MassachusettsHamiltonHistoryCh7
CHAPTER 7: JOHN ROWE AND THE REVOLUTION
Grand Master Gridley died September 10, 1767. The next day a special meeting of Grand Lodge was held to make arrangements for the funeral. This is called in the records "a special Grand and General Lodge." and in spite of the short notice fifty-nine Brethren were present. Some account of the funeral has been given in the preceding chapter. On October 2nd another special meeting was held, with Deputy Grand Master Rowe in the Chair and it was voted to ask Henry Price, "to whom the office automatically reverts," to attend the next meeting of the Grand Lodge and take over "till a new one (Grand Master) is elected here and constituted from England." Price duly appeared, was formally invested with the Grand Master's jewel by Rowe seated in the Chair, and presented to the Brethren as Grand Master, He confirmed the Grand Officers in their respective stations for the remainder of the year. In 1765 Gridley had warranted a Lodge at Crown Point, Pitt County, North Carolina, the Master of which was Thomas Cooper. At this meeting Price directed that a Deputation be made out for him as Deputy Grand Master for North Carolina.
The action by the Grand Lodge with regard to a successor to Gridley is very interesting as showing the idea held by the Boston Brethren of their relations to the Grand Lodge at London, At the meeting of October 23 it was voted "that this Grand Lodge meet again on the first Friday in December to come to the choice of a new Grand Master." As will appear, there seems to have been a difference of opinion as to the choice to be made and by a letter dated November 13 Price ordered the postponement of the meeting to the fourth Friday in January.
The Grand Lodge meet on January 22. The first action taken was a vote that "when this Lodge recommends a person (to the Grand Master of England to be appointed Grand Master of North America, that they shall desire that his Deputation shall be for three years only." They then proceeded to ballot on the nomination of John Rowe. Sixteen votes were cast, twelve for Rowe and four against him, "whereupon our said R, Worshipful Brother Rowe was declared duly and constitutionally elected to the said high office, and was accordingly saluted as Grand Master elect." A committee was appointed to draw up a petition asking for his appointment.
Three days later the committee presented the petition which they had prepared. It prayed "that all future Grand Masters should be deputed for three years only, with this reservation, that notwithstanding if the Lodge should see cause to continue the same Grand Master longer in the Chair, the said Deputation should continue and remain in full force the said continued term, and that he should remain Grand Master from the expiration of the time of his first appointment or continuance to the installment of another," They asked for a Deputation in favor of John Rowe,"Past Deputy Grand Master and now Grand Master elect." The form of petition was approved and it was voted to send it to London by William Jackson, a member of the committee who was about to go to England,
Rowe, who held both the offices of Deputy Grand Master and Grand Treasurer, resigned the Deputy Grand Mastership and Richard Gridley was appointed in his place.
Jackson returned on September 30 with the Commission. The Commission fell short of the petition in that it named Rowe "Provincial Grand Master for all North America and the Territories thereunto belonging, where no other Provincial Grand Master is in being" and entirely ignored the matter of limitation of time.
Clearly Boston desired to elect the Grand Masters, control their tenure of office, and establish their full authority over all North America. Clearly also, London was willing to give full consideration to Boston's nominations, but had no intention whatever of abdicating any of the powers of the Grand Master of England. Boston had been trying for a quarter of a century to extend its autonomous authority, while London had quietly ignored its attempts.
The situation was not unlike that in the political field, and very probably reflected it. Until the end of the Seven Years War there had been little intercourse with the Colonies except in the matter of appointment and salaries of Governors and some disputes about Colonial Charters. The Colonies were not taxed by England, and extensive violations of the Navigation Acts had been ignored. There had been a duty on imports of molasses imposed by the Molasses Act of 1733, but the duty had never been effectively collected. The end of the Seven Years War brought about a new set of conditions. England, heavily in debt, had on her hands a greatly enlarged Colonial empire which must be defended and administered. This meant more efficient administration and the maintenance of a force of regular soldiers under the command of a royal officer. The effort of the Colonies at defense by Colonial troops,though marked by some brilliant episodes, had generally been disjointed and ineffective. It was estimated that the American military establishment would cost 300,000 pounds a year, and it was thought that the colonies ought to pay half of it. For this purpose it was proposed to halve the molasses tax, but really collect what was left of it. In 1764 and 1765 Parliament, s with no thought of starting any disturbance, passed a Sugar Act in 1764 and a Stamp Act in 1765 which were estimated to yield the needed 150,000 pounds. This invasion of the practical autonomy of the Colonies started the train of events which led in ten years to the Revolution.
Just as the Grand Lodge of England went serenely on its way exercising its powers without regard to the efforts of Boston men to curtail them, so Parliament proceeded to exercise what it considered its clear powers, quite ignoring the attitude of the Americans. The same feeling of practical independence and objection to the restraints of overseas authority undoubtedly actuated the Americans both as citizens and as Masons.
Rowe was installed November 23, 1768, by Henry Price, eighty-two Brethren being present. The installation ceremonies are recorded in detail in the Proceedings of the Grand Lodge and appear to have been much more elaborate than any previously used. They are substantially the same as those still used in the installation of Grand Masters of Massachusetts. After being saluted, the Grand Master arose, called up the Grand Lodge and said:
"May the Great Architect of the Universe pour down his Blessings on this Society, and enable me to discharge the great trust reposed in me to the honor of his name and the Royal Art; and may there never be wanting such to fill the Chair who shall promote Masonry and the good of mankind so long as the world endureth. Amen."
This impressive prayer is still repeated by every Massachusetts Grand Master at his installation.
Incidental to the ceremony was a procession from Concert Hall to Trinity Church and back and an elaborate banquet in Concert Hall. Music for the procession and the banquet was furnished by the band of the newly arrived British troops.
John Rowe was one of the leading citizens of Boston. Born in Exeter, England, November 27, 1715, he was now fifty-three years old and at the height of his powers. Exactly when he came to Boston is not known. There is a record of a purchase by him of a warehouse on Long Wharf in 1736, which would indicate that he brought considerable means with him. He became one of the richest men kn the Colony, and while building up a vast estate he built also a reputation for integrity and fair dealing. He traded far and wide in his own ships, dealing in a great range of commodities from fish and salt to wines and silks. He owned much property in Boston and lands in fourteen other places, from Gloucester on the north to Plymouth on the south and to westward to Deerfield and beyond Massachusetts: Woodstock and Hartford in Connecticut, It must be remembered that at that time the modern forms of investment in securities were not available. Those who wished for permanent investment of funds not employed in business or personal loans were practically forced into real estate investments.
He was a devoted member of Trinity Church and its most liberal supporter. Indeed his charitable interests and benefactions were commensurate with his wealth. He knew everybody of any importance in Boston and was as much a leader in social affairs as in business. It is interesting to note that although a member of several social clubs he never joined any of the political clubs which were so active in the years preceding the Revolution. While avoiding the clubs he played his part in politics, being several times a Selectman and a Representative in the General Court.
In politics he was moderate in his views. When the Acts of 1764 and 1765 were passed, he considered them impolitic and oppressive and was associated with Samuel Adams, Hancock, Otis, Thomas Cushing, Oxenbridge, Thatcher and other Whig leaders in protest and remonstrances. Very probably this was the cause of the opposition to his choice as Grand Master, as there was a considerable party among the Masons of Boston who were pronouncedly Loyalists. It was said of him that he was "active on the side of liberty in matters of trade," a very natural attitude for a great ship-owning merchant. When Adams and the extremists began to advocate independence he broke with them and from a moderate Whig became a moderate Loyalist. Indeed his circle of friends embraced many of the Loyalists and his adopted daughter (a niece of Mrs. Rowe) was married to a Captain In the English navy. When Boston was besieged he remained in the town to look after his property. He was fairly successful in this, although the retiring soldiers when the town was evacuated looted his warehouses of goods to the value of 2260 pounds sterling, a very large sum for those days. For a time there was considerable popular feeling against him, so much, indeed, that he did not think it wise to appear at the funeral of Joseph Warren. Rowe's sterling character, liberal charity, and irreproachable conduct, however, overcame this antagonism and he was elected to the state legislature before the war was over.
At a meeting held January 27, 1769, Rowe organized his Grand Lodge as follows:
- Richard Gridley, Deputy Grand Master
- Archibald McNeil, Senior Grand Warden
- John Cutler, Junior Grand Warden
- Abraham Savage, Grand Secretary
Rowe was to continue to administer the office of Grand Treasurer for six months. At the end of that time he was succeeded by Dr. Joseph Gardner, who held the office until his death in 1790. In 1771 John Cutler, henceforth a very prominent figure, was promoted to Senior Grand Warden and Abraham Savage, who had been Grand Secretary since 1766, was succeeded by Thomas Brown.
Rowe's administration of nineteen years terminating with his death in 1787 was uneventful, but presents some points of great interest. Shortly after Rowe's accession the Massachusetts Grand Lodge was formed in 1769 and the center of Masonic interest shifts to it. Rowe warranted five Lodges, one in Boston, one at Nantucket, two in Connecticut, and one Army Lodge.
The record of the regular meeting April 24, 1767, contains, as was customary, a list of the Lodges in the jurisdiction. It shows thirty-three Lodges. Three were in Boston, four others, including one in the Province of Maine, were in Massachusetts and the other twenty-six were scattered from Quebec to Surinam.
Among these Lodges is the somewhat mysterious "Virginia Lodge." This Lodge appears on the roll October 24, 1766, December 30, 1766, and April 24, 1767. Where this Lodge was located, when it came into existence and when it was dropped from the roll we do not know. That there was such a Lodge is not an open question. Abraham Savage, the Grand Secretary, was one of the most careful and precise of men. His placing it on the list may be regarded as proof positive that it belonged there. Its appearance in 1766 is no evidence, as might be hastily assumed, that it was organized then. The Provincial Grand Masters warranted Lodges without consulting anybody and rarely reported them to Grand Lodge. Edmund Quincy, Savage's predecessor, made up his last roll April 25, 1766, and enumerated only seventeen Lodges. Savage enumerated thirty-three in his first list on July 25, 1766. Evidently he had been at some pains to find out what had been done and had found sixteen which had not been recorded. Unfortunately, for reasons which will presently appear, no list was recorded after April 24, 1767, until after the union of 1792. Was this Fredericksburg Lodge, the Mother Lodge of George Washington? That Lodge had not long been in existence when Washington was initiated there in 1758. Where it got its authority is not known. Local tradition ascribes it to Oxnard, who was then Provincial Grand Master in Boston and certainly had authority to warrant it. In 1757 it applied to Scotland for a Charter which was y received in 1758. The old records of the Lodge show that for some unknown reason no use of the Scotch Charter was made until 1767 when it was recorded and communication opened for the first time with the Grand Lodge of Scotland. There is no known tradition associating any other Virginia Lodge with Massachusetts. There the question rests, because The roll of Lodges ceased to be included in the records because during the entire administration of Rowe no one ever appeared in Grand Lodge except the representatives of the Boston Lodges. St. John's Grand Lodge had become to all intents and purposes a strictly Boston institution.
Life was becoming increasingly hard in Boston. The quartering of troops in the town and the various repressive measures of the British government bore heavily on the people. Masons suffered with the rest. True to his charitable habits and impulses Rowe on January 28, 1774, submitted an elaborate plan for systematic Masonic relief, providing the machinery for the collection, administration, and distribution of sets of funds. On February 25, 1774, the plan was adopted. What became of it we do not know. There was certainly need for all the relief that could be given in the strenuous days that so soon followed, but it is to be feared that the plan did not function.
On January 27, 1775, the annual choice of officers was made as follows:
- Richard Gridley, Deputy Grand Master
- Samuel Fitch, Senior Grand Warden
- John Ivy, Junior Grand Warden
- Joseph Gardner, Grand Treasurer
- Thomas Brown, Grand Secretary
The next entry in the record book is dated February 17, 1787, and records a special meeting called to arrange for the funeral of John Rowe.
After the fight at Concord on April 19, Boston was strictly besieged until March of the following year. When the British sailed away to Halifax Thomas Brown was one of the loyalists who accompanied them. He took with him the books, papers, and seal of the Grand Lodge. On October 18, 1784, Brown wrote from Halifax offering to return all this material and asking for the balance of salary due him as Grand Secretary, On August 4, 1787, authority was voted to a committee to settle accounts with him and recover the papers, etc. This was done, and the entry of the special meeting of February 17, 1783, appears on the page following Brown's last record, that of January 27, 1775.
During this period the St. John's Grand Lodge continued to function, although probably not very actively. A new Grand Treasurer and a new Grand Secretary appear on the record of February 17, 1787. They must have been regularly chosen in the interim. There were appropriations of money, which prove assets in the treasury. There are newspaper and other references here and there which show that the Grand Lodge was still in existence. On February 15, 1776, Rowe issued a Warrant to American Union Lodge. This Lodge was an Army Lodge. After moving about for the rest of the war with the troops, its Charter was finally carried by General Rufus Putnam to Marietta, Ohio, It remained under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts until 1808 when the Grand Lodge of Ohio was organized. It then became American Union, No. 1 on the Ohio roster and is still in existence.
This Charter is a very interesting document. It is signed by John Rowe, Grand Master, Richard Gridley, Deputy Grand Master, William Burbeck, Senior Grand Warden, and William Hoskins, Grand Secretary. There is no signature of a Junior Grand Warden. Rowe was shut up in Boston, Gridley and Burbeck were certainly and Hoskins probably with the army. Rowe and Gridley were respectively Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master of the St. John's Grand Lodge, as we know. Burbeck, although a former Grand Officer, does not appear to have held any official position. Samuel Fitch was Senior Grand Warden of the St. John's Grand Lodge and Ezra Collins was Senior Grand Warden of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge; Samuel Fitch and John Ivy, who were appointed Senior and Junior Grand Wardens of the St. John's Grand Lodge December 27, 1774, were loyalists, as was Thomas Brown, the Grand Secretary. William Hoskins was Grand Secretary of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge. We place him with the army because he was absent from his Grand Lodge from March 3, 1775 to December 4, 1778, his work being done (rather badly) by a substitute. What probably happened was that a petition was smuggled through the line to Rowe who prepared the Warrant and sent it to Gridley with authority to authorize such persons as he might choose to sign it as Grand Officers.
On August 4, 1787, nearly six months after Rowe's death, the Grand Lodge met, with Gridley presiding, and authorized a circular summoning the Lodges in the jurisdiction to meet for the choice of Grand Officers,
The meeting was not held for nearly three years,until July 29,1790. Taking into consideration the fact that the Grand Master, the Grand Treasurer "and many other of the Grand Officers" had died, it was voted to proceed to the election of new Grand Officers, Grldley was not present. He did not appear again in Grand Lodge after August 4, 1787, although he lived until 1796, His absence is probably accounted for by his advanced age and his residence at some distance from Boston. He appears to have been still recognized as Deputy Grand Master because we find Cutler in charge as Senior Grand Warden until the union of 1792. At the meeting under consideration Samuel Dunn was chosen Junior Grand Warden, Mungo Mackay Grand Treasurer, and Samuel Parkman Grand Secretary.
The St. John's Grand Lodge did not meet again for a year, until November 25, 1791.
The next meeting was a special one called January 18, 1792 to consider an overture from the Massachusetts Grand Lodge for a "complete Masonic Union throughout this Commonwealth." The proceedings which followed will be considered later in detail. It may well be supposed that the overture was a most welcome one. We have seen that the St. John's Grand Lodge had become practically a Boston affair. The war and resulting political changes had left only six Lodges on its roster. It had met only four times in four and a half years. Its condition and prospects were not good.
