THE BUILDER OCTOBER 1915

THE ESTABLISHMENT AND EARLY DAYS OF MASONRY IN AMERICA

BY BRO. MELVIN M. JOHNSON, G.M. OF MASONS IN MASS.


CHAPTER II--PART II

1755

Gridley's Deputation arrived on Aug. 21, 1755, and he was installed
"Provincial Grand Master of Masons in North America" by Henry Price
on October 1. Again in this year Price was elected Master of the
Masters' Lodge in Boston. The Earl of Loudoun was Grand Master of
the Grand Lodge of England in 1736, and was present at the
celebration in Boston of the Feast of St. John the Evangelist on
Jan. 31, 1757. This was a gala day, with many of the most prominent
Brethren present. Closely in touch we find England and America
again, for in 1757 Brother Franklin went to England for five years.
He was able to bear testimony to the Grand Lodge of England, for he
was present at its meeting on Nov. 7, 1760. On Sept. 10, 1767,
Gridley died, and Price was recalled to the East of the Grand Lodge
on Oct. 2.

Gridley had issued a Charter to North Carolina, date unknown, and
on Dec. 30, 1767, Price appointed a Deputy Grand Master for that
Province. During this period Charters were also granted from Boston
to Lodges in Rhode Island, Jan. 18, 1757; again, March 20, 1759;
Dutch Guiana, April 8, 1761; Connecticut, April 9, 1762; again,
July 26, 1765, and Oct. 24, 1766; New Jersey, July 28, 1762; again,
Oct. 25, 1765; Quebec, Oct. 26, 1764; West Indies, Oct. 24, 1766;
Virginia, Oct. 24, 1766; and to Army Lodges in New York, May 13,
1756; April 13, 1759, and March 20, 1762; and in Nova Scotia, Nov.
13, 1758.

1768

On Jan. 22, 1768, John Rowe was nominated as Provincial Grand
Master of North America and on Jan. 25, 1768, a petition was drawn
up to the Grand Master of England for his appointment. In that, we
again find the customary prayer that "Whereas Masonry in America,
originated in this Place (Boston) Anno 5733, and in the Year
following our then Grand Master Price received Orders from Grand
Master Crauford to establish Masonry in all North America, in
Pursuance of which the several Lodges hereafter mentioned have
received Constitutions from us; We therefore claim due Precedency,
and that in Order thereunto, Our Grand Master Elect may in his
Deputation be stiled Grand Master of all North America."
Accompanying this petition was a letter from Henry Price to the
Grand Master of England, dated at Boston, New England, Jan. 27,
1768. This holographic letter is an important one, and I beg leave
to quote it here:

"Boston, New England, Jan. 27, 1768.

Right Worshipful Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master,
Grand Wardens and Brethren, in Grand Lodge Assembled:

The Money now sent to you is for the Constitution of four Lodges in
America, which I pray may be Registered in the Grand Lodge Books;
the Money would have been paid long before, but some unforeseen
Accidents prevented, therefore, I hope the said Lodges will not be
denied their Rank among the Lodges, according to the Time of their
Constitution, notwithstanding the above Omission. For the
particulars concerning them, I must refer you to the Letter from
the Grand Committee of the Grand Lodge here, which goes by the same
hand that presents this to You: Several other Lodges have been
Constituted by the Grand Lodge here, in different parts of America,
who have not yet Transmitted to us the Stated Fees for their
Constitution, but as soon as it comes to hand, it shall be remitted
to You, hoping at the same Time that they will likewise be
Registered among other Regular Constituted Lodges.

Rt. Worshipful Brothers. I had the Honour to be appointed
Provincial Grand Master of New England, by the Rt. Honble and Rt.
Worshipful Lord, Anthony Brown, Viscount Montacute, in the Year
1733, and in the Year 1735, said Commission to me was extended over
all North America, by the Rt. Honble and Rt. Worshipful John
Lindsay Earl of Crauford, then Grand Master of Masons; but upon
enquiry, I find that said Deputations were never Registered, though
I myself paid three Guineas therefor, to Thomas Batson Esqr., then
Deputy Grand Master, who with the Grand Wardens then in being,
signed my said Deputation.

"This Deputation was the first that the Grand Lodge ever issued to
any part of America, and stands so now in all Lodges on the
Continent. Other Deputations have since been given to different
Provinces, but they cannot according to Rule take Rank of mine. So,
would submit it to your Wisdom and Justice, whether said
Deputations should not be Registered in their proper Place, without
any further Consideration therefor, and the Grand Lodge here have
Rank according to Date, as it has (by Virtue of said Deputation)
been the foundation of Masonry in America, and I the Founder.
Wherefore Rt. Worshipful Brethren, I beg that enquiry may be made
into the Premises, and that Things may be set right, is the earnest
Request of your much honoured, and

Affectionate Brother and very humble Servant
Henry Price.

P. S.: Rt. Worshipful. I herewith send you an attested Copy of my
said Deputation, as Registered in the Grand Lodge Book of this
Place, under the Hand of our Grand Secretary, whose signature you
may depend upon as Genuine. H. P."

(Concerning the clerical errors in spelling Montague's name and in
stating the year 1735 instead of 1734, see full explanation 1871
Massachusetts printed proceedings page 330; and also Report of
Committee, M. W. John T. Heard, Chairman, 1870 Massachusetts
printed proceedings pages 238-330.)

This letter was committed to the care of Bro. William Jackson, who
took it to England and presented it to the Grand Lodge there. This
is another express petition addressed to the Grand Lodge of England
directly involving the precedency of Henry Price and the Grand
Lodge founded by him in Massachusetts. The Body to which it was
addressed, the Grand Lodge of England, was the only body in the
world having authority to adjudicate this question. It was the
court of last resort. It had before it all the facts. It had the
full opportunity of investigating the facts, not only from the
visits between England and America and from documents on its own
files, but also through any further information it sought to
obtain. The whole Masonic world was open to it. Many men were
living who knew of the incidents concerned. And the Grand Lodge of
England then proceeded to make a final adjudication upon the
matter. A letter in reply addressed to Henry Price by Thomas
French, the Grand Secretary of England, exhibits the carelessness
in Keeping and preserving records and in the execution of details
both in England and America. It shows that Henry Price had been
somewhat neglectful in keeping up a regular correspondence, and it
also shows the carelessness with which such letters as he did send
were treated in England. The Recording Grand Secretary refers to
having found an important document among what he called "loose
papers" in his possession.

The correspondence between Price and England is to be found in 1
Mass. Printed Proceedings, 407 et seq (See 1871 Mass. Printed
Proceedings, 362 et seq.) In this correspondence Price is expressly
recognized as Grand Master of all North America, except Canada,
North Carolina and South Carolina. These very exceptions show that
England recognized his authority over Pennsylvania. The Deputation
to Rowe was dated May 12, 1768. In this is an express adjudication
that Price had been "Constituted Provincial Grand Master for North
America." It was received in Boston Sept. 30, 1768, and on Nov. 23
Rowe was installed Grand Master by Henry Price with elaborate
ceremonial.

1769

It was on May 30, 1769, that Gen. Joseph Warren was appointed a
Provincial Grand Master for Boston and its environs by the Grand
Lodge of Scotland. That Grand Lodge claimed the right to
jurisdiction here because this was a Province, and therefore open
to any Grand Lodge. Whether or not the claim was sound is
immaterial to this discussion, because his Grand Lodge has since
been merged with the Grand Lodge headed by Henry Price and his
successors. In the Massachusetts archives are to be found the
printed Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of England for Feb. 7, 1770,
Feb. 6, 1771, April 26, 1771, Nov. 29, 1771, and Nov. 4, 1772. All
of these bear the original signature of Rowland Berkeley, Grand
Treasurer of the Grand Lodge of England, and are directed to Henry
Price with titles in recognition of his standing. For instance; The
Proceedings for Feb. 6, 1771, are addressed as follows:

"To the R. W. Henry Price, Esqr. Provl. G. M. of Free Masons for
North America at Boston, New England."

1773

On April 30, 1773, Henry Price presided over the Grand Lodge for
the last time, and on Jan. 28, 1774, he attended the Grand Lodge
for the last time.

1775-1787.

On March 8, 1777, the independence of Freemasonry in America from
foreign dictation was first declared by the Massachusetts Grand
Lodge.

It has been asserted that the Grand Lodge of which Henry Price and
his successors were the head suspended operations from 1775 until
1787. This, however, is not correct, though the official records
are missing. The diary of Grand Master Rowe states that he dined
with Freemasons March 28, 1776; speaks also of "The Lodges under my
Jurisdiction with Our Proper Jewells and Clothing" and of the
"handsome Procession of the Craft" April 8, 1776; and adds that he
celebrated the Feast of St. John the Baptist in 1776 with the
Brethren of the Lodges under his direction. That diary is authentic
evidence, as are diplomas now extant which were issued during the
period named; notably the diploma of Commodore Samuel Tucker who
was made a Mason in St. John's Lodge of Boston in January, 1779.
Reports were given in the newspapers of meetings of Lodges in 1780.
March 23, 1780, Union Lodge of Danbury, Conn., was-chartered from
Boston. St. John's Lodge (which was formerly the First Lodge in
Boston) at one time held a Charter issued by authority of John
Rowe, Grand Master, and bearing date Feb. 7, 1783. On this date the
First and Second Lodges in Boston united and subsequent records are
complete.  "Fleet's Pocket Almanac" published in Boston for 1784,
shows that Lodges were then active. On page 42 of this book it says 

Free Mafon's Lodges.

The Records of the firft Grand Lodge in Bofton, (Right Worfhipful
John Rowe, Efq; prefent Grand Mafter) being carried away by the
Secretary, at the time the Britifh troops evacuated the Town in
1776, a particular Lift of the feveral Lodges in North America who
received Deputations from, and are under its Jurifdiction, cannot
at prefent be obtained--They are in Number about Thirty. Thofe in
Bofton are, 

St. John's or 1ft Lodge, 
2d Lodge,

Now united in one.

Moreover, the records of Feb. 17, and March 2, 1787, contain
inherent evidence of continuity and activity, although there be an
hiatus in the formal record.

The troublous times account for the non-existence or loss of formal
records. Probably no one will ever be able to explain exactly what
has become of them. The Grand Secretary of 1776 was a Tory and fled
Boston never to return taking the books with him. Nothing would be
more humanly probable than that his successor for a time would have
kept the records upon loose sheets intending to transcribe them in
the regular books when returned. The writer personally knows of 

two cases recently where Grand Secretaries have died leaving years
of records upon loose sheets only except as some had been printed
therefrom without being written into the official record books. So
while we have not found the formal record, yet we have found, as
indicated, unshakable evidence that the Fraternity was active and
the authority of the Grand Lodge was being exercised during this
period between 1775 and 1787, and has therefore been continuous
from 1733 to date. (Concluded next month)

THE MASON'S HOLY HOUSE

We have a holy house to build,
A temple splendid and divine, 
To be with glorious memories filled,
Of right and truth, to be the shrine. 
How shall we build it, strong and fair,
This holy house of praise and prayer, 
Firm set and solid, grandly great?
How shall we all its rooms prepare 
For use, for ornament, for state? 
Our God hath given the wood and stone,
And we must fashion them aright, 
Like those who toiled on Lebanon,
Making the labor their delight;
This house, this place, this God's home,
This temple with a holy dome, 
Must be in all proportions fit,
That heavenly messengers may come 
To dwell with those who meet in it. 
Build squarely up the stately walls,
The two symbolic columns raise; 
But let the lofty courts and halls,
With all their golden glories blaze--
There in the Kadosh-Kadoshim,
Between the broad-winged cherubim, 
Where the shekinah once abode,
The heart shall raise its daily hymn 
Of gratitude and love to God.
--Albert Pike.

