THE BUILDER MARCH 1916

THE EARLY DAYS: HISTORY VS. TRADITION

BY BRO. WM. G. MAZYCK, SOUTH CAROLINA


In a series of articles under the title "The Establishment and
Early Days of Freemasonry in America," published in the May,
October and November numbers of The Builder, M. W. Brother Melvin
M. Johnson, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts, has presented
some deeply interesting matters, partly history and largely
tradition. With commendable enthusiasm and pardonable partisanship
he defends the apocryphal claim that Boston is the birthplace of
Freemasonry in America, with some skill and much plausibility, but
since we have elsewhere made the statement that Solomon's Lodge No.
1, A. F. M., of Charleston, S. C., is the oldest Masonic body in
the United States, the Record of whose establishment is absolutely
unimpeachable, a statement which we here repeat without
modification, we take friendly issue with Bro. Johnson in some of
his statements and conclusions.

In the Century Dictionary we find the following definitions:--
HISTORY; the recorded events of the past. LEGEND:--unauthentic
narrative handed down from early times; a tradition. TRADITION:--
Knowledge or belief transmitted without the aid of written
memorials. Now while legend or tradition may be deeply interesting,
highly probable and in the absence of written record often
valuable, we protest that the written record, especially when
contemporaneous with the event described, and more especially when
of independent and unprejudiced origin, is and it alone is to be
considered History, and, therefore, in this discussion we eliminate
the ifs, buts, possiblys and every other form of expression which
implies doubt, and confine ourselves to the recorded fact, and will
present no evidence but that which can be to-day produced in the
original Record, no copy, no substitute, nor any writing based upon
any man's recollection, nor will we admit on either side the
employment of any statement whose authenticity is susceptible of
any reasonable doubt.

Brother Johnson lays great stress upon the authority and the
actions of Henry Price, and threshes the old straw with great
energy. In evidence he produces what we may style Exhibit A,
Price's "original gravestone now in Masonic Temple, Boston," (just
why or when it was removed from the Cemetery does not appear), and
he instantly destroys its suggested value, by himself questioning
one of its most important statements! We think we may, therefore,
fairly rule out Exhibit A.

Brother Johnson further produces Price's "deputation"--Exhibit B.
W.Bro. Charles E. Meyer, P. M. Melita Lodge No. 295, Pennsylvania,
in History of F. & A. Masons and Concordant Orders, p. 225, says:
"Nowhere can it be found on the English records that a deputation
was granted Henry Price by Lord Petre or any other Grand Master,"
and "it will require authentic documents to satisfy an impartial
reader." Again p. 239, "To trace the early history of Freemasonry
in Massachusetts is like a person walking in the dark." P 240,
"There is no record in the archives of the Grand Lodge of England
at London of the deputation," and he further states that "if the
fac-simile printed in the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of
Massachusetts, 1871, is authentic, then the date of Price's
deputation is not correct." Bro. P.F. Gould in his History of
Freemasonry recognizes "The very precarious foundation of authority
on which the early Masonic history of Massachusetts reposes. The
actual records of the Provincial Grand Lodge--by which I mean a
contempolaneous account of its proceedings--date from 1751. There
are also what appear to be transcripts of brief memoranda
describing the important incidents in the history of that body
between 1733-1750; or they may have been made up from the
recollection of brethren who had been active among the Craft during
these seventeen years!" Again "The more we rely upon the early
Boston records as independent authorities, the greater becomes the
necessity of critically appraising the weight and thereby the value
of their testimony."

P.G.M. Sereno D. Nickerson, Recording Grand Secretary of
Massachusetts, in his "First Glimpses of Freemasonry in North
America," says "The earliest records of the First Provincial Grand
Lodge in New England are in the handwriting of Peter Pelham, and
his son Charles." "Peter Pelham was made a Mason Nov. 8th, 1738,
and on the 26th of December, 1739, he was elected Secretary. He
served in that office until September 26th, 1744, when he was
succeeded by his son Charles." "Charles Pelham was made a Mason in
due form in the First Lodge in Boston, on Sept. 12, 1744," and two
weeks later, on Sept. 26, it was "voted, That Bro. Charles Pelham
be Secretary, in the Room of Our Late Sect, who has laid it down."
He served as Grand Secretary from June 24th, 1751, to January 20th,
1752, and Nickerson admits that "the first eleven pages of the
record of the First Provincial Grand Lodge in America, now in the
archives of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, consist of copies of
Deputations and what appear to be transcripts of brief memoranda
describing important incidents in the history of the body between
1733 and 1750, or they may have been made up from recollections of
brethren who had been active among the Craft during those seventeen
years"! ! !

Please note that we base our claim unreservedly upon an existing
original record. The earliest record in New England Grand Lodge
archives was made by Peter Pelham, certainly not earlier than 1739,
he was not Raised until 1738, and therefore could have only hearsay
evidence for his guide.

Surely in view of these statements we can fairly ask that Exhibit
B be also ruled out.

In support of our South Carolina claim we will produce absolutely
unimpeachable evidence, but we admit nevertheless with the utmost
frankness and freedom that we cannot produce the original
deputation, warrant or charter, and we decline to ask the
acceptance of any copy thereof or any substitute therefor.

This devoted City of Disaster has suffered more from fire and
flood, plague and pestilence, war, siege, storm and earthquake than
any other City on the Continent. The great conflagration of January
18th, 1778, is described in remarkable detail in the South Carolina
and American General Gazette of January 29th, 1778, and in the
Supplement, or as it is quaintly styled "Addition to the General
Gazette, No. 1002, Apl. 2nd, 1778," p. 2, col. 2, the following
advertisement appears:

"Lost during the late fire in Charlestown, the Alphabets of the
Ledger and Register of Solomon's Lodge. Whoever has found them and
will deliver them to the subscriber, jeweller, next door to Mr.
Ancrum, in Church street shall receive Five Pounds for each or
either of them with thanks: - Thomas Harper."

On the night of April 27, 1838, nearly one-third of the City was
destroyed by fire, when the Craft not only lost its new Hall then
in course of erection, but sustained a far greater calamity in the
destruction of Seyle's Hall, in which the Grand and Subordinate
Lodges met, with nearly all of the property of the various Masonic
bodies and the entire records of the Grand Lodge, with the
exception of one minute book commencing with the year 1836. Yet
though Deputation, Warrant, Charter and Minutes are all gone, there
has been preserved a Record whose truth is incontestable, far
removed from any possibility of doubt and utterly beyond any
contradiction.

Amongst the other vastly important treasures of the Charleston
Library upon its shelves there are today files of our colonial
newspapers and in "The South Carolina Gazette, Numb. 144, From
Saturday, October 23, to Saturday, October 30, 1736," page 2,
Column 2, we find this supremely important paragraph:

"Last night a Lodge of the Ancient and Honourable Society of Free
and Accepted Masons was held fol the first Time at Mr. Charles
Shepheard's in Broad street, when John Hammerton Esqr., Secretary
and Receiver General for this Province, was unanimously chosen
Master, who was pleased to appoint Mr. Thomas Denne Senior Warden,
Mr. Theo. Harbin junior Warden, and Mr. James Gordon Secretary."

Upon this Record, we rest our claim, and unhesitatingly repeat that
Solomon's Lodge No. 1, of Charleston, S. C., is the oldest Masonic
body in the Western Hemisphere, the Record of whose establishment
is absolutely unassailable.

Further on in his interesting paper Bro. Johnson says: "On St. John
the Baptist's day in 1737, occurred the first public procession of
the Fraternity in America," but this paragraph from the "South
Carolina Gazette No. 174, From Saturday, May 21st, to Saturday, May
28th, 1737," page 3, Col. 1, completely refutes this statement, for
which, by the way, no authority whatever is cited:


"CHARLESTOWN, MAY 28, On Thursday Night last the Recruiting Officer
was acted for the Entertainment of the ancient and honourable
Society of Free and Accepted MASONS, who came to the Play House
about 7 o'clock, in the usual Manner, and made a very decent and
solemn Appearance; there was a fuller House on this Occasion than
ever had been known in this Place before. A proper Prologue and
Epilogue were spoke, and the entered Apprentices and Masters Songs
sung upon the Stage, which were joined in Chorus by the Masons in
the Pit, to the Satisfaction and Entertainment of the whole
Audience. After the Play, the Masons return'd to the Lodge at Mr.
Shepheard's, in the same order observed in coming to the Play
House."

Note please that this was a month earlier than Bro. Johnson's date,
and besides, the Brethren "came to the Play-House in the usual
Manner," and "return'd in the same order observed in coming." We
have ruled out all ifs and buts, nevertheless we suggest that "the
usual Manner" indicates that even this was not the first occasion
of a public procession of the Craft in Charleston and though the
date, May 26, 1737, is sufficient proof of the inaccuracy of Bro.
Johnson's statement the Craft had "probably" been long accustomed
to such processions.

Possibly at a later date I may give some account of the
magnificence with which the Great Feast of St. John the Evangelist
was celebrated in the early days in Charleston.

LEAVE THEM OUTSIDE

Don't bring them into the lodge room,
Anger and spite and pride;
Drop at the gate of the temple
The strife of the world outside.
Forget all your cares and trials,
Forget every selfish sorrow,
And remember the cause you met for,
And haste ye the glad-to-morrow.
Drop at the gate of the temple
Envy and spite and gloom;
Don't bring personal quarrels
And discord into the room.
Forget the slights of a sister,
Forget the wrong of a brother,
And remember the new commandment
That ye love one another.
Bring your heart into the lodge room,
But leave yourself outside--
That is, your personal feeling,
Ambition, vanity, pride.
Center every thought and power
On the cause for which you assemble,
Fetter the demon selfishness,
And make ye the Old Harry tremble.
--Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

THE CHANCE OF LIFE

"Our life, with all it yields of joy and woe,
And hope and fear--believe the aged friend--
Is just our chance o' the prize of learning love." 
--Browning.

GLAD EASTER DAY

Glad Easter Day, when Christ arose 
A mighty victor o'er His foes; 
He conquered death with all its gloom, 
And rose triumphant from the tomb. 
Ye saints and angels loud proclaim 
The glories of His wondrous name. 
He lives again, no more to die. 
Exalt your King in earth and sky. 
Glad Easter Day, bright Sabbath-morn, 
When comfort came to hearts forlorn 
Who sought His grave with spices sweet, 
Their work of love to there complete. 
They saw the place where Jesus lay, 
For angels rolled the stone away, 
And then this message to them gave-- 
That Christ had risen from the grave. 
Glad Easter Day, our pledge of life 
Beyond this vale of sin and strife: 
For trusting souls at last shall rise 
To share His glories in the skies 
Till then press on His will to do. 
And for your Lord be brave and true; 
Keep close to Him who is the way-- 
The Christ who rose on Easter Day.
--N. A. McAulay.

SLAVERY

I never mean to possess another slave by purchase, it being among
my first wishes to see some plan adopted by which slavery in this
country may be abolished by law.
--Washington, 1786.

