN 0907655-34-3.
5
the Grand Master, dated 20th of March 1786 he states ‘that the Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalucia, which
had been under the government of the Moderns for upwards of twenty years, had offered for a Warrant under
the Ancients,’ also that ‘the said Grand Lodge consisted of none under the degree of an ensign and who had
refused to act longer under the authority of the Moderns (even) though the Duke of Cumberland is said to
be their Grand Master’.” The (new) Provincial Grand Lodge was Warranted by the Antients as No. 220 and
the new Provincial Grand Master was HRH Prince Edward Duke of Kent. He arrived in Gibraltar during 1790
and left with the 7th Foot on June 23, 1791, onboard the Ulysses and Resistance for Quebec (where he
would quickly become the Antients’ Provincial Grand Master of Lower Canada).
This hasty departure from Gibraltar encouraged four of the five Moderns’ Lodges (St. John of
Jerusalem/Mother St. John, No. 24 ER(M) did not participate) to assemble and produce a provisional Patent
authorizing Bro. Sweetland to be Acting Provincial Grand Master under the authority of the absent The Duke
of Kent. This action was confirmed by the Antients’ Grand Lodge of England. The effect of this action in the
early 1790’s on the Moderns’ was negligible at best: all five Moderns’ Lodges had gone into darkness soon
after 1800.
A similar situation had transpired in British North America where New France had become British
with the loss of Louisbourg (summer 1758), Quebec (September 1759) and Montreal (fall 1760) and the
removal of all French forces. In November 1759, the representatives of six military lodges (four holding Irish
Warrants, one holding a dispensation from an Irish lodge and one warranted by the Moderns Provincial
Grand Lodge of Massachusetts) which travelled in infantry regiments, formed themselves into a “Grand
Lodge.” A letter detailing the events was carried to London by a Royal Navy Gunner (Thomas Dunckerly
(1724-95) a natural son of George III) and eventually the new provincial organization would receive the
recognition and approbation of the Moderns Grand Master. During the 1770's and 1780's close relations
between Antients and Moderns lodges would prevail although the Moderns’ Lodges would slowly close. In
1791, decided steps were taken to secure a persona as Provincial Grand Master—the Duke of Kent.
The Antients in Gibraltar
The first Antients’ Lodge in Gibraltar was warranted in 1756 as “No. 58 in the 14th Regiment of Foot7”
and it was joined, in 1772, by the peripatetic Perth Lodge No. 148 ER(A) held in the 2nd Battalion RA and,
in 1777, by the stationary Ordnance Lodge, No. 202 ER(A). This last named, whose membership was limited
to officers and artificers in HM Ordnance at Gibraltar, would expire in 1807.
Warrant No. 220 was issued by the Antients’ Grand Lodge bearing date January 25, 1786, to hold
a Provincial Grand Lodge at Gibraltar. The action taken was a response to an appeal from three Antients’
Lodges at Gibraltar—one quasi-civilian (stationary) and two military (ambulatory). The three Lodges were:
Ordnance Lodge, No. 202 ER(A) (formed 1777), Perth Lodge, No. 148 ER(A) in the 2nd Battalion, RA
(formed 1767) and Waterloo Lodge, No. 230 ER(A), held in the 1st Battalion, RA (formed 1785). Because
of the refusal of the five Moderns’ Lodges to accept non-Moderns’ as equals, the new Provincial Grand
Lodge took under its authority the many travelling Lodges which arrived at the garrison with their regiments
and which numbered 11 in 1792. In acting in this manner, many of the transient masons accepted Provincial
offices—in fact, the first Antients’ Provincial Grand Master was a Bro. John Ross, an Irish Mason. On
7
This is where we have one of those “curious” circumstances about which we have no real answer. John
Lane notes in Masonic Records 1717-1894 (p 78) the issue of Warrant No. 58 by the Antients’ Grand Lodge and
dated December 1, 1756 for an unspecified Lodge at Gibraltar which “Lapsed very soon afterwards.” He shows a
date of January 17, 1759 for the 14th Foot at St. Augustine, Florida..
6
January 26, 1790, HRH Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent, was appointed as Antients’ Provincial Grand
Master of Gibraltar, holding this office until 1800, even though he embarked for Quebec on June 23, 1791.
The record keeping of the Antients Provincial Grand Lodge can at best be described as useless at
this point in time. By 1804 there were at least nine military Lodges holding local Warrants according to The
History of Freemasonry on Gibraltar. Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, 1886 (3rd Edition),
notes the issue of six local Warrants for Gibraltar—No. 2 (1802); No. 4 (1777); No. 5 (1802); No. 5 (1811);
No. 9 (1811) and No. 11 (1811). Nos. 2, 4 and 5 were issued to Lodges in the Royal Artillery. John Lane, in
his Masonic Records 1717-1894, includes PART IV, containing information (such as it was available to him)
about Lodges which were warranted abroad by English Provincial Grand Lodges but not registered with the
Grand Lodge in London. The following list refers to local (or Provincial) warrants issued by the Antients
Provincial Grand Lodge at Gibraltar under the authority of Warrant No. 220 dated January 25, 1786 and for
which no definitive information about the Lodges is available: No. 2 Provincial in the Royal Artillery; No. 3
Provincial in the 100th Regiment of Foot; No. 4 Provincial in the 108th Regiment of Foot; No. 5 Provincial
in the Royal Artillery; No. 6 Provincial in the 28th Regiment of Foot; No. 7 Provincial in the 70th Regiment
of Foot; No. 8 Provincial in the 90th Regiment of Foot and No. 9 Provincial in the 28th Regiment of Foot.
The local or Provincial warrants would be issued partly to confer legitimacy on the temporary (military)
lodges which put themselves under the “protection” of the Province while in temporary status8. It never
implied that the temporary Lodge had rescinded its original authority. Often these provincial warrants were
issued to confirm that the temporary lodge was recognized locally—a particular need when close to England
where the Antient-Modern split was carried to extremes and where visitation was prohibited. The further away
from London the easier the visitation rights.
The Union of 1813 and afterwards
With the union of the Moderns’ and Antients’ Grand Lodges in 1813, new Warrants were issued to
Lodges starting in 1814. At the time many Lodges around the world went into darkness, although there are
a number of excellent examples where Warrants for issued for Lodges which were defunct. In fact the entire
process of determining which English lodges were working and which were defunct would not be completed
until the third (and final) renumbering of 1863.
The English Provincial Grand Lodge continued to work in Gibraltar. With the change in the
organization of Grand Lodge, Provincial Grand Lodges located in the British Isles retained the title of
Provinces while those located outside England were retitled as District Grand Lodges9. The “old” Provincial
Grand Lodge of Gibraltar was reformed as the District Grand Lodge of Gibraltar under Warrant No. 3825.
Originally restricted to Installed Masters of the English Constitution it was expanded to include Installed
Masters of any recognized jurisdiction.
Following the Union of the Moderns and Antients in 1813, pressure was apparently laid on Irish
8
Efforts were often made by the English Provincial Grand Lodges to charge “dues” to the temporary
Lodges as a means of raising funds, primarily for charitable works. The Grand Lodge of ireland was frequently
writing its ambulatory lodges that no fees or dues were to be paid in this manner as that Grand Lodge did not
charge equivalent fees on English lodges sojourning in Ireland.
9
In the case of Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) the new United Grand Lodge had split the original
Province into two districts in about 1822—the District of Montreal and William Henry in the west and Quebec and
Three Rivers in the east. Each was headed by a Provincial Grand Master.
7
military Lodges in Gibraltar to give up their Irish Warrants and accept English ones. While it is not clear, the
reasoning behind this was likely that with one English Grand Lodge it was logical to assume that Lodges in
British Army regiments would revert to “one” Grand Lodge. The History of Freemasonry on Gibraltar notes
that “. . . the pressure . . . disturbed (the) harmonious working. The records of the next dozen years are full
of protests coming from Irish Lodges abroad10 and being passed from Dublin to London.” The Grand Lodge
of Ireland, on June 9, 1815, wrote to Lodge No. 309 IC, held in the 26th (Cameronians) Regiment of Foot
to advise in the strongest terms that the Lodge was not required to obtain authority from the Provincial Grand
Lodge for permission to work on Gibraltar, nor to pay dues to it, but that the Lodge should certainly follow
local laws and regulations. The period of discontent appears to have ended amicably although it took several
decades to do so. (Here again we have a parallel with Upper Canada where Duke of Leinster Lodge, No. 283
IC, of Kingston (formed 1819, warranted February 1, 1821) was coerced by the Grand Masonic Convention
of 1817 to surrender its Irish charter and take an English dispensation pending the arrival of a new Provincial
Grand Master. The Lodge complained to Dublin and eventually a duplicate warrant was issued in 1829 and
the affair brought before the Duke of Sussex but no action was taken by London.)
It was not until 1876 that any Grand Master of the three principal Grand Lodges visited Gibraltar. In
that year the Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, HRH The Prince of Wales (afterwards
King Edward VII), visited the Rock and laid the foundation stone of the old markets with full masonic
honours. By the end of the century there were six civilian (i.e. non-ambulatory, military) lodges working at
Gibraltar—three English (Royal Lodge of Friendship No. 278 ER (originally Calpean 556 ER(M)); Ordnance
Lodge (originally No. 202 ER(A)) and now Inhabitants No. 153 ER; and the Provincial Grand Lodge); one
Irish (Calpe No. 325 IC) and two Scottish (Lodge No. 576 and Al Moghreb al Aksa No. 670).
During the twentieth century Gibraltar would provide a home for five more English Lodges: Robert
Freke Gould No. 2874 ER; Connaught No. 2915 ER; The Letchworth No. 3503 ER; United Services No. 3813
ER; and Gibraltar Masters No. 3825 ER all of which are still working.
Irish Civilian Lodges
By the end of 19th century there was one Irish “civilian” Lodge (i.e. non-ambulatory, military) at
Gibraltar. Since its formation in 1826 it has operated under three names—Gibraltar Lodge, Rock Lodge and
Lodge Calpe—albeit under one Warrant, No. 325. Calpe Lodge is still working and is the oldest Lodge on
the Rock. It was joined, in 1992, by Irish Masters Lodge, No. 915 IC.
Scottish Civilian Lodges
By the end of the 19th century there were two Scottish “civilian” Lodges (i.e. non-ambulatory,
military) working at Gibraltar—Lodge No. 576 (formed in 1876) and Al-Moghreb al Aksa Lodge, No. 670. This
last named Lodge was originally issued with a dispensation and a warrant (No. 18) by the (Canadian) Grand
Lodge of Manitoba A.F. & A.M., which like the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of
Ontario, had one experience on the international scene. Both are still working.
10
The same situation arose in present-day Ontario with Duke of Leinster’s Lodge, No. 283 IC, at
Kingston. On January 23, 1826, the Lodge surrendered its Warrant “under duress” and then appealed to Dublin.
Dublin appealed to London unsuccessfully and a duplicate Warrant was issued on July 24, 1829.
8
Military Lodges - English, Irish and Scottish
Gibraltar was an extremely important garrison for Great Britain and for many years the military
presence on “the Rock” has been very great. The Royal Artillery presence has been constant throughout
Gibraltar’s history and a number of RA Lodges have worked on Gibraltar. In addition, a succession of
regiments have spent varying amounts of time on the Rock both for its defence and also for staging
throughout the Mediterranean area on other assignments reaching around the Globe. Many of the Royal
Artillery and infantry regiments had masonic Lodges attached to them which worked on Gibraltar. It is
interesting to note the numbers of Irish, Scottish and English Lodges which worked in Gibraltar:
Numbers of Infantry and RA Lodges which worked on Gibraltar
44 Lodges in Infantry Regts
7 Lodges in the RA
Two Lodges are working; both
are civilian and stationary
None of these are working
Premier/Moderns
Nil
Nil
Antients
3 [#58; 94; 112]
6 [#148; 209; 187; 345 (#5 PRGib);
230; 202]
United Grand Lodge
2 [#1045; 1126]
Nil
Irish
26 [#11; 42; 61; 63; 73; 74; 85;
1 [#68]
128; 130; 156; 168; 174; 211; 227;
244; 290; 309; 322; 351; 390; 420;
535; 604; 617; 690; 714]
Scottish
3 [#58; 73; 239]
Nil
Local
10 [#3; 3; 4; 4; 5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 12]
Nil
These fifty-one lodges were “housed” in the following regiments:
(a)
Infantry
1st (Royal) Regiment
Lodge No. 11 IC (at Gibraltar 1770's)
Defunct
1st (Royal) Regiment
Defunct
2nd (Queen’s Royal)
Defunct
Defunct
4th (King’s Own)
Lodge No. 12 PRGibraltar(A)
Defunct
11th Foot
Lodge No. 604 IC (worked on Gibraltar 1787)
Defunct
12th (Duke of Norfolk’s)
9
Duke of Norfolk Lodge No. 58 SC/320 ER
(worked at Gibraltar 1763)
Defunct
Mount Calpe Lodge No. 1126/824 ER
(formed at Gibraltar 1860)
Defunct
14th Foot
Lodge No. 211 IC
Defunct
14th Foot
Lodge No. 58 ER(A) (formed at Gibraltar 1756) Defunct
18th Foot
Lodge No. 168 IC
Defunct
18th Foot
Lodge No. 351 IC
Defunct
19th (Green Howards)
Lodge No. 156 IC/3 PRGibraltar(A)
Defunct
XXth Foot
Lodge No. 63 IC (formed at Gibraltar 1736)
Defunct
26th Foot
Lodge No. 309 IC/261 IC
Defunct
28th (North Gloucestershire)
Defunct
28th (North Gloucestershire)
Lodge No. 9 PRAndalucia(A)
Defunct
12th (Duke of Norfolk’s)
29th (The Worcestershire Reg) Lodge 322 IC
Current
30th Foot
Lodge No. 85 IC
Defunct
30th Foot
Lodge No. 535 IC
Defunct
31st Foot
Defunct
31st Foot
Lodge No. 1045 ER/743 ER
Defunct
32nd Foot
Lodge No. 61 IC
Defunct
32nd Foot
Whites Lodge, No. 73 SC
Defunct
32nd Foot
Officer’s Lodge No. 617 IC
Defunct
39th Foot
Gibraltar Lodge No. 128 IC (formed at Gibraltar 1741/2) Defunct
39th Foot
Defunct
42nd Foot
Hibernia Lodge No. 42 IC
Defunct
42nd Foot
St. Andrew Lodge, No. 239/310/315/232/243/239 SC
46th Foot
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues No. 227 IC Current
Duke of Cornwall’s LI (46th)
Dominica Lodge No. 174 IC
Defunct
10
(b)
50th Foot
Lodge No. 112 ER(A)/113 IC
Defunct
51st Foot
Lodge No. 690 IC
Defunct
51st Foot
Orange Lodge No. 94 ER(A)/94 IC
Defunct
56th (Pompadours)
Lodge No. 420 IC
Defunct
64th (2nd Staffordshire)
Lodge No. 130 IC
Defunct
68th Foot
Defunct
70th (Surrey)
Defunct
82nd Foot
Defunct
90th Foot
Defunct
100th Foot
Defunct
108th Foot
Defunct
Royal Artillery
1st Battalion RA
Waterloo Lodge, No. 230 ER(A)/No. 288 ER (formed at Gibraltar
1785)
Defunct
2nd Battalion RA
Perth Lodge, No. 148 ER(A), now St. John’s No. 115 ER (civil)
(worked at Gibraltar 1771-90)
Defunct
4th Battalion RA
Gibraltar Lodge No. 209 ER(A) (formed at Gibraltar 1779 and
remained there)
Defunct
4th Battalion RA
Gibraltar Lodge No. 5 PRGibraltar/345 ER(A)/443 ER (formed at
Gibraltar 1805 and remained there)
Defunct
7th Battalion RA
Lodge No. 68 IC (at Gibraltar about 1825)
9th Battalion RA
Lodge No. 187 ER(A)/No. 228 ER (worked at Gibraltar 1812-22)
Defunct
Ordnance Department
Ordnance Lodge, No. 202 ER(A) (formed at Gibraltar 1777 and
remained there)
Defunct
Defunct
In keeping with the attitude prevalent in most military Lodges, upon arrival at Gibraltar, most would
register with the local authority—in this case the Antients’ Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar (aka
Andalucia)—and some would receive a Local Warrant. In cases where there was any disagreement of
authority the mother Grand Lodge would usually instruct its military Lodges to act under the authority of the
Provincial Grand Lodge—as happened in 1792/3 when the Grand Lodge of Ireland instructed Lodge No. 617
(in the 32nd Foot) to conform to the Provincial Grand Lodge’s laws and regulations.
11
The number of military lodges on Gibraltar would vary at any one time: the History of Calpe Lodge,
No. 325 ER, notes that by 1792 there were no fewer than eleven military Lodges in Gibraltar: one Scottish11,
six Irish12, 3 Antients13 and one local (in the Company of Artificers). Robert F. Gould, in his History of
Freemasonry, 1886, notes a further three as having shortly before left the garrison, and the Warrant No. 61
IC which had been copied and left behind for the remaining civilian members. The current review notes that
there were at least 13 Irish, 1 Scottish and three Antient, military Lodges by 1800, which had passed through
and worked in Gibraltar, although this still probably understates the actual number due to the loss of Lodge
material, minute books, correspondence files, and other records. The precise number is not important—it
is certainly clear that Gibraltar was truly an “Antients” place, where Irish, Scottish and Antients masons
worked the regular three degrees, plus the Royal Arch, Knight Templar and Mark degrees, under the
authority of their Lodge Warrants.
Gibraltar’s resident lodges
So, one outstanding question is “how many Gibraltar lodges have there been?” This question is not
focussed on lodges which have existed and worked on Gibraltar at some time in their life (as the transitory
military ones have done), but rather, refers to lodges which have spent their entire existence on the Rock.
The current tracking shows that nineteen lodges have been formed and worked on Gibraltar. Six
have closed. Thirteen lodges provide a permanent (and occasionally a temporary) home for Freemasons.
These lodges are:
Calpe Lodge No. 325 IC (formed 1826)
Lodge of St. John No. 115 (formed 1767 in 2nd Battalion RA)
Inhabitants Lodge No. 153 ER (originally Ordnance No. 202 ER(A) formed in 1777)
(English) Provincial Grand Lodge No. 276 ER (originally Antients’ PGL, formed 1786)
Royal Lodge of Friendship No. 278 ER (originally Calpean No. 556 ER(M) formed in 1788)
Lodge of St. Thomas No. 576 SC (formed 1876)
11
White’s Lodge, No. 73 SC, in the 32nd Foot (Warrant issued November 25, 1754 and erased 1809).
12
These were: Lodge No. 11 IC, in the 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot (Warrant issued November 7, 1732
and surrendered April 1847); Lodge No. 604 IC, in the 11th Regiment of Foot (Warrant issued June 6, 1782 and
cancelled July 15, 1815); Lodge No. 168 IC, in the 18th Regiment of Foot (Warrant issued September 2, 1747 and
erased November 5, 1801); Lodge No. 227 IC, in the 46th Regiment of Foot; Lodge No. 690 IC, in the 51st (2nd
Yorkshire, West Riding) Regiment of Foot (Warrant issued September 4, 1788 and cancelled in December 1858);
and Lodge No. 714 IC, in the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot (Warrant issued April 1, 1790 and cancelled October
7, 1813).
13
These were Lodge No. 112 ER(A) in the 2nd Battalion 50th Regiment of Foot (Warrant issued April 21,
1763 and erased in 1813; an Irish Warrant, No. 113 IC, had been issued to the same Lodge on April 21, 1763 when
the Regiment arrived in Ireland. It was not cancelled until July 6, 1815); Perth Lodge, No. 148 ER(A), in the 2nd
Battalion of Royal Artillery (Warrant issued September 5, 1767, replaced with Warrant No. 181 ER in 1814 which
became a civilian Lodge at Gibraltar in 1821) and Garrison Lodge for which a number is not stated.
12
Al Moghreb al Aksa Lodge No. 670 (originally No. 18 GR Manitoba, formed 1881)
Robert Freke Gould Lodge No. 2874 ER (formed 1901)
Connaught Lodge No. 2915 ER (formed 1902)
The Letchworth Lodge No. 3503 ER (formed 1911)
United Services Lodge No. 3813 ER (formed 1917)
Gibraltar Masters’ Lodge No. 3825 ER (formed 1917)
Irish Masters’ Lodge No. 915 IC(formed 1992)
Issuance and cancellation/termination of Warrants for Gibraltar Lodges
(Note: Figure in square brackets denotes known termination)
TOTAL
PREMIER
MODERN
ANTIENT
1
1
U. G. L.
1725-1749
1
1750-1775
2
1776-1800
5
[1]
1801-1825
2
[3]
1826-1850
1
[1]
[1]
[1]
[1]
1851-1875
1876-1900
2
1901-1925
5
IRISH
SCOTS
1
3
[1]
[1]
2
[2]
2
1
1
5
1926-1950
1950-PRESENT
1
TOTAL
19 [6]
1
1
[1]
4
[3]
3
7
[2]
In addition, three are so new (from an outsider’s perspective) and no information has been collected on them,
including: St. Bernard Lodge of Research, No. 1817 SC; Coronation No. 934 SC; and Masonic District Grand
Stewards Lodge, No. 9217 ER.
13
Concordant Bodies
There is a large quantity of evidence from surviving lodge documents, reports and certificates to
indicate that military lodges practiced a wide range and variety of masonic degrees and orders. Many came
out of Ireland and many came out of Europe (particularly France and Prussia) during the latter half of the
eighteenth century.
The earliest written references to the Royal Arch come out of Ireland in 1743 and there are
references to Knights Templary from the same date. Early certificates date from this period. History indicates
that while Antients and Irish lodges practiced a variety of degrees, the Moderns decried the habit and
prohibited the working of degrees beyond the three established ones. As late as the 1850's the Grand Lodge
of Ireland took care to explain to lodges that the Grand Lodge warrant was the only one issued and that
lodges were authorized to work any masonic degree thereunder.
Certainly the ritual of the various concordant bodies were carried to Gibraltar and have contributed
to the present establishment of:
C
five Royal Arch Chapters, namely St. John 115 ER, Prince of Wales 153 ER, Calpean 278 ER,
Calpe 325 IC and St. Thomas 168 SC;
C
three Mark Lodges, namely Gibraltar Mark Lodge 43 EC, Mediterranean Mark Lodge 278 EC and
Hammerton Mark Lodge 516 EC and a District Grand Mark Lodge;
C
Cockburn Lodge of Royal Ark Mariners 43 EC (held under authority of the Grand Mark Lodge)
C
Calpe Preceptory and Priory of Knights Templars 60 EC;
C
Royal Europa Chapter pf Rose Croix 14 ER;
C
Gibraltar Conclave of the Oder of the Secret Monitor 369 ER;
C
St. Thomas Cryptic Council 168 SC;
C
Calpe Council of Knight Masons 88 IC; and
C
Provincial Grand Lodge of the Royal order of Scotland SC.
14
15
Sources
Brodsky, Michel; English Freemasonry in Europe 1717-1919; 1994 Prestonian Lecture; The Collected
Prestonian Lectures 1988-1996, QC Correspondence Circle Ltd., London, 1997, ISBN 0-907655-34-3.
Calpe Lodge; The History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC; held on the Lodge website:
<http://www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/fullhistory.html> along with a twelve page summary entitled The First
Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar.
Cerza, Alphonse; The American War of Independence and Freemasonry; as printed in the Transactions of
Quatuor Coronati Lodge.
Cochrane, Keith; (CD-ROM) Update (2002) of Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records; available in CD-ROM version
only from R. W. Bro. Cochrane, Belfast, June 2002.
Crossle, Philip; Irish Masonic Records; limited manuscript publication in the Grand Lodge of Ireland, 1973.
Douglas, William; Freemasonry in Manitoba—1864-1925; published by the Research Committee of The
Grand Lodge of Manitoba, A.F. & A.M., Winnipeg, 1925.
Emmett, Robert; Freemasonry in Manitoba 1925-1980 Part II; published by the Research and Education
Committee of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, A.F. & A.M., Winnipeg, 1975.
Gould, Robert Freke; The History of Freemasonry, 3 volumes; 3rd Edition; Thomas C. Jack, 45 Ludgate Hill,
London, 1886.
Graham, John H.; Outlines of the History of Freemasonry in the Province of Quebec; John Lovell & Son,
Montreal; 1892.
Grand Lodge of Scotland; Listing of Military Lodges Chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland; 1995.
Harris, R. V.; History of St. Andrew’s Lodge, No. 1 GRNS Halifax, NS; Wm. Macnab & Son, Halifax, 1920.
Harris, R. V.; The Story of Lodge “Glittering Star” No. 322 (Irish) (1759-1966) and The Beginning of Knight
Templary in Canada; Paper No. 86 of the Canadian Masonic Research Association; as published by The
Heritage Lodge, No. 730 GRC, 1986.
Harris, R. V.; The Irish Civilian Lodges of Canada 1820-1888; February 20, 1959, Canadian Masonic
Research Association, Volume 2 Paper 48, as published by The Heritage Lodge, No. 730 GRC, 1986.
Harris, R. V., Milborne, A. J. B. and Case, Col. James R.; Freemasonry at the Two Sieges of Louisbourg:
1745 and 1758; May 13, 1958; Vol. 2, paper 46, Canadian Masonic Research Association, printed in 1986.
Kyte Sr., Elinor; British Regulars in Montreal: An Imperial Garrison 1832-1854, McGill-Queen’s University
Press, Montreal, 1981, ISBN 0-7735-0372-2.
Lane, John; Masonic Records 1717-1894; 2nd Edition; London, 1895.
Lepper, John Heron and Crossle, Philip; History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland,
Vol. 1; published by the Lodge of Research, No. CC IC, Dublin, 1923.
16
Lepper, John Heron; “The Poor Common Soldier,” A Study of the Irish Ambulatory Warrants, as printed in
the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1957.
Masonic Holdings; Whence Come We? Freemasonry in Ontario 1764 - 1980, published by Masonic Holdings,
Hamilton, 1980.
Milborne, A. J. B.; The Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec 1759-1792 Parts I and II; articles as printed in the
Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1956.
Nevison, Harry M.; History of the Lodge of Antiquity, Montreal; printed 1963, printer unknown.
Parkinson, R. E.; History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. 2; published by
the Lodge of Research, No. CC IC, Dublin, 1923.
Parkinson, R. E.; Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, printed in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland,
Transactions for the Years 1949-1957, printed 1959, Dublin.
Pick, Fred L. and Knight, Norman, The Pocket History of Freemasonry, Revised by Frederick Smyth, 8th
Edition, published by Muller (London, Sydney, Aukland, Johannesburg), 1991.
Reddyhoff, James; Freemasonry in the Royal Artillery; AQC, Volume 116, 2003.
Robertson, John Ross; History of Freemasonry in Canada; 2 Volumes; The Hunter, Rose Co. Ltd., Toronto,
1899.
Rogers, Norman, Lancashire Military Lodges, June 24, 1963, as printed in the Transactions of the Quatuor
Coronati Lodge, No. 2076 ER, London, 1963.
Sadler, Henry; Masonic Facts and Fictions; published by Diprose & Bateman, Sheffield Street, Lincoln’s Inn,
London, 1887.
Sheppard, W. Bro. Ray, Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, September 2002, notes
on Lodges in the XXth Foot.
Sheppard, W. Bro. Ray; “My Hero”, Segt.-Major William Shepherd; September 1992; private printing.
Singer, Herbert T. and Lang, Ossian; New York Freemasonry: A Bicentennial History 1781-1981; published
by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted masons of the State of New York; 1981; LCC H2537.N75S55.
Smith, Pemberton; Early Canadian Freemasonry 1759-1869; Quality Press, Montreal; 1939.
Smyth, Bro. Frederick, The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces,
Prestonian Lecture for 1990 as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, No. 2076 ER,
London, 1990.
Thomas, Captain William, Freemasonry in the British Army, article published in the Grand Lodge of Scotland
Year Book, 1997.
Websites of the United Grand Lodge of England, Grand Lodge of Ireland and Grand Lodge of Scotland
(a)
Premier and Moderns Stationary Lodges at Gibraltar
17
18
19
Mother St. John Lodge, No. 24, ER(M), Gibraltar 1792?-1813
Mother St. John Lodge, No. 25, ER(M), Gibraltar 1785-1792
St. John of Jerusalem Lodge, 25 ER(M), Gibraltar 1780-1785
St. John of Jerusalem (Gibraltar) Lodge, 30 ER(M), Gibraltar 1755-1768
St. John of Jerusalem (Gibraltar) Lodge, 51 ER, Gibraltar 1729-1753
St. John of Jerusalem (Gibraltar) Lodge, no number, Gibraltar 1728-1729
Gibraltar Lodge, (time immemorial), Gibraltar 1724?-1728
This Lodge may have been working from as early as 1724 or 172714 although the premier Grand
Lodge did not issue an authority for its formation until March 9, 1728/9. It is entered as the second deputation
received from a Lodge abroad in the records, but it may well have been the earliest as the original
application (see below) appears to have been submitted to the Duke of Richmond as Grand Master and he
held that office in 172415. This makes Gibraltar (or St. John of Jerusalem) Lodge the second Lodge in history
to receive a warrant from the premier Grand Lodge for a Lodge located outside Great Britain—Lodge of the
Three Fleur de Luces at Madrid having been the first. Irish Masons from various Regiments serving on the
Rock during the siege of 1727 were some of the earliest members of this new Lodge.
Whereas application was made to our Right Worshipfull Brother His Grace the Most Noble Charles
Lenox Duke of Richmond, late Grand Master by our Brother John Bailie, Master and Thomas Wilson, and
Benjamin Radenhurst, Wardens of a Lodge of St. John’s at Gibralter, for and on the behalfe of several of our
Brethren Commissioned and non-commissioned Officers and others; representing: That as they have nothing
more at heart than their duty to God, our King and Country, and to his Grace as Grand Master, They desire that
they may be constituted a regular Lodge in due form.
These are therefore to Impower and authorize our well-beloved Brother John Bailie, Thomas Wilson,
and Benjamin Radenhurst to convene our Brethren at Gibralter aforesaid, and that they do in our place and
stead, constitute a regular Lodge in due fform, at Gibralter aforesaid (taking especial care that they and every
of them have been regularly made Masons) with like Priviledges as all other regular Lodges do enjoy, and that
they be required to conform themselves to all and every the Regulations contained in the Printed Constitutions,
and observe such other Rules and Instructions as shall from time to time be transmitted to them by us, or
Nathaniel Blackerby, Esq., our Deputy Grand Master, or the Grand Master, or his Deputy Grand Master for the
time being, and that they do with the first opportunity send to us, or our Deputy a List of the members of their
Lodge, together with the Rules agreed on to be by them observed, to the end they may be entered in the Grand
Lodge Book. Given under our hand and Seal of Office at London this 9th day of March 1728/9, and in the year
of Masonry 5728.
By the Grand Master’s command,
Nat. Blackerby, Deputy Gd. Master.
J. Thornhill,
) Grand
Mn. O’Connor, ) Wardens
[Source: Sadler, Masonic Facts and Fictions, p. 36.]
14
John Lane, in his Masonic Records 1717-1894 notes that “Gibraltar Lodge” is referred to in Grand
Lodge minutes for May 10, 1727.
15
According to Henry Sadler in Masonic Facts and Fictions, 1887, the first Deputation to constitute a
foreign Lodge appearing the records is dated February 6, 1728/9 for a Lodge at Fort William, Bengal. St. John’s at
Gibraltar is the second recorded and the third is for the Lodge in Madrid which had been founded by the Duke of
Wharton in 1722.
20
As Henry Sadler notes in Masonic Facts and Fictions, the request from the Lodge leading to the
Grand Lodge deputation of 1728 was not a request for permission to form a new Lodge but was a request
to legalize an existing Lodge under the “new” system which had been formed in 1717. Sadler also notes that
this was a very early use of a name of a Lodge16 which had no bearing on its location. Originally Lodges were
known by their location only (such as the Lodge at the Rummer and Grapes) and then by their number and
location after numbering of Warrants and Lodges became established.
The beginning of the Lodge and its early intake of new members, as well as its appreciation to Grand
Lodge for the deputation and consequent consecration is evidenced in the following letter. Regrettably Henry
Sadler does not include the list of members which was attached. The Lodge letter does, however, indicate
a change in the name from “St. John” to “St. John of Jerusalem”. The entry in the Grand Lodge records reads
“A Letter from the Lodge of St. John of Jerusalem lately Constituted at Gibralter by authority from the present
Grand Master was read, and ordered to be entered, viz:—
Most Noble and Right Honorable Grand Master
My Lord
We the Master and Wardens of the Lodge of St. John of Jerusalem, established by your
Lordship’s Letters of Consecration, dated the seventh day of March, 1728/9, in this His Majesty’s Garrison of
Gibralter, do for ourselves and Fellow Masons, beg Leave to return our most humble Thanks for the Honour your
Lordship hath been pleased to do us, in impowering us to hold a Lodge in as due and ample manner as hath
been hereto practised by our Brethren; In pursuance of which we did on the fifth Instant, hold our first Lodge,
and as our Number was then but small: We admitted six Brothers, whose names are distinguished in the List
of the Members of the Lodge, which together with the Orders thereof, We now transmitt to you. And we further
beg Leave to assure your Lordship that we shall in every respect conform to what you have prescribed to us,
and shall keep an exact account of our Proceedings in order to lay them before your Lordship or our Grand
Master for the time being when it shall be necessary or by you required. And so We humbly Salute your
Lordship, the Right Worshipful the Deputy Grand Master and Warden, and the rest of our Brethren, and in the
name of our Lodge We remain with great Respect,
My Lord
Your Lordship’s most humble and most
Obedient Servants and Brethren,
John Baylie,
Master
Josias Wilson
)
Benjn. Rodenhurst )
Wardens
From our Lodge at Gibralter,
the 19th day of October, 1729
[Source: Sadler, Masonic Facts and Fictions, p. 38.]
In 1731 Captain James Cummerford, a founder member of St. John of Jerusalem Lodge, was
appointed as Provincial Grand Master of Andalucia17. In 1752 Cummerford was replaced by Colonel J. G.
16
Sadler, p. 113, accepts Robert Freke Gould’s explanation that the use of the name “St. John” denoted
an unattached Lodge or Brother at this time (1720's) which would seem to fit with the possibility that the Lodge was
not seeking permission to exist, but, rather seeking a recognition of the new established Grand Lodge. Sadler also
cites Bazot’s Manual of Freemasonry (Paris, 1811) which makes the case that the “St. John” referred to was not St.
John the Baptist or St. John the Evangelist, but rather, St. John the Almoner, “to whom Encampments of Knights
Templars are dedicated.”
17
This would make Gibraltar either the second or third Provincial Grand Lodge to be established—the
other two being Hanover in 1730 and Russia (also) in 1731.
21
Montresor, another founder of St. John of Jerusalem and also the Chief Engineer of the Fortress.
Cummerford was reappointed in 1754 when Montresor embarked for America, at the time he had been
promoted and was a Colonel.
When the split of 1751 occurred in the premier Grand Lodge and resulted in the formation of the
Antients’ and Moderns’ Grand Lodges, St. John of Jerusalem Lodge retained its allegiance to the Moderns
Grand Lodge. At about this time the Lodge became known as “Mother Lodge of St. John” or “Mother Lodge”
and received Warrant No. 24.
The authority of the Moderns’ Grand Lodge all but disappeared from Gibraltar by 1791 when the
Moderns’ Provincial Grand Master, HRH Duke of Kent, departed for Quebec (where he would become the
Antients’ Provincial Grand Master). On his departure, four of the five Moderns’ Lodges on the Rock
assembled and produced a Provisional Patent for Bro. Sweetland as Acting Moderns’ Provincial Grand
Master, citing the authority of the then absent Duke of Kent. The action was confirmed by the Moderns’
Grand Lodge. Mother St. John Lodge did not participate in the action which had little impact anyway as all
the Moderns’ Lodges had gone into darkness soon after 1800.
John Lane, in his Masonic Records 1717-1894, Second Edition, provides the following entry for the
Lodge on page 52: “Gibraltar Lodge. St. John’s Lodge, 1768. Mother Lodge of St. John, 1785. The Rock,
Gibraltar, (Malaga), Spain 1728. Lodge at Gibraltar is referred to in G. L. Min. 10 May 1727. Deputation to
constitute 9 March 1728/9. (G. L. Warrant) Nov. 1728 No. 51B18. 9 March, 1729 No. 51. No. 51 1740. No.
30, 1755. No. 28, 1760. No. 25, 1780. No. 25 1781. No. 241792. Warrants of Confirmation, 12 Mar. 1785
and 22 Nov. 1786. Last payment 1800. Lapsed before the Union 1813.”
In 1831 the name “St. John” was adopted by Perth Lodge No. 181 (originally No. 148 ER(A) in the
Artillery which had become civilian and stationary about 1826. This Lodge still works as St. John’s Lodge,
No. 115 ER.
[Sources: (1) Masonic Facts and Fictions, by Henry Sadler, P.M. and P.Z., Published by Diprose & Bateman,
Sheffield Street, Lincoln’s Inn, 1887. (2) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, Second Edition, 1895.]
18
The “B” is Lane’s manner of indicating that there were (at least) two warrants carrying the same
number. Usually this would indicate two different Lodges with the number at different times, although in this case it
is the same Lodge.
22
Lodge of
Lodge of
Lodge of
Lodge of
Lodge of
Inhabitants,
Inhabitants,
Inhabitants,
Inhabitants,
Inhabitants,
No. 159 ER(M),
No. 186 ER(M),
No. 185 ER(M),
No. 231 ER(M),
No. 285 ER(M),
Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar
1792-1800?
1781-1792
1780-1781
1770-1780
1762-1770
Warrant No. 285 was issued by the Moderns’ Grand Lodge for the Lodge of Inhabitants on Gibraltar.
This was a stationary civilian Lodge (although it probably took in military personnel) and continued its
existence until sometime after 1800. When the split of 1751 occurred in the premier Grand Lodge between
Antients and Moderns, Lodge of Inhabitants retained its allegiance to the Moderns Grand Lodge and received
Warrant No. 159. Although the authority of the Moderns’ Grand Lodge had all but disappeared by 1791, four
of the five Lodges assembled and produced a Provisional Patent for Bro. Sweetland as Acting Moderns’
Provincial Grand Master, citing the authority of the then absent Provincial Grand Master, HRH Prince
Edward, The Duke of Kent. Lodge of Inhabitants was one of the four lodges. The action was confirmed by
the Moderns’ Grand Lodge. Mother St. John Lodge did not participate in the action which had little impact
anyway as all the Moderns’ Lodges had gone into darkness soon after 1800.
John Lane, in his Masonic Records 1717-1894 lists the Lodge on page 128 as follows: “Lodge of
Inhabitants, Gibraltar (Malaga), Spain 1762. (GL Warrant) 12 July 1762 No. 285 ER(M). Renumbered as 231
in 1770, 185 in 1780, 186 in 1781 and 159 in 1792. No payment after 1800. Erased in 1813.” It is probable
that the Lodge was defunct by 1800 at the latest.
In 1807 Ordnance Lodge, No. 202 ER(A), took over the lapsed name of Lodge of Inhabitants and
is still working as No. 153 ER, Gibraltar.
23
Hiram’s Lodge, No. 400 ER(M), Gibraltar 1792-1813
Hiram’s Lodge, No. 460 ER(M), Gibraltar 1786-1792
Warrant No. 460 was issued by the Moderns Grand Lodge on November 22, 1786 to hold Hiram’s
Lodge on Gibraltar. This was a stationary civilian Lodge (although it probably took in military personnel).
Although the authority of the Moderns’ Grand Lodge had all but disappeared by 1790, four of the five
Lodges assembled and produced a Provisional Patent for Bro. Sweetland as Acting Provincial Grand Master
of the Moderns Grand Lodge, citing the authority of the then absent Provincial Grand Master, HRH Prince
Edward, The Duke of Kent. Hiram’s Lodge was one of the four lodges. The action was confirmed by the
Moderns’ Grand Lodge. Mother St. John Lodge did not participate in the action which had little impact
anyway as all the Moderns’ Lodges had gone into darkness soon after 1800.
John Lane, in his Masonic Records 1717-1894, p 213, describes the Lodge as: “Hiram’s Lodge.
Gibraltar (Malaga), Spain 1786. (G. L. Warrant) 22 Nov. 1796. No 490. 1792 renumbered as No. 400. Erased
in 1813.
24
Royal Lodge of Friendship, No. 278 ER 1903-present
Lodge of Friendship, 278 ER, Gibraltar 1863-1903
Lodge of Friendship, No. 556 ER(M), Gibraltar 1803-1814
Calpean Lodge, No. 556 ER(M), Gibraltar 1789-1803
Calpean Lodge, UD ER(M), Gibraltar 1788-1789
There is little regarding the origins and working of this Lodge in The History of Freemasonry in
Gibraltar. Calpean Lodge is listed in the Moderns’ Register as having been meeting since 1788 under
dispensation. It was constituted in 1789 as No. 556. Although the authority of the Moderns Grand Lodge in
Gibraltar had all but disappeared by 1790, four of the five Lodges assembled and produced a Provisional
Patent for Bro. Sweetland as Acting Moderns’ Provincial Grand Master, citing the authority of the then absent
Provincial Grand Master, HRH Prince Edward, The Duke of Kent. Calpean Lodge was one of the four lodges.
The action was confirmed by the Moderns’ Grand Lodge. Mother St. John Lodge did not participate in the
action which had little impact anyway as all the Moderns’ Lodges had gone into darkness after 1800. In 1803
Calpean Lodge adopted the lapsed name of “Lodge of Friendship”. [Note: The History gives both 1803 and
1815 as the year in which the Lodge adopted the name “Friendship” and it is more likely it occurred after
1813 when the original Lodge of Friendship was erased from the roll.]
With the Union of the Moderns’ and Antients’ Grand Lodges in 1813, new Warrants were issued in
1814 and the Lodge was confirmed as Lodge of Friendship, No. 465, Gibraltar. Shortly after receiving the
new Warrant it was lost and a Warrant of Confirmation was issued by United Grand Lodge in 1817. This
Warrant, too, became lost and a second Warrant of Confirmation was issued in 1825 and is the Warrant
under which the Lodge continues to work.
This Lodge is the only recognized survivor of the Moderns at Gibraltar and continues to hold the
original manuscript book of 1789 By-Laws and a list of members up to 1806. The Bylaws contain prohibitive
clauses regarding intercourse with Antients’ masons. At that time the old original Lodge would hold a festival
on September 9 to commemorate the “sinking of the junk ships” during the great siege. The Lodge also
possesses the Minutes, manuscript By-Laws and list of members of the original Lodge of Friendship, No.
577/486 ER(M)—see next Lodge entry. Royal Friendship Lodge also holds the Minute book of Durham
Faithful Lodge, No. 446 ER, which was held in the 68th (Durham Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot.
The History notes that the Lodge tended to draw its members from the English on Gibraltar, one of
its members being HRH The Duke of Connaught who, as Grand Master in 1903, granted the use of the prefix
“Royal” with the Lodge name.
John Lane, in his Masonic Records 1717-1894, p 213, describes the Lodge as: “No. 278 (1894.)
Calpean Lodge, 1789. Lodge of Friendship 1815. Gibraltar (Malaga) Spain 1788. “Have met by Dispensation
as a Lodge since 1 Dec. 1788.” (G. L. Warrant) 15 Dec. 1789 No. 556. 1792 No. 465. 1814 No. 520 (ER).
1832 No. 345. 1863 No. 278. Warrants of Confirmation in 1817 and 8 Dec. 1825. Centenary Warrant, 2 May
1892. Met at Freemasons’ Hall, Glynn’s Buildings, Gibraltar, 1860; Horse Barracks Lane, Gibraltar 1874;
Masonic Hall, Alameida, Gibraltar, 1886.”
25
The Lodge of Friendship was constituted by Lodge of Inhabitants in 1791 under authority from the
Moderns’ Grand Lodge and under its own Warrant No. 486 ER(M). Warrant No. 577 was issued from London
bearing the date of April 13, 1791. The warrant was renumbered as 486 in 1792.
Lodge of Friendship was a signatory of the Provisional Patent for Bro. Sweetland as Provincial
Grand Master. Although the authority of the Moderns Grand Lodge had all but disappeared by 1790, four of
the five Lodges assembled and produced a Provisional Patent for Bro. Sweetland as Acting Moderns’
Provincial Grand Master, citing the authority of the then absent Provincial Grand Master, HRH Prince
Edward, The Duke of Kent. Lodge of Friendship was one of the four lodges. The action was confirmed by
the Moderns Grand Lodge. Mother St. John Lodge did not participate in the action which had little impact
anyway as all the Moderns’ Lodges had gone into darkness soon after 1800. Many of the members of the
Lodge at the time of closing joined Calpean Lodge.
Royal Lodge of Friendship, which inherited the lapsed name of “Friendship” now possesses the
Minutes, manuscript By-Laws and list of members of the original Lodge of Friendship, No. 577/486 ER(M).
The membership roll shows that the members were most seafaring people or Brethren connected with the
sea through business (Italians, Genoese, Sardinians, Sicilians, French, Spanish and Portuguese). The ByLaws are written in English and Italian. Many of the members were “captain of privateer” and “merchant”,
one was “equilibrista”19 and several were Spanish and Portuguese priests (even though the Inquisition was
still going on).
John Lane, in his Masonic Records 1717-1894, p 225, describes the Lodge as: Lodge of Friendship.
Gibraltar (Malaga), Spain, 1791. (G. L. Warrant) 13 April 1791 No. 577. 1792 No. 486. Last payment 1800.
Erased in 1813.”
19
A Spanish word for “tight rope walker”.
26
(b)
Antients Stationary Lodges at Gibraltar
27
28
REF:
E159
29
Inhabitants Lodge, No. 153 ER (original), Gibraltar 1885-present
Inhabitants Lodge, No. 153 ER (Warrant of Confirmation) 1877-present
Inhabitants Lodge, No. 153 ER, Gibraltar 1863-1877
Inhabitants Lodge, No. 202 ER(A), in HM Ordnance at Gibraltar 1804-1814
Ordnance Lodge, No. 202 ER(A), in HM Ordnance at Gibraltar 1777-1804
The History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 ER, Gibraltar20 notes “In 1777 another Ancients Lodge was
warranted as the Ordnance Lodge No. 202, Admission to which was restricted to officers and artificers in HM
Ordnance establishment. When the original Lodge of Inhabitants lapsed in 1807, No. 202 took over the name
of Inhabitants and still works with us as No. 153.” It is an interesting note that a Lodge Certificate was issued
on January 23, 1810 to Bro. Geo. Fairfowl of the Lodge in which he is described as a “Regular geometric
Master Mason of the Ancient Craft.”
United Grand Lodge issued Warrant No. 715 on October 6, 1819, for Ordnance Lodge, to be held
in HM Ordnance at Gibraltar. The Warrant was surrendered to United Grand Lodge in 1826.
The first WM of Mount Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC (the first civilian Irish Lodge on Gibraltar whose
Warrant was issued on September 7, 1826) was W. Bro. Daniel Durham, who had been initiated into Lodge
No. 309 IC in the 26th (The Cameronians) and had been released locally (i.e. at Gibraltar) from military
service in about 1822. The SW (Bro. Isaac Thompson); JW (Bro. Alexander Imbrie); Secretary (Bro. John
Pratt) and one Charter Member, Bro. Robert Moravia; were from Lodge No. 68 IC, held in the 2nd Company,
7th Battalion of Royal Irish Artillery and which was one of the sponsoring Lodges for No. 325. The SD (Bro.
Charles Causton) and one other Charter Member, Bro. John Wheatley, were members of Lodge No. 130 IC
in the 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot. The members from the Royal Artillery had also been
released from service on Gibraltar and their unit had left. In addition, the Treasurer (Bro. Francisco
Semonetti); JD (Bro. Joseph Baggetto) and Tyler (Bro. Giacomo Celicia) and Charter Member W. Bro.
Thomas Varnor; were members of Lodge No. 715 ER, in the Gibraltar Ordinance Department, which had
surrendered its Warrant in 1826.
By 1857 the Lodge had been dormant for several years and it was resurrected by the actions of
officers of the 31st Regiment of Foot, particularly Bro. Lieutenant Robert Freke Gould (he was 21 years old
at the time and had been a mason for two years). By 1858, Gould had re-established the Lodge with himself
as Master and Bros. Irwin and Schreiber as Wardens. These officers also helped in the establishment of
Meridian Lodge, No. 1045 ER, Gibraltar.
The History of Freemasonry on Gibraltar notes that in 1877 the Lodge was forced to apply to United
Grand Lodge for a Warrant of Confirmation as the original Warrant which had been surrendered to Grand
Lodge, had become lost. At the same time the Lodge applied for recognition of the Centennial of the Lodge
which was also approved as was a Centennial jewel. In 1885 the original Warrant was found and returned
to the Lodge by United Grand Lodge and the Warrant of Confirmation was surrendered. Because of the
historical interest in the various signatures on the Warrant of Confirmation it was returned to the Lodge and
carries a footnote to this effect on the bottom lefthand corner—thus making the Lodge probably the only one
working under two warrants at the same time.
In 1901 the Inhabitants Lodge founded Robert Freke Gould Lodge, which received Warrant No. 2874
from the United Grand Lodge of England.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894, page 148, reads: “Inhabitants’ Lodge. Named
in 1804. In His Majesty’s Ordnance, in the Garrison of Gibraltar, (Malaga), Spain 1777. (G. L. Warrant) 18
Nov. 1777 No. 202. 1814 No. 251. 1832 No. 178. 1863 No. 153. A Stationary, and not a Military Lodge. G.
L. Reg. Meeting at: Crown and Anchor, Gibraltar, 1815. Glyn’s Buildings, Gibraltar, 1860. Three Anchors
20
The History is held on website <www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/history.htm>
30
Coffee House, Main Street, Gibraltar, 1863. 6 Engineers’ Lane, Gibraltar, 1866. Garrison Library, Gibraltar,
1869. 19 Bell Lane, Gibraltar, 1874. 32 Engineers’ Lane, Gibraltar, 1876. Masonic Hall, Armstrong Buildings,
Gibraltar, 1877. Had a Warrant of Confirmation, 10 July 1877, the original warrant having been lost , but it
has since been recovered. Centenary Warrant (Special Jewel) 1 Oct. 1862. Cancelled in 1877. Centenary
Warrant 18 Nov. 1877.”
In reporting the entry in the Grand Lodge Register, Lane is flagging that this was not an ambulatory
military Lodge and allowing for the interpretation that it was a stationary Lodge for military personnel of the
Ordnance Department on the Rock, a not insubstantial establishment.
[Sources: (1) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895. (2) History of
Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (3) W. Bro. Ray Sheppard 1994 listing of military Lodges.
(4) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth’s
Prestonian Lecture for 1990 as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge.]
31
(English) Provincial Grand Lodge, No. 276 ER, Gibraltar 1813-????
Antients’ Provincial Grand Lodge, No. 220 ER(A), Gibraltar 1786-1813
On January 25, 1786, the Antients Grand Master signed Warrant No. 220, establishing the Provincial
Grand Lodge at Gibraltar. This would be the second use of the number “220" due to an error in the Grand
Secretary’s office, he having used it for a Lodge at Lichfield in error and had been required to issue a new
warrant there numbered “224" and to use “220" for Gibraltar.
The action taken was a response to an appeal from three Antients’ Lodges at Gibraltar—one quasicivilian (stationary) and two military (ambulatory). The three Lodges were: Ordnance Lodge, No. 202 ER(A)
(formed 1777), Perth Lodge, No. 148 ER(A) in the 2nd Battalion, RA (formed 1767) and Waterloo Lodge,
No. 230 ER(A), held in the 1st Battalion, RA (formed 1785).
Because of the refusal of the five Moderns’ Lodges to accept non-Moderns’ as equals, the new
Provincial Grand Lodge took under its authority the many travelling Lodges which arrived at the garrison with
their regiments. In acting in this manner, many of the transient masons accepted Provincial offices—in fact,
the first Antients’ Provincial Grand Master was a Bro. Ross, an Irish Mason (refer to Grand Lodge of ireland
records, 1789, letter signed by Bro. John Ross complaining about the ill conduct of members of Lodge No.
244 IC). HRH Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, was appointed as Provincial Grand Master in January 1790 and
he held the office for the remaining existence of the Antients’ Provincial Grand Lodge on Gibraltar (i.e. 1813)
even though he left in 1791 for Quebec.
Early masonic record-keeping around the world was often incomplete—or documents were lost and
destroyed in the frequent fighting between nation states. In a great many cases the records are incomplete.
John Lane, in his Masonic Records 1717-1894, includes PART IV, containing information (such as it was
available to him) about Lodges which were warranted abroad by English Provincial Grand Lodges but not
registered with the Grand Lodge in London. The following list refers to local (or Provincial) warrants issued
by the Antients Provincial Grand Lodge at Gibraltar under the authority of Warrant No. 220 dated January
25, 1786 and for which no definitive information about the Lodges is available:
No. 2 Provincial
in the Royal Artillery
No. 3 Provincial
in the 100th Regiment of Foot
No. 4 Provincial
No. 5 Provincial
in the Royal Artillery
No. 6 Provincial
No. 7 Provincial
No. 8 Provincial
No. 9 Provincial
The above eight warrants were issued but it is not clear to which Lodges they applied. It was tradition
for Grand Lodges and Provincial Grand Lodges to reuse numbers. Given the frequent movement of military
units and lodges into and out of Gibraltar these numbers were frequently interchanged. The above listing is
believed to be additional to the listing of local warrants on pages 9, 10, 11 of this presentation.
With the union of the Antient’s and Moderns’ Grand Lodges in 1813 the Provincial Grand Lodge was
issued with a new warrant as No. 276 ER.
32
(c)
English Warranted Lodges at Gibraltar (post 1813)
33
34
35
Ordnance Lodge, 715 ER, Gibraltar 1819-1826
United Grand Lodge issued Warrant No. 715, dated October 6, 1819, for a new Lodge at Gibraltar,
to be named “Ordnance Lodge”, using the lapsed name of the original Ordnance Lodge, No. 202 ER(A),
which had been issued in 1777. This Lodge would be short-lived and surrendered its Warrant in 1826.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894, page 251, reads: “Ordnance Lodge. In
Garrison, Gibraltar (Malaga), Spain 1819. (G. L. Warrant) 6 Oct. 1819 No. 715. Warrant surrendered in
1826.”
[Sources: (1) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895.]
36
Calpean Lodge, No. 482 ER, Gibraltar 1832-1863?
Calpean Lodge, No. 748 ER, Gibraltar 1822-1832
United Grand Lodge issued 748 dated November 9, 1822, for a new Lodge at Gibraltar, to be named
“Calpean” using the original name “Calpean Lodge” which had been in use from 1788 to 1803 (see p 20).
Although the warrant was renumbered as 482 in 1832 the Lodge may have lapsed about this time and was
erased from the Grand Lodge roll in 1862.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894, page 254, reads: “Calpean Lodge. Named
in 1824. Gibraltar (Malaga), Spain 1822. (G. L. Warrant) 9 Nov. 1822 No. 748. 1832 No. 482. Erased 4 June
1862.”
[Sources: (1) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895.]
37
Robert Freke Gould Lodge, No. 2874 ER, Gibraltar 1901-present
In 1901 the Inhabitants Lodge, No. 153 ER, Gibraltar founded Robert Freke Gould Lodge, which
received Warrant No. 2874 from the United Grand Lodge of England. The Lodge was named in honour of
R. W. Bro. Lieutenant Robert Freke Gould of the 31st Foot accepted the honour of the First Immediate Past
Master of the Lodge at its formation and the Founder Master was W. Bro. W, H, Hoare.
No further information is presently known about the Lodge.
[Sources: (1) Calpe Lodge; The History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC; held on the Lodge website:
Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar.]
38
Connaught Lodge, No. 2915 ER, Gibraltar 1902-present
In 1902 Connaught Lodge was founded at Gibraltar and received Warrant No. 2915 from the United
Grand Lodge of England. It was constituted as a Lodge for Officers, Warrant Officers and civil officials of
relative rank in the navy or army. It was named after the Grand Master of United Grand Lodge, HRH The
Duke of Connaught, who agreed to be registered as the first Immediate Past Master of the Lodge.
39
HRH The Duke of Connaught
(1850-1942)
(Photo: Photographer or Artist/NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA/PA-29978)
Arthur William Patrick Albert, 1st Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was born at Buckingham
Palace on May 1, 1850, the third son of Queen Victoria. He was educated privately and then attended the
Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. He spent a year with the 1st Battalion of the Rifle Brigade in Montreal
where he turned out for a Fenian raid in 1870. After a military career which took him to Egypt, India, Ireland
and South Africa he was made a Field Marshal in 1902.
The Duke of Connaught was appointed as Governor General of Canada from 1911 to 1916. As
nominal commander-in-chief of the Canadian militia he took his role very seriously and his insistence on
being consulted about the details of war administration created considerable tension between him and the
Minister of Militia, Sam Hughes and stretched his constitutional position and the patience of the Prime
Minister, Robert L. Borden, to the limit.
The Duke of Connaught returned to England in 1916. He died at Bagshot Park, Surrey, on January
16, 1942.
Both the Duke of Connaught and his elder brother, HRH the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII)
were dedicated Masons.
Masonic Career
In 1870 the Duke of Zetland gave up the Grand Mastership of the United Grand Lodge of England
and was succeeded by the Marquess of Ripon (then Earl de Grey and Ripon). Ripon’s successor in 1874 was
the Prince of Wales. In 1876 the Duke of Connaught became Senior Grand Warden, and in 1886 the Duke
was made Provincial Grand Master for Sussex (the first time such an office had been held by a member of
the Royal family). When the Prince of Wales ascended the Throne in 1901 as King Edward VII he resigned
as Grand Master and became Protector of the Craft. He was succeeded by his brother, the Duke of
Connaught, who reigned as Grand Master for 38 years (the second longest recorded period, the longest
sitting Grand Master being the Duke of Leinster in Ireland, who was Grand Master for 61 years.
The Duke of Connaught’s reign as Grand Master saw the greatest success and prosperity of the Craft
in the United Kingdom and around the world. Some of the key events included: the creation of “London
Grand Rank” in 1908; the 1917 Bicentenary of Grand Lodge and the 1919 Masonic Peace Celebrations; the
construction and opening of the Royal Masonic Hospital in 1920 which has gone through several extensions
and upgrades; the Masonic Peace Memorial of 1933 (the name given to the new Masonic Hall at Great
Queen Street).
For health reasons the Duke of Connaught resigned as Grand Master in 1939 and was succeeded
by HRH George, Duke of Kent.
40
Knights Templary
The Convent-General of the 1870's, designed to embrace the Knight Templar Orders in England,
Scotland and Ireland, but leaving domestic control to each, came into being with the Prince of Wales as
Sovereign. Scotland did not join, having problems to deal with first. The English Grand Conclave of Knights
Templars changed its name to National Great Priory and, when the Convent-General ceased to exist in 1895,
again amended its style and title to Great Priory of England and Wales and resumed complete
independence. The Duke of Connaught was Grand Master of the Orders in England from 1907 to 1939 and,
concurrently, Grand Master of the Orders in Ireland from 1878 to his death in 1942.
During his tenure as Governor General of Canada, the Duke of Connaught was granted the rank of
Past Supreme Grand Master of the Sovereign Great Priory of Canada in 1914 in recognition of continuous
support for the Masonic Order in general, and in recognition of his involvement in, and support for Knights
Templary in particular.
[Sources: (1) The Sovereign Great Priory of Canada of the United Orders of Malta and of the Temple 18552002, The Supreme Grand Masters, published 2003 by Gryphon Jenkyns Enterprises, ISBN 0-9732736-0-7.
(2) Photo: Photographer or Artist/NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA/PA-29978.]
41
The Letchworth Lodge, No. 3503 ER, Gibraltar 1911-present
In 1911 Royal Lodge of Friendship (see p 20) founded The Letchworth Lodge at Gibraltar for officers
serving in the two (now three) Services. The new Lodge received Warrant No. 3503 from the United Grand
Lodge of England. It was named after R. W. Bro. Letchworth who was Grand Secretary of United Grand
Lodge for many years until his death in 1910.
42
United Services Lodge, No. 3813 ER, Gibraltar 1917-present
In October 1917 a new Lodge for officers in the Services was Constituted at Gibraltar. United
Services Lodge received Warrant No. 3813 from the United Grand Lodge. Membership in the Lodge is
restricted to past and present members of the Armed Forces.
43
Gibraltar Masters Lodge, No. 3825 ER, Gibraltar 1917-present
In December 1917 the Gibraltar Masters Lodge was formed under Warrant No. 3825 issued by the
United Grand Lodge of England. It was originally restricted to Installed Masters of the English Constitution
but was later widened to admit any Installed Master from a recognized jurisdiction. It was formed with the
object of “promoting intercourse between Installed Masters belonging to Lodges located in Gibraltar, to
provide a means of responsible discussion on all points relating to masonic working, policy and conduct in
the District and to assist Lodges.”
The Lodge is still working.
44
Masonic District Grand Stewards Lodge, No. 9217 ER, Gibraltar ????-present
The Lodge appears in the Gibraltar Masonic website as belonging to the District Grand Lodge EC.
No further information is available.
(d)
Irish Civilian Lodges warranted at Gibraltar
45
46
47
Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar 1863-present
Rock Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar 1844-1863
RA Chapter, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar 1836-????
Gibraltar Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar 1826-1844
In 1826, with the sponsorship of Lodge No. 68 IC (held in the 2nd Company, 7th Battalion, Royal
Artillery), Lodge No. 42 IC (held in the 42nd (Black Watch) Regiment), and Lodge No. 130 IC (held in the
1st Battalion, North Staffordshire (ex 64th) Regiment of Foot)21, a number of Irish Masons residing at
Gibraltar petitioned the Grand Lodge of Ireland for authority to form a civilian Lodge. The Petitioners
specifically asked for a Warrant containing the number “5” as they were in possession of a set of regalia
engraved with that number. It is believed to have been used by a Lodge held in the 2nd Company, 4th
Battalion, Royal Artillery, which had operated under a Local Warrant, No. 5, in the period 1805/6-1821 (No.
345 ER(A) 1809-1814 and No. 443 ER 1814-1827) and whose English Warrant had been erased in 1827.
Warrant No. 32522 IC was authorized by the Grand Lodge of Ireland on September 18, 1826 as per the
following letter:
Dublin 18th September 1826
Dear Sir & Bro.
I duly received your Memorial for a Permanent Warrant to be held in Gibraltar, which has been granted by our
Grand Lodge, it shall be prepared, and ready to forward by first opportunity. I have also received in same
account from Lodge No. 68, an Order for Seven pounds 7/9d. being the amount of the Warrant, and their
information, that the schooner Vigilent Capn. Tooles, is on passage here, and by whose return, hope to transmit
Warrant gear - Should Lodge 68 not have sailed before this reaches, please inform them, that I have got their
letter, but defer writing until they write me from England agreeable to their directions. The Warrant for Gibraltar
will be No. 325, being the earliest open with a five in it.
I beg to add that I feel pleasure at this renewal of our correspondence.
Sir & Bro
Your obedient Servant
(signed) W. F. Graham D.G.Sect.
The Lodge history makes it clear that the formation of this civilian Lodge was necessary due to
imminent departure of Lodges 68 IC and 130 IC, whose parent Regiments were being transferred back to
England, and the need of an Irish Lodge to provide a masonic home for Irish Masons remaining on the Rock.
The first WM of Lodge No. 325 IC was W. Bro. Daniel Durham, who had been initiated into Lodge
No. 309 IC in the 26th (The Cameronians) and had been released locally (i.e. at Gibraltar) from military
service in about 1822. The SW (Bro. Isaac Thompson); JW (Bro. Alexander Imbrie); Secretary (Bro. John
Pratt) and one Charter Member, Bro. Robert Moravia; were from Lodge No. 68 IC. The SD (Bro. Charles
Causton) and one other Charter Member, Bro. John Wheatley, were members of Lodge No. 130 IC. The
members from the Royal Artillery had also been released from service on Gibraltar and their unit had left.
21
Other records indicate that the Lodge was held in the 2nd Battalion.
22
The number “325" was first used by the Grand Lodge of Ireland for a Warrant on May 3, 1759 to hold
Cappoquin Lodge, in County Waterford. The Lodge removed to Mallow, County Cork on February 3, 1803. The
Warrant was cancelled by the Grand Lodge of Ireland on July 7, 1825.
48
In addition, the Treasurer (Bro. Francisco Semonetti); JD (Bro. Joseph Baggetto) and Tyler (Bro. Giacomo
Celicia) and Charter Member W. Bro. Thomas Varnor; were members of Lodge No. 715 ER, in the Gibraltar
Ordinance Department, which had surrendered its Warrant in 1826.
Lodge No. 325 IC was Consecrated on January 23, 1827 at the Freemason’s Tavern by the Masters
and officers of Lodges No. 42 (Hibernia Lodge, No. 42 IC, held in the 42nd Foot) and 130 under authority
from Grand Lodge.
By 1832 only the Charter WM was alive of the Founding Members and two cholera epidemics (1828
and 1834) resulted in a decline in membership. Growth was rapid and by April 1836, the Lodge wrote to
Grand Lodge requesting a Warrant for Royal Arch Chapter, which was approved in September 1836.
However, life in the Chapter was not made easy and the new Lodge/Chapter complained to Grand Lodge
about the unmasonic behaviour of Sergeant Rafferty of the 52nd Foot, who was WM of Lodge No. 244 IC
and (as reported by Chapter No. 325 IC) also First Principal of a Chapter in Gibraltar23. There is no indication
in the Lodge History of the action taken by Grand Lodge although Lodge No. 244 IC was known to have been
working in Dublin as late as 1844, and its Warrant was surrendered in 1845.
The death of the Lodge Tyler, on August 27, 1840, provoked the first recorded conflict between the
Roman Catholic Church and Freemasons on Gibraltar. The first Papal Bull against the Craft, published in
1738, appears to have never been promulgated in Gibraltar and the newly arrived RC Bishop of Gibraltar
refused to permit the burial of a Catholic who had become a Freemason. The Tyler was buried with
appropriate Masonic honours under the direction of the Rev. Dr. Burrow of the Anglican Church of the Hold
Trinity (who was also the English Provincial Grand Master of Gibraltar). The overall situation was eventually
resolved to the satisfaction of everyone by the removal of the RC Bishop. In 1844 the Lodge name was
changed to “Rock Lodge” in recognition of its location on the Rock of Gibraltar.
Calpe Lodge has assisted in the formation of a number of new Lodges in and around the area. In
1851 Rock Lodge petitioned for, and obtained, a Warrant for the erection of an Irish Lodge in Malta where
many non-resident service members were stationed and in November 1851, Leinster Lodge, No. 387 IC was
Consecrated. In 1858 some of the military brethren of Rock Lodge took part in the resuscitation of Lodge No.
178 ER (now Inhabitants Lodge, No. 153 ER) using the old original Warrant. Apparently this was done
without any approval of any masonic authority and Rock Lodge wrote to Grand Lodge explaining the situation
and that the Lodge, per se, did not actively condone the action. No reply appears on the Lodge files
according to the Lodge History. In early 1863 Calpe Lodge submitted a Petition to Grand Lodge for authority
to form a new Lodge at Cadiz although no approval appears to have been granted. In 1907 the WM and
officers assisted in the revival of Dominica Lodge, No. 174 IC (held in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry ex 46th Foot).
In July 1862 Rock Lodge sought approval from Grand Lodge to work “in different languages when
occasion may require”. The languages in question were Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. Approval
was quickly given (and remains in force today) and the Lodge grew significantly; a much quicker and
favourable response than that which occurred when St. John, No. 115 ER obtained its limited authority from
United Grand Lodge for the minutes only to be kept in Spanish. In spite of this authority the first degree to
be given in that language was worked on November 12 1870 and the earliest Minutes written in Spanish date
from 1873.
In 1863 the Lodge applied to the Grand Lodge of Ireland for permission to use the lapsed name of
“Calpe Lodge” which had earlier existed at Gibraltar as No. 556 ER(M) from 1788 to 1803.
Calpe Lodge assisted in a number of public events with a distinct masonic orientation. Th Lodge
participated in the laying of the cornerstone of the New Market at Waterport in 1876, attended by the Grand
Master of England, HRH The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII).
23
Originally Warrant No. 370 IC had been issued on August 6, 1761 by the Grand Lodge of Ireland to
hold a Lodge in the 52nd Foot. After many vicissitudes during the American Revolution and through India, the
Warrant was cancelled by the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1825, but the Lodge kept working. On May 3, 1832,
Warrant No. 244 IC was issued by Grand Lodge “. . . . to three old members of 370 in lieu of latter Warrant.”
Warrant 244 IC shows the names of WM - Thomas Rafferty and Wardens - James Reed and Peter Alleyz.
49
On instructions from Grand Lodge, dated November 2, 1877, a Resolution of Grand Lodge was read
prohibiting masonic intercourse with the Grand Orient of France over the latter’s removal of the requirement
for a belief in a supreme being.
The first Lodge of Instruction was worked on July 11, 1910. It has since been named as “Robert’s
Lodge” and is run in conjunction with Calpe Lodge.
The History is replete with benevolence activities of Calpe Lodge throughout its existence. It is noted
that several English District Grand Masters reported in their own records that brethren in distressed
circumstances regardless of their masonic affiliation received better support from Irish Masons on the Rock
than from any other jurisdiction. The pace of support of the distressed has been constantly set by Calpe
Lodge.
Calpe Lodge members served in two World Wars and special funds were collected and set aside
to assist brethren and widows who were in need of assistance. In 1940 special permission was given to remit
the dues of serving brethren and dues were remitted for those not on service but who suffered financial
difficulties during the period of conflict.
Although Calpe Lodge did not celebrate its centennial (according to its minutes) the members
celebrated its sesquicentennial by entertaining the Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland
during a visit to the Rock in September 1976. In January 1992 a Centenary Certificate was prepared for the
Lodge by Grand Lodge.
Calpe Lodge is still working and meets in the Lodge Rooms at the Gibraltar Institute, 47a Prince
Edward’s Road.
[Sources: (1) Irish Masonic Records, by V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, limited publication in manuscript form by
the Grand Lodge of Ireland, 1973. (2) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and
Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (3) History of Freemasonry, by Robert
Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (4) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol.
I, 1925. (5) Calpe Lodge website.]
50
Worshipful masters of Calpe Lodge, No.
(* = charter members)
(year* = elections/installations every six months)
1827*
1828*
1829*
1830
1832
1834
1836
1838
1840
1842
1844
1846
1848
1850
1852
1854
1856
1858
1860
1862
1864*
1865*
1866*
1867*
1868*
1869*
1871*
1872*
1873
1875
1876*
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
D. Durham
D. Durham
J. Thompson
J. Thompson
J. Thompson
R. Hill
A. C. Hemson
A. C. Hemson
J. Gilbertson
E. Hill
J. Ellison
B. McGinn
T. Beal
B. McGinn
B. McGinn
B. McGinn
B. McGinn
J. S. Smith
T. Lake
J. Romero
J. Walsh
H. Paisley
C. Molinary
C. Molinary
C. Molinary
H. B. Thyne
J. Holliday
J. Descalzo
J. F. Franceri
J. F. Franceri
J. F. Franceri
R. Jackson
A. Ross
R. Jackson
N. A. Bassadone
J. Radford
F. G. Hendley
J. Descalzo
E. J. Legget
A. M. Hall
W. T. Pike
J. Descalzo
J. Descalzo
W. Braund
C. Bartholomew
P. R. Chapman
1827* D. Durham
1828* J. Thompson
1829* J. McKeane
1831 J. Thompson
1833 R. Hill
1835 A. C. Hemson
1837 G. Bolton
1839 E. Greshon
1841 W. Murphy
1843 M. Vonberg
1845 B. McGinn
1847 B. McGinn
1849 B. McGinn
1851 J. Foster
1853 B. McGinn
1855 B. McGinn
1857 B. McGinn
1859 J. S. Smith
1861 J. West
1863 J. Romero
1865* P. McCormick
1866* G. Laider
1867* J. Johnstone
1868* W. Osmond
1869* C. Molinary
1870 J. Descalzo
1871* P. De La Vega
1872* J. Messias
1874 J. Holliday
1876* W. Leslie
1877 A. Ross
1879 A. P. Crawley
1881 W. Bell
1883 P. Lyons
1885 W. Morley
1887 J. F. Courier
1889 F. G. Hendley
1891 J. Descalzo
1893 J. Tough
1895 A. M. Hall
1897 J. Walsh
1899 W. D. Browne
1901 W. Braund
1903 S. Roberts
1905 C. Bartholomew
1907 H. S. Smith
1907
1909
1911
1913
1915
1917
1919
1921
1923
1925
1927
1929
1931
1933
1935
1937
1939
1941
1943
1945
1947
1949
1951
1953
1955
1957
1959
1961
1963
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
H. S. Smith
J. Carrigher
F. Lawrence
F. Lawrence
E. T. Davies
F. G. Graham
J. H. Barton
T. E. Lakely
F. G. Batten
G. Sheridan
J. H. Weir
H. E. Horton
W. J. Shergold
S. W. Taylor
R. W. Lee
H. A. Selby
T. W. Mason
W. Whetten
H. Rowan
G. Holloway
S. Cane
J. Ellis
T. H. Russel
J. M. Vella
A. Fenick
J. A. Desoiza
A. J. Milan
J. E. Lara
A. A. Ferrer
J. Lagares
A. A. Ferrer
S. Valarino
M. Gracia
M. Hanglin
F. Olivares
G. A. Dalli
D. Bear
J. J. Finlayson
W. Francis
E. Gaduzo
J. Chiara
A. Enriles
J. L. Cruz
H. Vassallo
M. Olivera
E. Sanchez
R. H. Dickson
C. Noguera
A. Posso
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
A. Smith
G. Villiers
F. Lawrence
F. Delebeque
J. H. Barton
J. Littlewood
C. Bartholomew
W. Browne
J. H. Weir
E. Santos
F. Tabb
P. Lowe
W. J. Shergold
C. L. Santos
M. C. Nuza
R. E. G. Cross
J. W. V. Cumming
J. E. Deale
N. N. Cumming
T. H. Russel
J. M. Alcantara
H. Melrose
F. H. Risso
J. M. Vella
J. A. Desoiza
A. J. Milan
J. E. Lara
J. Ellul
A. A. Ferrer
J. P. Winspear
E. Gallardo
M. Gracia
J. Ellis
H. J. Neale
J. Laguea
E. J. Hammond
1980 A. J. Gordon
W. Francis
J. J. Garro
J. J. Rodriguez
C. Carter
J. Bugeja
J. C. Noguera
E. Gaduzo
L. Chichon
G. Laguea
M. Hanglin
G. Mauro
51
52
Irish Masters Lodge, No. 915 IC, Gibraltar 1992-present
Irish Masters Lodge was only the second Irish Lodge to be formed on Gibraltar. It was formed on
March 17, 1992 St. Patrick’s Day) and issued with Warrant No. 91524 by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, being
Constituted by a team from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Down, acting on behalf of Grand Lodge. Calpe
Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar provided the majority of founders (charter members) of the Lodge.
The Lodge is still working and meets in the Lodge Rooms at the Gibraltar Institute, 47a Prince
Edward’s Road.
Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (4) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol.
I, 1925. (5) Calpe Lodge website.]
24
The number “915" was first used on May 6, 1802, for a Warrant to hold a Lodge at Ballynure,
Ballyclare, Co. Antrim. The warrant was returned to Grand Lodge on February 3, 1825, in exchange for lower
numbered warrant No. 177.
(e)
Scottish Civilian Lodges warranted at Gibraltar
53
54
55
Lodge of St. Thomas, No. 576 SC, Gibraltar 1876-present
The Grand Lodge of Scotland issued Warrant No. 576 in 1876 for a civilian Lodge to be held at
Gibraltar under the name Lodge of St. Thomas. No details are currently known.
[Sources:
56
Al
Al
Al
Al
Moghreb al
Moghreb al
Moghreb al
Moghreb al
Aksa Lodge, No. 670 SC, Gibraltar 1882-present
Aksa Lodge, No. 1825, GRM, Tangier, Morocco 1882-1890
Aksa Lodge, No. 18, GRM, Gibraltar 1881-1882
Aksa Lodge26, UD, GRM, Gibraltar 1881-1881
At the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba (Canada), held in February 1881,
a petition was read from a number of brethren, requesting dispensation to open a regular Lodge at Gibraltar
which would be removed to Morocco. A covering letter was attached to the petition recommending the
dispensation and signed by R. W. Bro. Robert Stewart Patterson, the first Master of Prince Rupert’s Lodge,
No. 1, GRM. It is not clear that a dispensation was issued although Grand Lodge issued Warrant No. 1627
to Al Moghreb al Aska Lodge on July 28, 1881.
Shortly afterwards a copy of the May Communication of the Grand Lodge of Scotland was received
by the Grand Lodge of Manitoba which indicated that Scotland considered the action to be an infringement
upon the jurisdictional rights of the Grand Lodges of England, Ireland and Scotland, and instructed the
Scottish Lodge at Gibraltar (Lodge No. 576 SC, formed 1876) to withhold masonic intercourse with the
Manitoba Lodge. A similar protest was received from United Grand Lodge in August 1881. R. W. Bro.
Patterson was cabled and instructed not to constitute the Lodge or that if it had been so constituted, to
suspend the Warrant until the Lodge had removed to Morocco, in keeping with the intent of the original
petition. R. W. Bro. Patterson was instructed to return the Warrant if the Lodge did not move out of Gibraltar.
In the meantime R. W. Bro. Patterson had constituted the Lodge and had convened “an occasional”
Grand Lodge at which he constituted a Territorial Grand Lodge. In July 1882 an order was issued by the
Grand Lodge of Manitoba demanding the return of all documents, including the Lodge Warrant. No reply or
action appears to have been taken by R. W. Bro. Patterson and Grand Lodge had the order inserted into The
Freemason (a magazine published in London). The Master and Wardens of Al Moghreb al Aska Lodge
responded to Grand Lodge and pointed out that they had been “seduced” by R. W. Bro. Patterson and had
no desire to create problems. They also advised that by this time the Lodge was domiciled in Tangier.
At the Annual Communication of 1883, the Grand Lodge of Manitoba confirmed the Warrant in
Tangier. R. W. Bro. Patterson appealed the actions of Grand Lodge but was not successful. The Charter of
Al Moghreb al Aska Lodge, No. 16, GRM, Tangier, Morocco, was suspended at the 1890 Annual
Communication of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, “for failure to submit returns to Grand Lodge”. The last
report of the Lodge, received in 1888, showed that they had 26 members.
The Lodge removed back to Gibraltar in 1882 or 1883 and applied to the Grand Lodge of Scotland
for a Warrant, receiving No. 670, dated 1882. As this now gave Gibraltar two Scottish Lodges in residence,
the Grand Lodge of Scotland authorized them to form a Scottish District Grand Lodge.
The History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar notes a fraternal visit by members of Al Moghreb
Al Aksa Lodge. The history of the Lodge after this time is unknown.
[Sources: (1) Freemasonry in Manitoba—1864-1925, by William Douglas, P.G.M. Manitoba, Published by
the Research Committee of The Grand Lodge of Manitoba, A.F. & A.M., Winnipeg, 1925. (2) Freemasonry
25
There is some discrepancy in the records. Freemasonry in Manitoba 1864-1925 shows the warrant
issued as Number 16. Freemasonry in Manitoba 1925-1974 Part II shows the Warrant as No. 18.
26
Various records show the Lodge name as Al-Moghreb Al-Aksa and Al-Moghreb Al-Aska. Lacking a copy
of the Warrant the precise spelling is unclear.
27
The Grand Lodge of Manitoba used the number “16" twice for overlapping periods—the number being
carried by Kinistino Lodge, No. 16, GRM, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan from 1883 to 1906.
57
in Manitoba 1925-1980 Part II, by Robert Emmett, P.G.M., Published by the Research and Education
Committee of the Grand Lodge of Manitoba, A.F. & A.M., Winnipeg, 1975.]
58
Coronation Lodge, No. 934 SC, Gibraltar 1953?-present
The Lodge appears in the Gibraltar Masonic website as belonging to the District Grand Lodge SC.
59
St. Bernard Lodge of Research, No. 1817 SC, Gibraltar ????-present
The Lodge appears in the Gibraltar Masonic website as belonging to the District Grand Lodge SC.
60
(f)
Royal Artillery lodges at Gibraltar
(Lodges are listed in order of the Battalion - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
61
62
REF:
REF:
E135
E135
63
Waterloo Lodge, No. 288 ER, in the 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery 1814-1826
Waterloo Lodge, No. 230 ER(A), in the 1st Battalion, Royal Artillery 1785-1814
Warrant No. 230 was issued on June 25, 1785, by the Antients Grand Lodge to twenty-two Masons
to hold Waterloo Lodge in the 1st Battalion of Royal Artillery when the Battalion was at Gibraltar. This would
appear to be the first time that a newly formed Lodge on Gibraltar was issued with an Antients’ Warrant, as
the Provincial Grand Lodge prior to 1786 had been “Modern” and had only recently “converted” to the
Antients28.
James W. Reddyhoff notes that during 1785, there were four companies of the 1st Battalion, RA,
at Gibraltar: Captains J. Wright, T. Brady, S. P. Adye and T. Blomefield, the last named company being
assigned to Jamaica in September 1785. The other three companies embarked on the transport General
Elliot in June 1786 and arrived in Halifax in August and amongst these companies was the warrant and
paraphernalia of Waterloo Lodge. Captain Adye’s Company stayed in Halifax, that of captain Brady went on
to St. John’s, Newfoundland and that of Captain Wright went on to Saint John, New Brunswick. The three
companies stayed on station until August 1789 when they returned to Woolwich.
During this period in Canada, the Lodge membership was split with 16 being stationed in Halifax and
six in St. John. Problems developed in St. John which led to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia
refusing to recognize the authority of Waterloo Lodge. This occurred during the 1785-9 period when the six
members met in St. John and, at one meeting, initiated a civilian candidate which Hiram Lodge “claimed as
its property”. While there were occasions when military lodges initiated civilians, it was usually because there
was no civilian lodge close-by. Indications are, however, that harmonious relations were eventually reestablished.
The 1st Battalion was assembled in full at Woolwich in 1792 and Waterloo Lodge was noted as being
there. The outbreak of war with France in 1783 saw the companies assigned to various locations but
Waterloo Lodge remained at Woolwich.
With the unification of the Antients and Moderns Grand Lodges in 1813, new Warrants were issued
in 1814 and Waterloo Lodge received No. 288 ER.
While it is unclear how amalgamations were accomplished during the 1820's, Lodge No. 13 ER, in
the Royal Artillery at Woolwich, united on December 1, 1826 with two Royal Artillery Lodges—Waterloo
Lodge No. 288 ER (which had been issued on June 25, 1785 as No. 230 ER(A)) in the Royal Artillery at
Gibraltar29) and Royal Marine Lodge No. 418 ER (issued as No. 328 ER(A) on November 23, 1810 to meet
in Woolwich)—to become Union Waterloo Lodge. The Lodge met as a civilian Lodge in Woolwich up to 1889
when it removed to Plumstead, Kent, and is now meeting at Dartford Masonic Hall.
John Lane, in his Masonic Records 1717-1894 includes an entry for the Waterloo Lodge on page
161 as follows” First Battalion Royal Artillery, Gibraltar (Malaga) Spain 1785. (G. L. Warrant) 25 June 1785
No. 230 ER(A). 1814 No. 288. Was at New Brunswick, North America 1789. (At) Ordnance Arms, Beresford
Square, Woolwich, London 1792. New Barracks Tavern, Woolwich Common, Woolwich, London 1794. Red
Lion, Mulgrave Place, Woolwich, London 1802. Shakespeare’s Coffee House, Powis Street, Woolwich,
London 1808. Edinburgh House, Samuel Street, Woolwich, London 1809. Barracks Tavern, Woolwich
Common, Woolwich, London 1810. Red Lion, Mulgrave Place, Woolwich, London 1814. Royal Oak,
Mulgrave Place, Woolwich, London 1815. General Abercrombie, Artillery Place, Woolwich, London 1819.
Red Lion, Mulgrave Place, Woolwich, London 1821. United with No. 13 [No. 86 (A) of 6 March 1761], 1
December 1826.
A second and separate entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1896, page 39, is very extensive
28
History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 ER, Gibraltar <www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/history.htm>.
29
This Lodge is reported by Reddyhoff to have been in New Brunswick in 1789 and then settled at
Woolwich in 1792.
64
and is cited here in extenso. “Union Waterloo Lodge, Named in 1826. Royal Artillery, Salutation, Beresford
Square, Woolwich, London 1761. (G. L. Warrant) 6 March 1761 No. 86 and 4 June 1788 No. 7. No. 86 (A)
purchased No. 7 (A) for £5 5s. 0d., 4 June 1788. W.M. of No. 86 stated to G. L. that understanding the
Warrant of No. 7 was dormant, they would give £5 5s. 0d. Agreed to in G. L. Min. 4 June 1788. (As No. 7)
At Royal Mortar, Beresford Sq., Woolwich, London 1792. At Salutation Tavern, Woolwich, London 1792. At
Prince of Wales Tavern, Woolwich, London 1792. At Salutation Tavern, Woolwich, London 1804. At Star
and Garter, Powis Street, Woolwich, London 1806. At Royal Oak, Mulgrave Place, Woolwich, London 1807.
At Lord Whitworth Tavern, Woolwich, London 1813. At Ordnance Arms, Beresford Sq., Woolwich, London
1814. At Shakespeare Tavern, Powis Street, Woolwich, London 1818. At Fortune of War, Thomas Street,
Woolwich, London 1819. At Red Lion, Mulgrave Place, Woolwich, London 1822. At Barracks Tavern,
Woolwich Common, Woolwich, London 1825. United with No. 288 and No. 418 [No. 230 (A) of 25 June 1785,
and No. 328 (A) of 23 Nov. 1810), 1 December 1826. At George IV Tavern, Rectory Place, Woolwich,
London 1830. At Red Lion, Mulgrave Place, Woolwich, London 1831. At King’s Arms Tavern, Frances St.,
Woolwich, London 1837. At Queen’s Arms Tavern, Barrage Road, Woolwich, London 1839. At King’s Arms
Tavern, Frances St., Woolwich, London 1856. At Freemasons’ Tavern, Dock Yard, Woolwich, London 1858.
At. Masonic Hall, William Street, Woolwich, London 1862. At Freemasons’ Hall, Mount Pleasant, Plumstead,
Kent 1889.”
[Sources: (1)Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895. (2) History of
Prestonian Lecture for 1990 as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (5) Freemasonry
in the Royal Artillery, by Bro. James W. Reddyhoff, AQC, Volume 116, 2003.]
REF:
REF:
REF:
E136
E136
E136
65
St. John’s Lodge, No. 115 ER, (civil, stationary) Gibraltar 1863-present
St. John’s Lodge, No. 132 ER, (civil, stationary) Gibraltar 1832-18
St. John’s Lodge, No. 181 ER, (civil, stationary) Gibraltar 1826-1832
St. John’s Lodge, No. 181 ER, in the 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery 1821/2-1826
Perth Lodge, No. 181 ER, in the 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery 1813-1821/2
Perth Lodge, No. 148 ER(A), in the 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery, various locations including
Gibraltar 1767-1813
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, 1887, notes the issue of Warrant No. 148 by the
Antients Grand Lodge on September 5, 1767, to Perth Lodge in the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Artillery. The
Warrant was signed by the Duke of Athol as Grand Master and Laurence Dermott, as Grand Secretary. The
History of Calpe Lodge, No 325 ER, held on website <www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/history.htm> notes that
the Lodge had been constituted when the 2nd Battalion RA was at Perth, Scotland, which likely accounts for
the name adopted.
According to James H. Reddyhoff, the Lodge was held in Captain John Dovers’ Company RA. The
Company had mustered at Woolwich on April 1, 1767 and arrived at Perth, Scotland, in May. It remained
there until July 1, 1771, when it marched to Woolwich. On August 7, 1771, Captain Dover transferred to a
Company of Invalids and George Graves was promoted Captain of the Company. Captain Graves’ Company
left for Gibraltar in March 1772 and arrived in April via Mahon, a port on the Balearic Islands. The Company
had taken Perth Lodge with them to Gibraltar.
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his May 1994 publication Masonic Lodges held in the 28th Regt.
Gloucestershire Old Braggs notes that the difficulties between Antients’ and Moderns’ Masons in England
were carried to Gibraltar. On St. John’s Day, December 1772, members of the two Moderns’ Lodges30 wished
to exclude Perth Lodge No. 148 ER(A), from taking part in the customary procession, but Lodge No. 148 was
supported by four Irish Lodges31 to attend the procession. In addition to this, Sheppard writes that at this time
there was, on the Governor’s staff, a naval Captain called Murray. He was able to verify that the signature
on the Warrant was that of his Uncle, the Duke of Athol, and that both the Warrant and Lodge must regarded
as authentic. The Irish Lodges wrote in May 1773 to the Grand Lodge of Ireland justifying their action, and,
apparently, received a reply endorsing it. The minutes of the Antients Grand Lodge of December 15, 1773
note: “Heard a letter from 148 at Gibraltar setting forth that a set of people who had their authority from the
Moderns Grand Lodge thought it proper to dispute the legality of the said warrant No. 148. That in the said
garrison there was held Lodges 11, 244, 290, 359, 420 and 466 on the registry of Ireland and 58 on the
registry of Scotland”. For his support in “proving the authenticity of the Warrant”, Captain Murray RN was
voted a gold medal by the Antient Grand Lodge on June 4, 1777.
The Moderns’ military Lodges, considering Perth Lodge to be irregular, wrote to the Master of
Inhabitants Lodge at Gibraltar, noting that: “As to the pretended Lodge held in the detacht. of the Artillery,
under an authority from Mr. Dermott, and who call themselves Ancients your Lodge acted with the utmost
propriety in objecting to their being reced in any manner as regular Masons. Their pretense to the appelation
(sic) of Ancient Masons, is too ridiculous to merit an ansr. They are never acknowledged as Masons in our
Lodges, nor can they be admitted into a Lodge of ours without being remade & paying the full fees of
initiation. I am therefore to intreat (sic) that all possible means may be taken to suppress this pretended, this
30
These were Lodge of St. John of Jerusalem (originally No. 51 ER, dating from 1751 and which had
remained under the authority of the Moderns’ Grand Lodge) and which was known as Mother St. John and Lodge of
Inhabitants, No. 285 ER(M) (dating from 1761).
31
These were: Lodge No. 11 IC, in the 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot; No. 244 IC, in the 2nd
(Queen’s Royal) Regiment of Foot; No. 290 IC, in the 39th Regiment of Foot; and No. 466 IC, in the 58th Regiment
of Foot.
66
spurious Lodge of Free Masons.”
During 1779 the Lodge was open and working when the Spanish began an attack, since referred to
in history records as the “Great Siege.” The Lodge was called to refreshment and the members went off to
man the artillery. The Spanish armies did not abandon the siege until 1783 at which time the Lodge members
reassembled and the Lodge was called from refreshment to labour. The Lodge had been “called off” for 3½
years. Records indicate that post-Lodge refreshments consisted on bread, cheese and beer.
In 1790 detachments of the 2nd Battalion were assigned to Port Royal (Jamaica) and Jamaica, but
Perth Lodge remained in Gibraltar with the active brethren. The members of the Lodge who arrived in
Jamaica took advantage of meeting with Waterloo Lodge, No 230 ER(A), held in the 1st Battalion, while
applying to London for their own Warrant.
Although the Lodge was originally a exclusively military Lodge, in 1807 the first civilian member,
John Nicholls, was initiated into the Lodge. He is described as “an inhabitant of Gibraltar”.
Following the unification of Antients and Moderns Grand Lodges in 1813, new Warrants were issued
in 1814, and Perth Lodge received No. 181 ER. There are no references in records to the Lodge requesting
or being issued with a local Warrant.
In 1821/2 the Lodge adopted the name “St. John’s”. It continued to initiate civilians and by 1826,
when the Regiment was preparing to leave Gibraltar and return to Britain a decision was made to close the
Lodge as it had been and to (re)constitute it on Gibraltar as a civilian Lodge. Thus the civilian and (very few
remaining) military members petitioned Grand Lodge for a Warrant of Confirmation as a civilian Lodge32.
This was granted on December 2, 1826, and the original Warrant and records of the military Lodge were
returned to Grand Lodge where they currently reside. At this time (1826) English was not spoken fluently by
many of the civilians living and working on Gibraltar and difficulties were experienced in working the Ritual.
Following a Petition, Grand Lodge permitted the use of Spanish for the business portions of meeting in 1831,
an authority which remained in effect until withdrawn in 1944, although this authority was reinstated in 1956.
Thus the original Minutes of Perth Lodge for the period 1767 to 1826, which were deposited with Grand
Lodge, are written in English. From 1831 to 1944 the Minutes are written in Spanish, and from 1944 to 1956
they are in English and in Spanish since 1956.
With the renumberings of English Lodges in 1832 and 1863, St. John’s Lodge became No. 132 ER
and then No. 115 ER.
Since its location on Gibraltar the Lodge has worked in the Cloister Buildings, Irish Town, Tuckey’s
Lane, Horse Barrack Lane, Parliament Lane, at Armstrong Buildings, at Prince of Wales Recreation Club,
at Beanland and Malin, Main Street, and at the Assembly Rooms.
The Lodge is still working as St. John’s Lodge, No. 115 ER and received its bicentenary Warrant in
1976 from United Grand Lodge.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894, page 124, reads as follows: “St. John’s
Lodge. Named in 1831. 2nd Battalion Royal Artillery, Perth, Perthshire, Scotland 1767 (G. L. Warrant) 5 Sept.
1767 No. 148 ER(A). 1814 No. 181 ER. Warrant of Confirmation 2 December 1826. 1832 No. 132 ER. 1864
No. 115 ER. Centenary Warrant, 6 Feb. 1874. In Royal Artillery, Gibraltar (Malaga) Spain 1773. (At)
Tuckey’s Lane, Gibraltar 1878. At Horse Barracks Lane, Gibraltar 1881. Masonic Hall, Alameida, Gibraltar
1886.” Lane indicates that the Lodge was still working at the time of publication (1894).
Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, notes on page 33 that the Lodge “. . . became stationary in
Gibraltar after only six years and has long been known as St. John’s, now No. 115”.
[Sources: (1) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, Second Edition, 1895. (2) History of Freemasonry,
32
An excellent 72 page summary of the full history of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar is maintained on
the Lodge web site at <http://www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/fullhistory.html>. It is accompanied by a twelve page
summary entitled The First Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar.
67
by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (3) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the
Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of
the Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (4). web site at <http://www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/fullhistory.html> along
with a twelve page summary entitled The First Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar. (4) Freemasonry
68
REF:
E139
Gibraltar Lodge, No. 209 ER(A), in the 4th Battalion of Royal Artillery, at Gibraltar 17791801
Warrant No. 209 was originally issued on February 16, 1779, by the Antients Grand Lodge, to hold a
Lodge in the 4th Battalion of the Royal Artillery, located at Gibraltar. There are no records regarding the
Lodge after 1779. The Lodge was closed by 1801. The Lodge name “Gibraltar” was used by Robert Freke
Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, 1887, page 401 and should be used with care as a number of Lodges
located on “The Rock” were referred to as “Gibraltar Lodge”. This appellation is more an indication of the
location of the Lodge rather than a formal name. Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, for example, was variously
referred to as “Gibraltar Lodge” (1826-1844), “Rock Lodge” (1844-1863) and Calpe Lodge (from 1863
onwards, a name which has been officially recognized by the Grand Lodge of Ireland).
Records indicate that the Antients Grand Lodge issued a new Warrant No. 209 in 1803 to hold a Lodge
in the King’s Own Stafford (Militia) Regiment; being returned in 1814 following the unification of the Antients
and Moderns Grand Lodges. This second reissue can be found in the entry for this Militia Lodge.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 for Warrant No. 209A ER(A), page 151, reads as
follows: “4th Battalion, Royal Artillery, Gibraltar (Malaga), Spain 1779. (G. L. Warrant) 16 Feb. 1779 No.
209A. No records after 1779.
Grand Lodge records indicate that in 1813 a new Warrant No. 209 was issued to a new civilian lodge,
“Etonian Lodge of St. John,” at Windsor, Berkshire.
with a twelve page summary entitled The First Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar.]
REF:
REF:
REF:
E140
E140
E140
69
Gibraltar Lodge No. 443 ER, in the 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery, at Gibraltar 1814-1827
Gibraltar Lodge No. 345 ER(A), in the 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery, at Gibraltar 1809-1814
Gibraltar Lodge No. 5, PRGibraltar(A), in the 4th Battalion, Royal Artillery, at Gibraltar
1805/6?-1821
Warrant No. 325 IC was issued on September 7, 1826 to Calpe Lodge, Gibraltar33 (the first civilian
Irish Lodge at Gibraltar and which is still working). The Calpe Lodge History notes that “The Petitioners for
the Warrant had specifically asked for a number with a five in it as they possessed a set of regalia carved
with that number. This regalia may well have belonged to the Lodge No. 2 Company 4th Battalion Royal
Artillery which had obtained a local Warrant No. 5 from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalusia some time
after its arrival and had left Gibraltar in 1821.”
During its sojourn in Gibraltar the Freemasons of the 4th Battalion Royal Artillery petitioned to the
Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar for authority to form a Lodge. A local Warrant, No. 5, was issued in
either 1805 or 1806 (although there is no conclusive evidence and Reddyhoff accepts a date of issue as late
as 1808). The Lodge or the Provincial Grand Lodge (it is unclear which) appears to have forwarded papers
to register the Lodge with London and Warrant No. 345 was issued on November 6, 1809 by the Antients
Grand Lodge—as the RA Company and Lodge would have been in Canterbury by this time, the Lodge may
have applied directly to London to replace its Gibraltar Warrant with a Grand Lodge Warrant). The authority
in both cases was to hold a Lodge in the 4th Battalion, then at Gibraltar. The loss of whatever minutes, letters
and documents of the Lodge prevents any knowledge of the Lodge’s activities while at Gibraltar.
By 1810 the 4th Battalion had returned to England and was at Canterbury in 1810, and at Sandwich,
Sandgate and Portsmouth in 1812 when it was assigned to Portugal. The Lodge appears to have met at
these places. Reddyhoff notes that the only company of the 4th Battalion known to have followed those
movements was that of Captain George Skyring, who had been promoted to command the company on the
promotion of its previous Captain, H. Framingham, to Major. Captain Skyring’s Company was held in reserve
(without guns) in the march from Lisbon to Salamanca (October 1808) and the retreat to Corunna (January
1809), from where it returned to Canterbury. In July 1811, Captain Skyring took command of Captain William
Morrison’s company in the 8th Battalion RA and Captain Morrison took Skyring’s company (including the
Lodge, apparently). Morrison’s company removed to Sandgate (July 1811 to February 1812), Portsmouth
(March to September 1812) and Lisbon at the end of 1812. The company participated in Wellington’s
advance across Spain, fought at Vittoria (June 1813) and San Sebastian (August 1813), where it received
six new 18-pounder guns. It embarked from Bordeaux in July 1814 and returned to Dover.
Following the unification of the Antients and Moderns Grand Lodges in 1813, the Lodge was issued
with a new Warrant as No. 443 ER. It is not clear when the Lodge ceased working, but the Warrant was
erased by United Grand Lodge in 1827.
Reddyhoff notes that the memoirs of Benjamin Miller, a member of the company who was also a
member of Lodge No. 345, have survived. He describes his entrance into Masonry: “In April 1798, I entered
the Freemasons’ Society, and in June was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason: in 1799 I was
made Royal Arch Super-Excellent Mason. In 1804 I was initiated and dubbed a Knight of that Noble, Holy,
Glorious, and Universal Order of Knight Templars, also the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Mark mason
and Knight of Malta.” The memoirs do not make it clear in which Lodge he received all these degrees. A
return of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar for December 1806 shows him as “Benjamin Miller,
Soldier.” Reddyhoff notes that Miller was promoted to Bombardier on October 8, 1804, to Corporal on
February 1, 1809 and Sergeant on October 1, 1811. When Warrant No. 345 was issued in 1809 he is shown
as “First Junior Warden.” Miller had apparently been in a detachment of Captain Framingham’s company
33
70
in Egypt in 1801 and returned to Gibraltar in 1802, remaining with company until his promotion to Sergeant
when he was directed home to recruit men for the company.
The Lodge name “Gibraltar” was used by Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, 1887,
page 401 and should be used with care as a number of Lodges located on “The Rock” were referred to as
“Gibraltar Lodge.” This appellation is more an indication of the location of the Lodge rather than a formal
name. Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, for example, was variously referred to as “Gibraltar Lodge” (1826-1844),
“Rock Lodge” (1844-1863) and Calpe Lodge (from 1863 onwards, a name which has been officially
recognized by the Grand Lodge of Ireland).
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 for Warrant No. 345 ER(A), page 204, reads
as follows: “No. 5 Gibraltar. Fourth Battalion, Royal Artillery, Gibraltar (Malaga), Spain 1809. (G. L. Warrant)
6 Nov. 1809 No. 345. 1814 No. 443 ER. At Canterbury, Kent 1810. At Sandwich, Kent 1812. At Sandgate,
Kent, 1812. At King’s Head, St. Mary’s Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire 1812. Fourth Battalion, Royal Artillery,
1814. “No. 5 Gib. Sailed for Portugal 1812. G.L. Reg. Erased in 1827.”
with a twelve page summary entitled The First Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar. (5) Freemasonry
REF:
I131
71
Lodge No. 68 IC, in the 2nd Company, 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Artillery, various locations
1813-1834
R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip
Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that the first use of the number “68” for a Warrant by the Grand
Lodge of Ireland was issued in either March or June 1737, for an unspecified Lodge. The Warrant was
erased on November 5, 1801, but Cochrane notes that the Warrant came into the hands of Alexander Seton
who attempted to reissue it improperly and the number was included in a Grand Lodge list of cancelled
Warrants dated November 5, 1801. Although there is no information given, it would appear that Warrant No.
68 was, in fact, issued by Seton, but that it was cancelled by the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 180734.
A new Warrant No. 68 was issued on January 7, 1813, by the Grand Lodge of Ireland to hold a lodge
in the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Artillery. Both V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, 1973,
and V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, in his paper Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, note that the Warrant
was issued to Freemasons in the Seventh Battalion, Royal Artillery. In actuality the Warrant still exists in the
archives of the Grand Lodge of Ireland and shows that it was issued to Robert Sharpe, Samuel McCracken
and John Hopper, for the purposes of holding a Lodge in “the Seventh Battalion of the Royal Artillery Capt.
Wilson’s Camp.”
Cochrane notes that Grand Lodge records indicate that Lodge No. 68 IC was working in Island
Bridge, Dublin, in 1816.
Seal of Lodge No. 68 IC in the 7th Battalion, RA
In the Calpe Lodge History (Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar)35, it is recorded that in 1825/26,
Lodge No. 68 IC, along with Lodge No. 42 IC (held in the 42nd (Black Watch) Regiment of Foot) and Lodge
No. 130 IC (held in the 1st Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment) sponsored the petition for a Warrant for
Gibraltar Lodge36 (the first civilian and stationary Irish Lodge on Gibraltar, issued Warrant No. 325 IC, and
34
Although Crossle doesn’t speculate in his Records, it is probable that the first use of the number “68”
for an Irish Warrant was in the period February 1736/7 to June 1737. Crossle lists No. 63 as being first issued on
January 12, 1736/7 to hold a Lodge in the XXth Foot; No. 64 was issued February 1, 1736/7 for an unspecified
Lodge; Nos. 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69 are blank; but No. 70 is listed as having been first issued on June 8, 1737 to hold
a Lodge at Gort, Co. Galway. The loss of the Register predating 1760 prevents any firm knowledge of when these
numbers were first used and where the Lodges were located.
35
36
The first contact with the Grand Lodge of Ireland recommending this civilian Lodge at Gibraltar was
contained in a letter from Lodge No. 68 IC dated May 2, 1826 in which the Lodge recommended their civilian
members “. . . to the Grand Lodge of Ireland for an Inhabitants Warrant . . .”. The actual name on the new Warrant
was Gibraltar Lodge. The Establishment of Warrant Number 325 (I.C.) In Gibraltar, by W. Bro. Vincent James
72
still working). The Calpe Lodge History notes that the particular Artillery Unit was the 2nd Company 7th
Battalion of Royal Artillery, missing the correct title of Royal Irish Artillery.
The first WM of Lodge No. 325 IC (the first civilian Irish Lodge on Gibraltar whose Warrant was
issued on September 7, 1826) was W. Bro. Daniel Durham, who had been initiated into Lodge No. 309 IC
in the 26th (The Cameronians) and had been released locally (i.e. at Gibraltar) from military service in about
1822. The SW (Bro. Isaac Thompson); JW (Bro. Alexander Imbrie); Secretary (Bro. John Pratt) and one
Charter Member, Bro. Robert Moravia; were from Lodge No. 68 IC, held in the 2nd Company, 7th Battalion
of Royal Irish Artillery and which was one of the sponsoring Lodges for No. 325. The SD (Bro. Charles
Causton) and one other Charter Member, Bro. John Wheatley, were members of Lodge No. 130 IC in the
64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot. These members from the Royal Artillery had also been released
from service on Gibraltar and their unit had left. In addition, the Treasurer (Bro. Francisco Semonetti); JD
(Bro. Joseph Baggetto) and Tyler (Bro. Giacomo Celicia) and Charter Member W. Bro. Thomas Varnor; were
members of Lodge No. 715 ER, in the Gibraltar Ordinance Department, which had surrendered its Warrant
in 1826.
Warrant No. 68 IC was returned to Grand Lodge in 1834 (and filed).
This Warrant is not included in the listing on page 401 of Robert Freke Gould’s History of
Freemasonry, 1887.
Crossle also lists a third Warrant bearing the number “68”, issued in 1835 by the Grand Lodge of
Ireland to hold a Lodge at Youghall, Co. Cork, no date is shown when it was struck off the rolls of Grand
Lodge. Cochrane lists this issue on January 15, 1835 and notes that the Lodge is “Current” in 2001.
In April 2002 the Grand Lodge of Ireland was contacted to determine whether Warrant No. 68 for
the 7th Battalion, Royal Irish Artillery was held in the Archives. A copy has been graciously provided and a
transcript appears on the following page.
[Sources: (1) Irish Masonic Records, by V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, published by the Grand Lodge of Ireland,
1973. (2) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip
Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (3) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V.W. Bro. R. E.
Parkinson, as printed in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957.
(4) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (5) The Poor Common
Soldier, A Study of Irish Ambulatory Warrants, by Bro. John Heron Lepper, as printed in the Transactions
of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925. (6) History of Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (7)
The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth,
Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1990, London.]
Power, p. 32, as published in the Transactions 1996 - 1998 (Volume XXIV, 2000), The Lodge of Research, No. CC
(I.C.), Ireland.
73
Transcript of Warrant No. 68 IC issued to the Seventh Battalion, RA
SEAL
SEAL
SEAL
SEAL
SEAL
SEAL
SEAL
Donoughmore
Grand Master
No. 68
Revived
By the Right Worshipful and Right Honorable Richard,
Earl of Donoughmore, Grand Master of all the Lodges
of FREE MASONS in the Kingdom of IRELAND, the
Right Worshipful and Honorable A. H. Hutchinson,
Deputy Grand Master; Worshipful and Right Honorable
John, Lord Baron Hutchinson, K. B. and Somerset,
Earl of Belmore, Grand Wardens.
WHEREAS our Trusty and Well-beloved BROTHERS Robert Sharpe, Samuel
McCracken & John Hopper have besought Us, that We would be pleased to erect a
LODGE of FREEMASONS in the Seventh Battalion of the Royal Artillery Capt.
Wilson’s Company of such persons who by their knowledge and skill in MASONRY,
may contribute to the well-being and advancement thereof. WE, therefore, duly
weighing the premises, and having nothing more at heart than the prosperity and
true advancement of MASONRY, and reposing special Trust and Confidence in our
trusty and well-beloved Brothers, the said Robert Sharpe, Samuel McCracken &
John Hopper of whose abilities and knowledge in Masonry we are satisfied: do by
these Presents of Our certain knowledge and mere motion, nominate, create,
authorize and constitute the said Robert Sharpe, Samuel McCracken & John Hopper
to be Master and Wardens of a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, to be held by
them and their Successors, lawfully admitted in said Lodge, for Ever. And, We
hereby give and grant unto the said Robert Sharpe, Samuel McCracken & John
Hopper and their Successors, full Power and lawful Authority from time to time, to
proceed to election of a new Master and Wardens, to make such Laws, Rules and
Orders as they from time to time shall think proper and convenient for the well-being
and ordering of said Lodge; reserving to ourselves and our Successors, Grand
Masters or Grand Wardens of IRELAND, the sole Right of deciding all differences
which shall be brought by appeal before Us, and our Successors, Grand Masters or
Grand Wardens of IRELAND.
In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our Hands and Seal of Office,
This Seventh Day of January in the Year of our Lord
God 1813 and in the Year of Masonry 5813
ENTERED BY ME,
William Graham
GS
[Source: Grand Lodge of Ireland]
The copy measures about 12 inches square and has only a simple decorative border.
74
REF:
REF:
E143
E143
Gibraltar Lodge, No. 228 ER, in the 9th Battalion, Royal Artillery, at Gibraltar 1814-1822
Gibraltar Lodge, No. 187 ER(A), in the 9th Battalion, Royal Artillery, at Gibraltar 1812-1814
A new Warrant No. 18737 was issued (the Grand Lodge Register says “revived”) on May 25, 1812, by the
Antients Grand Lodge, to hold a Lodge in the 9th Battalion of Royal Artillery, which was then serving in the
Gibraltar Garrison. James W. Reddyhoff notes that there are references to the Lodge meeting at Canterbury
and Sandgate in 1812 and Hythe in 1813. Following the unification of the Antients and Moderns Grand
Lodges in 1813, new Warrants were issued in 1814, and the Lodge received No. 228 ER. Bro. Ray
Sheppard, in his 1984 listing of Military Warrants notes that no payments were made to United Grand Lodge
after 1814. It is unclear when the Lodge ceased working, but the Warrant was erased in 1822.
Although Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, 1887, shows only one Warrant, No. 187
ER(A) as being issued, he notes the Lodge existing throughout the 1812-1822 period. He shows the Lodge
as “Gibraltar Lodge”, the name adopted here, although this may just have been to illustrate that the Lodge
worked in Gibraltar.
Two Warrants are referred to in the Appendix in Bro. Frederick Smyth’s Prestonian Lecture for 1990
entitled The Master-Mason-At-Arms. A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, one having been
issued by the Antients in 1812 and one by the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1823. Irish records do not show any
Irish Warrant being issued to the 9th Battalion.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 for Warrant No. 187B ER(A), page 140, reads as
follows: “9th Battalion, Royal Artillery, Gibraltar (Malaga), Spain 1812. (G. L. Warrant) 25 May 1812 No. 187B.
Revived at Gibraltar. G. L. Reg. 1814 No. 228 ER. At Canterbury, Kent 1812. At Sandgate, Kent 1812. At
Hythe, Kent 1813. No payments after 1814. Erased in 1822.”
Reddyhoff also notes that any connection of a Lodge in the 9th Battalion with Gibraltar is totally incorrect.
No company of the 9th Battalion had been in Gibraltar since the Battalion had been formed at Woolwich on
June 1, 1806. Only one company, that of Captain Alexander Munro, had been at both Canterbury and
Sandgate in 1812 and it was there after returning from the Walcheren expedition in 1809. In June 1813 the
company had removed to Shorncliffe and then to Portsmouth in March 1814 where it embarked on transports
for New Orleans. Reddyhoff notes that Sandgate, Shorncliffe and Hythe are contiguous and the move to
America in 1814 could explain why there were no further payments to Grand Lodge. As he says: “How Grand
Lodge arrived at the Gibraltar connection is a mystery.”
the Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (4) Freemasonry in the Royal Artillery, by Bro. James W. Reddyhoff, AQC,
Volume 116, 2003.]
37
The Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec issued Warrant No. 9 (local) to hold a Lodge in the 1st
Battalion, Royal Artillery, when it was in the garrison at Quebec. The Battalion and its Lodge returned to England
and applied to the Antients Grand Lodge which issued the first Warrant bearing the number “187" on April 28, 1774.
The Warrant lapsed by 1777.
REF:
E159
75
Ordnance Lodge, No. 202 ER(A), in HM Ordnance at Gibraltar 1777-1813?
The History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 ER, Gibraltar38 notes “In 1777 another Ancients Lodge was
warranted as the Ordnance Lodge No. 202, Admission to which was restricted to officers and artificers in HM
Ordnance establishment. When the original Lodge of Inhabitants lapsed in 180739, No. 202 took over the
name of Inhabitants and still works with us as No. 153.”
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894, page 148, reads: “Inhabitants’ Lodge. Named
in 1804. In His Majesty’s Ordnance, in the Garrison of Gibraltar, (Malaga), Spain 1777. (G. L. Warrant) 18
Nov. 1777 No. 202. 1814 No. 251. 1832 No. 178. 1863 No. 153. A Stationary, and not a Military Lodge. G.
L. Reg. Meeting at: Crown and Anchor, Gibraltar, 1815. Glyn’s Buildings, Gibraltar, 1860. Three Anchors
Coffee House, Main Street, Gibraltar, 1863. 6 Engineers’ Lane, Gibraltar, 1866. Garrison Library, Gibraltar,
1869. 19 Bell Lane, Gibraltar, 1874. 32 Engineers’ Lane, Gibraltar, 1876. Masonic Hall, Armstrong Buildings,
Gibraltar, 1877. Had a Warrant of Confirmation, 10 July 1877, the original warrant having been lost , but it
has since been recovered. Centenary Warrant (Special Jewel) 1 Oct. 1862. Cancelled in 1877. Centenary
Warrant 18 Nov. 1877.”
In reporting the entry in the Grand Lodge Register, Lane is flagging that this was not an ambulatory
military Lodge and allowing for the interpretation that it was a stationary Lodge for military personnel of the
Ordnance Department on the Rock, a not insubstantial establishment.
[Sources: (1) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895. (2) History of
Prestonian Lecture for 1990 as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge.]
38
39
John Lane lists this on page 128 as “Lodge of Inhabitants” which received Warrant No. 285 ER(M)
dated July 12, 1762. It was subsequently renumbered as 231 in 1770, 185 in 1780, 186 in 1781 and 159 in 1792.
Lane says “No payments after 1800. Erased in 1813.”
76
(g)
Ambulatory (travelling) lodges in infantry regiments based at Gibraltar
(Lodges are listed in order of the Regiment - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
77
78
REF:
REF:
I1
I1
79
Lodge No. 11 IC, 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot 1808-1847
Lodge No. 11 IC, 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot 1732-1801 (reactivated in 1808)
[now The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)]
V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that there is no record in the
Register of the Grand Lodge of Ireland of the use of the number “11” for a Warrant prior to 1732, but Smith40,
in his Pocket Companion, lists Warrant No. 11 as having been issued to Brethren a Bray, Co. Wicklow, prior
to 1735. This information is also reflected in the CD-ROM Update of Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, by R.
W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, issued in June 2000 and Fall 2001.
A new Warrant No. 11 was issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland and signed on November 7, 1732
(the first Travelling or Military Warrant ever issued by any Grand Lodge41) to “our Trusty and Well-beloved
Brothers, Mr. James Murray, Mr. Patrick Howard and Mr. Patrick Reid42”, to be held in the “First Battalion
Royal” (1st Regiment of Foot Guards, then serving in Ireland). The Warrant was signed by “the Right
Worshipful, and Right Honourable Lord Viscount Nettirvill43, Grand Master of all the Lodges of Freemasons
in the Kingdom of Ireland, the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount Kingsland44, Deputy Grand Master, the
Worshipful James Brenan, M.D. and Robert Nugent, Esqrs; Grand Wardens”. V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson,
in his paper Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, notes that “Smith’s List, in his “Pocket Companion” of
1735 includes, as well as No. 11 in the Royal Scots, four other Military Warrants . . . .”, indicating that even
at this date the Lodge was known45.
R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip
Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, indicates that the Warrant was originally issued without a number: the
number “11” being later shown in the Register. The copy of the Warrant shows clearly the “No. 11” in the
upper left hand corner and, given the vagaries of communications in those days, it is likely that the Warrant
was printed as a “Blank” and the number written on it at the time it was signed, not afterwards, but this is not
clear.
During its first 50 years of existence the Regiment, and Lodge No. 11, saw much active service. The
1st Battalion (and the Lodge) were made prisoners of war at Alost in 1745, after an unsuccessful attempt to
40
The reference to Smith applies to William Smith, the compiler of the “Pocket Companion for FreeMasons” who published on an irregular basis. He is well known apparently for almost as much incorrect information
regarding the Fraternity as there is that is correct.
41
The first Scottish travelling Warrant was issued in 1747 (to The Duke of Norfolk’s Lodge in the 12th
Regiment of Foot) and the first “English” Warrant was issued in 1755.
42
Early Warrants named as grantees only the first WM and two Wardens. Today, in Ontario, the Warrant
usually names all the Charter members of the Lodge. As Cochrane notes “(The Names) would lead us to assume
one Scot and two Irish men, but it would be futile to speculate where any of them was made a Mason.”
43
According to Cochrane, Lord Nettirvill was the head of a “great Catholic house which has since become
extinct”. The same update shows the spelling as “Netterfield” but as a copy of the original Warrant is included with
the Notes on Lodge No. 11 IC the spelling was clearly “Nettirvill”.
44
It is interesting to note that on the Warrant itself (a copy of which is held by the author) the spelling
“Kingsland” appears in the printed text and the affixed signature on the left margin is spelled as “Kinsland”. Lord
Kingsland was the head of a “great Catholic house which has since become extinct”.
45
Parkinson refers only to two other Military Warrants: No. 23 in Colonel Hamilton’s Regiment (27th Foot)
which was issued sometime in 1733; and No. 35 in Major-General Price’s Regiment (28th (Bragg’s) Foot) which
was issued between April and November 1734.
80
relieve Ghent, and was carried off to France before being exchanged later in the same year. This gave the
Lodge members an opportunity to visit with French Freemasons who were guarding them. This situation
would be reversed in 1780 when the 1st Battalion was based in England and engaged in guarding French
prisoners of war. Cochrane’s Update notes indicate that it was this contact with European Freemasons which
brought it into contact with the Rite of Strict Observance and the early degrees of the Knights Templar. Irish
records46 indicate that by 1797, although the Lodge possessed only the Warrant No. 11, it seems to have
had a Royal Arch Chapter numbered as “No. 5” as well as an Encampment of Knights Templar and Knights
of Malta. The Companions also appear to have worked the additional degrees of Harodim (or Heredom) and
Sovereign Prince Mason (or Rose Croix).
According to the History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925,
a Certificate from Lodge No. 11, dated February 1, 1762, is the third oldest of known certificates issued to
members of a Lodge and which refers to three degrees and which also uses the expression “. . . ye Sublime
degree of a master mason . . .” (page 234). Other early certificates listed include those dated September 6,
1756 (Lodge House in Lodge Alley, Philadelphia, No. 2) and June 2, 1761 (Lodge No. 195 in the Royal
Highland Regiment—the 42nd Foot, now part of The Black Watch).
It is unclear whether Lodge No. 11 IC operated in Canada and America during the 1750’s and 1760’s
when the 1st and 2nd Battalions were operating there and it is not referred to in documents of the Provincial
Grand Lodge of Quebec (Moderns), Provincial Grand Lodge of Lower Canada (Antients) or the Provincial
Grand Lodge of Upper Canada (Antients).
Lodge No. 11 IC was in Gibraltar with the 1st Battalion and, when trouble between Antients’ and
Moderns’ Masons on Gibraltar became acute in 1772, were forced by circumstances to side with the Antients.
On St. John’s Day, December 1772, the various Moderns’ Lodges wished to exclude Lodge No. 148 ER(A)47
from taking part in the customary procession, but Lodge No. 148 was supported by four Irish Lodges48 to
attend the procession. The Irish Lodges wrote in May 1773 to the Grand Lodge of Ireland justifying their
action, and, apparently, received a reply endorsing it.
The Regiment was assigned to Jamaica by 1790, and took the Lodge along with it. The brethren in
the Royal Train of Artillery, located at Port Royal, Jamaica, received help from Lodge No. 11 IC. Members
of the Royal Train of Artillery were initiated into Lodge No. 11 IC, which then supported their Petition for a
Warrant. Warrant No. 262 was issued on August 28, 1790, by the Antients Grand Lodge to hold a Lodge in
the Royal Train of Artillery, in garrison at Port Royal, Jamaica. Lodge No. 11 IC, was given authority to open
a Grand Lodge49 and install the Master and Wardens of the new Lodge, which was done on May 24, 1791,
at Port Royal. [Lodge No. 262 ER(A) ceased working in 1810.]
On March 7, 1793, six Lodges met in Jamaica to form a Grand Lodge for the purpose of forming
civilian Lodge No. 257 ER(A) and installing the Master and Wardens. The six Lodges were: Royal Artillery
Lodge, No. 262 ER(A); Lodge No. 11 IC; Lodge No. 299 IC, in the 10th Regiment of Foot; Lodges No. 637
IC, and 661 IC, both of which were held in the 13th Regiment of Foot; and Lodge No. 3, PRJamaica
(Scottish). Sometime after this even the Regiment was assigned to the Mediterranean as Grand Lodge
46
Cochrane notes that the only evidence for these degrees are a few letters preserved in the Grand Lodge
of Ireland which refer to their being worked in Lodge No. 11.
47
This is now St. John’s Lodge, No. 115 ER.
48
of Foot.
49
The Installing Officers of Lodge No. 11 IC were: W. Bro. William Richards; Bro. Alex. Tullough; Bro.
Alex. McGregor and Bro. Alex Rea, all of whom were noted as being Master Masons and Past Masters of Lodge No.
11 IC.
81
records indicate that the Lodge fought with the Regiment in Corsica in 179350.
While serving again in the Caribbean from 1803 to 1808, the 1st Battalion was decimated and the
membership of the Lodge was reduced to one member. As new replacements for the Regiment were
assigned, those who were Masons were recruited by the Lodge and, in 1808, when there were 40 working
members, the Lodge was reactivated. The 1st Battalion, accompanied by its Lodge, was assigned to garrison
duty in Quebec City and was serving there from 180851 onwards when The Royal Thistle Lodge, No. 222 SC
was Warranted by the Grand Lodge of Scotland to be held in the 4th Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot Guards,
which had also been assigned to Quebec City, in 1815. During the period that Lodge No. 11 IC met in North
America (i.e. until about 1817/20), it worked the Royal Arch, Knight Templar and Knight of Malta degrees
under the authority of its Lodge Warrant (see Certificates on pages 34 and 35). On February 27, 1836, the
Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Ireland, granted Warrant No. 11 to nine Royal Arch Companions to
hold a “Royal Arch Chapter to be attached to Lodge No. 11 in the 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Foot”.
Copies of a Royal Arch Certificate dated January 1819 and a Knight Templar Certificate dated June 8, 1819
are included on the following pages.
When the 1st Battalion was assigned to Gibraltar in 1839 both Lodge No. 11 and Chapter No. 11
were unable to continue working and the Warrants was returned to a few surviving members of its Depot
Companies at Templemore, Ireland. The Lodge and the Chapter were built up again and remained with the
Depot Companies and never again joined the 1st Battalion abroad. Irish Grand Lodge records note: “Warrant
given up April 1847 by order of Col. Maunsell52” following passage in the British Parliament of the Unlawful
Societies Act which prohibited so-called “secret societies”, including Freemasonry53. By the time of its demise
the Chapter had about 20 members in total. Although the Chapter Warrant was given up, it was not struck
off the rolls until May 19, 1858.
Cochrane notes that at the time of closure of the Lodge, 352 Brethren had been admitted into it.
Although at first maintained almost exclusively by the NCO’s of the Regiment, by the close of the 18th
Century it had a fair proportion of officers. It was also, over time, not reserved exclusively for brethren within
the Regiment and the membership lists include officers and other ranks of other regiments, as well as
civilians. As the Lodge was likely to move and leave behind the members who did not belong to the 1st Foot,
the Certificate “system” was established to provide “bona fides” for them. These certificates were normally
issued by the Lodge itself, not the Grand Lodge, due to the problems of communications and a non-existent
50
The Corsican campaign of 1793/4 is notable because every one of the seven Regiments involved was
home to a Masonic Lodge, all of which worked under Irish Warrants: 1st Royals, No. 11 IC (1732-1847); 11th Regt.,
No. 604 IC (1782-1815); 25th Regt., No. 92 IC (1749-1815); 30th Regt., No. 85 IC (1738-1793) and No. 535 IC
(1776-1823); 50th Regt., No. 113 IC (1763-1815); 51st Regt., No. 690 IC (1788-1801) and No. 94 IC (1763-1815);
and 69th Regt., No. 174 IC (1791-1821). This situation parallelled the successful (second) attack on Louisbourg (on
Cape Breton Island, off Nova Scotia) in June/July 1758 and that on Quebec in September 1759.
51
Cochrane says “In 1814 the 1st and 4th Battalions . . . were stationed at Quebec . . . .” but Regimental
records indicate the 1st Battalion was there as early as 1808.
52
Colonel Robert Christopher Maunsell (or Mansell), K. H. as District Quarter Master General in Limerick.
53
From 1793-8 Ireland had been disturbed with the growth of so-called “secret societies” and the
“insurrection” was put down in 1798 within a few weeks of its breaking out. An Act of Parliament of July 12, 1799
was passed “For the more effectual suppression of societies established for seditious and treasonable purposes,
and for preventing treasonable and seditious practices.” Thus all societies whose members were required to take an
oath not authorised by law, were suppressed. Societies “held under the Denomination of Lodges of Freemasons”
were expressly exempted from the Act. By 1842 the agitation for Home Rule for Ireland led to further attempts at
armed rebellion and the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland called upon the military for the rigorous enforcement of the 1799
Act without regard to the exemption previously applied. The Commander-in-Chief in Ireland, Lieutenant-General Sir
Edward Blakeney was ordered to take action and instructed his subordinates accordingly, including Colonel Robert
Christopher Maunsell.
82
postal service.
Bro. John Bowers (PM, Lodge No. 571 IC), commenting on Bro. John Heron Lepper’s paper The
Poor Common Soldier, A Study of Irish Ambulatory Warrants, as printed in the Transactions of Quatuor
Coronati Lodge, 1925 makes the following comment on Col. Maunsell’s actions. “I once talked to a man who
served under Col. Maunsell; from him I learnt that John Maunsell forced the Lodge of “Holy St. John” No.
11 IC, to give up their Warrant, because of pressure from General Blakeney. General Blakeney was at one
time Colonel of the Royal Regiment of Foot, but at which period, before 1847 or after, I cannot at this
moment say. Blakeney’s picture hangs in the Officer’s Mess of the 2nd Bn. at Colchester. He was a member
of the Friendly Brothers of St. Patrick, but I am unable to say if he was a Freemason”.
Crossle notes that the name of the Lodge was “Holy St. John” although he does not indicate when
this name was adopted and it is not mentioned on the Warrant. He also notes that the Warrant was returned
to Grand Lodge in 1813, although this does not agree with other evidence. V. W. Bro. Crossle notes that the
Warrant (or perhaps the number “11” only) was used for the issue of a Warrant to hold a Lodge at Bray, Co.
Wicklow, although no date of (re)issue or surrender is mentioned.
Crossle notes that the number 11 was used for a new Warrant issued on March 13, 1863, to hold
a Lodge at Bray, Co. Wicklow. This Lodge was removed to 9 Castle Street, Dublin in 1988 and was still
working as of 1995 and had thirty-three subscribing members and three honorary members. In Cochrane’s
Update the Lodge is shown as “Current” as of 2000.
A copy of Warrant No. 11 IC issued to the 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Foot, is included on the
following page. As this copy of the Warrant was obtained from existing research material a photocopy was
not requested from the Grand Lodge of Ireland although the original should be there, having been
surrendered to Grand Lodge.
1973. (2) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish
Masonic Records, 1973. (3) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as printed
in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957. (4) History of the
Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (5) The Poor Common Soldier, A Study
of Irish Ambulatory Warrants, by Bro. John Heron Lepper, as printed in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati
Lodge, 1925. (6) History of Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (7) The Master-MasonAt-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth, Prestonian Lecture for
1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1990, London. (8) Flags of Masonry in the
line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on
Lodges in the 3rd Foot.]
Warrant No. 11 IC, in the “First Battalion Royal”, November 7, 1732
[Source: Grand Lodge of Ireland.]
83
84
Royal Arch Certificate issued by RAM Chapter held under authority of Warrant No. 11 I.C.
[Source: W. Bro. Ray Sheppard.]
Royal Arch Certificate issued by RAM Chapter held under authority of Warrant No. 11 I.C.
85
86
REF:
E7
REF:
E7
REF:
E7
REF:
E7
REF:
E7
REF:
E7
REF:
E7
REF:
I2
REF:
I2
REF:
I2
REF:
I2
Unity, Peace and Concord Lodge, No. 316 ER, in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot
Guards 1863-1949
Guards 1832-1863
Unity, Peace and Concord Lodge, No. VII, PRCoromandel/Madras, in the Second Battalion,
1st Regiment of Foot Guards 1820-????
Guards 1813-1832
Unity, Peace and Concord Lodge, No. 574 ER(M), in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of
Foot Guards 1808-1814
Unity, Peace and Concord Lodge, No. 574 ER(M), in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of
Foot Guards 1798-1804
Unity, Peace and Concord Lodge, No. IX, PRCoromandel, in the Second Battalion, 1st
Regiment of Foot Guards 1798-1820
Lodge, No. 74 IC, in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, various locations
1759-1817
Lodge, No. 74 IC, in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, Albany 1760-1765
(civilian Lodge)
Lodge, No. 74 IC, in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, Albany 1758-1759
(military Lodge)
Lodge, No. 74 IC, in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot Guards, various locations
1737-1758
[now The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)]
Warrant No. 74 was issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland on October 26, 1737, to hold a Lodge in
the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot Guards. This Warrant was signed by Marcus, Viscount (afterwards
Earl) Tyrone, Grand Master, and the first officers of the Lodge were James Nelson, Master; Thomas Brew,
SW; and Thomas Swingler, JW. According to Reginald V. Harris, the records of Grand Lodge show no
further registrations until 1783.
The 2nd Battalion, accompanied by its Lodge, fought in the siege at Louisbourg in 1758. At the siege
there were six other regiments with Lodges attached to them: 15th Foot with Lodge No. 245 IC (1754-1801);
17th Foot with Lodge No. 136 IC (1748-1801); 28th Foot with Lodge No. 35 (1734-1801); 35th Foot with
Lodge No. 205 IC (1749-1790); 47th Foot with Lodge No. 192 IC (1748-1823); and the 48th Foot with Lodge
No. 218 IC (1750-1858).
In August 1758 the 2nd Battalion and its Lodge was moved to Albany, New York where it remained
for one year. During this year the Lodge established a Masonic Library (the first known instance of an Army
Lodge forming a “Study Circle”54) and also initiated some local civilians. When the 2nd Battalion was
assigned to the attack on Montreal in September 1760 (and was present at the capitulation of that city) an
endorsed copy of the Lodge Warrant55 dated April 11, 1759 was left behind and which certified that Bros.
Richard Cartwright, Henry Bostwick (or Bestwick) and William Ferguson, civilian members living in Albany,
“. . . had been installed as Assistant Master and Wardens of our Lodge allowing them to set [sic] and act
during our absence, or until they, by our assistance can procure a separate Warrant for themselves from the
54
According to R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his article Irish Warrants in Scottish Regiments, in the
Grand Lodge of Scotland Year Book, notes that “some of the volumes . . . are preserved in the library of the Albany
Female Academy”.
55
Harris notes that the Warrant was endorsed by John Stedman, Secretary; Anias Sutherland, Master;
Charles Calder, SW; and Thomas Parker, JW.
87
Grand Lodge in Ireland” [quote by Reginald V. Harris from History of Freemasonry in New York by Ossian
lang, p. 41 and McClenachan, Vol 1, p. 153 and R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane’s CD-ROM Update (Fall 2003)
of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, manuscript published by the Grand Lodge of Ireland
in 1973]. The Lodge at Albany never did request a Warrant from Ireland and continued working as No. 74
IC until February 21, 1765, when it was granted a Charter as “Union Lodge No. 1 (Colonial) by George
Harison (who had been appointed the Provincial Grand Master of New York in 175356). The Charter was
confirmed by Sir John Johnson on July 30, 1773. After a lengthy period of isolated existence following the
Revolution, Union Lodge surrendered its colonial Warrant which has on it the statement “I was the last
Master of this Lodge. C. C. Yates.” This civilian Lodge received a Warrant from the Grand Lodge of the State
of New York, on January 6, 1807, as Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 3 PRNY, Albany after having (re)-elected
C. C. Yates as its first Master on December 16, 1806. Mount Vernon Lodge, No. 3, continues to operate
under this name and number. One of the most distinguished members of Union Lodge, No. 1 was Morgan
Lewis57
After leaving Albany the 2nd Battalion took part in the siege of Ticonderoga in July 1759 and formed
part of the garrison at Crown Point from August to November 1759. While the 2nd Battalion was at Crown
Point, Abraham Savage, who had been authorised in 1758 by Jeremy Gridley, the Provincial Grand Master
of North America, to “congregate all Free and Accepted Masons, in the Expedition against Canada into one
or more Lodges”, admitted into Masonry at Crown Point “twelve officers of the First Foot in the Lodge he had
established there, and of which he was then the Master”. Records of the day were either not written or written
and later destroyed in the fighting and the uncertain lifestyle of the period. It does not appear at all irregular
that Savage would form a Lodge and initiate members of the 2nd Battalion even while their own Lodge, No.
74 IC, was in existence.
The 2nd Battalion was one of the units involved in the attack and capture of Montreal in September
1760 and remained there for almost two years. There is no evidence that Lodge No. 74 IC worked in the city
and certainly does not appear in any surviving records of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec which had
been formed on November 28, 1759. In spite of the lack of evidence it is probable that the Lodge did, in fact,
meet although given the wartime situation, it was not likely on a regular basis.
Cochrane notes that a Duplicate Warrant was issued to the Lodge in 1783 (Source: GL Letter Book,
1875, p. 705) and that the Lodge was noted as meeting at Gibraltar as early as 1790 and that it was the
senior of eleven Military Lodges working there. He also says that the 2nd Battalion served in the 1794
campaign which captured Corsica and that every one of the Regiments involved in the campaign held, in
one battalion or another, had an Irish Lodge attached to it: 1/First with Lodge No. 11 IC (1732-1847); 2/First
with Lodge No. 74 IC (1737-1807); 11th Foot with Lodge No. 604 (1782-1815); 25th Foot with Lodge No. 92
IC (1749-01815); 30th Foot with Lodge No. 535 IC (1776-1823); 50th Foot with Lodge No. 113 IC (17631815); 51st Foot with Lodge No. 94 IC (1763-1815) and Lodge No. 690 IC (1788-1801); and the 69th Foot
with Lodge No. 174 IC (1791-1821). Between 1796 and 1802, the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Foot was on more
or less continuous service in Elba, Gibraltar, Portugal, Ireland, England, Holland, Spain, Malta, Asia Minor
and Egypt and often not “at home” at any one time for longer than 5 months and on a foreign station for no
longer than 9 months—and it is not surprising that reports to Grand Lodge were infrequently (if ever) written
and sent to Ireland.
Reginald V. Harris notes that “the original warrant is now in the Archives of the Grand Lodge of Nova
Scotia” after having been supposedly cancelled in 1801 by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, although it is not
56
The appointment was made by the Grand Lodge of England - also called the Moderns.
57
Morgan Lewis was the son of Francis Lewis, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Morgan was Initiated in Union Lodge No. 1 (Colonial) in 1776. He was Colonel and Chief of Staff to General Horatio
Gates, Commander of the Army in Canada, and later appointed as Quarter-Master-General for the Northern
Department. He escorted George Washington on his inauguration as President of the United States and became
Governor and State Senator of New York. He retired from the Army with the rank of Major-General. In 1830, 76
year-old Morgan Lewis was elected Grand Master of Masons in New York. He died in 1844.
88
clear if the copy in Nova Scotia is the actual original Warrant No. 74 IC. Cochrane’s Update notes that the
entry, which was made in Volume I of the Irish Grand Lodge Register as “Cancelled by order of Grand Lodge,
July 1801” was made in error and never corrected in that Volume. The Grand Secretary presented to Grand
Lodge a list of Lodges in arrears on August 7, 1817, which included “No. 74 - 2nd Battn. Royals” and this
seems to indicate that the Lodge and Warrant had not been really cancelled in 1801. If it had been cancelled
it would hardly have been reported 16 years later as being in arrears!
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, 1887, indicates that the Warrant of No. 74 IC,
was confirmed by Grand Lodge in 1767 (an incorrect date for both the military lodge or the civilian one) and
a position not apparently reflected by Grand Lodge records. Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture
for 1990 entitled The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, notes that
“In 1798 it (the 2nd Battalion’s Lodge) seems to have left its perfectly good Irish warrant somewhere in
Europe and, arriving in Madras, sought an English one from the Provincial Grand Master of the Coast of
Coromandel”.
Cochrane notes that the members of Lodge No. 74 IC likely worked the “higher” degrees of Royal
Arch, Knights Templar, Harodim (or Heredom) and Sovereign Prince Mason (or Rose Croix) under the
authority of the Lodge Warrant although this is not conclusively proven because of the lack of Lodge records
and documents. Certainly the Lodge applied in 1833 to Grand Lodge for authority to work the Royal Arch
degree and were required to apply for a separate Warrant which they did. A Warrant to form a Royal Arch
Chapter, dated August 6, 1834, and issued by the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of England, was
received and continued in active work until 1868 when it was forced to close due to the death of so many
of its members. The Warrant was not struck off the English rolls until 1892.
Crossle says that the date of 1737 may be problematic for the first issue of Warrant No. 74 as “. .
. . the Pocket Companion shows only 37 Lodges as existing in 1735.” He also indicates that the Warrant may
have been surrendered in “1801 or 1817 or 1838” and that in 1848 either the Warrant or the number “74” was
(re)issued for a Lodge in Down. It is more likely that the number was reused if the original Warrant No. 74
IC rests in the archives in Halifax as reported by Harris. Crossle also notes a reference to T. R. Henderson’s
Freemasonry in the Royal Scots (no publisher or date of publication is quoted).
Cochrane’s Update notes at one point that “No. 74” is “in a list of erased lodges, 1801” and also that
it “Became No. IX, Coast of Coromandel: 574, E.C. 1 September 1808.”
John Lane, in his Masonic Records 1717-1894 notes that Lodge of Unity, Peace and Concord, No.
9, Coast of Coromandel and No. 574A58 ER(M), whose Warrant was issued in 1798 from Madras when the
Regiment was in Wallajahbad (Chingleput), was suspended for unmasonic conduct in 1804. He gives no
indication of the actual reasons, nor the length of the suspension. His next entry is No. IX Coromandel in
1808.
The Lodge claimed to have lost its Warrant in 1807 at Hilsea Barracks, Portsmouth owing to “the
sudden order the Regiment got to quit England” (perhaps this is the copy which survives in Nova Scotia).
Immediately boarding transports which left harbour on April 18, 1807, the Regiment arrived at Prince of
Wales’s Island, Penang in September 1807; sailed in October and arrived at Madras in December and was
sent onwards to Wallahjabad, which they reached on December 24, 1807. Cochrane notes that “No trace
of the Warrant has since been discovered.” Thus the Lodge arrived in a strange country to which no Lodge
attached to the 1st Foot had served before, but this in no way held them back. In early 1808 the Lodge
members met and applied to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Coromandel which recorded the request as being
made by “Master Masons, privates in His Majesty’s Regiment of Royals at Wallahjabad”. Lt. Col. A. Stuart
(who commanded the Battalion from 1802 to 1811) and Lt. Col. H. Conran (who would commend the
Battalion from 1811 to 1812), both Master Masons, approved of the Petition. Part of the letter, dated March
31, 1808 and signed by Captain G. Parsons says: “. . . there is a Warrant in the Battalion, but it was
unfortunately left in Europe owing to the sudden order the Regiment got to quit that quarter of the globe.”
58
This is another use of a suffix “A” added by Lane to the actual Warrant number to show that the same
Warrant continued unabated for “two Lodges”.
89
As a consequence the Provincial Grand Lodge of Coromandel issued Warrant No. IX (Local) for Unity, Peace
and Concord Lodge in 1808 and registered the Lodge with London, receiving Warrant No. 57459 ER(M) - the
Warrant being granted as a moveable or ambulatory one.
Although precise and clear proof is lacking the Grand Lodge of Ireland recognizes No. IX
Coromandel as the successor Warrant to No. 74 IC, although United Grand Lodge does not accept the
linkage directly. As the two commanding officers in the period 1802-12 were members of Lodge No. 74 IC,
and as they approved the request for a Warrant from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Coromandel, this would
seem to be the best proof that No. 74 IC and No. IX Coromandel were issued to the same Lodge. Thus it is
that these Warrants are shown as being issued for the same Lodge.
Shortly after the issue of the Moderns Warrant, the Lodge was suspended for unspecified unmasonic
conduct. In 1808 the original suspended Warrant No. 574 ER(M), was reinstated. [Note: it is possible that
Warrant No. IX (Coromandel) was suspended as early as 1804 because it was reissued in 1805 for Lodge
of Philanthropists in the 94th Regiment of Foot (The Connaught Rangers) and as already noted, record
keeping amongst the Grand Lodges was oftentimes incorrect.]
In 1809 the 33rd Regiment of Foot, then at Hyderabad, was put on notice for posting back to
England. A number of its officers and men agreed to remain behind and volunteered for other duties.
Members of Lodge Unity and Friendship, No. VII, PRMadras and No. 90 ER(A) in the 33rd Foot, realizing
that the local Warrant would no longer be valid a authority once the Regiment and Lodge had left India, wrote
to the Antients Grand Lodge on June 12, 1809, advising of their original loss of Warrant No. 90 ER(A) in
Europe in 1793 [Note: the Lodge had already written on this matter on January 20, 1798 and had not
received Grand Lodge’s reply, nor the Renewal Warrant], working under authority of local Warrant No. VII
while in India, again requested a Replacement Warrant for No. 90 ER(A). The 33rd Foot was not shipped
out immediately and in December 1809 the Lodge members agreed that the Lodge Room would be
transferred to Unity, Peace and Concord Lodge, No. IX, PRMadras in the 2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot
Guards. Minutes of Lodge of Unity, Peace and Concord dated April 7, 1812 note: “Walked in procession from
Brother Brodie’s house to new Lodge rooms, accompanied by Band & Drums of the Corps. The Worshipful
Master (Brother Hugh Brodie) read the Undermentioned PETITIONS from the Brethren who Volunteered
from the 33rd Regiment to our Corps. Bro. Benn. Bell60 (No. 7 Local), Bro. Benny Hulmes (No. 7 Local), Bro.
Charles O’Haram (No. 7 Local), Bro. John Broadbent61 (No. 7 Local), Bro. William Copwell (No. 7 Local),
Bro. Hugh Clarke (No. 7 Local) and Bro. William Fenton (No. 213 SC62).”
With the Union of the Ancients’ and Moderns’ Grand Lodges, new Warrants were issued and Lodge
Unity, Peace and Concord became No. 593 on December 27, 1813 (see Transcript of 1910) at which time
it was also working under No. VII Coromandel/Madras. During the subsequent renumbering of Lodges in
1832 and 1863, it became No. 396 (when the Lodge was based, with the Battalion, in Athlone, Ireland).
During its 23 years in India the Lodge applied for, and received Warrants to work the Royal Arch and Knight
Templar degrees. When leaving Madras, in 1831, these Warrants were surrendered to the Provincial Grand
Master of Madras. On the Battalion’s arrival in Glasgow in 1832, the Lodge immediately wrote to United
Grand Lodge requesting a Warrant and after some correspondence a Warrant of Confirmation of No. 396
59
Again, Lane notes the Warrant as “574B” although it was the same Warrant as had been issued almost
ten years earlier.
60
Bro. Bell took the J. W.’s chair at once, was elected S. W. in December 1812, and became W. M. in
61
Bro. Broadbent was WM in 1819 and JW in 1821.
1817.
62
This would be Orange Lodge, No. 213 SC, held in the fourth 51st Regiment of Foot, raised in 1755/56
as Napier’s Yorkshire Regiment and now part of The Light Infantry Regiment, The Light Division. The 51st had been
assigned to India and Ceylon in the period 1798-1807 when it was reassigned to the troops fighting in the Peninsula
campaign. Presumably Bro. William Fenton had transferred to the 1st when the 51st left India.
90
ER, dated August 2, 1833, was issued to the Lodge.
The 1st Regiment was subsequently assigned to the garrison at Montreal. Returns from Lodge Unity,
Peace and Concord, No. 396 ER, at Montreal indicate that on July 4, 1839, Bombadiers William Shepherd63
and Lewis Short, and Sergeant Bartholemew H. Shehan, were initiated into the Lodge. All three were passed
on August 1, 1839 and raised on September 5, 1839. Shepherd would subsequently follow a long masonic
career during which he would meet Brother George Morgan64 (both of them later affiliating with Lodge No.
262 ER, in the 85th Regiment of Foot), and Brother William Watson65 (already a member of Lodge No. 262
ER). These three masons would form the nucleus of the membership of The Social Friendship Lodge, No.
729 ER, in the 89th Regiment. In 1846/47 some of the members of this Lodge, living in Montreal, signed as
Petitioners to the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a Warrant for Elgin Lodge, No. 348 SC, Montreal. General
John Corson Smith, an honorary member of the Lodge, served with Federal Forces during the American Civil
War, in charge of a camp of Confederate prisoners. Gould lists Warrant No. 396 ER, in his listing entitled
“Existing British Field Lodges, 1886”, showing that the Lodge was working at that time. With the renumbering
of Lodges in 1863 by United Grand Lodge, Unity, Peace and Concord Lodge received a new Warrant as No.
316 ER. [Note: Warrant No. 396 ER was reissued in 1863 to hold Royal Standard Lodge in the Royal Artillery
at Halifax.]
On November 4, 1910 the Lodge was authorized to adopt a Centennial Warrant. This interesting
63
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his publication “My Hero”, Segt.-Major William Shepherd, September 1992,
notes that William Shepherd was born at Woolwich on September 22, 1819 where his father, William (a member of
the Royal Artillery), had returned after the end of fighting in the Peninsula in 1814. The son, William, joined the
Royal Horse Artillery on July 18, 1833, and was posted on March 1, 1835, as a gunner in the 2nd Battalion, Royal
Artillery. He was promoted to Bombardier on April 5, 1837. On April 27, 1838, Bombardier William Shepherd sailed
to Canada with his Battalion. He spent over 14 years in Montreal and two years in Kingston, and was successively
promoted to Corporal (October 5, 1842), Sergeant (April 1, 1846), Colour Sergeant (March 16, 1849), and
Staff/Sergeant Major (September 22, 1855). He left for England on October 1, 1854 and provided training for
artillery personnel during the expansion to fight the Crimean War. He was retired on September 21, 1858 after 21
years’ service, in possession of four good conduct badges and a Long Service medal. Immediately after leaving the
Royal Artillery he was recruited as a 1st Class Pay-clerk in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. He was promoted to
Paymaster R. A. in May 1861 with a posting to Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey (then a naval base with a
dockyard, and a Royal Artillery garrison for defence). He was made Hon. Major on May 14, 1876 and went on half
pay on March 13, 1878. He died at Cardiff on January 31, 1895, aged 75 years. His masonic career began in Unity,
Peace and Concord Lodge, No. 296 ER, in the 1st Regiment of Foot, at Montreal, where he was initiated on July 4,
1839, passed on August 1, 1839 and raised on September 5, 1839. He was an affiliated member of Lodge No. 262
ER, in The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (89th); a founder member of the Lodge of Social Friendship, No. 729 IC,
in the 89th Foot and of Lodge of Integrity, No. 771 ER, in the 14th (The Yorkshire, West Riding) Regiment of Foot.
On May 10, 1847 he received the 1834 renewal Warrant and Lodge regalia of the Lodge of Social and Military
Virtues, No. 227 IC, in the 46th Regiment which was without sufficient members to continue working. With the
approval of the Grand Lodge of Ireland he assumed the Mastership and established a permanent semi-military
Lodge which is still operating presently as Lodge of Antiquity, No. 1 GRQ, Montreal. After returning to Woolwich in
1854 he affiliated with Union-Waterloo Lodge, No. 13 ER; and with his posting to Sheerness he joined Adam’s
Lodge, No. 184 ER (originally No. 207 ER(A) from 1778 and presently No. 158 ER). In 1865 W. Bro. William
Sheppard became a member and second Master of De Shurland Lodge, No. 1089 ER, Sheerness. In addition to his
love of the Craft, W. Bro. Ray Shepherd notes that “it is known that he (W. Bro. William Shepherd) joined the Royal
Arch, Mark, and I am sure the K. T. Degrees”.
64
George Morgan was born in Donaghmore, near Carrickmacross in County Monagan, Ireland, on
December 3, 1812 and had also joined the Royal Artillery and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion. He was initiated
into Lodge Unity, Peace and Concord, No. 396, ER, on April 4, 1839. George Morgan affiliated with Lodge No. 262,
ER, in the 85th Regiment of Foot, on December 8, 1840, at the same time as William Shepherd.
65
William Watson was a Sergeant in the 89th Foot and had already become a member of Lodge No. 262,
ER, in the Regiment, when it was working in Montreal.
91
authority, measuring about 18 inches by 14 inches cannot be effectively copied due to its age and condition,
but it is legible, and is transcribed below.
Warrant to Lodge Unity, Peace and Concord (1910) authorizing the wearing of a Centennial Jewel
Arthur
GM
SEAL
To the Worshipful Master, Wardens, other Officers and Members
SEAL
of Lodge Unity, Peace and Concord, No. 316, 2nd Battalion, 1st Royal
SEAL
Scots Regiment, and all others whom it may concern.
Greeting
Whereas it appears by the Records of the Grand Lodge that in the year 1808 a Lodge was
working in connection with the 1st. Royal Regiment (now the 2nd Battalion, 1st Royal Scots Regiment) which
Lodge was that numbered 574, and named Lodge of Unity, Peace and Concord on the Register of the Grand
Lodge of England
And Whereas in consequence of Union of the two Grand Lodges on the 27th day of December 1813 the said
Lodge became No. 593 on the said Register - And Whereas in consequence of the general alterations in the
numbers of Lodge in the years 1832 and 1863 the said Lodge became and now stands on the Register as No.
316 attached to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Royal Scots Regiment under
---------- the Title or Denomination of ----------
Lodge of Unity, Peace and Concord
And Whereas the Brethren composing the said Lodge are desirous now that it has completed the CENTENARY
of its existence to be permitted to wear a Jewel commemorative of such event and have prayed our sanction for
that purpose
Now know Ye That we having taken the subject into our consideration have acceded to their request and in virtue
of our prerogative Do hereby give and grant to all and each of the subscribing members of the said Lodge being
Master Masons permission to wear in all our Masonic Meetings suspended to the left breast by a Sky Blue
Ribbon not exceeding one inch and a half in breadth a JEWEL or MEDAL of the pattern or device that we have
already approved as a CENTENARY JEWEL. But such Jewel is to worn66 only by those Brethren who are bonafide subscribing Members of the said Lodge and for so long only as they shall pay their regular stipulated
Subscription to the funds thereof and be duly returned as such to the Grand Lodge of England.
Given at London the 4th Day of November A.L. 5910 A.D. 1910
By Command of the Most Worshipful Grand Master,
His Royal Highness The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, K.G., &c ., &c ., &c ., &c .
E. Letchworth
By 1919, when the Royal Scots returned to Scotland from Germany, there were only three members
of the Lodge serving with the 2nd Battalion. A Brother John Bowers, who had been a member of the Lodge
and had taken retirement, rallied together many of the members of the Lodge who had left the Regiment
after the War, and brought it up to a high standard. The Regiment returned to Ireland and then back to
England in 1922, but which time the membership had again fallen and Bro. Bowers again assisted in
resuscitating the Lodge. The Regiment was then assigned to a variety of foreign postings - Egypt, northern
China, Quetta and Lahore (in Pakistan). Although regular meetings had been held, difficulties mounted and
the last minutes of the Lodge are dated November 27, 1935, from Lahore. On removing to Hong Kong in
January 1938 the Warrant and Lodge regalia were left behind in the Masonic Hall in Lahore. In 1940 another
member of the Lodge, Bro. A. N. Christie, a retired member of the Battalion and at that time a member of
the Shanghai Police Force, made arrangements for the safekeeping of the Lodge property in Lahore and its
66
The word “be” is missing in the original document from the expression “. . . . to be worn . . .”.
92
eventual return to the Regimental Depot in Scotland on the cessation of hostilities. Because the 2nd Battalion
had, by this time, been disbanded as a military unit, Bro. Christie was prevented from reactivating the Lodge
under its original ambulatory Warrant and Warrant No. 316 ER, became one of the last two English
Travelling Warrants to be surrendered in 1949 (the other was that of the Lodge of Social Friendship, No. 497
ER, issued to the Royal Irish Fusiliers).
A new Warrant was issued on September 7, 1949, authorizing the Lodge to meet as a stationary
Lodge in London, bearing the same name and number. This Lodge was associated with the London Section
of The Royal Scots’ Regimental Association, so that all Royal Scots, past and present, residing in, or in reach
of, the London area, might benefit from the Lodge’s existence. Thus Lodge of Unity Peace and Concord, No.
316 ER, London continues to flourish, perhaps its civilian highlight occurred in 1955 when the Lodge became
a Patron of the Royal Masonic Hospital.
An enquiry was made in 1998 to the Grand Lodge of Ireland requesting a copy of Warrant No. 74.
Grand Lodge replied that “. . . No. 74 IC . . . appears in a list of erased Lodges produced by Grand Lodge
in 1801, but the Lodge seems to have taken up Warrant No. 574, of the English Constitution, in 1808, also
known as No. IX Coast of Coromandel, a local number. This information is also from Crossle’s list of Lodges.
According to a letter in the Grand Lodge letter book for 1875 answering a query about Lodge 74, a duplicate
warrant was issued in 1783, but there is no reference to where this information comes from. The earliest
entries in the Grand Lodge Membership Registers for L. 74 date to 1783 but no mention is made of a
duplicate warrant. It is possible that the lodge was revived at that time.”
A request to the United Grand Lodge of England to obtain a copy of the English Warrants, as well
as those of Coromandel, should the originals reside in the Archives has not received a reply to date. If copies
can be obtained they will be added to this history.
Crossle and Cochrane show that the number “74” was used by the Grand Lodge of Ireland three
more times: for a Warrant dated June 24, 1817, issued to hold a Lodge in Whitehouse, Newtownabbey, Co.
Antrim (in exchange for its higher numbered Warrant “1013”) and which was cancelled in 1838; for a Warrant
dated November 11, 1844, to hold a Lodge at Holywood, Co. Down which was sent in to Grand Lodge in
1850, restored in 1855 and suspended in 1859; and then used for a fourth (and last) time for a Warrant,
dated June 8, 1891, to hold Israel Lodge, Arthur Square, Belfast, which was returned to Grand Lodge in
November 1988.
John Lane in his Masonic Records 1717-1894, provides two entries on page 256 (one below the
other) for the Lodge as follows. First: “Lodge of Unity, Peace and Concord, No. 9, Coast of Coromandel.
Madras (Chingleput), Madras, India. 1798. 1798 (G.L. Warrant) 574A. Suspended for unmasonic conduct,
1804.” His entry reads: “Lodge of Unity, Peace and Concord. First Royal Regiment, Wallajahbad
(Chingleput), Madras, India 1808. 1808 (G.L. Warrant) 574B. 1814 593. 1832 396. 1863 316. Warrant of
Confirmation, 1833. Called “Royal Scots Regiment”, from 1871. At. Fort St. George, Madras (Chingleput),
Madras, 1809. At Hyderabad (Hyderabad, Deccan), Madras, 1810. At Trichinopoly (Trichinopoly), Madras,
1812. At. Bangalore (Mysore Native State), Madras, 1814. At Secunderabad (Hyderabad, Deccan), Madras,
1814. At Hyderabad (Hyderabad, Deccan), Madras, 1817. At Arcot (North Arcot), Madras, 1819. At
Wallajahbad (Chingleput), Madras, 1819. Left Madras District about 1824. At Island of Malta, 1855. At
Ootacamund (Coimbatore), Madras, 1893. At Wellington (Neilgherry Hills), Madras, 1893.”
1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1990, London. (8) New York Freemasonry
93
A Bicentennial History 1781-1981, by Herbert Singer and Ossian Lang, The Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of the
State of New York, 1981. (9) “My Hero”, Segt.-Major William Shepherd, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard,
September 1992. (10) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, Second Edition, 1895. (11) Flags of
Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September
2002, notes on Lodges in the 3rd Foot.]
94
REF:
I4
REF:
I4
Lodge, unknown number, PRMadras(Antients), in the 2nd (Queen’s Royal) Regiment of Foot
1779-????
Lodge No. 244 IC, in the 2nd (Queen’s Royal) Regiment of Foot 1754-1825
[now The Queen’s Regiment]
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 244 on April 5, 1754, to hold a Lodge in the 2nd
(Queen’s Own) Regiment of Foot. It is not clear where and when the Lodge worked during the period that
the Regiment was in England, the Isle of Man, or the American colonies. Between 1757 and April 25, 1799,
69 members were registered with the Grand Lodge of Ireland.
Lodge No. 244 IC was in Gibraltar with the Regiment and, when trouble between Antients’ and
Moderns’ Masons on Gibraltar became acute in 1772, were forced by circumstances to side with the Antients.
On St. John’s Day, December 1772, the various Moderns’ Lodges wished to exclude Perth Lodge No. 148
ER(A) in the 2nd Battalion, Royal Artillery67, from taking part in the customary procession, but No. 148 was
supported by four Irish Lodges68 to attend the procession. The Irish Lodges wrote in May 1773 to the Grand
Lodge of Ireland justifying their action, and, apparently, received a reply endorsing it. R. W. Bro. Keith
Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic
Records, 1973, notes that Lodge 244 IC appears in the Grand Lodge Register and is marked “in Gibraltar”
as of November 21, 1772.
Lodge No. 244 IC appears to have applied to the Antients’ Provincial Grand Lodge of Madras in
1779, and there are indications that it was recognized by this body although no known Provincial Warrant
appears to have been issued. This is an area which is most unclear both from Grand Lodge documents and
also the work of Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled The Master-Mason-AtArms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces. W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his 1984 listing of
Lodges and Warrants notes that Lodge No. 244 IC may have held an unnumbered Warrant issued by the
“Athol” Provincial Grand Committee of Madras on April 17, 1799. Given the usual action by military Lodges
to join local Provincial Grand Lodges (regardless whether they were ‘Antient’ or ‘Modern’) this unnumbered
Madras (local) Warrant is listed as being held by Lodge No. 244 IC. John Lane, in his Masonic records 17171894 provides no assistance in the matter. His entry (p. 466) reads: “First Battalion, Second Regiment,
Madras, Madras. 17 April 1779. Athol Prov. G. Committee.”
By 1789, the members of the Lodge once again got into trouble with local masonic authorities (in
the form of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalusia - also known as Gibraltar (Antients)), and the minutes
of the Grand Lodge of Ireland note “Read a letter from Bro. John Ross Prov. G. M. of Andalusia stating the
ill conduct of sundry Brethren of No. 244 and the consequent Censure laid on them by the G. L. there held.
Ordered the thanks of this Lodge to Bro. Ross for his care & attention to the Ancient Craft”. The History of
Freemasonry on Gibraltar69 notes that Bro. Ross was an Irish Mason who was “the first PG Master of
Andalucia under the Ancient Warrant.
During 1794 the Lodge was probably not working as the Regiment was serving as Marines with Lord
Howe’s fleet and were present when Howe won his famous victory over the French at Brest and which is
referred to in various histories as “The Glorious First of June”.
Grand Lodge records indicate that a duplicate Warrant was issued on July 6, 1809, to Edw.
67
Now St. John’s Lodge, No. 115 ER, Gibraltar and still working.
68
of Foot.
69
Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar website <www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/history.htm>.
95
Redmond, Thos. Lister and John Close, the “original being destroyed at sea by the enemy70”. Grand Lodge
minutes of December 6, 1810, contain a listing of 32 Prisoners-of-War, held in France, including some from
Lodge No. 244 (source: History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol I, 1925,
p. 302).
Warrant No. 244 was returned to the Grand Lodge of Ireland on February 23, 1825, “the Regt. going
to India, the Lodge was broke up”. A total of 158 Brethren had been registered with Grand Lodge according
to Cochrane’s notes. There is no indication when the Madras Warrant (if one had been issued) was
surrendered or erased.
Both Crossle and Cochrane note that the number “244” was also issued on a Warrant dated May 10,
1832, to hold a Lodge in the 52nd (Oxfordshire Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot, being surrendered to Grand
Lodge on March 3, 1845. The number “244” was again used on a Warrant dated August 9, 1872, for Headfort
Lodge in Kells, Co. Meath. This Lodge was removed to Oldcastle, Co. Meath on November 21, 1962 and
to Trim, Co. Meath on November 17, 1965. It is shown as “Current”.
An enquiry to the Grand Lodge of Ireland as to the current disposition of Warrant No. 244 IC elicited
the following reply (December 2, 1998): “According to Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, (Dublin 1973),
the original warrant No. 244, issued to the 2nd Foot in 1754 was “destroyed at sea by the Enemy” and a
duplicate warrant was issued on the 6th July 1809. The earliest surviving warrant with the number 244 is the
one issued in 1832 to the 52nd Foot, which was sent in in 1845.” A copy of this issue is included in the notes
on the 52nd Regiment of Foot.
1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1990, London. (8) Provincial Grand Lodge
of Gibraltar website <www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/history.htm>. (9) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments
of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 2nd
Foot.]
70
Bro. Frederick Smyth that the loss occurred when the transport sank off the Dutch coast in 1809.
96
REF:
I5
Lodge No. 390 IC, in the 2nd (Queen’s Royal) Regiment of Foot 1762-1815
[now The Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey)]
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 390 on December 2, 1762 to seventeen brethren
in the 2nd (Queen’s Own) Regiment of Foot. Sergeant John Juell was listed in the Grand Lodge Register as
Master and Sergeants John Maxwell and Chris Daniell as Wardens. There are no reports or notes regarding
the Lodge in the records of Grand Lodge after 1762. A further five brethren - four Sergeants and one
Corporal - are listed in the Grand Lodge Register.
R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update of Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973 notes
that “It was quite common in the eighteenth century for an Army Lodge to be lost sight of soon after its
establishment. Thus this Lodge . . . is not heard of after (1762).” He notes that in the second series Vol. 3
of the Grand Lodge Register there is no entry for Warrant No. 390. The Warrant was cancelled on April 6,
1815.
In a response to an enquiry regarding this Warrant, Grand Lodge replied on December 2, 1998 that
the cancellation “. . . (suggests) that there had been no contact between Grand Lodge and (the Lodge) for
some time . . . .” No copy of Warrant No. 390 exists in Grand Lodge archives.
According to V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, the Grand Lodge of Ireland reissued
the number “390” on a new Warrant dated October 27, 1905, to South Carolina Lodge in the West India
Regiment. This Regiment was disbanded in 1926 and Warrant No. 390 IC was surrendered to Grand Lodge
in 1927, being subsequently reissued for South Carolina Lodge (civilian) in Jamaica which is listed as
“Current” in 2001.
Lodges in the 2nd Foot.]
REF:
E11
97
Lodge No. 12, PRGibraltar(A), in the 2nd Battalion, 4th (King’s Own) Regiment of Foot,
Gibraltar 1811-????
[now part of the King’s Own Royal Border Regiment]
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 4th Foot, September 2002, lists the issue of “Local
Warrant No. 12. 2nd Battalion 4th Foot. Circa 1811. By the Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalusia (Gibraltar).
Antient.” This Warrant does not appear in the work of John Lane, Philip Crossle, Keith Cochrane, R. E.
Parkinson or Robert F. Gould.
The Warrant may well have been issued to one of the Irish Lodges in the 4th Foot when the Regiment
(and Lodge) was in the garrison at Gibraltar, but this is not clear and the listing has been kept separate. Of
the six Lodges in the 4th Foot, two can be discounted as they would not have left Ireland: Lodge 986 in the
Garrison Battalion (1810-15) and Lodge 988 IC in the Veteran Battalion (1808-1815). Three Lodges may
have worked in Gibraltar: United Lodge No. 147 SC (1769-1809), Select Lodge No. 522 IC (1785-1823) and
Lodge No. 91 IC (1857-76) at differing times when the Regiment may have passed through but there is no
conclusive evidence as to which one.
[Sources: (1) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, Second Edition, 1895. (2) Irish Masonic Records,
by V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, published by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, 1973. (3) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane,
CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (4) Some Notes
on Irish Military Warrants, by V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as printed in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C.,
Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957. (5) The Poor Common Soldier, A Study of Irish Ambulatory
Warrants, by Bro. John Heron Lepper, as printed in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925. (6)
History of Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (7) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth, Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as reprinted
in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1990, London. (8) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments
of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 4th
Foot.]
98
REF:
I22
Lodge No. 604 IC, in the 11th Regiment of Foot 1782-1815
[now part of The Devonshire and Dorset Regiment]
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 604 on June 6, 1782, to the men of the 11th Regiment
of Foot. R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish
Masonic Records, 1973, notes that three members of the Lodge were registered: “Thos. Webber, Jas.
Ferguson and Edwd. Wishall”, probably as Master, SW and JW. By 1794 five other members were registered
with Grand Lodge: “Michael Carrigan 19 Jan. 1786; Jas. Ganby 21 Nov. 1793; and Jno. White, Wm. Scott
and Alex. Parkam 21 Feb. 1794.”
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 11th Foot, writes that the Lodge was at Gibraltar
as early as 1787. In the History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 ER, Gibraltar, contained on the website of the
Gibraltar Provincial Grand Lodge, it is noted that “In 1792 there were no fewer than eleven military or
travelling Lodges in Gibraltar . . . six Irish (of which one was in the) 11th Regiment . . . .”. There is no further
information regarding the length of time the Regiment and its Lodge worked on Gibraltar. Cochrane’s notes
from Grand Lodge records show that Lodge No. 714 IC (in the 68th (Durham) Regiment was working in
Gibraltar in 1792, with five other Irish Lodges—Nos. 11 (1st (Royal) Foot); 168 (18th (Royal Irish) Foot); 227
(46th Foot); 604 (11th (North Devonshire) Foot); and 690 (51st Foot).
Grand Lodge records indicate that the Lodge fought with the Regiment in Corsica in 179371, but there are
no further returns to Grand Lodge records after 1794. One of the members of the Lodge, William Brown, was
relieved by the Antients’ Grand Stewards Lodge in 1796, although no reason is cited in the records. The
Warrant was cancelled on July 15, 1815.
V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, published by the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1973,
notes lists the issue of Warrant No. 604 to the 11th Foot with the notation that “Gould shows the Regimental
Lodge in existence until 1794 only, but not cancelled until 1815”. He also lists a second use of the number
“604” on an undated Warrant for a Lodge at Durban, South Africa. Cochrane notes that the date of issue was
June 10, 1926 and that the Warrant was returned to the Grand Lodge of Ireland on August 21, 2000.
Bro. Frederick Smyth’s The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces,
includes Warrant No. 604 in his list on page 38.
In a response to an enquiry regarding this Warrant, the Grand Lodge of Ireland replied on June 30, 1999
that there is no copy of Warrant No. 604 in the Archives and that it is likely that the Warrant was destroyed
at the time it was returned to Grand Lodge or that it had never been returned.
the Grand Lodge of Ireland, 1973. (2) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro.
Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (3) History of Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd
Edition, 1886. (4) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro.
Frederick Smyth, Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge,
1990, London. (5) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as printed in The
Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957, pp 119-141. (6) History of the
Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (7) Flags of Masonry in the line
Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges
in the 11th Foot.]
71
No. 604 IC (1782-1815); 25th Regt., No. 92 IC (1749-1815); 30th Regt., No. 85, IC (1738-1793) and No. 535 IC
and 69th Regt., No. 174 IC (1791-1821).
REF:
REF:
E24
S3
REF:
S3
99
Lodge, No. 320 ER, in the 12th (East Suffolk) Regiment 1860-????
Duke of Norfolk’s Lodge No. 58 SC, in the 12th (Duke of Norfolk's) Regiment of Foot 17471806
Possible Immemorial Right Lodge, no number, in the 12th Regiment of Foot 1685-1747
[now part of The Royal Anglian Regiment]
The Lodge for the 12th Regiment of Foot (Duke of Norfolk’s) could have been established as early
as 1685 when the Regiment was formed. A reference to this date was reported to have been contained in
its petition to the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a Warrant (although that Grand Lodge indicates that there is
no evidence to support an existence prior to 1747). The Lodge was warranted as Duke of Norfolk’s Lodge,
No. 58, in the 12th (Duke of Norfolk’s) Regiment of Foot by the Grand Lodge of Scotland on August 5, 1747
and became the first active military warrant issued by that Grand Lodge (and the second travelling Warrant
to be issued by any Grand Lodge). [Note: This issue is referred to as the first active Scottish military Lodge
as there had been two earlier Scottish Warrants, authorized in 1743 for the 55th and 44th Regiments, but
there is no indication that the Warrants were actually issued of that the Lodges ever worked.] A Grand Lodge
listing of Military Lodges indicates that the Lodge was known in England (1747), Holland (1748), Minorca
(1749) England (1752), Minden (1759), Edinburgh (1762) and Gibraltar (1763).
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 12th Foot, indicates that the Lodge worked at
Gibraltar during the Great Siege of 1778-80 when the Regiment was based in the garrison.
The Lodge was erased from the Rolls of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1809.
Bro. Frederick Smyth’s The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed
Forces, includes the Warrant in his list on page 38. Brother Captain William Thomas, in his Freemasonry
in the British Army, published in the Grand Lodge of Scotland Year Book, 1997, includes this issue with the
notation that the name of the Lodge was “The Duke of Norfolk’s Mason Lodge” and that the commanding
officer of the Regiment at the time was Lieutenant-General Henry Skelton.
A Lodge (possibly the same one although this is unclear and the members would have been very
old) obtained a new Warrant, No. 320 ER, from United Grand Lodge in 1860. Bro. Frederick Smyth treats
these two Lodges as separate entities while Scottish information implies that they were one and the same
but went for 54 years without a replacement Warrant for the original one after its cancellation. It is not clear
when the Lodge ceased working nor when the Warrant was erased. This listing is problematic as John Lane
does not carry it in his 1895 edition, nor does Gould and it is not included in Sheppard’s listing. It is possible
that this is an incorrect entry for the following Calpe Lodge, No. 1126 ER which was formed in 1860.
[Sources: (1) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro.
Frederick Smyth’s Prestonian Lecture for 1990 as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronatii
Lodge. (2) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895. (3) History of
Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (4) Military Lodges Chartered by the Grand Lodge
of Scotland, listing prepared by the Grand Lodge of Scotland and updated as of 1995. (5) Lodges Chartered
by the Grand Lodge of Scotland, by W. Bro. George S. Draffen, published in limited copies in 1950 by the
Grand Lodge of Scotland. (6) Freemasonry in the British Army, by W. Bro. Captain William Thomas,
published in the Grand Lodge of Scotland Year Book, 1997. (7) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of
the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 12th
Foot.]
100
REF:
E25
REF:
E25
Mount Calpe Lodge, No. 824 ER, in the 12th (Duke of Norfolk’s) Regiment of Foot 18631890
Mount Calpe Lodge, No. 1126 ER, in the 12th (Duke of Norfolk’s) Regiment of Foot 18601863
United Grand Lodge issued Warrant No. 1126 on June 25, 1860, to Mount Calpe Lodge in the 12th
(Duke of Norfolk’s) Regiment of Foot. With the renumbering of Warrants in 1863 by United Grand Lodge,
Mount Calpe Lodge received a new Warrant as No. 824 ER. Robert Freke Gould lists only Warrant No. 824
ER, in his listing entitled “Existing British Field Lodges, 1886”, showing that the Lodge was “current” at that
time. Some records show the Lodge name as “Carpe” and not “Calpe” but the latter is the correct spelling
as the Lodge was formed when the Regiment was based at Gibraltar and “Calpe” is the named given to the
“Rock”.
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 12th Foot, indicates that the Lodge made no
returns to United Grand Lodge after 1863. United Grand Lodge records indicate that the Warrant was erased
in 1890.
It is not clear whether this Warrant is referred to by Bro. Frederick Smyth’s The Master-Mason-AtArms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, in his list on page 38.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 (p. 320) reads: “Mount Calpe Lodge. 2nd
Battalion, Twelfth Regiment of Foot 1860. (G.L. Warrant) 25 June 1860. Cons. 30 July 1860. No. 1126 ER.
No. 824 ER, 1863. Constituted at Tilbury’s Royal Hotel, Aldershot, Hampshire, was subsequently designated
2nd Battalion Suffolk Regiment. Made no returns after 1863. Erased 5 August 1890.”
No further history of the Lodge is known.
Frederick Smyth’s Prestonian Lecture for 1990 as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati
Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (4) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the
British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 12th Foot.]
REF:
I25
101
Lodge No. 211 IC, in Col. Herbert’s Regiment of Foot 1750-1815
[now part of The Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire]
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 211 on August 2, 1750, to the men of Herbert’s
Regiment (later the 14th Regiment of Foot). R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002)
of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that according to The Grand Lodge
Register 6 brethren were registered on August 2, 1750 and a further 13 on November 12, 1761. Cochrane
also notes that the Lodge was “Noted as working in Boston in October 1768”.
Following the assignment of the 14th Regiment to Halifax in June 1766, the two regimental lodges
(211 IC and 58 ER(A)), fraternized with the three local lodges (Lodge No. 1 PRNS(A), held at Pontac’s;
Lodge No. 2 PRNS(A), held at the Rowe Barge; and Lodge No. 3 PRNS(A)) as well as lodges in the 29th
Foot (No. 311 IC) and 59th Foot (No. 243 IC and No. 5 PRNS(A), and possibly No. 500 IC whose date of
issue is unclear and which may have been working at this time). It is possible that the Royal Arch degree was
worked in Halifax as early as 1750 (by Lodge No. 192 IC, in the 47th (Lascelle’s) Foot) and there is a
reference by one Frederick Sterling, to his having received it in 1760. But Harris72 points out that “In the
period 1765-68, there was much activity in the Royal Arch degree due principally to the presence here of the
military lodges in the 14th, 29th, 59th and 64th Regiments73. A considerable number of civilian brethren in
Halifax received the degree in these military lodges, including John George Pyke, later Grand Master of
Masons.”. Harris (et al) also cite the recorded working of the Royal Arch and Knight Templar in Boston from
1768 onwards as providing an irresistible inference that these two degrees would have been worked in
Halifax from 1765-68 by the same lodges.
With the general disturbances in New England, the 14th Regiment was despatched to Boston. Its
arrival there brought the number of military lodges up to five (No. 106 SC in the 64th; No. 211 IC and No 58
ER(A) in the 14th Foot; No. 322 IC in the 29th Foot; and No. 243 IC in the 59th Foot). The members of St.
Andrew’s Lodge, No. 82 (SC), Boston, (a civilian lodge) desiring a Provincial Grand Lodge under the
authority of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, drew together representatives of No. 82 SC; Lodge No. 106 SC
(64th Foot); Lodge No. 58, ER(A) (14th Foot); and Lodge No. 322 IC (29th Foot); and petitioned the Grand
Lodge of Scotland for the appointment of Dr. Joseph Warren as Provincial Grand Master and of Capt.
Jeremiah French and Capt. Ponsonby Molesworth (the latter two being members of Lodge No. 322 IC), as
Grand Wardens. The signers of the Petition on behalf of Lodge No. 322 IC, were James Brown, Master;
Charles Chambers, SW; and Jas. Smith, JW. A commission was granted in May 1769, naming Dr. Joseph
Warren as Provincial Grand Master of Massachusetts (Scotland) and he was duly installed at a meeting of
the Massachusetts Grand Lodge in Boston on December 27, 1769. Also attending the installation were the
Master and Wardens of Lodge No. 322 IC and No. 58 ER(A). At the meetings of the Provincial Grand Lodge
held on January 12 and March 2, 1770, the Master and Wardens of Lodge No. 322 IC recorded their
attendance.
With regard to Knight Templary, Harris notes that “The most interesting and significant fact,
however, in connection with the sojourn of (military) lodges in Boston is the record in the minutes of St.
Andrew’s Royal Arch Lodge of August 28th, 1769, when it is recorded that William Davis, P.M. of Lodge No.
58 ER(A) in the 14th Regiment received the four degrees of Excellent, Super-Excellent, Royal Arch and
72
The Story of Lodge “Glittering Star” No. 322 (Irish) (1759-1966) and The Beginning of Knight Templary
in Canada, by Reginald V. Harris, PSGM (Can.), Paper No. 86 in the Canadian Masonic Research Association,
1986.
73
These were: in the 14th Regiment, Lodges No. 211 IC and No. 58 ER(A); in the 29th Regiment, Lodge
Glittering Star, No. 322 IC; in the 59th Regiment, Lodge No. 243 IC; and in the 64th Regiment, Lodge No. 106 SC.
102
Knight Templar, these being “the four steps of a Royal Arch Mason”74. At this meeting there were present
three brethren of Lodge No. 322 in the 29th, two others of Lodge No. 58 in the 14th Regiment, also three
others, members of St. Andrew’s Lodge and Chapter, Boston, undoubtedly already in possession of these
degrees. These minutes are the first record of the conferring of the Knight Templar degree in North America.
Sir Charles A. Cameron, CB expresses the opinion that Lodge No. 222 “was by far the most likely source
of these degrees (A.Q.C. XIII p. 156)”. [As an aside, the earliest written indications of the existence of Knight
Templarism as a Masonic degree is dated March 24, 1765. This is the date shown in “The Rules of the High
Knights Templars of Ireland” for Sir Edward Gilmore who is shown in the list of “Members Names of the Early
Grand Encampment of Ireland”. This document was actually printed with the date of 1788. Source: The
History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland. Vol. I, 1925.]
Cochrane notes that Warrant No. 211 IC was “Cancelled, July 6, 1815 for neglect of duty.”
V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, published by the Grand Lodge of Ireland in
1973, lists Warrant No. 211 to the 14th Foot with the notation that “Gould says Regimental Lodge in
existence until 1761, but the Warrant not cancelled until 1815”. He also lists the use of number “211” for two
more Warrants - October 31, 1850 for St. mark’s Middlesex Lodge” at Port Stanley, Canada West
(surrendered 1858 on the Lodge joining the new Grand Lodge of Canada) and an undated Warrant for a
Lodge in Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry.
Forces, includes this Warrant in his list on page 39.
Cochrane also lists three further issues of Warrants bearing the number “211” by the Grand Lodge
of Ireland:
•
on June 4, 1818, to hold a Lodge at Dromara, Co. Down, cancelled on November 6, 1845 “for nonpayment of dues”;
•
on October 31, 1850, to hold Middlesex Lodge at Port Stanley, Elgin County, Upper Canada (nine
miles south of the City of St. Thomas), returned June 21, 1858, when the Lodge joined the new
Grand Lodge of Canada as St. Mark’s Lodge, No. 53 GRC (now No. 94 GRC); and
•
on April 12, 1866, to hold a Lodge in Magherafelt, Co. Londonderry, which is shown as “Current”.
The Grand Lodge of Ireland was contacted in 1999 regarding the availability of a copy of Warrant
No. 211. Their reply dated August 13, 1999 showed that no copy of the Warrant was returned to Grand
Lodge and no copy exists in Grand Lodge archives.
the Grand Lodge of Ireland, 1973. (2) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro.
Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (3) History of Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd
Edition, 1886. (4) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro.
1990, London. (5) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V. W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as printed in The
Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957, pp 119-141. (6) History of the
74
It is interesting to note the variation with the working of the various degrees in Ontario today. The
“Excellent” degree is embodied in the Most Excellent Master degree (the second) in the three degree progression to
the Royal Arch. The Super Excellent Master is part of the Royal and Select (i.e. Cryptic) Masters of Ontario. The
Royal Arch degree comprises the Mark Master Mason, Most Excellent Master and Holy Royal Arch. The Knight
Templar consists of three Orders - Illustrious Order of the Red Cross, the Order of Malta, and The Order of the
Temple.
103
Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (7) The Story of Lodge “Glittering Star”
No. 322 (Irish) (1759-1966) and The Beginning of Knight Templary in Canada, by Reginald V. Harris, PSGM
(Can.), Paper No. 86 in the Canadian Masonic Research Association, 1986. (8) Flags of Masonry in the line
in the 14th Foot.]
104
REF:
E28
Lodge No. 58 ER(A), in the 14th Regiment of Foot, Halifax 1759-1813
[now part of The Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire]
The Antients Grand Lodge issued Warrant No. 58 on January 7, 1759, to hold a lodge in the 14th
Regiment of Foot (this being the second Lodge in the Regiment) when the Regiment was stationed in the
garrison at Gibraltar. This was the first Lodge to be formed on Gibraltar under an authority from the Antients’
Grand Lodge.
(211 IC and 58 ER(A)), fraternized with the three local lodges (Lodge No. 1 PRNS(A), held at Pontac’s;
Lodge No. 2 PRNS(A), held at the Rowe Barge; and Lodge No. 3 PRNS(A)) as well as lodges in the 29th
Foot (No. 311 IC) and 59th Foot (No. 243 IC and No. 5 PRNS(A), and possibly No. 500 IC whose date of
issue is unclear and which may have been working at this time). It is possible that the Royal Arch degree was
worked in Halifax as early as 1750 (by Lodge No. 192 IC in the 47th (Lascelle’s) Foot) and there is a
reference by one Frederick Sterling, to his having received it in 1760. But Harris75 points out that “In the
period 1765-68, there was much activity in the Royal Arch degree due principally to the presence here of the
military lodges in the 14th, 29th, 59th and 64th Regiments76. A considerable number of civilian brethren in
Halifax received the degree in these military lodges, including John George Pyke, later Grand Master of
Masons.”. Harris (et al) also cite the recorded working of the Royal Arch and Knight Templar in Boston from
1768 onwards as providing an irresistible inference that these two degrees would have been worked in
Halifax from 1765-68 by the same lodges.
With the general disturbances in New England, the 14th Regiment was despatched to Boston. Its
arrival there brought the number of military lodges up to five (No. 106 SC in the 64th; No. 211 IC and No 58
ER(A) in the 14th Foot; No. 322 IC in the 29th Foot; and No. 243 IC in the 59th Foot). The members of St.
Andrew’s Lodge, No. 82 SC, Boston, (a civilian lodge) desiring a Provincial Grand Lodge under the authority
of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, drew together representatives of No. 82 SC; Lodge No. 106 SC (64th Foot);
Lodge No. 58 ER(A) (14th Foot); and Lodge No. 322 IC (29th Foot); and petitioned the Grand Lodge of
Scotland for the appointment of Dr. Joseph Warren as Provincial Grand Master and of Capt. Jeremiah
French and Capt. Ponsonby Molesworth (the latter two being members of Lodge No. 322 IC), as Grand
Wardens. The signers of the Petition on behalf of Lodge No. 322 IC were James Brown, Master; Charles
Chambers, SW; and Jas. Smith, JW. A commission was granted in May 1769, naming Dr. Joseph Warren
as Provincial Grand Master of Massachusetts (Scotland) and he was duly installed at a meeting of the
Massachusetts Grand Lodge in Boston on December 27, 1769. Also attending the installation were the
Master and Wardens of Lodge No. 322 IC and No. 58 ER(A). At the meetings of the Provincial Grand Lodge
held on January 12 and March 2, 1770, the Master and Wardens of Lodge No. 322 IC recorded their
attendance.
58 ER(A) in the 14th Regiment received the four degrees of Excellent, Super-Excellent, Royal Arch and
75
The Story of Lodge "Glittering Star" No. 322 (Irish) (1759-1966) and The Beginning of Knight Templary
1986.
76
105
Knight Templar, these being “the four steps of a Royal Arch Mason”77. At this meeting there were present
three brethren of Lodge No. 322 in the 29th, two others of Lodge No. 58 in the 14th Regiment, also three
others, members of St. Andrew’s Lodge and Chapter, Boston, undoubtedly already in possession of these
degrees. These minutes are the first record of the conferring of the Knight Templar degree in North America.
Sir Charles A. Cameron, CB expresses the opinion that Lodge No. 222 “was by far the most likely source
of these degrees (A.Q.C. XIII p. 156)”. [As an aside, the earliest written indications of the existence of Knight
Templar as a Masonic degree is dated March 24, 1765. This is the date shown in “The Rules of the High
Knights Templars of Ireland” for Sir Edward Gilmore who is shown in the list of “Members Names of the Early
Grand Encampment of Ireland”. This document was actually printed with the date of 1788. Source: The
History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland. Vol. I, 1925.]
(211 IC and 58 ER(A)), fraternized with the three local lodges (Lodge No. 1, PRNS(A), held at Pontac’s;
Lodge No. 2 PRNS(A), held at the Rowe Barge; and Lodge No. 3, PRNS(A)) as well as lodges in the 29th
Foot (Glittering Star, No. 311 IC) and 59th Foot (243 IC and No. 5 PRNS(A), and possibly No. 500 IC whose
date of issue is unclear and which may have been working at this time).
The history of the Lodge is unknown after the American Revolution. John Lane’s listing notes: “6
March 1776, ‘Ordered a renewal of warrant of No. 58 to 14th Reg’t of Foot, whenever they should require
it, at present at St. Augustine’s (Florida)’. Warrant was renewed 20 March 1777. This number appears in the
Ahiman Rezons of 1804, 1807 and 1813 but the Lodge had ceased to exist.” The Warrant was cancelled in
1813.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1896 (p. 78) reads: “Fourteenth Regiment of Foot
1759. 17 Jan. 1759. (G.L. Warrant) No. 58B78. Was at St. Augustine’s, Florida, U.S. of America, in 1776. 6
March 1776, ‘Ordered a renewal of Warrant of No. 58 to 14th Regiment of Foot, whenever they should require
it, at present at St. Augustine’s.’ G. L. Min. Warrant was renewed 20 March 1777. This number appears in
the Ahiman Rezons of 1804, 1807 and 1813, but the Lodge had ceased to exist.”
Frederick Smyth’s Prestonian Lecture for 1990 as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati
Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (4) The Story of Lodge "Glittering Star" No. 322
(Irish) (1759-1966) and The Beginning of Knight Templary in Canada, by Reginald V. Harris, PSGM (Can.),
Paper No. 86 in the Canadian Masonic Research Association, 1986. (5) History of the Grand Lodge of Free
and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (6) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army,
by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 14th Foot.]
77
Temple.
78
Lane is distinguishing between two issues of Warrants bearing the same number “58" issued by the
Antients. No. 58A had been issued on December 1, 1756 to hold at Gibraltar (Malaga) which, he says, “Lapsed very
soon afterwards.” Obviously this was reported to the Grand Lodge as a new Warrant with the reused number was
issued in 1759 to the 14th Foot.
106
REF:
I31
Lodge No. 168 IC, in The Royal Regiment of Ireland (restyled the 18th Regiment of Foot in
1751) 1747-1801
[part of The Royal Irish Regiment - disbanded 1922]
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 168 on September 2, 1747, to the men of The Royal
Regiment of Ireland (which would be restyled as the 18th Regiment of Foot in 1751). R. W. Bro. Keith
Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973,
notes that the Warrant was issued to “Colonel Folliott’s Regiment of Foot” although Military records show
that the designation was “The Royal Regiment of Ireland”. Cochrane also notes that the Grand Lodge
Register shows no names were registered when the Warrant was requested.
It is possible that Lodge No. 168 IC met and worked in Boston, Massachusetts and Halifax, Nova
Scotia, when the 18th Foot was based assigned to those cities (1775 and 1776) but this is not clear and the
absence of Lodge Minute Books or other source documents makes it impossible to say for certainty.
In the History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 ER, Gibraltar, contained on the website of the Gibraltar
Provincial Grand Lodge, it is noted that “In 1792 there were no fewer than eleven military or travelling
Lodges in Gibraltar, one Irish in the 18th Regiment . . . .”. There is no further information regarding the length
of time the Regiment and its Lodge worked on Gibraltar. This reference is somewhat problematic as there
were two Irish Lodges in the 18th Foot at this time—the other being No. 351 (Warrant issued August 7, 1760,
cancelled July 2, 1818) and it is not clear to which Lodge the reference was made. Cochrane notes from
Grand Lodge records that Lodge No. 714 IC (in the 68th (Durham) Regiment was working in Gibraltar in
1792, with five other Irish Lodges—Nos. 11 (1st (Royal) Foot); 168 (18th (Royal Irish) Foot); 227 (46th Foot);
604 (11th (North Devonshire) Foot); and 690 (51st Foot).
Warrant No. 168 IC was erased from the Rolls of the Grand Lodge of Ireland on November 5, 1801.
Crossle notes that the number “168” was used for an Warrant (no date shown) for Ionic Lodge in
Ballymacarett, Co. Down. Cochrane notes that the first reissue of a Warrant with the number “168” was on
January 7, 1813, to form a Lodge in Derrygorey, Emyvale, Co. Monaghan, which was cancelled on
September 7, 1843. He notes that a further reissue with the number “168” was made on July 18, 1845, to
hold a Lodge at Balleywatermoy, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, the Warrant being suspended and sent in on June
30, 1856. Cochrane then lists the final issue of Warrant No. 168 on June 7, 1895, to form “Ionic Lodge” at
Ballymacarett, Belfast (the Crossle reference) and that the Lodge is listed as “Current”.
An enquiry was made in September 1999 to the Grand Lodge of Ireland to determine whether a copy
of Warrant No. 168 was available in the Archives, and for a copy of it if it was there. The reply noted that
no copy or original was in their files.
[Sources: (1) Irish Masonic Records, by V. W. Philip Crossle, P.G.S.D., published by the Grand Lodge of
Ireland, 1973. (2) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish
Masonic Records, 1973. (3) “The Poor Common Soldier,” A Study of the Irish Ambulatory Warrants, by John
Heron Lepper, in his paper printed in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925. (4) The
American War of Independence and Freemasonry, by Bro. Alphonse Cerza, as printed in the Transactions
of Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (5) History of Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (6) Some Notes
on Irish Military Warrants, by V. W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as reprinted in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C.,
Ireland, Transactions for the Years 1949-1957, printed 1959, Dublin. (7) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled
as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (8) History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 ER,
Gibraltar, Lodge website <www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/history.htm>. (9) Flags of Masonry in the line
in the 18th Foot.]
REF:
E34
REF:
I32
107
Royal Egypt Lodge, No. 18 PRJamaica(A), in the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot 1810????
Lodge No. 351 IC, in the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot 1760-1818
[part of The Royal Irish Regiment - disbanded 1922]
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 351 on August 7, 1760, to the men of the 18th
(Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot. R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro.
Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that seven brethren were registered on August 7, 1760,
including “Sergt. Wm. Watson, Master; Joseph Webber and John Milford, Wardens”. A further 46 brethren
were registered up to June 23, 1784.
Cochrane notes that “About 1769 Royal Arch Lodge, No. 3, Philadelphia, was in close
communication with this Lodge in the 18th Regiment79, and the two bodies were in the habit of lending their
Royal Arch furniture to one another. [Note: it is likely that Royal Arch Lodge, No. 3, was a local Lodge and
it would have been normal for Lodges to share their equipment and furniture during the American Revolution
when it was likely impossible to obtain new or replacement furniture.]
W. Bro. Sheppard notes that on August 30, 1794, Brother Joseph Gough of Lodge No. 351 IC, joined
Lodge No. 218 IC, held in the 48th Foot.
Lodges in Gibraltar, one Irish in the 18th Regiment . . . .”. There is no further information regarding the length
of time the Regiment and its Lodge worked on Gibraltar. This reference is somewhat problematic as there
were two Irish Lodges in the 18th Foot at this time—the other being No. 168 (Warrant issued September 2,
1747, erased November 5, 1801) and it is not clear to which Lodge this reference is made. On March 26,
1793, the Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalusia (aka Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar) suspended Lodge
No. 351 for 12 months because it had not paid its rent and account to that Provincial Grand Lodge.
Warrant No. 351 IC was cancelled on July 2, 1818.
Crossle notes that the number “351” was used in 1825 for a Warrant for a Lodge in Monaghan.
Cochrane lists the date of issue as May 5, 1825 and notes that the Lodge is still “Current”.
An enquiry was made in September 1999 to the Grand Lodge of Ireland to determine whether a copy
of Warrant No. 351 was available in the Archives, and for a copy of it if it was there. The reply noted that
no copy or original was in their files.
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, shows a local Warrant No. 18 being issued by
the Provincial Grand Lodge of Jamaica (Antients) to a Lodge in the 18th Foot (list of Lodges in the 18th Foot,
p. 401). No further information about this Warrant is known. Although there were two Battalions in the 18th
Foot and both served in the West Indies, this Warrant was likely a local issue to Lodge No. 351 as Lodge
No. 168 IC had expired and its Warrant had been cancelled by 1801. Another reinforcing fact is that, as a
one Battalion Regiment, the 18th Foot had fought at Alexandria and Cairo in 1801, and the selection of
Lodge name would have perpetuated the success of the Regiment there. Smyth does not include this
Warrant in his list on page 39.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894, (p. 484) reads: “Royal Egyptian Lodge. No.
18, Provincial. Military Encampment, Upcamp (St. Andrew’s) Surrey. (Prov. Warrant) 1810. Prov. G. L.
Jamaica.”
79
Although Cochrane’s notes say “18th Regiment” this is a typographical error and should read “17th
Regiment”.
108
Heron Lepper, in his paper printed in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925. (4) The
American War of Independence and Freemasonry, by Bro. Alphonse Cerza, as printed in the Transactions
of Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (5) History of Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (6) Some Notes
on Irish Military Warrants, by V. W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as reprinted in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C.,
Ireland, Transactions for the Years 1949-1957, printed 1959, Dublin. (7) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled
as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (8) History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 ER,
Gibraltar, Lodge website <www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/history.htm>. (9) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by
John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895. (10) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, by
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 18th Foot.]
REF:
REF:
E36
I33
109
Lodge No. 3 PRGibraltar, in the 19th Regiment of Foot 1762/71?-1771?
Lodge No. 156 IC, in The Green Howards (restyled as the 19th Regiment of Foot in 1751)
1747-1779/80
[now The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment)]
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 156 on either March 4 or May 7, 1747, to the men
of The Green Howards (which was restyled as the 19th Regiment of Foot in 1751). While there is no record
of the Lodge in the Register of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the minutes of Lodge No. 19 IC, Youghal, show
that Lodge No. 156 IC in the 19th Regiment of Foot was quartered at Kinsale in November 1780.
When the Regiment was assigned to Gibraltar the Lodge accompanied it and obtained a local
Warrant as No. 3, from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalusia at Gibraltar. At about the same time (W.
Bro. Ray Sheppard says July 1779) the Lodge surrendered Warrant No. 156 IC to the Provincial Grand
Lodge of Munster who in turn transferred it to a new civilian Lodge at Kinsale, Co. Cork with effect from July
1779. The issue of the Gibraltar Warrant would appear to have occurred in the period 1762 to 1771 when
the 19th Foot was stationed in Gibraltar.
R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish
Masonic Records, 1973, notes that “Records indicate that the Royal Arch and Knight Templar Degrees were
worked as early as 1776. On 7 February 1778 the Lodge was assisted by Bro. Amyas Griffiths in the working
of the Royal Arch Degree and from that date there are regular references to both these degrees.”
Although it is not clear when No. 3 PRGibraltar was surrendered, it would likely have occurred about
1771 or 1772 when the 19th Foot was returned to England until its assignment to the southern American
colonies during the Revolution. The local number “3” was assigned to a Warrant in 1803, to hold a Lodge
in the 100th (The Prince of Wales Royal Canadians) Regiment of Foot.
Forces, includes the date of the issue of No. 156 IC in his list on page 39 but does not include the local
Gibraltar Warrant. There is no entry for the Gibraltar Warrant in john Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894.
Crossle notes that the number “156” was used for three additional Irish Warrants while Cochrane
qualifies these with more accurate dates for issue or cancellation:
•
in 1779 for a Lodge at Kinsale, Co. Cork (surrendered or struck off in 1834). Cochrane notes this
issue as dated March 15, 1779, made by the Provincial Deputy Grand Master of Munster (probably
Seton), and that the name of the Lodge was “Select Aholiab Boyne”. He notes that the Lodge
appears to have moved to different towns as the Lodge seal was changed to show Kinsale and
Bandon. The Warrant was suspended on July 6, 1848.;
•
in 1848 when it was exchanged for the higher numbered Warrant No. 528 which had been issued
on October 5, 1775 for a Lodge at Kinsale, Co. Cork (no date of surrender or cancellation shown).
Cochrane does not indicate this issue as being made; and
•
(no date shown) for Golden Pillar Lodge in Belfast (also with no date of surrender or cancellation
shown). Cochrane lists June 7, 1894 as the date for this new Warrant bearing the number “156” for
Golden Pillar Lodge, Beechpark Hall, Oldpark Road, Belfast, and lists the Warrant as “Current” in
2002.
In response to an enquiry to the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1999 to obtain a copy of Warrant No. 156 the
reply noted that no copy of the Warrant could be found in the archives.
110
Heron Lepper, in his paper printed in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925. (4) History of
Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (5) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V. W. Bro.
R. E. Parkinson, as reprinted in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions for the Years 19491957, printed 1959, Dublin. (6) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed
Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled as reprinted in the Transactions of
Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (7) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895. (7)
Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C.,
September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 19th Foot.]
REF:
I34
REF:
I34
111
Minden Lodge, No. 63 IC, in the 1st Battalion, XXth Regiment of Foot, various locations
1759?-1869
Lodge 63 IC, in the 1st Battalion, XXth Regiment of Foot, various locations 1737-1869
[now part of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers]
The Lodge for the XXth Regiment was warranted as No. 63 by the Grand Lodge of Ireland on
January 12, 1736/7, when the Regiment was in garrison duty at Gibraltar. The Founder Master is believed
to have been the Hon. Edward Cornwallis and that Major James Wolfe80 was “made a Mason” in the Lodge
(History of St. Andrew’s Lodge, Halifax, NS, by R. V. Harris, 1920, page 14). The Warrant became lost at
some point during the following decade as a Warrant of Confirmation was granted on December 20, 1748
by the Grand Lodge of Ireland to: “1. Lord George Sackville81, as Master; 2. Lt.-Col. Edward Cornwallis82,
Senior Warden; and 3. Capt. Milburne83, Junior Warden”. The Lodge adopted the name “Minden” sometime
after the Battle of August 1, 1759, when the XXth Regiment, in brigade with the 25th and 51st Regiments,
fought valiantly but was badly mauled. The Lodge accompanied the Regiment throughout all of its trials and
tribulations and, during its frequent moves. It is not surprising (nor is it uncommon among Lodges of the
80
There has never been any documentary evidence brought to light to prove the Wolfe was a Mason,
although there has always been a belief that he probably was one. He was Brigadier-General in the second siege
and capture of Louisbourg (1758) and commander of the forces which attacked and captured Quebec (1759). Wolfe
joined the Army in 1741 and by 1749 he succeeded Hon. Edward Cornwallis as Lieutenant-Colonel of the XXth
Foot. Although there is no record of his initiation, it has always been believed that he was initiated into Lodge No.
63 IC (which had been established on January 12, 1737) during the tenure of Lord George Sackville as Master of
the Lodge. In 1756 the XXth was augmented with a 2nd Battalion which became the 67th Foot in 1758 with Wolfe
as Colonel.
81
Lord George Sackville was Colonel of the 20th Foot from 1746 to 1749, and he transferred in April 1757
to the 2nd Dragoon Guards as Colonel of the Regiment. He was Grand Master of Ireland in 1751.
82
Edward Cornwallis was born at 14 Leicester Square, London on March 5, 1711, the sixth son of
Charles, fourth Baron Cornwallis and Lady Charlotte Butler (daughter of Richard Earl of Arran and grand-daughter
of James Butler, first Duke of Ormond, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland during the reigns of Charles I and II). Edward
Cornwallis was the uncle of Lord Cornwallis who surrendered to American forces at Yorktown. Edward Cornwallis
was gazetted an Ensign in the 47th Foot on May 4, 1731 and Lieutenant in 1734. In 1737 he was promoted to
Captain and transferred to the XXth Regiment of Foot where he was promoted to Major (1744) and LieutenantColonel (1745) from which he resigned due to ill health in 1746. He was replaced by Major James Wolfe. In 1748,
Cornwallis was named as Captain-General and the first Governor of Nova Scotia, arriving at Chebucto harbour in
the sloop Sphinx (some records show he arrived in HMS Beaufort) on June 21, 1749 (old style; July 2, 1749 new
style) with 1,149 settlers and settler-families. Chebucto was selected as the site of Halifax (named after Lord
Halifax, Governor of the Board of Trade and Plantations and Secretary of State for the Home Colonies) and the
capital was transferred there from Annapolis Royal. In October 1753 Cornwallis was appointed as Lt.-Col. of the
24th Foot and served with the Regiment on Minorca until the island was lost to Spanish forces and Cornwallis was
“disgraced” by being promoted to Major-General on February 12, 1757; served in Ireland; promoted Lt.-General on
October 27, 1760 and made Colonel of the 24th Foot. In 1762 he was appointed Governor and Commander-inChief of Gibraltar, which he held until his death on January 14, 1776. Cornwallis is masonically important for having
helped establish Lodge 63 IC, in the XXth Foot at Gibraltar in 1737; First Lodge at Halifax, No. 1, PRNS(A) in 1750
of which he was named first Master in a Warrant from Henry Price dated December 24, 1740; and Lodge No. 426
ER(M) in the Cornwallis Regiment (24th Foot) at Gibraltar in 1768. He was named as SW of Lodge No. 63 IC, in
the XXth Foot, in the renewal Warrant issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland on December 20, 1748. After returning
to Gibraltar as Governor, he was the Founder Master of Lodge No. 426 ER(M), in the 24th Regiment. In addition to
being an Irish Mason he was an active member of the Moderns.
83
An active member of the Moderns’ Grand Lodge and grantee of one of its Warrants.
112
time) that returns to the Grand Lodge of Ireland either were not prepared or were lost in transit; by 1801 the
Grand Lodge of Ireland considered the Lodge defunct as no returns for the preceding 40 years had been
received and included No. 63 IC in the list of erased Warrants for that year. R. W. Keith Cochrane, in his CDROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes the cancellation
due to “. . . . nothing having been heard of it (Lodge No. 63 IC) in Dublin since 1786.” In spite of this,
information was clearly reaching the Lodge as the twenty-six resolutions issued by the Grand Secretary,
William Dickey, and dated July 6, 1772, are appended to a copy of the Lodge By-Laws.
The XXth Regiment and Lodge No. 63 IC were posted to the Thirteen Colonies in 1775 and it is
possible that the Lodge worked there. On October 12, 1777 the British Forces at Saratoga were surrendered
to the Americans under the command of General Gates, and the XXth Foot was amongst the Regiments
made prisoners of war until 1783 when they were released and returned to Britain. The loss of the Minute
Book in India (during the Mutiny) prevents any clear picture of the working of the Lodge during and after its
captivity in America. Cochrane does note, however, that “A Lodge of Freemasons was worked by certain
Brunswick brethren, with their Irish brethren under this Warrant, while interned as prisoners of war at
Charlotteville, Virginia, during the year 1780.” He also cites CC Transactions Vol. 10 for “details of the doings
of the Lodge during this period of captivity”.
Interestingly enough some additional information on this matter has been provided by Brother
Captain William Thomas, in his article Freemasonry in the British Army, published in the Grand Lodge of
Scotland Year Book, 1997. Captain Thomas cites research by Carl Kaempe, of Brunswick: “Under the
Brunswick and Hessian officers lodging in the barracks at Charlotteville, were some Freemasons. In the
barracks-encampment was an English Military Lodge, known as Irish Lodge No. 63 of the 20th English
Regiment of the Line. With this Lodge such officers as were Masons affiliated, and a number of other officers
were entered, passed and raised by it. Among the Brunswick officers was Ensign Johann Heinrich Carl von
Bernewitz, one of the most prominent soldiers of the period, who was also initiated by the English Lodge No.
63, and became later (1806-1809) W. Master of Lodge ‘Carl Zur Gekroeenten Saeule’ (Charles of the
Crowned Pillar) in Brunswick.. In the Archives of this Lodge are kept manuscripts written by von Bernewitz
from which it is learned that the officers erected a part lodge, a deputation lodge of the English Lodge, and
worked by themselves. The manuscripts open with a ‘List of the Brethren Freemasons with the German
troops in barracks at Charlotteville, Albemarle County, dated February 13th, 1780.’ In this list are given the
names of nine officers (eight Brunswick and one Hessian) who had been made Masons in Germany . . . and
a further thirteen names of German officers . . . admitted and also passed and raised in part from January
to August, 1780, inclusive, by Lodge No. 63.
The XXth, accompanied by Lodge No. 63 IC was in Halifax from June 1789 to June 1792, when it
was assigned to Santo Domingo and Jamaica. There is no surviving documentation to show that the Lodge
was working but there is no reason not to believe so. Halifax had been a key military installation and there
is evidence that most regiments with Lodges during their time in Halifax, met and worked the various
degrees. By 1796 the XXth arrived in Plymouth and mustered only 6 officers and 70 NCO’s, Drummers and
Privates. Such loss of manpower probably hit the Lodge very hard.
The Lodge did survive. Cochrane notes that “The oldest record of the Meeting of the Lodge, and at
which it mustered 18 members, is dated at Victoriosa, Malta, 29th March 1802. They met ‘. . . for the purpose
of installation . . . . Bro. Charles Whitton was . . . installed Worshipful Master’.” The movement of the XXth
Regiment, however, and its severe loss of manpower through deaths in action, interfered with the working
of the Lodge until it returned to Ireland in late 1811. At that time the Lodge made contact with Grand Lodge
who granted a renewal of the Warrant “free of charge”on February 28, 1812. But even this was short-lived
as the XXth sailed for Corunna on October 14, 1812 and did not return to Ireland until July 1814, when
“regular” meetings of the Lodge were again started. In December 1818 the Regiment sailed for St. Helena
to take over the guard duty of Napoleon Bonaparte. Cochrane notes that appended to the minutes of the
Lodge meeting of December 7, 1818 is the note “This was the last night the Body met [in Ireland] before it
embarked for the island of St. Helena, in the beginning of 1819. [Signed] H. Hollinsworth.”
The Lodge appears to have become dormant between 1819 and 1824 and its next recorded meeting
was on August 19, 1824, at Cannanore, when it was resuscitated by four members. The situation was
113
explained by the WM, Bro. H. Hollinsworth to Grand Lodge, and by the end of 1824 membership stood at
27 brethren. By March 1825 the Regiment and Lodge were at Poonah and Lodge meetings were restarted.
Cochrane notes that “On the 24th October this year [1825], the Minden Lodge assisted in laying the
foundation stone of a Temple to Masonry, at which Bro. Lieut. Gen. Sir Charles Colville, Commander in
Chief, assisted as Grand Master.” Indications are that the Lodge made a significant contribution to this
edifice, as well as to the Masonic Orphan Asylum in Dublin.
Further movement of the XXth Foot allowed the Lodge to meet sporadically in Tabreez and Colabah,
Persia, and the major problem appears to have been the location of a suitable facility in which the reported
60 members could meet and work degrees, including the Royal Arch84 (there is a surviving Royal Arch
Medal, in the Grand Lodge Library, which was presented to Bro. Henry Clinton “for his unwearied zeal in the
cause of the Craft.” On January 5, 1831 the Regiment arrived in Belgium and the Lodge met on January 19;
membership would continue to be a problem when members were transferred away from the Regiment, a
gold square being presented to a Bro. Taylor on his departure for England.
Given the hectic pace of military life and the frequency of movements, it would not be surprising to
see some “corners being cut”. In 1828 the Lodge was fined one guinea by the Grand Lodge of Ireland for
having admitted a member under age, following a complaint by United Grand Lodge. The Lodge protested
innocence and was let off with a warning “to be more particular in the observance of the Constitutions in
future”.
The effect of military life is reflected by Cochrane’s notes on the Lodge - indicating that 159
members were registered during its twenty years in India, but the loss of 402 members of the Regiment to
other assignments, retirements or death, reduced the Lodge membership to 20 by the time the XXth returned
to England in May 1837. Only one member of the Lodge who had belonged to it before departure from
England in 1812 was still in the XXth Foot and a member of Lodge No. 63 IC, when it returned to England.
The Lodge worked the Royal Arch under its original Craft Warrant until October 1838, when a
separate Warrant was issued by the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Ireland.
Between 1838 and 1844 the Lodge was again dormant and records show only two meetings, one
of which was held on May 24, 1838 to present Bro. Assistant Surgeon with a gold Past Master’s medal.
Cochrane indicates that the duties of rebuilding the Regiment and the lack of any suitable meeting place
were major impediments to Lodge meetings.
Lodge No. 63 IC resumed meetings in 1844 in St. George’s, Bermuda, under the Mastership of Bro.
Captain South. One of the first activities of the Lodge was to update and print a new set of By-Laws and to
acquire a Library for the Lodge. During this time a number of members of the Royal Sappers and Miners,
based on the Island, were initiated into Minden Lodge. In 1936 a Keystone was found in Calcutta (now in the
Museum in the District Grand Lodge of Bengal) measuring 13¼” high, 11f” across top, 7” wide across
bottom, and 3e” deep. On the obverse are the usual letters and concentric circles, and in the centre a VOSL
on which are a square and compasses and the words “MARK CHART”. On the reverse is “MINDEN LODGE”,
beneath it is the number 63, surmounted by a crown and wreath, underneath this is XX Regt. This “Ross
Keystone” was made in Bermuda in 1845 by a Bro. Ross of the Royal Sappers and Miners, who was a
member of the Lodge. In addition to the Keystone, fifteen books of the Lodge are in the Museum in Bengal,
including a Bible, published in Edinburgh in 1813, Oliver on Freemasonry, vol. ii, 1846, and thirteen volumes
of the Freemason’s Quarterly Review, 1834-45, all of which remain from the Bermuda sojourn.
The Lodge was stationed at Kingston, Upper Canada, with the Regiment, from 1847 to 1853-54 and
meetings were reinstituted and regularized. On July 28, 1848, Minden Lodge celebrated its Centenary with
a church service at St. George’s Church, Kingston and a dinner at “Mr. Bamford’s Hotel”. A special Medal
was struck to record the event. During this period a number of members of the Lodge paid fraternal visits
84
Sheppard notes that “This Lodge worked the Royal Arch under its original Craft Warrant until October
1838, when a separate Warrant was issued by the Supreme Grand R. A. Chapter of Ireland.”
114
to St. Paul’s Lodge, No. 374 ER, Montreal and recorded in the Tyler’s Register (or Porch Book) as follows85:
•
May 14, 1850 - W. Bro. J. South and Bro. A. Turner;
•
November 11, 1850 - W. Bro. South and Bros. Levy, Oliver, Sayers, Griggs, Matheson, Waring,
Higgins and Robertson;
•
December 18, 1850 - W. Bro. South and Bros. Levy, Robinson, Griggs, Shaddock, Harris, Kilburn,
Waring, Oliver, Sayers, Maycock, A. J. Cuninghame, W. D. Radcliffe and Turner (the last four
named are listed in the Register as only “XXth Regiment” and could have been members of either
No. 63 IC, or other Lodges);
•
December 27, 1850 - W. Bro. Cunningham, W.M. (no initials and could have been the Bro. A. J.
Cuninghame previously listed as a visitor), W. Bro. South, Bros. Oliver, Radcliffe (with the “e”),
Crespigny, Turner, Bury, McNeill, Wetherall, Rogers, Ward, Kinnear, McDougall, Alexander,
Maycock, Lindsay. W. Bro. Black advises that the Lodge records intimate that the 19th and 23rd
Regiments had departed Montreal around this time which accords with the Regimental histories;
•
February 11, 1851 - W. Bros. Cunningham and South, Bros. Bury, Radcliffe, Dawson, Maycock,
Clarke, Levy, Matheson, Shaddock, Crawford, Ussher, Platt, Sterling, Robertson, Geraghty, Parkin,
Waring and Bilham;
•
March 11, 1851 - W. Bro. Oliver South;
•
November 11, 1851 - W. Bro. South;
•
December 27, 1851 - W. Bros. Oliver and South, Bros. W. P. Radcliffe, SW, and W. N. McNeill and
D. Bilham;
•
January 15, 1852 - W. Bro. F. Oliver and Bro. W. Fane Keane;
•
February 10, 1852 - no visitors from Minden Lodge, No. 63 IC, but the Lodge Minutes note that “.
. . communications were read from Minden Lodge No. 63 and Zetland Lodge No. 73186 conveying
the usual congratulations of the Brethren along with lists of the officers of those Lodges for the
current year . . . .”
•
March 9, 1852 - Bros. Farmer and D. Bethune;
•
December 14, 1852 - W. Bro. Oliver, Bros. Leet and Voss;
•
December 27, 1852 - W. Bros. Oliver and South;
•
February 8, 1853 - Bros. Bury and Leet;
85
Information supplied by W. Bro. Alan Black, PJGD, PM St. George’s Lodge, No. 374 ER, Montreal, in
December 2001.
86
Zetland Lodge commenced life under the name “The Canning Lodge”, No. 11 PRMWH, on December
27, 1828, changing its name to “Zetland” in 1844. It went through a series of renumberings depending on the
authority under which it worked - No. 11, PRMWH; No. 731 ER; No. 5, PRMWH; No. 15 GRC; No. 21 GRC; No. 7
GRQ; No. 12 GRQ and is, now, Zetland Lodge, No. 13 GRQ, Montreal.
115
•
March 2, 1853 - Bros. Adams, Voss and Leet;
•
March 8, 1853 - Bros. Adams, Voss and Leet;
•
March 29, 1853 - W. Bro. South and Bro. Leet;
•
April 5, 1853 - no visitors from Minden Lodge, No. 63 IC, but the Lodge Minutes note that “The WM
read a communication from Bro. Oliver, PM, Minden Lodge, requesting the acceptance by the Lodge
of two Masonic songs with chorus, and a Masonic Anthem. VWPM Bethune moved, seconded by
Bro. Harris, that the thanks of the Lodge be conveyed by the Secy. to Bro. Oliver for his acceptable
gift.”
•
intimated that he had received from the WM of the Minden Lodge a communication intimating that
a Lodge of MMMs would be held on the 16th inst., when any of the Brethren of St. Paul’s Lodge
would have an opportunity of taking that degree.”
•
had received a communication from the Secy. of the Minden Lodge informing him that the Lodge
of Most Excellent Masters attached to the Minden Lodge would assemble on Monday evening next,
instead of Saturday.”
•
March 14, 1854 - Bros. Keane, Adams and Voss;
•
March 22, 1854 - Bros. Keane, Adams and Voss; and
•
April 19, 1854 - no visitors from Minden Lodge, No. 63 IC, but the Lodge Minutes note that “. . . Bros.
Voss and Clarke elected joining members of St. Paul’s Lodge.”
In addition to the foregoing members of Minden Lodge who visited St. Paul’s Lodge, the Register
of Visitors of St. Paul’s RA Chapter, No. 374 ER, Montreal, reflect the following visitors from the RA Chapter
attached to Minden Lodge, No. 63 IC:
•
May 15, 1851 - M. Ex. Companion Oliver and Companions Maycock, Sayers, Levy, Lee, Robins,
Griggs and Waring;
•
April 15, 1852 - M. Ex. Companion Bilham and Companions Grain and Keane; and
•
February 11, 1853 - M. Ex. Companions Oliver, South and Bilham (all listed as PZ’s) and
Companions Keane, Bury, Levy, Shaddock, Kilburn and Powell.
Problems between Ancient Frontenac Chapter, No. 431 ER, and Minden Lodge arose in 1848 when
the latter, following usual Irish Masonic practice, accepted civilians into its linked Chapter. Ancient
Frontenac’s letter of August 4, 1848 was replied to by Minden Chapter on August 8, 1848. The issue was put
to the Grand Lodge of Ireland by Minden Lodge, but no action seems to have been taken. During this period
the Lodge and Chapter, both, maintained a relationship with St. Paul’s Lodge, No. 374 ER, Montreal. The
XXth Regiment of Foot, accompanied by Minden Lodge, departed in 1853 for India and eventually the Lodge
was settled in Ireland and became civilian.
The two letters came to light in the archives of the Grand Lodge of Ireland and were sent by V. W.
Bro. Philip Crossle, Librarian of the Grand Lodge, under cover of a letter dated July 11, 1934, to the Grand
Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario. They resided in the archives until they were copied
116
for the use of Ancient St. John’s Lodge in 1961.
Letter from Ancient Frontenac Royal Arch Chapter to Minden Lodge and Chapter
August 4, 1848
Dear Sir and Brother,
Grounded on a special report of the Board of General Purposes of this Chapter.
As the first principal thereof I deem it my duty to enter on behalf of said Chapter a “protest” against the
conferring upon Brethren Civilians, residents of this City, any of the higher degrees of Masonry usually given
under Chapter Warrants attached to the Minden; a Military Lodge in H.M. XX Regt. Foot stationed here.
In consider the conferring (of) those degrees upon Brethren Civilians, in a Military Chapter when there is a
Chapter (Civilian) working in this City, without first notifying such last named Chapter “at least” a great departure
from Masonic courtesy.
I further consider that such conduct is a serious transgression of the strict masonic rules of the Constitution,
and that until further informed by competent authority it will be my bounden duty not to acknowledge as
companions and Brethren (Civilians) so exalted. I shall also take immediate steps to notify the Chapters in
Canada of the conduct of the Chapter attached to the Minden Lodge in the matter. I shall also communicate the
name of those brethren (Civilians) so having received the Degrees that proper action may be taken thereon.
Further I have felt it my duty to reprimand those companions of this Chapter who were present when the
“Mark Degree” was conferred on certain Brethren (Civilians).
I beg to remain, Dear Sir and brother,
Fraternally yours,
(Signed) Thos. J. Angel
Ancient Frontenac Royal Arch Chapter Kingston C.W.
To Bro. F. Oliver
W.M. Minden Lodge
& 1st Principal of the Chapter
thereof attached.
[Source: Freemasonry at Kingston, Upper Canada, 1781-1850, by John E. Taylor, p. 20.]
Rebuttal from Minden Lodge/Chapter
Minden Chapter Room
8th August 1848
To Bro. T. J. Angel
Dear Sir and Brother,
Had your communication of the 4th instant been couched in terms more consonant with a Masonic spirit of
charity towards those whom you may have considered as erring Brethren, we should have been most willing to
117
have discussed the subject in dispute with you, and if convinced that we had acted contrary to the usages of
Masonry we would cheerfully have made any reparation in our power, but the style of your letter betrays such
a spirit of unkindness as bars all discussion, and more especially as we cannot recognize your right to censure.
What we have done will be fully stated in our communication to the Grand Lodge; by its award we will stand or
fall, and of the results whatever it may be we will not fail to acquaint you - in the meantime - for the reasons
already set forth we decline all further correspondence of the subject.
I beg to remain, Dear Sir and brother,
Fraternally yours,
(Signed) F. Oliver
W.M. Lodge No. 63, 1st Principal of the
R.A.C. attached to Minden Lodge.
[Source: Freemasonry at Kingston, Upper Canada, 1781-1850, by John E. Taylor, p. 21.]
In 1853 the XXth and Minden Lodge were again transferred to India. During the period 1748-1851,
193 members were registered with Grand Lodge but the Lodge was subsequently sadly decimated during
the Indian Mutiny. Bro. Frederick Smyth notes that “. . . the Mutiny . . . in 1857 accounted for the
disappearance of the (Warrant) . . . .”.
A last registration was made in 1852 from India. Smyth notes on page 226 that the Warrant
disappeared in 1857, during the Indian Mutiny. Grand Lodge heard nothing of the Lodge until 1868 when it
reported to Grand Lodge that the Lodge Warrant, jewels and regalia were lost in India, and Grand Lodge
marked the Lodge as “not working” in the Register for 1869. Although being reduced in numbers (at one time
to four members), the Lodge continued working and regained its strength, contributing to the expansion of
Freemasonry in India. Minden Lodge, No. 464 ER, Calcutta, formed in 1920, adopted the name “Minden”
in honour of the Regiment and its original travelling Lodge.
The Lodge was eventually located in Ireland and became stationary. Cochrane does not close out
the notes on Minden Lodge, No. 63 IC, with any indication of the eventual fate of the Lodge or its members.
He does note that a new Warrant No. 63 was issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland on June 8, 1891, for
Harmony Lodge, Magazine Street, Londonderry, Co. Londonderry, and that the Lodge is “Current”.
A copy of Warrant No. 63 was requested from the Grand Lodge of Ireland in October 1999 and the
response advised that “Warrant No. 63 in the 20th Foot was lost in India during the 1860’s.”
A history of the Lodge, or running commentary on some of its activities has been found and a
photocopy of some of the pages has been provided by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard. This commentary appears
to be in a journal or book form and the pages are numbered, pages 50 to 53 inclusive being available, and
are reproduced below:
- page 50 . . . . which were delivered at its meeting on the Symbols of Masonry. A series of lectures on Man was
also delivered in the Lodge by Bro. Asst. Surgeon Moffatt. Bro. Capt. Taylor was, on his departure for
England, presented with a gold square. On 21st December 1836 the regiment encamped at Vingoria,
previous to embarkation for England, and remained in camp a month. Hearing of this detention
Ensign A. G. Shaw, 22nd Native Infantry, took a long and difficult journey to Vingoria and petitioned
the brethren of the Lodge for advancement in Masonry, his request being at once complied with.
During its stay in India the Lodge had enrolled 150 members under its banner, but of these only 20
118
set sail for England:- the cause of this was that many of the Regiment (not less than 402) had
volunteered for services with other corps and many of the members of the Lodge belonged to
regiments of the Native Army or held permanent appointments in India.
- page 51 The following are the details of the number of initiates: Of H. M. service:- 1 Lieutenant- Colonel
, 10 Captains, 12 Lieutenants, 1 Surgeon, 3 Assistant Surgeons, 72 non-commissioned officers, 1
Private. Of H. E. I. C. service:- 1 Judge, 12 others of the civil service, 2 Chaplains, 9 Lieutenants,
2 Assistant Surgeons, 1 Ensign, 27 non-commissioned officers. Of those who had left England as
members of the Lodge only one returned to his native land. Up to 9th October 1828 the “Superior
Degrees” had been conferred under the old warrant of the Lodge but on that date a charter was
obtained from the Grand Chapter of Ireland for the working of the Royal Arch Degree. Several
widows and orphans of deceased brethren were entirely supported by the Lodge, and grants of
considerable sums were frequently made to the Masonic Orphan Asylum at Dublin.
In 1841 the Regiment, and the Lodge with it, were sent to Bermuda, and afterwards to various
places in Nova Scotia and Canada. Whilst at Kingston the Lodge
- page 52 celebrated its Centenary, and on 28th July 1848, a medal was struck for each member, bearing the
names of the Master and Wardens, on one side, to whom the Warrant had been originally granted,
and also the names of the members in 1848. On St. John’s Day the Minden Lodge, accompanied
by the brethren of two other military lodges, went to church in procession, and afterwards sat down,
in full Masonic costume, to a banquet. A stirring speech was delivered by Capt. South, who was that
day installed as Master of the Lodge for the sixth time, in the course of which he said:- “I consider the
Centenary of a Military Warrant, more particularly interesting than that of a civil one, which reposes
quietly in the archives of a resident lodge. This precious relic has followed the fortunes of the
Regiment through every clime. Thrice has it crossed the Atlantic to the shores of this important
continent. It has been the sanction under which men have been made Masons in Europe, Asia, Africa
and America, and has laid bare to them a conception of the beauties and excellencies of our Order.
It has been everywhere with the Regiment, sharing in all its dangers and having for one hundred
years braved the battle and the breeze, it stands there unscathed, except for the hands of time, an
interesting record of the Fidelity, Fidelity, Fidelity of Masons.”
The 20th Regiment returned to India after 1850, and was there throughout the troublous times
of the Mutiny, but the Lodge does not seem to have resumed work. In March 1865 the Provincial
Grand Secretary of Bengal issued a circular letter making announcements as to the Warrant and
property of the “Minden” Lodge, which were said to have been taken down to Calcutta by a brother
who shortly after became insane, and was sent to England. The missing articles were supposed to
have been left in Calcutta, but could not be traced. No returns were made to the Grand Lodge of
Ireland after 1852, and enquiries failing to elicit any information . . . . [the notes end at this point]
119
Heron Lepper, in his paper printed in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925. (4) History of
Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (5) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V. W. Bro.
R. E. Parkinson, as reprinted in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions for the Years 19491957, printed 1959, Dublin. (6) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed
Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (7) History of St. Andrew’s Lodge, Halifax, NS, by R. V. Harris, 1920. (8)
Freemasonry in the British Army, by Brother Captain William Thomas, published in the Grand Lodge of
Scotland Year Book, 1997.(9) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray
Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the XXth Foot.]
120
REF:
I42
REF:
I42
Cameronians Lodge No. 26 IC, in the 26th (The Cameronians) Regiment of Foot 18231914/22
Lodge No. 309 IC, in the 26th (The Cameronians) Regiment of Foot 1758-1823
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 309 on December 7, 1758, to the men of the 26th
(The Cameronians) Regiment of Foot. R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V.
W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that the Grand Lodge Register shows three
brethren registered at the time the Warrant was issued - Colin Gillies, Rob. Rea and Tho. Dacan - and that
there was “No indication as to Master or Wardens”. It is probable, though, that the first named was Master,
the second was SW and the third was JW.
The 26th Foot was assigned to both Lower Canada and Upper Canada at various times. In 1788-90
the Regiment was at Quebec, Chambly, Isle Aux Noix and Montreal; 1791-92 at Niagara; and 1796-1800
at Quebec and Montreal. It is believed that Lodge 309 IC was working during these periods whenever
sufficient members of the Lodge could be assembled. There is regrettably no reference to the Lodge in the
surviving minutes and documents of the Provincial Grand Lodges of either Lower Canada or Upper Canada.
A duplicate Warrant was issued in 1804 (Cochrane says “revived 1804”) at which time the Grand
Lodge register shows 46 brethren registered. Cochrane notes that seven brethren were registered on April
27, 1805, the first three being Alex. Storror; Edw. Bills and Hu. Craig but with no indication of Master or
Wardens. Sixty-four brethren were registered up to September 14, 1806.
Lodge No. 309 IC worked on Gibraltar during the time that the Regiment was assigned to the
garrison 1811-1822. Grand Lodge minutes dated December 1, 1814, note: “Read a report from Lodge 309
stating their having excluded Alexr. McMillan of said Lodge for desertion - Confirmed”. It is not clear whether
this action occurred in Gibraltar, enroute or in England before departure.
Upon arrival at Gibraltar the Lodge apparently requested permission from the Provincial Grand
Lodge of Andalusia to work and as a consequence they were required to pay dues to the Provincial Grand
Lodge. This was reported to the Grand Lodge of Ireland who took umbrage at this situation - occurring as
it did in the period after the Union of the Antients’ and Moderns’ Grand Lodges, when the United Grand
Lodge of England was pressuring many of the Irish military Lodges to change their allegiance to England.
On June 9, 1815 the Grand Secretary wrote to Lodge 309 IC as follows:
“I observe by yours that 309 made a report to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalucia, and took
permission to set the Lodge to work, and they have exacted dues from your Lodge. In the first instance
309 had not the slightest reason or cause to report themselves, serving as they do under an independent
authority nor should 309 take directions from or pay any dues to any such Provincial Grand Lodge which
the Grand Lodges of England and of Scotland would not have either demanded or received and which
our Grand Lodge have never demanded or received from any English when in Ireland. The necessary
friendly and brotherly communication with the Provincial Grand Lodge we should be willing to pay with
every respect to the authority of its local laws and regulations but certainly not any farther. Your own
Grand Lodge does not take dues from military Lodges except when at home and it would be great
hardship to submit to pay to an assumed authority what you are not bound to do to your legitimate one.
I am sir and Bro. Your most obedient W. Graham. D. Grand Secretary.”
121
A copy of this letter to Lodge No. 309 IC was forwarded to the Grand Lodge of England by the
Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalucia with the following letter dated June 14, 1815:
“I am directed by the R.W. Provincial Grand Master of Andalucia to forward you a copy of a letter
received from the Grand Lodge of Ireland, (addressed to Lodge No. 309) held in the 26th Regiment of
Foot and that it is the opinion of the R.W. Provincial Grand Lodge assembled that the above letter is
couched in language highly unbecoming the O.B. of Freemasonry and tending very much to lead astray
the Craft, we have therefore to request you will inform us, as the Provincial Grand Lodge was established
by your sanction, whether a Lodge, civil or military working under the Grand Lodge either of England,
Ireland or Scotland, during its residence in this garrison is not to attend the duties of the R.W. Provincial
Grand Lodge and pay into its chests the same as all other Lodges under the sanction of this Province.
I also wish to inform you that the other Lodges held under the same circumstances as No. 309, have
never withheld their contributions, and we are very much surprised to see so respectable a body as No.
309 withhold theirs, as it must throw stigma on the Craft and render it difficult for the other Lodges of the
garrison to combine with such Brotherly love and affection as they would otherwise do if that Lodge were
not to withhold the above quarterly charitable contributions. I am etc. Thos. Clarkson. Secretary. P.G.L.
Andalucia.”
Cochrane notes that Irish Grand Lodge records indicate that a further 182 brethren were registered
up to February 17, 1823 and that Warrant No. 309 IC was returned on June 24, 182387, in exchange for
Warrant No. 26, which was a reused number “26” by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the original Lodge bearing
this Warrant having apparently ceased to work88. This exchange enabled the Lodge to carry a Warrant with
the same number as that assigned to the Regiment, a practice often attempted by ambulatory Lodges, but
rarely successful. Cochrane says Warrant No. 26 was issued to “Lieut. John Brooks; Capt. Wm. Wacher &
Lieut. Fras. Shearman (of Lodge 738) in the 26th Foot . . . 6 December 1810.” W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his
notes on Lodges in the 26th Foot, indicates that this was Lodge for the Officers of the Regiment.
The first WM of Lodge No. 325 IC (the first civilian Irish Lodge on Gibraltar89 whose Warrant was
64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot. The members from the Royal Artillery had also been released
in 1826. A truly wide-ranging group of Military Masons!
Cochrane notes that Warrant No. 26 was returned to Grand Lodge on June 24, 1823 (when the
87
It is interesting that in one place in his notes, Cochrane shows Warrant No. 26 as being issued on
December 6, 1810 to Lieutenant John Brooks, Captain William Wacher and Lieutenant Fraser Shearman of the
26th Foot. The Lodge is then called “The Cameronian”.Later he cites the date as June 24, 1823 in exchange for No.
309.
88
Bro. Laurence Dermott, one time Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland and an accomplished
Mason who supported the working of a large variety of Masonic degrees and orders, and who was Grand Secretary
of the Antients Grand Lodge of England, had been Installed as Master of the Lodge on June 24, 1746.
89
122
membership had fallen to two officers - Sheppard) and that it was “Reissued again to brethren in the 26th
Foot . . . 24 June, 1823 in lieu of 309.” He states that the Warrant had been issued to Lieutenant John
Brooks, Captain William Wacher and Lieutenant Fraser Shearman (all, apparently, members of Lodge 738
IC, held in the 23rd (Royal Welch Fusiliers) Regiment of Foot and warranted on June 9, 1808 but closed and
the Warrant cancelled on July 5, 1821). Sheppard notes that at this time the Lodge adopted the name
“Cameronians”.
Cochrane writes that during 1834 the 26th Regiment and Lodge No. 26 were based at Meerut.
Masons at Delhi applied to the Lodge for an “Irish Constitution” but were refused because Lodge No. 26 had
already granted a Dispensation to meet to another Lodge and had not yet received approval from the Grand
Lodge of Ireland for that act90; Cochrane gives no indication of the result of the request of the Delhi Masons.
During the period December 19, 1836 to December 5, 1838, Cameronian Lodge exchanged Lodge visits with
Lodge Humility with Fortitude Lodge, while that Lodge’s Regiment was also stationed in India. By 1838 the
Regiment and Lodge were at Calcutta and a “Masonic Ball was given by Lodge No. 26.” Cochrane also cites
that by 1844 the Regiment and Lodge were in the garrison at Edinburgh and the Lodge “being a visiting
Stranger Lodge, under the rule of a Sister Grand Lodge, was placed near the Grand Lodge of Scotland.”
Cochrane notes that the first entry for the Lodge in Volume 5 of the Grand Lodge Registers shows
“No. 26, 26th Regiment of Foot. Registrations commence with a William Durgan registered 12 April, 1852
and he together with six others registered on different dates up to 12 July, 1854 are bracketed together with
the following note: ‘Duplicate issued by order of Grand Lodge Feb. 1855.’ All these brethren were granted
certificates on 19 October, 1854. A total of 72 brethren registered up to 19 September, 1859, every brother
having recorded the date on which his certificate was issued.” Cochrane also notes a total of 174 brethren
were registered up to October 17, 1899 and that usually the dates of degrees and the issue of Certificates
is shown.
On July 27, 1854, Lodge No. 26 IC, in the 26th (The Cameronians) Regiment of Foot, convened an
Emergency Meeting, to install the Master and Officers of Independent Lodge, No. 237 IC, Quebec, Canada
East. The then current Master, W. Bro. Booth opened the Lodge and W. Bro. Sergeant William Shepherd91
90
In the “early days” of military Lodges, such as at Louisbourg in June 1758 or Quebec in September
1759, it was quite acceptable for one Lodge to issue a Dispensation Warrant to masons (in another Regiment or
military unit, or even civilians) to meet as a Lodge and to recommend the issue of a Warrant by the Grand Lodge of
the sponsoring Lodge. By the 1830’s this action had become less acceptable to Grand Lodges and it is not
surprising that Lodge No. 26 would have waited for their earlier action to be approved by Grand Lodge before
embarking on the sponsorship of another Lodge, particularly when these Lodges were not in formal military units.
91
promoted to Corporal (October 5, 1842), Sergeant (April 1, 1846), Colour Sergeant (March 16, 1849), and StaffSergeant Major (September 22, 1855). He left for England on October 1, 1854 and provided training for artillery
personnel during the expansion to fight the Crimean War. He was retired on September 21, 1858 after 21 years’
service, in possession of four good conduct badges and a Long Service medal. Immediately after leaving the Royal
Artillery he was recruited as a 1st Class Pay-clerk in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. He was promoted to
Peace and Concord Lodge, No. 296, ER, in the 1st Regiment of Foot, at Montreal, where he was initiated on July 4,
1839, passed on August 1, 1839 and raised on September 5, 1839. He was an affiliated member of Lodge No. 262,
ER, in The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (89th); a founder member of the Lodge of Social Friendship, No. 729,
IC, in the 89th Foot and of Lodge of Integrity, No. 771, ER, in the 14th (The Yorkshire, West Riding) Regiment of
123
was then seated as Installing Master.
Cochrane notes that by April 1879 attendances were at a low level and meetings were sparse and
rarely recorded in minutes. In fact he reports a break in the minutes between the last recorded on November
5, 1888 and 1909, although the Lodge revised its By-Laws in 1898 and sent a copy from Lucknow to the
Grand Lodge for approval. By letter dated September 8, 1989, the Grand Secretary approved the new ByLaws.
The Lodge met for the last time in 1914 although the Warrant was not returned to Grand Lodge until
March 1922.
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, lists “26th Ft., Cameronian (Lodge), 26, I., 1758”
on page 405, in a listing entitled “Existing British Field Lodges, 1886”, which does not agree with Grand
Lodge records as No. 309 IC had been issued originally and No. 26 IC was the then current Warrant. Bro.
Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of
Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, notes that a third Irish Warrant was issued in 1810 but provides no
details. Irish records reflect the issue of only Nos. 309 and 26.
Both Crossle and Cochrane note that the number “309" was used three times for Warrants by the
Grand Lodge of Ireland after its original issue to the 26th Foot, including:
•
Crossle lists an undated issue of 309 for a Lodge at Newtownwards, Co. Down (no date of being
struck off the rolls is shown). Cochrane shows this issue as dated February 3, 1825 to hold Lodge
in Ballyclare, Co. Antrim in exchange for their higher numbered Warrant “915”, and that “309” was
then exchanged on October 6, 1825 for Warrant No. 177;
•
Crossle lists an issue of 309 in 1835, for a Lodge at Newtownbreda, Co. Down (no date of being
struck off the rolls is shown). Cochrane lists this issue as occurring on October 18, 1827 for the
Lodge at Newtownbreda, Belfast, being sent in to Grand Lodge on October 29, 1858; and
•
Crossle lists an undated issue of 309 for Ureka Lodge at Tubbermore, Co. Londonderry. Cochrane
shows this issue on December 4, 1902, for Ureka Lodge, Tubbermore, Magherafelt, Co.
Londonderry, and that as of 2000 the Lodge was “Current”.
Crossle also notes that the reuse of the number “26” for the 26th Foot was the third (Cochrane says
second) in a series of six Warrants carrying this number which included. There are some major variations
in reporting on the various issues of “No. 26" by both these researchers:
•
Crossle lists the original issue of Warrant No. 26 in 1746 to hold a Lodge in Dublin. No date of
cancellation is shown. Cochrane shows the issue as December 4, 1733 to hold a Lodge at Lestrand,
Co. Sligo, and that Lawrence Dermott92 was Initiated and subsequently passed the Chair (i.e. was
Foot. On May 10, 1847 he received the 1834 renewal Warrant and Lodge regalia of the Lodge of Social and Military
Virtues, No. 227, IC, in the 46th Regiment which was without sufficient members to continue working. With the
Lodge which is still operating presently as Lodge of Antiquity, No. 1, GRQ, Montreal. After returning to Woolwich in
1854 he affiliated with Union-Waterloo Lodge, No. 13, ER; and with his posting to Sheerness he joined Adam’s
Lodge, No. 184, ER (originally No. 207, ER(A) from 1778 and presently No. 158, ER). In 1865 W. Bro. William
Sheppard became a member and second Master of De Shurland Lodge, No. 1089, ER, Sheerness. In addition to
his love of the Craft, W. Bro. Ray Shepherd notes that “it is known that he (W. Bro. William Shepherd) joined the
Royal Arch, Mark, and I am sure the K. T. Degrees”.
92
Lawrence (or Laurence) Dermott was born in Ireland circa 1720. He was the first Grand Secretary and
later Deputy Grand Master of the Antients Grand Lodge, which he helped establish in London in 1751. In 1756
Dermott published the Book of Constitutions of his Grand Lodge under the title of Ahiman Rezon, or a help to all
124
installed as Master of the Lodge) on June 24, 1746, although there “is no record of the Installation
in Spratt”, this issue of No. 26 was erased by Grand Lodge on November 5, 1801;
•
Crossle lists an issue of December 6, 1810, when “No. 26” was issued to hold a Lodge in London,
England. No date of cancellation is shown. Cochrane does not show this listing although he notes
that the Lodge “originally domiciled in Co. Sligo, migrated to Dublin, and later to London;
•
Cochrane lists No. 26 issued December 6, 1810 in exchange for No. 309, in the 26th Foot.
Surrendered to Grand Lodge in 1922;
•
Crossle lists “No. 26” issued to hold a Lodge at Cork in 1831. Warrant surrendered in 1835 when the
Lodge amalgamated with Lodge No. 1. Cochrane does not list this issue;
•
Crossle lists “No. 26” issued to hold a Lodge at Ennis, Co. Clare in 1882. No date of cancellation is
shown. Cochrane does not list this issue; and
•
1923. “No. 26” issued for St. Jude’s Lodge, Rosetta, Co. Down. Cochrane lists this issue as March
3, 1923, and that as of 2000, the Lodge is “Current”
In 1999, the Grand Lodge of Ireland was requested to determine the status of Warrants No. 309 and
26, as issued to the 26th Foot, with a view to obtaining copies should the originals still be in the archives.
No copy of 309 is available. Grand Lodge was able to locate Warrant No. 26 and have provided a copy with
the comment that “(it) is in bad condition and (has not) reproduced well”. Although the photocopy of the
Warrant indicates that it is in a very deteriorated condition, it follows a similar format to that used for the
reissue of Warrant No. 33 in the 21st Foot:
•
the overall size is about 12” wide and 17” long;
•
although there is much damage across the top it is possible to distinguish the title “GRAND LODGE
OF IRELAND” arched over a cloud, a woman and two children. The all-seeing eye which is normally
shining or focussed on the woman and children is not apparent due to the missing fragments across
the top;
•
across the bottom from left to right are a pilgrim with a cross and cup; and altar with a pillow on
that are or would be Free and Accepted Masons, containing the quintessence of all that has been published on the
subject of Freemasonry. Several editions were published, the last, in 1813, being edited by the then Deputy Grand
Master of the Antients, Thomas Harper, under the title The Constitutions of Freemasonry, or Ahiman Rezon. He was
Initiated, Passed and Raised in Lodge No. 26 IC, at Lestrand, Co. Sligo (warranted December 4, 1733) although no
date is clear. Dermott was installed as Master of Lodge No. 26 on June 24, 1746, by Charles Byrne, Sen. when
Lodge No. 26 IC was meeting at the home of Thomas Allen, in Dublin. Although the Lodge was originally domiciled
in Co. Sligo, it was moved to Dublin and later to London, perhaps as Dermott moved. Accusations that Dermott
created the Royal Arch degree by “dismembering” the then Third degree is disproved as the Royal Arch was worked
in London as early as 1744 and Dermott received the degree in 1746. Dermott was challenged in 1757 to prove his
standing in Freemasonry and apparently produced a manuscript certificate signed by “Edwd. Spratt, G. S.”, under
the seal of the Grand Lodge of Ireland. The Certificate reads “Bro. Charles Byrne, Master of No. 2 [EC], proved that
Bro. Laur: Dermott, having faithfully served the Offices of Senr. and Junr. Deacon, Junr. and Senr. Wardens and
Secretary, was by him regularly installed Master of the good Lodge No. 26 in the Kingdom of Ireland, upon the 24th
day of June, 1746, and that all these Transactions were prior to Mr. Dermott’s coming to England.” [Sources: R. W.
Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records,
1973; Albert G. Mackey, Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry, Masonic History Company, New York, 1924.]
125
which are a Volume of the Sacred Law, surmounted by a square and compasses arranged in the
position of the Master Mason degree; and, partly obliterated in the right corner is a ruin with a female
personage supporting a large anchor; and
•
although only the left and bottom border is visible it is of an intertwined clover pattern with an Irish
Harp in the right hand corner.
This format is the standard type used by the Grand Lodge of Ireland at this time in its history.
in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957. (4) History of the Grand
Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (5) The Poor Common Soldier, A Study of Irish
Ambulatory Warrants, by Bro. John Heron Lepper, as printed in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge,
1925. (6) Outlines of the History of Freemasonry in the Province of Quebec, by John H. Graham, 1892. (7)
Early Canadian Freemasonry 1759-1869, by Pemberton Smith, P.M., O.R., 1939. (8) History of
Freemasonry, R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (9) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry
in the Armed Forces, by Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for as reprinted in the Transactions
of Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (10) John Ross Robertson, The History of Freemasonry in Canada, 1899. (11)
Historical overview of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar at www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/fullhistory, which
is accompanied by a twelve page summary entitled The First Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar.
(12) “My Hero”, Segt.-Major William Shepherd, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, September 1992. (13) The MasterMason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth’s Prestonian
Lecture for 1990 as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (14) Flags of Masonry in
the line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 IC, September 2002, notes on
Lodges in the 26th Foot.]
126
Transcript of Warrant No. 26 IC issued to the 26th Regiment of Foot
Grand LODGE OF IRELAND
Leinster G.M.
No.
26
By the Most Worshipful His Grace Augustus Fredk, Duke of Leinster
GRAND MASTER
The Right Worshipful John --------------- (undecipherable)
DEPUTY GRAND MASTER
The Right Worshipful Rt Honble John Lord Hutchinson
Senior Grand Warden
The Right Worshipful Most Noble Howe, Marquis of Sligo
Junior Grand Warden
And other the Right Worshipful Officers & Members of the GRAND LODGE of IRELAND in Open Grand Lodge
Assembled
WHEREAS our trusty and Well beloved Brethren John (undecipherable), --- (undecipherable) and --(undecipherable) have Besought us that we would be pleased to Erect a Lodge of Free Masons in His Majesty’s
--------- (undecipherable) of such persons who by their knowledge in Masonry may contribute to the true
advancement thereof. We therefore having nothing more at heart than the Prosperity of Masonry and reposing
special confidence in our said trusty and well beloved Brethren Do by these Presents constitute and appoint
them the said John (undecipherable), --- (undecipherable) and --- (undecipherable) to be Master and Wardens
of a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons to be holden in His Majesty’s Twenty-Sixth Regiment of Foot aforesaid
by them and their Successors lawfully Admitted in said Lodge forever And We do hereby grant unto them and
their Successors full Power and Authority to proceed from time to time to the Election of a new Master and
Wardens in said Lodge Provided always that they said John (undecipherable), --- (undecipherable) and --(undecipherable) and their Successors Do and Shall at all times hereafter pay implicit observance to and act
and conduct the affairs of same in strict conformity to the now existing Laws of Masonry and to such other Laws
and Regulations for the Government of the Craft as shall at any time hereafter be issued by the Right Worshipful
Grand Lodge of Ireland or in default thereof then and in such case reserving unto the said Right Worshipful
Grand Lodge the full power and Authority of annulling and cancelling these Presents or otherwise proceeding
in the premises as to them shall seem meet IN WITNESS whereof We have hereunto set our Hands and Seal of Office at Dublin the Metropolis of
Ireland this twentyfourth day of June
in the Year of our Lord God 1823 three
Entered by me
and of Masonry 5823 three
(Signature undecipherable)
The condition of the photocopy of the Warrant from Grand Lodge leaves various parts of the Warrant
unclear. Whether this is because of the condition of the original Warrant or the photocopier is unknown.
REF:
I49
REF:
I49
REF:
I49
REF:
E44
127
Lodge No. 260 IC, in the 2nd Battalion, 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot
1809-1815
1808-1809
1807-1808
Lodge No. 6 PRAndalusia(A), in the 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot 17961807?
[now part of the Gloucestershire Regiment]
The Antients’ Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalusia, authorized the working of Lodge No. 6, PRAndalusia,
probably in 1796, to be held in the 28th Regiment of Foot. This Warrant was issued under the authority of
Provincial Grand Warrant, No. 220 ER(A), which had been issued on January 25, 1786 for the Provincial
Grand Lodge of Andalusia. Lodge No. 6 PRAndalusia was never registered on the books of the Grand Lodge
of England (Antients) and no English Warrant was ever issued. [Source: C. Martin McGibbon, ASCA, Grand
Secretary, The Grand Lodge of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.] W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on
Lodges in the 28th Foot, indicates that this was an “N.C.O.’s Lodge”. The date of issue of Warrant No. 6 has
been deduced by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard as “around 1804” in his May 1994 publication Masonic Lodges held
in the 28th Regt. Gloucestershire Old Braggs. There is no date of issue shown in John Lane’s Masonic
Records 1717-1894 (the issue is referred to briefly on page 465 but with no clear date of issue). Warrant No.
8, PRAndalusia was issued to the 90th Regiment on December 14, 1796, and No. 4, PRAndalusia was
issued to the 108th between May 17, 1794 and mid 1796 (when the 108th was re-raised and then disbanded).
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, 1887, shows “Nos. 6 and 9 Gibraltar, 1804” as a single
entry when they were, apparently, two separate Warrants for two separate Lodges. The entry in John Lane’s
Masonic Records 1717-1894, p. 465, reads: “No. 6 Provincial. In the 28th Regiment of Foot. Provincial Grand
Lodge of Gibraltar (Ancients), No. 220, Warranted 25 January, 1786. [See page 156].” The entry on page
156 refers to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar. R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update
(Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes with respect to the “inner
history” of the Lodge that it took No. 6 of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalucia in 1786.
Following its time at Gibraltar the 28th Regiment was assigned to the forces gathering under Lt.
General Sir Ralph Abercromby93, landed at Aboukir Bay on March 8, 1801 under the command of Sir John
Moore94, and drove French forces from the landing ground. On returning to the battles in Europe, the Lodge
applied to the Grand Lodge of Ireland, for a Warrant. The request was apparently received by Alexander
Seton, still the Grand Secretary, and he issued a new Warrant No. 260 IC in October 180795 ; Cochrane lists
93
Sheppard notes that Sir Ralph Abercromby had been initiated into Canongate Kilwinning Lodge (SC) in
1753.
94
Sheppard notes that Sir John Moore was a Freemason, who had been initiated into St. John’s Lodge,
Halifax, when he was serving as a Captain in the 82nd Regiment. Although Sheppard does not make clear precisely
which Lodge this is, it was probably No. 1 AYM, Halifax, which had been warranted prior to 1780 by the Moderns’
Provincial Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia, and then became St. John’s Lodge, No. 211 ER(A) in Halifax (1780-1814),
becoming No. 265 ER, with a new Warrant issued following unification of the Antients and Moderns and which is
still working as St. John’s Lodge, No. 2 GRNS, Halifax.
95
Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, shows that No. 260 IC was originally issued in the period
February 23-August 2, 1755, probably to a civilian lodge; there is no record in the Irish Register. Warrant No. 260
IC was erased from the records about 1801, and appears to have come into the possession of Alexander Seton
around 1807. This information is also reflected in R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane’s CD-ROM Update (June 2000) of
Crossle’s Records.
128
the date as April 6, 1809 while Sheppard lists it as October 1807. Bro. Richard Reynolds, an Honorary
Member of the Lodge, Past Master of Lodge No. 510 IC in the 1st Battalion, 28th Regiment of Foot,
Quartermaster of the 1st Battalion, was the Installing Master for the new Lodge. In the returns to Grand
Lodge the principal officers are shown as WM, Sergeant William Pass, SW, Sergeant Anty. Donney and JW,
Sergeant Murdock McLeod (these Sergeants are noted in military records as having been in the 1st Battalion
and transferred to the 2nd Battalion when it was formed96). By this time the Lodge must have realized that
their Seton Warrant had a questionable value in Ireland and with the Regiment’s return they requested that
the Warrant be regularized. [Note: Gould does not refer to this issuance of a “Munster Warrant”.]
Cochrane notes that the Minutes of the Grand Lodge of Ireland for September 1, 1808 show the
issue of a “Duplicate Warrant No. 985" for the men in the 28th (North Gloucestershire) Regiment of Foot.
However, the members of the Lodge wrote Grand Lodge probably requesting that as the error was not theirs,
that their original, and lower numbered Warrant, No. 260 IC be returned to them in lieu of No. 985. Grand
Lodge agreed, withheld Warrant No. 985 in Dublin and (re)issued Warrant No. 260 to the 2nd Battalion, 28th
Foot, on April 6, 1809. Cochrane’s notes regarding Warrant No. 260 show that the same three brethren:
Sergeant William Pass, Sergeant Anty. Donney and Sergeant Murdock McLeod were registered with Grand
Lodge but with no indication as to Master or Wardens. It is probable that Pass was the WM, Donney was SW
and McLeod was JW.
The history of the Lodge is not known in great detail. The 2nd Battalion fought throughout the
Peninsula and French campaigns but are no indications whether Lodge 260 IC worked during this time. On
returning to England the 2nd Battalion was placed in garrison at Brixham, pending disbandment. A Certificate
dated February 9, 1814, signed by Sergeant John Ferguson, was issued to Bro. Thomas Griffith (as noted
in other cases of “Certificates” this was likely a “Certificate of Standing” issued when the member left the
Lodge). Returns to Grand Lodge dated August 10, 1814, list a further thirty-three names of members. Grand
Lodge records note: “Warrant sold in Plymouth & Cancelled by order Grand Lodge 1st July 1815”. Cochrane
shows July 6, 1815 as the date of cancellation. In Cochrane’s later notes on Australia Social Lodge, No. 260
IC, he comments that Lodge No. 260 IC in the 28th Foot was known as “Lodge Fore and Aft”97.
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces includes the local Warrant in his list on page 40 but shows an
incorrect year of issue of 1786.
Warrant No. 260 IC continued to have a varied existence after 1815. Crossle’s Irish Masonic
Records, 1973, shows the reissue of No. 260 IC, on January 6, 1820, although Grand Lodge Minutes for July
4, 1822, refer to its issue for a Lodge in Sydney, NSW, Australia98. The Warrant was withdrawn on March
16, 1843 and restored on May 7, 1846. The Warrant was removed from the Printed Report in 1885, and the
Sydney lodge received Warrant No. 0, from the new Grand Lodge of New South Wales. On September 3,
1888, the Lodge received a new Warrant as No. 1, GRNSW. Cochrane gives the listing of No. 260 IC for
“Australian Social Lodge”, January 6, 1820. Crossle notes that Warrant No. 260 IC was again issued, on
October 7, 1898, to Redhall Lodge, Ballycarry, Co. Antrim, Ireland. Cochrane notes the Lodge as “Current”.
An enquiry was made to the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1999 to obtain copies of Warrants No. 260
and 985 issued to the 28th Foot. The reply indicated that no originals or copies of either Warrant could be
found in the archives.
96
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard lists the Warrant as being issued to the 2nd Battalion.
97
If this name is true, it would appear to be a local appellation which is not reflected in official records of
the Grand Lodge of Ireland. It presumably refers to the Regiment’s headgear which has the Regimental number
shown on the front and back to celebrate its action against French cavalry attacking it from the front and rear
simultaneously at the siege against Alexandria (March 21, 1801) and the Regiment divided itself into two halves
placed back to back to fight off the attack from both sides.
98
Cochrane notes under No. Lodge 260 IC, that the eight founder members of the Lodge were civilians
who had been initiated into Lodge No. 218 IC, held in the 48th Foot.
129
[Sources: (1) Masonic Lodges held in the 28th Regt. Gloucestershire - Old Braggs, by W. Bro. Ray
Sheppard, private publication, May 1994. (2) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition,
London, 1895. (3) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V. W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as printed in The
Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957. (4) Irish Masonic Records,
by V. W. Philip Crossle, P.G.S.D., published by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, 1973. (5) R. W. Bro. Keith
Cochrane, CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (6)
History of Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (7) “The Poor Common Soldier,” A Study
of the Irish Ambulatory Warrants, by John Heron Lepper, in his paper printed in the Transactions of the
Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925. (8) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed
Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (9) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray
Sheppard, P.M. 322 IC, September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 28th Foot.]
130
REF:
E45
Lodge No. 9 PRAndalusia(A), in the 28th Regiment of Foot at Gibraltar 1804-????
[now part of the Gloucestershire Regiment]
In 1804 the Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalusia (Antients), authorized the working of Lodge No.
9, Provincial (Antients) in the 28th Regiment of Foot, under the authority of its own Warrant, No. 220 ER(A),
which had been issued on January 25, 1786. The Lodge was never registered on the books of the Grand
Lodge of England (Antients) and no English Warrant was ever issued. The final disposition of the Warrant
is unknown.
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry shows “Nos. 6 and 9 Gibraltar, 1804” as a single
entry when they were, apparently, two separate Warrants for two separate Lodges. The entry in John Lane’s
Masonic Records 1717-1894, page 465, is extremely brief and reads: “No. 9, Provincial. In the 28th Regiment
of Foot. Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar (Ancients), No. 220, Warranted 25 January, 1786. [See page
156].” The second reference (p. 156) is the equally brief entry for the Warrant of the Provincial Grand
Lodge.”
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, does
not include this Warrant in his listing on page 40.
1990, London. (2) History of Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (3) Masonic Records
1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895. (3) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the
British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 IC, September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 28th Foot.]
REF:
I50
REF:
I50
131
Lodge Glittering Star, No. 322 IC, in the 29th (The Worcestershire Regiment) Regiment of
Foot, various locations 1870-present
Lodge No. 322 IC, in the 29th Regiment of Foot, Halifax 1759-????
[now part of The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot)]
Warrant No. 322 was issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland on May 3, 1759 to hold a Lodge in the
29th Regiment of Foot, which was then quartered at Kilkenny, Ireland. The Warrant was issued to George
Macartney as Master, and Alexander Wilson and Joseph Alcock as Wardens and six other founding brethren.
On February 10, 1761, four new members joined the Lodge; a further 17 by the end of 1761, thirteen in 1762
and two in 1763. Grand Lodge records indicate a total membership of 118 brethren by March 10, 1800.
The Lodge was working in Halifax between 1765 and 1768 when the 29th Foot was based there.
Following the assignment of the 14th Regiment to Halifax in June 1766, the two regimental lodges (211 IC
and 58 ER(A)), fraternized with the three local lodges (Lodge No. 1 PRNS(A), held at Pontac’s; Lodge No.
2 PRNS(A), held at the Rowe Barge; and Lodge No. 3 PRNS(A)) as well as lodges in the 29th Foot (No. 322
IC) and 59th Foot (No. 243 IC and No. 5 PRNS(A), and possibly No. 500 IC whose date of issue is unclear
and which may have been working at this time). It is possible that the Royal Arch degree was worked in
Halifax as early as 1750 (by Lodge No. 192 IC in the 47th (Lascelle’s) Foot) and there is a reference by one
Frederick Sterling, to his having received it in 1760. But Harris99 points out that “In the period 1765-68, there
was much activity in the Royal Arch degree due principally to the presence here of the military lodges in the
14th, 29th, 59th and 64th Regiments100. A considerable number of civilian brethren in Halifax received the
degree in these military lodges, including John George Pyke, later Grand Master of Masons.”. Harris (et al)
also cite the recorded working of the Royal Arch and Knight Templar in Boston from 1768 onwards as
providing an irresistible inference that these two degrees would have been worked in Halifax from 1765-68
by the same lodges. Philip Crossle has, in fact, stated that the brethren of Lodge Glittering Star were
responsible for the introduction of “Templar Masonry” in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and in Boston, in 1765.
With the general disturbances in New England, the 29th Regiment was despatched to Boston in
1768. Its arrival there brought the number of military lodges up to five (No. 106 in the 64th; No. 211 IC and
No 58 ER(A) in the 14th Foot; No. 322 IC in the 29th Foot; and No. 243 IC in the 59th Foot). The members
of St. Andrew’s Lodge, No. 82 (SC), Boston, (a civilian lodge) desiring a Provincial Grand Lodge under the
authority of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, drew together representatives of No. 82 SC; Lodge No. 106 SC
(64th Foot); Lodge No. 58 ER(A) (14th Foot); and Lodge No. 322 IC (29th Foot); and petitioned the Grand
Lodge of Scotland for the appointment of Dr. Joseph Warren as Provincial Grand Master and of Capt.
Jeremiah French101 and Capt. Ponsonby Molesworth (the latter two being officers of the 29th Foot and
members of Lodge No. 322, IC), as Senior and Junior Grand Wardens respectively. The signers of the
Petition on behalf of Lodge No. 322 IC were James Brown, Master; Charles Chambers, SW; and Jas. Smith,
99
The Story of Lodge “Glittering Star” No. 322 (Irish) (1759-1966) and The Beginning of Knight Templary
1986.
100
101
History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925, notes on page 189
that Captain Jeremiah French later became Lieutenant-Colonel of the 29th Foot. His brother-in-law, Major Holt
Waring of the 4th Regiment of Horse (later the 3rd Dragoon Guards and now part of The Royal Scots Dragoon
Guards (Caribiniers and Greys)) was an active Mason and Grand Lodge officer, having served as Junior Grand
Warden (1761), Senior Grand Warden (1762), Grand Treasurer (1762-1790) and Deputy Grand Master (1765 and
1766) of the Grand Lodge of Ireland. It also stated quite categorically that captain French was one of the members
of Lodge 322 IC who attended the August 18, 1769 meeting in Boston.
132
JW. A commission was granted in May 1769, naming Dr. Joseph Warren102 as Provincial Grand Master of
Massachusetts (Scotland) with jurisdiction over Antient Masons in Boston, New England and within 100
miles. He was duly installed at a meeting of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge in Boston on December 30,
1768, at Masons Hall, Green Dragon Tavern, Boston (see Grand Lodge of Ireland, Vol. 2, p. 327; 1 Mass.
P. 226). Also attending the installation were the Master and Wardens of Lodge No. 322 IC and Lodge No.
58 ER(A). At the meetings of the Provincial Grand Lodge held on January 12 and March 2, 1770, the Master
and Wardens of Lodge No. 322 IC recorded their attendance. [Note: On April 26, 1959, the Bicentenary
Installation Ceremony of Lodge Glittering Star, a solid silver 24” gauge was presented to the Lodge by the
Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.]
58 in the 14th Regiment received the four degrees of Excellent, Super-Excellent, Royal Arch and Knight
Templar, these being “the four steps of a Royal Arch Mason”103. At this meeting there were present three
brethren of Lodge No. 322 in the 29th, two others of Lodge No. 58 in the 14th Regiment, also three others,
members of St. Andrew’s Lodge and Chapter, Boston, undoubtedly already in possession of these degrees.
These minutes are the first record of the conferring of the Knight Templar degree in North America. Sir
Charles A. Cameron, C.B. expresses the opinion that Lodge No. 222 “was by far the most likely source of
these degrees (A.Q.C. XIII p. 156)”.
The Lodge must have generally had little time to meet and R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CDROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that between
1763 and 1774 no new members were registered with Grand Lodge, and that on March 8, 1774, the next
“batch” of 14 were Initiated. Initiations were not sustained at it was not until April 14, 1792, that the next
“batch” of 12 members were initiated. Was the Lodge working in Quebec and Lower Canada during this
period? It is unclear but possible as the 29th Regiment was in the garrison at Montreal in 1785 and at
Niagara in 1786-87. There is no reference to Lodge No. 222 IC in the documents and minutes of the
Provincial Grand Lodges of Lower Canada or Upper Canada. What is significant, however, regardless of the
actual working of the Lodge is that Colonel Christopher Carleton of the 29th Foot was elected as Provincial
Grand Master of the Moderns Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec in 1786. Regrettably he died later the same
year.
But the Royal Arch was worked up to at least 1802, according to Cochrane’s notes, “under the
authority of a Charter of the Lodge of St. Andrew’s SC.”
The 29th Regiment was absent from North America from 1787 until 1802 having been in the garrison
on Guernsey. From 1802-7 the Regiment returned to Halifax, and Lodge No. 322, IC regularly worked the
craft degrees as well as the Royal Arch degree. Minutes for 1805 and 1806 reveal several interesting items:
(1) the Tyler was not a full-time Officer but was filled each meeting night by a regular member of the Lodge;
(2) after working a degree, a Brother would give a lecture on the degree itself, which was referred to as
having the degree “passed” by the brother delivering the lecture; (3) the Lodge was “Inspected” by the
Provincial Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia who gave its approval to the Lodge, its business and its records; and
(4) Jewels for the Past Master, Tyler and Steward were approved and purchased for the first time in 1806.
In one piece of surviving correspondence, Sgt. George Buckley of the Lodge wrote to the Antients Grand
Secretary, noting that he had been raised in Lodge No. 322 IC in Halifax, in 1806, “in the Antient
102
Dr. Joseph Warren was killed at Bunker Hill in 1775.
103
Temple.
133
Establishment” but that as he had been returned to England and assigned to recruiting duties he had not
received his certificate104. During this time Bro. Stott was Master of the Lodge, having replaced Bro.
Robinson. The minutes for 1807 refer to the “rejection” (i.e. suspension for the evening) of Bro. Sgt. Walton.
The last meeting at Halifax is shown as June 8, 1807.
Lodge Glittering Star may have worked on Gibraltar during the assignment of the Regiment to the
garrison there in 1808, engaged on “secret service”, although Cochrane reports that there are no records of
meetings of the Lodge from the last meeting in Halifax until June 23, 1812. Three meetings were held in
1813 in Windsor. By 1822 the Regiment was in Dublin and Lodge 322 IC was recorded as meeting in the
Richmond Barracks. A meeting on May 7, 1828, held at Port Louis, Mauritius, and written in the Minute Book,
is the last one until 1855 when the then WM presented the Lodge with a replacement Volume of the Sacred
Law, the previous one having fallen apart and been “buried in the River Ganges in 1853.” This event
occurred when the 29th Foot was at Dinapore, India enroute to Burma.
By 1831 a total membership of 190 is reflected in Grand Lodge records. The Lodge was dormant
from 1831 until 1859. [Note: (1) Grand Lodge records indicate that no returns were received after 1835,
although a duplicate Warrant was issued on November 13, 1854; (2) Robert Freke Gould in his History of
Freemasonry, notes that the Warrant was returned in 1820 and renewed in 1854. Crossle notes that the date
of the re-issued Warrant was November 13, 1854
Cochrane notes that the Renewal Warrant of November 13, 1854, was issued to “Bro. Colonel
George Congreve of Lodge No. 596 (E.C.); Bro. Captain Hugh G. Colville, Lodge No. 609 (E.C.) and Bro.
Captain Augustus A. Dick of the Scottish Constitution.” Elsewhere Cochrane shows Captain Dick as
belonging to No. 1 SC. He also notes that seven other brethren were registered but identifies only Bro. Henry
Evans Quinn of Lodge No. 201105. Cochrane explains that it is probable that the Lodge Chest containing the
Warrant and other Lodge paraphernalia was discovered by Captain H. G. Colville of the Regiment at
Dinapore. Colville apparently wrote to the District Provincial Grand Master of the N. W. Provinces, India
(under the English Constitution), and sought his advice for (re)establishing Lodge No. 322 IC. The original
letter is no longer in existence, but a Petition was forwarded to the Grand Lodge of Ireland containing the
104
The letter reads as follows: “Rochdale, March 29th, 1810. Worshipful Brother, I hope you will the
goodness to excuse the liberty I have taken in addressing your Worship on the occasion, but being raised to the
sublime degree of Master Mason in 1806, at Halifax, Nova Scotia, British North America by Worshipful Brother John
Robertson, Master of No. 322 in the Antient Establishment, held in the 29th Regiment of Foot, immediately on our
return to England I was ordered on the Recruiting Service, and have never obtained my Certificate, should you
deem this application worthy of Notice, I should be much obliged to you for Remitting my Certificate to me at this
place, as the Regt. Has been and is yet abroad, in Portugal and Spain and I have no opportunity of applying to it for
obtaining the same. I remain your obedient, Humble Servant & Brother. George Buckley Sergeant 29th Regiment.
N.B. Private Edward Golding, is belonging the said Lodge, and is situated in the same manner as I am, never having
his certificate, is at this time with me and has been ever since we came from a foreign station, would be much
obliged for the Remittance of his at the same time, and inform us by Letter or otherwise of the amount of the Fees,
and shall be remitted by return post. Records of Lodge Glittering Star indicate that the WM referred to was John
Robertson, Sergeant Major, 29th Regiment, WM 1805; SW June and December 1805. He died of wounds after the
battle of Albuhera, 16th May 1811. The writer of the letter (to the wrong Grand Lodge) was George Buckley, born at
Ashton under Lyme. He served 16 years 322 days, held the rank of Sergeant for 11 years 320 days before being
discharged at York Depot in 1814, he was wounded on the right thigh, in Holland on 27th August, 1799. When
discharged he was about 36 years old and 6’½” tall, dark hair, hazel eyes, pale complexion, and by way of a trade,
a Weaver. He was raised, as stated in the letter on June 2, 1805. Private Edward Golding was born in Liverpool and
enlisted at the age of 24 years for unlimited service on December 31, 1793. He was raised to Sergeant in the
Regiment, a rank he held for over five years, before being discharged, “Old and Worn OUT”. Total service, 22
years, 354 days. [Source: 1996 historical handout of Lodge Glittering Star]
105
Warrant No. 201 was issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland on April 3, 1846 to hold a Lodge at
Nenagh, Co. Tipperary. The Lodge is still working in 2000 although in 1946 it had been moved to Limerick, Co.
Limerick.
134
DPGM’s positive reply, along with a letter containing the permission of the 29th’s Commanding Officer, Lt.Col. G. Congreve, and a full report on the circumstances surrounding the Chest and contents and its
discovery. Thus it was that two English Masons and one Scottish Mason resurrected an Irish Lodge.
By late 1853 the 29th Foot was at Thayetmyo, Burma, about 275 miles north-west of Rangoon on
the Irrawaddy River. Cochrane’s summary indicates that Lodge meetings during this period were held in
officers’ houses in Rangoon but from November 1853 onwards the Lodge met in the local Library at
Thayetuke even though the Warrant had not been received. He later states that the establishment meeting
for the Lodge was held on April 4, 1855, in the house of Bro. Ross, Brigade Major at Thayetmyo. In 1856
Lodge No. 322 supported the establishment of a new Lodge (probably civilian although the minutes do not
make this clear) and on April 25, 1856, Lodge No. 322 installed and invested the WM (Captain Cooper) and
officers of the new “Lodge Astrea”, No. 972 ER. The meeting of November 5, 1856 was supposed to be the
last to be held in the Far East as the 29th Foot was to be replaced by the 53rd Foot; the 29th being assigned
to Fort William (via Rangoon and Calcutta). The move did not occur and meetings continued at Thayetuke
for another nine months, there was, however, a delay in the Installation of the new WM, Bro. Middleton until
January 13, 1858. The Minutes for February 4, 1857, record that the SW, Bro. Middleton, presented a dagger
for the Inner Guard and a regulation sword for the Tyler. Cochrane notes that although 35 members joined
the Lodge in 1855 and 1856, twelve had resigned from the Lodge within two years - it is likely that these
resignations were from Lodge members who resigned (or were retired) from the 29th Foot at the time it was
ordered to Fort William.
There appears to have been a three-year hiatus for the Lodge. In 1859 the Lodge was again
“revived”, this time under the name “Glittering Star”. Crossle notes that “11th September, 1878, . . . for the
first time, they (the minutes) are headed ‘Glittering Star Lodge 322’.”
Difficulties in resuscitating the Lodge continued. Cochrane records that: “In the year 1864 the 29th
Foot was quartered at Newry and on the 6th October, our Lodge [No. 18 IC106] was visited by Bros. Wm.
(possibly William) Scott and Fredk. (possibly Frederick) Middleton, who “expressed their intention of
resuscitating” the Regimental Lodge No. 322, when “it was resolved that any assistance that they may
require will be afforded by No. XVIII.” The meeting of Lodge No. 322 IC on October 19, 1864, is interesting
for several reasons: (1) only five Brethren attended; (2) of the five, one was from Lodge No. 369 ER, one
from No. 215 IC, and three from No. 124 SC (that is, none were from Lodge No. 322); (3) with the permission
of the Commanding Officer and help from Lodge No. 18 IC, they met “for the election of officers or any other
business.” A further meeting on November 2, 1864 saw the election of officers for the ensuing six months,
of which only one, Bro. Captain Keebone (elected as SD), was a member of Lodge No. 322 IC. According
to Cochrane, Bro. Keebone was not in attendance at the Installation Meeting held on December 27, 1864.
On the 5th January, 1865, “a letter was read from Bro. Grace, 29th Regiment, Secretary to Military Lodge,
No. 322, in which the members of that Lodge expressed their thanks to Lodge XVIII for their kindness in
assisting to re-open that Lodge and particularly to Past Master Bro. J. F. Erskine, for his readiness in
affording assistance at all times.” Bro. Middleton, here referred to, afterwards became Major-General Sir
Frederick D. Middleton KCMG, C.B.”107
By September 1865 the Lodge was meeting in Malta where the 29th Foot had been posted. The last
meeting on Malta was held on March 9, 1867. On July 2, 1867, the 29th Foot and its Lodge embarked on
board HMS Tamer for conveyance to Canada.
106
Warrant No. 18 (or XVIII) was dated May 4, 1809 and was issued to hold “Nelson Lodge” in Newry,
Co. Down. It is still current on the register of the Grand Lodge of Ireland.
107
It is not clear when Frederick (Fred) Middleton joined the army. In early 1858 he was a Captain in the
29th Foot and took part in the relief of Lucknow during the Indian Mutiny. It was here that he first met and fought
beside Gunner Thomas Bland Strange of the Royal Artillery. Strange would eventually become the senior Artillery
Officer in the Canadian Army and Middleton would become the General Commanding Canadian Militia. During the
Northwest Rebellion, both would again collaborate on the activities of the military forces sent west to quell Louis
Riel and restore “law and order”.
135
The Regiment and Lodge Glittering Star served in Canada from 1867 at Montreal, Kingston,
Hamilton and London, later in Toronto and finally in Halifax, from which it embarked in October 1868 for
Jamaica. Cochrane mentions only three meetings at this time in Canada: at Hamilton (May 5, 1868 when
a Third Degree and Installation took place) and at Point Levis, opposite the Quebec Citadel (September 8,
1869 for election of officers and October 16, 1869 where degrees were worked and Installation took place).
The 29th departed Quebec on October 28, 1869 on HMS Tamer for Jamaica but were forced to
transfer to HMS Orontes at Halifax to complete the journey. The first meeting in Jamaica was held at
Newcastle on May 7, 1870, when the Lodge membership is recorded as 18. A Letter from Grand Lodge dated
September 17, 1870 was received with the first ever Past Master’s Certificate received by the Lodge, for W.
Bro. Bray. On November 29, 1870 the 29th sailed for Barbados and Glittering Star held its next meeting on
December 27, 1870 on that Island, when Officers were elected. Installation occurred on January 11, 1871
when the total membership was recorded as 21 with 14 members abroad “on detached duty”. The last
meeting on Barbados was held on July 6, 1871, after which the 29th returned to Ireland. The next series of
meetings of the Lodge (August 1871 until June 1874) were held at Templemore; June 1874 to June 1875
in Dublin, Ireland. On November 17, 1875, the Lodge met at St. Peter’s, Jersey; and two meetings in 1876
in the Chatham area. The construction of new regimental barracks at Norton (near Worcester) promised to
provide some stability for both the Regiment and the Lodge. The opportunity to be more relaxed in their
meetings, without having to be constantly on the move, enabled the Secretary of the Lodge to begin using
the Lodge name “Glittering Star Lodge 322” from September 11, 1878, onwards.
Early in 1879 the 29th Foot moved to Dover where four Lodge meetings were held; thence to
Portsmouth where officers and men embarked on board HMS Serapis for India. The next Lodge meeting,
on April 7, 1880, was at Mhow. Meetings here indicate that candidates were often given three degrees at one
meeting and that there was examination of the preceding degree before the next would be conferred. The
first point was that working all degrees at once was not uncommon, particularly for military Lodges which
were subject to movement; and the second point, of testing the candidate, was a common routine for English
and Scottish Lodges rather than Irish ones, and it is likely that Glittering Star was working a hybrid of
degrees. For the next nine years the Lodge worked in a variety of locations in India and attendance at
meetings appears to have been about twenty members. The meeting of June 21, 1890 saw the balloting for
membership of Sergeant Carleton of the 29th Foot; W. Bro. Carleton died in 1950 and is remembered in the
“Carleton Jewel” which is worn by the presiding Master.
In the summer of 1899 the 29th Foot was assigned to Guernsey but then reassigned to South Africa
with the outbreak of the Boer War. This period saw the Regiment raise two additional regular service
Battalions—the 3rd and 4th—and the distribution of officers and senior NCO’s played havoc with Lodge
membership. At this time the Lodge had 14 members belonging to the 1st Battalion, seven of whom were
transferred to the new 3rd Battalion, thus placing the majority of Lodge members there. A decision was
subsequently made to “house” the Lodge in the new 3rd Battalion, and approved by Grand Lodge. Meetings
began at Aldershot on February 9, 1900 and lasted until June 22, 1900. The next meetings began in October
1891 and lasted until September 10, 1904, at Tipperary, Ireland. It was in Tipperary on January 24, 1903,
when W. Bro. The Rev. Canon Denis Hanon of the Provincial Grand Lodge of the South-eastern Area was
Installed as Master of the Lodge. At the meeting of February 12, 1904, the Lodge recorded its appreciation
to W. Bro. Lieutenant-Colonel Hilton, a 25-year member, who was forced to sever his connection with Lodge
Glittering Star on his retirement.
By November 18, 1904, the Lodge was again meeting at Dublin and over the next three years the
number of members joining the Lodge from the 1st Battalion led to its transferral back to the 1st. The
minutes of March 9, 1907, refer to instructions to the brethren on the working of the First Degree according
to the “Irish Ritual”, a first indication that the working of the Lodge was at variance with whatever constituted
“Irish Working” at that time. In October 10, 1910, the 1st Battalion (with the Lodge) was moved to Newport,
Isle of Wight, remaining there until the spring of 1913, when it was moved to Alexandria, Egypt. By the spring
of 1914 the Regiment was in Cairo and the Lodge met there.
From June 8, 1914 until June 12, 1920 there is another gap in the Minute Book indicating that
Glittering Star was unable to meet due to the dispersal of the Regiment in smaller units during World War
136
I. The Lodge’s first post-war meeting was held on June 12, 1920, at Freemasons’ Hall, Nazirabad, India.
Cochrane indicates that this was an interesting as all the active-service members of the Lodge had been
killed during the war and the only ones alive were those who were too old for active service. The Installation
of officers included only one Irish Mason (who did not belong to No. 322) and others of the English
Constitution. Six members affiliated from Lodge No. 594 SC, and one each from Lodges 118 ER, 415 ER
and 107 IC. Throughout the 1920’s the Master of the Lodge was W. Bro. Charles Inwood and he encouraged
previous members of the Lodge who had dropped out for many reasons, to affiliate with the Lodge, and they
were subsequently placed on a list of “Absent Members”. W. Bro. Inwood was followed by W. Bro. Lieutenant
H. U. Richards, W. Bro. Inwood serving as Secretary, Treasurer and even Master of the Lodge until his
retirement from the Army in 1929 (in 1927 W. Bro. Inwood was appointed Past Senior Grand Deacon of the
Grand Lodge of Ireland). In 1923 the 29th Foot relieved the Seaforth Highlanders at Meerut, as the British
Infantry Unit of the 3rd Indian Cavalry Brigade, in the United Provinces District. The District was then
commanded by W. Bro. Major-General Sir George McKenzie Franks108 who subsequently became an
Honorary Member of Lodge Glittering Star. The departure of the Master from Meerut, the only other Irish
Mason in the Lodge, saw the Chair devolve to W. Bro. Inwood. By late 1926 the 29th Foot moved to
Allahabad. In October 1929 the Regiment was at Shanghai109 and left in January 1931 for Crownhill, Devon
and their final settling in assignment at Crownhill Barracks, Plymouth after eighteen years abroad.
The early 1930’s proved a difficult time for Lodge Glittering Star and the first meeting in England did
not occur until August 8, 1931 and the third meeting was held on February 13, 1932. Installation in February
1933 saw a very small turnout of available members and the next meeting was not held until January 27,
1934. In early 1935 the 29th Foot moved to Aldershot and at the meeting of March 9, 1935, 28 members
were in attendance. Ten meetings were held in 1936. The meeting of December 12, 1936 was delayed as
the Regiment was on duty in London in connection with the Proclamation Ceremonies for HM King George
VI, following the Abdication of King Edward VIII. The installation meeting of March 31, 1937 was held at
Farnborough, attended by 26 members, and nine more meetings were held that year.
The Master for 1938 was installed at Farnborough on February 12, 1938. On June 3, 1938, Lodge
Glittering Star, No. 322 IC held the first and only Masonic lodge meeting in the Tower of London. The 1st
Battalion of The Worcestershire Regiment (29th Foot) was then in garrison in the Tower. At that time Field
Marshal Sir Claud Jacob, G.C.B., was Constable of the Tower and Colonel of the Regiment. He was also
a Past Senior Grand Warden of the United Grand Lodge of England, and an Honorary Member of Lodge
Glittering Star. Bro. Rt. Hon. the Earl of Donoughmore, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, opened
the Lodge, and was supported by the presence of Bro. Rt. Hon. Lord Saltoun, Past Grand Master Mason of
Scotland, and Bro. General Sir Francis Davies, Deputy Grand Master of England and concurrently Provincial
Grand Master of Worcestershire. The business of the meeting included the installation of absent officers
from the February 12 meeting, and the initiation of Colour Sergeant Joseph White of the 1st Battalion. The
next meeting, July 9, 1938 was the last to be held by the Lodge for 10 years as the 1st Battalion was on
assignment and many of its rank and file were transferred to other units, or used in small detachments. Post
war assignments in the Middle East and Europe also prohibited a Lodge meeting as insufficient masons
could be assembled to meet.
A meeting in 1948 in Berlin, by five Sergeants who were members of the Lodge, led to an action plan
to resuscitate Lodge Glittering Star again, before Grand Lodge called in the Warrant. A search revealed that
the Warrant and regalia, which had been in the keeping of W. Bro. Inwood until his death in 1943, had been
deposited in the Regimental Museum. It was planned to hold a Lodge meeting on July 3, 1948, the day of
108
W. Bro. Major-General Sir George McKenzie Franks was subsequently Provincial Grand Master of
Wicklow and Wexford.
109
Cochrane describes the Shanghai setting as a very cosmopolitan one from a Masonic perspective with
Lodges of six Grand Jurisdictions meeting and working in the city, although he only specifies England, Ireland and
Scotland. It is likely that at least two, if not three, American Grand Jurisdictions were also represented.
137
the Regimental Reunion, and in the event a small informal meeting of 12 members of the Lodge was held
(a further 16 members had written in support of reactivating the Lodge but were unable to attend the
meeting). A formal meeting followed at which Bro. Captain C. E. Shrimpton, the only member of the Lodge
still on the Active List of the 29th was elected as Master. In late 1948 the 1st Battalion The Worcester
Regiment was assigned abroad and would not return to England for thirteen years. As a consequence the
Lodge remained at Norton Barracks and met throughout the thirteen year absence of the 29th.
In 1959 Glittering Star celebrated its bicentenary at an installation meeting held at Norton Barracks,
attended by the DGM of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, the AGM of the Grand Lodge of England, and a PGMM
of Scotland. Attendees included 75 members of the Lodge, and members of Irish Military Lodges in the
4th/7th Dragoon Guards (St. Patrick’s Lodge, No. 295 IC), The King’s Dragoon Guards (Waterloo Lodge, No.
571 IC), the 8th Royal Irish Hussars (Leswaree Lodge, No. 646 IC), and the 5th Inniskilling Dragoon Guards
(Charity Lodge, No. 570 IC). Membership was noted as being “over one hundred and was undoubtedly in a
very flourishing condition” (Cochrane).
By 1961 it was realized by both the Lodge members and also Grand Lodge that the Lodge Warrant
called for the Lodge to “be in the 29th Regiment of Foot” and action was taken to attract more serving
officers, Warrant Officers and Sergeants. Members were called to meet with officers of the Grand Lodge
of Ireland where the requirement to keep the Lodge ambulatory, as per the 1904 Concordance, was
emphasized. Unless it was ambulatory it was likely that the United Grand Lodge would call for the Lodge to
cease working in its Jurisdiction as a stationary Lodge. Thus, a “journey party” from the Lodge at Norton
Barracks travelled to Minden, Germany, each person taking and being responsible for a portion of the Lodge
paraphernalia. The first meeting of the Lodge in the 1st Battalion was held and in the absence of a Past
Master (Irish) of the Lodge, W. Bro. Warrant Officer J. J. S. Joyce, Master of British Service Lodge
‘Britannia’, No. 843 GC110, occupied the East. From April 1963 until August 1964 Glittering Star was with the
Regiment at Minden, Western Germany, but began meetings in England with the return of the Regiment to
Lee Medford Barracks, Lydd, Kent in early 1965. By the end of 1965 the Regiment and Lodge were assigned
to Gibraltar. The difficulties of continuing to work in an active military unit - fifteen members were in The
Worcestershire Regiment and fourteen were serving in other units - saw total membership reduced to a
handful.
The frequent movements of the Regiment—Gibraltar, England, Berlin, Northern Ireland—and the
constant transfer of officers and NCO’s into and out of the Regiment, for the next twenty years played havoc
with regular meetings. In many cases members of the Lodge moved so frequently that the Secretary’s
address list was never really accurate. When abroad, the English members were unable to attend Lodge.
Dues went unpaid, and in many cases were not even called for by the Lodge, and Dues and fees owed to
Grand Lodge went unpaid. This led to another round of effort to re-establish the Lodge in the Midlands, rather
than having it travel with the 1st Battalion of The Worcester Regiment and an arrangement was worked out
with United Grand Lodge and the Provincial Grand Lodges of Staffordshire, Warwickshire and
Worcestershire, who “kindly allowed the Lodge to use its Travelling Warrant within those Provinces whilst
the Regiment was in Germany without sufficient Lodge members to hold a meeting.
This Lodge is still working at the present time and is only one of two “Travelling Military Lodges” still
in existence (the other is St. Patrick’s Lodge, No. 295 IC in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards). In keeping
with the authority of its Warrant, Lodge Glittering Star meets in various locations in England during the
masonic year.
An enquiry was made to the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1999 to obtain a copy of Warrant No. 322.
The reply indicated that no copy of the Warrant could be found in the archives. A request is being made to
Lodge Glittering Star to determine whether they have a copy of the (existing) Duplicate Warrant No. 322.
[Sources: (1) Outlines of the History of Freemasonry in the Province of Quebec, by John H. Graham, 1892.
110
German Constitution.
138
(2) Early Canadian Freemasonry 1759-1869, by Pemberton Smith, P.M., O.R., 1939. (3) History of
Freemasonry, R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (4) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry
in the Armed Forces, by Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for as reprinted in the Transactions
of Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (5) John Ross Robertson, The History of Freemasonry in Canada, 1899. (6) 1996
historical handout of Lodge Glittering Star; Lodge Summons for May 23, 1996. (7) History of the Grand
Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (8) The Story of Lodge “Glittering Star” No. 322
(Irish) (1759-1966) and The Beginning of Knight Templary in Canada, by Reginald V. Harris, PSGM (Can.),
Paper No. 86 in the Canadian Masonic Research Association, 1986. (9) Flags of Masonry in the line
Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 IC, September 2002, notes on Lodges
in the 29th Foot.]
REF:
REF:
REF:
E46
I51
I51
139
St. Johns Lodge No. XIII PRCoromandel, in the 30th Regiment of Foot 1822-1832
Lodge No. 85 IC, in the 30th Regiment of Foot, (Louisbourg, Halifax and other locations)
1738-1805
[now part of The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment]
The earliest recorded Military Lodge to work anywhere in North America was No. 85 IC in
Colonel Harward’s Regiment of Foot (later the 30th (Frampton’s) Regiment of Foot), which was
warranted on May 30, 1738 by the Grand Lodge of Ireland111. No entries are found on the Grand Lodge
Register as no names were provided in accordance with the Irish by-law governing Ambulatory Lodges.
There are no records of the Lodge in the records of the Grand Lodge of Ireland until 1787. Bro. Frederick
Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry
in the Armed Forces includes this Warrant in his list on page 40 but shows a date of 1735 vice 1738.
Although a detachment of 300 men of the Regiment was stationed in the garrison at Louisbourg in
1746 (supplementing the 28th, 29th and 45th Regiments of Foot) it is not clear if the Lodge accompanied
it at that time as the Lodge usually remained with the main body of the Regiment. Under the terms of the
Treaty of Aix La Chapelle of 1748, Louisbourg was returned to the French; the 300 man detachment being
incorporated into the 29th Foot.
Little is known about the early working of this Lodge although its Minute Book for the period 17571764 was held in the Iowa Masonic Library (source: Iowa Bulletin, August 1805)112. An interesting background
of Lodge No. 85 IC appears in The History of Freemasonry in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, by Leslie R.
Harborne and Robin L. W. White, 1990. The authors note on page 3 that “The first recorded minute states
that the Lodge met on 23rd November 1757 at the Royal Oak in Reading ‘in order to revive No. 85 Lodge of
Free and Accepted Masons when the annex’d brethren were chosen officers of said Lodge - Henry Norton
Jevers, M (name appears in Reading and Canterbury minutes); John Wright, SW (name appears in Reading
and Canterbury minutes); Peter Margarett, JW (name appears only in Reading minutes); Thomas Bothwell,
SD (name appears in Reading and Canterbury minutes); Alex McBride, JD (name appears in Reading and
Canterbury minutes).’”. The Lodge worked in Reading until April 3, 1758, after which it moved to the Dolphin
in Canterbury. In December 1759 the Lodge met at Hilsea Barracks, Portsmouth; in 1760 it was at Exeter,
Plymouth Dock and Gibraltar, where it settled. During the period the Lodge was at Reading the following
members joined (i.e. affiliated) or were initiated: Frank Hogan (name appears in Reading and Canterbury
minutes); George Poole (name appears in Reading and Canterbury minutes); Austin Kinglock (name appears
111
Whence Come We? Freemasonry in Ontario 1764-1980, Edited by The Special Committee on the
History; Wallace McLeod, Chairman, published by the Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M. of Canada in the Province of
Ontario, 1980, notes on page 7 that “(5) The Grand Lodge of Ireland warranted no civilian lodges in the colonies
before the Revolution, but was, as we have seen, the largest issuer of “travelling” warrants to regimental lodges.
The earliest military lodge to work in North America was No. 85 I.C., in Frampton’s (30th) Regiment of Foot; it was
stationed in the garrison at Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, in 1746.” It should be recalled that this is true for Irish
Lodges but there were earlier military Lodges, per se, and researchers such as R. V. Harris note that there is
reason to believe that a Lodge in the 40th Foot was working at Port Royal as early as 1721, although this date, too,
may be too early and 1738 a more appropriate one (see notes on Lodges in the 40th Foot.
112
R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update of Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes
that the Minute Book is 6½ x 8 inches, and contains 144 pages. It was presented to the Grand Lodge of Iowa in
1898 by Bro. F. L. Crosby, of 79 Bodegones, Lima, Peru, who adds the initials “P.G.M.” to his signature. In a
covering letter address to Bro. Theodore S. Parvin, the founder of the Iowa Masonic Library, Bro. Crosby says he
wished to add this mite to “that great Masonic Library that is an honour to you and the Craft.” The Minute Book, he
continues, “was the property of an Englishman, an enthusiastic Mason, who was for many years Grand Secretary of
the Supreme Council of the A&A Scotch Rite, whose Library was purchased by me after his death.
140
in Reading and Canterbury minutes and he was a known member of Lodge No. 73 ER(A) at Reading113);
Josiah Chandler (name appears in Reading and Canterbury minutes and he was a known member of Lodge
No. 73 ER(A) at Reading); Thomas Alford (name appears in Reading and Canterbury minutes and he was
a known member of Lodge No. 73 ER(A) at Reading); Charles Lambdon (name appears in Reading and
Canterbury minutes); Thomas Early (name appears in Reading minutes only); Charles Abbot, Gentleman
(name appears in Reading and Canterbury minutes); William Marshall (name appears in Reading and
Canterbury minutes); John Miller (name appears in Reading and Canterbury minutes); William Pace (name
appears in Reading and Canterbury minutes and he was a known member of Lodge No. 73 ER(A) at
Reading); Alexander Colwell (name appears in Reading and Canterbury minutes); ------ Scott (name appears
in Reading and Canterbury minutes); ------ Skinner (name appears in Reading and Canterbury minutes); -----Taylor (name appears in Reading and Canterbury minutes); and ------ Knockhold (name appears in Reading
and Canterbury minutes).
Grand Lodge records indicate that a document was issued by Lodge No. 85 IC on Dominica, on May
1, 1787, to Bro. Erasmus Browne, certifying that in addition to being a Master Mason, he had attained the
Royal Arch and other (unspecified) degrees114.
The members of Lodge No. 85 IC took in members to the Lodge who were not members of the
Regiment (or, indeed, of any regiment in the British army). On July 4,1793 the minutes of the Grand Lodge
of Ireland note: “Read a Lettr. from No. 20, 25, 53, 132 and 176115 - held in Liverpool & under the Sanction
of the G. L. of England116, stateing that No. 85 under this G.L. & held in sd. town had done & continue to
make Masons for small & paltry considerations - Ordered that the said Lodges do call No. 85 before them
& enquire more fully into the said Charges & report thereon”. Grand Lodge minutes for August 1, 1793 report
“Read a Lettr. from sundry Lodges in Liverpool containing the Wart. No. 85 . . . . Ordered that the thanks
of this R. W. Lodge be conveyed to the said Lodges for their exertions and attention to the Masonic Order.”
It is not clear what final disposition was made for Warrant No. 85. Grand Lodge records indicate that
the Lodge fought with the Regiment in Corsica in 1793117, that it was present when Bastia was captured on
May 22, 1794, and that on November 7, 1805118, Alexander Seton accepted Warrant No. 85 in exchange for
a new Warrant as No. 30. Cochrane notes that “John F. Kinfsley [sic. Kingsley], William Stewart and David
113
Warrant No. 73 ER(A) was issued on January 17, 1759 to hold a Lodge at Reading. The actual
meeting place is not known. The Lodge expired sometime between 1759 and December 20, 1771 when the Warrant
was reissued to Freemasons in Reading. This (second) Lodge lapsed in 1775. The Warrant was reissued in 1808 to
hold a Lodge at Framlingham, Suffolk.
114
See also History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925, page 125.
115
These five Antients Lodges were held in Liverpool under sanction from the Grand Lodge of England.
No. 25 ER(A) still meets in Liverpool as St. George’s Lodge, No.32 ER; No. 53 ER(A) still meets as Humber Lodge,
No. 57 ER, Hull; and No. 276 ER(A) still meets as Ancient Union Lodge, No. 203 ER, Liverpool. The other two
Lodges lapsed.
116
The Antients’ Grand Lodge.
117
and 69th Regt., No. 174 IC (1791-1821).
118
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 30th Foot, notes that Warrant No. 85 was
returned to Grand Lodge in 1793 in exchange for No. 30. Cochrane’s notes regarding the exchange through
Alexander Seton are based on Grand Lodge records and registers and appears the more likely date.
141
Glaso, may have been Master and Wardens. John Gowan, Wm. ? and another registered 7 November, 1806
are the only other names recorded.”
Cochrane notes Transactions of the Grand Lodge of Ireland on Thursday, June 5, 1806, when a
Committee of Grand Lodge was established to hear charges against the G.T. (presumably the Grand Tyler).
Bro. Kingsley, W.M. of Lodge No. 30 IC, was next examined and claimed partiality by the Chair on the night
of the appointment of the Committee. This section is concluded by Cochrane with the entry “Grand Lodge
of Ireland; 27th Dec. 1806, to 27th Dec. 1807. (Revolt) Alex. Seton Esq., D.G.S. in a/c with G.L.” - a
reference to the “Dissenting Grand Secretary, Alexander Seton, and the formation of the “Schismatic” Grand
Lodge of East Ulster.
The Grand Lodge of Ireland met on August 6, 1807, and read a letter from (Brother) John Leech
regarding Seton’s “revival” of Warrant No. 30 to the Lodge in the 30th Foot while on “Dublin duty”. The
revival appears to have been done by Seton and Bros. John Leech and John Boardman, and that the
Warrant “was installed by Brother Jaffrey, assisted by the same Bros. John Leech and John Boardman”. The
records show that this action was “opposed strenuously by the Master of No. 30.” However the action of the
issue of No. 30 to the 30th Foot was allowed to stand by Grand Lodge and meetings carried on, although
there are few references to any minutes noted by Cochrane.
According to R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip
Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, the Minute Book of Lodge 792 IC, Killyleagh, Co. Down (Warranted
June 9, 1808) reveals that Lodge 30 supported the formation of this new Lodge and that some of the Charter
members of No. 792 came from No. 30 (regrettably it is not clear who these were). Various masonic regalia
and equipments were provided to Lodge 792 IC by the members of 30 IC, including jewels (value £6-4-5),
two brass seals (value £5-5-0), and a Lodge Chair (possibly for the WM to use). The Minute Book for Lodge
792 IC records the expenses for 1809, including “Paid to Mr. Rowan for a Warrant £7-14-5.” As Cochrane
notes, “This was Archibald Hamilton Rowan of the Castle, Killyleagh, a Major in the Independent Dublin
Volunteers in 1789 and Initiated in Lodge No. 620 belonging to that Corps119. The Knight Templar seal of this
Lodge (presumably he means No. 620) was used by Lodge No. 30 by simply changing the number. The seal
of this Lodge had a LEFT Arm instead of a Right one.”
Close ties with Lodge No. 114 IC, Killyleagh, Co. Down (Warranted November 6, 1817) were also
maintained, according to Crossle, who notes that the Minutes of Lodge 114 IC show the following members
of Lodge 30 IC were given degrees: “March 7, 1826, Bro. Alex. Morrow was raised to a Chair Master,
Excellent, Super-Excellent (Royal Arch) Mason - Same night John McBriar and Hamilton Gilmore raised to
the same.” On June 6, 1826, “Robert McBair, John Kelly and John Gilmore were raised to the Degree of a
Chair Master, Excellent, Super-Excellent Royal Arch Mason. Also Baptist Trimble of Lodge No. 376 IC120,
was raised to the same, and received the same degrees.” And, on July 22, 1840, the names of twenty-six
members of Lodge No. 114 IC were shown as having transferred to Lodge No. 30 IC.
Irish Grand Lodge records indicate that Warrant No. 30 was cancelled on July 3,1823. However, Irish
Grand Lodge minutes for March 2, 1826 record the donation of £ 40.3.11 “from Lodge No.13 of the Provincial
Grand Lodge of the Coast of Coromandel, for distressed Masons in Ireland”. No.XIII (13) was apparently the
local number of Lodge No. 30 IC as it appeared on the Roll of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Coromandel
with the name “St. David’s”. W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 73rd Foot takes the
following from the records of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Madras dated September 23, 1818. A letter was
read at this meeting from the Lodge of St. Andrews’ Union No. X dated Colombo August 19, 1816, for
forwarding a “Petition” from Brothers: Samuel Heming; John Salmon; Hugh Roam, Privates of the 73rd
Regiment of Foot. These brethren were praying for a Warrant of Constitution for establishment of a regular
119
Warrant No. 620 IC was issued to The First Volunteer Lodge in The Royal Independent Dublin
Volunteers on September 4, 1783. This Lodge became civilian and is current as of 2000.
120
Lodge No. 376 (a civilian Lodge) held its Warrant dated February 1, 1810, and met in the village of
Killyleagh, Co. Down. The Warrant was cancelled by Grand Lodge on November 6, 1845, for non-payment of dues.
142
Lodge in the Regiment under the distinctive denomination of “St. John’s Lodge”. The Acting Provincial Grand
Master having expressed some reluctance to grant a Warrant to the Petitioners in consequence of them
being beyond the limits of his superintendence although he had done so on a former occasion with the
sanction of the Prov. G. M. of the Island of Ceylon. However, whilst the 73rd were still in Ceylon, working
with the 30th Regiment of Foot both Regiments took a “Local Warrant No. 13 on August 16, 1822, from the
Provincial Grand Lodge of Coromandel (Ceylon). This Lodge later became Stationary in Ceylon as “St.
John’s Lodge” was registered with Grand Lodge in London and was numbered 628 in 1832 and No. 434 in
1863. This Lodge is still working in Madras today as “St. John’s Lodge”. There is no entry in John Lane’s
Masonic Records 1717-1894 for a local (Coast of Coromandel) issue of a Warrant as “No. 13.”
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, includes this Warrant in his list on page 40 with a local date of
issue of 1813. John Lane lists the Lodge as carrying the name “St. David’s” in Warrant No. XIII issued on
December 27, 1813. Lane is generally accepted as an accurate source but until an actual copy of the
Warrant is secured this will not be demonstrable.
Both the number “30” and “85” used for Warrants issued to this Lodge have been reused by the
Grand Lodge of Ireland for other Warrants. V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, published
by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, 1973, notes that this use of either the Warrant or the number “30” was the
second of two, and for “85” was the first of three:
•
although Crossle doesn’t say so, it is probable that the original issue of “No. 30” was during the
1730’s and the loss of the original Grand Lodge Register means that the information on the Lodge
is lost forever. Cochrane, however, lists the issue as dated either February 5 or March 27, 1734, to
hold a Lodge in Dublin. He says that the Lodge is “Noted as working in “The Two Friends” in
Chequer Lane, Dublin, in 1735” and “Erased, 5 November 1801.”;
•
the next (and recorded) issue of Warrant No. 30 is the Seton issue dated November 7, 1805, in
exchange for “No. 85” in the 30th Foot which was struck off the Roll in 1823; and
•
1840, “No. 30” issued to True Blues Lodge at Killeleaghe, Co. Down, in exchange for its earlier issue
of “No. 114”. Cochrane lists the date of issue as July 7, 1840 in lieu of 114 and shows the Lodge as
“Current” in 2001.
“No. 85” was issued at least twice, according to Crossle:
•
the original issue on May 3, 1738 to hold a Lodge in the 30th Foot and which was exchanged for “No.
30” in 1805; and
•
1807, “No. 85” issued to hold a Lodge at Shercock, Co. Cavan; Cochrane lists this issue as May 22,
1807. Crossle notes that the Lodge was removed to Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan; and
•
Cochrane lists an issue of a new Warrant No. 85 to brethren in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan on
August 13, 1869, and lists the Lodge as “Current” in 2001.
An enquiry was made to the Grand Lodge of Ireland in December 1999 to obtain a copy of both
Warrant No. 85 and No. 30 issued for the 30th Foot. A copy of Warrant No. 85 was graciously provided and
is transcribed on the following page, but there is no Warrant No. 30 in the Grand Lodge files. As noted, there
is difficulty in deciphering parts of No. 85. Grand Lodge reports that as noted on the copy the actual Warrant
was reissued for a civilian Lodge in Shercock, Co. Cavan on April 2, 1807. Normally the number of the
original surrendered Warrant was reused and a new Warrant issued, with the original (or earlier Warrants
bearing the same number) being held in Grand Lodge: such was not the case with No. 85 and the actual
Warrant was reissued.
143
[Sources: (1) The History of Freemasonry in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, by Leslie R. Harborne and
Robin L. W. White, 1990. (2) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895. (3)
Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V. W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as printed in The Lodge of Research,
No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957. (4) Irish Masonic Records, by V. W. Philip Crossle,
P.G.S.D., published by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, 1973. (5) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, CD-ROM Update
(Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (6) History of Freemasonry, by Robert
Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (7) “The Poor Common Soldier,” A Study of the Irish Ambulatory Warrants,
by John Heron Lepper, in his paper printed in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925. (8) The
Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth in his
Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (9) History
of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (10) Flags of Masonry in the line
Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 IC, September 2002, notes on Lodges
in the 30th Foot. (11) Whence Came We? Freemasonry in Ontario 1764 - 1980, published 1980, by Masonic
Holdings, Hamilton.]
144
Transcript of Warrant No. 85 IC issued in 1738 to the 30th Foot
Cornelius
Xxxxxxx G.M.
Xxxxxxx D.G.M.
Kean O’Hara
SEAL
SEAL
SEAL
SEAL
SEAL
SEAL
SEAL
SHERCOCK
85
Received & Exchanged
BEN MONTGOMERY
THOMAS CARROLL
and PATR MURRAY
2d April 1807
By the Right Worshipful and Right Honourable Lord Vi----- of
TYRONE ----------- Grand Master of all the Lodges of FreeMasons in the Kingdom of IRELAND, the Rt. Worshipful
Cornelius Callaghan Esq. : : : : : : : : Deputy Grand Master,
the Worshipful John Pritchard and Kean O’Hara
Grand Wardens
WHEREAS our Trusty and Well-beloved Brothers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------have besought Us, that We would be pleased to erect a Lodge of FreeMasons, in the H - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Col. Hardwards Corps
of such Persons ,who by their Knowledge and Skill in Masonry, may
contribute to the Well-Being and Advancement thereof. We therefore
duly weighing the Premisses, and having nothing more at Heart, than the
Prosperity and true Advancement of Masonry, and reposing
special Trust and Confidence in our Trusty and Well-beloved Brothers
the said Francis Hogan, Alexr Pearson and Paul Shortlin - - - - - - - of whose Abilities and Knowledge in Masonry, We are satisfied; Do,
by these PRESENTS, of Our certain Knowledge, and meer Motion,
Nominate, Create, Authorize and Constitute the said Francis Hogan
Master, Alexr Pearson and Paul Shortlin Wardens to be Master and
Wardens of a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, to be held by them and
their Successors lawfully admitted in the said Lodge forever, AND we do
hereby Give and Grant unto the said Francis Hogan, Alexr Pearson and
Paul Shortlin and their Successors, full Power and lawful Authority from
Time to Time to proceed to Election of a new Master and Wardens, to make
such Laws, Rules and Orders as they from Time to Time shall think Proper
and Convenient for the Well-Being and Ordering of the said Lodge;
reserving to Our Selves and Our Successors, Grand Masters or Grand
Wardens of IRELAND, the sole Right of deciding all Differences which shall
be brought by Appeal before Us and Our Successors, Grand Masters or
Grand Wardens of IRELAND. IN WITNESS whereof, We have hereunto set
Our Hands and Seal of Office this Thirtyeth Day of May in the Year of our
Lord God, 1738 and in the Year of Masonry, 5738.
Intratur per
John xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[Source: Grand Lodge of Ireland]
REF:
I52
145
Lodge No. 535 IC, in the 30th Regiment of Foot, various locations 1776-1823
[now part of The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment]
On October 3, 1776, the Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 535 to Bros. James Ellis,
Master; and James Hastie and Alex McGill, Wardens, to hold a Lodge in the 30th Regiment of Foot. Ten
other names were added to the roll between this date and July 25, 1780. W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes
on Lodges in the 30th Foot, gives December 3, 1776 as the date of issue.
From 1761 until 1776 the 30th Foot served in the Garrison at Gibraltar but the lack of reporting to
Grand Lodge and the loss of the Minute Book makes it unclear whether the Lodge was working during this
time. As Freemasonry was active in the garrison it is very likely that the Lodge met with the other Irish and
Antients Lodges which would be found there.
By 1781 the Regiment was in the Americas and there are clear indications that the Lodge was
working there. Bro. Jeremiah Wright, Master of No. 535 IC sat on a Committee in 1782 to examine the
working of St. Andrew’s Lodge, No.1, South Carolina, and testified on April 26, 1782, to the Provincial Grand
Lodge of Pennsylvania that the members of St. Andrew’s were entitled to work as Antient Masons (Source:
Sachse, Old Lodges in Pennsylvania, vol ii, p.178.). Demits are recorded as being granted by No. 535 IC to
Bro. Isaac Reed, Long Island, NY, showing that on July 20, 1783, he was made a Royal Arch and SuperExcellent Mason, and on August 25, 1783, dubbed a Knight of the Red Cross (Source: The Freemason,
1871).
The history of the Lodge after 1783 is not clear although Grand Lodge records indicate that the
Lodge fought with the Regiment in Corsica in 1793121
On the Irish Register it is recorded that the original Warrant was lost and a duplicate granted in May
1805 to Bros. J. F. Kingsley, William Stewart and David Glass (roll numbers 14, 15 and 16 of the Lodge).
V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that the date of reissue was May 1808
while Sheppard cites May 1, 1808.
There has been some question as to the date on which the Warrant was cancelled and some records
indicate that it was cancelled in June 1807. Bro. Norman Rogers, in his Lancashire Military Lodges, as
printed in Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, June 12, 1963, indicates that No. 535 IC was
cancelled on July 3, 1823, as the Lodge had not communicated with the Grand Lodge of Ireland since
obtaining the duplicate Warrant. This date of 1823 is also used by Crossle, R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in
his CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973 and by W. Bro.
Ray Sheppard.
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces includes the Warrant in his list.
An enquiry was made to the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1999 to obtain a copy of Warrant No. 535
issued to the 30th Foot. The reply indicated that no copy of the Warrant could be found in the archives.
Crossle has also noted that the number “535” was used for a Warrant to hold a Lodge at
Mountpottinger, Co. Down. No date of issue is shown, nor a date when the Warrant was struck from the rolls.
Cochrane lists this issue as June 24, 1922 for “Albertbridge Lodge”, Mountpottinger, Belfast, and shows the
Lodge as “Current” in 2002.
[Sources: (1) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V. W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as printed in The Lodge
121
and 69th Regt., No. 174 I.C. (1791-1821).
146
of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957. (2) Irish Masonic Records, by V. W.
Philip Crossle, P.G.S.D., published by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, 1973. (3) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, CDROM Update (Fall 2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (4) History of
Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (5) “The Poor Common Soldier,” A Study of the
Irish Ambulatory Warrants, by John Heron Lepper, in his paper printed in the Transactions of the Quatuor
Coronati Lodge, 1925. (6) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces,
Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor
Coronati Lodge. (7) Lancashire Military Lodges, by Bro. Norman Rogers, as printed in Transactions of the
Quatuor Coronati Lodge, June 12, 1963. (8) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of
Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (9) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray
Sheppard, P.M. 322 IC, September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 30th Foot.]
REF:
E48
147
Lodge, No. 5 PGLGibraltar(A), in the 31st Regiment of Foot and/or Royal Artillery, Gibraltar
1802-????
[now part of The Queen’s Regiment]
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, refers to the issue of Warrant No. 5 to a Lodge
in the 31st Regiment of Foot, in 1802, by the Antients Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar. The Warrant was
never registered on the books of Grand Lodge and no further Warrant was issued. It is unclear whether this
Warrant was actually issued for a new Lodge in the 31st Foot, or to one of the earlier Warranted Lodges, to
a combined 31st Foot/Royal Artillery Lodge, or to a Lodge in the Royal Artillery. There are indications that
Lodge No. 5 was a joint one, sponsored by members of the 31st Foot and the Royal Artillery. It is not clear
when the Lodge ceased working, or at least surrendered the local Warrant. [Note: Warrant No. 5 PRGibraltar
was reissued in 1811 to a Lodge in the Royal Artillery.]
There is no clear entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 for this Lodge although there is
reference on page 465 to “No. 5, Provincial, in the Royal Artillery. Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibralter
(Ancients), No. 220, Warranted 25 January, 1786. [See page 156].” The reference to “page 156" refers to
the issue of the Warrant for the Provincial Grand Lodge only.
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, does
not include this Warrant in his list on page 40 and W. Bro. Ray Sheppard does not include the Lodge either.
[Sources: (1) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M.
322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 31st Foot. (2) History of Freemasonry, R. F. Gould, 3rd
Edition, 1886. (3) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895.(4) The MasterMason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, by Bro. Frederick Smyth in his
Prestonian Lecture for as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge.]
148
REF:
REF:
E49
E49
Meridian Lodge, No. 743 ER, in the 31st Regiment of Foot 1863-????
Meridian Lodge, No. 1045 ER, in the 31st Regiment of Foot 1858-1863
With the arrival of the 31st Regiment of Foot at Gibraltar in 1857, came several enthusiastic
Freemasons in the Regiment. Lieutenant Robert Freke Gould became a strong force behind the resuscitation
of Inhabitants Lodge No. 153 ER (see p 25) and the formation of Meridian Lodge in the Regiment.
United Grand Lodge of England issued Warrant No. 1045 on May 17, 1858 to hold Meridian Lodge
in the 31st Regiment of Foot. W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 31st Foot, writes that
Meridian Lodge had, amongst its Charter Members, Robert Freke Gould, a well respected Masonic
researcher and writer.
In the renumbering of warrants in 1863 the Lodge became No. 743. Sheppard also notes that in 1876
the Lodge was again reported at Gibraltar and, in 1884, at Aldershot. Lane’s notes indicate that as of 1894
the Lodge was held in the 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment (the eventual designation of the original 31st
Foot).
The date of surrender and/or cancellation of Warrant No. 743 is unknown.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894, p. 313, reads: “1894 No. 743. Meridian
Lodge. Thirty-first Regiment of Foot, at Gibraltar (Malaga) Spain. 1858. (G.L. Warrant) 17 May 1858 No.
1045. 1863 No. 743. At Gibraltar (Malaga) Spain 1876. At Aldershot, Hampshire, 1884. Now designated the
1st Battalion East Surrey Regiment.” The lack of reference to any erasure of the Warrant indicates that this
occurred after 1895 and the release of Lane’s publication.
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge,
notes the year of issue as 1858 and does not include any reference to the renumbering of 1863. Robert
Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, includes the Lodge in a listing entitled “Existing British Field
Lodges, 1886” but with the Warrant as No. 743 ER, and the year of issue as 1858, the year being incorrect
for the Warrant, but correct for the year of establishment of the Lodge. Neither writer had specified the
renumbering of the original warrant No. 1045 to No. 743 in 1863.
[Sources: (1) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895. (2) Flags of Masonry
in the line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes
on Lodges in the 31st Foot. (2) History of Freemasonry, R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (3) The MasterMason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, by Bro. Frederick Smyth in his
Prestonian Lecture for as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge.]
REF:
I53
149
Lodge No. 61 IC, in the 32nd Regiment of Foot 1736/7-1801
[now part of The Light Infantry Regiment]
Although there is no entry in the Grand Lodge Register (due to the loss of the earliest Registers
predating 1769) Warrant No. 61 was issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland either on November 1736 or
February 1737 to the men of the 32nd Regiment of Foot. The Warrant was erased at Gibralter in 1792 and
by Grand Lodge on November 5, 1801.
V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, 1973, and R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in
his CD-ROM Update (June 2000) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, agree on these
dates. Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry notes the date of issue as “cir. 1747” and Bro.
Freemasonry in the Armed Forces includes this Warrant in his list on page 40 with the year of issue shown
as 1736. V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, in his paper Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, notes that the
Warrant was erased at Gibraltar in 1802.
Beyond these dates there is no known information regarding the Lodge’s activities there during its
56 year existence. Cochrane notes “NOTHING in Vols. 1 to 5 G.L. Registers”.
An enquiry was made to the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1999 to obtain a copy of Warrant No. 61. The
reply indicated that no copy of the Warrant could be found in the archives.
Crossle also notes that the number “61” was used for an undated Warrant issued to hold a Lodge
at Ballymacarett, Co. Down, no date of being struck off the rolls is listed. Cochrane lists two later Warrants
bearing the number “61” issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland: on March 1, 1810 to hold a Lodge at
Stewartstown, Co. Tyrone, which was sent in to Grand Lodge on July 7, 1850; and on March 5, 1891, to hold
Leslie J. Thompson Lodge at Ballymacarett, Belfast, being shown in 2001 as “Current”.
Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (4) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed
Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth, Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor
Coronati Lodge, 1990, London. (5) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as
printed in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957, pp 119-141.
(6) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (7) Flags of Masonry
on Lodges in the 32nd Foot.]
150
REF:
S9
White’s Lodge, No. 73 SC, in the 32nd Regiment of Foot 1754-1809
Following receipt of a Petition, the Grand Lodge of Scotland issued Warrant No. 73 on November
25, 1754 to White’s Lodge, in the 32nd Regiment of Foot.
Lodges in Gibraltar, one Scottish in 32nd Regiment . . . .”. There is no further information regarding the
length of time the Regiment and its Lodge worked on Gibraltar.
The Lodge was erased from the Rolls of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1809. [Source: C. Martin
McGibbon, ASCA, Grand Secretary, The Grand Lodge of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.]
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge,
includes this Warrant in his list on page 40.
Brother Captain William Thomas, in his Freemasonry in the British Army, published in the Grand
Lodge of Scotland Year Book, 1997, includes this issue of Warrant No. 73 although he shows no name of
the Lodge, but that it was held in “White’s Regiment”.
[Sources: (1) History of Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (2) The Master-Mason-AtArms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth, Prestonian Lecture for
Lodges in the 32nd Foot. (4) Freemasonry in the British Army, by Bro. Captain William Thomas, Grand
Lodge of Scotland Year Book, 1997. (5) Lodges Chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland, by W. Bro.
George S. Draffen, published in limited copies in 1950 by the Grand Lodge of Scotland. (6) Flags of Masonry
REF:
I54
151
Officers’ Lodge No. 617 IC, in the 32nd (Cornwall) Regiment of Foot 1783-1815
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 617 on May 1, 1783 to the 32nd (Cornwall)
Regiment of Foot. V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, 1973 notes that the Warrant was
for a Lodge for the Officers of the 32nd Foot. R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (June
2000) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that three members were registered
on May 1, 1783 and listed in Volume 2 of the Grand Lodge Register: Lieutenant-Colonel Edmund Strackar;
Captain Edward Edwards and Lieutenant Thomas Ormsby and that there was no indication of Master or
Wardens. While this may true in terms of the contents of the Grand Lodge Register, Stracker was WM,
Edwards was SW and Ormsby was JW. A further eleven brethren were registered on November 21, 1785.
Cochrane also notes that this was the first “Officers Lodge” for which there is any known record. The name
“Officers’ Lodge” used above is indicative of the purpose of the Lodge only - there is no indication that the
Lodge ever used a particular name.
Cochrane writes that by 1786 the Antients at Gibraltar “gradually got the upper hand” and received
a Warrant establishing the Antient Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalucia (Gibraltar). The History of
Freemasonry on Gibraltar122 notes that a Minute of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, “dated July 4, 1793, records
that Lodge 617, an officer’s Lodge held in 32nd. Foot, wrote complaining of their suspension by the Grand
Lodge of Andalucia and they were ordered “while in Gibraltar to conform to its laws and regulations”.” The
Regiment had left Gibraltar in 1792 and Cochrane cites Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry,
reporting that the records of the Company of Artificers, Provincial Warrant123, mention three military Lodges
as having recently left the Garrison as well as “. . . . a Warrant (Irish) held by the officers of the 32nd Foot,
but for neglect erased.” It is interesting that while Cochrane has noted “Erased at Gibraltar, 1792" against
the notes on Lodge No. 61 IC, it is this Lodge, No. 617, which is noted as “erased for neglect”.
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 32nd Foot, says that the “Lodge was said to
have had a Local Warrant at Gibraltar, before 1792.
In his May 1994 publication Masonic Lodges held in the 28th Regt. Gloucestershire Old Braggs,
Sheppard notes that at Waterloo the 28th and 32nd Regiments, supplemented by 100 men of the Royal
Tyrone Regiment of Fusiliers (Militia), formed part of the Fifth Division, under the command of General Sir
Thomas Picton. He also notes that each of the three Regiments held masonic lodges - No. 260 IC, in the 2nd
Battalion, 28th Foot; an Officers Lodge, No. 617 IC, in the 32nd and Lodge No. 846 IC in the Tyrone Militia.
Regardless of when the Lodge actually went into darkness - sometime after 1785 and before 1792 Warrant No. 617 IC, was not erased by the Grand Lodge of Ireland until July 6, 1815.
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces includes this Warrant in his list on page 40.
Crossle also notes that the number “617” was later issued to hold a Lodge at Gwelo, Rhodesia, no
date of issue or of being struck off the roll is shown. Cochrane reports the date of issue of March 1, 1928 to
hold Selukwe-Gwelo Lodge in Selukwe, Rhodesia, and that, as of 2000, it was listed as “Current” in 2001.
An enquiry was made to the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1999 to obtain a copy of Warrant No. 617 for
the Officers Lodge in the 32nd Foot. The reply indicated that no copy of the Warrant could be found in the
archives.
122
Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar website <www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/history.htm>.
123
This was probably Ordnance Lodge, No. 202 ER(A), in HM Ordnance at Gibraltar (1777-1807) which
became the present-day Inhabitants Lodge, No. 153 ER.
152
Coronati Lodge, 1990, London. (5) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as
printed in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957, pp 119-141.
(6) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (7) Flags of Masonry
REF:
I63
153
Gibraltar Lodge No. 128 IC, in the 39th Regiment of Foot, various locations 1741-post
1886
[now part of The Devonshire and Dorsetshire Regiment]
There is some confusion in the records regarding the issue of Irish Warrant No. 128. In some there
are indications that the Grand Lodge of Ireland originally issued Warrant No. 128 sometime before 1728 for
St. John of Jerusalem Lodge in the Gibraltar Garrison. But, in fact, the premier Grand Lodge had issued
Warrant No. 51 in 1728 for the Lodge which was a stationary one established for military personnel serving
at Gibraltar (in fact the Lodge was the first to be established on Gibraltar and the second to be warranted by
the premier Grand Lodge outside of the British Isles).
In the Calpe Lodge History (Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar)124, it is recorded that Irish
Freemasonry first came to Gibraltar when Masons in the 39th Foot in the Gibraltar garrison applied to the
Grand Lodge of Ireland for a Warrant. The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 128 on either
November 21, 1741 or November 3, 1742125 (Crossle) to hold a Lodge in the 39th Regiment of Foot. R. W.
Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish
Masonic Records, 1973, notes the date of issue as November 21, 1742. This was the second Lodge
established on Gibraltar (after St. John of Jerusalem Lodge, No. 51 ER, in 1727/8). It is not clear when the
Lodge adopted the name Gibraltar, but it appeared in various Grand Lodge minutes, although not on the
Warrant.
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 39th Foot, writes that the “39th Regiment of
Foot was the first Regiment to go to India in 1756, acted as Marines under Adm. Watson for Madras.” Thus
by 1757 the Regiment was stationed in India126 and Lodge No. 128 IC made the first Mason in India the same
year. During the next several years Lodge No. 128 IC erected many Lodges in that country (Robert Freke
Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, page 397, says, “. . . in Hindostan”). Gould also notes on page 397 that
“There is a stone let into the wall in Fort-William, Calcutta, commemorative of the early history of this Lodge.
All its working tools and jewels fell into the hands of the enemy during the Peninsular War, but were
subsequently returned to the regiment”.
Cochrane notes that the original Warrant No. 128 appears to have lapsed before 1758 and that a
new one, No. 290, was issued in 1758. It would appear from the remaining information available regarding
No. 128, that it continued to operate and that No. 290 worked at the same period of time. For this reason the
two Lodges are reported separately.
As Gibraltar Lodge, No. 128, it was working at Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, in September and
October 1791. It would seem that the Lodge did not normally register members until it was “home” in Ireland
and up to November 22, 1792, 28 brethren were registered.
The Lodge regalia and furniture were carried throughout many of the assignments and battles in
which the Regiment took part, consequently duplicate Warrants were issued by Grand Lodge in 1785, June
7, 1810 and April 1, 1819. This last Duplicate Warrant was issued to: John Chance (Lodge No. 325 IC at
Mallow Co. Cork, 1803-1826), Thos. Davis (Lodge No. 895 IC in the 71st Foot, 1801-1835), Simon Haughton
(Lodge No. 218 in the 48th Foot, 1750-1858), Jas. Allwood (Lodge No. 858 IC at Tullamore, Co. Offaly,
1798-1825), John Lynch (Lodge No. 323 ER, in the Royal Marines at Calcutta, 1769?-1843?), and John Reay
124
An excellent 72 page summary of the full history of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar is maintained
on the Lodge web site at <http://www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/fullhistory.html>. It is accompanied by a twelve
page summary entitled The First Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar.
125
The History of Calpe Lodge shows a date of November 21, 1742.
126
The 39th Foot was the first British Army Regiment (as opposed to regiments of the HEIC) to serve in
India.
154
(Lodge No. 111 ER, a civilian Lodge).
In 1814-15 the 39th Regiment was placed in the garrisons in Quebec and Chambly for use in the
expedition against American forces assembled at Plattsburg, returning to Europe in 1815 and joining the
“army of occupation” until 1818 when it returned to Ireland. It is possible that Gibraltar Lodge worked in
Lower Canada although there is no clear proof of this and the Lodge can be seen to have met sporadically
at various times during its existence.
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 39th Foot, writes that a Duplicate Warrant was
again issued on August 1, 1819. Grand Lodge records note the Lodge as working in the Richmond Barracks
in Dublin in 1821.
Between 1819 and 1859 a total of 160 brethren were registered with Grand Lodge, and between
November 1, 1860 and April 16, 1872, a further 16, according to Cochrane.
Grand Lodge records show the Lodge met in Newry during 1850 and 1851 when the 39th Foot was
in garrison there. On January 6, 1851 the Lodge was reported to have held a Masonic Ball in the old Savings
Bank at Newry during which they entertained Brethren from Lodges in Dundalk and Newry, the Ball being
given in costume. On May 1, 1851, Major Nixon of the Lodge is recorded as having presented jewels to the
Master, Bro. Captain Munroe and Past Master, Bro. Captain Herbert “for their long, tried, and faithful
services, as Master of that Lodge (No. 128) for upwards of fifteen years”. One member, John Noble, was
registered on October 13, 1851 and is shown in the Grand Lodge records as “killed in the Crimea - widow
relieved”. In 1762 the British captured Manila from Spain and the 39th formed part of the garrison there,
Lodge No. 128 meeting in the Cathedral of Intramuros until 1764, when the Archbishop of Manila sought
authority from Spain to raze the cathedral because of “this desecration”, which was not given127. During this
time Matthew Horne served in the British forces in Manila and attended the Lodge meetings. He later
returned to Madras and, in 1786, was appointed as the second Antients Provincial Grand Master of Madras.
No returns were made to Grand Lodge after 1874, and the Warrant was returned to Grand Lodge
on July 17, 1886 - the Warrant carrying the following notation on the bottom “Recd. 17-7-86”.
Gould includes the Warrant in his listing of “Existing British Field Lodges, 1886” as follows: “39th Ft.,
Gibraltar, 128, I., 1742”, indicating that it was still working in 1886, the year in which Grand Lodge records
indicate the Warrant was returned. Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled The
Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces notes this Warrant with an issue
year of 1742.
Cochrane notes that a Warrant bearing the number “128” was again issued by the Grand Lodge of
Ireland on March 3, 1893, to Anchor Lodge, Arthur Square, Belfast, the Lodge being listed as “Current” in
2001.
An enquiry was directed to the Grand Lodge of Ireland early in 2000 regarding the location of
Warrant No. 128 and to obtain a photocopy. Grand Lodge graciously responded in a letter dated March 3,
2000, enclosing a copy of the Duplicate Warrant of April 1, 1819.
The Warrant itself appears to measure about 11½ inches wide and 17¾ inches long. There is a onehalf inch border on the four edges consisting of intertwined clovers and, in the upper two corners, there are
Irish harps. The words “The Grand Lodge of Ireland” are in a arched form across the top of the Warrant with
a picture underneath of an all-seeing eye shining down on a woman holding three children. There are three
separate images across the bottom - on the left is a pilgrim kneeling on his right knee, holding a cross and
chalice or cup in his right hand facing towards the centre of the bottom where there is the top of an altar upon
which there is a pillow with a Volume of the Sacred Law surmounted by a square and compasses. In the
bottom right hand corner is a “ruin” with an “angelic figure” supporting an anchor. A transcript of the Warrant
is provided on the next page.
127
The Cathedral of Intramuros was destroyed during World War II.
155
Coronati Lodge, 1990, London. (5) “The Poor Common Soldier”, A Study of Irish Ambulatory Warrants, by
Bro. John Heron Lepper, as printed in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925, (6) Some Notes
Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957, pp 119-141. (7) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and
Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (8) Outlines of the History of Freemasonry in the Province of
Quebec, by John H. Graham, 1892. (9) Early Canadian Freemasonry 1759-1869, by Pemberton Smith, P.M.,
O.R., 1939. (10) Website of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar at www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325. (11) Flags
of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September
2002, notes on Lodges in the 39th Foot.]
156
Transcript of the Duplicate Warrant No. 128 IC issued to hold a Lodge in the 39th Foot
SEAL
GRAND LODGE OF IRELAND
No.
128
LEINSTER G.M.
By the Most Worshipful
His Grace Augustus Fredk Duke of Leinster
GRAND MASTER
The Right Worshipful
John Fowler Esq.
DEPUTY GRAND MASTER
Rt. Honble. John Lord Hutchinson
SENIOR GRAND WARDEN
Most Noble Howe Marquis of Sligo
JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN
Assembled
Whereas our trusty and Well beloved Brethren John Chance, Thomas Davis
and Simon Haughton have Besought us that we would be pleased to Erect a Lodge of Free Masons in His
Majesty’s Thirty ninth Regiment of Infantry of such persons who by their knowledge in Masonry may contribute
to the true advancement thereof. We therefore having nothing more at heart than the Prosperity of Masonry and
reposing special confidence in our said trusty and well beloved Brethren Do by these Presents constitute and
appoint them the said John Chance, Thomas Davis and Simon Haughton to be Master and Wardens of a Lodge
of Free and Accepted Masons to be holden in His Majesty’s Thirty ninth Regiment of Infantry aforesaid by them
and their Successors lawfully Admitted in said Lodge forever. And We do hereby grant unto them and their
Successors full Power and Authority to proceed from time to time to the Election of a new Master and Wardens
in said Lodge Provided always that they said John Chance, Thomas Davis and Simon Haughton and their
Successors Do and Shall at all times hereafter pay implicit observance to and act and conduct the affairs of
same in strict conformity to the now existing Laws of Masonry and to such other Laws and Regulations for the
Government of the Craft as shall at any time hereafter be issued by the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ireland
or in default thereof then and in such case reserving unto the said Right Worshipful Grand Lodge the full power
and Authority of annulling and cancelling these Presents or otherwise proceeding in the premises as to them
shall seem meet In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our Hands and Seal of Office at Dublin the Metropolis of
Ireland this First day of April
in the Year of our Lord God 1819 nineteen
Entered by me
and of Masonry 5819
------- Graham GSec
Recd 17-7-86
REF:
I64
157
Lodge No. 290 IC, in the 39th Regiment of Foot 1758-1785/1804?
[now part of The Devonshire and Dorsetshire Regiment]
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 290 on January 5, 1758, to the men of the 39th
Regiment of Foot. R. W. Bro. Keith Crossle, in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro.
Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that the three members registered with Grand Lodge
were: Philip Williams, Master; and Wm. Hamilton and James McGuiner, Wardens.
Lodge No. 290 IC was in Gibraltar with the Regiment and, when trouble between Antients’ and
Moderns’ Masons on Gibraltar became acute in 1772, was forced by circumstances to side with the Antients.
On St. John’s Day, December 1772, the various Moderns’ Lodges wished to exclude Lodge No. 148 ER(A)
from taking part in the customary procession, but Lodge No. 148 was supported by four Irish Lodges128 to
attend the procession. The Irish Lodges wrote in May 1773 to the Grand Lodge of Ireland justifying their
action, and, apparently, received a reply endorsing it. It is interesting that in Cochrane’s notes on the Lodge
he says: “From the Minutes of the Junior Grand Lodge of England (Antients) we find:- “December 15th, 1773.
Heard a letter from No. 148 (Royal Artillery) at Gibraltar, setting forth that a set of people who had their
authority from the ‘Modern’ Grand Lodge, thought proper to dispute the legality of said warrant No. 148. That
in the said garrison there were also held Lodges 11, 244, 290, 359, 420 and 466 (1st, 2nd, 39th, 76th, 56th
and 58th Foot), on the Registry of Ireland, and No. 58 (12th Regiment) on the Registry of Scotland”.” This
quotation is useful not only in outlining the problems the Antients and Moderns continued to have, but is also
an interesting summary of the non-Moderns Lodges assembled at Gibraltar.
When the 39th Foot was assigned to the Americas, Lodge No. 290 IC accompanied it and continued
to work. Minutes of Lodge No. 1, Philadelphia, dated May 11, 1779, note “Bros. Jasper William Lewis of
Lodge No. 290 Register of Ireland & Bro. John Hincklrey of New England have represented their Wants &
distress in a petition to the Masters of the different Lodges when a Collection was made for their relief in this
Lodge amounting to £ 42:16:9.” 129 [Note: as the Regiment was at this time in the West Indies, it is possible
that Bro. Lewis was a British prisoner of war, held in Philadelphia.]
Sometime between 1785 and 1804 Lodge No. 290 IC was settled in Castletown, Isle of Man.
Although this removal was without the formal approval of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, it appears to have
been accepted130. Cochrane notes that the Grand Lodge Register is written up as “No. 290, Held in
Castletown, Isle of Man” and it lists members of the Lodge numbered 48 to 53 inclusive with the date
February 3, 1786, and members numbered 54 to 56 inclusive with the date March 3, 1787. This last entry
is followed by the note “Cancelled by order, Grand Lodge, 7th October, 1813.” Cochrane notes that there is
always the possibility that while the 39th Foot was not stationed on the Isle of Man a small detachment were
there and that they had taken the Warrant and Lodge Chest, although there is no proof of this. This short
existence of Lodge No. 290 IC on the Isle of Man, in either a civilian or military character, is referred to in
the History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, 1925.
Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A
Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces includes Warrant No 290, for the 39th Foot, in his list on
128
of Foot.
129
From page 156 of “The Poor Common Soldier”, A Study of Irish Ambulatory Warrants by Bro. John
Heron Lepper, W. M., Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076, E.R., as printed in the Transactions of the Quatuor
Coronati Lodge, 1925.
130
This would appear to make Lodge No. 290 the second permanent (civilian) Lodge on the Isle of Man.
The earliest Irish civilian Lodge appears to have been No. 458, issued on December 3, 1767, to hold a Lodge at
Douglas, and which probably expired prior to 1813.
158
page 40.
Both Crossle and Cochrane note that the number “290” was used four more times for Warrants:
•
in 1785 to hold a Lodge in Castletown, Isle of Man (struck off the rolls in 1802) and referred to
above;
•
in 1825, to hold a Lodge at Kells, Co. Antrim (no date shown for being struck off the rolls). Cochrane
lists the issue as June 24, 1821, to hold a Lodge at Kells, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, being cancelled
on September 7, 1843;
•
unlisted by Crossle, but shown by Cochrane, is the issue, on May 6, 1841, of Warrant No. 290 by
the Grand Lodge of Ireland, for St. John’s Lodge, London, Canada West. The Lodge had been
formed in 1841 when the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West was dormant. Although the
Warrant was issued in 1841, Dispensation was not granted until January 11, 1842, by Bro. Thomas
Dillon in Toronto, in his capacity as District Grand Master for Ireland in Canada West;
•
undated Warrant No 290 for St. Leonard’s Lodge, Sydney, New South Wales (no date shown for
being struck off the rolls). Cochrane notes the date of issue as July 18, 1867, which makes this the
earliest record of a Masonic Lodge in the northern suburbs of Sydney. The Lodge appears to have
been “in abeyance” in 1876, and was removed from the printed report in 1886; and
•
undated Warrant No. 290, to hold a Lodge at Ballymacarett, Co. Down (no date shown for being
struck off the rolls). Cochrane shows this as being issued on June 7, 1900 for Deramore Lodge,
Rosetta, Belfast, removed to Ballymacarret, Belfast in 1918 and shown as “Current” in 2000.
Warrant No. 290, and to obtain a photocopy if the Warrant was available. Grand Lodge responded in a letter
dated March 3, 2000, indicating that there was no copy or original in the Archives, and that it had probably
never been returned to Grand Lodge.
Coronati Lodge, 1990, London. (5) “The Poor Common Soldier”, A Study of Irish Ambulatory Warrants, by
Bro. John Heron Lepper, as printed in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925, (6) Some Notes
Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957, pp 119-141. (7) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and
Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (10) website of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar at
www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325. (11) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro.
Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 39th Foot.]
REF:
REF:
I68
I68
159
Hibernia Lodge No. 42 IC, in the 42nd (The Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot 1809-1840
Hibernia Lodge, No. 42 PGLMunster, in the 42nd (The Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot
????-1809
[The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)]
Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that although there is no record in the Register of the Grand
Lodge of Ireland for the original issue of the first Warrant bearing the number “42”, one did take place as it
was erased on November 5, 1801.
The second issue of a Warrant bearing the number “42”, was made by Alexander Seton, Provincial
Grand Secretary of Munster, when he was issuing Warrants on his own authority, and did so to the men of
the 42nd (The Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot. No date of issue is known. This was very likely the actual
original issue of No. 42 as Seton had the habit of obtaining old unused Warrants and reissuing them while
keeping the money charged for the Warrant to the new Lodge. The Lodge, however, obviously recognizing
the questionable authority under which Seton issued Warrants, also applied to the Grand Lodge of Ireland
for recognition and (officially) received Warrant No. 42 dated April 6, 1809, for Hibernia Lodge in the
Regiment, free of expense (this was likely because the Lodge was able to prove that they had already paid
Seton). Three members were registered with Grand Lodge on April 6, 1809: Donald Dunnett; Domk.
(probably Dominick) Madden and David Davie, but there was no registration of Master or Wardens.
Seal of Hibernia Lodge, No. 42 IC
[Source: Calpe Lodge History.]
The Regiment served in the Peninsular campaigns although there is no information available from
Grand Lodge Records regarding the working of the Lodge in this period of warfare. Cochrane cites an
interesting occurrence regarding Masonic support during the crossing of the Adour River. It is taken from
James Auton “late Quarter-Master Sergeant, 42nd or Royal Highlanders” in his Retrospect of a Military Life
(1841), but, as Cochrane notes, it is unknown whether Q-M Sergeant Auton was a member of Lodge No. 42
IC or 310 IC131, both being held in the 42nd Foot:
"I was General Park's orderly this night and had a good roof over my head, and the dry floor of a cartshed, with plenty of dry straw for a bed; but my poor wife was absent, for the first since we left home. She was
detained along with several other women, on the right bank of the Adour, until the bridge was repaired. While
this was doing, one of the women belonging to the regiment begged her to take care of a little ass colt, with a
couple of bundles, until she should get back to St. Severe to make some purchases; she complied and before
the other returned the bridge was repaired. Our regiment has passed and she followed, driving the colt before
her; but before she got to the further end, the stubborn animal stood still and would not move a foot. Another
131
Cochrane’s actual note reads: “. . . but whether the writer who relates it was a member of the Irish
Lodge “Hibernia” (No. 42) or the Scottish Lodge “St. Andrew” (No. 310), both of which existed in the Regiment . . . .”
Warrant No. 239 is the correct number for St. Andrew’s Lodge.
160
regiment was advancing, the passage was impeded, and what to do she knew not. She was in the act of
removing the woman's bundles from the beast's back, and struggling to get out of the way, determined to leave
the animal when a grenadier of the advancing regiment, casting his eye on a finely polished horn with the
Masonic arms cut in it, and slung over her shoulder, stepped aside, saying ‘Poor creature, I shall not see you
left struggling here for the sake of what is slung by your side’; at the same time handing his musket to one of
his comrades, he lifted the colt in his arms and carried it to the end of the bridge. My poor wife thanked him with
a tear in her eye the only acknowledgment she could make for his kindness; but she has often thought of it since,
and congratulated herself on having the good fortune to have the horn, empty as it was, with its talismanic
hieroglyphic slung by her side on that occasion; and thus to raise up a friend when she was so much in need
of one."
The Regiment returned to Ireland eventually and Cochrane notes that Lodge No. 42 met in the
Richmond Barracks, Dublin, in 1820.
No. 130 IC (held in the 1st Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment) sponsored the Petition for a Warrant for
Gibraltar Lodge (the first civilian and stationary Irish Lodge on Gibraltar, issued Warrant No. 325 IC, and still
working but now known as Calpe Lodge). The Masters and officers of Lodges 42 IC and 130 IC Consecrated
the new Lodge and Installed the WM and officers on January 23, 1827, at the Freemason’s Tavern in
Gibraltar.
Hibernia Lodge had registered 269 members up to August 1840. Cochrane notes that “Bro. Wm.
Martin of this Lodge (No. 42 IC) is recorded as a Visitor to Lodge No. 205, Newry, on 6 January, 1836”. He
notes that Thomas Dixon was initiated into Lodge No. 42 on August 5, 1840 and became No. 263 on the
Register; the entry shows “Asst. Tyler to G.L. - Died Dec. 1862”. As the Lodge had closed by 1862, this entry
was likely made by the Grand Secretary’s office.
Cochrane notes that both the Scottish and Irish Lodges of the 42nd Foot worked well together “The
possibility, moreover, of two Lodges working simultaneously in an infantry battalion of the usual strength is
evidenced by the proceedings at the centenary of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1836, when the members
of “Hibernia” No. 42 IC and “St. Andrew” in the 42nd Foot (or Black Watch) attracted admiration alike for their
martial appearance and Masonic behaviour.”
Grand Lodge minutes of August 6, 1840 note that the Warrant was “sent in in obedience to the
orders of Sir Edward Blakeney, Commander in Chief”. [Note: this action was taken in view of the
government’s move against masons in the military.] The Warrant was subsequently cancelled.
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry lists the Warrant issued by the Grand Lodge of
Ireland to the 42nd Foot, but not the issue by the Provincial Grand Master of Munster, which is mirrored by
Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study
of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces. V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes
the issue and includes a notation “Issued to replace S. No. 42”.
Crossle also lists two further Warrants which were issued with the number “42”:
•
in 1891 to Shekelton Lodge, Shekelton, struck off the rolls in 1906. Cochrane shows this listing as
issued on March 5, 1891 and the Warrant surrendered on December 6, 1906. He notes that the
name of the Lodge was chosen to honour Rt. Wor. Br. Shekelton QC, Deputy Grand Master of the
Grand Lodge of Ireland from 1870 to 1897; and
•
undated Warrant No. 42 issued to hold a Lodge at Maghera, Co. Londonderry. Cochrane lists this
132
161
issue as being made on March 12, 1907 and lists the Lodge as “Current”.
Warrant No. 42, and to obtain a photocopy if the Warrant was available. Grand Lodge responded in a letter
dated March 3, 2000, indicating that there was no original in the Archives, and that it had probably never
been returned to Grand Lodge.
[Sources: (1) History of Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (2) Irish Masonic Records, by V.
W. Bro. Philip Crossle, published 1973 by the Grand Lodge of Ireland in manuscript form. (3) R. W. Bro.
Keith Cochrane in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish
in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957. (5) The Master-MasonAt-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, by Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian
Lecture for 1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (6) History of the Grand
Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol I, by John Heron Lepper and Philip Crossle, published
by the Lodge of Research, No. CC, IC, Dublin, 1925. (7) The First Two Hundred Years of the Craft in
Gibraltar, held on the Calpe Lodge website: http://www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/fullhistory.html. (8) Flags
of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September
2002, notes on Lodges in the 42nd Foot.]
162
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
REF:
S11
S11
S11
S11
S11
St. Andrew Lodge, No. 239 SC, in the 42nd Regiment of
[The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)]
Foot
Foot
Foot
Foot
Foot
1826-1848
1822-1826
1816-1822
????-1816
1811-????
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 42nd Foot, writes that Warrant No. 310 SC was
issued on February 4, 1811, to hold a Lodge in the 1st Battalion, 42nd Foot. The Lodge name adopted was
St. Andrew. The Warrant was renumbered as No. 315 SC (no date), No. 232 SC (1816), No. 243 SC (1822)
and 239 SC (1826). He notes that the Lodge was dormant by 1848.
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry lists the Warrant on page 402, and comments
in a footnote that “Eighty-nine members were enrolled within nine months of its constitution; and fifty entrants
were admitted in the four months immediately following the Battle of Waterloo” (June 18, 1815). Grand
Lodge records indicate that the Lodge was “certainly active in 1836”.
It is possible that the Lodge worked in Gibraltar from 1826 to 1832 when the Regiment was in the
garrison. Regrettably they do not appear to have played any part in the formation or Consecration of
Gibraltar Lodge, No. 325 IC (now Calpe Lodge), in 1826 and 1827.
Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that both the Scottish and Irish Lodges of the 42nd Foot worked
well together “The possibility, moreover, of two Lodges working simultaneously in an infantry battalion of the
usual strength is evidenced by the proceedings at the centenary of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1836,
when the members of “Hibernia” No. 42 IC and “St. Andrew” in the 42nd Foot (or Black Watch) attracted
admiration alike for their martial appearance and Masonic behaviour.” (An interesting observation as St.
Andrew had ceased working before this event occurred.)
The Warrant was erased from the Rolls of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1848. [Source: C. Martin
McGibbon, ASCA, Grand Secretary, The Grand Lodge of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.]
Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronatii
Lodge, includes this Warrant in his list on page 40. Brother Captain William Thomas, in his Freemasonry
in the British Army, published in the Grand Lodge of Scotland Year Book, 1997, shows the Warrant as “No.
315”.
[Sources: (1) History of Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (2) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane in
his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973.
(3) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, by Bro. Frederick
Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge.
(4) Freemasonry in the British Army, by Brother Captain William Thomas published in the Grand Lodge of
Scotland Year Book, 1997.(5) The First Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar, held on the Calpe Lodge
website: http://www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/fullhistory.html. (6) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of
the British Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 42nd
Foot.]
REF:
E64
REF:
E64
REF:
E64
REF:
I72
163
Lodge of Antiquity, No. 1 GRQ, Montreal 1877-present
Lodge of Antiquity, No. 0 GRQ, Montreal 1874-1877
Lodge of Antiquity, senior and unnumbered, GRC, Montreal 1859-1874
Lodge of Antiquity, No. 0 GRC, Montreal 1857-1859
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 0 GRC, Montreal 1855-1857
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC, Montreal 1847-1855
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 634 ER, in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
1832-1847?
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 5 PRMadras, in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light
Infantry 1821-????
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 7 PRMadras, in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light
Infantry 1817-1821
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC, in the 46th Regiment of Foot 17521846/47
[Eastern District 1855-1857. Montreal District 1857-1874.]
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 227 on March 4, 1752, to hold the Lodge of Social
and Military Virtues in the 46th Regiment of Foot, when the Regiment was serving in Ireland. The Warrant
was signed by Lord Kingsborough, Grand Master. R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (Fall
2002) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, does not indicate the existence of any
names of Lodge members registered at the time the Warrant was issued, likely due to the loss of the earliest
Registers predating 1760.
The Lodge accompanied the Regiment in many of its actions in British North America and the
Caribbean. In History of St. Andrew’s Lodge, Halifax, N.S., R. V. Harris notes that during 1756 the 46th
Regiment was stationed at Halifax and that records indicate that ‘“Lodge 227 was very active, doing good
and effective work, while associated with the brethren throughout the province,” a statement which could
have reference only to the Masons at Annapolis Royal and Halifax. Harris uses this as proof that both First
Lodge and Second Lodge at Halifax were working at this time although they subsequently disappeared from
the rolls. Harris at al133 note that “It was undoubtedly through the influence and instigation of these Lodges134
that Warrants for a Provincial Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia and two subordinate Lodges were sought and
obtained from the Grand Lodge of the “Ancients” all dated December 27, 1757.” According to the Lodge
History135 (p 6) the 46th Foot fought at Fort Ticonderoga against the French under the command of the
133
M. W. Bro. Reginald V. Harris (PGM, Nova Scotia), W. Bro. A. J. B. Milborne (Grand Historian, Grand
Lodge of Quebec) and W. Bro. Col. James R. Case (Grand Historian, Grand Lodge of Connecticut), Freemasonry
at the Two Sieges of Louisbourg: 1745 and 1758, Canadian Masonic Research Association, Vol. 2, paper 46, May
13, 1958, printed in 1986, p. 32.
134
Harris is referring to the Lodge in the 43rd Foot (working Under Dispensation from Lodge No. 136 IC in
the 17th Foot) and The Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC, in the 46th Foot.
135
Throughout this summary history, the expression Lodge History refers to the History of the Lodge of
Antiquity, by W. Bro. Harry M. Nevison, Lodge Historian, printed 1963, printer unknown.
164
Marquis de Montcalm and Chevalier de Levis and suffered the loss of 400 officers and men, including their
commanding officer, Lt.-Col. Beaver. The Regiment was then moved westwards and participated in the
capture of Fort Niagara with the 8th (King’s) Regiment of Foot. For a few months the members of the Lodge
of Social and Military Virtues held Masonic communication (possibly joint meetings although the lack of
documents neither confirms nor denies this) with Lodge No. 255 ER(M) held in the 8th Foot136.
The Regiment was used in the attack and capture of Montreal in 1760 (the attacking British-Colonial
force numbered over 10,000 regulars and 6-7,000 Colonial troops) and M. W. Bro. David C. Bradley (PGM,
Ontario) notes that “In 1760 it (Lodge No. 227 IC) held its first meeting in Montreal Quebec, shortly after the
French garrison capitulated to English troops.” There is no reference to Lodge 227 IC in Graham (Outlines),
Smith or Milborne. This might not be surprising if the Regiment was in Montreal for a short time and the
Lodge had not had time to meet. On the other hand it may just be a reflection of the difficulty of
communications for non essential (i.e. non-military) correspondence. What reinforces the probability that the
Lodge met during this time was that its commanding officer, Lt.-Col. John Young, was an active Mason. He
had been Deputy Grand Master of Scotland (1736-62) and in 1757 had been appointed as Provincial Grand
Master over all Scottish Lodges in America and the West Indies137.
The Regiment and its Lodge were in Barbados in 1761 and Havana in 1762.
When the 46th Regiment served in the American Colonies (1764-1768 and 1776-1778), the Lodge
operated in New York City. Prior to the American Revolution the Lodge was visited by George Washington.
Cochrane’s notes from Grand Lodge archives note that the Lodge held regular meetings while the Regiment
was in winter quarters at Amboy in 1776/7, possibly basing this on the records of the Grand Lodge of
Pennsylvania which indicated that Lodges in any regiment, British or Patriot, held meetings where “Royalists
and Federalists were wont to meet on the square.” In 1778, when the 46th Regiment was involved in the
Massachusetts expedition, a tradition arose that the “Leather Bullock Chest with brass mountings” containing
the belongings of the Lodge was captured by American troops; but that General George Washington directed
its return to the Regiment under a flag of Truce, and with a guard of honour. In the 1778 destruction of New
Bedford the Lodge obtained a Bible which had belonged to a New England family and contained some of
the early history of the family138. M. W. Bro. D. C. Bradley (PGM, Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the
Province of Ontario) notes that the “Lodge became “possessed of the “famous old Bible” which was used
when George Washington was initiated into Freemasonry on November 4, 1752, in Fredericksburg Lodge
No. 4 A.F.& A.M., Virginia. This tradition seems to have very considerable documentary evidence to support
it.” The Bible was offered to be returned at some later date but remained with the Regiment. The Bible was
held in the Regiment’s Lodge, Dominica Lodge, No. 174 IC, until that Lodge was closed and the Warrant
surrendered in 1921. Cochrane’s notes indicate that the Bible was held in the Regimental mess-room of the
136
As a Moderns’ Lodge it would have the number of its Warrant changed five times during its existence
as that Grand Lodge lost Lodges and strove to contract the Roll of Lodges “so as to avoid blank space”: the Lodge
being renumbered as No. 195 (1755), No. 156 (1770), No. 124 (1780), No. 125 (1781) and No. 112 (1792). In
addition it held Warrant No. 5 of the provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec (also a Moderns’ organization). The Lodge
had expired by 1813.
137
This imposing title gave him responsibility for only four widely spaced Scottish Constitution Lodges St. Andrews No. 81, Boston; Lodge No. 82, Blandford, Virginia; the Lodge at Fredericksburg, Virginia; and Royal
Arch Solomon Lodge No. 2, New York.
138
A number of entries written on blank pages in the bible show that it belonged to the family of
Bartholomew West of Bedford, Massachusetts. The entries refer to births, marriages and deaths of family members
from 1709 to 1767. This Bible is still in possession of the descendants of the 46th Foot. It reposes in a walnut case
with glass lid and a silver inscription which reads “On this Sacred Volume Washington received a degree of
Masonry. It was twice taken by the enemy, and both times returned to the Regiment with all the honours of war.”
165
Newry Barracks. Was this the Bible on which Washington was obligated when he was initiated into the Lodge
at Fredericksburg, Virginia139, on November 4, 1753? Or is this the Bible on which George Washington took
his oath of office as the first President of the United States? There is sufficient evidence in Dublin (in Grand
Lodge archives) to show that it is unlikely that the Bible is either of these. It is much more likely that George
Washington visited the Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC, and may have been required to take
an obligation on the Lodge’s Bible that he was a regular Freemason before being admitted as a visitor, or,
George Washington may have taken his Mark Master Mason degree in the Lodge and been obligated on the
Bible. The loss of any minutes of meetings during this period makes it impossible to know, but certainly the
Regimental Lodge has maintained that “On this Sacred Volume Washington received a degree of
Masonry.”140
From 1778 until 1782, the 46th was based in the Caribbean. For the next several years the Regiment
shuttled between England, Ireland, Gibraltar and the Caribbean. The Lodge is known to have been working
in Drogheda in January and February 1790. Cochrane notes that the minutes of Lodge No. 411 IC,
Drogheda, for January 3, 1790, refer to the convening of a Lodge of Emergency to form a Committee “. .
. to assist the Masters, Wardens & Brethren of Lodges No. 227, 237 & 635 to inspect into the conduct of No.
450, when the Master & Wardens with Bros. Barlow & Graham were appointed accordingly. James Davis,
Master; Saml. Martin & Thos. Cullen, Wardens; Marcel Barlow; R. Graham; Robt. Collins, Secy.”
Lodges in Gibraltar, one Irish in the 46th Regiment . . . .” Although Lodge minutes are lacking it is likely that
Lodge No. 227 IC may have held meetings while in Gibraltar.
A Renewal Warrant was issued on August 17, 1801 by the Grand Lodge of Ireland. Cochrane notes
that Volume 1 of the Grand Lodge Registers records 6 brethren registered August 17, 1801 (three names
being cited by Cochrane: Pat. Corbett; John Brownlie and Dav. Fortone), and a total of 46 names are
recorded, but with no date of registration of the last 11 members, the last recorded date being April 23, 1803.
From 1792 to 1805 the Regiment served in both England and the West Indies accompanied by its
Lodge. In 1805, while defending Dominica, the chest of the Lodge was captured by French troops, and
tradition has it that the Chest was returned in 1808 on the instructions of Napoleon. [Note: This is again a
legend, and may, in fact, be true, although there are no references to this in the records of the Grand Lodge
of Ireland.] The Renewal Warrant of 1801, however, was lost in the action and reported to Grand Lodge (the
report appears in Grand Lodge minutes), and was replaced in July 1805, the Duplicate Warrant being
granted to Stephen Donnelle, John Bromlie and David Drummond as Master and Wardens.
In 1813-17 the 46th Regiment served in Sydney, Australia. The earliest record of Masonic work in
Australia was in 1816 when Lodge No. 227 IC in the 46th Foot held meetings at Sydney. One of their early
public activities noted by Cochrane was to lay the foundation stone of Bro. Captain John Piper’s house at
139
This Lodge would later remove to Alexandria and operate under a Warrant from the Provincial Grand
Lodge of Pennsylvania and of which Washington would become WM in March 1784 when it was reconstituted as
No. 22 under authority from the new Grand Lodge of Virginia.
140
To add to confusion regarding the “Lodge” Bible, is the Lodge’s cherished possession of a very old
“Breeches” Bible which was presented to it in 1861 when Bro. Captain Childs had returned to Ireland taking with
him the original Lodge Bible. According to the Lodge History (p 48), the “Breeches Bible” is so-called because in
Genesis, Chapter 3, verse 7, the word “Breeches” is printed instead of “Aprons” as in later editions. This Bible was
printed in London in 1599 and presented by a Mrs. England, wife of Lieutenant Poole England of the 47th Regiment
(to which was attached Lodge No. 192 on the Irish Register) to Rev. Bro. John Doty, Chaplain to His Majesty’s
Royal New York Regiment, August 28th, 1799, and is endorsed “John Doty” . . . . Rev. Doty retired from the
Regiment in 1791 and settled in Sorel, Lower Canada, becoming Rector of the District and prominent in the Craft.
In this latter capacity he obtained a Warrant for St. Georges Lodge, No. 16 PRLC(A) and was named as WM in its
Warrant dated December 25, 1809. This Lodge lapsed in 1822 and Rev. Doty retained the Bible, later held by his
widow, and presented to the Lodge in 1861. It is this Bible which was “retired in 1856.
166
Eliza Point, Sydney, on November 2, 1816, with 31 brethren participating in the activity under the direction
of the Master, W. Bro. Edward Sanderson141. However the Lodge did not believe that civilians should be
allowed to join it and it did not initially support the formation of new (civilian) lodges. This position was taken
because so many individuals had arrived in the colony under sentence of transportation (that is, they were
convicted of crimes in England and transported to the “penal colony” of New South Wales) and the members
of the Lodge considered themselves superior to this class of people, even though there were other settlers
and merchants who were not criminals or their descendants. In spite of this attitude, several civilians were
Initiated into Lodge No. 227, including Thomas Boulton who later affiliated with Lodge No. 218 IC in the 48th
Regiment, and which took on the task by supporting the Petition of Australian members (led by Thomas
Boulton142) to the Grand Lodge of Ireland which concluded in the successful establishment of Australia Social
(Mother) Lodge, No. 260 IC, which was the first (stationary) Lodge on that Continent (and which is now
Mother Lodge of Australia, No. 1, GRNSW). As a follow-up note, it is interesting to read that Australia Social
Lodge supported the established of the first Irish (stationary) civilian lodge in New Zealand in 1848. Two
other civilians who were initiated into Lodge No. 227, probably late in 1815 or early in 1816, included Judge
Jeffrey Hart Bent and the Surveyor-General, John Joseph Molesworth Oxley. In another case appearing in
Irish records is that of W. Bro. Samuel Clayton, a Past Master of Lodge No. 6, Dublin. He was a printer by
profession who, for some “minor” transgression was sent to Australia. He arrived with a letter of introduction
from the Grand Lodge which indicated that the situation was “minor” and that W. Bro. Clayton143 should be
received by Lodge No. 227. Although the Lodge gave him limited employment printing certificates and ByLaws, they would not receive him or permit him to attend their meetings. [Note: the foregoing is at variance
with the 1963 Lodge History, but is based on significant research and analysis by Irish and Australian
Masons, and is the current (2003-04) feeling on the role played, or not played, by the Lodge of Social and
Military Virtues.]
During its four year period in Australia, Lodge No. 227 IC used its Craft Warrant as authority for
Mount Olive Royal Arch Chapter, a Knight Templar Encampment and a further body which conferred the
degree of Red Cross Knight, all of which were “attached” to the Lodge. The Master and First Principal offices
were filled by Captain Edward Sanderson144 of the Regiment. The Lodge Secretary was Lieutenant D. Leith
Cox and Scribe of the Chapter was Captain Thomas Miller. The Regiment’s commanding officer, Lieutenant-
141
Only three of the names are included in Cochrane’s notes on Lodge 227 IC: Captain Edward
Sanderson as “Right Worshipful Master”; Captain Thomas Miller as Senior Warden; Major John McKenzie as Junior
Warden (all of the 46th Foot).
142
According to Cochrane’s notes, Thomas Boulton was a Charter Member of the new Lodge No. 260 IC,
and became Banner Bearer. He resigned from Lodge No. 218 and his Clearance Certificate, believed to be the
oldest Masonic document in Australia, is preserved. He was made a Mark Master Mason in Lodge 260 on
December 11, 1820 and a Royal Ark Mariner on July 15, 1822. He resigned from Lodge No. 260 IC on March 7,
1825 and joined Leinster Marine Lodge, No. 266 IC. A full transcript of the minutes recording the event is contained
in History of the Lodge of Antiquity (1963) pp 11-13.
143
W. Bro. Clayton went to become a pillar in Masonic society in New South Wales.
144
Sanderson arrived in the Colony in 1815 and soon became a “lightening rod” for difficult relations
between the Regiment, its officers and the Governor over the Governor’s policy of emancipation for the criminals
who had changed for the better and could be seen as a positive group in the growth of New South Wales. There is
an excellent 14 page review of the 1814-1817 period in New South Wales, the rift between Governor and 46th Foot,
and the lasting effects on people in Cochrane’s notes on Lodge No. 227.
167
Colonel George James Molle145 was a Mason, initiated into another Lodge from one of his earlier postings
although no precise details are known, and was the Prior of the Knights Templar Encampment. The Irish
notes indicate that the actual designation and placement of some of the degrees remains problematic. The
Red Cross degree had previously been known as the Super-Excellent Mason degree and was worked in an
“encampment” of Royal Arch Masons. The designation of a brother as “R. C. Knight” could refer to the Red
Cross degree, or equally to the “Rose Croix” which was also being worked and which is believed to have
been originally a Templar degree.
From 1817 until 1832 the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry served in Madras. A total of 83 brethren
were registered with Grand Lodge up to April 6, 1818, when 22 brethren (including Lieutenant-Colonel Geo.
Moots) were registered. On December 27, 1817, the Provincial Grand Lodge of Madras issued Warrant No.
7, PRMadras to the Lodge of Social and Military Virtues. A new local Warrant, No. 5 PRMadras, was issued
in 1821. Prior to its return to England, the Lodge applied to the new United Grand Lodge for a Warrant and
received No. 634 ER — but not until 1836. [Note: Warrant No. 634 ER had originally been issued 1814 for
Union York Lodge in the 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Militia. It had been returned to United Grand Lodge in
1829.] John Lane notes that No. 7 (Madras) became No. 5 in 1821 and that the Lodge was extinct before
the Warrant from United Grand Lodge arrived and was erased from the Roll on June 4, 1862. During its time
in India Cochrane notes that the Lodge lost most of its members from cholera during a march from
Cannanore to Hyderabad in 1827, and the Lodge appears to have become dormant. In spite of this “apparent
dormancy” the Lodge did continue its existence and remained on the Roll of Grand Lodge.
Cochrane notes that Quarter-Master Hugh McDonald of the 46th Foot had been initiated into the
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC, although the date is not known, and by 1817 was listed as
a Past Master of the Lodge. He left the Colony for Madras with the Regiment in 1817 and returned to Sydney
in 1819 to gather his wife and four children for the return to India. He suffered an undisclosed illness and died
in Sydney on September 9, 1819 at the age of 36 years. He was the first to be buried at Old Sandhills
Cemetery, Devonshire Street, Sydney. A military procession was held which was reported in the Sydney
Gazette of September 11, 1819, which noted the presence of many Masons (military and civilian) in the
procession.
In 1833 the Regiment returned to England. Captain William Lacy of the 46th Foot, who had been
initiated in 1829 into St. John’s Lodge, Secunderabad and was a member of the Officer’s Mess Committee,
accidentally discovered the Masonic chest containing the Bible, Warrant, some books, jewels and a silver
trowel and brought them back to England with the Regiment in 1833. The explanation of the discovery in
1831 of the Lodge Chest by Captain Lacy as described in the Lodge History indicates that the Lodge was
dormant for some time and members of the Regiment had forgotten that it existed. In 1834 the Regiment
was in Weedon Barracks and twelve Masons of the Regiment returned the almost unreadable Warrant to
Grand Lodge with a request for its renewal. Grand Lodge agreed to the request provided three names of
living members of the Lodge could be provided. Unfortunately only one was known and his name, with two
others who were Masons but not belonging to the Lodge were provided and accepted by Grand Lodge given
the disastrous circumstances of the Regiment and Lodge members in India. A (third) Renewal Warrant was
issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland on August 7, 1834 to William Lacy (who had just been promoted to Lt.
Colonel); John Godwin and Robt. Joseph Edmunds. They were installed as the first officers of the revived
145
George James Molle the son of John Mow (as the surname is recorded in the Parish Register) was
borne in Maine, in the Scottish parish of Chirnside, Berwickshire. He joined the Scots Brigade (later the 94th Foot)
in June 1793 as an Ensign, serving in Gibraltar, Cape of Good Hope, India, Egypt and Spain, and was regularly
promoted, attaining the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in September 1808. After a period at Gibraltar he was
transferred to the 46th Foot in 1813, when the Regiment was transferred to New South Wales. He arrived at Sydney
on February 7, 1814 on board the Wyndham, accompanied by his officers and headquarters staff. As the senior
serving military officer in the Colony, he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor to the Governor, Major-General
Lachlan Macquarie, with whom he had served in India, and in June 1814, he was gazetted as brevet Colonel. It is
possible that Colonel Molle was initiated into Lodge of Philanthropists, No. 591 ER(M)/IX Coromandel, which
existed from 1801 to 1813, but it is not proven.
168
Lodge in the Lodge at Canterbury, where the 46th had been stationed.
R. V. Harris in his paper The Irish Civilian Lodges of Canada, 1820-1888 (February 20, 1959, Volume
2 Paper 48 of the Canadian Masonic Research Association, published 1986 by The Heritage Lodge , No. 730
GRC) notes that “In 1840 the Lodge was in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but the Lodge was still inactive, and several
of its members joined Royal Standard Lodge (Eng. Const.), notably Major F. A. Thesiger, later Baron
Chelmsford of Zulu War fame, and Captain Childs.”
The Regiment returned briefly to Montreal in 1844146 and Kingston in late 1846; during which time
the Lodge remained dormant due to changes of personnel in the Regiment. During this two year period,
however, there were contacts with other Montreal Lodges, notably St. Paul’s No. 354 ER (now No. 10 GRQ).
W. Bro. Alan Black of St. Paul’s has been able to review the Lodge Minutes which show a close relationship
between St. Paul’s and Lodge of Social Friendship, No. 729 ER in the 89th Regiment of Foot (established
in 1844), and the Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
(46th Foot) during the mid 1840’s when the latter two military Lodges were in Montreal. On May 14, 1844
“A Warrant was then presented to the Lodge (St. Paul’s) by W. Bro. Aaron on behalf of Social Friendship
Lodge No. 729, of the 89th . . . requesting that the Lodge instal the officers in accordance with the said
Warrant, and the WM was pleased to name Thursday evening next the 16th instant at 7 o’clock for that
purpose...” and on May 16, 1844 “Installation of W. Bro, Watson as WM of... No. 729.” On November 19,
1846 “A Lt. R. E. Hornby, of Social Friendship Lodge, elected a joining member” and on January 12, 1847
“Bro. W. Shepherd, of Social Friendship Lodge, a visitor”. On April 11, 1848 the Minutes indicate that the
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC, “has been regularly constituted in this city by authority of
a Warrant from the Grand Lodge of Ireland.” This same minute notes “Death of Bro. Hornby reported.”
Visitation between members of the Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC and St. Paul’s,
No. 374 ER, are regularly reflected in the minutes of the latter — December 27, 1848; December 27, 1849;
December 27, 1850; March 9, 1852 (W. Bro. Shepherd recorded as a visitor) and St. Paul’s agrees to rent
the Lodge rooms to No. 227 for 7 pounds and 10 shillings per annum; March and April meetings 1854;
December 27 1854 and 1855.
W. Bro. R. W. Sheppard, in his publication “My Hero”, Segt.-Major William Shepherd, notes that by
1846 there were but three surviving members of the Lodge of Social and Military Virtues — Sergeant Robert
Cloy147, Captain William Child148 and Colonel William Lacy149 — and the Regiment was under orders to
prepare to return to Ireland. An attempt to revive the Lodge with new blood was made and Lt. James HillAlbory150 and Sergeant James Lumsden151 of the 46th Foot; Captain George Pleydell Mansell 152, Quarter-
146
It is interesting that there is no reference to 46th Foot in Montreal in this period mentioned in British
Regulars in Montreal: An Imperial Garrison 1832-1858.
147
Sergeant Robert Cloy was a Past Master of the Lodge.
148
Captain William Child was probably the Master in 1846. He had joined the Regiment in India in 1822
as an Ensign.
149
Captain William Lacy was initiated into St. John’s Lodge, No. 17 PRMadras, India, in 1829. In 1846
Colonel Lacy was placed on half pay due to his age and probably would be left behind in Montreal when the
Regiment left for Ireland.
150
Lt. James Hill-Albory was initiated into Royal Standard Lodge, No. 564 ER, Halifax.
151
Sergeant James Lumsden was also initiated into Royal Standard Lodge, No. 564 ER, Halifax.
152
Captain George Pleydell Mansell was initiated into Unity, Peace and Concord Lodge, No. 396 ER, in
the 1st (The Royal) Regiment and later affiliated with the Lodge of Social Friendship, No. 729 IC, in the 89th Foot.
169
Master Sergeant W. L. Murphy153 and Sergeant G. Wells154 were brought into the Lodge of Social and Military
Virtues in November 1846.
On May 10, 1847, Captain Lacy as the sole representative of the Lodge, with concurrence of the
Grand Lodge of Ireland, delivered the 1834 renewal Warrant and remaining Lodge property (except the Bible
which remained in the care of the Regiment, Square and Compasses) to Sergeant William Shepherd155 in
Montreal for the purpose of having him assume the Mastership and establish a permanent semi-military
Lodge there. W. Bro. Sheppard had been initiated into Unity, Peace and Concord Lodge, No. 296 ER, in the
1st Foot, in Montreal, on July 4, 1839, was passed on August 1, 1839 and raised on September 2, 1839. He
was an affiliated member of Lodge No. 262 ER, in The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (85th) and a founding
member of Lodge of Integrity, No. 771 ER, in the 14th (The Yorkshire, West Riding) Regiment. Sergeant
Shepherd acknowledged his assumption of this responsibility for the Lodge.
W. Bro. William Shepherd’s letter of November 4, 1846
The undersigned, a committee appointed to carry into effect the establishment of a Military Masons
Lodge at Montreal in Canada, do hereby acknowledge to have received from Bro. Wm. Child, Captain in Her
Majesty’s 46th Regiment, the undermentioned Lodge jewels, etc., which we pledge ourselves and successors
to return the same to the Brethren of Said Regiment (this being the condition on which we have received them)
at any period when the said brethren shall demand the same for the purpose of assembling as a Lodge, our sole
object in desiring possession of them and the warrant to which they belong being to keep in operation a charter
153
Quarter-Master Sergeant W. L. Murphy was initiated in Lodge St. John’s, No. 491 ER.
154
Sergeant G. Wells was also initiated in Lodge St. John’s, No. 491 ER.
155
promoted to Corporal (October 5, 1842), Sergeant (April 1, 1846), Colour Sergeant (March 16, 1849), and
Staff/Sergeant Major (September 22, 1855). He left for England on October 1, 1854 and provided training for
artillery personnel during the expansion to fight the Crimean War. He was retired on September 21, 1858 after 21
years’ service, in possession of four good conduct badges and a Long Service medal. Immediately after leaving the
Royal Artillery he was recruited as a 1st Class Pay-clerk in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. He was promoted to
Peace and Concord Lodge, No. 296 ER, in the 1st Regiment of Foot, at Montreal, where he was initiated on July 4,
1839, passed on August 1, 1839 and raised on September 5, 1839. He was an affiliated member of Lodge No. 262
ER, in The King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (89th); a founder member of the Lodge of Social Friendship, No. 729 IC,
in the 89th Foot and of Lodge of Integrity, No. 771 ER, in the 14th (The Yorkshire, West Riding) Regiment of Foot.
On May 10, 1847 he received the 1834 renewal Warrant and Lodge regalia of the Lodge of Social and Military
Virtues, No. 227 IC, in the 46th Regiment which was without sufficient members to continue working. With the
Lodge which is still operating presently as Lodge of Antiquity, No. 1 GRQ, Montreal. After returning to Woolwich in
1854 he affiliated with Union-Waterloo Lodge, No. 13 ER; and with his posting to Sheerness he joined Adam’s
Lodge, No. 184 ER (originally No. 207, ER(A) from 1778 and presently No. 158 ER). In 1865 W. Bro. William
Sheppard became a member and second Master of De Shurland Lodge, No. 1089 ER, Sheerness. In addition to his
love of the Craft, W. Bro. Ray Shepherd notes that “it is known that he (W. Bro. William Shepherd) joined the Royal
Arch, Mark, and I am sure the K. T. Degrees”.
170
which so many interesting circumstances have rendered invaluable in the estimation of Freemasons. Viz.
Jewels with Collars, Masters, Past Masters, Secretary, Treasurer and Tyler; Senior Warden and Junior
Warden; Tin. Three Mallets. Four Pillars or Columns. Four Seals of sorts. One Plumb Rule. One Collar. One
Sash. Six Aprons. One Black Silk Bag. One Silver Trowel.
(Signed)
WILLIAM SHEPHERD, Sgt Major
Dated, Montreal, Canada, November 4th, 1846
[Source: History of Lodge of Antiquity, p 20.]
To obtain approval of the Grand Lodge of Ireland for this action, the few remaining members of the
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227, wrote the following letter:
Montreal, Canada
26th November 1846
Sir & Brother,
The Brethren of H. M. 46th Regiment of Foot holding the Warrant No. 227, dated at
Dublin the second day of August A.L. 5834, and constituting the “Lodge of Social and Military Virtues”,
having for a length of time past, from a variety of circumstances have been prevented from assembling
as a Lodge, have now, at the request of the undersigned Master Masons consented to the transfer to
us of the said Warrant provided the Most Worshipful The Grand Lodge of Ireland be pleased to
sanction the same.
We, therefore, having at heart, the advancement and prosperity of the Craft, and
being desirous of forming ourselves into a Lodge for the purpose aforesaid, do respectfully request that
the M. W. The Grand Lodge of Ireland will be pleased to grant us the requisite authority to assemble
as a Lodge in the City of Montreal, in the Province of Canada, under the said Warrant, and we hereby
pledge ourselves to act strictly in accordance with the Constitutions and dictates of that august body.
We beg to acquaint you that we have nominated Brother William Shepherd to be
Master, William Robinson to be S. Warden and Robert Balfour to be J. Warden, and that we have
appointed the First Thursday in each month for our regular meeting.
And as our names have been registered in the books of the Grand Lodge of England,
we take the liberty of referring you thereto, should such a proceeding be considered necessary.
If not inconsistent with or contrary to the Constitutions, and it be in the possession
of the Grand Lodge, we would beg to be entrusted with the Warrant, in lieu of which the present was
granted bearing date about the Year of our Lord, 1752, many circumstances having occurred to render
it a document of no ordinary interest, and moreover to be allowed to work, if possible under the same,
instead of that now in force.
If a statement of the requisite Fees to be required by the Grand Lodge be forwarded
with the authority herein requested, it will be promptly responded to.
The circumstances of there being (so far as we are aware) no Lodge in Montreal,
Canada, holding from the Grand Lodge of ireland, and our having no means of reference to its Book
of Constitutions will, we trust, be deemed a sufficient apology for any informality or deficiency in this
application and should our request be complied with we beg you will have the kindness either to
forward to us by mail a copy of the Constitutions, or acquaint us with any material points of difference
having reference to what may be required of us for the information of the Grand Lodge, which may exist
between those of the Grand Lodges of England to which we have a copy and those of Ireland.
A reply to this, at your earliest convenience will be gratefully received by, Sir and
Brother, your obedient servants.
W. Shepherd, late WM 729, registry of England
William Robinson, late of Do
Do
R. Balfour
Do
Do
Philip St. Hill156
F. Fairbraes
Robert Colquhoun
A. Courtenay
Wm. Stevenson
D. Newman
171
Do
Do
Do
Do
Do
Do
late of 396
Do
Do
Do
late of Lodge 83 of Ireland
We, the undersigned Masters and Past Masters of Lodges in this City, recommend
a compliance with the foregoing application —
Montreal, Canada
T. Douglas Harington
26th November 1846
W.M. St. John’s Lodge
W. Wright, P.M.
No. 643, England
of Lodges 216, 643 & 729
D. Norrice
John Dean, PM157
P.M. No. 643
643 England
England
Be pleased to address under cover to Mr. Philip St. Hill, Government Office,
Montreal.
PS
In order that no doubt may arise as to any unwillingness on the part of the Brethren of the 46th
Regiment, to part with the Warrant, I issue an extract of a letter from one of their members
— viz:
“I send you the Warrant 227 in charge of the Steward of the Highlander Steam Boat to
Lachine, which he assures me will be delivered into your hands safe.”
“Captain Child’s good wishes accompany the Warrant for its success.”
“You will on receiving the Warrant communicate with me, as I, as well as the Captain, shall
be glad to hear of its safe arrival.”
“May the blessing of God attend you in your exertions to promote the welfare of the Craft, and
mankind generally is the prayer of yours fraternally.”
Signed:
Robert Cloy,
Sergeant 46th
Certified as true extracts.
227
W. Shepherd
Application from Montreal
Wm. Robinson
For transfer of Warr.
The Grand Secretary to the
Rec’d Decr. 1846
M. W. the Grand Lodge of Ireland
Wrote July 27, 1847
156
Philip St. Hill was a West Indian in the employ of the colonial government at Montreal. He later
removed to Toronto where he was a charter member of St. John’s Lodge, No. 55 PRCW (now No. 75 GRC), at its
institution on November 25, 1856.
157
W. Bro. John Dean had been Secretary of the (First) Grand Masonic Convention at Kingston in 1818
and had served as Provincial Grand Secretary of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Upper Canada (R. W. Bro. Simon
McGillivray) from 1822 to 1845.
172
that it is irregular &
they must apply for new Wt.
[Source: R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, copy of original in Grand Lodge of Ireland archives.]
During February 1847, the Grand Secretary wrote to the Lodge expressing the inability to comply
with the request and the Petitioners replied on March 28, 1847, with another (i.e. second) Petition to transfer
the Warrant to the civilian Lodge.
Freemasons Hall, Dublin, February 26th, 1847
Dear Sir and Brother
I duly received your favor of 26th November last, respecting Masonic “warrant No. 227", and in reply
beg to state that the members of the Lodge had no right to transfer the warrant to any other parties without leave
first obtained from the Grand Lodge. You certainly have acted very properly in making the application as you
have done, and which I have no doubt would meet every attention under other circumstances, but the warrant
227, having been granted to the 46th regiment nearly 100 years ago as a military warrant to be attached to the
regiment only, if the members could not continue working it, they should have returned it to us which would have
prevented any increase of dues or arrears accumulated against it, and we would have kept the number unissued
as long as they wished, to give them the opportunity of redeeming it if they should hereafter desire it.
With respect to the original warrant, it was returned to us many years ago, so defaced and worn out
that it was quite illegible, and the one you have was issued in lieu of it. The old one was, of course, immediately
cancelled. I have observed that Sgt. Robert Cloy, who sent you that warrant is not a registered member of 227,
and, therefore, had no authority to act as he has done. Captain Child is. If you are desirous of taking out a
warrant from the Grand Lodge of Ireland you will please forward a memorial, similar in substance to that already
sent, and at the same time sending the old warrant, and you can have the same number if you wish it, indeed
it is the earliest number now at our disposal, so many new warrants have been applied for, and issued within
the last two or three years, that all the senior numbers are taken up that were vacant.
I enclose a copy of our laws for your information by which you will perceive that every application for
a new warrant should have the recommendation of the neighbouring Lodges, but as there are none under the
Irish Constitution in the vicinity of Montreal, it would be advisable to get as many signatures of registered Irish
Masons as possible. Bro. D..... of 83 and Jer. O’Connell of 185 are both registered with us. Also the
recommendation of the Masters of the English Lodges, as were attached to your former application.
I am, dear Sir and Bro.,
Yours faithfully,
(Signed) Per JOHN FOWLER, D.G.S.
GEO. RANKIN
Wm. Shepherd, Esq
Montreal
[Source: History of Lodge of Antiquity, p 20.]
Montreal, Canada
26th March 1847
Sir & Brother
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Br. Rankin’s obliging communication of the 26th February
last, with enclosures, and beg leave to request you, in reference thereto,
1stly That Brs. Major Campbell and Captain Child (the only remaining members of the Lodge, we believe) have
not relinquished their right to the Warrant, but only consented to its transfer to us, in the event of the Grand
Lodge sanctioning such proceeding: from this you will perceive that the Warrant has not been transferred, but
173
only entrusted, to us 2ndly That Br. Robt. Clog acted only as the medium of communication between the above-mentioned Brethren
and us. The 46th Regiment being at a distance of 200 miles from Montreal, and we beg to explain that our only
object, in forwarding an extract from his letter, was to shew to the Grand Lodge that there existed no objection
to the transfer of the Warrant. Bro. Clog therefore, we respectfully suggest, is not to be blamed in this matter.
3rdly That it was not with a view to effect a saving of expense, that we applied for a transfer of the Warrant, No.
227, in preference to a new one, but rather, to possess one, the original of which is of so ancient a date, and
which so many circumstances have contributed to render (together with the Jewels, which the brethren of the
46th Regiment had generously entrusted to our care) of great value in Masonic estimation.
We therefore beg leave, most urgently to request that our application of 20th November last may be
granted—viz to transfer to us and the Brethren named in the annexed paragraph (registered Master Masons
under the Irish Constitution) of the Warrant No. 227, and in the event of the request being acceded to, we will
become responsible to the Grand Lodge for the amount of dues &c owing by the late Lodge, and will, with
pleasure, forward herewith the customary fees &c consequent on the transfer of the Charter, registries &c, on
account of which, if sent to us, with your reply, will meet with prompt attention.
We would, in conclusion, respectfully request a speedy reply to this communication, as much longer
delay may reduce our numbers, and render more difficult the formation of a Lodge.
We are
Sir & Brother
Yours fraternally
W. Shepherd
) For the
Will. Robinson ) Brethren
P. St. Hill
)
We the undersigned Master Masons registered in the Books of the Grand Lodge of Ireland,
desire to inscribe in the foregoing application, and in that of the 26th November 1846 (a copy of which
we have perused) it being our purpose to become members of the Lodge No. 227, if permitted by the
Grand Lodge of Ireland to be constituted.
Jeremiah C. Connally, No. 182, Curran
John Dalton, No. 295
Shamas Donaldson, No. 754
Robert Smythe, No. 588
Campbell Stewart, No. 588
T. W. Rays, No. 588
D. Gillan, No. 229
John Fowler, Esq,
D. G. Secretary
On the reverse of the letter is the following notation by the Grand Secretary: “227. For Board of Gen.
Pur. about transfer of Wart. Rec’d April 16/47. Gr. Lodge Order. issue a new Warrant same No. on old on
being returned. Wrote 10 May 1847.”
But delays, either in actioning by the Grand Secretary, or in mailing, led the (new) Lodge to again
write to Grand Lodge on June 12, 1847. This letter is signed by seventeen members — William Shepherd
(late 729 ER), William Robinson (late 729 ER), Robert Balfour (late 729 ER), George J. Stanley (late 643
ER), A. Courtenay (late 396 ER), Philip S. Hill (late 396 ER), William Stevenson (late 396 ER), Jeremiah
O’Connell (late 185 IR), Robert Colquhoun (late 396 ER), C. Newman (late 83 IR), John Dalton (late 295 IR),
James Courtenay (late 551 IR), J. Wray (late 588 IR), D. Gillan (late 229 IR), Patrick Hayes (late 817 IR),
Andrew McHenry (late 47 IR) and W. G. Malcolm (late 729 ER)—listed here to show the growth in potential
174
Lodge membership by affiliates from other Lodges. This third Petition carries the following notation of the
Grand Secretary “227 Memorial for new Warrant for Montreal Recd June 29, 1847. Sent Warrant158 July 2/47
addressed to M. W. Shepherd under cover to Philip S. Hill, Gov. Officer, Montreal.” Mail certainly seemed
destined to be a problem—while it took only three weeks for the June 29 Petition to reach the Grand
Secretary’s desk and result in a decision, on October 13, W. Bro. Shepherd was again writing Dublin
requesting a decision and the Warrant, indicating that it had certainly not reached Montreal. A further
followup dated December 8 indicated that the Post Office reported it had not received the packet containing
the new Warrant. Receipt of the new Warrant “so long in our Post Office unknown to me” would not be
acknowledged by W. Bro. Shepherd until March 14, 1848. Part of the reason for the overall delay is
explained on page 20 of the Lodge History — that to save postage, Sergeant Shepherd had asked that the
Warrant be returned via the “Gov. Officer, Montreal” and there was 5/2½d for “postage due” and, of course,
nothing was being released without the postage due being paid.
While these exchanges were occurring, the Headquarters staff and part of the 46th Foot left Kingston
in September 1847 and were soon followed by the rest of the Regiment, heading for England and home.
Their route via various ships would see them pass through Montreal, Quebec and Halifax (where they
wintered from October 1847 to May 1848), and would arrive at Portsmouth in June 1848. With this departure
the linkage between the Regiment and the Lodge would be sundered forever.
It is interesting to read that although the “old” Lodge No. 227 was 13 years in arrears of dues, Grand
Lodge charged only £7.00 for the new Warrant. R. V. Harris noted in his work on Irish Lodges in Canada that
the “Warrant had actually been dissolved when in Halifax in 1845” (presumably meaning that Grand Lodge
had erased the Warrant and removed it from the list of active Warrants and Lodges) but Grand Lodge
obviously overlooked this matter as the physical Warrant was still in the hands of the last members of the
Lodge. The new Lodge No. 227 IC was formally instituted on March 23, 1848 and the first officers of the
(new) Lodge No. 227 IC were installed and invested: W. Bro. William Shepherd, WM; Bro. William Robinson,
SW; Bro. G. Malcolm, JW; Bro. Dalton, Treasurer; Bro. G. Stanley, Secretary; Bro. St. Hill, SD; Bro.
Stevenson, JD; Bro. Morcalty, IG and Bro. Colquhoun, Tyler (Lodge History, p 28). The records of St. Paul’s
Lodge, No. 778 ER, Montreal, for August 11, 1848, note that a communication from the Provincial Grand
Secretary advised of the action of the Irish Grand Lodge and the installation and investiture of officers on
December 7, 1848.
The By-Laws of the new Lodge were drafted, approved and printed in 1848, bearing date April 6,
1848. Meetings were to be held on the first Thursday of every month, at 8 pm in the evening from May 1 to
October 31 and at 7 pm from November 1 to April 30. Dues of two shillings and sixpence were levied at each
meeting for those within three miles of the Lodge and reduced by half for those who resided further away;
visitors were charged 2/6d per meeting only if they partook of refreshments after the meeting. The initiation
fee of £3-15-0 was paid on entry for all degrees and registration with Dublin and the affiliation fee of twelve
shillings and sixpence was paid unless the member were a military person in which case the fee was 6/3d
“in consideration of having frequently to pay a joining fee.” Fines for drunkenness were fixed.
The first initiation was worked in 1848 (no date is given in the Lodge History) and the brother (James
Doyle) was passed on January 4, 1849 and raised on February 1, 1849.
On August 8, 1852, the Montreal Masonic Hall which was shared by several Lodges, including the
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC, burned to the ground and much of the materiel in the
building was lost. The Lodge Secretary’s report to Grand Lodge (dated August 23, 1852 and signed by W.
Bro. William Robinson, Lodge Secretary) noted that “when the Masonic Hall was in flames, a young initiated
Brother, Robert A. Malcolm (son of our P.M.) rushed into the burning building at the peril of his life and
rescued from destruction our Lodge Chest and Jewels but the Warrant being in a neat frame and together
with other Warrants was hung around the walls of the room which at this time was found impracticable and
two attempts were unsuccessful from smoke that filled the building almost to suffocation.” The letter goes
on to request the issue of another Duplicate Warrant. Notwithstanding the payment of fees for a new Warrant
158
This refers to a new Warrant for the Lodge bearing the old number “227".
175
and several letters, a formal complaint for the “inaction” of R. W. Bro. Fowler, Grand Secretary, was finally
made on March 7, 1853 although the Duplicate Warrant finally arrived at the end of that month.
On July 27, 1854, Lodge No. 26 IC in the 26th (The Cameronians) Regiment of Foot159, convened
an Emergency Meeting, to install the Master and Officers of Independent Lodge, No. 237 IC. W. Bro. William
Shepherd was seated as Installing Master. His masonic career continued and W. Bro. R. Sheppard notes
that before he left Canada “it is known that he joined the Royal Arch, Mark, and I am sure the K. T. Degrees.”
From July 2, 1847 to April 1835, sixty-four members of the Lodge were registered with Grand Lodge.
On October 10, 1855, representatives of the Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC, met
with representatives of other Lodges in Hamilton, Canada West, and by the end of the day “an independent
‘Grand Lodge of Canada’ was proclaimed . . .” and M. W. Bro. William Mercer Wilson was elected as Grand
Master, R. W. Bro. A. Bernard (a PM of St. George’s Lodge, Montreal and proxy delegate for Lodge No. 227)
as Deputy Grand Master and R. W. Thomas Bird Harris as Grand Secretary. On his return to Montreal, R.
W. Bro. Bernard reported on the Hamilton meeting. The brethren of Lodge No. 227 “passed a resolution of
thanks and admitted him as an honorary member . . . (and) further approved and confirm(ed) the conduct
of (the) proxy delegate . . . and will affiliate with the said Lodges . . . that this (i.e. No. 227) Lodge recognize
the ‘Grand Lodge of Canada’ as the supreme and only legitimate authority in Canada . . . (and) that this
Lodge hereby surrenders its warrant to the ‘Grand Lodge of Ireland’ and will hereafter exist under the
jurisdiction of the Canadian Grand Lodge.” The Irish Warrant was returned to Dublin on December 3, 1858,
the Lodge History noting only that the delay was “unexplained.” The reason for the delay was clearly that the
Grand Secretary, R. W. Bro. Thomas B. Harris would not send surrendered Irish warrants to Dublin until they
had all been collected and assembled in Hamilton.
At its first meeting after becoming a “Canadian Lodge”, the Lodge of Social and Military Virtues
received representatives from St. Paul’s, Zetland and St. George’s Lodges, all of which had joined the new
Grand Lodge. But all was not smooth. With No. 227's action at becoming No. 1 of Canada, the close and
warm relations between St. Paul’s, No. 374 ER, and No. 227 IC changed drastically. This situation is
reflected in two letters which were read out in open Lodge in St. Paul’s — the first being from the WM to
Lodge 227 IC, and the second being a communication from the Provincial Grand Master of Montreal and
William Henry.
The WM of St. Paul’s wrote as follows: “28th December, 1855. On the return last evening of the
Deputation of Brethren sent by St. Paul’s Lodge to convey to the Sister Lodges in this City, the expression
of good feelings which existed towards them on the part of St. Paul’s, a report was made by one of the
Brethren from which it appeared that I had been labouring under a misapprehension in supposing that the
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, before determining to place themselves under the jurisdiction of the
proposed Grand Lodge of Canada—had received authority from the Grand Lodge of Ireland so to do, and
further were still working under the warrant granted to them by that Grand Lodge, as was stated by Bro.
Stanley of the Lodge of Social & Military Virtues to Bro. Bethune of St. Paul’s. I regret extremely that I was
not aware of the real facts, as communicated to you by the Deputation—viz., that you had placed yourselves
under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Canada without authority from the Grand Lodge of Ireland and
had surrendered your warrant—as it would have saved me the pain of making this communication by
preventing the sending of a deputation to the Lodge of Social & Military Virtues, or the receiving the Brethren
of that Lodge, who visited St. Paul’s, in any other character that as Brethren of the order and our welcome
guests. So long as the Lodge of Social & Military Virtues remains in its present position, it is impossible for
St. Paul’s to recognize it as a Lodge, although I hope I need scarcely say that we shall retain towards the
individual members of it the same good feeling that has always hitherto existed.”
R. W. Bro. Badgley’s circular to all the Lodges in the Provincial Jurisdiction regarding the illegal
159
This Lodge, in the 26th (The Cameronian) Regiment was established under Warrant No. 309 IC, dated
December 7, 1758. This Warrant was returned to the Grand Lodge of Ireland on June 24, 1823, in exchange for No.
26 IC. The Lodge met for the last time in 1914, although the Warrant was not surrendered to Grand Lodge until
1922.
176
creation of the new Grand Lodge of Canada, reads as follows:
February 2, 1856
Until the Meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge, for the District of Montreal and William Henry, shall
have been held, and which the P. G. Secretary has been directed to summon for about the 1st March, for the
investigation of divers subjects of Masonic complaint in the aforesaid Jurisdiction, the Provincial Grand Master
has deemed it proper to minute a few observations for communication to, and the guidance of, the Lodges in
his District, whose Masters have appeared before him lately, in obedience to his summons, for that purpose,
and whose minutes have been transmitted for his examination and observation.
Without adverting to the opinions expressed in the minutes for the establishment of an Independent
Grand Lodge of Canada, the PGM will content himself, at present, with the expression of his conviction, that
participation in the meeting at Hamilton, of individual Masons, acting as a self constituted body, for masonic
purposes, is in direct contravention of the constitution and principles of Masonry; that its proceedings are at
variance with the Laws and Regulations of the Craft; and that any assumption or act of authority, derived from
that source, by individual Masons, or by any so called Lodge, is irregular and illegal.
Any Lodge, warranted or not, or any ten or dozen Masons, connected , or not, with a Lodge, as Masons,
have equal power of self-constitution into an independent society, at once setting at nought the principle of
derived authority, and the Regulations of the Craft which forbid the assembly of Masons for Masonic purposes,
without Warrant, and, at the same time, expressly declare that it is incompetent for any man, or body of men,
to make innovations in the body of Masonry.
The PGM further observes, that a warrant, from proper authority, can along constitute a legal
assemblage of Masons. The term Lodge, originally and properly, the place where Masons meet, is applied, in
common language, to the persons who meet together, as Masons, to work the Warrant under certain By-Laws
and the general Regulations of the Craft, but the individual members exist as Masons, actively belonging to the
Craft, only in the warrant, and a withdrawal, or separation, from that authority leaves them incapable of Masonic
action. The withdrawal of a member of a Lodge is an abandonment of the warrant, with all its incidents and
appurtenances, and of all connection with, or right of property in them, which subsist in the remaining, or last
remaining, member; otherwise, however distant the withdrawal, the retiring member might claim to participate
in the administration and property of a Lodge. The property, jewels and furniture of a Lodge are the property of
its active associated members - the withdrawal of any leaves the warrant, minute book, muniments and property
in possession of them, or of him, remaining in connection with the authority under which alone they may
assemble and act as Masons.
A unanimous agreement by all the members to dissolve the Lodge, or the withdrawal of all, absolutely
renders the warrant inoperative, and necessitates the return of the warrant, minutes, etc., etc., to the authority
competent to receive them - the Grand Lodge or its delegated authority. But, without this unanimity, the warrant
is operative in even one surviving member, because the authority in the warrant is not derived from the
members, but given to each and all, and of a right to which, subsisting in one, severally, as fully it subsisted,
jointly, in all, he cannot be deprived by the decisions or opinions of other members. Majorities do not control
minorities in this matter, and their resolutions have effect upon themselves only as individual members, but
cannot interfere with minorities, however, small.
A reference to the Book of Constitutions, peculiarly influencing Masters of Lodges, shows this general
rule, under the head, ‘Private Lodges’. Page 70, Edition of 1847, para. 32: - ‘As every Warranted Lodge is a
constituent part of the Grand Lodge (that is, the Grand Lodge of England) in which assembly all the power of
the Fraternity resides, it is clear, that no other authority can destroy the power granted by a warrant. If, therefore,
the majority of any Lodge, should determine to quit the Society, or that Lodge, the constitution, or power of
assembly, remains with the rest of the members who adhere to their allegiance. If all the members of a Lodge
withdraw themselves, their warrant ceases and becomes extinct; and all authority, thereby granted or enjoyed,
177
reverts to the Grand Master.’
The PGM need scarcely observe that the establishing of another Lodge, under different authority, with
a declaration of ceasing to belong to the Lodge constituted, and acting under warrant is, to all intents, an evident
withdrawal, unless the member renews his connection, and separates himself from the New Society.
The PGM further observes, that a suspension to hold Lodge Meetings under the warrant is no
abandonment of the instrument, or dissolution of the Lodge - the remaining members, at the first convenient
opportunity, resume their meetings in conformity with their By-Laws and the Regulations of the Craft in the same
manner as if the Regular assemblies had been suspended by events beyond the control of the Lodge.
The PGM is unwilling to extend these observations at this time; his desire is to remove misconception
by the members of the Lodges, of the extent of their privileges as Masons, and of the controlling power of
majorities in Lodges. He will rejoice if a consideration of the foregoing should have the effect he desires to
accomplish, of preventing unconstitutional actions by Masons in his District, and will simply add, in conclusion,
his readiness to restore and place in the circle of Masonic connection all who, from misconception, or want of
sufficient knowledge of the principles of the Institution, may erred and gone from its landmarks.
(sgd.)
W. Badgley;
PGM
The foregoing attitude was not shared by the Grand Lodge of Ireland which had communicated with
each of its subordinate Lodges and reported that it had immediately recognized the new Grand Lodge of
Canada.
By virtue of its action in affiliating with the new Grand Lodge of Canada, at the First Annual
Communication (July 10 and 11, 1856, Hamilton), “The committee appointed to determine the respective
numbers of the Lodges under this jurisdiction, adopting the principle determined upon by the Grand Lodge
. . .” recommended the Lodge of Social and Military Virtues to be granted Warrant “No. 1" in view of its
seniority on the roll of the new Grand Lodge. At the 2nd Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of
Canada (July 8-10, 1857, Montreal), the Lodge was, surprisingly, not represented until 8 pm in the evening,
when the Committee on Credentials recommended that Bro. C. VanFelson, of the Lodge be admitted. At that
time the report of the DDGM of the Montreal District, R. W. Bro. P. D. Brown was received. In his report the
DDGM reported that there were six Lodges in the District160 which had lost two venerable WMs in the year:
W. Bro. Colonel Robert Hoyle, of Hoyle Lodge, Lacolle and V. W. Bro. William M. Brown, of The Lodge of
Social and Military Virtues. At this Communication Grand Lodge agreed to change the name of the Lodge
to “Lodge of Antiquity”, to allow the members to wear gold instead of silver jewels and to give the Lodge
precedence over all other Lodges in the jurisdiction. The resolution for this change of name is recorded in
the Proceedings:
Resolution:
It was moved by R. W. Bro. Stephens, seconded by R. W. Bro. Simpson, and unanimously
adopted,
That the “Lodge of Social and Military Virtues” shall henceforth be called, the
“LODGE OF ANTIQUITY”
160
The six were: The Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 1 GRC, Montreal; St. George’s Lodge, No.
13 GRC, Montreal; Zetland Lodge, No. 15 GRC, Montreal; Hoyle Lodge, Lacolle (13 members); St. Andrew’s Lodge
of St. Andrews and Jacques Cartier Lodge (“which never flourished at all”) (1857 Proceedings, p 135-6).
178
Wear gold instead of silver jewels, and take precedence of all numbered lodges.
The Lodge History (p 39) indicates that this name change was made to correspond with that made
by the “original No. 1" which had met at the Goose and Gridiron in St. Paul’s churchyard and which had
changed its name to “Lodge of Antiquity.” A motion in December 1934 to change the name back to “the
Lodge of Social and Military Virtues” was defeated.
In June 1858 a letter was sent to the Grand Lodge of Ireland from the Grand Lodge of Canada which
says in part “The following is a list of affiliated Lodges from your jurisdiction Nos. 211, 222, 209, 227, 231,
232, 236, 286, 323, 358, also Wellington Lodge 359 Stratford, and 232 St. Thomas Lodge (13 lodges), many
of the foregoing report they have already sent back their Warrants but should either have neglected to do
so I shall be most happy in affording you any further information on the subject. Thos. B. Harris.” In a letter
dated April 1, 1857, the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland wrote to confirm the age of the
original Warrant No. 227 (March 4, 1752—which fell into abeyance but was revived about 1801, Duplicate
issued when original lost at Dominica in 1805, new Duplicate issued August 1834, new civilian Warrant in
1847, and Duplicate civilian in 1853) and that the extant Warrant of 1853 had been surrendered in 1858.
At the 3rd Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Canada (July 14, 1858, Toronto), The Lodge of
Antiquity, unnumbered in accordance with its seniority, was represented by W. Bro. Edwin Morris, PM and
Bro. Philip Henry, SW. The Report of the DDGM of Montreal District, R. W. Bro. John Helder Isaacson,
indicated only five Lodges were working (Jacques Cartier Lodge is noted as being “to all intents and purposes
defunct and it was recommended that Grand Lodge call in the Warrant). At this Communication the Ancient
Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Canada amalgamated into the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free
and Accepted Masons of Canada.
At the 4th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Canada (July 13, 1859, Kingston), The
Lodge of Antiquity was represented by V. W. Bro. P. Henry, SW and R. W. Bro. E. Morris, PM. In his report,
the DDGM of Montreal District, R. W. Bro. E. Morris, reported The Lodge of Antiquity to be in a flourishing
condition and the five Lodges of the District had been supplemented by the application for affiliation received
from Dorchester Lodge of St. John’s. In the List of Subordinate Lodges, R. W. Bro. E. Morris is listed as WM.
At the 5th Annual Communication (July 11, 1860, Ottawa), the Lodge was represented by R. W. Bro. E.
Morris, WM; Bro. Marshall Scholes, SW and Bro. F. C. Dettmers, JW. In his report, the DDGM of Montreal
District, R. W. Bro. E. Morris, reported the Lodge in good working order.
The Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867 with four provinces—Ontario, Quebec, New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia—and members of the Lodge noted that Freemasons were in the process of
forming two new Grand Lodges in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. This change to Dominion status “created
the desire in the hearts of many Masons in the province of Quebec, to work for their own independence,
Masonically speaking, by forming a ‘Grand Lodge of Quebec’.” Such desires in no way conflicted with the
Lodge of Antiquity’s duty towards its Grand Lodge and on July 27, 1869, the Grand Master of the Grand
Lodge of Canada, M. W. Bro. Lt.-Col. Alexander Allan Stevenson, convened a special meeting of the Lodge
of Antiquity (of which he was an honorary member) for the purposes of receiving R. W. Bro. Sir John
Alexander Macdonald, GCB, Prime Minister of Canada, in his capacity as representing the Grand Lodge of
England near to the Grand Lodge of Canada.
An informal meeting of Freemasons in Montreal on August 12, 1869, discussed the situation facing
the craft in the province and it was agreed to convene a meeting of the representatives of Lodges
representing the several jurisdictions working in Quebec, on September 24, 1869. This second meeting
resulted in agreement to meet on October 20 in the “British Masonic Chambers” in Montreal to proceed “.
. . if so decided, to the formation of a Grand Lodge for the Province of Quebec . . . .” Representatives of
twenty-one Lodges met and formed the Grand Lodge of Quebec. The Lodge of Antiquity, remaining loyal
to the Grand Lodge of Canada, did not attend. It was not alone and difficulties would ensue until the total
withdrawal of the Grand Lodge of Canada from the province in 1874: some Lodges like Antiquity, retained
their “Canadian identity” until the last moment, while others split into two separate Lodges (one Canadian
and one Quebec) and some of these split Lodges never did amalgamate.
For the Lodge of Antiquity, a good example of the challenges came at its meeting of December 5,
179
1872. The DDGM of the District of Montreal and William Henry of the Grand Lodge of Quebec, R. W. Bro.
Richard Bull, visited the Lodge and posed two questions: (1) Is it the opinion of your Lodge desirable, and
for the interests of Masonry that an independent Grand Lodge for Quebec should exist? and (2) If yes: then
in the event of the so-called Grand Lodge of Quebec expressing their willingness to accept and enroll our
Lodges, as at present, constituted in the said Province, would your Lodge consent to, and be satisfied with
such an arrangement? The response of the Lodge was a motion, duly seconded and approved, that “. . . the
members of this Lodge of Antiquity appreciate the privilege extended to them . . . of discussing a subject .
. . (formerly) regarded as Masonic treason, but nevertheless they . . . decline (to) enter upon the discussion
of any question, which either directly or indirectly would involve the disruption of such an honorable, dignified
and respected body as the Most Worshipful The Grand Lodge of Canada, of Free and Accepted Masons,
under whose authority this Lodge exists and intends to exist.” This discussion was reported to M. W. Bro.
Wilson who replied on January 8, 1873, thanking the Lodge for its “steady and unswerving allegiance.”
By March 1874, the then Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Canada, M. W. Bro. William Benjamin
Simpson reported that the difficulties had been settled “between the Lodge of Canada” and his edict
removing suspensions and resuming friendly intercourse were read. In preparation of an Emergent
Communication of the Grand Lodge of Canada on July 23, 1874, the Lodge of Antiquity voted to instruct its
delegate “to represent to Grand Lodge that this Lodge desires to maintain its allegiance to the Grand Lodge
of Canada, and to retain its present position.” At the Convocation the representative made every effort to
put the case that there was no unanimity on the Quebec question as long as one Lodge, Antiquity, wished
to remain loyal to the Grand Lodge of Canada. He then proposed an amendment to the resolution of the
Board of General Purposes “That any Lodge in Quebec should be permitted to retain its allegiance to the
Grand Lodge of Canada.” The amendment was defeated on being put to a vote. Subsequently the Grand
Lodge of Canada completed its agreement with the Grand Lodge of Quebec concerning the former’s total
withdrawal from the Province of Quebec. The Lodge of Antiquity named a committee to treat with the Grand
Lodge of Quebec and on August 6, 1874, R. W. Bro. Thomas Milton, DDGM, Grand Lodge of Quebec and
R. W. Bro. Alexander Murray, PM, Victoria Lodge, No. 17 GRQ, as representatives of the Grand Lodge of
Quebec were received by the Lodge of Antiquity. They announced “on behalf of the Grand Lodge of Quebec,
that it was the desire of the Grand Lodge of Quebec to receive this Lodge with all due consideration as to
her position in the Craft, and the wishes of the members.” The Warrant as No. 0, which had gone missing161,
was received back by the Lodge in September 1874, “just in time for it to be endorsed by the Grand Master
of the Grand Lodge of Quebec, on September 23, 1874, at the Fifth Communication of that Grand Body “.
. . when our Lodge (of Antiquity) together with seventeen other Lodges previously connected with the ‘Grand
Lodge of Canada’, affiliated with the Grand Lodge of Quebec.”
The Lodge of Antiquity did not receive a new number until September 26, 1877, when the Grand
Lodge of Quebec numbered it as No. 1, giving the Lodge the senior position on the roll.
The minutes of the October 1881 meeting of the Lodge of Antiquity refer to a proposed
amalgamation with Victoria Lodge, No. 26 GRQ, Montreal. After two years of negotiation the amalgamation
was effected on December 20, 1883. Although the Warrant of No. 26 was returned to Grand Lodge, Victoria’s
bible was in use on the Lodge altar until 1956, when it was “retired.” Victoria’s regalia was passed on for the
use of Victoria Lodge, No. 73 GRQ, Lachine, in 1890 (the Lodge now meets in Pierrefonds). In 1956 the
Lodge of Antiquity supported the formation of Meridian Lodge (now Meridian Royal Alexandra since 1999),
No. 125 GRQ, Pierrefonds and provided the charter WM (W. Bro. Gordon A. Lynn).
As a Lodge with a long and proud military heritage, the Lodge of Antiquity has provided support for
161
“No names, no pack drill” is applied in the Lodge History in describing how the Warrant went missing.
Several Lodges shared the same facilities and those which had joined the new Grand Lodge of Quebec in 1869
removed their equipment and met elsewhere. During the removal, more than just the equipment of the departing
Lodges was taken — and the new Canadian Warrant No. 0 had been removed. The perpetrators are unnamed, but
the Warrant arrived back in the hands of the Lodge in time to be endorsed by M. W. Bro. John Hamilton Graham.
Other items of Lodge furniture and regalia were returned including an oil painting of one of the WMs, a sword and
goblets, all of which were “given back” in 1886.
180
its members who served the colours. In 1885 the dues of brethren serving in the military forces called out
to counter the rebellion in the Northwest Territories were remitted. On the outbreak of war in 1914, the first
casualty for the Lodge was the immediate loss of the then secretary, Bro. H. Salmon, a member of the
permanent forces who was immediately called to duty. By motion of the Lodge it was agreed that dues of
serving brethren would be remitted and that the Lodge would immediately comply with the request from the
Grand Master to refrain from banquets and unnecessary activities until the end of the war. In 1917 the Lodge
entertained the officers and men of HMS Donegal who were members of the craft. By the end of the war a
total of 68 members had served in His Majesty’s forces and were presented with “Lodge War Medals” in
1923. Three members of the Lodge—Bros. David Clark Grieve, James Kay and L. B. Rogers—were killed
in action in France in 1917. Between the two world wars (October 18, 1933) the Lodge was pleased to
receive and entertain Bro. General Sir Arthur Currie, GCMG, KCB, LLB, who had commanded the right wing
of Canadian troops employed in the taking of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917. Peace having disappeared in
September 1939, the Lodge of Antiquity again moved to remit the dues of serving brethren. The Lodge also
supported the Quebec Mason’s War Relief Fund which was created to provide funds to the United Grand
Lodge of England for the relief of women and children who had lost their homes during the war. The Lodge
also provided support to Canadian servicemen by providing cigarettes and food packages, as well as
Christmas parcels for Lodge members serving overseas. The Lodge participated in a Victory Thanksgiving
Service on October 9, 1945, to celebrate the victory of all Allied forces and presented the collected offering
to the Royal Canadian Legion. A total of 19 members of the Lodge of Antiquity had served in His Majesty’s
Forces and all had returned safely; they were presented with a specially struck Lodge War Medal in 1946.
The Lodge of Antiquity has always been blessed with a large and growing membership and while
no one would look for benefits from any war, the year 1919 was remarkable for the Lodge and resulted in
48 first degrees, 25 second and 19 third degrees being worked in nine regular and fifteen emergent
meetings. A similar level of activity was reported for 1920. The roll at the close of 1923 showed 338
members. The Lodge instituted a “father and son” evening in 1938 as both a social activity and potential
membership event. The effect of World War II was also to given an impetus to brethren to join the Lodge
before proceeding overseas and 1943, for example, saw 12 first, 13 second and 12 third degrees worked in
nine regular and eight emergent meetings.
Antiquity Lodge holds an Annual Military Night each March 17th in honour of its Irish origins, and
members appear in the uniform of the corps to which they were attached. It has not always been held on this
date and in 1866 it was held in July and in September in 1902162.
In December 1888 the Grand Master authorized the members of the Lodge to wear a jewel in
commemoration of its Centennial. The jewel is described as “bearing the coat of arms of the 46th Regiment
and the motto of the Lodge: ‘Libens Solvit Merito Votum’—which translates as ‘(The Lodge) has willingly and
honourably performed its solemn obligations,’ or ‘He pays his vows, willingly and justly’.” In 1910 the then
existing Lodge in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (46th Foot)—Dominica Lodge, No. 174 IC (warranted
March 6, 1896, Warrant surrendered 1921)—wrote to the Lodge of Antiquity from Bermuda. The contact was
to renew fraternal relations through their common ancestral home. The Lodge History reports that most of
the members of Dominica Lodge were killed during the retreat from Mons in 1914.
The Lodge of Antiquity celebrated its 150th Anniversary on March 4, 1902 and its 170th Anniversary
in March 1922. On March 15, 1952, the Lodge celebrated its bicentenary. As a special event the Lodge
donated $2500.00 to the Shriner’s Hospital in Montreal. Congratulations were received from Antiquity Lodge,
No. 1 GRNSW, Australia and Antiquity Lodge, No. 146 ER, Bolton, Lancashire. A special Bicentennial Jewel
had been designed and struck and was distributed to members of the Lodge.
The Lodge of Antiquity has always been active in Montreal. On October 6, 1894, the members
attended the laying of the corner stone of the new Masonic Temple on the north side of Dorchester Street
(a building which, in 1963, was occupied by an insurance company). The Lodge became one of the tenant
Masonic there until 1930 when it removed to the present Memorial Temple, along with a number of other
162
The 1902 date was chosen to avoid a conflict with the 150th anniversary celebrations.
181
Lodges and units of concordant bodies.
While the Lodge has always had a charity fund for members, a benevolence fund was started in
January 1905. The first reference in the Lodge History to a Ladies Night is March 1906. In 1914 the Lodge
purchased two grave lots in Mount Royal Cemetery to be used for indigent brethren should the need arise.
One lot was used that same year and the second was unused as late as 1963.
On April 10, 1947, the Lodge of Antiquity was represented at the Centennial Celebration of King
Solomon’s Lodge, No. 22 GRC, Toronto. The event was attended by representatives from the remaining Irish
Lodges which had existed at the time of the formation of the Grand Lodge of Canada on October 10, 1855,
in Hamilton. The Lodges attending included: King Hiram, No. 226 IC (now No. 37 GRC) Ingersoll; St. John’s
No. 209 IC (now No. 20 GRC), London; St. John’s, No. 159 IC (now No. 21A GRC), Vankleek Hill; St. John’s,
No. 286 IC (now No. 35 GRC) Cayuga; St. John’s, No. 231 IC (now No. 40 GRC), Hamilton; St. Thomas, No.
222 IC (now No. 40 GRC), St. Thomas; Brant, No. 323 IC (now No. 45 GRC), Brantford; Vaughan, No. 236
IC (now No. 54 GRC), Maple and Harmony, No. 358 IC (now No. 57 GRC), Binbrook.
The Lodge has encountered major difficulties since the 1960's. By far the most devastating from a
Masonic perspective was the election of the separatist government in the Province of Quebec in 1976. Since
that time major companies have moved out of the province, taking many of their staff with them — and
numbers of the staff were members of Masonic Lodges, including Antiquity No. 1. In one year the Lodge lost
three Treasurers and the move of Canadian Vickers saw the loss of five junior Past Masters. This latter event
removed Masters who might have brought other new members into the Lodge. While it appeared somewhat
commonplace a century or more ago for a WM to hold office for several terms, one WM has held the office
for seven years (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992 and 1993) and one for five years (1980, 1981, 1982,
2002 and 2003) and six Masters have held two-year terms in the last twenty years. But the Lodge exists and
has been slowly increasing its ranks!
Although only one initiated member of the Lodge of Antiquity has served as head of a Masonic body,
three affiliated members have served in that office. On April 3, 1856, the Lodge of Antiquity initiated Mr.
John Valentine Ellis who would later become the head of the four major York Rite bodies in the Maritimes.
Affiliated members who held the senior office in Masonic bodies include: M. W. Bro. Thomas Douglas
Harington, M. Ex. Comp. John Charles Franck and M. W. Bro. John Patience, Grand Master of the Grand
Lodge of Quebec. In addition, other members of the Lodge of Antiquity have served Grand Lodge in various
offices, including:
•
DDGM - R. W. Bros. E. Morris (1858-59, 1859-60), John Beamish Saul ( ), Lt.-Col. Frank T. Brown
(1909-10), Colonel James Cooper (1922-23), Beresford Wilde (1949-50), Gordon A. Lynn (year
unknown) and William N. Sim (year unknown);
•
Grand Junior Warden - R. W. Bros. W. G. Fellows (year unknown) and A. H. Badilotti (year
unknown);
•
Grand Registrar - R. W. Bros. Alexander Chisholm (year unknown)), Colonel James Cooper (191112) and Arthur H. Purves (year unknown);
•
Grand Organist - V. W. Bro. Fred C. Lydon (year unknown);
•
Assistant Grand Secretary - V. W. Bro. R. A. Malcolm (1856-57);
•
Grand Pursuivant - V. W. Bro. William T. Giles (year unknown);
•
Grand Stewards - V. W. Bros. C. Edwin Morris (1856-57), Edward J. Kalil (year unknown) and, André
Francoeur (year unknown),
The Lodge of Antiquity, No. 1 GRC, meets in the Masonic Memorial Temple, 2295 St. Mark Street
(corner of St. Mark and Sherbrooke), Montreal.
V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, 1973, shows the original issue of a warrant
bearing the number “227" as being issued on March 4, 1752, and the Duplicate issue by the Grand Lodge
of Ireland in July 1805. He shows the termination date of the Irish Warrant as 1847. It is interesting that he
shows the number “227” used on a Warrant issued to the 2nd Horse on January 5, 1757 and a Duplicate
issued on August 17, 1801 when the number was “not in use” for the 46th Foot. He shows two Renewals to
182
the 46th Foot in July 1805 and on August 7, 1834. He also notes the issue on July 2, 1847, for the Lodge of
Social and Military Values, Montreal, a civilian Lodge which joined the new Grand Lodge of Canada (Ontario)
in 1855 and surrendered the Warrant to the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1858. He also lists the use of the
number “227” for an undated Warrant for Geraldine Lodge at Dublin, no date of being struck off the rolls is
shown. With regard to this last issue, Cochrane shows a date of issue of September 11, 1871 for Geraldine
Lodge, Dublin, the Warrant having been returned to Grand Lodge in 1984 when the Lodge amalgamated with
No. 171 to become the new Geraldine Lodge, No. 171.
John Lane, in his Masonic Records 1717-1894 includes an entry for the Lodge on page 272 as
follows: “Lodge of Social and Military Values. In 46th Regiment. No. 7 Local, No. 5 Local in 1821. Madras
(Chingleput), Madras, India 1817. Not in list until 1836. (G. L. Warrant) 27 Dec. 1817 Prov. Warrant. No. 634
ER. Went to Ceylon (date uncertain), and was extinct before the Warrant from G.L. of England arrived in
1836. Erased 4 June 1862.”
Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, shows separately the issue of the Irish Warrant of 1752
(No. 227) and the Local Warrant (No. 7 Madras) of 1817 and English Warrant (No. 634 ER) of 1832. He does
not refer to the Local issue of No. 5 (Madras) in 1821.
An enquiry was directed to the Grand Lodge of Ireland in April 2000, requesting a copy of Warrant
No. 227 IC issued for the 46th Foot, if the original was still in the Archives. The Grand Lodge graciously
provided a copy of the renewal Warrant of August 2, 1834 which is transcribed at the end of this summary
history. The renewal Warrant itself appears very similar to those already described, measuring about 11½
inches wide and 16 inches long. There is a one-half inch border on the four edges consisting of intertwined
shamrocks and, in the upper two corners, there are Irish harps. The words “The Grand Lodge of Ireland is
in a arched form across the top of the Warrant with a picture underneath of an all-seeing eye shining down
on a woman holding three children. There are three separate images across the bottom — on the left is a
pilgrim kneeling on his right knee, holding a cross and chalice or cup in his right hand facing towards the
centre of the bottom where there is the top of an altar upon which there is a pillow with a Volume of the
Sacred Law surmounted by a square and compasses. In the bottom right hand corner is a “ruin” with an
“angelic figure” supporting an anchor.
[Sources: (1) Irish Masonic Records, by Philip Crossle, P.G.S.D., Dublin, 1973. Manuscript only, held in the
Grand Lodge of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland. (2) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, CD-ROM Update (Fall 2002) of
Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, available in CD-ROM version only from R. W. Bro. Cochrane, Belfast. (3)
History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. 1, by John Heron Lepper and Philip
Crossle, published by the Lodge of Research, No. CC IC, Dublin, 1923. (4) History of Freemasonry in
Canada, Volumes 1 and 2, by John Ross Robertson, The Hunter, Rose Co. Ltd., Toronto, 1899. (5) Whence
Come We? Freemasonry in Ontario 1764 - 1980, published 1980, by Masonic Holdings, Hamilton. (6) The
Irish Civilian Lodges of Canada 1820-1888, by M. W. Bro. Reginald V. Harris (PGM NS), February 20, 1959,
Canadian Masonic Research Association, Volume 2 Paper 48, as published by The Heritage Lodge, No. 730
GRC, 1986. (7) Freemasonry at the Two Sieges of Louisbourg: 1745 and 1758, by M. W. Bro. Reginald V.
Harris (PGM, Nova Scotia), W. Bro. A. J. B. Milborne (Grand Historian, Grand Lodge of Quebec) and W.
Bro. Col. James R. Case (Grand Historian, Grand Lodge of Connecticut), Canadian Masonic Research
Association, Vol. 2, paper 46, May 13, 1958, printed in 1986, p. 32. (8) The Provincial Grand Lodge of
Quebec 1759-1792 Parts I and II, by Bro. A. J. B. Milborne, in his articles as printed in the Transactions of
the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1956. (9) History of Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (10)
Outlines of the History of Freemasonry in the Province of Quebec, by John H. Graham, 1892. (11) Early
Canadian Freemasonry, by Pemberton Smith, P.M., O.R., 1939. (12) Masonic records 1717-1894, by John
Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895. (13) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson,
as printed in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957, pp 119-141.
(14) The Master-Mason-at-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, by Bro. Frederick
Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge.
183
(15) History of the Lodge of Antiquity, by W. Bro. Harry M. Nevison, Lodge Historian, printed 1963, printer
unknown. (16) British Regulars in Montreal: An Imperial Garrison 1832-1854, by Elinor Kyte Sr., McGillQueen’s University Press, Montreal, 1981, ISBN 0-7735-0372-2. (17) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments
Foot. (18) Notes, advice and copy of Antiquity No. 1 Summons dated March 5, 2004, courtesy of M. W. Bro.
John Patience, PGM]
184
Worshipful Masters of Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC/634 ER in the 46th Foot
(names marked “+” are taken from History of the Lodge of Antiquity pp 120-122
other names up to 1858 from documents residing in the archives of the Grand Lodge of Ireland)
1752 - 1805
1805
1807
1809
1811
1813
1815
1817
1819
1821
1823
1825
1827
1829
1831
1833
1835
1837
1839
1841
1843
1845
1847
1849
1851
1853
1855
names unknown
W. Bro. Stephen Donnell (as named on Duplicate Warrant)
1806 unknown
unknown
1808 unknown
unknown
1810 unknown
unknown
1812 unknown
unknown
1814 unknown
W. Bro. J. McDonald+
1816 W. Bro. Capt. Edward Sanderson
W. Bro. Capt. Edward Sanderson
1818 unknown
unknown
1820 unknown
unknown
1822 unknown
unknown
1824 unknown
unknown
1826 unknown
unknown
1828 unknown
unknown
1830 unknown
unknown
1832 unknown
unknown
1834 W. Bro. Lt. William Lacy163
W. Bro. Lt. William Lacy
1836 unknown
unknown
1838 unknown
unknown
1840 unknown
unknown
1842 unknown
unknown
1844 unknown
unknown
1846 W. Bro. Captain William Childs
unknown
1848 W. Bro. William Shepherd
R. W. Bro. Thomas Douglas Harington 1850 W. Bro. William Robinson
W. Bro. William Shepherd+
1852 W. Bro. William Shepherd+
W. Bro. William George Malcolm+
1854 W. Bro. William George Malcolm+
W. Bro. W. M. Brown
1856 R. W. Bro. C. Edwin Morris+, DDGM
Worshipful Masters of Lodge of the Lodge of Antiquity, No. 1 GRC/0 GRC and 1 GRQ, Montreal
(all names are taken from History of the Lodge of Antiquity pp 120-122)
1857
1859
1861
1863
1865
1867
1869
1871
1873
1875
C. Edwin Morris
C. Edwin Morris
R. M. Scholes
F. Dettmers
Alexandre Brunet
John Charles Franck
M. Gutman
J. Urquhart
Alexander Chisholm
Alexander Chisholm
163
1858
1860
1862
1864
1866
1868
1870
1872
1874
1876
R. A. Malcolm
C. Edwin Morris
C. Edwin Morris
F. Dettmers
John Charles Franck
M. Gutman
Bro. J. Urquhart
Alexander Chisholm
L. Cohen
Alexander Chisholm
Lieutenant William Lacy was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1834.
1877
1879
1881
1883
1885
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
1913
1915
1917
1919
1921
1923
1925
1927
1929
1931
1933
1935
1937
1939
1941
1943
1945
1947
1949
1951
1953
1955
1957
1959
1961
1963
1965
H. J. Boswell
Edmond Powis
Alexander Chisholm
Alexander Chisholm
Alexander Chisholm
C. S. Aspinal
W. N. King
James Mitchell
A. F. LeMessurier
F. Upton
John Beamish Saul
W. G. Fellows
Henry Hurst
W. R. Chennell
G. A. Southee
Alexander B. J. Moore
Harry Wilson Jr.
Col. James Cooper
William J. Lendrum
William E. Sharpe
J. E. Coulin
William C. McAllister
T. Edgar Dey
James Callaghan165
William Fraser
John Donaghy
Frank Gates
Harry Hamer
F. A. Hamlet
G. W. G. Turner
T. H. Broadhurst
E. L. Curtin
Sydney B. Fraser
Richard V. Clark
Alexander R. Campbell
George H. W. LeBrun
Ken M. Cunningham
Edmund A. Nix
Arthur H. Purves
James M. Hoult
Norman C. Procter
Andrew F. H. Cowan
Frederick Kingdon
Ronald W. Price
William S. Chadwick
164
1878
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
185
C. M. Putney
Andrew Schmidt
Alexander Chisholm
Alexander Chisholm
C. S. Aspinal
John Ion
W. N. King
A. F. LeMessurier
Bro. F. Upton
John Beamish Saul
J. S. Thompson
Henry Hurst
C. A. Corrigan
R. C. Binning
Lt.-Col. Frank T. Brown164
William R. Eakin
Hugh W. Glassford
William Eaves
Henry Hurst
Fred C. Lydon
E. Curtin
Frank T. Girdwood
James R. Innes
H. Bemister
Victor Loftus
Bro. Alexander J. Bowles
Bro. Harry J. Marshall
Fred E. Cunningham
A. C. Dickson
Gordon Donald Robertson
William J. Stephenson
Leslie S. Moore
Beresford Wilde
George H. Hoyle
J. D. Price
John H. Maude
W. Bro. Ronald W. Newey
W. Bro. James Forbes
Gordon A. Lynn
Harry M. Nevison
Lorne W. Prior
Harold C. Wilson
John A. McLay
Lorne E. Souva
Bruce W. Roberts
He was a Lieutenant-Colonel of the 3rd Battalion, Victoria Rifles.
165
Early in his term of office, W. Bro. Callaghan was transferred to Toronto by his employer. He returned
to Montreal to preside at every meeting of the Lodge during the year.
186
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
L. L. Ware
Howard Eakin
John Nevin Patience
Thomas A. Kelly
David Fergie
William N. Sim
Edward J. Kalil
John Nevin Patience
William A. R. McKee
Norman H. Normand
Norman H. Normand
Norman H. Normand
A. H. Badilotti
Norman H. Normand
Alistair McRae
Claude Larocque
Marc C. David
Stan Garratt
John Nevin Patience
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
William T. Giles
Robert F. Williams
Lorne N. Morrison
Alfred A. Quinn
Leslie McMullan
John S. Douglas
John Nevin Patience
John Nevin Patience
William A. R. McKee
Norman H. Normand
Norman H. Normand
André Francoeur
Norman H. Normand
Alistair McRae
John Rizopoulos
Marc C. David
Stan Garratt
John Nevin Patience
187
John Valentine Ellis
Grand Master (1872-74 and 1884-86) of the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick
Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of New Brunswick
Grand Master of the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters (Cryptic Rite) of the Maritime Provinces
Supreme Grand Master (1899-1900 and 1900-01) of the Sovereign Great Priory of Canada
Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council 33° of the A. & A. S. R.
for the Dominion of Canada
(1835-1913)
John Valentine Ellis was born in Halifax of Irish parentage on February 14, 1835, son of Michael Ellis
and Margaret Walsh. After an education in the public schools he moved to Montreal for a short time. He
moved to Saint John, NB in 1857 and entered the newspaper business. He was working for the Saint John
Globe by 1862 and remained with it for the next 52 years as printer, reporter, editor and proprietor.
He was prominent in every progressive movement in the community, identifying himself with several
charitable and benevolent organizations. He was Postmaster of Saint John; School Trustee; a Director of
the New Brunswick Horticultural Society; Director of the Saint John relief and Aid Society; President of the
Keystone Fire Insurance Company; President of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and
President of the Natural History Society of New Brunswick.
He served in the Provincial Legislature from 1882 to 1890, then represented the City of Saint John
in the Dominion Parliament from 1890 to 1900, when he was called to the Senate. He was described as a
conscientious public man and ever fearless in expressing his opinions and views.
He figured in a contempt of court case in connection with, and as a result of, the Queen’s (NB)
election case (HC) 1887, for which he underwent imprisonment and was sentenced to pay a fine, which was
paid by public subscription. In spite of this he remained in good standing with his peers and in his community
and received an LLD (Hon) from the University of New Brunswick in 1897 and was “presented” to King
Edward VII in 1907.
He married Mary Caroline Babbitt (daughter of Samuel Babbitt, a practical printer of Fredericton,
NB) in 1864. Mrs. Ellis was active in social programs in her own right and President of the local Council of
Women and Council of the Victorian Order of Nurses.
John Valentine Ellis died on July 10, 1913, in his 78th year.
Masonic Career
In Symbolic Masonry, the Hon. John Valentine Ellis was initiated in the Lodge of Social and Military
Virtues, No. 227 IC (now Lodge of Antiquity, No. 1 GRQ), Montreal on April 3, 1856. He was passed on May
1 and raised on June 5, 1856. He demitted on August 4, 1859, after moving to Saint John, where he affiliated
188
with Carleton Union Lodge in Carleton (now the west side of St. John). He took an active part in the erection
of the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick in 1867. In 1868 he was appointed Grand Director of Ceremonies as
well as to the Board of General Purposes. At the Annual Communication of September 1870 he was elected
as Deputy Grand Master, and re-elected in 1871. In 1872 was elected as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge
of New Brunswick, an office he would hold for a total of six years, from 1872 to 1874 and from 1884 to 1886.
York Rite
In Capitular Masonry his Chapter is unknown but he was elected as Grand High Priest of the Grand
Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of New Brunswick. In Cryptic Rite Masonry he was Most Illustrious Grand
Master of the Cryptic Rite of the Maritime Provinces. In Knights Templary He was a member of the
Encampment of St. John, No. 3A, in Saint John. He was Provincial Grand Prior for New Brunswick District
and he was elected Supreme Grand Master of the Sovereign Great Priory of Canada for the years 1899-1900
and 1900-1901.
Scottish Rite
He was Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council 33° of the A. & A. S. R. for the
Dominion of Canada.
He was Provincial Grand Master of the Royal Order of Scotland for the Maritime Provinces.
[Sources: (1) Canadian Men and Women of Their Time, by H. J. Morgan, 1912 Edition. (2) Annual
Proceedings of the Sovereign Great Priory of Canada. (3) Symbolic Masonry information courtesy of W. Bro.
Stuart J. MacDonald, Secretary, Albion Lodge, No. 1 NBR, Saint John.]
189
Thomas Douglas Harington
Grand Master (1860-1-2-3-4) of the Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Canada
Grand First Principal (1859-60, 1860-61, 1863-4, 1864-65, 1866-67, 1867-68, 1868-69, 1869-70, 187071) of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Canada
Grand Master (1871-72) of the Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters (Cryptic Rite) for Ontario
Sovereign Grand Commander (1874-1882) of the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted
Scottish Rite for the Dominion of Canada
(1808-1882)
Thomas Douglas Harington was born at Windsor, England, on June 7th, 1808.
His early life was spent in the service of the Royal Navy, and the Honorable East India Company’s
navy. In July 1832, he came to Canada, landing at Quebec, and, after a short residence there in expectation
of getting a ship, was persuaded to move inland and see the “great west country”. On November 1, 1832,
he accepted the office of Extra Clerk to the Provincial Secretary of Lower Canada and he rose to the rank
of Chief Clerk. In May, 1858, he was promoted to Deputy Receiver-General for the united provinces of Upper
and Lower Canada and, in 1868, was reappointed to the same office under the Dominion of Canada, an
office he held until his retirement in 1878.
Through the period of rebellion in Upper Canada (1837-38) he served with “The Queen’s Rangers”
and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel (unattached) of Militia.
After a short illness Thomas Douglas Harington died at his home in Prescott, Ontario, on January
13, 1882. His remains were laid to rest in the “Blue Church Burying Ground” in Augusta, near the town of
Prescott. His grave remained unmarked until 1942. In 1904, a suggestion was made by the late John Ross
Robertson, (in which the Grand Lodge of Canada concurred) that a monument should be placed to mark the
last resting place of this distinguished Mason but was not actioned. The proposal was again considered at
the Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge held at Toronto in July 1939, and the authority was again
renewed and that the fraternity of Belleville, Ontario, and District have erected a suitable memorial, which
was unveiled and dedicated on Sunday, June 14, 1942.
Masonic Career
In Symbolic Masonry Mr. Thomas Douglas Harington was initiated into Freemasonry on December
13, 1843, in Duke of Leinster Lodge, No. 283 IC, Kingston. He affiliated with St. John’s Lodge, No. 758 ER,
Kingston, on March 28, 1844. In July 1844 he was in Montreal and affiliated with St. George’s Lodge, No.
642 ER and No. 10 PRMWH, becoming Worshipful Master in 1845 and continuing in this office for four
years. He also affiliated with the Lodge of Social and Military Virtues, No. 227 IC, Montreal, in May 1848,
and was elected Worshipful Master for 1849. He withdrew from the Lodge in the same year on taking up an
assignment in Quebec and where he affiliated with St. John’s Lodge, No. 214 ER, on December 10, 1851.
190
The same evening he was elected Worshipful Master and was re-elected for a period of four years. On
December 27, 1854, he was elected to Honorary membership. His was appointed as Deputy Provincial
Grand Master of the District Grand Lodge of Montreal and William Henry in 1849, followed by appointments
as Provincial Grand Master of the District Grand Lodge of Quebec and Three Rivers in 1852; Provincial
Grand Master in the Provincial Grand Lodge of Lower Canada in 1853; Provincial Grand Master of Canada
East by the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1853; and he was then accorded the rank of Past Grand Master of
the Ancient Grand Lodge of Canada West in 1856. His duties in the Civil Service necessitated a change of
residence to Toronto, where he affiliated with St. Andrew’s Lodge, No. 16 PRCW (now No. 16 GRC) on June
10, 1856. In 1857 he resigned as Provincial Grand Master of the District Grand Lodge of Quebec and Three
Rivers, and as Provincial Grand Master of Canada East (Scotland) in 1858. In June 1859, he became a
charter member of Harington Lodge, No. 49, Quebec. In 1859 he was also elected Deputy Grand Master of
the Grand Lodge of Canada, wherein he was elevated to the rank of Grand Master in 1860, which office he
held for five years. When the Grand Lodge of Canada had been established in 1855, Bro. Harington was
initially opposed to its formation but he assisted materially in bringing about a peaceful solution of the then
existing difficulties, by the union, in Toronto, of The Ancient Grand Lodge (formerly The Provincial Grand
Lodge of Canada West) with the Grand Lodge of Canada in 1858. Subsequently he became Grand Master
of the Grand Lodge of Canada for the years 1860-1-2-3-4.
York Rite
In Capitular Masonry he became a charter member of St. John’s Chapter, No. 214 SGCE (attached
to St. John’s Lodge, No. 214 ER), in Quebec. In 1852, he was appointed Provincial Grand Superintendent
of Royal Arch Masons for the City and District of Quebec and Dependencies. With his move to Toronto he
resigned as Provincial Grand Superintendent of Quebec. On September 21, 1880, the Grand Chapter of
Quebec was pleased to elect him an Honorary Member, following the precedent of the Grand Lodge of
Quebec, which he had helped to set up in 1876. In Ontario he took an active part in the formation of the
Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Canada, and was elected Grand First Principal in 1859, which office
he held to the close of 1871, except for the years 1861 and 1862.
In Cryptic Rite Masonry, Bro. Harington received the degrees soon after the Rite’s introduction to
Canada, at St. John, NB, under a charter from the Grand Council of Maine, USA, dated May 18th, 1867.
Three Councils of the Rite had been established in St. John as a nucleus for the formation of a Grand
Council in that Province and on August 15, 1867, representatives of these Councils met in Convention and
the Grand Council was regularly formed. Considerable progress was made, many companions were
admitted, and other Councils organized in Nova Scotia, Quebec and Ontario. Some time between the Annual
Conventions, in St. John, of 1869 and 1870, Illustrious Companion Harington was appointed InspectorGeneral of the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec. When the Grand Council for Ontario was formed on August
8th, 1871, Ill. Comp. Harington presided over the deliberations of the Convention as Inspector-General for
Ontario and Quebec. In consideration of services rendered to Cryptic Masonry in assisting to organize the
Grand Council, the honorary rank of past Thrice Illustrious Master was conferred upon him by the newly
formed Grand Council on August 8th, 1871. As a sequel to this event, he surrendered to the Convention the
authority which he held as Inspector-General, accepting in place of it the office of Most Puissant Grand
Master of the Cryptic Rite for Ontario, August 8th, 1871 which office he held for one year.
In Knights Templary, Companion Harington received his Orders in Hugh de Payens Encampment
(now Hugh de Payens Premier Preceptory, No. 1), Kingston, on April 10, 1854. Sir Kt. Harington was
immediately appointed as Almoner. He became Eminent Commander of an Encampment established in
Quebec City, on July 28th, 1855, under the name of “William de la More, the Martyr”. (This Encampment
had but a fitful existence from its inception and, after a period of about twenty years, its warrant was
surrendered and returned to England.) Shortly after becoming Eminent Commander of the Quebec
Encampment, Em. Kt. Harington was transferred to Toronto where he affiliated with Geoffrey de St. Aldemar
Encampment and was elected Eminent Commander in 1858. In 1855 he was appointed Very Eminent
Provincial Grand Captain in command of the Column of Quebec. In 1856, he was promoted to Right Eminent
191
Provincial Grand Prior of the Provincial Grand Conclave of Canada and, in 1859, elected as Deputy
Provincial Grand Commander. He retained this office until 1871, except for the years 1861 and 1862, when,
through ill-health, he was forced to relinquish the office.
In Constantinian Masonry Bro. Harington was appointed as Inspector-General for the Provinces of Ontario
and Quebec.
Scottish Rite
At a meeting of the Grand Lodge of Canada, then in session at London, Ontario, on July 10, 1868,
W. J. B. Macleod Moore brought together a group of interested Masons and formally instituted Chapters of
Rose Croix to be located in the Cities of Hamilton and London, as well as a Consistory of the 32nd degree
in Hamilton. Among those who received these degrees was Thomas Douglas Harington who, at the inaugural
meeting of the Consistory was elected their first Commander in Chief. On July 14, 1868 Bro. Harington was
created an Inspector-General, 33°, along with John W. Murton, 32° and Thompson Wilson, 18° of London.
On December 10, 1868, he was appointed as the Representative of the Rite in Canada. The Supreme
Council for the Dominion of Canada was formed in Ottawa on October 16, 1874, with Ill. Bro. Harington as
the Most Puissant Sovereign Grand Commander of the Council “Ad Vitam”.
He was the first to receive the degrees of the Royal Order of Scotland, when it was introduced into
Ontario in 1874.
[Sources: (1) Thomas Douglas Harington, 33°, Citizen and Freemason, by R. W. Bro. Lewis F. Riggs,
November 21, 1950, presentation to the Canadian Masonic Research Association, as printed in the
Proceedings, Volume 1 Paper 3, Published by Heritage Lodge, No. 730 GRC, 1986; (2) Outlines of the
History of Freemasonry in the Province of Quebec, by John H. Graham, M.A., LL.D., (PGM and PGZ,
Quebec), John Lovell & Son, Montreal, 1892. (3) A History of the Grand Lodge A. F. & A. M. of Canada in
the Province of Ontario 1855 - 1955, by Walter S. Herrington and Roy S. Foley, Published by the authority
of Grand Lodge, McCallum Press Ltd., Toronto, 1955 (page 69).]
192
John Charles Franck
Grand First Principal (1861-62 and 1862-63)of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Canada
(1819-????)
John Charles Franck was born in Germany in 1819. There is no information known about when he
came to Canada. In 1852 he moved from Kingston to Belleville, Ontario with his wife and family. He had a
variety of careers during his years in Belleville, including: President of the Belleville Gas Company while
studying law; Notary Public in the office of Ross and Bell, Solicitors form the Grand Trunk Railway; and copartner in the firm of Franck, Starling and Co., Wholesale Merchants. In 1864 he was in financial troubles
and moved to Montreal as agent for two insurance companies, then later as an importer of groceries and
wines.
Masonic Career
In Symbolic Masonry John Charles Franck was a member of Moira Lodge, No. 11 GRC, Belleville
and served as WM in 1855 and 1864. He served as DDGM of Prince Edward District for 1859-60. When he
moved to Montreal in 1864-65, he affiliated with The Lodge of Antiquity. He served as WM of the Lodge for
1866 and 1867 and demitted sometime afterwards. He was granted a demit from Moira Lodge for nonpayment of dues in 1869, while living in Boston.
York Rite
In Capitular Masonry he was the charter First Principal of The Moira Chapter, No. 7, Belleville at its
Institution in 1856 under a Warrant from the Grand Chapter of England (No. 496 ER and No. 6 (local)). He
served as Grand First Principal for the 1861-62 and 1862-63 terms.
In Knights Templary he was the first Presiding Preceptor of King Baldwin Preceptory, No. 6,
Belleville and served for 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870 and 1873. .
[Source: (1) History of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Canada 1857-1932, published under
authority of the Grand Chapter, 75th Anniversary issue, 1932. (2) History of the Lodge of Antiquity, by W.
Bro. Harry M. Nevison, Lodge Historian, printed 1963, printer unknown. (3) Moira Lodge, A.F. & A.M. No.
11 GRC, Bicentennial 1801-2001, by V. W. Bro. Paul Foster, published by Templar Books, Belleville,
Ontario, © 2000, ISBN 0-9683567-9-6.]
193
John Nevin Patience
Grand Master (1985-86 and 1986-87) of the Grand Lodge of Quebec A.F. & A.M.
Grand First Principal (1982-83) of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Quebec
John Patience was born in Belfast in 1918 and was educated at The Royal Belfast Academical
Institution and the Belfast College of technology, graduating in Electrical Engineering in 1949. His working
life was spent in naval ship design both in the United Kingdom and Canada, having emigrated in 1953 to take
up a position with Vickers of Montreal. He is a Chartered Engineer (UK), a Fellow of the British Institute of
Marine Engineers and a Member of the US Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.
Masonic Career
In Symbolic Masonry, Mr. John Patience was initiated into B. W. D. Montgomery Lodge, No. 434 IC,
in Belfast, Ireland on December 21, 1940. He affiliated with the Lodge of Antiquity, No. 1 GRC, Montreal,
in 1961 and served as WM for 1971. He was elected as DDGM of District 1 (1974-75) and served as Deputy
Grand Master for 1984, on the death of the incumbent Deputy Grand Master. He was elected as Grand
Master of the Grand Lodge of Quebec for the 1985-86 and 1986-87 terms.
York Rite
In Capitular Masonry he is a member of Carnarvon Chapter, No. 5 GRQ, and served as First
Principal in 1972. In the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Quebec, he served as Grand Scribe
Nehemiah (1977-78) and was also Grand Representative of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Ireland. He
was elected as Grand First Principal of Quebec for 1982-83.
Scottish Rite
He joined the Valley of Montreal in 1967 and served as Thrice Puissant Master of Hochelaga Lodge
of Perfection in 1975. In 1980 he was made an Honorary Inspector-General of the Rite, receiving his 33° in
Winnipeg.
[Sources: (1) The Freemason, Volume 102, No. 1, June 1982.]
194
Duplicate Warrant No. 227 IC issued to hold a Lodge in the 46th Foot
SEAL
LEINSTER G.M.
No. 277
His Grace Augustus Frederick Duke of Leinster
GRAND MASTER
William White Esqre .
DEPUTY GRAND MASTER
The Most Noble Howe Marquis of Sligo
SENIOR GRAND WARDEN
Sir Coghill Coghill Bart.
JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN
Assembled
Whereas our trusty and Well beloved Brethren Lieutt. William Lacy, Lieutt. John
Godwin & Lieutt. Robert Joseph Edmonds have Besought us that we would be pleased to Erect a Lodge of Free Masons
in His Majesty’s 46th Regiment of Foot to be called “The Lodge of Social and Military Virtues” of such persons who by
their knowledge in Masonry may contribute to the true advancement thereof. We therefore having nothing more at heart
than the Prosperity of Masonry and reposing special confidence in our said trusty and well beloved Brethren Do by these
Presents constitute and appoint them the said William Lacy, John Godwin and Robert Joseph Edmonds to be Master
and Wardens of a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons to be holden in His Majesty’s 46th Regiment of Foot aforesaid
by them and their Successors lawfully Admitted in said Lodge forever. And We do hereby grant unto them and their
Successors full Power and Authority to proceed from time to time to the Election of a new Master and Wardens in said
Lodge Provided always that they said William Lacy, John Godwin and Robert Joseph Edmonds and their Successors
Do and Shall at all times hereafter pay implicit observance to and act and conduct the affairs of same in strict
conformity to the now existing Laws of Masonry and to such other Laws and Regulations for the Government of the
Craft as shall at any time hereafter be issued by the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ireland or in default thereof then
and in such case reserving unto the said Right Worshipful Grand Lodge the full power and Authority of annulling and
cancelling these Presents or otherwise proceeding in the premises as to them shall seem meet In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our Hands and Seal of Office at Dublin the Metropolis of Ireland this
Second day of August in the Year of our Lord God 1834
Entered by me
and of Masonry 5834
C Fowler
On the reverse side of Warrant No. 227 IC are two notations as follows:
Memorandum August 16, 1834 ---Weedon Barracks Northamptonshire
At the request of the within named three Brethren and the consent of the other members of the Military Lodge
No. 227 I have this evening installed Brother William Lacy as Worshipful Master of the said Lodge.
Robert Crawford (sp?)
WM No. 49 (English)
& PM of the Burlington & Bank of England Lodge.
Attested by us
William Lacy WM
)
John Godwin SW
)
RJEdmonds JW )
The Lodge of Social and Military Virtues No. 227 on the Registry of Ireland held in the 46th Regiment of Foot was
established on the fourth of March one thousand seven hundred and fifty two AL 5752
William Lacy
W. Master
REF:
I73
195
Dominica Lodge No. 174 IC, in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry 1896-1921
The Grand Lodge of Ireland originally issued Warrant No. 174, on December 2, 1747, to hold Boyne
Lodge in Limerick, Co. Limerick. It is not clear when this Lodge ceased working but Grand Lodge records
indicate that the Warrant was removed to the 2nd Battalion, 69th (South Lincolnshire) Regiment of Foot on
August 29, 1791. Grand Lodge records indicate that the Lodge fought with the Regiment in Corsica in
1793166. The Warrant was cancelled on July 5, 1821. Both the original issue for Limerick and the 69th Foot
are included in the listing for number “174”in V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973.
An enquiry was directed to the Grand Lodge of Ireland in April 2000, originally requesting a copy of
Warrant No. 174 as issued to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in 1896, but also enquiring about the
status of the Warrant issued to the 69th Foot. Grand Lodge replied that there was no trace of the Warrant
issued to the 69th Foot, but did provide a copy of Warrant No. 174 issued in 1896 to hold a Lodge in the
Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.
Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that a new Warrant No. 174 was issued on October 4, 1821
to a Lodge at Stewartstown, Co. Tyrone, in exchange for their earlier Warrant No. 396. The Warrant was
returned to Grand Lodge on January 24, 1856.
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued a new Warrant No. 174 on March 6, 1896 to hold Dominica
Lodge in the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry. While the military records show clearly that the 32nd Foot
and 46th Foot were amalgamated and designated as the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry in 1881, the
Warrant was technically incorrectly written for a Lodge in the “Second Battalion of the Thirty Second
Regiment of Infantry”. Charles John Eary, Thomas James and Edwin James Rowe are named in the Warrant
as Master and Wardens of the Lodge. The Lodge was Constituted on April 1, 1896, at the Masonic Hall,
Downshire Road, Newry, Co. Down, by V. W. Bro. Thos. A. McCammond, P.D.G.M.-elect, the Regiment then
being in garrison at Newry. The founders and officers of Dominica Lodge were: Quartermaster Lieutenant
C. J. Eary (of Lodge 77 IC), Master; Sergeant T. James (of Lodge 2440 ER), SW; Sergeant E. J. Rowe (of
Lodge 1006 ER), JW; Colour Sergeant J. McCreedy, SD; Sergeant J. Blight, JD; Sergeant T. Flavell,
Treasurer; Colour Sergeant F. W. Deacon, Secretary; Sergeant E. T. Williams, IG; Musician J. Turvey,
Organist; and Bros. Bandmaster J. Campbell; Band Sergeant T. Smith; Sergeant W. Mayo; Sergeant-Major
R. Cairley; Quarter-Master Sergeant G. Humphrey; Colour Sergeant H. Smith; and Sergeant A. Sheers.
It is not clear what the early history of Dominica Lodge was, but it appears to have gone into
darkness for several years. The History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 IC, Gibraltar167 notes that in May 1907,
when the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Regiment was in the garrison at Gibraltar the WM and officers
of Calpe Lodge assisted in the revival of Dominica Lodge, No. 174 IC. Brethren of Calpe Lodge assumed
temporary offices in Dominica Lodge and it was revived successfully. In November 1909 Dominica Lodge
sent a Box of Gavels to Calpe Lodge (from Prospect, Bermuda, where the Regiment had been assigned)
in thanks for the assistance in reviving the Lodge. The History also notes that “The Regiment with its Lodge
moved away from Gibraltar in September of the year and continued successfully until difficulties which arose
in the post 1914 - 1918 War reorganization caused it to surrender the Warrant in 1921.” The Warrant was
surrendered to Grand Lodge in December 1921. Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990
166
and 69th Regt., No. 174 IC (1791-1821).
167
The History is available on website <www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/fullhistory.html>
196
entitled The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, as reprinted in the
Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge, includes this Warrant in his list on page 41.
Crossle includes this issue for Dominica Lodge in the 46th Foot in his Records. He also includes a
listing for a Warrant, a new No. 174, issued on March 1, 1945, to hold a Lodge at Newry, Co. Down. No date
for being struck off the rolls is shown. Cochrane shows this listing, issued March 1, 1945, for The Services
Lodge, Newry, Co. Down, and that it is still current in 2001.
As already noted above, in response to an enquiry about the status of the Warrant, the Grand Lodge
of Ireland has graciously provided a copy of the original which rests in Grand Lodge archives. The Warrant
itself appears very similar to those already described, measuring about 11½ inches wide and 16 inches long.
There is a one-half inch border on the four edges consisting of intertwined clovers and, in the upper two
corners, there are Irish harps. The words “The Grand Lodge of Ireland is in a arched form across the top of
the Warrant with a picture underneath of an all-seeing eye shining down on a woman holding three children.
It this copy (unlike so many of the older Warrants) the Seal of the Grand Lodge of Ireland can be clearly
seen. There are three separate images across the bottom - on the left is a pilgrim kneeling on his right knee,
holding a cross and chalice or cup in his right hand facing towards the centre of the bottom where there is
the top of an altar upon which there is a pillow with a Volume of the Sacred Law surmounted by a square and
compasses. In the bottom right hand corner is a “ruin” with an “angelic figure” supporting an anchor.
There are no notations on the reverse of the Warrant.
[Sources: (1) Irish Masonic Records, by V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, published 1973 by the Grand Lodge of
Ireland in manuscript form. (2) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001)
of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (3) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by
V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as printed in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the
Years 1949-1957. (4) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, by
Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor
Coronati Lodge. (5) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol I, by John
Heron Lepper and Philip Crossle, published by the Lodge of Research, No. CC, IC, Dublin, 1925. (6) History
of Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (7) The First Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar,
held on the Calpe Lodge website: http://www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/fullhistory.html. (8) Flags of Masonry
on Lodges in the 46th Foot.]
197
Warrant No. 174 IC issued to hold a Lodge in the (incorrectly designated) 2nd Battalion, 32nd Foot
ABERCORN G. M.
SEAL
No.
174
James Duke of Abercorn
GRAND MASTER
Robert William Shekleton
DEPUTY GRAND MASTER
Marquess of Hertford
SENIOR GRAND WARDEN
Viscount Templetown
JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN
Assembled
Whereas our trusty and Well beloved Brethren Charles John Eary, Thomas James
and Edwin James Rowe have Besought us that we would be pleased to Erect a Lodge of Free Masons in the Second
Battalion of the Thirty Second Regiment of Infantry of such persons who by their knowledge in Masonry may contribute
to the true advancement thereof. We therefore having nothing more at heart than the Prosperity of Masonry and
reposing special confidence in our said trusty and well beloved Brethren Do by these Presents constitute and appoint
them the said Charles John Eary, Thomas James and Edwin James Rowe to be Master and Wardens of a Lodge of
Free and Accepted Masons to be holden in the Second Battalion of 32nd Regiment aforesaid by them and their
Successors lawfully Admitted in said Lodge forever. And We do hereby grant unto them and their Successors full Power
and Authority to proceed from time to time to the Election of a new Master and Wardens in said Lodge Provided always
that the said Charles J. Eary, Thomas James and Edwin J. Rowe and their Successors Do and Shall at all times
hereafter pay implicit observance to and act and conduct the affairs of same in strict conformity to the now existing
Laws of Masonry and to such other Laws and Regulations for the Government of the Craft as shall at any time hereafter
be issued by the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ireland or in default thereof then and in such case reserving unto
the said Right Worshipful Grand Lodge the full power and Authority of annulling and cancelling these Presents or
otherwise proceeding in the premises as to them shall seem meet In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our Hands and Seal of Office at Dublin the Metropolis of Ireland this
Sixth day of March in the Year of our Lord God 1896
Entered by me
and of Masonry 5896
--------- George
198
REF:
REF:
I81
E68
Lodge No. 112A ER(A), in the 50th Regiment of Foot 1763-1786
It is interesting that a goodly portion of the history of this Antients Lodge is maintained in note form
by R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip
Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, under the notes on Warrant No. 128 IC, held in the 39th Foot.
On April 21, 1763, the Antients Grand Lodge issued Warrant No. 112A168 ER(A) to the officers and
men of the 50th Regiment of Foot. By the time that Warrant No. 112 ER(A) had been issued, the 50th Foot
had arrived in Ireland, and having applied to the Grand Lodge of Ireland, Warrant No. 113 IC was (re)issued
on April 21, 1763, to the officers and men of the 50th Regiment of Foot. Although the correspondence is not
available, it is likely that the Lodge had requested an Irish number equal to its Antients number. Regrettably
for this Lodge, Lodge No. 112 IC was flourishing at Lisburn, Co. Antrim. Warrant No. 113 IC had originally
been issued for a civilian lodge in Scariff, Co. Clare which had ceased working some time before 1763 and
the number was “available”. [Both Crossle and Cochrane indicate that the original issue of Warrant No. 113
IC was probably in either October 1739 or March 1740, to hold a Lodge in Scarriff, Co. Clare. This based
on the dating of other Warrants numbered lower and higher and reflects the loss of the Grand Lodge Register
predating 1760 as well as the report of Bro. John Calder, SW of Lodge No. 181 IC, and would later become
Deputy Grand Secretary, during a visit he was making around Munster in 1748/9. Calder’s report dated July
19, 1749 noted “No. 113: - Scariff. No Lodge subsisting.”]
Cochrane notes that twenty-five brethren were registered in Volume 1 of the Grand Lodge Registers
including John McKay, Master; and Henry Camton and John Davis, Wardens; and Bros. Robt. Dunn; John
Ashburner; Wm. Hughes; John Jamison; Wm. Jacob; Thomas Hanley and Wm. Clark. A last registration of
Lodge members was made on October 7, 1770.
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued a duplicate Warrant on April 1, 1762 (Cochrane lists April 1,
1763), although the reasons for this action are not known.
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard notes that Lodge No. 112 ER(A) formed Lodge No. 216 ER(A) in the 1st
Regiment of the East Devon Militia in 1781. It is next reported as working in Gibraltar between August 1784
and 1794 although some records (including those of John Lane) indicate it had Lapsed about 1786169. Irish
Grand Lodge records indicate that Lodge No. 113 IC fought with the Regiment in Corsica in 1793170. As
Lodge No. 112A E(A) it was reported as working in Portugal during 1798 where it was working with Lodges
No. 94 ER(A) (held in the 51st Foot) and No. 176 IC (held in the 12th Light Dragoons) and that it had formed
a new Lodge in Lisbon. Lodge No. 112a ER(A) then appears in the Ahiman Rezon of 1804 and also 1807 although caution is required as this publication had many errors in it, not the least of which was reported as
“active” many Lodges which had ceased working.
168
The suffixes “A” and “B” were adopted by John Lane as a means of keeping separate the notes on
what appear to be two separate issues of a Warrant with the same number.
169
The entry in Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 on page 106 reads: “Fiftieth regiment of Foot. 1763.
(G. L. Warrant) 21 April 1763. No. 112A ER(A). Was at Gibraltar (Malaga), Spain, in 1800, according to the
Calendar of that year. Lapsed about 1786, but appears in Ahiman Rezon of 1804 and 1807.” While Lane has
occasional errors in his work, the proliferation of erroneous information in the Ahiman Rezons make them
interesting and usable only with additional corroborating evidence.
170
and 69th Regt., No. 174 IC (1791-1821).
199
So much for a Lodge whose Warrant was reportedly cancelled in 1786 by the Antients Grand Lodge.
On June 24, 1808 the Antients (perhaps regretting the earlier cancellation of No. 112a in 1786, if, in fact, it
happened) issued Warrant No. 112b to hold a lodge in the 2nd Battalion, 50th Foot. Sheppard reports that
the Lodge worked in Kent during 1808, basing this on the second entry in Lane171. Following the unification
of the Antients and Moderns, the Lodge was renumbered as No. 137 ER. No further information is available
about the Lodge and the Warrant was erased by United Grand Lodge in 1832. Because it is not clear that
Lodges No. 112a and 112b were the same a separate entry is included for No. 112b.
Warrant No. 113 IC was cancelled on July 6, 1815 as Grand Lodge had not heard from the Lodge
for many years.
V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, lists both the first use of number “113” for
the Lodge at Scareff 172 and also for the 50th Foot, although he does not make a reference to the issue of a
duplicate Warrant (and the date cited, of “1762” must surely be later as the actual Warrant is only dated
1763). Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short
Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, includes both these Warrants (112 ER(A) and 113 IC) in his list
but does not indicate that they were for the same Lodge.
Crossle also notes that the number “113” was used for two further Warrants:
C
in December 1817, to Lodge No. 180 at Killeleagh, Co. Down, in exchange for its higher numbered
Warrant, 180 (issued December 7, 1743) although no date of being struck from the rolls is listed.
Cochrane lists the issue as November 6, 1817 and shows the Lodge as “Current” in 2001; and
C
and in 1829 it was used for a Warrant to hold a Lodge at Downpatrick, Co. Down, no date of being
struck from the rolls is listed (Crossle) although Cochrane does not show such a listing.
An enquiry was directed to the Grand Lodge of Ireland in March 2000 regarding the location of
Warrant No. 113 issued to the 50th Foot, and requesting a photocopy of it. Grand Lodge responded in a letter
dated April 14, 2000, indicating that there was no copy or original in the Archives, meaning that it had
probably never been returned to Grand Lodge.
of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (3) The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study
of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, by Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as
reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge.(4) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane,
2nd Edition, London, 1895. (5) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol I,
by John Heron Lepper and Philip Crossle, published by the Lodge of Research, No. CC, IC, Dublin, 1925.
(6) History of Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (7) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments
Foot.]
171
Again, on page 106 of Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894, is the second entry for the 50th Foot: “2nd
Battalion Fiftieth Regiment of Foot, Ashford, Kent 1808. (G. L. Warrant) 24 June 1808. No. 112B ER(A). In the
Fiftieth Regiment 1913. No. 137 ER 1814. Erased in 1830.”
172
Depending on the source document the name of the town is spelled as “Scariff”, “Scarriff” and “Scareff”
and these have been used here with no attempt to prefer any one spelling over the others.
200
REF:
REF:
I83
E70
Lodge No. 94 IC, in the 51st (Napier’s Yorkshire) Regiment of Foot 1763-1815
Orange Lodge No. 94 ER(A), in the 51st (Napier’s Yorkshire) Regiment of Foot 1761-1805
The Antients Grand Lodge issued Warrant No. 94 on October 21, 1761 to the men of the 51st
(Napier’s Yorkshire) Regiment of Foot. Robert Freke Gould’s History of Freemasonry shows the name of the
Lodge as “Orange”, although W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his 1984 listing of Military Warrants says that this
name was not assumed until 1802 when it appears on a Certificate issued in Colombo. R. W. Bro. Keith
Cochrane in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic
Records, 1973, notes that Irish records show the name “Orange” as being in vogue from the time the Lodge
was Warranted by the Antients.
The Lodge, working in Ireland by 1763 while the Regiment was stationed there, applied to the Grand
Lodge of Ireland who issued Warrant No. 94 on December 1, 1763: the Grand Lodge entry reading “Granted
21st October 1761, in London, and Enter’d in our Books the 1st Decr. 1763.” V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in
his Irish Masonic Records, 1973, and R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall
2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, note that the number “94” had been
originally issued on either October 5 or December 1, in 1738 to hold a lodge at Newcastle, Co. Limerick.
On July 19, 1749, Deputy Grand Secretary, Edward Spratt, reported to the Grand Lodge of Ireland that there
was “No Lodge (No. 94) subsisting at Newcastle” as of that date and the Warrant was subsequently struck
off the rolls.
Volume 1 of the Register of the Grand Lodge of Ireland records that Warrant No. 94 IC was issued
to: Benj. Garnett, WM; Jer. Hatcliffe and Andr. Hastings, Wardens; and seventeen other brethren, all of
whom were registered on December 5, 1763. The Register shows twelve other brethren registered up to
January 1775. Sheppard notes that the Lodge was placed on the Roll of the Grand Lodge of Ireland as of
December 1, 1763.
Lodges in Gibraltar, one Irish in 51st Regiment . . . .”. There is no further information regarding the length
of time the Regiment and its Lodge worked on Gibraltar. Even this information is questionable as the
Regiment had a second working Lodge at this time, Lodge, No. 690 IC. Records of the Grand Lodge of
Ireland indicate that Lodge No. 94 IC fought with the Regiment in Corsica in 1793173.
Cochrane cites a curious entry regarding this Lodge: “The annals of the Grand Lodge of Scotland
supply the following illustration. A Charter (No. 274) for the “Orange Lodge” was granted to the officers of
the 51st Regiment in 1801; there being at the same time two other Lodges in the corps of the same name,
under Irish and “Antient” warrants, each of which, it is somewhat singular to relate, bearing the number 94.”
This is a curious entry as Orange Lodges were an Irish phenomenon and usually took the name under a
Warrant from the Grand Lodge of Ireland. Yet, Warrant 274 had been issued on December 15, 1756 to hold
a Lodge in Galway, Co. Galway and the Warrant was not cancelled until July 5, 1821. While it is always
possible that this Lodge had ceased working many years earlier and the Warrant could have been improperly
used for another Lodge (as was the case during the “Seton Years”), there is nothing in Cochrane’s notes
regarding Warrant 274 to indicate such an event.
Warrant No. 94 ER(A) appears in the Ahiman Rezon of 1804. It was cancelled in 1805, according
to Gould’s listing.
173
and 69th Regt., No. 174 IC (1791-1821).
201
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 appears on page 97 as follows: “Named
“Orange Lodge” in a Certificate of 1802 from Colombo. Fifty-first Regiment. 1761. (G. L. Warrant) 21 Oct.
1761. No. 94A174. Last entry in register 1781. Appears on the List in Ahiman Rezon 1804.”
According to both Crossle and Cochrane, Warrant No. 94 IC was cancelled on July 1, 1815, Grand Lodge
not having heard from the Lodge for many years.
Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces includes the Antients warrant in his list, but omits the
reference to the Irish warrant issued in 1763.
Crossle also lists the number “94” as being used again for an undated Warrant issued to hold Star
of West Down Lodge at Dromore, Co. Down, no date of being struck off the rolls is shown. Cochrane notes
that a new Warrant No. 94 was issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland on December 4, 1817, to a Lodge in
Kilwaughter, Larne, Co. Antrim in exchange for their higher numbered Warrant (No. 976) and that No. 94
was sent in to Grand Lodge on December 21, 1855. Cochrane then lists an issue on March 4, 1892 of No.
94 to hold Star of West Down Lodge at Dromore, Co. Down, and lists the Lodge as “Current” in 2001.
A copy of Warrant No. 94 IC issued to the 51st Foot was requested from the Grand Lodge of Ireland
if the original should be found in the Archives. The reply indicated that there was no trace of the Warrant and
that it had probably not been returned.
of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (3) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane,
2nd Edition, London, 1895. (4) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson, as
printed in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957. (5) The MasterMason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, by Bro. Frederick Smyth in his
Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of the Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (6) History of
the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol I, by John Heron Lepper and Philip Crossle,
published by the Lodge of Research, No. CC, IC, Dublin, 1925. (7) History of Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould,
3rd Edition, 1886. (8) The First Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar and History of Calpe Lodge, No.
325 ER, Gibraltar held on the Calpe Lodge website: http://www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/fullhistory.html. (9)
September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 51st Foot.]
174
The use of “94A” by Lane is to keep this warrant number separate from “94B” which was issued on
December 18, 1805, for the Masons’ Arms Lodge, Union Street, Sunderland, Durham which had become No. 80 ER
in the English renumbering of 1863 and was still working at the time of publication of his listing in 1895.
202
REF:
I84
Lodge No. 690 IC, in the 51st (2nd Yorkshire, West Riding) Regiment of Foot 1788-1858
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 690 on September 4, 1788, to the men of the 51st
(2nd Yorkshire, West Riding) Regiment of Foot. R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane in his CD-ROM Update (June
2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that Volume 3 of the
Grand Lodge Register records three brethren registered as of September 4, 1788: Jas. Hanna; Chas.
Ferguson and Wm. Kirby; although there is no registration of the Master or Wardens. A further 20 brethren
were registered up to either March 2 or May 18, 1790 (both dates appear in Cochrane’s notes at different
times), and two more names on May 18, 1790.
Lodges in Gibraltar, one Irish in 51st Regiment . . . .”.175 There is no further information regarding the length
of time the Regiment and its Lodge worked on Gibraltar. Even this information is questionable as the 51st
Foot had a second working Lodge at this time, Orange Lodge, No. 94 ER(A)/94 IC. Cochrane notes from
Grand Lodge records that Lodge No. 714 IC (in the 68th (Durham) Regiment was working in Gibraltar in
1792, with five other Irish Lodges - Nos. 11 (1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot); 168 (18th (Royal Irish) Regiment
of Foot); 227 (46th Regiment of Foot); 604 (11th (North Devonshire)Regiment of Foot); and 690 (51st
Regiment of Foot).
Grand Lodge records indicate that Lodge No. 690 fought with the Regiment in Corsica in 1793176 so
it can safely be assumed that the Regiment held over in Gibraltar for a number of months enroute to Corsica.
Volume 4 of the Second Series Grand Lodge Register indicates that the Lodge was transferred to
Port Royal, Martinique with the 51st Foot in 1796. Cochrane notes that “This number (i.e. Warrant No. 690)
was transferred from the 51st to the 15th to be held in Fort Royal, on the Island of Martinique which transfer
was confirmed by the Grand Lodge of Ireland, April 2, 1801. Vi. Transactions.” This may have been one of
those situations where members of the 51st and who were also Masons, transferred to the 15th Foot as early
as 1796, and “took” the Lodge with them on their posting to Martinique. Cochrane notes that “The Registrar
commences again at No. 1:- Jn. Clark; Edwd. Stapleton and Robt. Bastan being the first three. In all thirteen
brethren were registered “as of 1796”. Nos. 15 and 16 (Wm. Leonard and Tho. Sandes) being registered 2
April 1801. A further 17 brethren registered up to 30 December, 1803.” This would seem to indicate that the
transfer occurred as early as 1796 and that while Warrant No. 690 was in the 15th Foot, a total of 30
members were registered with Grand Lodge. In reviewing the information available on the 15th Foot it would
appear that the Regiment proceeded to the Caribbean in 1790 and returned to England in 1796: and the 15th
had, at this time, one Irish Lodge (No. 245 1754-1801). The other surprising point is that Cochrane’s notes
also imply that the Lodge was, at this time on Martinique, a civilian Lodge. It is possible that when the 15th
Foot was preparing to return to England from Martinique in 1796, it may have “paid off” the older members
of the Regiment who stayed behind on the island: perhaps these older members were the Masons who had
(in whole or in part) formed the Lodge and they therefore retained the Warrant and paraphernalia with them.
Charity was an important aspect of Lodge activities, regardless whether in the 51st or 15th Foot, and
regardless where situated. Grand Lodge records (Volume 6. p. 458) lists a contribution of £10-18-9 on March
175
The eleven Military Lodges at Gibraltar in 1792 included: No. 11 IC, 1st Royals; No. 168 IC (18th
Foot); No. 227 IC (46th Foot); No. 604 IC (11th Foot); No. 690 IC (51st Foot); No. 714 IC (68th Foot); and No. 73
SC (32nd Foot).
176
and 69th Regt., No. 174 IC (1791-1821).
203
31, 1802 from Lodge No. 690 for the School for Female Orphan Children.
Volume 4 of the Second Series Register shows that the Warrant was removed to Trinidad sometime
before 1807. This event could have occurred as early as 1804 as Cochrane’s notes include: “In the archives
of Grand Lodge, an apron, presented by Bro. A. J. Brown, one time Secretary of Unity Masonic Lodge No.
238, Dublin. The apron had belonged to his wife’s grandfather, one John Marston. This is a lambskin apron
19½ inches deep and 17 inches broad, on which are printed in colours - the All-Seeing Eye, the Square and
Compasses between two pillars, and beneath them the Emblems of Mortality. On the back is inscribed: ‘Bro.
John Marston, XXXVII Regt., Trinidad, 12th Octr., 1804, No. 690'. This was an Irish warranted Lodge which
worked at Martinique, British West Indies, from 1801, and then at Trinidad from 1811 to 1836. Ref. 72. P.
171.”
Lodge No. 690 in the 15th Foot was in Ireland in 1808. Cochrane notes that at a monthly meeting
of the Grand Lodge “held at the Taylor’s Hall, in the city of Dublin, on Thursday, the 5th day of May, 1808.
The R. W. and Hon. Abraham Hely Hutchinson, D.G.M. in the Chair . . . Bro. John Culbert (acting as
Secretary) ... (read) addresses from the following Lodges ... (Lodge) No. 690 ... held at Garvagh.”
The Regiment and Lodge No. 690 then returned to Trinidad. Sixteen brethren were registered with
Grand Lodge for this Lodge on January 12, 1811, and the numbering for these members again recommences
with “No. 1”. A total of 47 brethren were registered up to July 20, 1812. As the Warrant had become defaced,
a duplicate was issued in March 1813 for the Lodge which was then still in Trinidad. At this time three
members were registered to receive the new Warrant: And. Sawer; Edu. C. Whart and Joseph Driggs, but
with no indication as to Master or Wardens. A further 49 brethren were registered up to November 1, 1824.
There is some confusion in the Register as Cochrane notes that another duplicate Warrant was issued on
August 4, 1836 “to sole surviving member for Port of Spain, Trinidad”. But he also shows that the Register
indicates the Warrant was “revived” on August 4, 1836 to Edw. Cullimore Wharf, George Bland and Samuel
Samuel, who had been registered on August 6, 1836, but with no indication as to Master or Wardens. A total
of 13 brethren were registered on August 6, 1836. There were no further returns to Grand Lodge the Warrant
was cancelled on December 2, 1858.
Robert Freke Gould shows the termination date as 1796 in the listing in History of Freemasonry. Bro.
Freemasonry in the Armed Forces includes this warrant in his list.
V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, 1973, shows that the number “690” was used
four more times for Warrants: on April 2, 1801, to hold a Lodge at Martinique, no date shown of being struck
off the rolls; on March 14, 1813, to hold a Lodge at Trinidad, no date shown of being struck off the rolls; in
1825, to hold another Lodge in Trinidad, no date shown of being struck off the rolls; and undated to hold a
Lodge in Durban, South Africa, no date shown of being struck off the rolls. The first three of these have
already been noted above. Of the last for Durban, Cochrane lists a date of issue of December 27, 1944, for
Northway Lodge, Durban, South Africa, and shows the Lodge as “Current” in 2001.
of Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (7) The First Two Hundred Years of the Craft in Gibraltar
and History of Calpe Lodge, No. 325 ER, Gibraltar held on the Calpe Lodge website:
http://www.gibnynex.gi/inst/calpe325/fullhistory.html. (8) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British
Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 51st Foot.]
204
REF:
I88
Lodge No. 420 IC, in the 56th (Pompadours) Regiment of Foot 1765-1817
The Grand Lodge of Ireland originally issued Warrant No. 420 on August 2, 1764 to hold a Lodge
at Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. It is not known when the Lodge ceased working, but the Warrant was returned
to Grand Lodge. Neither V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, 1973, nor R. W. Bro. Keith
Cochrane in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic
Records, 1973, show a date of closure.
On December 5, 1765, the Grand Lodge of Ireland transferred Warrant No. 420177 to hold a Lodge
in the 56th (Pompadours) Regiment of Foot. Cochrane notes that Volume 1 of the Grand Lodge Registers
refers to the transfer of the Warrant from Clonmel to the 56th Foot on December 5, 1765 and the registration
of seven brethren on that date, including Frans. McCanty, Master; and Geo. Charlton and Wm. Glover,
Wardens. He also notes that the Register shows a further five brethren registered up to March 5, 1769,
including two Lieutenants of the 56th Foot.
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 56th Foot, writes that “During the siege of
Gibraltar on the 15th April 1781, the Surgeon of the 56th Regiment, Thomas Chisholm, was wounded in the
head, had one foot taken off and the other broken, and put in a casemate, at King’s Bastion. He joined the
regiment back on 8th February 1762. He was a member of the above Lodge (No. 420 IC). He died on 7th
December 1788."
The Lodge worked in Gibraltar in 1772/3 and Cochrane cites the records of the Antients’ Grand
Lodge for December 15, 1773: “Heard a letter from No. 148 (Royal Artillery) at Gibraltar, setting forth that
a set of people who had their authority from the ‘Modern’ Grand Lodge, thought proper to dispute the legality
of said Warrant No. 148. That in the said garrison there were also held Lodges 11, 244, 290, 359, 420 and
466 (1st, 2nd, 39th, 76th, 56th and 58th Foot) on the Registry of Ireland and No. 58 (12th Regiment) on the
Registry of Scotland. Ref. ML. P. 128).” Sheppard adds the following “The above Lodge supported the case
of the Royal Artillery Lodge as properly formed and Warranted and was allowed by the Governor to take part
in the festival of St. John’s with the other Lodges in the Garrison.” These are the sole surviving comments
referring to the life and activities of the Lodge.
Warrant No. 420 IC was cancelled on August 7, 1817.
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry lists the Warrant and comments in a footnote that
Warrant No. 420 IC was allocated to “59th Foot in Downe’s list, 1804” although this is not borne out by the
records of the Grand Lodge of Ireland. Bro. Frederick Smyth in his Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled The
Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces includes the Warrant in his list.
Crossle also lists three further uses of the number “420” for Lodges, although Cochrane lists four:
•
Cochrane lists the issue of a Dispensation on December 16, 163 and by Warrant No. 420 on
February 18, 1864, to Lodge Onehunga in Onehunga, New Zealand. At this time in history,
Onehunga was one of a chain of forts protecting Aukland and was the Depot for the 18th (Royal
Irish) Regiment of Foot. Although this Lodge went into darkness and returned Warrant No. 402 to
Grand Lodge in December 1877, the Irish Collars and Jewels are still in use by the Master and
Wardens of Lodge Manukau, No. 24 GRNZ, along with a silver trowel (also similarly inscribed) and
a small model of a black coffin bearing the figures “420” and the seal of Lodge Onehunga;
•
in 1914 for Pioneers’ Masonic Lodge at Belfast, no date shown for being struck off the rolls.
177
“Transferred” is the word used in Cochrane’s notes. No copy of the Warrant is known to exist and it is
unclear whether the actual original Warrant was used and endorsed over to the 56th Foot or whether a new Warrant
was actually issued. There are examples of cases where the actual Warrant was reused with an appropriate
endorsement on the face or reverse so the issue arises here.
205
Cochrane does not list this issue.
•
on June 3, 1915, to hold a Lodge in the 6th Battalion, of the 99th Foot (Royal Irish Rifles), although
other sources note this as being for the “16th Service Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles (Pioneers)”,
no date shown for being struck off the rolls. Although Crossle provides no information on Lodge
workings in his Records, he says that Grand Lodge minutes indicate that in 1916 the Lodge
assembled for labour and the conferring of degrees, while under fire, the only such known recorded
instance. Cochrane lists this issue of a Warrant No. 420 to Pioneers Lodge in the 16th (Service
Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles (Fusiliers) on June 3, 1915 and confirms, with details, the meeting
of July 8, 1915, at Ploogstreet (or Ploeg-street), Belgium (within 3000 yards of the German front line)
called to work unspecified degrees, lasting from 3 to 10 pm, being called off for dinner from 6 to 7:30
pm. Cochrane notes that the Lodge was transferred to Freemason’s Square, Arthur Square, Belfast,
and that it is listed as “Current”;
•
Crossle shows Warrant No. 420 issued March 3, 1921, to hold a Lodge in Belfast, no date shown
for being struck off the rolls. It is possible that the military Warrant was converted to a civilian Lodge,
or a stationary Lodge for military personnel. Cochrane does not show this as a separate issue but
merely a transfer of the Lodge mentioned above as being in the 16th (Service) Battalion of the Royal
Irish Rifles (Fusiliers). Cochrane lists this as “Current” in 2001.
of Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (7) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British
Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 56th Foot.]
206
REF:
I96
Lodge No. 130 IC, in the 64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot 1817-1858
[now part of The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s)]
R. W. Bro. Keith Crossle, in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip
Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973, notes that the number “130” was used four times for Warrants issued
by the Grand Lodge of Ireland. The first Warrant No. 130 was issued on November 3, 1742, to hold a Lodge
in Newmarket, Co. Cork. Grand Lodge records note that the Lodge worked in Mallow before July 1749; had
ceased working by July 19, 1749; was working in Cork about 1775 and as late as 1803. The Warrant was
cancelled on October 7, 1813 for non payment of Grand Lodge dues and fees.
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued a new Warrant No. 130 on December 4, 1817, to the men of the
64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot. Cochrane notes that Volume 2 of the Grand Lodge Register
records the registration on December 4, 1817, of John Nuttal; James Smyth and John Mornan. A further 11
brethren were registered on December 31, 1818. By August 11, 1929, a total of 71 brethren were registered.
Cochrane notes that “in the Archives of Grand Lodge, a draft of a Knight Templar Certificate issued
5 April, 1817, by this Lodge”. He also notes the existence in the archives a photograph of a silver Masonic
jewel inscribed “Alexr. Ranken, Hibernia Lodge No. 130”. Cochrane notes that Alexander Rankin (note the
variation Ranken and Rankin) had been registered with Grand Lodge on August 11, 1829.
No. 130 IC (held in the 1st Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment) sponsored the Petition for a Warrant for
Gibraltar Lodge (the first civilian and stationary Irish Lodge on Gibraltar, issued Warrant No. 325 IC, and still
working). The Calpe Lodge History notes that the particular Artillery Unit was the 2nd Company 7th Battalion
of Royal Artillery, missing the correct title of Royal Irish Artillery.
The first WM of Lodge No. 325 IC (the first civilian Irish Lodge on Gibraltar whose Warrant was
64th (2nd Staffordshire) Regiment of Foot. The members from the Royal Artillery had also been released
in 1826.
Grand Lodge minutes for March 3, 1831 note “Read the application of Lodge 130 in the 64th Regt.
178
207
to be remitted Grand Lodge dues during the continuance of Liet.-Col. Hill Dickson’s prohibition of Masonic
Meetings in the Regiment - Complied with”. It is not known when the Lodge actually ceased working, but the
Warrant was cancelled on December 2, 1858.
Cochrane notes in regard to Warrant No. 130 IC that “Another Warrant, No. 38 was associated with
this Regiment”. Warrant No. 38 IC was issued in either November 1734 or September 1735 to hold a Lodge
in Lillingston’s (38th Foot) and is listed under that Regiment. The reference to the 38th and 64th Regiments
having anything in common is the result of the 1959 amalgamation of Regiments which saw the creation of
The Staffordshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s) in the Prince of Wales’s Division, from the
amalgamation of The South Staffordshire Regiment [ex 38th and 80th] and The North Staffordshire
Regiment (The Prince of Wales’s) [ex 64th and 98th].
Cochrane notes two further issues of Warrants bearing the number “130”:
•
on August 26, 1870, to hold a Lodge at Bandon, Co. Cork, and that the Warrant was returned on
June 3, 1880 when this Lodge amalgamated with Lodge No. 84; and
•
on July 12, 1880, to hold Star in the West Lodge, Valentia Island, Co. Kerry, the Warrant being
returned to Grand Lodge on March 7, 1974.
A copy of Warrant No. 130 IC issued to the 64th Foot was requested from the Grand Lodge of
Ireland if the original should be found in the Archives. The reply indicated that there was no trace of the
Warrant and that it had probably not been returned.
of Freemasonry, by R. F. Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (7) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British
Army, by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 64th Foot.]
208
REF:
I103
Lodge No. 714 IC, in the 68th (Durham) Regiment of Foot 1790-1813
The Grand Lodge of Ireland issued Warrant No. 714 on April 1, 1790, to hold a Lodge in the 68th
(Durham) Regiment of Foot which was then based in the Gibraltar garrison. R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane’s CDROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973 notes
that Volume 3 of the extant Grand Lodge Registers records the names of three brethren: James Coleman,
James Fitzgerald and Henry Charles Sirr, and that there is no registration of Master or Wardens. Cochrane
and V.W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson note that “. . . . the first Junior Warden was Henry Charles Sirr179”, although
Cochrane notes Sirr was a member of Lodge No. 56180. It is likely, based on other experience with Warrants,
that Coleman was Master and the others were the Wardens of the Lodge.
Cochrane writes that Grand Lodge records note that Lodge No. 714 IC was working in Gibraltar in
1792181, with five other Irish Lodges - Nos. 11 (1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot); 168 (18th (Royal Irish)
Regiment of Foot); 227 (46th Regiment of Foot); 604 (11th (North Devonshire)Regiment of Foot); and 690
(51st Regiment of Foot). W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 68th Foot, writes that Lodge
No. 714 IC took a very active part in the running of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalusia (Gibraltar) under
the Ancient Grand Lodge. In 1791 Lieutenant-Colonel John Bridges Schaw became Provincial Grand Master,
with Sergeant John Turner as Provincial Grand Secretary. Both Brethren were members of No. 714 IC.
The Warrant was cancelled on October 7, 1813.
V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle, in his Irish Masonic Records, 1973, includes this issue of Warrant No. 714.
This Warrant is also included in the Appendix attached to Bro. Frederick Smyth’s Prestonian Lecture.
Crossle also notes that the number “714” was used for an undated Warrant to hold a Lodge at
Newtownwards, Co. Down, no date is shown when the Warrant was struck off the rolls of Grand Lodge.
Cochrane lists the issue as June 5, 1947 to hold Scrabo Lodge, Newtownards, Co. Down, and that the Lodge
is “Current” in 2001.
A copy of Warrant No. 714 IC issued to the 68th Foot was requested from the Grand Lodge of
Ireland if the original should be found in the Archives. The reply indicated that there was no trace of the
Warrant and that it had probably not been returned.
1973. (2) R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, in his CD-ROM Update (June 2000 and Fall 2001) of V. W. Bro. Philip
Crossle’s Irish Masonic Records, 1973. (3) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V.W. Bro. R. E.
Parkinson, as printed in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957.
(4) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (5) The Poor Common
Soldier, A Study of Irish Ambulatory Warrants, by Bro. John Heron Lepper, as printed in the Transactions
of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925. (6) History of Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (7)
The Master-Mason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth,
Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1990, London. (8)
179
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard describes Major Henry Charles Sirr, charter JW of the Lodge, as “an old Irish
Mason from Lodge No. 56, and said to be the father of Freemasonry in Jersey.
180
R. W. Bro. Keith Cochrane, CD-ROM Update (June 2000) of V. W. Bro. Philip Crossle’s Irish Masonic
Records, 1973, notes for Lodge No. 56 that there is no record of the issue of Warrant in the Grand Lodge Register
(which dates from 1761 only) but that it was probably issued in either August or November 1736. The Warrant was
erased from the Register in 1807.
181
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard reports that the Regiment served in the Gibraltar garrison from 1784 to 1794.
209
September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 68th Foot.]
210
REF:
E98
Lodge No. 7 PRAndalusia(A), in the 70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot at Gibraltar 1804-????
In 1796 The Provincial Grand Lodge of Andalusia (Antients), authorized the working of Lodge No.
7, Provincial (Antients) in the 70th Regiment of Foot in 1804, under the authority of its own Warrant, No.
220 ER(A), which had been issued on January 25, 1786. The Lodge was never registered on the books of
the Grand Lodge of England (Antients). The history and disposition of the Warrant is unknown.
John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 carries a very short entry for the Lodge on page 465 in
Part IV “Lodges Constituted or Warranted Abroad, but never Registered in the Books of Grand Lodge” as
follows: “Gibraltar. No. 7, Provincial. In the 70th Regiment of Foot.”
It is possible that Gibraltar Warrant, No. 7, was issued to Hooker St. John Lodge, No. 97 SC
according to C. Martin McGibbon, ASCA, Grand Secretary, The Grand Lodge of Scotland, Edinburgh,
Scotland.
The Warrant was reissued (date unknown) to Orthes Lodge in the 6th Foot, being erased in 1816.
[Sources: (1) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, Second Edition, 1895. (2) Pages of George
Draffen’s Scottish Records copied and provided by C. Martin McGibbon, ASCA, Grand Secretary, The Grand
Lodge of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. (2) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army, by
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 70th Foot.]
REF:
E107
211
Lodge, No. 4 PRAndalusia(A), in the 82nd Regiment of Foot, Gibraltar 1811-????
[now part of The Lancastrian Brigade]
W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 82nd Foot, writes that the Provincial Grand
Lodge of Andalusia (Gibraltar) issued Warrant No. 4 (local) under date of July 4, 1811, to hold a Lodge in
the 82nd Regiment of Foot, which was then serving in the garrison. The Officers of the new Lodge, all of
whom were Provincial Grand Lodge officers were: William Mason, Provincial Grand Master; James Stewart,
Deputy Provincial Grand Master; and Samuel Holdsworth, Provincial Senior Grand Warden.
There is no entry for the Lodge in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894. Lane lists nothing in
Part IV “Lodges Constituted or Warranted Abroad, but never Registered in the Books of Grand Lodge for
Gibraltar beyond an incomplete listing which shows only local Warrants Nos. 2 to 9 inclusive, all of which
were issued to military Lodges - but not the 82nd Foot.
[Sources: (1) Masonic Records 1717-1894, by John Lane, 2nd Edition, London, 1895. (2) Flags of Masonry
212
REF:
E112
Lodge No. 8, PRAndalusia(A), in the 90th Regiment of Foot at Gibraltar 1803-????
[now part of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) (Territorial)]
The Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar (Antients), authorized the working of Lodge No. 8,
Provincial (Antients) in the 90th Regiment of Foot in 1803, under the authority of its own Warrant, No. 220
ER(A), which had been issued on January 25, 1786. W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the
90th Foot lists a date of issue of December 14, 1796 - between 1795 and 1801 the 90th (Perthshire
Volunteers) Regiment of Foot was on station at Gibraltar. Sheppard also notes that the founder officers were:
Bro. Sergeant James Lewis, WM; Bro. John McCawly, SW; Bro. John Lapslie, JW; and Bro. Andrew Means,
Secretary.
During the Regiment’s time in Ireland, the official list published in December 1804, giving the names
of the Masters and Wardens of all Lodges meeting in Dublin, includes Lodge No. 8, Andalusia, in the 90th
Regiment.
A certificate dated May 22, 1800, issued by the Lodge to Bro. Joseph Favell, certifying that he had
been properly initiated, passed and raised, is transcribed below. The original document is in fairly good
condition and is framed, and hangs on the wall of True Britons’ Lodge, No. 14 GRC, Perth. A copy is awaited
from the Lodge historian.
The Lodge was never registered on the books of the Grand Lodge of England (Antients) and no
English Warrant was assigned according to C. Martin McGibbon, ASCA, Grand Secretary, The Grand Lodge
of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland. There is only one entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 on
page 465 for the Lodge as follows: “No. 8, Provincial. In the 90th Regiment of Foot. Gibraltar.”
The Appendix attached to Bro. Frederick Smyth’s Prestonian Lecture for 1990 entitled The MasterMason-At-Arms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, as reprinted in the Transactions of the
Quatuor Coronati Lodge does not include reference to this Lodge. The final disposition of the Warrant is
unknown.
[Sources: (1) History of Freemasonry, by Robert Freke Gould, 3rd Edition, 1886. (2) The Master-Mason-AtArms, A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth, Prestonian Lecture for
1990, as reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1990, London. (3) “The Poor Common
Soldier”, A Study of Irish Ambulatory Warrants, by Bro. John Heron Lepper, as printed in the Transactions
of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1925, (4) Some Notes on Irish Military Warrants, by V. W. Bro. R. E. Parkinson,
as printed in The Lodge of Research, No. C.C., Ireland, Transactions For the Years 1949-1957, pp 119-141.
(5) History of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ireland, Vol. I, 1925. (6) Masonic Records
1717-1894, 2nd Edition, by John Lane, 1895. (7) Flags of Masonry in the line Regiments of the British Army,
by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, P.M. 322 I.C., September 2002, notes on Lodges in the 90th Foot.]
REF:
E120
213
Lodge No. 3 PRGibraltar(A), in the 100th Regiment of Foot at Gibraltar 1796?-????
[Regiment disbanded in 1922]
The Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar (Antients), authorized the working of Lodge No. 3,
Provincial (Antients) in the 100th Regiment of Foot in 1803, under the authority of its own Warrant, No. 220
ER(A), which had been issued on January 25, 1786. The Lodge was never registered on the books of the
Grand Lodge of England (Antients) and no English Warrant (or number) was assigned.
Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, printed in 1887, includes the Warrant in his list
on page 403, and shows the date of issue as 1804. The final disposition of the Warrant is unknown. W. Bro.
Ray Sheppard, in his notes on Lodges in the 100th (Prince of Wales’s Royal Canadian) Regiment of Foot
lists the date of issue of No. 3 Gibraltar as 1796 but provides no date of termination, cancellation or erasure.
Sheppard also includes an interesting comment that: In the archives of ‘The Grand Lodge of
Scotland & United Grand Lodge of England’ dated September 1957, there is a reference to the V.S.L. & the
Warrant of the above Lodge to be sold by auction on 24th September 1957. (The entry in the catalogue
reads) 513. Freemasonry - Holy Bible, Tooled Crimson, French. Mor. B.D.G., inscribed ‘The Gift of Brother
William Morgue, to Lodge 351, the Charter dated 1796 in pocket. United Grand Lodge placed a limit of £10
on the Lot. It sold for £15, a few days later it was again up for sale by “Bernard Quaritch Ltd. for £45. The
Book etc, was formerly in the possession of the Rt. Hon. Earl of Dalhousie, M.C.” The note is included under
the reference to Lodge No. 3 Gibraltar as this was the Lodge to which Brother Morgue belonged.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic records 1717-1894 on page 465 reads: “No. 3, Provincial
(Gibraltar). In the 100th Regiment of Foot.”
[Sources: (1) Masonic Records 1717-1894, 2nd Edition, by John Lane, 1895. (2) Flags of Masonry in the line
in the 100th Foot.]
214
REF:
E121
Lodge No. 4 PRGibraltar(A), in the 108th Regiment of Foot at Gibraltar 1803/4-????
The Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar (Antients) originally issued local Warrant No. 4 on
November 18, 1777 to hold a Lodge in the Royal Artillery at Gibraltar. This issue of the Warrant was
cancelled in 1804. This Lodge does not appear in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 as the only entry
is for a No. 2 (Gibraltar) dating after 1786.
In 1803/4 the Provincial Grand Lodge of Gibraltar (Antients), authorized the reissue of Warrant No.
4, Provincial (Antients) to hold a Lodge in the 108th Regiment of Foot. The Lodge was never registered on
the books of the Grand Lodge of England (Antients) and no Warrant (or number) was assigned. [Source:
C. Martin McGibbon, ASCA, Grand Secretary, The Grand Lodge of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.] The final
disposition of the Warrant is unknown.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 appears on page 465 as follows: “No. 4,
Provincial (Gibraltar). In the 108th Regiment of Foot.” Lane notes that the Warrant was not registered with
London.
[Sources: (1) Masonic Records 1717-1894, 2nd Edition, by John Lane, 1895. (2) The Master-Mason-At-Arms,
A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, Bro. Frederick Smyth, Prestonian Lecture for 1990, as
reprinted in the Transactions of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, 1990, London.]
(h)
Two erroneously labelled “Gibraltar” Lodges
215
216
REF:
REF:
E143
E143
217
Gibraltar Lodge, No. 228 ER, in the 9th Battalion, Royal Artillery, at Gibraltar 1814-1822
Gibraltar Lodge, No. 187 ER(A), in the 9th Battalion, Royal Artillery, at Gibraltar 1812-1814
A new Warrant No. 187182 was issued (the Grand Lodge Register says “revived”) on May 25, 1812,
by the Antients Grand Lodge, to hold a Lodge in the 9th Battalion of Royal Artillery, which was then serving
in the Gibraltar Garrison. James W. Reddyhoff notes that there are references to the Lodge meeting at
Canterbury and Sandgate in 1812 and Hythe in 1813. Following the unification of the Antients and Moderns
Grand Lodges in 1813, new Warrants were issued in 1814, and the Lodge received No. 228 ER. Bro. Ray
Sheppard, in his 1984 listing of Military Warrants notes that no payments were made to United Grand Lodge
after 1814. It is unclear when the Lodge ceased working, but the Warrant was erased in 1822.
Although Robert Freke Gould, in his History of Freemasonry, 1887, shows only one Warrant, No.
187 ER(A) as being issued, he notes the Lodge existing throughout the 1812-1822 period. He shows the
Lodge as “Gibraltar Lodge”, the name adopted here, although this may just have been to illustrate that the
Lodge worked in Gibraltar.
Two Warrants are referred to in the Appendix in Bro. Frederick Smyth’s Prestonian Lecture for 1990
entitled The Master-Mason-At-Arms. A Short Study of Freemasonry in the Armed Forces, one having been
issued by the Antients in 1812 and one by the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1823. Irish records do not show any
Irish Warrant being issued to the 9th Battalion.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 for Warrant No. 187B ER(A), page 140, reads
as follows: “9th Battalion, Royal Artillery, Gibraltar (Malaga), Spain 1812. (G. L. Warrant) 25 May 1812 No.
187B. Revived at Gibraltar. G. L. Reg. 1814 No. 228 ER. At Canterbury, Kent 1812. At Sandgate, Kent 1812.
At Hythe, Kent 1813. No payments after 1814. Erased in 1822.”
Reddyhoff also notes that any connection of a Lodge in the 9th Battalion with Gibraltar is totally
incorrect. No company of the 9th Battalion had been in Gibraltar since the Battalion had been formed at
Woolwich on June 1, 1806. Only one company, that of Captain Alexander Munro, had been at both
Canterbury and Sandgate in 1812 and it was there after returning from the Walcheren expedition in 1809.
In June 1813 the company had removed to Shorncliffe and then to Portsmouth in March 1814 where it
embarked on transports for New Orleans. Reddyhoff notes that Sandgate, Shorncliffe and Hythe are
contiguous and the move to America in 1814 could explain why there were no further payments to Grand
Lodge. As he says: “How Grand Lodge arrived at the Gibraltar connection is a mystery.”
the Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (4) Freemasonry in the Royal Artillery, by Bro. James W. Reddyhoff, AQC,
Volume 116, 2003.]
182
The Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec issued Warrant No. 9 (local) to hold a Lodge in the 1st
Battalion, Royal Artillery, when it was in the garrison at Quebec. The Battalion and its Lodge returned to England
and applied to the Antients Grand Lodge which issued the first Warrant bearing the number “187" on April 28, 1774.
The Warrant lapsed by 1777.
218
REF:
REF:
E145
E145
Lodge, No. 459 ER, 10th Battalion, Royal Artillery, various locations 1814-1817 (1821)
Lodge, No. 356 ER(A), in Captain James Addams’ Company, 10th Battalion, Royal Artillery,
at Portsmouth and Montreal (using a Gibraltar authority) 1813-1814
I am indebted to W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, PM, Lodge Glittering Star, No. 211 IC, who has researched
and obtained the information for this Lodge.
The last military Warrant to be issued by the Antients’ Grand Lodge, No. 356, was issued on July
6, 1813 to hold a Lodge in Captain James Addams’ Company (the 117th) in the 10th Battalion of Royal
Artillery183. The Lodge name, which is not recorded in documents and for which the year of its adoption is
unknown, appears on a smoke seal imprint in the minute book itself as “Royal Artillery Freemasons Lodge
No. 459”. This is, again, less a “name” and more an indication of what and where the Lodge was held.
Seal taken from the Minutes
[Source: Photocopy of Lodge Minute book provided by W. Bro. Ray Sheppard.]
Warrant No. 356 reads that the Lodge was in Gibraltar—but it was actually located in Portsmouth.
The Lodge was formed on August 18, 1813 at Portsmouth and was Constituted by Twelve Brother’s Lodge
No. 138184. There were nine Founding Members of the new Lodge who may have been ex-Irish Artillery and
transferred into the 10th Battalion RA, although this is not clear. The founders were all from Lodge No. 228
IC and included: WM, Zachauah Wilson; SW, Hugh Thompson (trade “Cordwns” from Killalach, initiated in
No. 100 IC); JW, John Adames (trade “Weaver”, from Belmonach, initiated in No. 606 IC); SD, William
Harper (trade “Weaver”, from Belmonach, initiated in No. 537 IC); JD, John Carrol (trade “Tayor”, from
Armagh, initiated in No. 749 IC); Secretary, John Jennings (trade “Mason”, from Armagh, initiated in No. 7
ER(A) and now No. 13, ER); P.M., Mathl. Green (trade “Labour”, from Lisburn, initiated in No. 811 IC); and
Treasurer, James Mc.Cully (trade “Weaver”, from Armagh, initiated in No. 201 IC). It appears that all the
Founders were in possession of Certificates attesting to their Masonic status—an improvement over earlier
times when Founders only had to state that they were Masons who had been registered with an “approved”
Grand Lodge or in the early days of the Antients-Moderns split when they only stated that they were “master
masons” without specifying whether they were one or the other.
W. Bro. Sheppard notes that the records show that three other members of the new Lodge were:
John Winsford (trade “Painter”, from South Mold, initiated in 228 IC); Abraham Brannan (trade “Cordwaind”,
183
Three more Antients’ Warrants would be issued before unification: No. 357 ER(A) of July 29, 1813 to
hold Royal Union Lodge at Cirencester, Gloucestershire; No. 358 ER(A) of July 28, 1813, to hold Union Lodge at
Georgetown, Demerera, British Guiana; and No. 359 ER(A) of October 12, 1813, to hold Lodge of Friends, St.
Pierre, Martinique, West Indies.
184
Twelve Brother’s Lodge, No. 138 ER(A), dates from March 4, 1808 and met at the Blue Anchor Tavern
at Portsea.
219
from Biddiford, initiated in 228 IC) and William Butler (trade unspecified, Secretary of 228 IC, from
Barnstorph).
Following the unification of the Antients and Moderns Grand Lodges in 1813, new Warrants were
issued in 1814, and the Lodge received No. 459 ER.
A copy of the minutes of 38 meetings of the Lodge (36 held during the time it was located in Canada)
have been obtained through W. Bro. Ray Sheppard—March 9, 1814 (the last meeting in Portsmouth before
leaving for Canada); September 21, 1814; October 12, 1815; November 16 and 29, 1815; December 14 and
27, 1815; January 6 and 11, 1816; February 6, 8, 13, 23 and 27, 1816; March 14, 1816; April 11, 1816; May
8, 1816; June 13 and 24, 1816; July 11, 1816; August 8, 1816; September 12, 1816; October 10, 1816;
November 11, 1816; December 12 and 27, 1816; January 9 and 22, 1817; February 13 and 17, 1817; March
13 and 21, 1817; April 10 and 16, 1817; May 8 and 26, 1817; June 6, 1817 (held at Quebec); and August
14, 1817 (held at Woolwich).
These minutes reveal the initiation, raising and passing of several members of the Lodge — John
Watson (proposed by Bro. Ridley) and James Hill (proposed by Bro. Carrol) “. . . Balloted for . . . and initiated
. . . passed and raised . . .” on March 9, 1814; David Hogg, James Rowley and Richard Jervin were initiated
on October 12, 1815;
Minutes of the Lodge indicate that it was situated at Portsmouth for the entire year 1813 and that on
March 16, 1814, the Company mustered at Portsmouth Docks. There it embarked on the T/P Lord Mulgrave
on March 21, 1814 with an additional detachment of “. . . 1 sergt.; 1 corpl.; 1 bomb and 11 gunners . . .”. The
company landed at Quebec on May 30, 1814, mustered on June 1, 1814 and moved to Montreal. On July
1, 1814 the Company is recorded at Chambly and from August to October, at Montreal. On November 17,
1814 the Company is reported at Kingston where it remained until July 1, 1815 when it removed to Montreal
where it remained until June 1817. In that month the Company embarked at Quebec on T/P Hussaren,
landed at Woolwich on July 23, 1817, mustered for the last time on August 1, 1817 and was disbanded (WEF
31 August 1817).
It is possible that the Lodge may have met after the Company was disbanded. Grand Lodge records
show that in 1821, the Warrant, then held in Capt. Addam’s Company, was erased.
Charter, initiated and affiliated Members of the Lodge and the various Visitors, as recorded in the
Minutes, are available.
The entry in John Lane’s Masonic Records 1717-1894 for Warrant No. 356 ER(A)/459 ER, page 207,
reads as follows: “3rd Company or 10th Battalion Royal Artillery [Capt. Adams’ or 10th Company] Gibraltar
(Malaga) Spain 1813. (G. L. Warrant) 16 July 1813 No. 356 ER(A). 1814 No. 459 ER. At King’s Head, St.
Mary’s Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire 1813. Tenth Battalion Royal Artillery. Erased in 1821.”
Note on the location of the Lodge at formation. John Lane records in Masonic Records that the location of
the Warrant was “Gibraltar”. W. Bro. Sheppard (and others) believe that this reference has a validity
because, under the Secret Societies Act of 1799, which included Freemasonry, it was believed that no new
Warrants could (or should) be issued. The Antients overcame this be re-issuing old defunct Warrants—not
necessarily Warrants which were in the possession of the Grand Secretary, but those from which the Grand
Secretary and Grand Lodge had not heard for many years. These Warrants were made out again and
charged for as new Warrants. To identify this series of re-issues of numbers (rather than actual Warrants)
Lane adopted a reference numbering by adding “A”, “B”, “C” etc to the original number. Sometimes Lodges
came across old defunct Warrants of lower numbers and Grand Lodge permitted them to be exchanged for
the lower numbered one at cost. Gibraltar appears to have been an area where Lodges would be formed but
would not report regularly to Grand Lodge due to the large number of infantry regiments and units of the
Royal Artillery passing through. The Moderns eventually followed this system.
220
the Quatuor Coronati Lodge. (4) W. Bro. Ray Sheppard, notes on the Lodge in Capt. Addams’ Company,
Royal Artillery.]
221
About the Author
Michael Jenkyns spent 32 years in the federal civil service: twenty-nine with the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) where he served as Regional Director (Bilateral) for S. E. Asia and also East
Africa, and held diplomatic postings as Head of CIDA Programs in Djakarta (1973-75) and Nairobi (1986-88).
He is a graduate of Carleton University, Ottawa (BA - 1967) and Algonquin College, Ottawa (Honors Postgraduate Diploma in International Trade - 1998). He has travelled extensively around the world (visiting
about 45 countries) and is very interested in the history of Canada and its place on the global stage in the
twenty-first century. He is married to Virginia Elizabeth (Nash) and they have two children: Megan (Brooks)
and Andrew.
Michael joined Acacia Lodge, No. 561 GRC, Ottawa in 1991 and is an active member of several York Rite
bodies. He has made an extensive and exhaustive study of Freemasonry in military regiments and their
contribution to the growth and spread of Freemasonry around the globe and particularly in Ontario. Michael
is a Fellow of the Ontario College of Freemasonry; an affiliate of The Heritage Lodge, No. 730 GRC; The
Lodge of Research, No. CC IC, Dublin; the Philalethes Society and the Quatuor Coronati Correspondence
Circle, London.
By the same author
The Sovereign Great Priory of Canada of the United Orders of Malta and of the Temple 1855-2002, The Supreme
Grand Masters, published 2003 by Gryphon Jenkyns Enterprises, ISBN 0-9732736-0-7.
Central District (1858-1895) and Ottawa District 13 (1896-present) Royal Arch Masons of Ontario, published
2003 by Gryphon Jenkyns Enterprises, ISBN 0-9732736-1-5. Out of print.
Discontinuous Flight: A Canadian Pilot in the Royal Air Force 1939-1945, published 2003 by Gryphon
Jenkyns Enterprises, ISBN 0-9732736-2-3. Out of Print
The Cryptic Rite in Ontario: The Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters of Ontario from 1871 to 2004,
published Spring 2005 by Gryphon Jenkyns Enterprises, ISBN 0-9732736-4-X

Freemasonry in Gibraltar 1727 - present

Transcription

Similar documents

exp your p tfolio aw k few today.

poster1 - the chalalan bolivia.ai

Fly fishing for women Tuckamore Lodge

Name: Day Phone #: E-mail Address: Child`s Name: Child`s Age

Peaceful Valley Flyer for Life Quest Seminars BootCamp

to a PDF file with complete information for this weekend.

Etali Safari Lodge Hotel overview

We believe a great experience starts with great

Resort Powerpoint - Doublehead Resort

Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge