THE BUILDER September, 1925

Operative Stonemasons

(Concluded from last month)

FROM this Manuscript Ritual of the Stonemasons we learn that the
lodge was opened by the singing of a verse to a hymn tune, but the
words lend themselves best to "God Save the King":
 
Brethren, here we agree 
To strive for harmony 
In this our cause. 
May love lead these our laws, 
And help us in our cause, 
And may the secret be 
For evermore.

Then the President announced: "In the presence of this assembly,
and in the memory of King Edward the Third, I now declare this
lodge duly opened." Presumably the minutes, if kept, were then
read, and any formal lodge business transacted. Then followed this
prayer, which was also used at the closing of the lodge:

O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord in
knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is
perfect freedom, defend us, thy humble servants, in this our
undertaking, that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear
the power of any adversary, through the might of Jesus Christ--
Amen.

If there were candidates in attendance to be Made Masons, the
following "Form of Making" was employed:

The Conductor, with the Candidate, was asked at the door of the
lodge by the Inside Tyler: "Who comes here to disturb the peace and
harmony of our most worthy Lodge?" The Cionductor replied: "I am
not come here to disturb the peace and harmony of your most worthy
lodge. I am a Brother, with A.B., a stranger, who wishes to be
admitted into this our honourable Order, if you please to admit
him."

The Inside Tyler reports: "Most worthy President, there is a
Brother, with A.B., a stranger, who wishes to be admitted into this
honourable Order, if you please to admit him."

President: "In the name of the Lord, admit them."

All present then gave a knock and claps, from the appearance of the
MS., possibly similar to those in the Second Degree, and joined in
singing the first verse of the Doxology: "Praise God from whom all
blessings flow." The Conductor and candidate were then admitted and
addressed by a brother called the Lefthand Supporter of the
Vice-president, as follows:


Strangers, within our secret walls we have admitted you, 
Hoping you will prove honest, faithful, just and true;
But if you cannot keep the secret we require
Go, go hence, you are at liberty to retire.
Is your motive pure, and do you declare it is?

The candidate having so declared, the Left-hand Supporter of the
President said:

Brethren, to initiate this stranger we now proceed, 
And our Most Worthy Master may begin to read.

The President: I will thank you to kneel, and then I will read
Psalm XC.

President: "Guards, conduct these strangers to our secret
chambers."

After another verse of the Doxology has been sung, the Right-hand
Supporter of the Vice-president thus addressed the Conductor and
the candidate, who apparently had not actually left the lodge:

Stand, ye presumptous mortals; strangers step here, 
And let me know your trade and business here. 
By my great power nothing from vengeance here stay us 
If you are come here intending to betray us.

Warden (presumably also called the Vice-president): 
Most worthy guardian of our secret laws, 
They are Masons wishing to protect our cause.

President: Then all is well.

Right-hand Supporter of President: 
Strangers, you are welcome if you are sincere 
You never will repent your time and labour here; 
Our trade, protecting wants, we, by experience know; 
And it's our duty to prevent the recurrence of our woe; 
We have one common interest and one common soul; 
Should by virtue guide and actuate the whole. 
Our common wealth was like a savage land; 
When the weak are slaves the stronger bear command. 
When tyrants rule us with unfettered sway 
And degraded subjects must their will obey. 
Such was our domestic lot, our sufferings, and our care; 
Enraged our minds with madness and despair. 
We found that only half our lawful rights was gained 
E'en when we had united and our rights obtained. 
Our interests were so many and so various 
The tenor of our rights so frail and so precarious 
That had we not invented lodges our rights to ensure 
All would have come to nought as it had done before. 
Strangers, our lodge's design is love and unity, 
With self protection founded on the laws of equity. 
And when we have our mystic rites gone through, 
Our secrets all will be disclosed to you.

We deem you worthy of friendship, trust and confidence to share;
See that you make the prosperity of our cause your constant care;
Let your tongue be faithful, let your heart conceal the trust;
Woe, woe and dishonour attend the faithless and unjust.

All then join in singing another verse of the Doxology:

Eternal are thy mercies, Lord; 
Eternal truth attend thy word;
Thy truth shall sound from shore to shore;
Till sun shall rise and set no more.

President: "Give the stranger Light."

Then he pointed to a skeleton, and went on:

Stranger, mark well this shadow which now you see;
'Tis a faithful emblem of man's destiny.
Behold this head once filled with pregnant wit;
These hollow holes once sparkling eyes did fit;
This empty mouth no tongue or lips contains;
Of a once well-furnished head see all that now remains;
Behold this breast where a generous heart once moved;
Filled with affection loving, and behold!
Mark well these bones; the flesh hath left its place,
These arms could once a tender wife embrace;
These legs in gay activity could roam;
Alas, the spirit fled, and all is gone
O Death, O Death, thy spirit strikes us with dismay;
'Tis only the just spirit that has left its earthly clay
Can set thee at defiance, and in triumph say:
The sting of death is sin, and we are sinners all;
The heavy stroke of death must one day on us fall;
O death, where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy victory

The Vice-president then asked the candidate some questions as to
his resolution to keep all the secret entrusted to him, after which
he was again blindfolded and led up to the President, while another
verse of the hymn was being sung. The President thus addressed him:

"Stranger and pilgrim in the dark, are you come here with a pure
intention to support wages, and protect the Mason's trade? If you
are you must answer; if not, you are at liberty to retire to the
place from whence you came. I will thank you to kneel down and
place your right hand upon your naked left hreast and your left
hand on the Bible; answer me with your Christian name and surname
as you are touched upon tho nead, and repeat after me:

"I, A.B., a stonemason, being in the awful presence of Almighty
God, do voluntarily declare that I will persevere in endeavouring
to maintain and support a Brotherhood, known as the Friendly
Society of Operative Stone Masons, and I further promise that I
will to the utmost of my power assist men on all just and lawful
occasions to obtain a just remuneration for our labour. And I call
upon God to witness this my most solemn Declaration that neither
hopes, fears, rewards or punishments, or even death itself, shall
induce me, directly or indirectly, to give information respecting
anything in this lodge, or any other similar lodge connected with
the Society; and I will neither write nor cause to be written upon
paper, stone, wood, sand, or anything else, except for the use of
the Society, and I further promise that I will keep inviolable all
the rules of this Society; and I never will consent to have any
money belonging to this Society divided or appropriated to any
other purpose than the use of this Society and the support of the
trade. So help me, God, and keep me steadfast in my most solemn
Obligation."

At this point the candidate had the bandage removed, and the
President dictated the remainder of the Obligation:

"And if ever I reveal either part or parts of this my most solemn
Obligation, may what is before me plunge my soul into Eternity--
Amen."

Then he was told to kiss the book and rise, properly initiated.

While he was being led out of the room the last verse of the hymn
was sung:

Blest are the men of every kind 
That do unite with willing mind; 
And help each other in distress 
When sick and rendered comfortless.

The candidate who went through this elaborate ceremony, even if
inclined to laugh at the cocked hat and fierce mustaches of the
Tyler, was not likely to forget quickly the promises he had made,
and the oath of loyalty he had sworn. To many trade unionists this
oath was a very real thing, and not easily broken. The lodge was
closed with the same prayer as at the opening, and the singing of
this verse:

Brethren, ere we depart 
Let us join hand and heart 
In this our cause. 
May our next meeting be 
Blest with sweet harmony, 
Honour and secrecy, 
United all.

It is not certain whether the Union insisted upon a uniform ritual
of admission. It is probable that it did not. James Morrison, in a
letter to Robert Owen, both celebrated leaders in trade unionism,
dated 2nd September, 1833, urged him to arrange for a
standarization of ceremonial, in order to minimize the effect of
such superstitious rituals, but there is no evidence that the
request was attended to. Uniformity, indeed, seems only to have
been demanded in the oath.

I am exceedingly fortunate in having had access to the cash book of
the Warrington Operative stonemasons' Lodge, from which I have made
the following amusing and interesting extracts.

This book is a record of receipts and payments from 15th September,
1832, to 10th July, 1840. The first page gives the names of the
eleven founders of the lodge, and runs as follows:

"The names of those who tied themselves with 1 shilling each to
become members of the Warrington Operatives stone Masons Society,
September 1st, 1832.

                                    pounds   s.   d  
No. 1  George Bevan................ 0     :  1  :  0
"   2  Dennis Flynn................ "
"   3  Samuel Preistnall........... "
"   4  Thomas Brokes............... "
"   5  Adam Hyslop................. "
"   6  John Hawke.................. "
"   7  Peter Jowett................ "
"   8  Robert Foweler.............. "
"   9  Robert Ellis................ "
"  10  Ephraim Aukland............. "
"  11  William Hyslop.............. "

                                    0   :   11 :  0"

The eleven founders each paid an additional 1s. 6d. at the first
meeting, and 2s. 6d. appears to have been the entrance fee
throughout. The highest number of members recorded is 114, the
weekly subscription being 3d. The date when each member received a
certificate is duly noted.

This book is entitled in a bold hand:


LODGE No. 3
IN
No. 2 DISTRICT
Opened September 15th,

THE WARRINGTON
OPERATIVE
STONE MASONS
SOCIETY

CASH BOOK, &C.

In the center of the book there is a record of the date when
members received votes of thanks for their services:

"Nov. 10th, 1832.--Thanks was Unanimously Given to Brother John
Hawke for his Upright Conduct whilst in the office of Vice
President and as being one of the members who first Forwarded The
Society."

"March 2nd, 1833.--A Vote of thanks was Unanimously given to
Brother Samuel Preistnall for Serving the Office of Outside Tyler
for six months."

"March 2nd, 1833.--A Vote of thanks was Unanimously Given to
Brother George Potts for serving the Office of Right-Hand Supporter
of the vice, and for His exertions in behalf of the Society."

"March 2nd, 1833.--"A Vote of thanks was Unanimously Given to
Brother Ephraim Aukland for serving the Office of vice President to
the entire Satisfaction of the Whole Lodge."

"March 2nd, 1833.--A Vote of thanks was Unanimously Given to
Brother Dennis Flynn for serving the Office of Right-Hand Supporter
to the President for six months and for His constant attendance
while in Office."

"March 2nd, 1833.--A Vote of thanks was Unanimously Given to
Brother George Bevan for serving the Office of Secretary for six
months and for His Exertions in Behalf of the Society "

"March 16th, 1833.---A Vote of thanks was Unanimously Given to
Brother Joseph Ellis for serving the Office of President for six
months to the satisfaction of the Whole Lodge."

"June 22nd, 1833.--A Vote of thanks was Unanimously given to the
Secretary for his past Services, together with 12 Shillings from
the Society's funds towards remunariting him for his Great Trouble
he has experienced in his Office.--E. Bevan Received the same."

The portion of the cash book devoted to the payments made on behalf
of the Society is chiefly remarkable for the frequency of the item,
"Ale for New members and Tylers," the average amount being one
shilling. Other interesting items are:

Sept. 16th, 1832.--"Delegates' expenses, Regalia, etc., 4 12s."
Oct. 24th.--"Calico, etc., for Transperancy, 2s." 
Oct. 27th.---"Painting for Gilding despensation frame, 3s." 
Nov. 7th.--"Glass for despensation frame, 4s." 
Nov. 24th.--"Corresponding Secretary's wages quarterly, 1s." 
Dec. 1st.--"Painting and Gilding the Axe, 2s. 6d." 
Jan. 14th, 1833.--"Lent to the Runcorn Lodge, 1 4s. 2d." 
Jan. 19th, 1833.--"Paid for the Wigan Regalia, 2 9s." 
Jan. 31st.--"Paid for the Bible, 5s." 
Feb. 9th.--"Paid for the Tyler's Dress, 1 10s. 9 1/2d." 
March 25th.--"Warrington Lodges share to the Officers' visitation,
3S. 6d." 
April 4th.--"Painting Plates for Cap and Belt. 4s." 
April 29th.--"Expenses attending the Brisklayers, 5s." 
May 14th.--"Materials for Secretary's Scarf and making, 13s. 7d."
May 20th.--"Ribbon for do., 9d." 
July 6th.--"Paid for the Sword, 4s. 6d." 
July 4th.--"Ale, etc., for the Flaggers Innitiation, 7s. 9d." 
July 10th.--"Buying Warden's Scarf, etc., 1s. 9d." 
Feb. 13th.--"The Warden's hat and scarf, etc., 8s." 
Feb. 15th.--"Making ditto and trimming. 3s. 6d." 
Feb. 15th.--"Fine Box for the Warden, 3s. 6d." 
July 18th.--"Warden's Axe, 3s." 
Aug. 13th.--"Painting and Gilding the Axe, 1s. 6d." 
Sept. 16th.--"Sent to Manchester Lodge, 3 pounds." 
Sept. 19th.--"Delegates' Expenses to Manchester, 2 11s." 
Oct. 12th.--"Paid for two Columns, 5s." 
Aug. 18th, 1834.--"Paid for Washing Surpluses, 2s." 
Aug. 15th, 1835.--"Paid for two pair of brass candle-sticks 10s.
6d."

It is an interesting coincidence that one of the first initiations
recorded, that of Elias Ashmole, took place in an Operative Masons
Lodge at Warrington, in 1645.
