white_rose_newsletter_42-1 - Masonic Province of Yorkshire, West ...

FIRING AND FIRING GLASSESBy W Bro Rod G Taylor, of Lightcliffe LodgeNo 3332 - an avid collectorI COLLECT antique drinkingglasses, particularly firingglasses, and this articledescribes them, and thetoasting rituals thataccompanied their use.In the late 17th and the18th century, toasts wereaccompanied by the beatingof drums, a fanfare of music,or other gestures ofcelebration. This is where theterm “firing” came from,because it originally meant“gunfire”. All sorts of firearmswere used, from muskets tocannon procured speciallyfor the purpose. Firing is anaudiovisual exclamationmark, done to endorse andreinforce a toast.Figure 1.A firing glass decorated with crypticJacobite symbolsBut the discharging of firearms to celebrate a toast had itsdrawbacks – the smoke, holes in the ceiling, inadvertentlymurdering one’s host - and a safer alternative emerged in the useof the firing glass, banged on the table to imitate the sound ofgunfire. Among Freemasons, the verbal imagery relating firingglasses to guns was first described in French exposuresmaterial came in the form ofthe heavy, lead glassdeveloped around 1674.The firing glass is short andstumpy, with a small bowl,because the drinker has toempty it before he bangs iton the table. The bowl is seton a thick stem, or directlyon the foot, which is muchthicker than that of anordinary glass, and may beflanged or terraced.Masonic engraving onglasses became commonafter 1760, and someglasses were so stronglyassociated with the Craftthat they were known simplyFigure 3. Firing glass engraved with squareand compasses, and number of Lodgeas “Right Free-Masons”. The commonest decoration is thesquare and compasses, often with the name or number of theLodge, followed by the sun and the moon, or the jewels of theMaster or his Wardens.We now use the term “firing” to describe the “Point, left, right”hand movements and synchronised clapping which precede thebanging down of the glass. These derive from early modes ofrecognition, from military terms, and from rhythmic clapping usedby all sorts of people, not just Masons. The expression “firing”probably came to be applied to them as firing glasses fell out ofuse.Firing is done throughout Yorkshire North and East Ridings, butis rare in our Province. The reason for this is not clear. I havefound some evidence that firing was previously more widespreadin the West Riding.The author of a French exposure of 1744 says “I could notattempt to describe the singular pleasure which the Free-Masonsderive from this manner of toasting; they alone feel it & they couldnot describe it themselves”.TO place an advertisement in White Rose,please contact any of the following:Marketing and Advertising ChairmanFigure 2. Two late 18th century dram glasses: ordinary glass on the left, firingglass on the rightpublished from 1737 onwards. From Le Secret Des Francs-Maçons, 1744: “All the terms they use…are borrowed from theArtillery. The bottle is called Barrel… wine is called red Powder…they use only goblets, which they call Cannon…”The firing glass may have originated from the thumping glass,a tumbler with a thick, solid base, used in the late 17th century, orfrom the ship’s glass, which had a thick, broad foot to keep itupright. Firing glasses probably first came in around 1720, andthey were also used by non-Masonic clubs and societies, such asthe Jacobites (figure 1) and the wonderfully-named SublimeSociety of Beefsteaks.Any glass that is to be banged on the table to imitate the soundof gunfire must be strong enough to stand the task. The rightStuart Cadman stuart.cadman@wrprovince.co.ukTelephone: 01274 873426 M: 07710 451873Advertising team membersJohn Watson john.watson@wrprovince.co.ukTelephone: 01132 893905Martin Charlesworth martin.charlesworth@wrprovince.co.ukTelephone: 07783 687313Paul Shipley paul.shipley@wrprovince.co.ukTelephone: 01132 283215Keith Grandison keith.grandison@wrprovince.co.ukTelephone: 01943 864612David Hayes david.hayes@wrprovince.co.ukTelephone: 01142 763633Adrian Collins Adrian.collins@wrprovince.co.ukTelephone: 07912 669505LODGE ACACIA No.2321 IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS PAGE OF THE WHITE ROSE MASONIC NEWS.Meeting on the 4th Thursday of every month except August at Masonic Hall, Hoyle Court Baildon, Shipley. BD17 6JS21