Mackey A G - Encylopedia of Freemasonry - The Grand Masonic ...

ENGLAND
ENGLAND 2 43
The Grand Lodges of York and of London
kept up a friendly intercourse, and mutual
interchange of recognition, until the latter
body, in 1725, granted a warrant of constitution
to some Masons who had seceded from
the former . This unmasonic act was severely
reprobated by the York Grand Lodge, and
produced the first interruption to the harmony
that had long subsisted between them . It was,
however, followed some years after by another
unjustifiable act of interference . In 1735, the
Earl of Crawford, Grand Master of England,
constituted two Lodges within the jurisdiction
of the Grand Lodge of York, and granted,
without its consent, deputations for Lancashire,
Durham, and Northumberland .
"This circumstance, " says Preston (Illust .,
ed. 1792, p. 279), "the Grand Lodge at York
highly resented, and ever afterward viewed the
proceedings of the brethren in the south with a
jealous eye . All friendly intercourse ceased,
and the York Masons, from that moment,
considered their interests distinct from the
Masons under the Grand Lodge in London ."
Three years after, in 1738, several brethren
dissatisfied with the conduct of the Grand
Lodge of England, seceded from it, and held
unauthorized meetings for the purpose of initiation.
Taking advantage of the breach between
the Grand Lodges of York and London,
they assumed the character of York Masons .
On the Grand Lodge's determination to put
strictly in execution the laws against such seceders,
they still further separated from its
jurisdiction, and assumed the appellation of
"Ancient York Masons." They announced
that the ancient landmarks were alone preserved
by them ; and, declaring that the regular
Lodges had adopted new plans, and sanctioned
innovations, they branded them with
the name of "Modern Masons ." In 1739, they
established a new Grand Lodge in London,
under the name of the "Grand Lodge of Ancient
York Masons," and, persevering in the
measures they had adopted, held communications
and appointed annual feasts . They
were soon afterward recognized by the Masons
of Scotland and Ireland, and were encouraged
and fostered by many of the nobility. The
two Grand Lges continued to exist, and to
act in opposition to each other, extending their
schisms into other countries, especially into
America, until the year 1813, when, under the
Grand Mastership of the Duke of Sussex,
they were united under the title of the United
Grand Lodge of England .
Such is the history of Freemasonry in England
as uninterruptedly believed by all Masons
and Masonic writers for nearly a century
and a half. Recent researches have thrown
great doubts on its entire accuracy . Until the
year 1717, the details are either traditional, or
supported only by manuscripts whose authenticity
has not yet been satisfactorily proved .
Much of the history is uncertain- some of it,
especially as referring to York, is deemed apocryphal
by Hughan and other laborious writers,
and Bro. Henry Sadler in his Masonic Facts
and Fictions has proved that the "Ancients"
were not really a schismatic body of seceders
from the Premier Grand Lodge of England,
but were Irish Masons settled in London, who
in 1751, established a body which they called
the " Grand Lodge of England according to the
Old Institutions," maintaining that they alone
preserved the ancient tenets and practises of
Masonry . (See Ancient Masons .) [E . L . H .]
England, Grand Lodges In . During one
period of the eighteenth century there existed
four Grand Lodges in England : 1 . "The G.
Lodge of England " located at London ; 2 .
"The G . Lodge ot 1 all England," located at
York ; 3 . "The G. Lodge of England according
to the Old Institutions" ; and, 4 . "The
G. Lodge of England south of the river Trent,"
which last two had their G . East at London .
The first Grand Lodge was formed in 1717 .
The second G . Lodge bears date 1725, and
emanated from that immemorial Masonic
Lodge that gave such reverence to the city of
York . The third was established in 1751 by
some Irish Masons settled in London. (See
Ancient Masons.) And the fourth, whose
existence lasted from 1779 to 1789, was instituted
by the York Grand Lodge in compliance
with the request of members of the
Lodge of Antiquity, of London ; but its existence
was ephemeral, in consequence of the
removal of the disturbing cause with the regular
G. Lodge . Recently evidence has been
found pointing to the existence in London
from 1770 to 1775 of a fifth Grand Lodge,
formed by Scotch Masons, with some four or
five Lodges under its control . (Ars Quatuor
Coronatorum, xviii., pp . 69-90 .) [E . L. H .]
All subordinate Lodges existing at present,
which had their being prior to the union, in
December, 1813, were subjects of either the
first or the third of the above designated four
G. Lodges, and known respectively as the
"Moderns" or the "Ancients," these titles,
however, having no recognized force as to the
relative antiquity of either .
England, The First Record of Grand
Lodge of . Bro . R . F . Gould (Hist . of F. M .,
ii., 373) furnishes the valuable information
that the minutes of Grand Lodge commence
24th June, 1723, and those bearing such
date are signed by "John Theophilus Desaguliers,
Deputy Grand Master ." They are entered
in a different handwriting, under date of
25th November, 1723, 19th February, 172k,
28th "Aprill 1724," and are not signed at foot .
On 24th June, 1724, the Earl of Dalkeith presided
in Grand Lodge, and the following signatures
are appended to the recorded minutes :
"Dalkeith, G. M ., 1724 ."
"J. T. Desaguliers, G . M ."
"Fra Sorrell, Senr ., G . W."
"John Senex, Junr ."
The minutes of 21st November, 1724, 17th
March, 20th May, 24th June, and 27th
November, 1725, are unsigned . But to those
of 27th December, 1725, are appended the
signatures of
"Richmond & Lenox, G . M ., 1725,"
"M . ffolkes, D . G . M.,"
and two G, Wardens.