Difference between revisions of "MassachusettsYear1870"

Latest revision as of 15:16, 26 March 2013

1870

WILLIAM SEWALL GARDNER, Grand Master

Charles Levi Woodbury, Deputy Grand Master
Samuel Crocker Lawrence, Senior Grand Warden
Richard Briggs, Junior Grand Warden

QUARTERLY COMMUNICATIONS

(Held at Masonic Temple, Boston)

• 1870-1: 03/09;
• 1870-78: 06/08;
• 1870-125: 09/14;
• 1870-179: 12/14 (Annual Communication; continued to 12/15)

03/09 Agenda

• 1870-13: Communication from the Grand Lodge of Montevideo; referred.
• 1870-13: Complaint by King Solomon's Lodge against St. Bernard Lodge; referred.
  • 06/08: 1870-121; jurisdictional issue resolved (seafaring man as candidate).
• 1870-13: Communication from the District Deputy for China, Rt. Wor. William C. Blanchard.
• 1870-52: Committee report on communications with Grand Lodges of Canada and Quebec, regarding a reorganization of Grand Lodge jurisdictions; committee recommends that no action should be taken until the conflict is resolved.
• 1870-55: Committee report on the Reports of the District Deputy Grand Masters. Includes a defintion of the "basis of action": statistical information, the "Common Law" of Masonry or Ancient Landmarks, and the "written law" or Grand Constitutions; a description and detailed analysis of each.
• 1870-65: Committee report on the returns of Lodges for 1867, 1868 and 1869.

06/08 Agenda

• 1870-83: Complaint by Olive Branch Lodge against Blackstone River Lodge; referred.
  • 12/14: 1870-228; report of committee regarding conflict.
• 1870-93ff; Correspondence with the Grand Lodge of Kentucky regarding Spanish depredations against the Fraternity.
• 1870-97; Grand Master Gardner's comments on Findel's History of Freemasonry.
• 1870-101; Committee report on the Masonic Temple, with a detailed description of meetings and costs.
• 1870-114; Ordered that Grand Lecturers be directed to hold quarterly meetings.
• 1870-123; Report of corner-stone laying for new Masonic Temple in New York.

09/14 Agenda

• 1870-129; Address by Rt. Wor. Charles Levi Woodbury; regarding the antiquity of Masonry.

Fire in Constantinople

• 1870-147: A communication from John P. Brown, Secretary of Legation at Constantinople, was presented, requesting charitable aid to Freemasons in that city due to the fire.
• 1870-148: Fraternal correspondence to be initiated with the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick.
• 1870-149: Place located for a bust of R.W. William Sutton.
• 1870-150: A list of Past Grand Masters whose portraits are unavailable; notably, it lists the lodges of which each was a member.
  • 12/14: 1870-226; report of Committee; three portraits added:
    • Winslow Lewis
    • John T. Heard
    • William Parkman
• 1870-155; Healing granted in jurisdictional dispute with Carroll Lodge of Freedom, NH.

12/14-12/15 Agenda

• 1870-188: Request for charity from a lodge in Strasbourg, bombed during the Franco-Prussian conflict.
• 1870-189: Petition to consider the current ritual and work to correct it by excluding "certain portions or features of a theological or sectarian character"; referred.
• 1870-206ff: As a part of the Grand Master's Report, an extensive description of the refusal of Star in the East Lodge to pay monies due the Grand Lodge. On page 1870-225, the Grand Master was "clothed with full power to deal with Star in the East Lodge in New Bedford, in the most summary manner." As a result, the Grand Master revoked the Charter of the Lodge.
• 1870-214: Report of the Auditing Committee.
• 1870-215: Report of the Sinking Fund Committee.
• 1870-216: Re-election of Grand Master Gardner, and other Grand Lodge officers.
• 1870-218: Report of Board of Directors that a loan of $300,000 had been negotiated as a mortgage upon the Masonic Temple.
• 1870-239ff: Extensive report on the provenance of the name Montacute and the title and arms of the Viscount of that name. Montacute Lodge was given permission to petition for a name change to Montague, should they desire it. (They did not.)
• 1870-331: Corinthian Hall name changed to Sutton Hall.
• 1870-333: Trustees requested to facilitate the action of the Board of Directors to redeem bonds and extinguishing the trust debt.
• 1870-334: Lodge of Instruction (on Thursday morning and afternoon 12/15). Extensive description of proceedings.

Grand Constitutions Amendment Proposals

• 03/09: 1870-50; Proposal to amend Part 1, Article 3, Section 1; rejected (discontinue Quarterly communications). Further amendments to Part 1, Article 8 Section 9, and Part 3, Article 1, Section 1; accepted (duties of Grand Secretary and Grand Treasurer).
  • Part 1, Article 8 Section 9
  • Part 3, Article 1, Section 1

• 03/09: 1870-67; Proposal to amend Part 4, Article 3, Section 5 (regarding residence and written approval of the District Deputy for rejected candidates to be considered); referred.
  • 09/14: 1870-156; approved.
  • Part 4, Article 3, Section 5

• 09/14: 1870-161; Proposal to amend Part 5, Section 6 (regarding exemption of funeral processions from the requirement to gain permission of Grand Master his deputy to organize a public procession); accepted.
  • Part 5, Section 6

• 12/14: 1870-237; Proposal to amend the Miscellaneous Regulations regarding membership; referred.

Grand Master's Address

• 03/09: 1870-15; Address of Grand Master Gardner; including a detailed history of the Grand Lodges before and after 1792, a copy of the charter of African Lodge (Page 1870-41), and correspondence on that matter.

• 06/08: 1870-83; Address of Grand Master Gardner; regarding complaints, visitation rights.
  • 12/14: 1870-227; report by committee.

• 12/14: 1870-190; Annual Report of M.W. William Sewall Gardner; regarding District Deputies, Grand Lecturers, Expenses and Debt, the Commutation Tax, the Board of Directors, the Proceedings, Insurance, the new organ, the original record books, the Temple mortgage, the doings of Star in the East Lodge; exemplification; and secure tyling of lodges.

• 12/27: 1870-343ff; Address by Grand Master Gardner.

Lodge By-Law Changes

• 03/09: 1870-65;
  • Full Codes: Grecian, James Otis, Mount Hermon, Mount Tom, Pequossette, United Brethren, Washington, Wisdom.
    • 06/08: 1870-117; approved, with revisions.
  • Amendments: Bristol, Cincinnatus, Lafayette (Roxbury), Mount Moriah (Westfield), North Star, Roswell Lee, Saggahew.
    • 06/08: 1870-117; approved, with revisions.
  • 1870-77; Approved as amended: Athelstan, Blue Hill, Day Spring, Germania, Golden Fleece, King David, Lafayette (North Adams), The Massachusetts, Meridian, Montacute, Mount Lebanon, Mount Vernon, North Star, Orange, St. John's (Boston), Winslow Lewis.

• 06/08: 1870-83;
  • Amendments: Adelphi, Baalbec, Gate of the Temple, Germania
• Globe, Isaac Parker, Meridian, Montacute, Mount Hermon, Quinebaug, Republican, Star of Bethlehem, Washington, Wilder.
  • • 09/14: 1870-164; approved, with revisions (Gate of the Temple).

• 09/14: 1870-127;
  • Full Codes: The Massachusetts, Morning Star.
    • 09/14: 1870-164; approved.
  • Amendments: Acacia, Ancient Landmark, Athelstan, Ionic (Taunton), William Sutton.
    • 09/14: 1870-164; approved.

• 12/14: 1870-187;
  • Full Codes: Aberdour, Alfred Baylies, Dalhousie, requesting the proper signatures; St. Alban's, St. Paul's (South Boston).
    • 1870-332; approved with revisions.
    • 1870-372; Dalhousie approved with extensive revisions.
  • Amendments: Eliot, Ionic (Taunton), Liberty, Mountain, Philanthropic, Plymouth, Quinebaug, St. Mark's, Social Harmony, Warren.
    • 1870-332; approved with revisions, except for Social Harmony.

Necrologies and Memorials

• 06/08: 1870-99; Death of Anson Burlingame of Amicable Lodge; reported by Grand Master; tribute of Bro. C. C. Nichols. Memorial on page 1870-115.

• 06/08: 1870-100; Death of Rt. Wor. John Hews, Past Junior Grand Warden; reported by Grand Master. Memorial on page 1870-114.

Admiral David Farragut

• 12/27: 1870-347; Death of Bro. David G. Farragut; Grand Lodge represented.

• 12/27: 1870-364; Death of Rt. Wor. Benjamin Brown French, Past GM of District of Columbia; reported by Grand Master.

• 12/27: 1870-365; Death of Rt. Wor. William A. Laurie, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Scotland; reported by Grand Master.

Petitions for Charters

• 03/09: 1870-11; Rabboni Lodge, South Boston; referred.
  • 1870-68; approved, following an "amicable arrangement" with Gate of the Temple Lodge. The Grand Lodge constituted Rabboni Lodge at once; the proceeding is described in considerable detail on pages 1870-68 through 1870-77.

• 03/09: 1870-12; Globe U.D., Hinsdale; referred.
  • 1870-68; approved.

• 03/09: 1870-12; Charity U.D., North Cambridge; referred.
  • 1870-68; approved.

• 06/08: 1870-80; Vernon U.D., Belchertown Belchertown; referred.
  • 1870-124; approved, with revisions to by-laws.

• 06/08: 1870-81; Morning Sun U.D., Conway ; referred.
  • 1870-123; approved, with revisions to by-laws.

• 06/08: 1870-81; Mount Holyoke U.D., South Hadley; referred.
  • 1870-124; approved.

• 06/08: 1870-82; Upton U.D., Cheshire; referred.
  • 1870-124; approved, with revisions to by-laws.

• 09/14: 1870-127; Puritan U.D., Abington; referred.
  • 1870-165; approved, with revisions to by-laws.

• 12/14: 1870-188;Howard U.D., South Yarmouth; referred.
  • 1870-219; approved.

Petitions for Dispensation for Lodges

• Dispensations mentioned in Grand Master's Address, starting on page 1870-345:
  • Temple, East Boston (03/09)
  • Charles River, Medway (03/09)
  • Mariners', Cotuit (03/10)
  • Ezekiel Bates, Attleboro (04/09)
  • Quinsigamond, Worcester (06/08)
  • Occidental, Stockbridge (06/14)
  • Belcher, Chicopee Falls (07/06)
  • Mosaic, Danvers (08/30)
  • Phoenician, Lawrence (11/05)
  • Simon W. Robinson, Lexington (11/07)
  • Good Samaritan, Reading (11/09)
  • Newton, Wilbraham (11/10)
  • Beth-Horon, Brookline (11/15)

SPECIAL COMMUNICATIONS

• 10/05: 1870-167; Watertown, Dedication of the new hall for Pequossette Lodge.
  • 1870-168: Grand Lodge Procession;
  • 1870-168ff: Consecration ceremony;
• 1870-178: "Interesting and instructive oration" by Wor. John B. Goodrich.

FEAST OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST

(held at Masonic Temple, Boston, 12/27/1870)

• 1870-342: Installation of Grand Master Gardner and other officers.
• 1870-344: Grand Master's appointments for 1871.
• 1870-345: Address of Grand Master Gardner.
  • Lodges constituted, officers installed:
    • Charity, North Cambridge (03/28)
    • Globe, Hinsdale (04/18, by R.W. Daniel Upton, Deputy Grand Master)
    • Vernon, Belchertown (07/25)
    • Mount Holyoke, South Hadley (07/25)
    • Upton, Cheshire (07/26)
    • Morning Sun Lodge, Conway (07/27)
    • Puritan, Abington (10/21)
  • Hall Dedications:
    • Brighton (01/11)
    • Clinton (01/20, by R.W. William Parkman, Past Grand Master)
    • Canton (02/19, by R.W. J. Mason Everett, District Deputy Grand Master)
    • Westfield (06/24, by R.W. Daniel Upton, Deputy Grand Master)
    • Ipswich (07/19, by R.W. George H. Pierson, District Deputy Grand Master)
    • Watertown (10/05)
    • Southbridge (11/03, by R.W. Charles C. Dame, Past Grand Master - see below)
    • Adams (11/22, by R.W. Daniel Upton, District Deputy Grand Master)
    • Provincetown (11/29, by R.W. Joseph K. Baker, District Deputy Grand Master)
• 1870-347: Establishment of Lodges of Instruction.
• 1870-348: Report on the procuring of lodge charters, pursuant to a vote of Grand Lodge in June 1869.
• 1870-350: Establishment of the form of recapitulation for membership.
• 1870-354: Changes in Masonic Districts.
• 1870-355ff: New books added to library, and some historical notes offered by the Grand Master, and reports of foreign lodges.
• 1870-367: Further appointments of Grand Master.
• 1870-369: Report of Grand Secretary, including a list of lodges not appearing during the last year; acknowledgement of receipt of Proceedings.
• 1870-371: Petition by Star in the East Lodge to be reinstated.
• 1870-374: Feast of St. John, "celebrated after the manner of Masons."
• 1870-437: List of Lodges with charter information.

LIST OF LODGES IN MASSACHUSETTS BY DISTRICT: 1870

There were 16 districts in Massachusetts in 1870, as well as districts for Chile and China.

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