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 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29
49
History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
23d. That no Anonymous letter of Petition or Recommenda- tion by or from any Person on any Account whatsoever be In- troduced or read to this Committee, and that any Person who shall petition this Lodge or Committee for Charity shall be well known to be at least One whole year a Contributing Member to the Fund, or a Traveling Brother who is known to be in Real want & well recommended.
24th. That no petition shall be receiv'd or read to or by this Committee but what shall be sign'd with the Names of at least three of the Members of the Lodge and the Merits of the Peti- tioner well vouch'd by them or some worthy Brethren who shall have Personal Knowledge thereof, & no Person shall prefer or bring in any Petition to this Committee but one of the members that signs it, the Petitioner attending in Person except in case of Sickness Lameness or Imprisonment.
25th. That it shall be the Inherant power of this Committee to dispose of the Fund for Charitable Uses & no other (except such Cases as mentioned in Article's 18th & 19th) and that only to such Person or Persons who shall appear by their Petition & Voucher to be in real want of Charitable & Brotherly Assistance & not exceeding the sum of Forty Shillings at any one time, or otherwise to supply them with weekly support as they shall Judge most necessary.
26th. That no Brother who has receiv'd Assistance from this Lodge or Committee of Charity shall Petition a Second time unless some New & well attested Allagation appear, no any Brother who has been made in a Clandestine way, nor any assisting at such Irregular making shall be Intitled to receive any assistance there- from.
27th. That it shall be the Indispensible right of this Lodge to Order the Committee to meet when they shall Judge it neces- sary, who shall then have it in their power to Ajourn themselves. from time to time as the Business may require at any time between the Monthly meeting of the Lodge. Where all the proceedings of the Committee shall be read in order to inform the Lodge of the Charity Extended, and to receive their Concurance in any matter that may be Refered to them.
28th. That the Committee shall be Allow'd One & Six Pense pr. man at every Meeting on the Business of the Lodge Between its regular Meetings & no more to be paid out of the common Stock.
29th. That this Lodge in Case a Brother's Death being a member of this Lodge at least one year, We Shall take Care of the Children of the deceased Brother & provide for them If they are Objects,
50
History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
as far as the Circumstances of the Lodge will Admit in Order to School them & put them to Trades so as they may become Usefull to Society as their Fathers had been.
30th. That if the Widow of a Deceas'd Brother being a Member of this Lodge for at least one Year shall be left in Distress'd Cir- cumstances she shall be Intitled to the Benefits in the same way & manner as the Deceas'd did in his life time, & shall be reliev'd at the Discretion of the Committee of Charity on proper Application, &c. &c. &c.
3Ist. The Committee of this Lodge Mett according to appoint- ment to Consider of the Business refer'd to them on the Quarterly Meetings and after mature Consideration, Agreed that in as much as the Brethern has been at Considerable Expences from time to time in providing for & bearing the necessary Expences of the Lodge, It's therefore thought Reasonable & it is Accordingly Agreed upon.
That all Money arising to this Body for Entering, passing, & Raising in this Lodge, and also for the Initiating of Members not made here & Likewise all those Fines that shall become due from the Brethren not appearing according to their Summon's on Stated Lodge Nights &c. Shall be for the providing all Necessaries & Paying all such Expences as the Brethren & the Officers of the Lodge, When properly Summon'd on Stated Nights shall agree for the care of the Brethren and the Honour of the Craft, untill such time as we are thoroly Furnish'd with proper Meterials for Carrying on our Work in a Prosperous Manner.
32d. All Clandestine Masons who shall apply to be admitted, Members of this Lodge, shall make the applications in the same manner as all other Persons who Pray to become Brothers & shall be treated in all other respects in the same way & shall Pay Six Pounds to the Charity Fund.
33d. Whereas, by the By-Laws of the Grand Lodge for the Province of Pennsylvania it is enacted in By-Law No. 2, that every member of a regular constituted Lodge under the Provincial Grant Warrant shall Pay Quarterly & every Quarter One Shilling to the Charity Fund of the said Lodge: But the members of the said Grand Lodge have been graciously Pleased to abate one-half of the said Sum & to demand no more than Six Pence pr Quarter. And Whereas in By-Law No. 16 of this Lodge it is enacted "That each Member of this Lodge shall Pay One Shilling pr Month to the Charity Fund over & above the expense of the Stated Lodge Nights." And Whereas several of the Brethren of this Lodge are now in arrear in the Payments above mentioned But a sufficient
5I
History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
Remedy to redress these Grievances is much wanted, By reason whereof the Charity Fund is without the support necessary for so noble and Praise-worthy an Institution. Therefore to remedy the Inconveniences above mention'd and to prevent their Continuance in time to come, It is hereby Unanimously Agreed & Consented to that every member who is or hereafter shall be in Arrear in the Payment above mentioned & so shall continue for the Space of Six Stated Lodge Nights shall (upon notice either written or verbal given him of his so being in arrear & requesting his Payment & attendance at the Lodge Room on the 4th, 5th, & 6th, Nights succes- sively) be excluded the benefit of this Lodge & all advantages arising therefrom unless payment as aforesaid be made & Grace be granted within two Stated Lodge Nights thereafter by a Majority of the members then to be present. Provided that this By-Law shall not be strain'd construed or meant to extend to those who shall dwell at or above the distance of Fifty miles from the Borough of Lancaster, or to those who shall be regularly initiated in any other regular constituted Body of Antient Masons (and that be duly made appear for which purpose the Examination of the Member so absent or Initiated taking according to the Rules of Masons in such Cases shall be sufficient) or to those who shall have taken regular dis- charges from this Body.
34th. Whereas, Inconveniences have arisen by reason of the Absence of Some of the Members, who hold Offices in this Lodge, no other members being compellable to serve in the Stead & per- form the Duties requir'd from such absent Officers. For Remedy whereof, and for the better ordering & regulating this Lodge, it is unanimously agreed concluded & consented to, that in Case of the Absence of any Member or Members who hold Office in this Lodge, the Master or in his absence his Deputy, or other members, who shall lawfully preside in the Chair for the Night, shall & is hereby impowered to nominate & appoint any Member or Members present to serve in his place & perform the Duties of such Officer, for the night. And if any Member or Members so nominated & appointed as aforesaid shall refuse or neglect to take upon him or themselves such Trust & perform the Duties requir'd of him or them as aforesaid, every such Member refusing shall forfeit & Pay to the Treasurer the Sum of Two Shillings and Six pence, to be applied to & added to the Common Stock of this Lodge & the Master, or in his absence his Deputy, or other Member who shall preside in the Chair shall appoint some other member in the Place and Stead aforesaid.
35th. And that the Monthly dues from each Brother to this
52
History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
Lodge be One Quarter of a Dollar, to be paid duly into the Charity fund &c. Together with Two Shillings & Six pence his share of the Expences whether present or Absent.
Agreed upon unanimously at a Lodge No. 43, held at Lancaster the 14th day of September A. M. 5785.
In these original by-laws of the Lodge, we have followed the orthography, punctuation and capitalization just as they occur in the manuscript copied in the first minute book. Aside from the peculiarities in the use of capital letters and the orthography, some of the old rules are very curious.
It will be observed that the latter portion of these By-Laws, especially from No. 31, imply that the Lodge had been in exist- ence some time .* Certain it is, however, that these were the first By-Laws adopted by the Lodge. It is also worthy of note that the first meeting of the Lodge was held on the second Wednes- day of the month, the first By-Laws established the second Wednes- day of the month as the stated time of meeting, and during the one hundred years of the existence of the Lodge, the stated meetings always have been, and still are held on the second Wednesday of the month.
The list of names appended to the by-laws is as follows:
STEPHEN CHAMBERS,
JAS. CAMPBELL, PETER GETZ,
JOHN DOYLE,
HENRY STUBER,
CHARLES SMITH,
WM. FELTMAN,
HENRY DERING,
J. MOORE, BLACKALL WILLIAM BALL,
ADM. HUBLEY, JR,
MATTS BARTON,
SOLOMON ETTING,
JAMES BURD,
FRED HUBLEY, JACOB SLOUGH,
JAS BOYD, WILDER BEVINS,
FREDRICK MAN,
JAMS GAMBLE,
MICHAEL APP,
RUD KELKER, JUNR,
ALEXP SCOTT, RICHD GRAY,
SAM SHOWER.
* As we see in the Introduction to the History of Lodge No. 43, prepared for the 1910 edition, that a Lodge of Freemasons existed in Lancaster as early as 1768, the Warrant of which was surrendered in 1779, it is probable that the By-Laws of that extinct Lodge were ad opted for the use of Lodge No. 43 .- H.
53
History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
At the second meeting of the Lodge, held October 12, 1785, the employment of the first Tyler is reported in the following language: "Brothers Dering & Etting reported their examination of James Bird. Wherein he appears to be duly qualify'd an Ancient York Master Mason and a proper Person as Tyler of this Lodge & that they agree to pay him Five Shillings pr night when in execution of his duty (out of the moneys arising from the Benefit of the Lodge.) He to attend at the Secretary's House one day before each Stated night to receive they Summonses, & serve them in time, (that is to say giving each Brother timely Notice.) Where- upon the Lodge have Unanimously agreed to receive him as their Tyler." He continued to act as Tyler until March, 1794, but did not become a member of the Lodge until December 14, 1791.
The young Lodge, was at its very birth, met with the smiles of encouragement from her sister Lodges. One of these smiles came from Lodge No. 9, of Philadelphia, in the form of a Lodge Seal. This seal was doubtless a superfluous piece of lodge property, probably a little worn, and for which Lodge No. 9 had no further use; still it was a seal, and no doubt would answer many purposes; but our brethren seemed just a little particular about these things, for the minute of November 9th reads: "The seal presented us by Lodge No. 9, not answering the number of this lodge 'tis ordered a new one be made for the purpose."
The first petition for initiation and membership in the Lodge, was that of Frederick Hubley, who kept the house in which the lodge held its first meetings. His petition was presented Decem- ber 14, 1785, and he was approved and initiated January 12, 1786. So that Bro. Frederick Hubley was the first Mason made in Lodge No. 43. During the year 1786 there were in all eight approved and initiated in the lodge, making the membership fifteen. The outfit of the lodge was simplicity itself, and very little money was expended for furniture, that used being the ordinary furniture of the house.
At the Quarterly Grand Communication, held March 27, 1786, the Grand Lodge expressed its wish to become an independent body, and on motion it was ordered "that a circular letter be
54
History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
written to the several lodges under this jurisdiction generally, in- forming them that it is the wish of the Grand Lodge to establish themselves as a Grand Lodge, independent of Great Britain or any other authority, and that it is intended to take up the matter at the Quarterly Communication in September next, and requesting their attendance at that time either by their proper officers or by deputation in writing, authorizing some Master Mason or Masons to represent the Lodge." A circular letter setting forth the above facts and signed by Bro. Ashton Humphries, Grand Secretary, was received and read at the stated meeting of Lodge No. 43, held September 13th, whereupon the Lodge unanimously agreed that Bro. Adam Hubley, Jr., should be appointed their Representative for the purpose aforesaid, with full power to do every act and thing in the same manner as if the Master and Wardens of the Lodge were personally present.
The meeting of the Grand Lodge was held September 25th, and Bro. Hubley failed to be present; so that at this important Grand Communication, Lodge No. 43 was not represented. At this meeting the following resolution was unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That this Grand Lodge is, and ought to be, a Grand Lodge independent of Great Britain or any other authority what- ever, and that they are not under any ties to any other Grand Lodge except those of brotherly love and affection, which they will always be happy to cultivate and preserve with all Lodges throughout the globe.
The minutes of the Grand Lodge also state, "this Lodge, acting by virtue of a warrant from the Grand Lodge of England, was closed for ever."
On the following day, September 26th, at a grand convention of thirteen different Lodges, and with the concurrence of other Lodges signified by letter, it was unanimously
Resolved, That the Lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, lately held under the authority of the Grand Lodge of England, will, and do now, form themselves into a Grand Lodge, to be called the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and Masonic jurisdiction thereunto belonging, till the usual time
.
Stated Lodge Night Damiafter Dinnerdry the 13. Junitember y8%.
A letter being four med from Brothers" Motor. Bumfhrle Grand Sport auf dates Philadelphia August the 21 st, director to the Matter Of Warder of Lodge S. A.B. Informing than that the Fourth Mondayfin Jeplumbers their next the Grand Lodge intended 1000 to consider I delermind when the Lowesterro Establishing vais Lodge Independant of Great Britain, or any other Authority requesting our Attend ance at that Theme, either byf out proper Oficer, or byja Asportations in Mailing Authorizing some Master majon. or majones to represent our Lodge in Morais Grand Lodge when the determination of the water. Whereupon the Lodge lina. mismo ly appoint Brother ilsam Subley -- = Esquire their Representative for the fourporfer Mforward with full power to do every as and Thing in The same manner a N new or if the Matter If Wardens of our Lodge were personally
REDUCED REPRODUCTION OF ANSWER TO THE COMMUNICATION FROM THE PROVINCIAL GRAN
Also maly present . It was nowid I Secondes
Names of the Brethren of this Sorge dir =
Peroqueishing such Bretterno as have beeng Satiated in the Bouger. Together with any Account of the Firm due by this Page to the Grand Lodge: Anis that the Maltes
drawer an Order on The Treasures for the Amount. Ho discharge the same. and The Trialcon being found Therenon it was Unand
= mowily carries in Rue affirmative.
C
=it True body from
AND
VIRTUE
T.
SILENCE
Nº 43.
#20002016 Secretary
Proxy, Lodge A-43
13 Sept-1786
LODGE REGARDING THE FORMING OF A GRAND LODGE INDEPENDENT OF GREAT BRITAIN
55
History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
of the next election; and that the Grand Lodge and the particular Lodges govern themselves by the rules and regulations heretofore established, till other rules and regulations be adopted.
A committee was appointed to form a warrant to be granted to the several lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge, and to write a letter to the Grand Lodge of England, taking formal leave of them. At a meeting of the Grand Lodge held October 16th, this committee made report and submitted a form of warrant which was adopted and ordered to be prepared and furnished the several Lodges under their jurisdiction, free of any expense, upon sur- rendering their old warrants.
The new warrant for Lodge No. 43 was not prepared until the following July, and was presented at the stated meeting of August 8, 1787, at which time the following minute was made:
Brother Charles Smith produced a New Warrant from ye Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, dated July 14, 1787, A. M. 5787, reciting the original warrant of No. 43, to Stephen Chambers Master, John Doyle Sen" Wardn & Henry Stuber Jun" Wardn, by which said New Warrant all the rights & privileges appertaining to Masons & Masonry were confirm'd unto Br John Doyle Master, Henry Stuber SenT Wardn & Charles Smith JunT Wardn & the members & Brethren of No. 43 & their successors forever, under the New In- dependent Constitution lately established by the Grand Masonic Convention on the Twenty-fifth Day of September A. D. 1787, A. M. 5787, at Philadelphia.
Whereupon the said Warrant was read and accepted, and the old warrant was delivered to Bror Charles Smith in order to be transmitted to the Grand Secretary, to be lodg'd among the Archives of the Grand Lodge.
The old warrant was sent to the Grand Secretary, at Phila- delphia, by Bro. Charles Smith, and was placed among the Ar- chives of the Grand Lodge, but it is no longer in existence. It was probably destroyed with many other valuable documents and books, at the burning of the Chestnut Street Masonic Temple, in 1819.
The following is a correct copy of the warrant of 1787, still in our possession and under which we work:
56
History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
WILLM ADCOCK, Grand Master. J. B. SMITH, D. Grand Master.
Jos. DEAN, S. G. W.
GEORGE ORD, J. G. W.
To all whom it may Concern.
The Grand Lodge of the most ancient and honor- SEAL. able Fraternity of Free and accepted Masons (accord- ing to the Old Constitutions, revived by his Royal Highness Prince Edwin, at York, in the Kingdom of England, in the year of the Christian Æra Nine Hundred Twenty and Six, and in the year of Masonry Four Thousand Nine Hundred Twenty and Six) in ample Form assembled at Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, SEND GREETING.
WHEREAS the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge of England did by a Grand Warrant under the Hands of the Right Honorable Thomas Erskine, Earl Kelly, Viscount Fenton, Lord Baron of Pitten Weem, &c., in Great Britain, Grand Master of Masons, the Right Worshipful William Osborne, Deputy Grand Master, the Right Worshipful Mr. William Dickey, Senior Grand Warden, the Right Worshipful James Gibson, Esq., Junior Grand Warden, and the seal of the said Grand Lodge, bearing Date June 20th, 1764, A. M. 5764, nominate, constitute, and appoint the Right Worshipful William Ball to be Grand Master, the Right Wor- shipful Captain Blaithwait Jones, Deputy Grand Master, the Right Worshipful Mr. David Hall, Senior Grand Warden, and the Right Worshipful Mr. Hugh Lenox, Junior Grand Warden, of a Provincial Grand Lodge, to be held at Philadelphia for the Province of Penn- sylvania; granting to them and their Successors in Office duly elected and lawfully installed, with the Consent of the Members of the said Grand Lodge, full Power and Authority to grant Warrants and Dis- pensations for holding Lodges, to regulate all Matters appertaining to Masonry, to do and perform all and every other Act and Thing which could be usually done and performed by other Provincial Grand Lodges, as by the said above in Part recited Grand Warrant, Reference being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
AND WHEREAS the Right Worshipful William Adcock, Esq., Grand Master, the Right Worshipful Mr. Alexander Rutherford, Deputy Grand Master, the Right Worshipful Jonathan Bayard Smith, Esq., Senior Grand Warden, the Right Worshipful Mr. Joseph Dean, Junior Grand Warden, legal successors of the above- named Grand Officers, as by the Grand Lodge Books may appear, together with the Officers and Representatives of a Number of regular Lodges under their Jurisdiction, duly appointed and specially
57
History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
authorized, as also by and with the Advice and Consent of several other Lodges by their Letters expressed did, at a Grand Quarterly Communication, held in the Grand Lodge Room in the City of Philadelphia, on the Twenty-fifth Day of September, A. C. One Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty and Six, after mature and serious Deliberations, unanimously resolve, "That it is improper the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania should remain any longer under the Au- thority of any foreign Grand Lodge." And the said Grand Lodge did thereupon close Sine Die.
AND WHEREAS all the Grand Officers of the said late Provin- cial Grand Lodge, together with the Officers and Representa- tives of a Number of Lodges of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, did on the said Twenty-fifth day of September, One Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty and Six, meet in the Room of the late Provincial Grand Lodge, and according to the Powers and Au- thorities to them intrusted, did form themselves into a Grand Convention of Masons to deliberate on the proper Methods of forming a Grand Lodge totally independent from all foreign juris- diction.
AND WHEREAS the said Grand Convention did then and there UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVE, That the Lodges under the Jurisdic- tion of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania aforesaid, lately held as a provincial Grand Lodge under the authority of the Grand Lodge of England, should and they then did form themselves into a Grand Lodge, to be called THE GRAND LODGE OF PENNSYL- VANIA AND MASONIC JURISDICTION THEREUNTO BELONGING TO BE HELD IN THE SAID CITY OF PHILADELPHIA as by the Records and Proceedings of the said Convention remaining among the Ar- chives of the Grand Lodge aforesaid may more fully appear.
AND WHEREAS by a warrant bearing date the twenty first day of April, A. C. One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-five and of Masonry Five Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty-five, under the Hands of William Adcock, Grand Master, Alexander Rutherford Deputy Grand Master, George Ord Senior Warden, and William Tilton Junior Warden, and the seal of the late Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, the following Brethern, to wit, The Wor- shipful Stephen Chambers Master, John Doyle Senior Warden, Henry Stuber Junior Warden, with their lawful Assistants, were authorized and appointed to hold a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons at the Borough of Lancaster in the State of Pennsylvania- Number Forty-three. And in the said Lodge when duly con- gregated to admit, enter, and make Masons, according to the ancient and honorable Custom of the Royal Craft in all Ages and
58
History of Lodge No. 43, F. and A. M.
Nations throughout the known World. And also with the farther Right, Privilege and Authority to nominate, chuse and instal their successors, and them to invest with the like Power, Authority, and Dignity to nominate, chuse, and instal their successors, and them to invest with the like Power, Authority, and Dignity to nominate, chuse and instal their Successors for ever as by the said Warrant, Reference being thereunto had, may appear.
AND WHEREAS the said Warrant hath both surrendered up to US the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction thereunto belonging, by the present Officers and Brethern of the said Lodge No. 43 praying that the same may be renewed under the authority of this Grand Lodge, Now KNOW YE, That we THE GRAND LODGE OF PENNSYLVANIA AND MASONIC JURISDIC- TION THEREUNTO BELONGING, by Virtue of the Power and Au- thorities vested in US by the said Grand Convention DO hereby renew and confirm to our trusty and well beloved Brethern John Doyle, Master, Henry Stuber, Senior Warden, and Charles Smith, Junior Warden, and the other regular and lawful Members of the said Lodge No. 43 of Ancient York Masons, and to their true and lawful Successors for ever, all the Masonic Rights, Privileges, Authority, Jurisdiction and Pre-eminence, which by their said Original Warrant herein before mentioned and in Part recited, they are or may be in any Manner or Way entitled to hold and enjoy. PROVIDED ALWAYS, That the above-named Brethern and Members of the said Lodge, and their successors, continue, at all Times, to pay due Respect and Obedience to this Right Worshipful Grand Lodge, agreeably to the Rules and Ordinances lawfully made or to be made for the Benefit of Masonry and the Advancement of our Royal Craft, otherwise this Warrant to be of no Force or Virtue.
Grand Secretary.
by George A. Baker,
Lucis 5798
Day of June Anno
B, Folio 14, the 29th
Records of Warrants
Recorded in Book of
GIVEN in open Grand Lodge, under the Hands of our Right Worshipful Grand Officers and the seal of our Grand Lodge, at Philadelphia, this Fourteenth Day of July, A. C. One Thousand Seven Hundred and Eighty Seven and of Masonry Five Thousand Seven Hun- dred and Eighty Seven.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.