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PAUL REVERE 1734-1818

TERM

1795 1796 1797

THE REVERE CHARGE

From New England Craftsman, Vol. XII, No. 5, February 1917, Page 155:

RevereCharge.jpg

There is preserved in the archives of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts an old Charge by Paul Revere, delivered by him on several occasions, more than a hundred years ago, when as Grand Master he installed the officers of Masonic Lodges. The Charge referred to is in his own handwriting and is an interesting and suggestive relic. We take pleasure in presenting herewith his words of wholesome counsel as addressed to the Master, Officers and Brethren of a Masonic Lodge:

"Worshipful Master:—

"This W. Lodge, having chosen you for their Master and Representative, it is now incumbent upon you, diligently and upon every proper occasion, to enquire into the knowledge of your fellows, and to find them dayly imployment, that the Art which they profess may not be forgotten or neglected: you must avoid partiality, giving praise where it is due, and imploying those ln the most honorable part of the work who have made the greatest advancement, for the encouragement of the Art. You must preserve union, and judge in all causes amicably and mildly, preferring peace.

"That the Society may prosper, you must preserve the dignity of your office, requiring submission from the perverse and refractory, always acting and being guided by the principles on which your authority is founded. You must, to the extent of your power, pay a constant attendance on your Lodge, that you may see how your work flourishes, and your instructions are obeyed: You must take care that neither your words or actions shall render your authority to be less regarded, but that your prudent and careful behavior may set an example, and give a sanction to your power.

"And as brotherly love is the cement of our Society, so cherish and encourage it that the Brethren may be more willing to obey the dictates of Masons, than you have occasion to command.

"And you, the Officers of this Worshipful Lodge, must carefully assist the Master in the discharge and execution of his office; diffusing light and imparting knowledge to all the fellows under your care, keeping the Brethren in just order and decorum, that nothing may disturb the peaceable serenity or obstruct the glorious effects of Harmony and Concord; and that this may be the better preserved, you must carefully inquire into the character of all candidates to this honorable Society, and recommend none to the Master who in your opinion are unworthy of the privileges and advantages of Masonry, keeping the Cynic far from the Ancient Fraternity, where Harmony is obstructed by the superstitious and morose. You must discharge the Lodge quietly, encouraging the Brethren assembled to work cheerfully, that none when dismissed may go away dissatisfied.

"And you, Brethren of this Worshipful Lodge, learn to follow the advice and instruction of your officers, submitting cheerfully to their amicable decisions, throwing by all resentments and prejudices towards each other; let your chief care be to the advancement of the Society you have the honor to be members of; let there be a modest and friendly emulation among you in do ing good to each other; let complacency and benevolency flourish among you; let your actions be squared by the Rules of Masonry; let friendship be cherished, and all advantages of that title by which we distinguish each other, that we may be Brothers, not only in name, but in the full import, extent and latitude of so glorious an appellation.

"Finally, my Brethren, as this association has been carried on with so much unanimity and concord (in which we greatly rejoice), so may it continue to the latest ages. May your love be reciprocal and harmonious. While these principles are uniformly supported, this Lodge will be an Honor to Masonry, an example to the world, and therefore a blessing to mankind.

"From this happy prospect I rest assured of your steady perseverance, and conclude with wishing you all, my Brethren, joy of your Master, Wardens, and other officers, and of your Constitutional union as Brethren.

"Brother Grand Secretary,— It is my will and pleasure that you register this Lodge in the Grand Lodge Book, in the order of Constitutions, and that you notify the same to the several Lodges."

BIOGRAPHY

We have few Grand Masters whose renown is great beyond the bounds of the Craft, but Paul Revere is a man whose name is known to every schoolchild. We have Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to thank for that -

Listen, my children, and you shall hear / Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five;
Hardly a man is now alive / Who remembers that famous day and year.

Revere's part in that famous event has been exaggerated, but he was a hero of the Revolution and a prominent public figure in Massachusetts before, during and after that momentous period. Born in 1734 in Boston to an emigrant Huguenot father and a native Bostonian, he was the second of twelve children, and was apprenticed as a silversmith, in which profession he became well-known. He was initiated in St. Andrew's Lodge in September 1760 at age 25, at which time he was already married and the primary support of his family; as a member of St. Andrew's and later Rising States Lodge, he was an active Blue Lodge Freemason, serving nine terms as Master.

The capstone of his Masonic career was his election as Grand Master in December 1794. His time in office was marked by a rapid expansion of the number of chartered lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge. The following lodges received charters while he was Grand Master: Republican (Greenfield), Evening Star (Lenox), Middlesex (Framingham), Cincinnatus (New Marlborough, later Great Barrington), King Hiram's (Truro, later Provincetown), Kennebec (Hallowell, Maine), Fayette (Charlton), Washington (Roxbury), Columbian (Boston), Union (Dorchester), Harmony (Northfield), Thomas (Monson), St. Paul's (Groton), Jerusalem (South Hadley), Adams (Wellfleet), Tuscan (Columbia, Maine), Bristol (Norton), Fellowship (Bridgewater), Corinthian (Concord), Meridian Sun (Brookfield), Olive Branch (Oxford), Montgomery (Franklin), and Meridian (Watertown). Of these twenty-three lodges, nearly all are still in existence (and are justifiably proud of their "Revere Charters"). He also granted new charters to St. Peter's Lodge, Newburyport; Portland Lodge in Portland, Maine; and endorsed the charters of American Union Lodge (then meeting in Marietta in Ohio Territory), Philanthropic Lodge, Marblehead, and Union Lodge in Nantucket. He was also willing to dispense Masonic justice, and under his authority and the vote of the Grand Lodge, Harmonic Lodge of Boston had its charter vacated.

As in the term of Most Wor. Bro. Cutler, Grand Master Revere was responsible for a number of edicts and decisions regarding the functioning of Grand Lodge. Considerable correspondence with other Grand Lodges near and far took place, as well as other exchanges of letters, most notably with Brother (and former President) George Washington. He was also active in the public sphere, notably in the laying of corner stones for public buildings, including the Massachusetts State House in 1795. (When Most Wor. Winslow Lewis was invited to perform the same ceremony in September 1855, he was surprised to find the remains of that stone and the memorabilia placed therein.) Paul Revere was a remarkable man, and a memorable Mason.

BIOGRAPHY FROM MOORE'S FREEMASON'S MONTHLY, 1859

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly, Vol. XVIII, No. 12, October 1859, History of St. Andrew's Chapter; Page 363:

Col. PAUL REVERE was descended from the French Huguenots, and was born in Boston, on the 1st of January, 1735. He was brought up to the business of a goldsmith, and became a very expert workman. In 1756, soon alter he became of age, he joined an expedition that was organized against Crown Point, then in possession of the French, receiving the appointment of lieutenant of artillery, and was stationed at Fort Edward, on Lake George, during the greater part of that year. After returning to Boston he married and settled in business as a goldsmith. He also carried on engraving and some other mechanical arts, during a long and active life. He was a bold and fearless advocate for American Independence, and one of the persons who planned and executed the most daring feat of the times, the destruction of the tea in Boston harbor. He was often entrusted with confidential messages from the Provincial to the Continental Congress, and acted an important part in the events which occurred about the 19th of April, 1775. A regiment having been raised in Boston and the vicinity, for the defence of the State, Revere was appointed a Major and afterwards Lieutenant Colonel, and remained in the service until the close o f the war. In 1768 he took an active part in favor of the Constitution of the United States, and, with other leading macbanics, exerted his influence to promote its adoption. Col. Revere died in Boston, in May, 1818, aged eighty four years. At the time of his decease, (to adopt the language of another,) he was connected with many of the benevolent and useful institutions which dignify and embellish the metropolis of Massachusetts, in all of which he was an active and munificent member. By an uncommonly long life of industry and economy he was able to obtain a competency in regard to property, and to educate a large family of children, many of whom are living [1S54] to enjoy the contemplation of the character of an upright, patriotic, and virtuous father.

Brother Revere's name appears on the records of our Chapter, for the first time, January 9th, 1770. There is no doubt he was a member at this early period, for he was Junior Warden of the "Royal Arch Lodge," in the year 1770. Probably this ceremony was practised in the admission of members, eighty years ago, than at the present time; and no register of names extending back so far as the above date, can now be found. He was Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, in 17S2, and Grand Master in 1795, 1796, and 1797.

BIOGRAPHY FROM THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF WASHINGTON LODGE, 1886

BIOGRAPHY FROM 1916 PROCEEDINGS

Most Worshipful Brother Paul Revere was an active and zealous Mason. He was initiated in St. Andrew's Lodge, September 4, 1760, and raised January 27, 1761; was elected Senior Warden in November, 1764, and Master, November 30, 1770. In the Massachusetts Grand Lodge, in 1777, 1778, and 1779, he was Junior Grand Warden; in 1780, 1781, 1782, and 1783, Senior Grand Warden; and in 1784, 1790, and 1791, he was Deputy Grand Master. He was the second Grand Master after the union and served in that office from December 12, 1794 to December 27, 1797. An interesting and ably written short biography of Brother Revere may be found in Volume III of the New England, Magazine, edited by Brother Joseph T. Buckingham. An abridgment of that biography presents the following facts:

"Paul Revere, or Rivoire, as his ancestors wrote the name, was born in Boston, in December, 1734, O. S. (January 1, 1735), and died there in May, 1818, aged 84. His grandfather emigrated from St. Foy, in France, to the Island of Guernsey; and his father, at the age of thirteen, was sent by his friends from that island to Boston, to learn the trade of a goldsmith, where he afterwards married, and had several children, of whom Paul was the eldest. Young Revere was brought up by his father to the business of a goldsmith and made himself very serviceable in the use of a graver. Having a natural taste for drawing he made it his peculiar business to design and execute all engravings on the various kinds of silver plate then manufactured. In 1756, he received the appointment of Lieutenant of Artillery and was stationed at Fort Edward, on Lake George, the greater part of that year. After his return to Boston he married and commenced business as a goldsmith which, with engraving and other mechanical and manufacturing arts, were objects of industry from time to time during a long and. active life. He was one of a club of young men, chiefly mechanics, who associated for the purpose of watching the movements of the British troops in Boston and acted an important part in the events which occurred. about the 19th of April, 1775. He says, in a letter he wrote to the Corresponding Secretary of the Massachusetts Historical Society, We held our meetings at the Green Dragon tavern. We were so careful that our meetings should be kept secret; that every time we met, every person swore upon the Bible, that they would not discover any of our transactions, but to Messrs. Hancock, Adams, Doctors Warren, Church, and one or two more."

After the British evacuatecl Boston a regiment of artillery was raised for the defense of the State. In this regiment he was appointed a Major, and afterwards a Lieutenant Colonel, and remained in the service until the peace. When the British left Boston they broke the trunnions of the cannon at Castle William (Fort Independence) and Washington called on Revere to render them useful - in which he succeeded by means of a newly contrived carriage. After the peace he resumed his business as a goldsmith. Subsequently he erected an air-furnace in which he cast church bells and brass cannon. The manufacture of copper sheathing also engaged his attention and he was successful in this undertaking. Colonel Revere was the first President of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Association, instituted in 1795. At the time of his death he was connected with many other philanthropic associations, in all of which he was a munificent and useful member.

The life of Col. Paul Revere by E.H. Goss (1891).
Centennial Memorial of the Lodge of St. Andrew (1870).
Heard's History of Columbian Lodge, Pages 351-353 'i: 15 M.F.M. 169.
1909 Mass. 25.

BIOGRAPHY FROM NEW ENGLAND CRAFTSMAN, 1924

From New England Craftsman, Vol. XIX, No. 7, April 1924, Page 206:

Note that there are some inaccuracies in this account.

Paul Revere, Patriot, engraver, gold and silversmith, was born in Boston on January 1st, 1735. He early took an interest in public affairs, and became active in Freemasonry. There was organized in Boston in 1752 in the Green Dragon Tavern on Union St. a Masonic lodge which was named St. Andrew's lodge, afterwards called the Lodge St. Andrew.

This lodge met continuously at the Green Dragon Tavern but did not receive its charter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland until 1760. Paul Revere was a member of this lodge.

At the same time there was and had been since 1733 lodges in Boston, chartered by the Grand Lodge of England, with a Provincial Grand Master of New England. Between these lodges was a good deal of rivalry and as a general rule neither they nor their members affiliated with each other. The reasons are not difficult to understand. The greater part of the membership of the lodges chartered by the Grand Lodge of England were loyal to the King during the agitation leading up to the Revolutionary War. The members of St. Andrew's Lodge, most without exception including Dr. Joseph Warren, afterward General Warren, and Paul Revere organized the "Sons of Liberty" in the lodge room at the Green Dragon Tavern.

Paul Revere had a leading part in bringing together the patriots who gathered on November 29th, 1773 first at Faneuil Hall, at the Old South Meeting-House to protest against landing the tea from the ship Dartmouth. The celebrated "Boston Tea Party" was held December 16th, 1773, at a regular meeting night of St. Andrew's Lodge, the lodge secretary records that the lodge was not open for business on that night because of absence of so many members on tea business. The Grand Master of the English Grand Lodge had a ship load of tea in the harbor and it went overboard with the rest and he subsequently expressed the wish that had never had anything to do with the business.

In preparation for the rallying of the men the tea party at the Green Dragon Tavern following ditty was composed:

My Mohawks!! bring out your axes,
And tell King George we'll pay no taxes
On his foreign tea,
His threats are vain, and vain to think
To force our girls and wives to drink
His vile Bohea.
Then raiiy boys and hasten on
To meet our Chief at the Green Dragon.

Old Warren's there, and bold Revere
With hands to do and words to cheer
Eor liberty and laws.
Our Country's brave and free defenders
Shall ne'er be left by true North Enders,
Fighting Freedom's cause.
Then rally boys and hasten on
To meet our chief at the Green Dragon.

Paul Revere was Grand Master of Masons in 1795, laid the cornerstone of the Massachusetts state capitol building and Samuel Adams delivered the oration. In that same year Paul Revere founded the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association and was its first president.

In addition to being a Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Masons, he was Junior Warden, or as now called Scribe, of St. Andrews Boyal Arch Chapter, at the time Thomas Alexander was Royal Arch Master, or as now called Excellent High Priest. There appears to be no record of his having been advanced to the head of the Chapter.

He was one of the thirty North End mechanics who patrolled the streets to watch the movements of the British troops and Tories.

He was commissioned a Major of Infantry in the Massachusetts militia in April 1776 and was promoted to the rank of Lieut. Colonel of Artillery in November and was stationed at Castle William defending Boston Harbor, and finally received command of that fort.

After the war he engaged in the manufacture of gold and silverware and his productions may be found in many of the best collections in the country. He was first married in 1757 and had eight children, and after the death of his wife he married Rachael Walker in 1773. He lived for many years in the house that now bears his name, in North Square, Boston, not far from Christ's church. This house has been restore to its ancient form and is now a museum of Revolutionary Relics and is visited by thou sands of tourists annually.

He died in Boston, May 10th, 1818 and was buried in the Old Granary Burying-Ground on Tremont St., near Park Street.

FROM NEW ENGLAND CRAFTSMAN, 1943

From New England Craftsman, Vol. XXXVIII, No. 8, April 1943, Page 177:

PAUL REVERE, ROYAL ARCH MASON
By Melvin M. Johnson

(Dr. Melvin M. Johnson has contributed this article on ip of Massachusetts' most outstanding Freemasons. It me to the editor marked "Notes on Paul Revere" but i have changed its title to bring out Revere's Royal Arch membership. The writer is one of America's distinguished and versatile Craftsmen, Past Grand Master of Massachusetts Grand Lodge and for many years the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Northern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.) - Ed. Note.

Col. Paul Revere, or Rivoire, as his ancestors wrote the name, was born in Boston, in December 1734, O. S. (January 1, 1735). and died there in May, 1818, aged eighty-four. His grandfather emigrated from St. Foy in France, to the Island of Guernsey; and his father at the age of thirteen was sent by his friends from that island to Boston, to learn the trade of a goldsmith; here he afterwards married and had several children, of whom Paul was the eldest. Young Revere was brought up by his father to the business of a goldsmith and made himself very serviceable in the use of a graver. Having a natural taste for drawing he made it his peculiar business to design and execute all engravings on the various kinds of silver plate then manufactured.

His business interests were very extensive. He was primarily a gold and silversmith, designing and furnishing many articles, many of which are preserved today and are almost priceless. He was the best engraver of his day. One sample of his work is the plate for printing the first Continental scrip money in 1778. He manufactured gun powder, cast church bells and cannon and maintained an iron foundry and hardware store. He established the first rolling mill for copper sheathing, in which he made plates for Robert Fulton's steamboats. He was probably the first manufacturer of artificial teeth in the Western Hemisphere.

In Freemasonry, he was active and zealous. Initiated in St. Andrew's Lodge September 4, 1760, and raised January 27, 1761, he was elected Senior Warden in November 1764 and Worshipful Master in November 1770. Later, there was a schism in the lodge and Revere was one of the dimitting members, immediately becoming active and almost dominant in Rising States Lodge. In the Massachusetts Grand Lodge (this being the one which descended from Scotland, and not the one founded by Henry Price), he was Junior Grand Warden, 1777-79 inclusive; Senior Grand Warden, 1780-83 inclusive; and Deputy Grand Master in 1784, 1790 and 1791. After the union of the two Grand Lodges in Massachusetts, which occurred in 1792, Revere became the second Grand Master and served in that office from December 12, 1794 to December 27, 1797.

The records of the Royal Arch Lodge held in Boston record the fact that —

"The petition of Brother Paul Revere coming before the Lodge begging to become a Royal Arch Mason, it was rec'd & he was unanimously accepted & accordingly made."

The official date of his admission to the Chapter was December 11, 1769; he became Junior Warden during the year 1770, "in which position he aided to confer the degrees on General Joseph Warren of immortal memory, on May 14th, following his own admission." (From the records of St. Andrews' Royal Arch Chapter.)

Revere was known as the Mercury of the American Revolution. He was one of the most active of the leading patriots of the pre-Revolutionary Period, being a member of a committee charged with the duty of collecting the names of all persons who in any way acted against the rights and liberties of America. In this he was associated with Hancock, Adams, Warren, Pulling, among others.

He was also a member of a club of young men, chiefly mechanics, who associated for the purpose of watching the movements of the British troops in Boston. Both the committee and the club were accustomed to meet at the Green Dragon Tavern, owned by the Lodge of St. Andrew, the property still belonging to this lodge.

In one of his letters, he wrote:

"We were so careful that our meetings should be kept secret that every time we met, every person swore upon the Bible that they would not discover any of our transactions, but to Messrs. Hancock, Adams, Doctors Warren, Church, and one or two more."

Longfellow immortalized Revere's ride, but, in part, the poet was in error. It may be worth while to tell the story correctly. The 18th of April, 1775, was Tuesday; and Paul, himself, tells the story of that day and the next—in part—as follows:

"On Tuesday evening it was observed that a number of soldiers were marching toward Boston Common. About ten o'clock, Dr. Warren sent in great haste for me and begged that I would immediately set off for Lexington, where were Hancock and Adams, and acquaint them of the movement, and that it was thought they were the objects.

"On the Sunday before I agreed with Col. Conant and some other gentlemen — in Charlestown — that if the British went out by water we should show two lanterns in the North Church steeple, and if by land one as a signal, for we were apprehensive it would be difficult to cross over Charles River.

"I left Dr. Warren, called upon a friend and desired him to make the signal. I then went home, took my boots and surtout, went to the north part of the town, where I had kept a boat. Two friends rowed me across the Charles River, a little to the eastward where the Somerset lay. It was then young flood; the ship was winding and the moon was rising. They landed me on the Charles town side. When I got into town I met Col. Conant and several others. They said they had seen our signals."

It has generally heen reported on the authority of Rev. Dr. Burroughs that the friend referred to in the above quotation was Robert Newman, who was the sexton of the old North Church. He was wrong. On the morning after the ride, the sexton was arrested. He protested his innocence, asserting that at a late hour, the night before, the keys of the Church were demanded of him by John Pulling who, being a vestryman, was entitled to them. After Newman had given the keys to Pulling he went to bed, and had nothing to do with the hanging of the lanterns. This was done in fact hy Pulling, who was not only a close friend of Revere hut also a brother Mason, having originally been made in Marblehead, affiliating with the Lodge of St. Andrew in 1761. Pulling was a dealer in furs which he purchased principally in Canada and Newfoundland, but imported some merchandise from Europe. He was also a patriot and a most fearless and devoted asserter and defender of liberty. Again, and again, Pulling and Revere are mentioned together as officers in the Continental service and members of the Committee on Safety. He was on the committee to which reference has already been made, and undoubtedly was a member of the Boston Tea Party, engineered by Revere on December 16, 1773.

When the British learned that Pulling was the man who had obtained the keys of the Church from the sexton they searched his house at the corner of Ann and Cross Streets in Boston. They were not very thorough, for they failed to find him where he was concealed by his mother under an empty wine butt in the cellar. Shortly thereafter he escaped in a small skiff by disguising himself as a fisherman. Landing on Nantasket Beach, he was joined by his wife. They remained in concealment for awhile in an old cooper shop near the beach. All his property, real and personal, was confiscated, his house being occupied by British officers. After he was able to return to Boston, he never succeeded in re-establishing himself financially on account of this seizure, and he died in comparative poverty in 1787.

Revere's ride on 18th April 1775, was not his only one for he was frequently employed as a messenger between Boston, New York and Philadelphia, making the trip on horseback. Contrary to the generally accepted theory as told by Longfellow, Revere never reached Concord. He had proceeded from Charlestown as far as Medford where he was captured by British officers. He escaped and reached Woburn. He and others had attempted to get to Concord. Another rider, Dawes, was also captured and did not reach Concord, but Col. Prescott escaped and did reach Concord, accomplishing the mission on the way of warning Hancock and Adams who were in hiding in Lexington and who were conducted from there by an ancestor of the author to a safer place of hiding in Burlington, where they remained until after the British had returned. After the British evacuated Boston, a regiment of artillery was raised, of which Paul Revere was made Major. Among other things, he restored the cannon to usefulness which the British had put out of commission. Later, in 1776, he was made Lieutenant-Colonel and remained in service throughout the war.

Revere was a strong advocate of the adoption of the Constitution of the United States and remained active in civic affairs until his death.

While Grand Master, he laid the cornerstone of the State House in Boston, with Masonic ceremonies: and the articles placed therein came to light when repairs were made in 1855. They were replaced with others in the cornerstone at that time by Grand Master Lewis. Note: the printed article says "Webb", but this is in error.

The Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts possesses as one of its greatest treasures a lock of the hair of George Washington, which is kept in a golden urn made by Revere's own hand. Revere was one of the committee who obtained this lock of hair from Washington's widow, since which time it has been physically transmitted by each Grand Master, when retiring from office, to his successor.

FROM NEW ENGLAND CRAFTSMAN, 1946

From New England Craftsman, Vol. XLI, No. 9, September 1946, Page 238:

PAUL REVERE, GRAND MASTER
SILVERSMITH — COPPER ROLLER — ENGRAVER

Long ago we should have revised our view and enlarged our picture of Paul Revere, who was horn in Boston, January 1, 1735. and definitely deserves to he rememhered as something hesides a patriotic horseman. The fact of the matter is that Revere was an important businessman of his day. Also he was a manufacturer of distinction.

Moreover, the "ride" that made him famous was merely an incident in his service to his country.

In the spring of 1776 we find Revere successfully supervising the manufacture of gunpowder, every keg of which helped to make American history. From the making of gunpowder he turned to easting cannon for our military forces. In 1792, after the revolution, he hegan to manufacture hells, the first of which, historians sav, was erected in the church in which he worshiped.

He was an etcher and engraver on copper of hook plates, dies, seals, including views of scenic interest in and about Boston. In silver and gold he created exquisite things still treasured by the Boston Museum of fine arts and the Metropolitan Museum.

Other glimpses of him at different periods of his life suggest how active a man of affairs lie was. He was appointed coroner of Boston in 1796. His name headed the list of charter members of the first effort in America to insure property against fire, that of the Massachusetts Fire Insurace Company, chartered in 1798. He served on a patriotic committee to "collect all names of enemies of this Continent" and was the first chairman of the Boston Board of Health. The cause of liberty received the full benefit of his versatility. He was an ardent member of the Sons of Liberty. He engraved and printed on a press of his own manufacture the first paper money issued by our government. He was one of the earliest cartoonists an his work in this line did much to build up sentiment in the Colonies against Great Britain.

All these things, however, were among his minor achievements. It was not until 1800 when he was well past 60 that Paul Revere made his greatest contribution to American industry — the mastery, technically as well as commercially, of the secrets of rolling copper.

Revere was prompted to make the experiments that resulted in his discovery by the spirited rivalry in shipping between British and American sailng vessels. Copper came onlv from England, and onlv copper could keep ther bottoms clean and free from borers. If America was to keep in the race America had to produce her own copper because ability to get it from England decreased as rivalry on the sea increased.

How well Revere succeeded in learning the secret of rolling copper that was held only by England, is revealed by the fact that in 1803 The Constitution, "Old Ironsides," was sheathed in copper of his manufacture. Incidentally we learn from Revere's correspondence thai he furnished copper sheet to the government for two years without having received a shilling in pay. However, he did not write the Secretary of the Navy for money until his bill had reached nearly $15,000.

And so let us give just a little of our admiration to the man whom histories have practically ignored and whom the kindly poet Longfellow has made us picture as only an accomplished horseman.

That Paul Revere was a Mason is a fact familiar to most Masons. He was initiated in 1761 in historic St. Andrew's Lodge, Boston, served as Master in 1770, and was exalted to the sublime degree of a Royal Arch Mason the same year. He was Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and served as Grand Master during the years 1795, 1796 and 1797. How closely his life was entwined about the Craft, many are not so well informed upon.

Relatively there must have been as great a proportion of Masons in the British army as there was in the American forces, and yet Lafayette is stated to have said that Washington had told him "that he hesitated to place command in one not of the mystic tie." This may have influenced the statement frequently made that all the signers of the Declaration of Independence and all of Washington's generals were Masons, which is, unfortunately, not entirely true.

The "Ancient" Lodge in Boston met at the Green Dragon Tavern, which became known as "Freemason's Arms." and termed by the Royalists "A nest of sedition." and was referred to by Daniel Webster as "the headquarters of the Revolution." Here met the "Sons of Liberty," Paul Revere's famous club, and other revolutionary bodies.

The first bloodshed in the conflict was on March 5, 1770. which was portrayed for posterity by Bro. Paul Revere in his well-known engraving, termed "The Boston Massacre."

No sooner was the "Boston Tea Party" completed than Bro. Revere was off with the news to New York and Philadelphia, and was so anxious to return to the scene of action that he completed the journey on horseback in eleven days. His celebrated ride by night to warn the patriots of the intent of the British to destroy the military supplies at Concord is one of the dramatic incidents of history and was immortalized hv Longfellow.

It was in the Masonic lodge that Paul Revere saw the actual working out of our great American dcmocracy. The Massachusetts social system, like the British, elevated men of title to high office and thus an exclusive circle justified its right to govern the ordinary man by claiming that they were superior. It was only in the Masonic lodge that the ruling class and the ordinary man ever met personally and it was from these lodge associations that the various classes found that they were indeed born with equal ability, mentality and character, which long had heen the contention of Revere.

Among the choice relics in possession of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts is an urn of gold fashioned by Bro. Revere, which contains a lock of the hair of Bro. George Washington.

BIOGRAPHY FROM 150TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY OF JERUSALEM LODGE, JUNE 1947

MASONIC CAREER OF PAUL REVERE FROM COLUMBIAN LODGE 175TH ANNIVERSARY, JUNE 1970

TROWEL, 1984-1985

These articles were written by Edith Steblecki, Associate Coordinator of Research and Programs at Revere House, Boston, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Paul Revere.

From TROWEL, Winter 1984, Page 27:

1784 marks the 250th anniversary of the birthday of Paul Revere (1734-1818). It is an appropriate time to reflect upon Revere's accomplishments and also to examine a significant aspect of his life - his career as a Freemason. Freemasonry was officially organized in the American Colonies by Henry Price only two years before the birth of Revere. A survey of Revere's Masonic involvement highlights, not only the story of Masonry in Massachusetts, but also the life and character of Revere himself.

Freemasonry was a fraternity, based upon the medieval stonemason's guilds, which used the tools and biblical legends of the mason's craft to instill a system of morality in its members. By Revere's day, the transition from craft organization to social institution had already been made and Masonic lodge bore little actual connection with the building trade. Established in England in the early 18th century during an age of religious and political diversity and social change, modern theoretical Freemasonry was a useful organization which acted as an agent of stability to promote a sense of global fraternity and moral responsibility, combining the conviviality of a club with higher moral and benevolent purposes, Freemasonry attracted men from all walks of life.

The fraternity transferred easily to the American shores, providing colonists with a special connection to the Mother country, but it should be noted that Masonry was not a strictly conservative institution. At least by the revolutionary era, Masonic lodges contained men of both radical and loyalist political views. Systematic evaluations of membership of 18th century lodges have been few, but recent studies of Genesee County, New York, by Kathleen Smith Kutolowski, and of Connecticut, by Dorothy Ann Lipson, have revealed that, while membership was diverse, Masonry tended to attract those mobile, politically active men, many with commercial interest, who often held positions of leadership in their communities. Revere had much to gain by joining these men. Masonic membership broadened his circle of acquaintances, brought customers to his shop, and gave him continuous opportunities for recreation, companionship and leadership.

Revere enjoyed a long Masonic career which involved three Boston lodges and lasted nearly fifty years. He was probably familiar with the fraternity before he joined, having served during the French and Indian Wars under Richard Gridley with a regiment that included the Masonic lodge of Lake George, chartered May 13, 1756. Revere's service with Gridley, at the age of twenty-one, may have gained him his first exposure to Freemasonry. Four years later, in 1760, Revere was initiated into St. Andrew's Lodge.

Being an artisan like most of the men in St. Andrew's Lodge, Revere and his business soon profited from Masonic affiliation. Revere was a goldsmith by trade, working in both silver and gold, having apprenticed under his father. The first sale recorded in his accounts in 1761 was that of a "Free Masons medal," followed by a several orders for a "Masons Medal for a Watch" in 1762. During his years as an active Mason, Revere also made officers' jewels, ladles and seals, as well as engraving certificates and notifications. Revere also enjoyed the patronage of fellow Masons for non-Masonic gold and silver items. Immediately after the Revolution, Revere also opened a hardware store and his account books reveal, for both the goldsmith shop and the hardware store, that nearly half his customers were Masons. Although Revere must have been aware, as a young craftsman, that he might derive long term financial benefit from Masonic affiliation, it is unlikely that this was his only reason for joining the fraternity.

The benefits that Revere gained from Masonry were amply repaid in loyalty and service. After his initiation in 1760, Revere attended meetings faithfully. St. Andrew's Lodge held twenty-six meetings in 1761 alone and Revere attended all but one. His attendance remained consistent until interrupted by the Revolutionary War. Revere's service as a Lodge officer was also regular throughout his career. Between 1762 and 1797, there were only four years when Revere was not holding one or more Masonic offices. He earned his first office in St. Andrew's Lodge as Junior Deacon in 1762, followed by that of Junior Warden in 1764, Senior Warden in 1765, and Secretary for two years in 1768-1769. He was finally elected Master for the year 1771.

Revere gained additional opportunities for leadership when he took part in the founding of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge in 1769. Prior to that, Boston had only one Grand Lodge called St. John's, a modern Lodge which had received its charter from the Grand Lodge of England in 1733. Since St. Andrew's Lodge was an ancient Lodge and had been chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland, St. John's refused to recognize its legality, forbidding Masons to visit "the meeting (or the Lodge so called) of Scotts Masons in Boston, not being regularly constituted in the opinion of this (Grand) Lodge...."

The resulting tensions prompted St. Andrew's Lodge, in conjunction with several other ancient Lodges in Boston, to petition the Scottish Grand Master for its own Grand Lodge of Ancient Masons in America. Under a commission dated May 30, 1769, Joseph Warren, a friend of Revere's and a radical leader, was appointed the Grand Master of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge, with Revere serving as Senior Grand Deacon. Revere continued in this office from 1770 through 1774.

As tensions mounted between Great Britain and her American colonies, Boston soon became the center of rebellion. Both Revere and Warren were heavily involved in radical activities. Masonic meetings may have helped to spread revolutionary ideas, but it should be noted that not all Masons were radicals. Tradition tells us that Revere and other Masons from St. Andrew's Lodge dumped tea into Boston harbor during the famous Tea Party of December 16, 1773, and that the regular meeting of the Lodge, scheduled for that evening, had to be adjourned "on account of the few members present." The Green Dragon Tavern, also owned by St. Andrew's Lodge, housed many political meetings. Nevertheless, there were many Masons who viewed the Tea Party and the Revolution with regret.

While Revere, in his own words, was "employed by the Selectmen of the Town of Boston to carry the Account of the Destruction of the Tea to New York," Mason John Rowe was writing that he was "sincerely sorry for the event" which he believed "might... have been prevented." Due to his special mission, Revere was not present at the Grand Lodge meeting on December 27, 1773. Despite his absence, he was again chosen Senior Grand Deacon for the following year. In 1774, Revere was again riding as a courier for the radical cause. In the fall, he rode to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia with the Suffolk Resolves, written by Joseph Warren. This activity interrupted his regular Lodge attendance. Between August and December 1774, Revere attended only one meeting of St. Andrew's Lodge, while missing both meetings of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge in September and December.

After the Battles of Lexington and Concord, April 19, 1775, on the eve of which Revere made his famous midnight ride, Masonic activity ceased. The Massachusetts Grand Lodge noted that "Hostellitys Commenc'd between the Troops of G. Britain and America, in Lexington Battle. In consequence of which the Town was blockaded and no Lodge held until December 1776." St. Andrew's Lodge also records no formal meeting until April 1776. After the British evacuation of Boston in March 1776, Revere was commissioned as a major in the regiment raised for Boston's defence which was stationed at the garrison on Castle Island in Boston Harbor. Revere served under Colonel Thomas Crafts, a fellow Mason from St. Andrew's Lodge, and soon became a lieutenant colonel. In 1779, Revere participated in the ill-fated Penobscot expedition to dislodge a British fort from Castine, Maine. Although Revere did not have an extensive military career, it was enough to distract him totally from his goldsmith work. From 1775 to 1780, his accounts for the shop record not a single business entry. Due to military obligations, he also missed many Lodge meetings, but he still continued to hold Masonic offices.

Both St. Andrew's Lodge and the Massachusetts Grand Lodge reconvened by 1777. Although the military action had moved away from Boston by this time, the hardships of war were still apparent. Even the Green Dragon Tavern was nearly turned into a hospital by the occupying British. In the spirit of Masonic charity, collections for the poor were taken and "strange brethren," even British prisoners of war, were assisted.

From TROWEL, Spring 1985, Page 27:

Before the war's end in 1783, Revere served as Master of St. Andrew's Lodge 1778, 1779, 1781, and 1782. Although expressions of political sentiment are nonexistent in Lodge minutes, the Brethren of St. Andrew's Lodge did not bother to hide their animosity on one sion in 1778 when they assisted a "Dutch Young Gentleman who was taken by one of Tyrant George's Frigates and had everything taken from even to his certificate . . ." Also while Revere was Master, the Lodge aided a British prisoner of war "as a Token of Love and friendship this Society has for one of the Fraternity tho' an Enemy." Revere also served the Massachusetts Grand Lodge throughout this period, as Junior Grand Warden from 1777 to 1779 and as Senior Grand Warden between 1780 and 1783.

By the war's end, Revere's Lodges were in a state of flux. The Massachusetts Grand Lodge lost its appointed Master when Joseph Warren was killed the Battle of Bunker Hill in 1775. Rather than wait for the Grand Lodge of Scotland to appoint a new Grand Master, the Massachusetts Grand Lodge selected its own leader in 1777, who was repeatedly re-elected throughout the war years, f 1782, the Massachusetts Grand Lodge took a bold step which would alter Revere's future as a Mason. A committee had been appointed, which included Revere, to determine the authority of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge. The committee justified the independent election of the new Grand Master on the grounds that, without a leader, the Lodges "must cease to Assemble, the Brethren be dispersed, the Pennyless go unassisted, the Craft Languish & Ancient Masonry extinct in this Part (of the) World. . ." Their appointment of a new Grand Master was clearly an action of self-preservation. However, the committee went on to resolve that ". . .This Grand be forever hereafter known & called by the Name of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge of Ancient Masons, that it is free and Independent in its Government & Official Authority of any Grand Lodge or Grand Master in the Universe. . . " With this bold resolution, the Massachusetts Grand Lodge declared its complete independence from the Scottish Grand Lodge in 1782.

The 1782 report, signed by Revere with three other Masons and approved by the Massachusetts Grand Lodge, posed a serious question of allegiance for ancient Masons. St. Andrew's Lodge would be forced to decide whether its loyalty remained with Scotland or with the newly independent Massachusetts Grand Lodge. When a vote was finally taken in 1784, half of St. Andrew's Lodge wished to remain loyal to Scotland while the remainder desired to affiliate with the Massachusetts Grand Lodge and the new nation. Revere voted with this second group, which was the minority, and found himself ousted from the Lodge that he had served as Master just two years earlier; but he was not alone. Rejected but not discouraged, Revere and twenty-two fellow Masons founded a new Lodge, also called St. Andrew's, which was chartered by the Massachusetts Grand Lodge. Its name was changed to Rising States Lodge in October 1784. Revere served the Lodge as Treasurer from 1784 until 1786, and as Master in 1787, 1788, 1789, 1791, 1792, and 1793. Due to incomplete records, Revere's additional activities in Rising States Lodge cannot be determined. Directly after the war, Revere devoted most of his Masonic attention to that Lodge. In the Grand Lodge, he served as Deputy Grand Master in 1784-1785 and then held no office until his re-election to the same office in 1790 and 1791.

The climax of Revere's Masonic career came in 1794 when he was elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, the most prominent Masonic position in the state. His election came only two years after the union of St. John's and the Massachusetts Grand Lodges, an event in which Revere also played a part. The union brought together twenty-two constituent Lodges under the newly united Grand Lodge, to which Revere added twenty-three more during his three-year term (1795-1797). In 1795, he also had the honor of laying the cornerstone for Boston's new State House during a Masonic ceremony. A fellow Mason, William Bentley, wrote in 1796 that "Col. Revere enters into the Spirit of it, and enjoys it," while Revere himself admitted that serving as Grand Master was the "greatest happiness" of his life. Ironically, Revere was not the first choice for Grand Master in 1794 but the second. Nevertheless, he fulfilled his office with dedication and skill, ever concerned with the quality of Masonic candidates, the preservation of traditions, and the growth of the fraternity. In 1797 he closed his term with an address "in which his abilities in the Masonic art were eminently displayed."

Revere remained active with the Grand Lodge until 1800, after which time his name almost disappears from Masonic records. This decrease in activity coincides with Revere's establishment of a copper-rolling mill in Canton, MA, which business probably diverted his attention from Masonic work. A golden urn, crafted for the Grand Lodge in 1801 to preserve a lock of the late George Washington's hair, was Revere's last conspicuous Masonic contribution. Between 1800 and 1810, Revere attended Grand Lodge meetings only occasionally. It is difficult to determine the extent of his further involvement with Rising States Lodge, although it is likely that he also diminished or entirely ceased his activities with that Lodge after 1800.

A disturbing end to Revere's Masonic career came in 1810 with the dissolution of Rising States Lodge. Investigations conducted by the Grand Lodge into its causes revealed that the Lodge had been suffering from internal conflicts for several years. In addition, when the members of Rising States Lodge voted to dissolve the Lodge, they also voted to divide the Lodge funds among themselves, rather than deliver the money to the Grand Lodge as ought to have been done when the charter was surrendered. The Grand Lodge finally concluded that the members of Rising States Lodge who noted to dissolve did so with honorable Intentions, only because the Lodge was no longer fulfilling its stated Masonic purposes. It was also shown that the funds received by Revere and others here used for the relief of fellow Masons. Although Revere was cleared of any fault in the event, it must have disappointed him to witness the deterioration of a Lodge which he had helped found twenty years earlier.

Paul Revere died in 1818 at the age of eighty-three. No Masonic mourning greeted his death and he did not even receive a Masonic funeral, but his service in the "cause of humanity, of Masons and of man" — to quote Revere himself — has not been forgotten. An ordinary citizen, Revere was rescued from obscurity by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem Paul Revere's Ride and he is once again respected for his many accomplishments. He served the fraternity well during a period of great growth and turmoil, and he also contributed to America's infant industrial movement as the crowning achievement of a long and productive life. Despite the legends which surround him, Revere is appropriately remembered today as a noteworthy patriot, craftsman, industrialist, and Freemason.

This story is only a brief sketch of Paul Revere's Masonic activities, based upon research done for the forthcoming publication Paul Revere, Patriot and Freemason, soon to be available from the Paul Revere House. Grateful acknowledgements for assistance in that work must be extended to the staff of the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, the Museum of Our National Heritage, the American Antiquarian
 Society, and the Boston Public Library. Special thanks also to Robert W. Williams III for
 graciously making possible the appearance of this article.

TROWEL, 1996

From TROWEL, Spring 1996, Page 29:

Paul Revere: Mason, Patriot, Businessman, 1735-1818
by R. W. James T. Watson, Jr.

Paul Revere was a man of varied talents. The son of Apollos Rivoire, a Huguenot immigrant, and Deborah Hitchborn, of an old Boston family. Revere learned goldsmithing from his father, who had worked with Boston's finest silversmith, John Coney. But he was also a lieutenant of artillery at Fort Edward on Lake George, was one of the "mechanics" who watched the movement of British troops in Boston and engaged in several businesses: dentistry. copperplating. merchandising, cannon and bell pouring and copper rolling.

While Revere is remembered today for his rides to Lexington and Concord, his greatest contribution to the war effort lay in the production of gunpowder. When Washington assumed command of the Continental Army, he had only 32 barrels of gunpowder and no operating powder mills in the area. He assigned to Revere the task of learning to make powder and building the mill.

In spite of helpful references from James Otis and Robert Morris to Oswell Eve, who had the finest powder mill in the Philadelphia area, Revere was whisked through the mill, not allowed to examine machinery, question the workmen or Eve himself. A disappointed Revere sought the help of Samuel Adams, who within a month produced a plan of one of Philadelphia's powder mills, probably Eve's own.

The work on Revere's mill began in January, 1776, and by May was in production. It was built at Revere's copperplating plant at Canton on the Neponset River, out of the range of the British in Boston. By September it had produced 37,962 pounds of powder and 34,155 pounds of saltpetre. Revere produced most of the powder for the Northern Army until 1779. when the mill blew up, the common end of all powder mills of that era.

Paul Revere was initiated in St. Andrew's Lodge on September 4, 1760, the first candidate received after the charter was granted by the Grand Lodge of Scotland, raised January 27, 1761, and installed master November, 1770. He served Massachusetts (Provincial) Grand Lodge as Junior Grand Warden in 1777, and continued in that position from 1777-1779 when it became Massachusetts (Independent) Grand Lodge.

When Massachusetts Grand Lodge declared its independence, March 8, 1777, not all members of St. Andrew's were in favor. It was voted 30 to 19 to remain loyal to the Grand Lodge of Scotland. The 19 who favored independence, led by Paul Revere, met as a Lodge first as St. Andrew's and later as Rising States Lodge. Revere was Senior Grand Warden from 1780-1783 and Deputy Grand Master in 1784, 85, 91 and 92. On December 8, 1794, when John Warren was elected Grand Master but declined, Revere became the second Grand Master after the union, serving from December 12, 1794 to December 27, 1797.

Perhaps the greatest event of his term was the laying, with Masonic ritual, of the cornerstone of the new State House on Beacon Hill, July 4, 1795. Then Governor Samuel Adams, instrumental in the rebellion, worked closely with Revere during these activities. Those ceremonies were reenacted by the officers of Grand Lodge, July 4, 1995.

The Proceedings (1792-1815, p. 123) record that in his term of office Paul Revere served "with highest honor to himself, with eminent advantage to the Grand Lodge, and with a zeal which included the best interests of Freemasonry." The number of Lodges he chartered, 23 in his three year term, established a record for more than 100 years. It was necessary to use deputies to charter many of them.

The last recorded attendance of Paul Revere at Grand Lodge was in 1804. No record of his death appears in The Grand Proceedings, nor of any Masonic honors at his funeral. Even the Boston Sentinel, owned by future Grand Master Benjamin Russell, made no mention of his Masonic honors in its death notice.

Contributions to Masonry, either by Paul Revere or in his name, were often tangible but sometimes the beginning of traditions. A notable contribution was the creation of a golden urn to hold a lock of George Washington's hair, obtained after his death. It symbolizes the transferring of authority from one Grand Master to the other, passed hand to hand at Installation.

Revere was the first to wear the tricorn hat as Grand Master. Later discarded, the tradition was revived by John T. Heard. Paul Revere commissioned three self-portraits, a rare number during those early years. The first as a comparatively young man, painted by Copley, hangs in the Paul Revere Banquet Hall. The second, by de Saint-Memin, shows Revere in manhood, the third, by Stuart, in later years. Perhaps they symbolize the three degrees.

In 1905, Grand Lodge contributed to the purchase and preservation of Paul Revere's home in Boston's North End. And in 1933, Paul Revere, Esq., a lineal descendent, presented to Grand Lodge Paul Revere's personal gold seal, made by himself, and used in his business transactions.

NOTES

CHARTERS GRANTED



Grand Masters

Columbian Lodge's history page.

York Rite history page.