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FIRST LODGE / SAINT JOHN'S LODGE (Boston)

Location: Boston

Chartered By: Henry Price

Charter Date: 07/30/1733 I-2

Precedence Date: 07/30/1733

Current Status: Active

NOTES

The oldest lodge in the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, St. John's Lodge Boston was granted the first charter by Grand Master Henry Price in St. John's Grand Lodge in 1733. Its history is inextricably linked with that Grand Lodge's history, and its records are commingled in Volume I of the Proceedings.

According to a note in the 1953 Proceedings (Page 1953-199), this Lodge was formally called "First Lodge" until 1783, when "Second Lodge" was merged into it. (This would be the first recorded merger in the history of the Craft in Massachusetts.)

Fourth Estate Lodge merged here, 05/23/1985.

LIST OF MEMBERS, 1802

From Vocal Companion and Masonic Register, Boston, 1802, Part II, Page 7:

  • R. W. Shubael Bell, Master
  • W. George Blake, S. W.
  • W. William Allen, J. W.
  • Robert G. Shaw, Treasurer.
  • J. Morrill, Sec.
  • J. B. Hammett, S. D.

NOTES ON ORIGINAL RECORDS

From New England Freemason, Vol. I, No. 2, February 1874, p. 82:

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts lias recently regained possession of several volumes of Records which have long been missing, and which were supposed to have been irrecoverably lost. Among the most important and valuable of these are the Records of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge from 1769 to 1792 — being from the organization until the union with St. John's Grand Lodg ; the Records of the First Lodge in Boston, from 1738 to 1754; those of the Second Lodge in Boston, from 1761 to 1775, and those of the Master's Lodge, from 1738 to 1761.

Among the most interesting of these volumes is that containing the Proceedings of the First Lodge. The title page is as follows:

THIS
BOOK.OF REGISTERS
BELONGING TO THK ANTIENT AND HON:BLE SOCIETY OF
FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS
IN
BOSTON NEW ENGLAND
WAS PRESENTED BY
Bro. Thomas Walker, Senior Warden.
Anno Domini 1738.
And of Masonry 5738.

The penmanship throughout the volume, with the exception of the first year, is beautiful, aud would be highly creditable to the most accomplished professor of the art in the present day. As a sample, we present a facsimile of the most elaborate page. The book opens with a copy of the deputation of Henry Price, granted by Montague, Grand Master, and dated "at London the thirtieth day of April, 1733, & of Masonry 5733." Next follow the By-Laws, which are so quaint and curious that we give them in full.

The following Regulations or By-Laws were unanimously Voted and ugreed upon by the Brethren of the first Constituted Lodge in Boston New England at their Meeting October 24, 1733—5733 and are as follows . . . Viz.:

  • First. NO PERSON shall be made a Mason unless all the Brethren members Present are Unanimous, and if but one member be against him he shall be rejected.
  • Secondly. NO BROTHER shall be admitted a Member of this Lodge unless all the Members Present are unanimous as aforesaid, and upon his or their admission shall pay twenty shillings, as also their Quarteridge, agreeable to a former vote, (so many Lodge nights as is past of that Quarter to be first discounted) and shall consent to the By-Laws and Regulations of this Lodge by subscribing their names to the same.
  • Thirdly. NO BROTHER OR BROTHERS shall eat any victuals in the Lodge Room while the Lodge is open, without the leave of the Master or Wardens, nor call for Liquor or Tobacco without Leave as aforesaid.
  • Fourthly. ANY PERSON OR PERSONS being balloted in may be made on a private night by dispensation from the Master and Wardens—Provided the Expence of that Lodge be not taken out of the money that is paid for such making, but every Brother present at such private making shall pay his Clubb or share of that Expence.
  • Fifthly. NO BROTHER that lives within or about this Town (that is not a member of this Lodge) shall l>e admitted as a Visitor, before he has Signi¬ fied his desire of being a member and paying his Quarteridge, or else make it appear that he is actually a member of a Regular Lodge; Unless by a Dis¬ pensation of the Master and Wardens.
  • Sixthly. EVERY VISITOR shall pay three shillings towards the Reckoning each night.
  • Seventhly. NO BROTHER shall propose any Person in the Lodge to be made without first asking leave of the Master and Wardens.
  • Eighthly. EVERY MEMBER of this Lodge shall pay eighteen shillings per Quarter for the Expence of the Lodge, and every member that does not pay his Quarteridge on the first l»dge night of the Quarter, or on the second at farthest (if Present), shall be Excluded from being a member, and all Privilidge of the Lodge.
  • Ninthly. EVERY' MEMBER shall pay at least two shillings more per Quarter to be applied as Charity towards the Relief of poor Brethren.
  • Tenthly. ANY MEMBER that proposes a Candidate, if voted or Balloted in, the member that proposed his friend, shall imediately deposit fourty shillings, in the hands of the Cashier, which shall be Allow'd as part of the Making, provided the candidate attends at the time he is proposed to be made, but if the candidate does not attend as aforesaid, being duly warned, the said Fourty shillings shall be forfeited and spent, and not allowed as part of that making.
  • Eleventhly. THE TREASURER or Cashier of this Lodge, upon his quit¬ ting his office, or when another is chosen in his room, shall render a just and true Account to tha, Master and Wardens of the Lodge for the time being of all the money Received, Expended and Remaining in his hands, with the Lodge book and Accompts, which he is to deliver up to the Master and War¬ dens in order and fairly stated.
  • Twelfthly. THE MASTER AND WARDENS of this Lodge shall take care that the Expence of a Lodge night (when there is no making) shall not Exceed three shillings per Member present for the Reckoning, which sum of three shillings per Member or Brother present, the Cashier has liberty to pay and no more.
  • Thirteenthly. THE MASTER of this Lodge, or in absence (sic) the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, or Wardens, when there is a private Lodge ordered to be held for a Making, shall be obliged to give all the Mem¬ bers timely notice of the time and place in writing where such Lodge is held that they may give their attendance, and every member being duly warned as aforesaid, and neglecting to attend on such Private making, shall not be clothed. (THE above article voted November 14, 1733—5733).
  • Fourteenthly. NO MEMBER that is absent from the Lodge of a Lodge night when there is a making shall have the Benefit of being cloathed for that time.

In many respects this seems to be an admirable code of By-Laws. They are brief and to the point, not, as is often the case in more modern days, overloaded with provisions drawn from the ancient constitutions and landmarks which every Mason is bound to have graven on his heart and to make the rule of his daily life. They are so brief that they might be read at every meeting without wearying the members, and they are so explicit that there is no room for doubt or uncertainty: "every member that does not pay his Quarteridge on the first Lodge night of the Quarter, or on the Second at farthest (if Present) shall be excluded from being a member and all Privilidge of the Lodge." They require a unanimous ballot for membership, a principle from which some Lodges have departed, as we think unwisely. They deny Masonic privileges to those drones in our hives who are too lazy, too indifferent, or too stingy to perform any Masonic duties, and therefore remain unaffiliated. Many of the Grand Lodges in this country are seriously considering the propriety of going back to the old rule in this matter, and some have already adopted it. The Grand Lodge of New York, by its revised Constitutions, denies to unaffiliated Masons the right of visiting, joining in Masonic processions, or receiving Masonic aid or burial.

Another good article in these By-Laws is the requiring of the consent of the Master and Wardens before proposing a candidate. In these degenerate days it would prove an additional safeguard against the admission of unworthy men, and in such cases would save the ill-feeling now so often engendered by rejection.

The regulation in regard to eating, drinking and smoking while the Lodge was open was important in old times, because the meetings were always held in taverns. This practice was due partly to the fact that such houses afforded the only rooms for large assemblies, and partly to the fact that the Brethren partook of some refreshment together on every Lodge night, which could be more readily furnished at a public house than elsewhere.

The thirteenth and fourteenth Articles undoubtedly refer to the use of aprons and gloves. Brother Lyon, in his History of the Lodge of Edinburgh, relates that "early in the seventeenth century it was a rule of the Lodge of Kilwinning that intrants should present so many pairs of gloves on their admission; but as the membership increased there was such an inconvenient accumulation of this article of dress that 'glove money' came to be accepted in its stead." He further informs us that "white gloves are known to have been worn in the Lodge of Kilwinning as the livery of the Craft, at the middle of the seventeenth century. About eighty years intervene before the Kilwinning records afford any trace of aprons or jewels (compass, square, plummet and level) being recognised as Masonic regalia. The minutes of the Lodge of Dunblane, January 8, 1724, contain a record of the presentation of aprons and gloves to three non-operative intrants. Liveries are not again mentioned in the Dunblane records till December 1, 1730, when "the members, taking into their consideration that it were very decent the Lodge were suitably cloathed every Saint John's-day, and did frankly wear the badges of a free and accepted Mason, conform to the order observed in many rightly constituted Lodges in Scotland and England, do therefore enact and ordain that each member of the Lodge shall on every Saint John's-day following put on and wear a white apron and a pair of white gloves as the � badge . . which gloves and aprons are to be kept by the Treasurer in a chest to be made for the purpose, to be given out to each member in due time each St. John's-day, or any other time which shall be thought necessary to put on the same." The sash, as part of the office-bearers' livery, was adopted in 1744; and jewels began to be worn in 1760, the year in which the Dunblane Fraternity joined the Grand Lodge, and in which also the custom of providing the young brethren with gloves and aprons was abolished. The item of gloves frequently appears among the payments recorded by the Secretary of the First Lodge, for example, in the second entry, under date of January 10,1738, "Gloves, &c, £10.16s.1d." In the same record appears "Memorandum 8 new aprons 40s." Immediately following the By-Laws, we find entered the Deputation granted to R. W. Robert Tomlinson as Grand Master by the Earl of Loudoun, under date of December 7, 1736.

The first record is as follows: "VI. Wednesday, the 27th December, being Lodge Night and the Feast of St. John the Evangelist; Our Brother Luke Vardy (at whose house the Lodge is usually held) being incapable of entertaining the society, from the afflictive circumstance of having this day buried his wife; the Lodge was held at Brother Andrew Halliburton's. The following Brethren met." Then follow the names of twenty-three Brethren, with that of R. W. Brother Benjamin Hallowell, as Master, at their head, followed by that of Brother Henry Price. Against the name of each Brother, except the Treasurer, is written "pd. 10s.," and the whole is summed up as follows:

Reconing, .... £15.13s.6d.
Tyler, ..... 3s
(total) £15.16s.6d.
The above Brethren pd. £11
Deficient, .....£4.16s.6d.

This is the entire record and is the counterpart of a large portion of those contained in the volume, many of them consisting solely of the names of the Brethren present, with the sum paid by each, and the amount of the Reckoning and the Tyler's fee.

Wednesday, the eighth of August, 1739, the Lodge being opened, Brother Murry presented a letter from the Grand Lodge holden at Antigua, which is as follows:

Right Worshipfull, Worshipfull, Thrice Worthy and Ever Dear Brethren:

We with the utmost Pleasure received your hearty congratulation Upon the Establishment of Masonry in this our Island, and return thanks to Our Brethren of Boston, for the good Opinion they entertain of the virtues of Our Countrymen, which we hope will be continualy encreasing as the Royal Craft comes every day to flourish and gain ground among us, not only by the accession of numbers of New Brethren, but especially under the happy Influence Of our thrice Worthy Right Worshipfull Grand Master his Excellency William Mathew, whom we boast of as a true good Mason and a sincere lover and encourager of our inestimable Craft.

We take kindly our Dear Brethren's offer of a friendly correspondence, and should before this time have signified the pleasure we hope to reap from it by an answer to yours of the fourth of April last, but that we waited for an Opertunity of sending our sincere and hearty good wishes to our Brethren and Fellows by the hands of one who might in our name greet you in a Brotherlike manner.

We are now so happy as to enjoy this wish'd for opertunity by Our well beloved Brother Major John Murrys intending for Boston in a Very few Days, whom we commend to you as a worthy upright Master Mason, who has for some time past executed the office of a S. W. of one of our Lodges to the intire satisfaction of all his Brethren and Fellows.

All the Brethren here salute you well beloved with the greeting of St. John, wishing that all Prosperity may attend you and that no Malicious Cowan may ever with profane ears and eyes approach even the lowest step of your Worshipfull Lodge, in order to listen to the Wisdom or pry into the Beauty or Disturb the order and harmony thereof.

We are, Dear Brethren,
Your sincer Effectionate Brethren and Humble Servants.
From the Grand Lodge held at the Court house in St. Johns the 27th June A. L. 5739.

Sign'd by the Command of the Ri't W'pfull the Grand Master.
William Mercer, G. S.

Wednesday, April 9, 1740.

The Lodge being open'd, the Committee appointed Last Lodge Night, to prepare a Remonstrance to lay before the R. W. Master and Brethren of this Society, were Introduced in due form; and Order'd to Present the same; Bro. T. Moffatt, one of the said Committee, was desired to Read it, in the Audience of the R. W. Master & Brethren; and, after due Attention Voted, Nemeni Con: that the Said Remonstrance be Ingross'd in the Book, and to pass into a Law, that, for the Future, the Premium to be paid by Can¬ didates, at their Initiation, to be Ten Pounds.

Voted, that the Said Committee be Respectfully Thanked for their Care and Trouble in drawing up Said Remonstrance; Which was perform'd by the R. W. Master & Brethren in due form.
Voted, that the Said Committee be continued, and, that our W. Brothers Oxnard and Waghorne be added to them, in order to prepare a Remonstrance (as soon as possible) for the Benefit of the Bank Stock &c. of this Society.
The R. W. Master Bro. Hugh McDaniel, Propos'd, and nominated, Mr. Box, (Rope Maker) a Candidate; and to answer 40s.


To the R. W. Master and W. Wardens, and the reft of the Members of this Lodge.

We whose Names are hereunto annex'd, being a Committee appointed by this Lodge to consider, whether it be Expedient that a greater Pnemium than that now Stipulated by a Quandam Vote of this Society, be required from Candidates before Admission into our Lodge.

We, after due Deliberation upon the present Circumstances of this Lodge, and Treasury thereof, do think that it is now, not only Proper, but absolutely Necessary for preserving the Honour and Dignity of Masonry in General, and advancing the Interest of this Lodge in perticular: That the sum paid by Novices before Initiation be Augmented, and that the said Augmentation when coneurr'd to, & agreed on, may presently have the Sanction of a Law hence-forward.

We, your Said Committee, are persuaded, that most of the Reasons which prevailed for then establishing the Inaugurating Fee at the present Rate, do not now Subsist; and consequently cannot be employ'd as Arguments against our Judgment, and Opinion, to abrogate, or alter that Decree. As that was a Resolution of this Lodge when in its Infant-state, and scarcely a sufficient Number to form One perfectly, much less to maintain it with spirit; We regard it only as a Result of Necessity, and good Policy, whereby the Society might be Encreased to a proper Number.

We, your Committee, are convinced that if the sum paid by Candidates was fixed at Ten Pounds, it would not prevent.any man of merit from making Application; on the Contrary—would Invite, and induce Them, inasmuch as it would discourage those of mean Spirits, and narrow, or Incumbered Fortunes from Solliciting to Enter with Us; both which are Inconveniences which We cannot carefully enough avoid, or provide against; because We apprehend the First to be a Disparagement to, and prostitution of Our Honour; And the Latter are often a heavy Charge, and Burthen, in a General and Particular Respect.

We, Your Committee, observe that at some Admissions, there has little or no part of the Money (after defraying incumbent Expences) been applyed towards the encreasing of Our Publick Bank-Stock—nay! that at Times, there has been Occasion Voluntarily to Contribute for discharging the Defficiency, or else Vote the same out of the Treasury; by both which pernicious Practices, that Fund, which should be encouraged, & encreas'd by all honest methods, & means—is Lessen'd, & the Noble Ends, & Purposes, for which it was destin'd, & appropriated—are frustrated, and rendered abortive.

Wherefore, We. Your Committee, move for Concurrence with us in Opinion. whereby tilt! General & Pellicular Interest, & Honour of Our Society may lie advanced: and by which Men of Eminence may be encouraged, and those of base Spirits, & embarrass'd Fortunes may be discouraged to associate with Us— And by which our Fund, which ought to be inviolably sacred towards the Relief of Indigent & Distress'd Masons, their Wives, & Children, may be presen-'d and encreas'd.

We, Your Committee, think there are Further Menus, whereby all these ndvantngcs might be further enlarged, and secured, which We heartily wish.

Thos. Moffatt,
Thos. Walker,
Peter Pelham.

April the 7th, 5740.

Wednesday, May the 27th, 1741.

The house being all taken up and engaged on some publick affairs, there was no Lodge held.
Wednesday, June the 24th, 1741.

The Lodge being Open'd, the Brethren proceeded to the Choise of Officers for the six months ensuing; Accordingly, our Right Worshipful M. James Forbes was continued Master of this Lodge; Bro. C. Phillips elected S. W.; Bro Row, J. W.; Bro. H. McDaniel, Treasurer; Bro. Pelham, Secretary, and Bro. C. Talis, Tylar.

Voted, that the Treasurer give Bond jus a security to this Society in the Names and to the Master & Wardens of the Lodge for the time being, or to the order of the Society, &c.
Voted, that the Wardens, with Bros. Johonnot, Tuthil, and Pelham, be a Committee to Inspect and Audit the Accounts of our Late Treasurer, Bro. Hallowell, & report the same to the Lodge.
This night being the Festival of St. John the Baptist, the same was observ'd in very perticular and eligant manner by all the Brethren present as nlxive Named; when Our R. W. Brother Thomas Oxnard held a Grand l«odge, and was pleas'd to Nominate and Appoint Bro. Steven Deblois S. G. W.; Bro. Robert Jenkins, J. G. W.; Bro. P. Pelham, G. S., and Bro. Stevenson, G. Tylar for the Year Ensuing.

I. Wednesday, July 8th, 1741. Lodge Night.

But the house being fill'd by the members of the General Court, and no possibility of a proper room to hold a Lodge; Order'd by our Right Worshipfull M. that the Brethren be summon'd to meet him to-morrow at seven o'clock in the Evening, being Thursday. Tylar, 5s.

VI. Wednesday, September 23, 1741.

The Lodge being open'd, Our Right Worshipfull Master recommended to the Brethren that it was his opinion, some perticular order should be observed in toasting the health of our R. W. Brother, the Honorable Mr. Belcher; and tbat a Committee might be appointed as soon as possablc to wait upon him, with acknowledgements from the Lodge, of his past favors, and to return our thanks, &c.
Voted, that next after the G. M. the Late Governor of this Province is to be toasted in the following manner, viz.: To our R. W. Brother, the Honorable Mr. Belcher, Late Governour of N. E. with 3-3-3=9.
Voted, that Our R. W. Bros., T. Oxnard, D. G. M., Bros. Phillips, Row, Price, Hallowell, Forbes, McDaniel and Pelham, be a Committee to form a speech, and wait upon the Hon. Mr. Belcher in behalf of this Society, and to make report of their proceeding the next Lodge.
Voted, that the Twenty-four Masons Glasses lately deliver'd to the Society, by our R. W. Bro. Forbes, be paid for out of the Treasury of this Society.

It is curious and interesting to trace in these Records the same practices and the same forms of expression as are reported by Brother Lyon as prevailing about that period among the Brethren in Scotland. In both cases, we find the Fraternity, and generally the Lodge, described as "the Society." The Mason Glasses were in use in both countries. They were made very heavy and strong, and after drinking a toast which met especial approval, the Brethren were wont to pound the table with their glasses by way of applause. The Boston Records frequently contain an item for broken glasses in addition to the "Reckoning" which is reported for each meeting. Upon this subject, Brother Lyon gives us the following curious information : —

"A predilection for 'Miison Glasses' was characteristic of the Craft in the latter half of the eighteenth century. The peculiarity of these glasses lay in having soles of extraordinary thickness—an essential requisite to the then form of Masonic toast-drinking—and not unfrequently they bore emblems of the Craft, along with the name of the Lodge owning them. Long-stalked ones, capable of holding an English quart, and called 'constables' were wont to be used by the Master and Wardens on high festive occasions. It was a custom of Kirk-Sessions in the last century to lend their Communion Cups to neighboring parishes not in possession of such articles, on payment of a stipulated sum for tile use of the poor. The lending of Mason glasses to meet the exigencies of anniversary communications, was a common practice among the Fraternity; and the charges that were made in respect of broken glasses was one of the curiosities of Lodge disbursements a century ago, as it was also in those of Mason Incorporations at and long prior to that period. The following, selected at random, is one of many similar entries in the books of the Mary Chapel Incorporation; Item, paid for sack, bread, and two glasses which came to the Chappell and were breken, at the election of the Deacons at Michalemas, 1685, seven pounds, six shillings. Articles of a more enduring texture than crystal were exposed to the risk of deterioration from the hilarity of the Brethren. October, 1756: The Lodge recommended to the Treasurer to get Br. Hutton's fiddle mended, which was broken by accident in the Lodge, and to take credit in his accompts for what he should pay in getting it rectified. Apropos of fiddles, the following curious entry appears in the minutes of the Lodge of Peebles: 5th May, 1727: This day the Honbl. Company of Masons conveened considering the sev'rl petitions given in by Marion Blackie, relict of John Wood, a Brother of this Lodge, that she had ane fiddle to raffle, and craved that the honbl. company would give in what they thought proper thereto—doe hereby ordain their box-master to give in five shillings ster. to the sd. raffle, and ordains the Deacon to raffle himself, or any other he pleases appoint for five throwes, and what is won to come into the box. In a more disinterested spirit, the Lodge, in 1747, instructed its Master to attend the raffle of two pistols belonging to a member, and to give in a crown out of the box, providing it be laid out for meall to the wife and children.

I. Wednesday, October the 14th, 1741.

Voted, that a Committee be appointed to wait on his Exellency, Governour Shirly, to Congratulate him on his advancement to the Government of this Province, &c., when it was propos'd and agre'd that the following persons should form said Committee, to act in behalf of this Society, viz.: Our R. W. Bros. Thomas Oxnard, Forbes, Overing, Price, Hallowell, Jenkins, McDaniel, Phillips, Johonnot, and Pelham, and to make report of their Proceedings next Lodge night.

On Fryday, September 25, 1741, the Committee appointed by this Lodge waited upon the Honorable Mr. Belcher, &c, and made the following Speech:
Thrice Worthy Brother: — We, being a Committee by the Mother Lodge of N. England held in Boston to wait on You, take this opportunity to Acknowledge the many favours You have always shewed (when in Power) to Masonry in General, but in a More Especial manner to the Brethren of this Lodge, of which we shall ever retain a most grateful Remembrance.

As we have had Your Protection when in the most Exalted Station here, so we think it's Incumbent on us to make the Acknowledgment, having no other means to testify our Gratitude but this; and to wish for Your future Health and Prosperity, which is the Sincere desire of Us, and those in whose behalf We appear, and permit us to assure You we shall ever remain, Honored Sir,
Your most Affectionate Brethren & Humble Servants,
Peter Pelham, Secretary, in behalf of the Committee.
To which, we rec'd the following Answer:

Worthy Brothers: I take very kindly this mark of your Respect. It is now Thirty-Seven years since I was admitted into the Ancient and Honorable Society of Free and Accepted Masons, to whom I have been a faithful Brother & a well-wisher to the Art of Masonry,

I shall ever maintain a strict friendship for the whole Fraternity, & always be glad when it may fall in my power to do them any Services.

J. Belcher.

"The Honorable Mr. Belcher," thus highly complimented, was born in Boston in 1681, graduated at Harvard in 1699, visited Europe, and had all the advantages of education and travel which the opulence of a fond father could give. It was at this time that he was presented to the Princess Sophia and her son, afterwards George II., and made a Mason, as he says, about the year 1704—thirteen years before the reorganization of the Institution in England in 1717. He returned to Boston, and engaged in business as a merchant. He was chosen a member of the Council, and in 1729 again visited England, this time as the agent of the Colony. While he was thus engaged, Go ernor Burnet died, and Mr. Belcher succeeded in obtaining the appointment of Governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, which he held from 1730 to 1741. His administration was an almost constant struggle with the General Court to enforce the grantiug of a fixed and annual salary as required by the King, and for the settlement of vexed financial questions. The animosities excited by these latter subjects led to his removal, and the appointment of Governor Shirley. Another visit to England enabled him to vindicate his integrity, and to secure the appointment of Governor of New Jersey. There he passed the remainder of his life in comparative repose, and died August 31, 1757, aged 76. The historian informs us that " added to his excellent endowments of mind were a peculiar beauty and gracefulness of person, in which he was equalled by no man in his day; and there was a dignity in his mien and deportment which com¬ manded respect."

Henry Price appointed as his first Deputy Grand Master the Governor's son Andrew, who was then Register of Probate for Suffolk Connty, and in the same year (1733) the Governor gave Price a Cornet's commission in his own troop, or body-guard. The relations between them must therefore have been very friendly and intimate.

At first thought, the Brethren of the olden time may be considered to have been extravagant in the indulgence of their convivial inclinations, judging from their "Reckonings," which frequently ranged as high as £15. During the time covered by these Records, the currency was continually depreciating, on account of frequent issues of paper money. About the year 1740, we think the proportion between this currency and sterling was as 12 to 1, thus reducing the expense of a meeting to six or seven dollars.

The Roman numerals at the head of each Record indicate the number of each meeting in the quarter.

From a somewhat hasty examination, we are inclined to the opinion that the volume under consideration consists of copies made from another book, or from memoranda, by Charles Pelham, a son of Peter Pelham. The latter was Secretary from 1739 to 1744. He died in 1751. We learn from Brother N. B. Shurtleff that Peter came over from England about the year 1726, having probably been previously made a Mason. He brought with him his son Charles, bom in 1722. At the age of 17 he probably commenced copying his father's records into this book, and continued the work until he came of age, when he was made a Mason (in 1744), and at the very next meeting his name appears as Secretary, and so continues until the end of the book. If our supposition in this regard be correct, it does not, in our judg¬ ment, in the slightest degree invalidate the authenticity or credibility of these Records. In a future number we hope to be able to give further extracts from and comments on these very curious and interesting minutes.

PAST MASTERS

  • Henry Hope, 1733
  • James Gordon, 1734, 1735
  • Frederick Hamilton 1734, 1735
  • Robert McLean, 1736
  • Robert Tomlinson, 1736
  • Thomas Oxnard, 1737
  • Benjamin Hallowell, 1738, 1739
  • Hugh McDaniel, 1739, 1740
  • James Forbes, 1741, 1742
  • Nathaniel Bethune, 1742, 1743
  • Robert Jenkins, 1743, 1744
  • Thomas Kilby, 1745
  • John Box, 1746
  • Thomas Aston, 1747
  • Jonathan Pue, 1748
  • John Rowe, 1749
  • William Coffin, 1750
  • Charles Brockwell, 1751
  • Belthazar Bayard, 1752
  • Henry Leddell, 1753
  • Jeremy Gridley, 1754
  • John Ewing, 1755
  • Robert Williams, 1756
  • Richard Gridley, 1757
  • John Leverett, 1758
  • Harry Charters, 1759
  • Adino Paddock, 1759
  • Abraham Savage, 1760, 1762-1768
  • Joseph Gardner, 1761
  • John Joy, 1769-1771
  • Thomas Knight, 1772, 1773
  • Nathaniel Patten, 1774-1782
  • Samuel Dunn, 1783-1794
  • Thomas Dennie, 1795, 1800; Mem
  • William Shaw, 1796-1798
  • Lewis Hayt, 1799
  • Samuel W. Hunt, 1801
  • Shubael Bell, 1802-1805, 1809
  • Francis J. Oliver, 1806-1808
  • John Baker, 1810
  • John B. Hammatt, 1811
  • James A. Dickson, 1812, 1818, 1829
  • John Dixwell, 1813-1816
  • Charles C. Nichols, 1817
  • William A. Leverett, 1819
  • Ferdinand E. White, 1820-1822, 1827, 1831, 1846, 1847
  • Joseph Eveleth, 1823-1826; SN
  • Augustus W. Roberts, 1828
  • Lynde M. Walter, 1830
  • Samuel Eveleth, 1832, 1833; SN
  • Abel Phelps, 1834, 1835
  • John Hews, 1836
  • Daniel Harwood, 1837, 1840, 1848-1850
  • John Flint, 1839, 1840
  • Luther Hamilton, 1841
  • George L. Oakes, 1842, 1843
  • C. Gayton Pickman, 1844, 1845
  • Charles Robbins, 1851
  • William C. Martin, 1852-1854
  • Clement A. Walker, 1855; SN
  • Solon Thornton, 1856, 1857, 1861
  • Wyzeman Marshall, 1858-1860
  • Luther L. Tarbell, 1862
  • James A. Fox, 1863, 1864; SN
  • Theodore H. Emmons, 1865
  • William H. Kent, 1866
  • James B. Pickett, 1867, 1868
  • Lyman B. Meston, 1869
  • James Mills, 1870, 1871
  • William F. Pierce, 1872-1874
  • William H. Thomes, 1875, 1876
  • Frederick T. Comee, 1877, 1878
  • Martin A. Munroe, 1879, 1880
  • Harvey N. Shepard, 1881, 1882
  • Samuel W. Clifford, Jr., 1883, 1884
  • H. Alric Davis, 1885
  • J. Arthur Jacobs, 1886
  • John N. North, 1887
  • Godfrey Morse, 1888
  • George A. King, 1889
  • Benjamin L. M. Tower, 1890; SN
  • Frederic W. Bliss, 1892, 1893
  • James T. Wetherald, 1894, 1895
  • William A. Carrie, 1896, 1897
  • Edmund H. Talbot, 1898, 1899
  • Albert B. Root, 1900, 1901; Memorial
  • Frank W. Thayer, 1902, 1903
  • William S. Heath, 1904, 1905
  • David T. Montague, 1906, 1907; Memorial
  • Leonard G. Roberts, 1908, 1909
  • Frederick J. Bryant, 1910
  • John C. Hull, 1911, 1912
  • Frederick S. Fogg, 1913, 1914
  • Walter F. W. Taber, 1915, 1916
  • Chester C. Whitney, 1917, 1918
  • Guy C. Willis, 1919, 1920
  • Dwight W. Sleeper, 1921, 1922
  • William I. Corthell, 1923; Mem
  • Edward H. Palmer, 1924, 1925
  • David M. Claghorn, 1926, 1927
  • George S. Hebb, 1928, 1929
  • George E. Hills, 1930
  • Starr A. Burdick, 1931, 1932; Mem
  • Robert G. Jennings, 1933, 1934
  • Winthrop E. Nightingale, 1935, 1936; N
  • Rouel W. Beach, 1937
  • Charles D. Tuckerman, 1938
  • Allen W. Lufkin, 1939, 1940
  • Walter S. Hall, 1941
  • J. Chester Reed, 1942
  • Alexander S. Wright, 1943, 1944
  • Karl W. P. Reece, 1945, 1946
  • Harold G. Smith, 1947, 1948
  • Arthur Fox, 1949, 1950
  • Albert H. Curtis, II, 1951, 1952
  • David A. Pfromm, 1953
  • Donald P. Malcolm, 1953, 1954; N
  • Stanwood K. Bolton, 1955, 1956
  • Albert C. Eckman, 1957, 1958
  • Bernard J. Pond, 1959
  • Frank E. Brown, 1960, 1961
  • William P. Farrar, 1962, 1963
  • Raymond L. Renner, 1964, 1965
  • Charles W. Nightingale, 1966, 1967; N
  • Marchant W. Eldridge, 1968, 1969
  • George A. Galgay, 1970, 1971
  • Ernest A. Herzog, 1972, 1973
  • Graham B. Wright, 1974-1976
  • Malcolm A. Smith, 1977
  • Harry P. Edwards, 1978, 1979
  • David L. Esancy, 1980; N
  • Richard W. Esancy, 1981, 1982
  • Salvatore P. Russo, 1983, 1984; N'
  • Robert J. Saar, 1985
  • Eugene A. Capobianco, 1986; PDDGM
  • James L. McBride, 1987, 1988
  • Howard Kwong, 1989, 1990
  • Robert W. Canfield, 1991, 1992
  • John F. Tomera, 1993, 1994
  • David H. Beebe, 1995, 1996
  • John F. McNeil, 1997, 1998
  • Lawrence J. Smith, Jr., 1999, 2000; PDDGM
  • Ludwig Alban, 2001, 2002; DDGM
  • Basilios Tsingos, 2003-2005
  • Randall S. Wright, 2006, 2007
  • Alan R. Melanson, 2008, 2009, 2012
  • Arthur C. Stefanopoulos, 2010, 2011
  • Josiah Goodwin 2012, 2013
  • Edward S. Graham III 2014, 2015, installed in Dec.

YEARS

1733 -> 1791

1793 1805 1826 1848 1855 1857 1860 1863 1867 1869 1870 1872 1873 1874 1876 1877 1878 1880 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1888 1891 1892 1895 1896 1898 1899 1900 1903 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1911 1912 1913 1914 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1931 1933 1936 1940 1941 1942 1946 1947 1953 1954 1955 1958 1960 1962 1965 1966 1968 1970 1972 1977 1979 1982 1983 1984 1985 1990 1991 1992 1998 2003 2004 2005 2007 2008 2011

EVENTS

OFFICER LIST, FEBRUARY 1832

From Masonic Mirror, New Series, Vol. III, No. 32, February 1832, Page 251:’’

  • Samuel Eveleth, M.
  • Abel Phelps, S. W.
  • J. Vincent Brown, J. W.
  • Charles Williams, Treasurer.
  • Jno. B. Hammatt, Secretary.
  • Jos. Eveleth, S. D.
  • Wm. Philpot, J. D.
  • James Foster, Marshal.
  • Stephen Peabody, Tyler.

MASONIC LEVEE, FEBRUARY 1860

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly, Vol. XIX, No. 5, March 1860, Page 140:

St. John's Lodge, of this city — the Mother Lodge of America — numbering nearly two hundred and twenty-seven years since its first organization — was recently the scene of one of the most successful and interesting purely Masonic reunions it has been our good fortune to attend for many years past. The occasion was somewhat unique in its character. The Brethren of Rising Sun Lodge, at Nashua, N. H., had sometime previously signified to Brother Wyzeman Marshall, the accomplished and gentlemanly W. Master of St. John's Lodge, that it would afford them great satisfaction to witness the ceremonies of the third degree, as exemplified by his Lodge, at such time as might suit his convenience. The evening of the 8th February last was accordingly fixed upon for the purpose.

The Lodge was opened at 7 o'clock, and the large hall was soon after filled by the members and visitors, including, among the latter, about sixty Brethren from Nashua, with the R. W. Brother Hughes, Deputy Grand Master of New Hampshire, at their head. The Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, and several of the other officers of the Grand Lodge of this State, together with a large number of the heads of the Lodges and other Masonic bodies in the city, were also present, — numbering altogether between three and four hundred Brethren.

This is not the place to speak of the ceremonies in other than general terms. They were given in a manner worthy of the reputation of this ancient Lodge and of its skillful officers. It would be difficult to say wherein the work as exhibited could have been improved.

At the conclusion of the ceremonies, the members of the Lodge, with their invited guests and visitors, repaired in procession to the banqueting-hall, were a collation was served up in all the variety, elegance and sumptuousness for which that prince of caterers, J. B. Smith, is so eminently and justly distinguished. The Brethren having satisfied their physical wants, the speaking was commenced by the W. Master of the Lodge, who gave as a sentiment, the M. W. Grand Lodge of the Commonwealth, which called up Dr. Lewis, the Grand Master, who spoke with his accustomed readiness and pertinence. He was followed by the R. W. Brother Hughes of Nashua, D. G. Master of the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire, who made a very excellent and effective speech. Speeches were also made by the Master of Rising Sun Lodge (Nashua), Dr. Smith, D. G. Master, and others — the speaking continuing until a late hour.

The occasion was one long to be remembered; and to it and its pleasant incidents, the minds of all who had the good fortune to be present, will often revert with pleasurable recollections.

275TH ANNIVERSARY SERVICE, JULY 2008

HOMILY

From Proceedings, Page 2008-102:

By Right Worshipful and Right Reverend Brian R. Marsh.

Let us pray: Our Heavenly Father, we ask your blessing upon all who have assembled here; that they may live out the pure principles of their order in a spirit of love and grace; we pray that you will continue to bless and prosper this Lodge of Freemasons, gathered always in Your name and dedicated to the works of our hearts; remembering always that we live and move and have our being within the embrace of your beneficent love and protection; now and always. Amen.

Today, as we gather in this historic building, we can't help but be aware that the founding of our great nation, the building of this church and the establishment of Saint John's Lodge were all accomplished within a very few years of each other. What is more, the same men often contributed their hearts and minds, as well as their physical labor, to the construction of these institutions-institutions created to serve both their present age and a future world, as yet unseen.

Saint John's Lodge is two hundred seventy-five years old. We celebrate this moment. We celebrate the powerful expanse of time through which men have traveled in service to this Lodge. We celebrate this time. The journey through time is a journey that Freemasons know well. We do not become Freemasons in a single day or a few months. Though we may hold all the necessary papers, have signed the requisite books and learned the necessary words and symbols, our Masonic journey only begins with the conclusion of the Third Degree. And if we are fortunate, that journey will be a long one. Time seasons us. Time gentles us. Time draws us into the reality of Freemasonry.

Freemasons are well aware that the attentive ear receives the sounds first heard upon our admission into the Lodge room. That first event in the life of a new Mason is a great gift from the Freemasons who have sponsored and received him.

But it is reserved for the Third Degree that the greatest gift of charity is fully revealed. The attentive ear hears these words again and again: "the greatest of these is charity". Let us turn our ears toward that sound today. Let us reflect in this briefest of moments what it means to offer that gift of charity toward each other. Because this anniversary is all about the charity that one Mason may show to another.

Saint John's Lodge has offered an expression of charity for two hundred and seventy-five years. We celebrate the thousands of charitable words and deeds, gifts of charity between brothers of the Craft that have formed the history of this Lodge. There was a day, ages and ages past, when the hearts of a few men in Boston gathered in brotherly love to celebrate and practice the ancient Craft of Speculative Masonry.

How many since that time have been raised in Saint John's Lodge? There is a statistic somewhere that will tell us. How many thousands of men? Most who have been raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason are gone now. A few, very few, still gaze out from portraits we honor and preserve. But all the rest are lost to our memory. But on this day, we remember them all. The well known and the obscure. Brother Masons all. For a Lodge is not a building, nor the furniture that is placed there. It is not the charter or the volume of sacred law. It is not the book of constitutions or the ritual words implanted in our memories. Important as these things are, they are not the Lodge. The Lodge is the men who live and breathe and have their being within the walls consecrated to the use of Masons. A Lodge is alive only when it is filled with men; men who are called to move the architectural and spiritual tools with which to construct their own spiritual temples.

These tools are passed to us from other Masons. These tools are entrusted to us, given to us in charity and brotherly love. There is a moment in all of our ritualistic endeavors that takes a most prominent place in all our work. It happens when a man reaches out his hand and grasps that of another; the hand of a Master reaches out to the youngest Mason and lifts him to a new place of being. The strong grip is designed to bring the man into a new life. The strong grip of a Master Mason is an act of supreme charity. It is an act that draws us together in as complete a bond as men may ever receive in this life.

Thousands of men have joined this great and historic lodge. Each one of them received that great gift of charity. Each one was greeted with brotherly love and affection; each welcomed into this great and glorious fraternity.

We honor our history here today. And we honor this great Lodge for its endurance through time. We also remember with great affection, those who have come before us. It was they who first stretched forth the hand of charity and lifted us to a new and brighter world. It was a great gift of charity. They knew it. And so do we.

Let us pray: Our Heavenly Father, High and mighty ruler of the universe, grant, we beseech thee, the power to live out our Masonic commission as we have received it, giving to the world all the richness of spirit, the gifts of charity and brotherly love that have so enriched and ennobled our lives. Amen.

CHARGE TO THE BRETHREN

by Right Worshipful Lawrence J. Smith, Jr.

Most Worshipful Grand Master, Worshipful Master, brethren, family and friends of the Craft, it is truly an honor and a privilege to be with you this weekend and this evening.

We gather here to celebrate the 275th Anniversary of Freemasonry in America and in point of fact what was known at the time as the new world. This is one of those rare instances when the birth of mother and daughter, the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts and Saint John's lodge A.F. & A.M., were on the very same date only hours apart.

As we now know Operative Masons were the builders of monumental edifices like the great cathedrals. On the other hand, Speculative Masons have been builders of men, dedicated to making good men better while those good men strive to make everything around them better. The blossoming of Speculative Freemasonry coincided with the enlightenment, also known as the Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason.

It was during this era that intellectuals began to re-examine the standards and principles by which rulers governed. Ideas that were labeled 'liberal' at the time stated that government was an agreement or contract between the people and their ruler. In this contract both ruler and citizen had rights and responsibilities.

Prior to this an agrarian world had been ruled by monarchs and emperors whose right to rule was validated by their dominant local religion. The many labored for the benefit of the few.

After the revolutions in America and in France a world view labeled democratic began to spread. It insisted that the voice of the governed, the voice of the people, must be heard and heeded. It was into those turbulent times more than 275 years ago that Freemasonry was launched in England, Scotland, Ireland and America. Throughout those times the spirit of Freemasonry nurtured and protected many of the independent rational free thinkers who provided the intellectual, spiritual and political leadership which lead these waves of change. That spirit is needed now more than ever.

But there are four very serious threats to that spirit and at the risk of preaching to the choir I would like to reiterate them for you.

In the Book of Revelation we were introduced to the four horsemen of the apocalypse. They are: pestilence, famine, war and death. These four horsemen are said to be the precursors to the end of days.

The counterpart threats that stand ready to corrode the foundations and the vitality of Freemasonry in the twenty first century are also four. They are free riders, fitness, folly and finances.

The term "free-riders", refers to those who take without giving back in a proportional way. They would be the equivalent of those who come to church services, enjoy the music, the message in the sermon, the pomp & ceremony and the fellowship, but give little or nothing in return.

At the height of its influence in this country, Freemasonry was a very strict high maintenance organization to join and stay in. The cost of joining could be nearly one month's wages and you were expected to contribute time and talent as well as money. Like many other philanthropic initiatives, the Craft was interested in the three W's: wit, wisdom and wealth.

In this country before there was social security, before there was Medicare, there was Masonic charity (in hospitals, in nursing homes and in neighborhoods).

What Freemasonry offers, is a "set of goods and services" produced collectively. We offer a safe haven, a mutual support community, characterized by brotherly love, relief and truth. The presence of free riders fundamentally undermines the exchange ratio. This means that slowly but surely we must restore the balance in that exchange ratio. We must convert or purge the free riders.

The term fitness refers to the need for life extension for all of the craft and their families.

We all stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us. In standing on their shoulders the legacy of those who have gone before us has given us the opportunity to have a running start. It is now our turn to "pass it on," to leave our own legacy.

In this Commonwealth, indeed in this country, we are experiencing a significant resurgence in curiosity about and interest in Masonry. The average age of a lodge member is getting lower for the first time in a while, but... we are not done yet. We have miles to go before we sleep and ... more promises to keep. In order to facilitate that process, we need "bake" into the very fiber of our recurring Masonic activities, an increased focus on nutrition, exercise and rest. The meals that we feed one another should extend our lives not shorten them.

The term folly refers to those old bugaboos: elitism, managerial hubris and the arrogance of power. The backbone of Freemasonry is the Lodge. One of the pitfalls of smaller not-for-profit organizations is the governance structure. It is possible for a small group of brethren to turn a Lodge into a private men's eating club operated for the benefit of a few.

Problematic as this is, there is an even greater folly danger. If we do not remember our first principles and hold ourselves accountable, it is possible for the leadership, at any and every level, of a service organization such as ours, to develop a sense of entitlement to perks and privileges. This can be closely followed by the arrogance of absolute power corrupting absolutely.

By virtue of the blessings of the Grand Architect of the Universe and an effective governance structure we have avoided that peril. But to paraphrase one of our early American presidents we must never forget that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

The term finances, refers to the ability of the brethren to put food on their own tables and to assure the economic vitality of their own lodges. During those times when the Craft was expanding its sphere of influence most dramatically, membership in the Craft was an important aspect of earning a living.

We have heard the accusations of favoritism and nepotism leveled by the anti-Masons, and we should be on guard to prevent them. I believe that Masonry was important for a different reason. News travelled slowly while con men and hucksters abounded.

It was often challenging to confirm that your business associates were using a moral compass similar to your own in directing their business activities. To be assured that your counterparty was a person of character and integrity, embracing the same tenets and guided by the same principles, believing in a supreme being and in the accountability and justice in life after death must have been great insurance in a commercial world fraught with risk and uncertainty.

We can have a comparable impact today on the family finances of an individual man-of-integrity through training and education in the areas of leadership and personal financial management. By leveraging today's technology for both face to face and distance learning, our Masonic education committees enhance the preparation that the average brother needs to engage the world in earning a living.

Moreover, by being better prepared both offensively and defensively to manage his own personal finances, our brother is much better prepared to participate in the management of the finances of the Lodge, be he Master or member.

The Masonic Leadership Institute of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts has done yeoman's service for years providing managerial training to brethren that increases their effectiveness and efficiency whether employer or employee.

So to recap, the four threats are free riders, fitness, folly and finances. We must convert or purge the free riders. We must 'bake' a focus on fitness into our regular Masonic activities. We must be vigilant in our war against folly. And finally, we must train our membership to manage their family & Lodge finances for the twenty-first century.

These are times of danger and of opportunity.
And there is still a role for Masons to play.
Men of character & compassion.
Men of intelligence & integrity with an interest in mankind.
Good men, making themselves better
Good men, making this world a better place
One man at a time!
One Lodge at a time!
One neighborhood at a time!
One town at a time!
One county at a time!
One state at a time!
One country at a time!
One continent at a time!
To all of our brothers in Freemasonry
wheresoever dispersed!
Thank you all.

HISTORY

3000TH COMMUNICATION, DECEMBER 1942

From Proceedings, Page 1942-?:

High Lights and Side Lights of St. John's Lodge of Boston, A. F. & A. M.
By Worshipful J. Chester Reed.

We are assembled here in a spirit of reverence for the past, to pay such honor as we may to that which is our common Masonic inheritance. We mark this day, and this year, as bright symbols in the ceaseless march of time and events. Yet we know there is no corner to be turned here; we know that there is no distinguishable division between the present 3000th Communication and the years which preceded it or those yet to come.

It is a notable fact in our Masonic history that though we have had our many dramatic crises, directed by vision and solved with fortitude and wisdom, our course has been steady and onward. In other lands history has shown convulsions by which the earlier course has been diverted, and the trend of civilization utterly altered. We have seen ancient governments crash in ruins and sink into oblivion.

The distinctive feature of our Masonic history is that from its very beginning, it has gone steadily onward. The incidents of tragedy, suffering and mighty issues put to the test, have smitten us in our 210 years of existence, but stronger than any of these things have been the fundamentals of the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man upon which our Masonry is builded.

St. John's Lodge owes a debt of gratitude to two members— Past Secretary George P. Anderson, for working out and computing the number of meetings held, and our beloved Treasurer, Right Worshipful Starr A. Burdick, for being the first as Master to recognize the importance of making use of this data.

I wish to pause at this point to direct attention to the two bunches of Grapes displayed in the East. They are the two bunches mentioned in our souvenir program and are on display only on occasions similar to this celebration. They are among our most precious treasures.

It is no surprise to learn that the towns in America where early Masonic influences are noted are seaports. Philadelphia, New York, Newport, R. I., Portsmouth, N. H., Savannah, Ga., Charleston, S. C, and other coast towns, each has its story of early Masonic meetings, all held according to old customs, and finally years afterwards, becoming duly constituted. Many ship captains belonged to the craft and assisted in keeping alive its importance. Merchants from London also contributed to the extension of the movement to have Lodges in this country. Boston had its full share of visiting sea captains and business men from England and from the first their names are found as visitors on our rolls. Our distinction, above all other claimants of Masonic prestige, rests that we were the first of these groups to become a regular and duly constituted Lodge in America. This fact is a matter of record and is beyond successful dispute.

Nine years ago the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts and St. John's Lodge observed a 200th Anniversary. At that time the history of this particular Lodge and of Masonry in North America was exhaustively reviewed and the proceedings are preserved in printed volumes for future generations. To recite a history of St. John's Lodge again would be only to reiterate the facts set forth at that time, which are well known to the majority of our guests. It is proposed, therefore, to touch only briefly on historical data as definitely pertaining to St. John's Lodge and then approach the subject from a somewhat different angle. Our Lodge was organized as the First Lodge and it retained that name until 1783, when the Second Lodge was united with it and the name changed to St. John's Lodge. We are now in our 210th year and the presiding Master is the 110th to serve the Lodge in that position. Many of our members have attained Masonic distinction, the Lodge having provided eight Grand Masters, fifteen Deputy Grand Masters, sixteen Senior Grand Wardens, twenty-two Junior Grand Wardens, six Grand Treasurers, two Grand Secretaries and twelve District Deputy Grand Masters. The Lodge reached its peak in sustained membership in the period between 1925 and 1930, when it had slightly more than 1000 members. The present membership is 701. The recession in membership is in part due to the long continued depression, but during the current lodge year an upward swing has been evident and seventeen candidates have received their degrees.

Many well known men have been members in the past but we will mention only a few:

  • Henry Price, Grand Master of Masons in New England, and afterwards for North America, guiding spirit in the formation of our Lodge and of the Grand Lodge in 1733 and thereafter wise and helpful in counsel in Masonic affairs for forty-seven years.
  • Jeremy Gridley, Master of our Lodge in 1754 and Grand Master of Massachusetts from 1755 to 1767; a distinguished Jurist and at the time of his death in 1767, Attorney General of the Province.
  • Peter Pelham, Secretary of our Lodge from 1739 to 1744, Master of the Third Lodge in Boston in 1750 and the first eminent portrait painter and engraver in New England, whose skill saved for future generations the likenesses of his prominent contemporaries.
  • James Otis, the brilliant orator and patriot, whose argument in court in 1761 against the validity of Writs of Assistance was a prophetic forerunner of the American Revolution.
  • Nathaniel Barber, militant member of the Committee of Correspondence in Boston, a member of the Boston Tea Party and Naval Officer of the Port of Boston in 1784.
  • Robert Newman, who on the night of April 18, 1775, hung two lanterns in the steeple of the North Church as a signal to Paul Revere to start his celebrated ride in Middlesex County, warning the country-side that the British were coming.
  • John Rowe, Master of our Lodge in 1749, and Grand Master from 1768 until his death in 1787, whose resources, counsel and fidelity kept alive the craft through the American Revolution.
  • Samuel Tucker, a naval hero who, as Commodore during the Revolution, commanded several ships and captured sixty-two vessels as prizes, six hundred cannon and three thousand prisoners of war.
  • Josiah Quincy, member of Congress from 1805 to 1813, Mayor of Boston from 1823 to 1829, who during his term as Mayor built the Quincy market, and President of Harvard College from 1829 to 1845.
  • James Miller, Brigadier General in the War of 1812, who received a gold medal from Congress in 1814 for distinguished service at Niagara, Governor of the Territory of Arkansas from 1819 to 1825 and Collector of the Port of Salem from 1825 to 1849.
  • James A. Fox, a Captain in the Civil War, Worshipful Master of our Lodge in 1863 and 1864, Captain of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company in 1864 and 1865 and Mayor of Cambridge from 1881 to 1884.
  • Harvey N. Shepard, Master of our Lodge in 1881 and 1882, a prominent member of the Suffolk bar and President of the Boston Common Council in 1880. Upon the death of Richard Briggs, Grand Master, he, as Deputy Grand Master, succeeded him in July 1893 and served the remainder of that year.
  • Cornelius N. Bliss', Secretary of the Interior in 1897 in the Cabinet of President William McKinley, and one of the most prominent merchants in the country.
  • David T. Montague, an Honorary thirty-third degree Mason, Past Thrice Potent Master of Lafayette Lodge of Perfection, Master of our Lodge in 1906 and 1907, former Register of Probate for Suffolk County, State Senator, member of the Common Council of Boston and Chairman of the Licensing Board of Boston.
  • Channing H. Cox, who is an Honorary thirty-third degree Mason, after being a Representative, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lieutenant Governor and Governor from 1921 to 1925, closed a noteworthy period of continued public service on Beacon Hill lasting fourteen years; now President of the First National Bank of Boston.

We now propose to approach the history on a contemporary basis. There is no need to call to your attention world conditions as they exist today. We are in the midst of a world conflict, and in taking you in retrospect to the first meeting, the 1000th meeting and the 2000th meeting of St. John's Lodge, and in comparing conditions at those periods with present conditions, it should be noted that in each of the years in which these meetings were held, war has been in evidence, either in the old world or in this world.

Our first meeting was in July, 1733. Henry Price was Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. Henry Hope was Master of the First Lodge, now known as St. John's Lodge. For many years the monthly notices of St. John's Lodge have printed on the first page the notation that this Lodge was the first duly constituted Lodge of Freemasons in America, with Henry Hope as Worshipful Master and James Gordon and Frederick Hamilton as Wardens. Almost nothing has ever been known about these three men who sat in the East, West and South on July 30, 1733, when our formal history actually began. Through the research of a member of this Lodge, I am now able to tell you briefly who these three Masons were. Henry Hope, who came to Boston from England in 1729, established himself as a merchant upon the north side of Queen Street, now known as Court Street. His shop was almost opposite the present-day Court Street entrance to the Annex of the City Hall of Boston. Hope had been born in Rotterdam, Holland, in 1697, and therefore was thirty-six years old when he was elected Master of our Lodge. His father, Adrian Hope, was the head of Hope & Company, a banking house in Rotterdam which was at that time as important in Europe as is the firm of J. P. Morgan & Company in this country today. He had sent his son to London, where he became identified with the banking house of Gurnell, Hoare & Company, an important establishment. Hope became a member of the Masonic Lodge in London which met at a tavern called "The Ship Behind the Royal Exchange." It was Number 18 on the list. At that period, English Lodges signified their identity both to their own members and to other members of the craft, by being known as meeting at some particular tavern. Thus Hope belonged to the Ship Lodge, the one that met behind the Royal Exchange, one of the principal business buildings in London. His Lodge in 1723, according to records preserved, had thirty-nine members and Henry Hope and his younger brother, John Hope, were on the rolls. The name of Henry appears sixth on the list while John's name is next to the last. Evidently Henry was a person of importance and who can say that he had not been a Warden or even Master of that Lodge? Probably his Masonic standing in England was responsible for his election, by a unanimous vote, as Master of our Lodge. There was a definite purpose in his election, and it probably was to start off the Lodge with a Master who was known to have been identified with an English Lodge of unquestioned good standing. There was a somewhat distinguished membership in the Ship Lodge — for instance, its rolls disclosed one Knight, fourteen Esquires and two Captains. Hope evidently had been in good Masonic company before arriving in America.

Business reverses in Boston made it necessary in 1738 for Hope to return to Rotterdam to get help from his father's banking house. This apparently had been arranged and he and his wife, who was Sarah Willard and whom he had married in America, were returning when they were lost at sea, as their ship neared Martha's Vineyard. The exact date of the tragedy is not known, but it probably was in 1739.

As to the two first Wardens of our Lodge, James Gordon was a business man in the jewelry trade and was a pillar of King's Chapel, where he was long a Vestryman. He died in 1770. In view of the well founded belief that about 1720 a Masonic Lodge met in King's Chapel, it is at least a permissible conjecture that Gordon belonged to that early Lodge. The fact that Brother Gordon was elected Senior Warden on this important occasion in 1733 and became in the following year our second Master, possibly is of deep significance. He must have had an important place in the local Masonic Lodge which undoubtedly had been organized according to old customs. Certainly Brother Gordon loomed large to have been placed in the second place of honor.

The other Warden, Frederick Hamilton, our third Master, had a grocery store on Union Street, not far from what is now Faneuil Hall, and according to early Grand Lodge records, he was made a Mason in this country. He was not as prominent as Brother Gordon but was a dependable figure in those early days.

In 1733, the War of the Polish Succession was being fought. James Edward Oglethorpe, a prominent Mason, and his group of colonists founded Savannah, Georgia. The first edition of Poor Richard's Almanac, published by Brother Benjamin Franklin, had just been issued in Philadelphia. The first German Masonic Lodge was founded at Hamburg (closed in 1933).

While Masonry regards no man for his worldly wealth or outward appearance, it is reasonable to assume that the members of Masonry, as has been prevalent generally throughout the ages, were gentlemen of distinction in the Eighteenth Century. It may therefore be of interest to note the wearing apparel of our Brethren at the time of our first meeting. Coats were worn with very large cuffs reaching up to the elbow and with big skirts running to the knees, lined and stiffened with buckram, having three or four large plaits in the skirt, wadded almost like a coverlet to keep them smooth. Breeches were close fitted with silver, stone or paste buckles and shoes bore silver buckles of various sizes and patterns, the stockings being worsted or silk. Heavy cloaks were worn by the men and were often trimmed with fur. Lace neck-cloths, square-toed, short-quartered shoes, small three-cornered hats and waistcoats of rich flowered silk of a large pattern on a white background went to make up the rest of the costume. Periwigs of light gray, human hair, costing four guineas each were worn. To use the snuff box gracefully was an accomplishment considered necessary to the young man of fashion in the Eighteenth Century. Multiplicity of buttons on each side of the coat was an outstanding feature. Velvet garters were worn over the stockings below the knees, being fastened on one side by small buckles. One gentleman ordered a "jockey coat" from Boston, of fine cloth, with waistcoat and breeches to match, to be trimmed plain, only with a button of the same sort as that of the waistcoat but proportionately bigger. In addition to this, he desired a nightgown (lounging coat) of a deep crimson Genoa damask, lined with the same color.

The 1000th meeting of St. John's Lodge was held in 1803, seventy years after our first meeting. Isaiah Thomas was Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. Shubael Bell was Master of St. John's Lodge. He was a prominent man in his day and was Master of our Lodge for five years. There were seventy-nine Lodges in the Massachusetts Jurisdiction and at that time the membership in St. John's Lodge is estimated at 250. During the Lodge year, the Treaty transferring the extensive Louisiana Purchase area to the United States was signed with France. President Thomas Jefferson issued instructions to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark for their famous expedition to the far West, and the descent of the Ohio River from Pittsburgh by that Expedition began on August 31st. The 8th Congress First Session convened by Proclamation. Robert Emmett was holding an insurrection in Ireland. The Code Napoleon, a digest of French National Law, was completed and promulgated. Napoleon publicly insulted Lord Whitworth, English Ambassador, on May 13th, and on May 16th, war was declared against England. Robert Fulton constructed a small steam-boat and his experiments with it on the Seine River were attended with great success. Later, in 1807, he made his first trip on the Hudson. Horse racing in Massachusetts was prohibited by law. New York City had its first labor strike, a number of sailors demanding a raise from $10. to $14. a month, and the National Debt was $86,427,120.

Regarding the wearing apparel of our Brethren at the time of our 1000th meeting, the coat, which somewhat resembled our modern cutaway, had shoulders very much padded to give breadth and the coat buttoned at the waist to make the wearer ' look slender and was cut short enough to show the waistcoat, which was usually of a contrasting color. Pantaloons were a new fashion from Paris. Hessian boots were worn and a high hat, which in the early years of the century was usually very large. Collars were extravagantly high and slippers were preferred by many to boots. In 1803, coats were made somewhat broader in the waist and the collars were less high. Knee breeches and boots with high tops were still in favor. Late in 1803 long coats, not cutaway, came into fashion, also pantaloons reaching to the ankle.

In 1869, sixty-six years after our 1000th and 136 years after our first meeting, the Lodge held its 2000th Communication. William Sewall Gardner was Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. Lyman B. Meston was Master of St. John's Lodge. There were 174 Lodges in Massachusetts and the membership in the Massachusetts Jurisdiction at that time was 19,581 and in St. John's Lodge, it was estimated at 360. Our own Civil War had recently ended and from June 15 to June 20 the National Peace Jubilee was held in Boston, with a chorus of 10,000 singers and an orchestra of over 1000 pieces, conducted by the famous bandmaster, Patrick S. Gilmore. On March 4th, President Ulysses S. Grant was inaugurated and the 41st Congress opened. On March 11th, George S. Boutwell of Massachusetts was appointed Secretary of the Treasury. On May 10th, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads joined at Promontory Point near Ogden, Utah, uniting the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts by railroad. This event, the first trans-continental line, was celebrated in many cities — in Chicago with a procession seven miles long and in New York with a salute of 100 guns.

In connection with the joining of these railroads, your historian noted in the newspapers that on September 8th at Promontory, Utah, Governor Herbert B. Maw of that State, with the aid of a spike bar, pulled the last spike linking the Nation's first trans-continental railroad. The spike was an ordinary one, gilded to serve as a stand-in for the original golden spike (now in a San Francisco Bank vault) that linked the lines of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific on May 10, 1869. It is, indeed, coincidental that these rails, laid in the year of our 2000th meeting, should be torn up in the year of our 3000th meeting to provide steel for the war effort. On June 1st Thomas A. Edison received his first patent for an electric apparatus for recording votes. On July 23d, the cable connecting the United States with France was landed at Duxbury, Mass. September 24th was "Black Friday" on Wall Street, being a panic due to an attempt by Jay Gould and James Fisk to corner the gold of the country. On October 19th, Charles William Eliot was inaugurated President of Harvard College. The Trustees of Boston University were incorporated, and the State Board of Health of Massachusetts was established. On December 24th, Edwin M. Stanton, Lincoln's Secretary of War, died, four days after his appointment to the Supreme Court. The word "German" was erased from the title "German Reform Church." Thomas Bailey Aldrich published The Story of a Bad Boy. Louisa M. Alcott published An Old Fashioned Girl. Mark Twain published Innocents Abroad. Congress reduced the tax on distilled liquors from $1.97 to $.54 per proof gallon. William Claflin was inaugurated Governor of Massachusetts. Dorchester was annexed to Boston, and the first inter-collegiate football game was played between Princeton and Rutgers, each team having twenty-five men. The Suez Canal, so much in present-day news as a prize of war sought by the Axis powers, had just been opened. The fashions of the Sixties are familiar to everyone through the medium of photography. Long black broadcloth frock coats, rather loose pantaloons and careless neckties prevailed. The colors were universally sober. The hair was worn rather short than long and beards, whiskers and mustaches were popular. The war between the States being just ended, military and naval uniforms were still much in evidence. Ugly as men's clothes of this period were, a great deal of attention was bestowed on them. Looking backward at the figures of the first of the century,, j we must at least acknowledge that there was something wholesome and virile about the fashions for men in the Sixties. The small waists, the tight sleeves and close fitting pantaloons of the former day were effeminate by comparison.

Let us consider for just a moment the so-termed necessaries of life of today which were unknown to our Brethren in 1869. They knew something, but very little, about a power elevator, a lawn mower, safety matches, sewing machines, spectroscopes, bessemer steel process, typewriters, machine-made watches and air brakes. Our Brethren of the 1000th meeting in 1803 had never heard of the telegraph, a revolver, a phosphorous match, vulcanized rubber, ether as an anesthetic, the rotary printing press, a safety pin or a paper collar.

Our Brethren of the first, the 1000th and the 2000th meeting dates managed to exist without the knowledge and advantages or disadvantages, as the case may be, of the airplane, aluminum, the automobile gas engine, a modern type of bicycle, the cash register, the caterpillar tractor, cellophane, the depth bomb, the Diesel engine, the electric storage battery, the Edison incandescent lamp, the electric motor, the film kodak, the microphone, the moving picture machine, the fountain pen, the phonograph, the radio, the submarine, the military tank, the telephone, the trolley car, the vacuum bottle, the modern adding machine, the x-ray, loud speakers, electric refrigerators, push button elevators, rayon, alternate or direct currents, cream separators or liquid air, to say nothing of vitamins, novocain, sulphanilamide, aspirin or blood pressure, high or low.

The foregoing brief resume is offered in the sincere hope that notwithstanding our departure from normal historical Masonic data, we have afforded a certain modicum of pleasure to our hearers. In presenting what we have termed "High Lights and Side Lights" concerning the history of our first, 1000th and 2000th meetings, we have not by any means overlooked the periods between those dates. For example, in King George's War in 1745, Right Worshipful Thomas Kilby, Past Senior Grand Warden, our Master in 1745, participated in the conquest of Louisburg. During the French and Indian War, 1754— 1763, our Lodge had as a member Right Worshipful Richard Gridley, Past Deputy Grand Master and Past Junior Grand Warden. In the Revolution, this same Brother Gridley, who was Master in 1757, as Major General, built the fortifications at Bunker Hill in 1775, and at Dorchester Heights in 1776. This latter feat made it necessary for the British to evacuate Boston. He was perhaps the most outstanding Mason in the 210 years of our Lodge's existence.

There were many others, not only in St. John's, but in other long established Lodges, who were held in high esteem for their civic, patriotic and Masonic activities. We here today cannot but feel a surge of deep pride in our Masonic forebears, in our affiliation with the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and, speaking for our own members, a pride in St. John's Lodge and its glorious past. We rejoice in being Masons. We pledge our continued support to the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge. And to all of the members and officers of St. John's Lodge, past, present, and future, and to the Craft at large, we dedicate this sentiment so aptly expressed in the concluding stanza of Longfellow's "Golden Milestone":

"We may build more splendid habitations,
Fill our rooms with paintings and with sculptures,
But we cannot buy with gold the old associations."

EVENTS

RESTORATION OF RELICS, SEPTEMBER 1859

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly, Vol. XVIII, No. 11, September 1859, Page 296:

Masonic Relics.— Wyzeman Marshall, W. M. of St. John's Lodge, was the recipient last week of a gift, or rather of a restoration of former gifts, which will be highly prized. The late Dr. John Dixwell was formerly Master of St. John's Lodge, and within a few weeks, members of his family found in a private drawer in an old cabinet, which has been seldom used, four heavy silver ladles, three of which bear inscriptions showing by whom they were presented to the Lodge. Dr. Dixwell was probably entrusted with their care, and having put them away for safe keeping in a secret drawer, they escaped notice at the time of his death. —Ev. Gaz.

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

Due to the high proportion of lodge members involved in the early years of St. John's Grand Lodge, the grand officers for the period before 1792 are in their own section.

OFFICERS 1733-1792

  • Samuel Barrett, Junior Grand Warden 1773-1774, Senior Grand Warden, Mass. Indep., 1777-1795; Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, 1792-1795; Deputy Grand Master, Mass. Indep., 1780-1783
  • William Burbeck, Deputy Grand Master 1771, 1782; Junior Grand Warden 1779 (Mass. Prov.)
  • James Gordon, Deputy Grand Master 1736, 1738
  • Robert Tomlinson, Deputy Grand Master 1737, Grand Master 1737-1740
  • Thomas Oxnard, Deputy Grand Master 1740-1743, Grand Master 1743-1754
  • Benjamin Hallowell, Deputy Grand Master 1753-1756; Senior Grand Warden
  • Hugh McDaniel, Deputy Grand Master 1737, 1743-1752
  • James Forbes, Deputy Grand Master 1756, Senior Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden, Grand Treasurer
  • Nathaniel Bethune, Senior Grand Warden
  • Robert Jenkins, Deputy Grand Master 1757-1763, Senior Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden
  • Thomas Kilby, Senior Grand Warden
  • John Box, Junior Grand Warden, Senior Grand Warden
  • John Rowe, Deputy Grand Master 1763-1768, Grand Master 1768-1787, Senior Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden, Grand Treasurer
  • William Coffin, Senior Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden, Grand Treasurer
  • Charles Brockwell, Senior Grand Warden 1753, 1754
  • Belthazar Bayard, Grand Secretary
  • Jeremy Gridley, Grand Master 1755-1767
  • Robert Williams, Senior Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden
  • Richard Gridley, Deputy Grand Master 1768-1792
  • John Leverett, Grand Secretary
  • Abraham Savage, Senior Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden, Grand Secretary
  • Joseph Gardner, Senior Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden, Grand Treasurer
  • John Joy, Junior Grand Warden
  • Thomas Dennie, Grand Treasurer, Junior Grand Warden 1792; Memorial
  • Henry Price, Grand Master 1733-1737

OFFICERS AFTER THE UNION OF 1792

OTHER BROTHERS

DISTRICTS

1803: District 1 (Boston)

1821: District 1

1835: District 1

1849: District 1

1858: District 12

1865: District 1

1867: District 1 (Boston)

1883: District 1 (Boston)

1911: District 1 (Boston)

1927: District 1 (Boston)

2003: District 1

LINKS

Lodge web site

Massachusetts Lodges

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