USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > Lancaster > History of Lodge no. 43, F. and A.M., 1785-1910, with biographical sketches of charter members, past masters and present officers, together with a complete list of members of the lodge > Part 2
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At a meeting of the Grand Lodge held September 5, 1808 (see Vol. II., page 351, Reprint), a committee was appointed to report what lodges had been constituted under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge, when they were constituted, when they met, which of the lodges had been vacated or had otherwise become extinct. This committee made a full report to the Grand Lodge on October 16, 1809 (see Vol. II., page 413, Reprint). The following statement is made in regard to Lodge No. 9:
"No. 9, Lancaster. Not known when granted. Surrendered 18th December, 1779."
District Deputy Grand Master Brother Fred. A. Godcharles in his History of Lodge No. 22, Sunbury, Pa., gives the following account of Past Master Brother Stephen Chambers, the Warrant Master of Lodge No. 43.
"At the outset of the War of the Revolution he entered the service and was appointed First Lieutenant of the Twelfth Regiment of the Continental Line, October 16, 1776, promoted to Captain 1777. He was chosen to the General Assembly from the County of Northumberland, October 2d, 1778, and while in attendance thereof was admitted to the Philadelphia Bar, March 6, 1779.
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History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
"He presented his Certificate from Lodge No. 17, Dublin, Ireland, to Royal Arch Lodge No. 3, of Philadelphia, on March 16, 1779, and was admitted a member upon recommendation of the Worship- ful Master Brother J. Coates.
"He soon withdrew and became Master of Lodge No. 9 of Lan- caster, but very soon thereafter he and other Lancastrians removed to'Sunbury, when he withdrew again, this time surrendering the Warrant of No. 9 to become the Warrant Master of Lodge No. 22, Sunbury, from its Constitution December 17, 1779, to St. John the Baptist's Day, 1780, when he again removed back to Lancaster and became the Warrant Master of Lodge No. 43. Brother Cham- bers thus belonged to five lodges-No. 17 of Ireland, Nos. 3, 9, 22 and 43 of Pennsylvania."
The date of the granting of the Warrant for Lodge No. 9 can be determined approximately from the dates of the Warrants granted for lodges organized before and after No. 9 was organized. The Warrant for No. 8 was granted for Philadelphia, June 24, 1766. That for No. 10 was granted for "Baskinridge and its vicinity," New Jersey, but its date is unknown. The Warrant for No. 1I was granted August 17, 1768, for Newtown, Bucks Co., Pa. These dates show that the Warrant for Lodge No. 9, of Lancaster, was granted between June 24, 1766, and August 17, 1768.
The Warrant for Lodge No. 43 was granted in 1785. The minutes of the Lodge of the meeting of November 9, 1785, contain the fol- lowing statement:
"The Seal presented us by Lodge No. 9 not Answering the Number of this Lodge, 'tis order'd a New One be made for the pur- pose of which Brother S. Etting is Unanimously Appointed to procure one with such a device as he thinks proper and charge it to the Expense Acco't."
It is possible that the Seal of Lodge No. 9, presented to Lodge No. 43, belonged originally to Lodge No. 9, of Lancaster.
The following interesting sketches of the Charter Members of Lodge No. 43, and the Lodges which have sprung from her, are taken from the "Historical Sketch of Lodge No. 43," prepared by the late Past Master Brother Joshua L. Lyte, for the 1890 edition of the Lodge By-Laws.
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History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
Lodge No. 43 was started two years after the Continental Army was disbanded; and of the seven charter members, four of them had been officers in the Revolutionary War.
Following is a short sketch of each of the charter members:
Bro. Stephen Chambers, the first Master, who was also the first Master of Lodge No. 22, and who returned the Warrant of Lodge No. 9 to the Grand Lodge, was a Lieutenant in the 12th Pennsyl- vania Regiment and was promoted to Captain in 1777. He was a leading lawyer in Lancaster, and died May 16, 1789.
Bro. John Doyle, the first Senior Warden and the Worshipful Master from June, 1787, to the fall of 1788 (when he died in office), was also a Captain in the Revolution. From original certificates which are among the Archives of Lodge No. 43, we find that Brother Doyle was a member of a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons and a member of a Commandery of Knights Templar of South Carolina, while in the field during the Revolution.
Bro. Henry Stuber, the first Junior Warden (who died while he held the office of Senior Warden), was a prominent physician, and died January 27, 1789.
Bro. Henry Dering, who was the first Senior Deacon and who also served as Treasurer from June, 1788, to June, 1789, was a · Burgess of the borough of Lancaster in 1786, Chief Burgess in 1787 and 1788 and a member of the Legislature in 1789. His death occurred on April 6, 1800.
Bro. Adam Hubley was a Lieutenant in the First Pennsylvania Battalion in 1775. In 1776 he was promoted to Major and was Lieutenant Colonel of the Tenth Pennsylvania Regiment. He was Leutenant Colonel Commandant of the Eleventh Pennsylvania Regiment. Bro. George Washington wrote of him "as an attentive, brave and intelligent officer," and "Mad Anthony" Wayne said "if the truest patriotism, bravery and assiduity entitles the gentle- man and the soldier to the esteem and confidence of his country, Lieutenant Colonel Commandant Adam Hubley has highest claim to it." He was a member of the Legislature and also of the State 'Senate.
Bro. Solomon Etting was the first Treasurer, and served as Wor-
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History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
shipful Master from June, 1790, to June, 1791. He was a prominent merchant.
Bro. William Feltman, the first Secretary, who served from 1785 until October, 1792, and who was again elected Secretary in Decem- ber, 1795, and served until June, 1796, was an ensign in the Tenth Pennsylvania Regiment and was commissioned a Lieutenant in 1777. He also served as Paymaster and was present at the sur- render of Lord Cornwallis.
Besides the lodges whose histories have been briefly outlined, the following lodges have been organized or have held their meetings in Lancaster county:
LODGE No. 46 .- The warrant for this lodge was granted Decem- ber 27, 1785, for the city of Reading, and was known as Lodge No. 47. On June 7, 1790, the "Master and other Members" petitioned to have the lodge removed to Churchtown, Lancaster county. The Grand Lodge acted favorably on the petition, renewing the warrant; but while the lodge at Reading was dormant, another lodge was numbered 47. About the same time, Lodge No. 46, located at Charleston, S. C., joined the Grand Lodge of South Carolina, the lodge at Churchtown was numbered 46. On Decem- ber 2, 1799, permission to remove the lodge to Ephrata was refused by the Grand Lodge, but it was afterwards granted on June 2, 1800, The warrant for this lodge was vacated for delinquency April 7, 1806, and re-instated September 1, 1806. On October 5, 1812, the lodge was reported to the Grand Lodge for having irregularly removed to New Holland, but the removal was confirmed November 16, 1812. On June 24, 1813, the lodge petitioned the Grand Lodge to sanction their removal to Ephrata again, which petition was granted. On April 4, 1825, it was removed to Lititz. The warrant of this lodge was vacated for deliquency February 6, 1837.
UNITY LODGE No. 80 was warranted on June 3, 1799, to be held at the sign of the United States Arms, in Sadsbury township, Chester county. On September 1, 1800, a petition was presented to the Grand Lodge for permission (which permission was granted). to remove the lodge to the sign of the Rising Sun, in Salisbury
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History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
township, Lancaster county, giving as a reason that the place of meeting "is very inconvenient for the chief part of their members." The lodge was afterwards again removed to Sadsbury township, Chester county, and on October 3, 1808, the warrant was vacated for unmasonic conduct.
PHILANTHROPIC LODGE, NO. 104 .- At the meeting of Lodge No. 43, held December, 1804, eleven members of the lodge presented a petition to permit them to withdraw from the lodge, and asking Lodge No. 43 to recommend them to the Grand Lodge for a warrant for a new lodge. The petition was presented to the Grand Lodge on Monday, January 21, 1805, and a warrant was granted for the lodge to be held at the house of Peter Forney, in Leacock township. Samuel Ramsay was named as first Master, and the Grand Lodge minutes say, "being present was installed and recognized as Master of said Lodge, No. 104." The lodge was held in Leacock township for some time, but in 1807, according to the Grand Lodge minutes (see Vol. II., p. 272), it was held in Strasburg township. It was afterwards removed to Leacock township again. At a meeting of the lodge, held September 20, 1822, it was decided to move the lodge to the house of Col. Jacob Ringwalt, in the village of New Holland. Meetings were held in New Holland until December 13, 1826, when it was decided to meet at the "Sign of the Hat," the public house of William Lightner, in Leacock township. The lodge met at this place until June 10, 1829, when it "was unanimously agreed this lodge be moved to the house of Martin Bair, in the village of Strasburg." The lodge was moved at once and the first meeting held in Strasburg was on July 16, 1829. At the meeting held in Strasburg, April 22, 1834, it was agreed that the lodge meet again on May 10, to "take into consideration the removal of the lodge to the house of the Widow Smoker, in Williamstown." Feb- ruary 6, 1837, the warrant of the lodge was vacated for delinquency .
AMICITIA LODGE, NO. 116 .- The warrant for this lodge was granted September 3, 1810, to be held at Elizabethtown. On April 4, 1814, permission was granted to remove the lodge to the borough of Marietta. The warrant of this lodge was vacated February 6, 1837, for delinquency in dues and for not making returns.
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History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
WASHINGTON LODGE, No. 156, Quarryville .- At a meeting of Philanthropic Lodge, No. 104, held December 22, 1817, a resolution was passed to recommend certain Brethren as officers of a new lodge "to be established at Chestnut Level," and at the meeting of the Grand Lodge, held February 2, 1818, a warrant was granted to be numbered 156. Bro. George White was named as the first Worshipful Master, but at the meeting of the Grand Lodge held March 2, 1818, a communication was received announcing his death, and Bro. Jacob Moore was named as the first Worshipful Master. The Lodge was constituted May 8, 1818. It was moved to Drumore Centre in 1857, and in 1895 was moved to Quarryville, the first meeting being held at that place on July 5th. It has ninety-seven members.
EASTERN STAR LODGE, No. 169 .- At a meeting of the Grand Lodge held September 6, 1819, a warrant was granted for Eastern Star Lodge, No. 169, to be held in the borough of Columbia. The Lodge was constituted October 30, 1819, and had an existence of about eighteen years, the warrant being vacated for delinquency February 6, 1837.
COLUMBIA LODGE, No. 286, Columbia .- This Lodge was war- ranted December 5, 1853, and has been in existence ever since. It has been exceedingly prosperous and in 1900 erected a Masonic Hall which is an ornament to the borough and a great credit to the Lodge. The membership is one hundred and ninety-nine.
ASHARA LODGE, NO. 398, Marietta .- The warrant for Ashara Lodge was granted September 5, 1867, and the Lodge was con- stituted in January of the following year. The membership is eighty-eight.
CHRISTIANA LODGE, No. 417, Christiana .- This Lodge was war- ranted March 4, 1868, and was known as Colerain Lodge, No. 417, Kirkwood. It was moved to Christiana in 1872, and is still located in that borough. It has one hundred and sixty-two members.
LAMBERTON LODGE, No. 476, Lancaster .- The warrant for Lodge No. 476 was granted June 1, 1870. A petition was presented to
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History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
Lodge No. 43, January 10, 1870, asking the approval of the lodge and a recommendation to the Grand Lodge for a new lodge in Lancaster. It met with considerable opposition at first from the members of No. 43, and it was not until May 11, 1870, that a favorable recommendation was obtained. As stated above, the warrant was granted June 1, 1870, and the lodge was duly con- stituted June 23, 1870. On June 23, 1895, the twenty-fifth anni- versary of the lodge was celebrated by a special meeting, and a banquet followed, which was participated in by the members of the lodge, Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and the Past Masters of Lodge No. 43. The lodge has two hundred and ninety-seven members.
CHARLES M. HOWELL LODGE, NO. 496, Millersville .- A number of the members of Lodge No. 43 resigned at the meeting of the lodge held March 8, 1871, for the purpose of forming a new lodge at Safe Harbor. On April 12, 1871, their petition was recommended favorably to the Grand Lodge, and a warrant was granted June 7, 1871. On November 17, 1899, the lodge was moved from Safe Harbor to Millersville, where it is now located. It has one hundred and nine members.
CASIPHIA LODGE, NO. 551, Mount Joy .- On May 9, 1877, eleven members of Lodge No. 43, withdrew for the purpose of forming a Lodge at Mount Joy. The Lodge recommended their petition favorably to the Grand Lodge and a warrant was granted June 6, 1877. At the present time the Lodge has seventy-six members.
MANHEIM LODGE, NO. 587, Manheim .- This is the youngest Lodge in Lancaster County, having been constituted June 24, 1891. The Lodge has been prosperous and has one hundred and twenty- six members.
EPHRATA LODGE, No. 665, Ephrata .- was constituted Septem- ber 9, 1910 (since the Anniversary Celebration of Lodge No. 43). It started with a membership of twenty-seven.
NOTE.
THE FOLLOWING PAGES, 27 TO 225 ARE AN EXACT REPRINT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A FEW SLIGHT CORRECTIONS, OF THE HISTORY OF LODGE NO. 43, F. AND A. M., AS WRITTEN BY PAST MASTER BROTHER GEORGE R. WELCHANS, AT THE COM- PLETION OF THE FIRST ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE LODGE.
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HISTORY
OF
LODGE No. 43, F. & A. M.
BEING THE RECORDS
OF THE
FIRST CENTURY OF ITS EXISTENCE
ALSO
A REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ITS CHARTER MEMBERS, PAST MASTERS, AND PRESENT OFFICERS
AND
A COMPLETE LIST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE LODGE
BY P. M. GEORGE R. WELCHANS, M. D.
LANCASTER, PA. 1885
COMMITTEE ON PRINTING HISTORY.
A T the stated meeting of Lodge No. 43, held May 13th, 1885, the following Committee was appointed for the purpose of taking charge of all matters in connection with the printing and distribution of the History of the Lodge, as prepared by Bro. P. M. George R. Welchans, M. D.
JOSHUA L. LYTE, W. M. CHARLES M. HOWELL, P. M. GEORGE R. WELCHANS, P. M. JOEL S. EABY, P. M. HUGH S. GARA, SEC.
29
OFFICERS.
R. W. GRAND LODGE OF PENNSYLVANIA.
1885.
R. W. GRAND MASTER, E. COPPEÉ MITCHELL.
R. W. DEPUTY GRAND MASTER, JOSEPH EICHBAUM.
R. W. SENIOR GRAND WARDEN, CLIFFORD P. McCALLA.
R. W. JUNIOR GRAND WARDEN, J. SIMPSON AFRICA.
R. W. GRAND TREASURER, THOMAS R. PATTON.
R. W. GRAND SECRETARY, MICHAEL NISBET.
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OFFICERS.
LODGE NO. 43, F. & A. M.
1885.
WORSHIPFUL MASTER, JOSHUA LOUIS LYTE.
SENIOR WARDEN, JOHN C. CARTER.
JUNIOR WARDEN, GEORGE B. WILLSON.
TREASURER, CHARLES A. HEINITSH.
SECRETARY, HUGH S. GARA.
3
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LETTER FROM THE R. W. GRAND MASTER.
OFFICE OF THE R. W. THE GRAND MASTER OF -
FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF PENNA., ETC. MASONIC TEMPLE, PHILADELPHIA, November 17, 1885. DR. GEORGE R. WELCHANS, Past Master of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M., Lancaster, Pa.
Dear Sir and Brother: I have read with pleasure your very interesting history of Lodge No. 43, during the first century of its existence. It is full of valuable information-not only con- cerning your own Lodge, but of the Fraternity in Pennsylvania -which is not given in connected form in any other work that I know of; and it bears most evident marks of the care and labor which you have bestowed upon it.
It is with great pleasure that I give hereby my official consent to its publication.
Yours fraternally,
[SEAL]
E. COPPEE MITCHELL, Grand Master.
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PREFACE.
A T the stated meeting of Lodge No. 43, F. & A. M., held at their Hall, on Wednesday evening, December 8, 1875, a resolution was offered and unanimously adopted, appointing a committee of five of the oldest Past Masters and members of the Lodge to prepare and have published in pamphlet form a History of Lodge No. 43, they reporting to the Lodge before printing the same.
This committee, after some consideration of the subject, took no further action, and the resolution was not carried into effect.
At the stated meeting of the Lodge held March 14, 1883, the mover of the above resolution again brought the subject to the attention of the Lodge, as the following extract from the Min- utes of that date will show:
"Brother P. M. Dr. George R. Welchans stated that in two years the Lodge will be called upon to celebrate its Centennial! Anniversary, and spoke of the importance of having the History. of the Lodge prepared for that time; he therefore moved that Bro. Secretary Hugh S. Gara be appointed to prepare the History.
"The motion was unanimously agreed to."
At the stated meeting of February 13, 1884, Bro. Secretary; Gara informed the Lodge that it was impossible for him to per- form this task, and asked to be relieved of the same. Worship- ful Master Bro. James B. Strine having, with great reluctance,. accepted Bro. Gara's declination, was pleased to appoint the under- signed as his successor.
Realizing the vastness and responsibility of the undertaking, and the difficulties with which it was beset, it was with reluctance
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Preface.
and fear that we consented to attempt that which others, better fitted for the task, were unwilling to undertake; and we sincerely trust that the earnest efforts we have made to obtain and record only facts, as they developed in the history of the Lodge during the past century, will merit the approval of the Brethren.
In addition to the records and papers of Lodge No. 43, and of the R. W. Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, we desire at this place to acknowledge our indebtedness for information gleaned from the different Histories of Pennsylvania and Lancaster County, and from Harris's Biographical History of Lancaster County. We also gratefully acknowledge obligations to Past Master Charles M. Howell, and Brothers Hugh S. Gara, Christian Gast, and Christian Widmyer, of Lodge No. 43, also to Bro. P. M. Charles E. Meyer, of Lodge No. 295, Philadelphia, and to Bro. P. M. J. Henry Brown, of Philadelphia Lodge, No. 72, formerly of Lodge No. 43 and its oldest living Past Master, for valuable assistance rendered.
The reminiscences of these Brethren, who have been long in the faith, aided, in some instance, by valuable documents in their possession, have been the means of supplying missing links, thus rendering more complete the record of our eventful history.
To our present Worshipful Master, Bro. Joshua L. Lyte, belongs a large share of whatever credit may be due for the acceptable manner in which this work has been arranged in book form.
Our task is ended. The work is yours; and notwithstanding all its faults and shortcomings it will serve to preserve for you, and perpetuate for your posterity, the records of the first century of the existence of Lodge No. 43, F. & A. M.
GEORGE R. WELCHANS. Lancaster, Pa., December, 1885.
INTRODUCTION.
F REEMASONRY was warranted in Pennsylvania on June 5th, 1730, by "His Grace, Thomas, Duke of Norfolk, Earl Marshal and Hereditary Marshal of England, * * Chief of the illustrious family of Howards, and Grand Master of the Free and Accepted Masons of England," who, on that date, deputized Brother Daniel Cox, a Justice of the Supreme Court of the Province of New Jersey, as "Provincial Grand Master of the Province of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in America."
The question of priority in the date of organization of a lodge in this country has long been in dispute. For many years, however, precedence had been generally conceded to St. John's Lodge, Boston, Mass., they claiming the date of July 20, 1733, but having no written charter of older date than February 7, 1783, (vide Pro- ceedings of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for 1870, page 429). On February 27, 1884, Bro. Clifford P. MacCalla, of Philadelphia, at present R. W. Senior Grand Warden of the R. W. Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, discovered in the Library of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, a ledger-account book of St. John's Lodge, Phila- delphia, with a list of its members from June 24, 1731, to June 24, 1738. These are the earliest records in existence of any Lodge in America, and taken with other documentary evidence previously produced, undoubtedly prove that the first charter granted by Provincial Grand Master Daniel Cox, was issued to St. John's Lodge of Philadelphia, and this was the beginning of Masonry in this country.
[The finding of a copy of "The Constitutions of St. John's Lodge by Brother Thomas Carmick, dated 1727, now in the Grand Lodge
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Introduction.
Library, Philadelphia, proves that St. John's Lodge (Philadelphia) was established several years prior to 1730. We now know that Freemasonry existed in Pennsylvania at least three years before December 3, 1730, which has heretofore been the accepted date .- H.]
It is a fact worthy of note that one of the founders of Masonry in this country was a resident of Lancaster. Bro. Henry Bell, of Lancaster, Pa., in a letter dated November 17, 1754, and written to Bro. Thomas Cadwallader, M. D., of Philadelphia, says: "As you well know, I was one of the originators of the first Masonic Lodge in Philadelphia. A party of us used to meet at the Tun Tavern, in Water Street, and sometimes opened a Lodge there. Once, in the fall of 1730, we formed a design of obtaining a charter for a regular Lodge, and made application to the Grand Lodge of England for one; but before receiving it, we heard that Daniel Cox, of New Jersey, had been appointed by that Grand Lodge as Provincial Grand Master of New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl- vania. We therefore made application to him, and our request was granted." This letter would indicate that one of the first, if not the first Mason who lived in Lancaster, was Bro. Henry Bell.
The first Masonic Lodge held in Lancaster County, was Per- severance Lodge No. 21, which was warranted October 4, 1779, and was held at Lower Paxton, Lancaster County. Paxton is now in Dauphin County, a county which did not exist until 1785, and the Lodge is now held at Harrisburg.
The earliest traditions of the meeting of Brethren of the Craft, in the Borough of Lancaster, extend back to the year 1778. These meetings were undoubtedly of an informal character, as no records or minutes of a Lodge of Masons in Lancaster can be found prior to 1785.
[Later discoveries disprove the above two paragraphs, as will be seen in the preceding pages .- H.]
In the early part of the year 1785, seven Master Masons, then residents of the Borough of Lancaster, viz .: Stephen Chambers, John Doyle, Henry Stuber, Henry Dering, Adam Hubley, Jr., Solomon Etting and William Feltman, determined to organize a Lodge of Masons in the borough. Three of these brethren,
36
Introduction.
Library, Philadelphia, proves that St. John's Lodge (Philadelphia) was established several years prior to 1730. We now know that Freemasonry existed in Pennsylvania at least three years before December 3, 1730, which has heretofore been the accepted date .- H.]
It is a fact worthy of note that one of the founders of Masonry in this country was a resident of Lancaster. Bro. Henry Bell, of Lancaster, Pa., in a letter dated November 17, 1754, and written to Bro. Thomas Cadwallader, M. D., of Philadelphia, says: "As you well know, I was one of the originators of the first Masonic Lodge in Philadelphia. A party of us used to meet at the Tun Tavern, in Water Street, and sometimes opened a Lodge there. Once, in the fall of 1730, we formed a design of obtaining a charter for a regular Lodge, and made application to the Grand Lodge of England for one; but before receiving it, we heard that Daniel Cox, of New Jersey, had been appointed by that Grand Lodge as Provincial Grand Master of New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl- vania. We therefore made application to him, and our request was granted." This letter would indicate that one of the first, if not the first Mason who lived in Lancaster, was Bro. Henry Bell.
The first Masonic Lodge held in Lancaster County, was Per- severance Lodge No. 21, which was warranted October 4, 1779, and was held at Lower Paxton, Lancaster County. Paxton is now in Dauphin County, a county which did not exist until 1785, and the Lodge is now held at Harrisburg.
The earliest traditions of the meeting of Brethren of the Craft, in the Borough of Lancaster, extend back to the year 1778. These meetings were undoubtedly of an informal character, as no records or minutes of a Lodge of Masons in Lancaster can be found prior to 1785.
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